World Conquest Online

"Disengage!" Tomyris yelled loudly as arrows and crossbow bolts landed around her, a Hoplite in front of her was holding a large shield to protect them, it was reinforced and used as a deck shield specifically for attacks by Archers. Her Archers shot back, taking lives from enemies that attempted to board them, whilst her Hoplite Marines fought against those that had boarded. She joined in and made sure that all of them had been cut down, her sword still bloodied from earlier skirmishes.

As the Calypso began to pull back, it’s oars thrashing in the water as the giant ram at the front broke loose from the Louchuan, bringing shattered fragments of the enemy capital ship with it. The Enyo beside was still engaged and Tomyris could see Gan Ning in his Mask boarding the enemy ship that was now taking on water. Annoyance creeping up her face as Gan Ning’s got too involved with the fight and wasn’t sticking to their earlier strategy.

"What is he doing?" She exclaimed, worried for him as he suspected that if the Enyo disengaged as well, then the enemy ship would sink. She saw some enemies heading towards him and his small force and ordered her Archers to shoot towards them. Gan Ning noticed the oncoming enemies all fall and waved in Tomyris’ direction. She couldn’t see his face, but almost hit her self in the face knowing he would be smiling with a wide grin. Tomyris smiled in response, before shaking her head. "Disengage and we’ll stop any reinforcements from interrupting."

As the Calypso disengaged, the Mengchong of Ling Tong arrived, with the young General jumping from his ship, his arms covered in the blood of his enemies and charged straight in to the centre of the ship to find the enemy commander. Other ships also joined, tying ropes to the Louchuan which stopped it from sinking.

"Upstairs now!" Gan Ning ordered the small Hoplite Marine force behind him, he had ten with him all wielding short swords and round shields, their helmets standing out against those of Huang Zu and Sun Quan’s forces. Every step they took was the end of another enemies life as the ship was full of Archers and Swordsmen, some deciding enough was enough and jumping in to the water.

"Run!" An enemy Warrior yelled as a Titanaconda with it’s very wet Spartan rider quickly slammed on board, using it’s tail to dislodge those standing nearby and throwing many in to the depths of the river, before being driven back in to the water by it’s rider who was taking a deep breath. Gan Ning was impressed, as by using these hit and run tactics, the Titanaconda’s weren’t exposed long to enemy counter attacks, no that many wished to do so. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

There were clashes atop the stairs that Gan Ning could hear as many enemies seemed to be charging his way, frustration sinking in that someone had potentially beaten him to the enemy commander and would be claiming the merits that Riverside needed. Part of him also worried about his colleagues on the Cliff, but he knew that there was nothing he could do currently to impact that battle. He just hoped that Dom, Tomoe, Liao Hua and Subutai were safe.

"Increase the pace!" Gan Ning ordered, as an enemy was thrown over a shield by an oncoming naval Hoplite, whilst another behind Gan Ning stabbed the downed foe in the throat. Gan Ning had been training these specialised Hoplites who could fight both on land and at sea, specifically to defeat foes such as those they were currently fighting. The elite marine unit swiftly made their way up the stairs, where they saw Ling Tong in a fierce battle against an enemy Commander, with the warriors around him also caught in fights of their own. There was no formation on this ship battle, with Warriors fighting against enemies at any opportunity.

Ling Tong was clearly on the back foot, tired from his earlier fights and the initial adrenaline rush waring off. Gan Ning was frustrated that Sun Ce wasn’t beside him, as was the plan, but he couldn’t let the young General be hurt. He charged forwards, pushing Ling Tong out of the way of an oncoming strike, blocking some with his sword but taking a slight bang to his protective mask. Whilst Gan Ning tried to be the hero, the Marine Hoplite ran and engaged the tangled enemies, quickly dispatching them.

Ling Tong scrambled across the floor, his life having just flashed before his eyes as the sword had came at him with little chance to counter with his tired arms. Gan Ning’s mask cracked, revealing his older and more scarred face to the young surprised Ling Tong.

"Meritamen is going to kill me." Gan Ning commented to Ling Tong who looked on in tired shock, before turning his sword and violently attacking the enemy commander in frustration. He knew his role was to capture him, but he was angry at his identity being exposed and continued to fight and push the enemy Commander back.

The enemy Commander fell over his own feet as he was pushed back, with Gan Ning about to strike a killing blow, however an Marine Hoplite quickly intervened, putting his shield between the two. Gan Ning realised what he was about to do and calmed down quickly, apologising to the Hoplite who nodded in respect to Gan Ning whilst disarming the enemy Commander.

"The ship is ours!" Ling Tong shouted loudly, so his voice echoed across the water, forcing the enemies still onboard to quickly surrender, whilst those nearby did similar things. He then turned to Gan Ning, who removed his broken mask in frustration and signalled to one of the Marines who grinned and ran back down towards the Enyo.

"Gan Ning you traitor!" The enemy Commander yelled at Gan Ning as he looked down on him.

"You should be dead Chen Jiu, I have just saved your life, surrender and shut up or I’ll change my mind and cut your throat." Gan Ning replied seriously, his tone deadly and intimidating, giving Chen Jiu no doubts that Gan Ning meant every word.

"You win." Chen Jiu exclaimed, a sense of fear running down his spine at the seriousness in Gan Ning’s tone, sweat dripping from his back.

"Tie him up and take him to the Enyo, prepare to depart I want to capture Su Fei before anyone else does." Gan Ning ordered, whilst Ling Tong stood behind silently and in thought. As those around started moving, Ling Tong stepped forwards, one of Gan Ning’s Marines went to block him but Gan Ning waved him off.

