Arcane Journey

Chapter 257 The Battle of Susar
The next morning, there was a hint of bleakness.

When the morning light dyed the thin clouds blown by the strong wind red, in the dense jungle outside the city of Susa, war horses neighed softly, and stretched their hooves to break open the wet and soft ground covered with fallen leaves.

The soldiers lowered their voices, joking nervously.

Iron Regent Hesaiah heard the collision of spears and the faint sound of armor from time to time, even though she had a keen sense of hearing, her voice seemed hazy and indistinct.

"The war is about to start, let's leave here as soon as possible." The old voice of the royal mage Sandra Cote was mixed with a trace of sigh, and sounded behind Hesaiah.

Hesaiah looked back at the old wizard, and found that he looked more tired and thinner than yesterday.

This made her realize that the heavy damage suffered by the royal mage in the battle with Felin Mokui was probably not as simple as imagined.

Otherwise, as a wizard whose strength has reached the middle legendary level, he would not be arranged here.

True, he was not involved in the war.

Even though he stood his ground and tried to help defend the city of Suzar, Bryan insisted that he be put in charge of keeping her and the little king safe.

"Memories will slowly fade over time, just like your favorite forest path, gradually becoming deserted."

"Isn't a person just a pile of memories? Is there anything more precious than this that can make an old man feel a little warm and happy when he rummages through his memory pocket?"

Hesaiah recalled the almost resigned words the royal mage had uttered yesterday when he left Bryan's room.

These words made her feel inexplicably sad and bitter.

After all, if the battle is unfavorable, she will abandon the thousand-year imperial capital of the Kingdom of Cormyr, or even the entire south of the kingdom, and take the little king to the northern city of Araby under the protection of the royal mage.

Beside Hesaiah, besides the royal mage Sandra Cote, there are also his student Teresa, priest Karenna of the Mother Earth Church, and ten purple dragon knights.

"I can't leave at this time, it will make the soldiers in front mistakenly think that we have abandoned them." Through the gap in the dense forest, Hesaiah stared at the knights like ghosts, galloping in his sight However, she insisted on her opinion.

"I want the warriors of the kingdom of Cormyr to know that their king is right behind them, watching them fight for the kingdom with his own eyes."

"After all, it should come...it will come naturally, and no one can escape." She glanced at the little king who was held in Karina's arms, and whispered helplessly, "just like the thousand-year curse of the kingdom...the disaster is evil. spirit."

When the war came, Hesaiah knew it would mean death, maybe the death of the old wizard... maybe her and the little king, or even Brian who was in charge of leading the war.

In war no one is safe and no one's life is at stake.

So Hesaiah didn't want to choose to escape. Since she couldn't personally participate in this war, she chose to wait here.

Whether victory or defeat, or death, she will face it calmly.

This was what she and Brian agreed to him personally, and he did not strongly object.

"It's going to be okay, Hesaiah." Brian smiled softly and said softly, "It's just a battle, don't be afraid."

Sisaiah gave him a smile too. "I'd have to be a fool first, Brian."

Her voice was equally gentle, "I have participated in countless battles. Personally, those previous battles were far more...difficult than this one. So don't worry, I will do everything I can to protect the Kingdom of Cormyr, There will be no fear."

Admiration filled his deep black eyes, and he smiled and said, "Forgive me, you may look more battle-hardened than I do, Lady Regent."

She knew that these were his comforting words, but to her, they were still of great benefit.

She put away the smile on her face and said to him, "I pray that the war will not make you and me ruthless, but I am definitely not unfamiliar with war, no matter victory or defeat, I will always be here waiting for you. "

"I have not forgotten my responsibilities," he told her. "I will fight until the last moment. But, Hisaiah Obaiszir, if it does come to the point of no return, I will give priority to My own safety. After all, there are more impending dangers waiting for me."

The feeling of gratitude and the burgeoning hope made Hesaiah feel a little weak.

She looked up at Brian, his profile was facing her, the lines of his face seemed to be drawn by an artist, clean and straight.

But his gazing into the distance and his furrowed eyebrows betrayed his pretended composure and calmness.

Even in the Underdark, or even facing the incarnation of the demon lord, he has never shown such a dignified expression.

When Brian left, Sisaiah watched him go away, her fingers trembling and curling, and she slowly covered her palms, as if trying to protect the parting kiss.

The war song sounded, the war drum sounded, and the march of the orc troops played a unique movement.

When Zilong ravaged the imperial capital, they took down all the towns in the King's Forest area with lightning speed, and now they are moving towards the next goal.