"You aren’t Gan Ning are you?" He asked questioningly. "Everything has been strange since Lord Sun Ce returned."

"I am, and I am not at the same time." Gan Ning replied honestly, "I know your hatred for me, but we were on different sides at the time. I have heard tales of your father and he sounds like a great man, but a lot of great men die in war. I know that eventually we would grow to be friends, it is a shame that the past can’t be changed."

"Friendship I doubt." Ling Tong countered with gritted teeth, before bowing his head slightly, "But I owe you my life."

"Then repay it by continuing to live, live for yourself and for your fathers memory." Gan Ning smiled as the marine that was sent to the Enyo returned with a second mask. "Also, I advice you to keep this between us, that is an order from Lord Sun Quan."

Gan Ning then turned, leaving Ling Tong stunned, whilst the Marines around him rolled their eyes at Gan Ning’s attempt to be mysterious. They soon reboarded the Enyo and Gan Ning asked the men if he pulled it off.

"You were definitely mysterious." One of them commented, leading Gan Ning to laugh loudly before the Enyo also disengaged the Louchaun. As the Enyo disengaged, the ship tilted again as more water rushed in, but more Sun ships arrived and tied themselves to it to keep it afloat.

"Drag it ashore!" Gan Ning ordered them as he directed his ship further in to the battle, trying to leave Ling Tong behind as more and more of Huang Zu’s forces retreated or surrendered, the other Louchuan was now on fire from the arrows shot from the cliffs above.

.....

Subutai waited patiently as the enemy forces approached, his seven hundred Cavalry ready to attack the enemy flank. He calculated that if they could take three heads each, then the internal forces would win, but that could be costly.

"Strike and retreat?" Tomoe questioned him, her Naginata grasped tightly in her hand from their hiding place in the woods beneath the hill.

"Strike and retreat." Subutai repeated the order, Banas and her Archers would fire a continuous stream of Arrows, whilst Tomoe would lead the brutal charge with the Lancers, Tigers and Five Hundred Sun family Cavalry.

They watched as an armoured General, wielding a heavy looking bow was in conversation with an elaborately armoured man who wielding a sword. They were both in the middle, with the Infantry vanguard led by a younger General.

"Can you see their mistake?" Subutai asked Tomoe beside him as she smiled excitedly.

"They are relaxed, even though they march to battle. They have the Cavalry in the middle, around their Commander’s, leaving their rear exposed." Tomoe replied.

"They are not expecting an ambush, they are arrogant." Subutai agreed.

"They should know we have taken the fort." Banas said from the other side of them, "why are they so relaxed?"

"Because, they don’t know we exist." Subutai explained, "just like how they surprised us, now it’s our turn."

As the enemy force began to approach the Hill towards the fort, Subutai raised his hand in signal.

"Banas, take your Archers and hit their Cavalry. Especially those dark skinned ones, if they are an Elite Unit then we need to get them before they can fight back." Subutai ordered, "Tomoe, hit the rear first and then come back around and hit them again. Watch for my signal, I’ll direct you for your third run, if Banas does enough damage then it will be towards those Generals in the centre."

"I can’t wait!" Tomoe exclaimed in excitement as Subutai threw his arm down. Signalling the attack as Tomoe yelled, "Charge!"

The Riverside and Sun Family forces appeared from the treeline at pace, with Banas taking the lead with her fast Archers, making the sky filled with a hundred quick arrows, followed by another hundred as they fell amongst the enemy Cavalry, the surprise evident as many fell from their horses, whilst others bolted in to their own lines.

Tomoe soon followed, her forces arching and hitting the exposed infantry flank as Banas launched a third barrage. Tomoe swung wildly, cutting down three men in quick succession as she hit at an acute angle, the Lancers behind her using the power of their horses to crush the enemy, whilst the Tigers and Sun Cavalry behind caused similar damage.

Tomoe wielded her Cavalry in a circular arch, the first attack easily cleaving more than a thousand unsuspecting lives, wiping off over a seventh of the enemies Warriors as their Generals began to react. Banas continued to unleash arrows, with most of the dark skinned Cavalry dead as the enemy commander began getting control from the slaughter and ordering them to strike back.

Tomoe hit the rear again, clearing through the enemy lines who tried to get themselves in position. The enemy spearmen were pushed to the front, but the fifty Riverside Tiger Cavalry caused so much fear that most dropped their weapons and ran back towards Jiangxia.

Tomoe looked towards Subutai, his bow pulled back and an arrow lodged and ready to loose. He nodded, knowing she would be looking as her group left the enemies rear and charged towards the enemy Cavalry that was getting itself back in to formation.

The few surviving dark skinned Cavalry quickly gathered around one of the Generals, before turning from the battle and retreating, pulling the General with them. Subutai nodded in satisfaction as only around twenty survived. He let loose his arrow towards the fleeing General, catching him in the shoulder as he fell from his horse clumsily.

Tomoe seeing the situation charged towards him, hoping to catch him, but was stopped by having to quickly deflect a powerful arrow that was shot from the other General, the older man with the heavy bow. The fallen General was grabbed by his small escorts and pulled on a horse as they ran further from the battle and back towards Jiangxia. Subutai didn’t follow up even though the temptation was there to dispatch a small group of chasing Cavalry, as he now needed to deal with the other General, as the enemy front lines that had began to turn and support.