In today's scale, their self-confidence has already exploded, and they are almost roaring all the way south, as if they are worried that others will not feel their presence.

In addition to carrying many improvised and captured war machines, many also carried some more terrifying trophies to remember this war of aggression, such as trolls and ogres, who seemed to be happy to use their fingers and ears decorate yourself.

Suzar has been preparing for this attack for many days, and the residents have also spent countless sleepless nights for this. They have had countless nightmares of orcs breaking through the city gate like a flood.

Fear is also a weapon.

The beasts in the Stormhorn Mountains avoided them far away, and the hungry army was never picky about their food. Those bison and gazelles who dared to approach were all beheaded and dealt with on the spot.

To the west of Suzar, armies of large tribes of ogres, trolls, and hill giants lined up in long, narrow columns across the winding paths of Dustwallow Marsh.

Even though there are tall mossy trees on both sides, the hot sun still shines through the gaps.

The two attacking forces from the Forest of Kings and the Horn of the Storm Mountains will meet in the city of Suzal. They hope to join forces in victory and completely crush Suzal who is caught in the middle.

Hesaiah waited patiently, listening to the soft sounds in the forest, feeling the cold wind blowing through her hair.

Unconsciously, it was already approaching noon, and the armies of the two sides had not collided yet, so Hesaiah couldn't help but secretly worried.

She was worried about which link had gone wrong.

Before Suzal's army set off, Brian arranged for Besrina, the ranger commander, to lead 300 elite rangers out of the city first, and was responsible for attracting the attention of the orc scouts placed around Suzal City, and covering the whereabouts of the main force.

"Gods of Seldarine, I dare to guarantee my life, the orcs never found our whereabouts, my ranger did not let a single crow fly back to the king's forest, and my priest also intercepted all magic with divine magic Sending a message, and I even personally performed the magic of avoiding detection, temporarily isolating all detections around me."

Besrina, the ranger commander holding a war bow, showed a gentle smile, but her blue eyes dotted with golden light spots were cold, which made her feel very familiar.

"We met nearly a hundred orc scouts who came to check the anomaly, but unfortunately they will never be able to go back to report the situation. The 'great sage' of the orcs should send more talents instead of hiding in the forest and making useless Catapults. All in all, he doesn't know the whereabouts of our main force out of the city."

"What is the size of the orc's troops stationed in the King's Forest?" Brian asked.

"More than expected, about 25000, living in three camps, scattered around the edge of the King's Forest." Ranger said confidently:
"It is their only way to cut off the connection between Susar City and the north. It seems that this great sage is not stupid, but this will also be their fatal weakness. Their wolf cavalry is about 2000 or so."

"The situation has changed, and the orc army has nearly three times our number." Warlord Algrass said: "Obviously, they are coming out in full force."

"That's right." Brian said calmly, "Because of this, they lack two things, two things that are fatal."

"Lack of what?" Everyone looked at him.

"Discipline and patience," Brian replied.

After the main force left the city, it soon joined the more than 4000 people brought by Brian from the northern border.

And during the march, other new forces also joined in one after another, including several good-sized mercenary regiments, small lords, stragglers who lost their masters, and many adventurers who voluntarily joined the battle.

What surprised Hesaiah the most was that Brian actually persuaded the Goliaths from Skull Rock Town to join the expulsion battle, and they brought nearly a thousand Goliath warriors and druids.

At this moment, before the "Great Sage" of the orcs noticed the abnormality, the army of the Kingdom of Cormyr had already joined forces and was ready for battle.

The moment of decisive battle ensued.

Hesaiah took the little king and watched Brian ride a war horse summoned from the outside world.

As a spellcaster, there were naturally many guards around him to ensure that he could release spells with peace of mind.

In addition to the dragon warlock Salo of Mokou Town and the ghost-like warlock, there is also the consul from Tivanton, a tall and burly tiger man Kutaig.

She is very familiar with the consul of Tiffanyton.

She can still remember deeply that every time this humorous tiger man came to Arabe City to report the situation, he often yelled a slogan with a sad face: Brave tigers are not afraid of difficulties.

This time, there is still no exception.

At that time, she would playfully add another sentence: Brave tigers are full of difficulties.

This time, she chose to remain silent.

As for the tiefling wizard hiding in the shadows, wearing a black robe and unable to see his face clearly.

Not only did she feel strange, but every time she looked into his pair of prismatic eyes, she felt as if she was being stared at by a poisonous snake that would show its fangs at any time.

In this regard, she could only pray secretly, so that the orcs would also be afraid of the eyes of the magician.

Mogran, the paladin leader of the Gauntlet Order, also volunteered to follow Brian.

What surprised Hesaiah the most was the spiritual leader of Skull Rock Town, a soul shaman whose strength reached the legendary realm.

But he looked too old, with a long white beard that dragged to his knees, and a shrunken and thin body, no different from an old human being in his twilight years.

If it weren't for those bright sapphire eyes, she even doubted whether the old shaman would be able to lift his feet and walk.

Even so, Hesaiah knew very well in his heart how much power these people had to fight back against a war shaman, an ancient green dragon, and eight orc generals whose strength had reached a medium legend.

If it is really a matter of life and death, are these people enough?Can these tens of thousands of people really defeat the orc army?

"Chirp—"

A faint song from a bird in the distance interrupted Hesaiah's inner worries.

The originally clear and pleasant chirping, in her ears, was like a cold sharp knife cutting across the back of her neck, making her hairs all over her body suddenly stand up, and she couldn't help shivering.

Time seemed to stop at the second when the bird twittered, and the surrounding air froze, allowing her to hear her own heartbeat clearly.

"The orcs are coming." Karina, who was holding the little king, whispered to her, and prayed devoutly in a low voice, "May the Mother Earth be with us."

Hesaiah nodded slightly, just in time to see her brother, the little king of Cormyr, asleep.

He slept soundly, with a crooked smile hanging on the corner of his mouth, his breathing sounded like the slight sigh of leaves, and his slippery face was flushed.

The surrounding woods fell silent, and in the silence, she could hear the voices of the army.

Although the distance is far away, it is rapidly approaching. There is the sound of galloping horses, the clash of spears, swords and armor, soldiers muttering to themselves, and the sound of laughter and cursing one after another.

The orcs also marched.

The anxious soldiers quickly packed up the tents that had lived there for a long time.

In order to pass the time and suppress irritability, the weapons in his hands have been sharpened over and over again. Now these things are put into scabbards, quiveres or simply carried on their backs, ready to taste the blood of the Cormyrs.

And the armor, reddened by the rising sun and the smeared paint, was put on.

The orc army began to advance.

They are like bloodthirsty beasts being pulled by their masters, and different troops are vying for a more advanced vantage point.

The orc's 'Great Sage' seems to have anticipated this desire.

The orc eight will lead their elite warriors, riding their huge black wargs from force to force.

Behind them were orc drummers beating to the rhythm of the march.

Gradually, the expected chaos subsides temporarily.

All the troops also began to move in step: the orcs were at the forefront, followed by the ogres, then the trolls, the hill giants, and the many weak slaves of the goblin kobolds, scattered throughout the various parts of the army.

Soldiers, soldiers like the vast ocean, took steps to the rhythm of drums, and even the ground trembled.

In past battles, these drums had terrified the commoners of Cormyr before they saw the orcs.

Almost as soon as the Cormyrs think of orcs, they think of primitiveness, and they think they are very civilized, so they are complacent.

But what dwarf, safe in the halls of the rock, knows the thrill of having an orc feast on the dead of his enemies?
What cocky human being ever gets the chance to get lost in the urge to fight, only to find himself, minutes later, with red eyes, screaming hoarsely over the dead body of an enemy?

What elf would ever taste the joy of hearing the echoes of spirits and fighting alongside the spirits of the ancestors in a real battle?
No.

This is the orcs, and this is their glory.

Some were barefoot, some wore shoes, some had hooves, and some had two big toes, and as they marched the earth bowed.

Underneath the green, blue, brown, pale and pink skin or fur are tense muscles.

They roared loudly, spears and swords, crossbows and blades, all ready to attack at all times.

Thousands of strong soldiers, with the same purpose, merged into a torrent and went straight to Susar in the south.

Hundreds of millions of years seemed to come and go, and the voices grew louder and louder, and Hesaiah heard more laughter, and someone gave orders, and the water splashed when crossing the stream.

A horse snorts, some man curses.

At last she saw him...Although it was only for a moment, even though she only looked at the bottom of the valley through the narrow gap in the forest, she knew that it must be him.

Even at such a long distance, Brian's figure was still clearly recognizable.

As soon as he appeared, he disappeared again, and was once again hidden by the bushes.

"Our large-scale operation, according to the character of the orcs, they will never stay in the mosquito-filled, rotten and smelly camp." The moon elf ranger leader Besrina is still so confident, full of self-confidence, "These 'Great Sages' wish we could go out of town and fight them to the death."

Bryan nodded slightly, carefully studied the map on the table, and said to Earl Silverhorn, "You bring three hundred cavalry to attack them here, flying the royal banner, don't want to fight."

"When they come after them, we will be separately..." His hands kept moving on the small map, giving instructions one after another, "Here, here, and here...set up an ambush and wait for them."

"here!"

Sixteen washbasin-sized meteorites burning with scorching flames descended from the sky with a slender tail flame.

"Boom!!!..."

The scorching fireball exploded, and the violent impact was accompanied by loud noises, making the ground tremble.

The open valley where the orc army gathered was instantly ignited, like the sun rising and setting suddenly from the valley.

Countless orcs, ogres, and trolls flew high into the sky in a frenzied onslaught, higher than burning flames, higher than anything the deeply shocked onlookers had seen.

Countless enemies were blown to pieces, and wreckage was scattered everywhere.

"here!"

The warm sunlight was torn apart by the shade of the trees, flung mercilessly on the ground, covering the passing dark purple armor in strands, shining with a crystal clear light orange luster.

"Woooooooooooooooooooo..."

Oglas, the war lord of Tempus, led three thousand purple dragon knights, playing the deep and thick horn of vengeance.

"Rumble!..."

The sound of galloping horseshoes sounded, and the sound of three thousand purple dragon knights trampling past was as heavy as a thousand horses, and even the ground trembled slightly.

The purple purple dragon flag fluttered in the wind, and the heavy cavalry led by the war lord crashed down from the east side of the orc army in a landslide, smashing into their flanks, as if to inform their army that they had all entered the trap .

As their speed increased, they finally turned into an unstoppable torrent of steel, tearing apart the formation of the orc army in an instant.

"here!"

The stream in the valley runs, winding through the cliffs, and the sun shimmers on the water.

"boom!"

When a firework rose into the sky, the moment the ridge on the opposite side exploded, more than 500 spellcasters, mainly battle mages, poured out their magic and scrolls in one go.

In an instant, frost, flame, lightning, strong acid and many other spells intertwined groups of violent arcane storms in the rear of the orcs, blocking their escape route, as if telling them that the power of magic must not be underestimated, otherwise you will be killed. His life will soon end magnificently.

The sound of magic is deafening, terrifying, and never stops.

In the valley below, Hesaiah heard the orcs shouting loudly. The screams continued one after another, and they were in chaos, trampling each other, causing countless deaths and injuries.

One of their Achilles' heels, as Brian puts it: Discipline!
In the chaos, the horns of the orcs sounded at the same time as the war drums, quickly and sharply, as if shouting: Run!run!run!

"Rush forward! Rush forward!"

The commanders of the orc army screamed, shaking the valley.

Countless orcs swarmed towards the front of the valley like a tide.

"And here!"

There is a soft sound in the forest, lingering in the ears.

A horn sounded, the sound was soft and quiet, like a movement.

This is the horn of the elves, and by Brian's order, the elf rangers and archers hiding among the branches rain down arrows.

A sharp arrow screamed out from the dim forest, drawing a long and slow arc.

They seemed to be gliding slowly in the air, and the arrow feathers swayed gently with the wind. Until the moment they hit, the speed and strength did not increase at all, but each arrow hit the target accurately, and the evil humanoid creatures fell down one after another. Like leaves falling on a sandy road, like wheat swept by a sharp sickle.

The orc ran fast in Arrow Rain, roaring as he ran.

The bows and arrows of the elf rangers greeted them like hail, hundreds, thousands, innumerable in an instant.

Many people fell to the ground with arrows, and their shouts turned into wailing.

At this time, the second wave of attacks had fallen from the sky, and the archers put the third arrows on the bowstrings one after another.

Immediately afterwards, in the forest around the valley, the breath that had been suppressed for a long time was forcefully exhaled, and the whole valley was immediately filled with successive howls.

Hesaiah looked around and saw Cormyr's soldiers raising their spears one after another, removing the mud and leaves used to cover the reflection, revealing extremely sharp and cruel swords.

"Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When the rain of arrows fell again, the dwarves of the Strongshield clan took the lead in blowing the horn of revenge, with a violent and passionate voice.

Right in front of the valley, the battle horn belonging to the city of Suzar came from there. The voice was deep and full of mourning.

At the same time, Thunderstone Fortress, Goliath Mountain People, Mokou Town, Tiffantun, etc. have joined the chorus of this charge and launched a full-scale counterattack against the orc army. .

Sisaiah stood quietly in the forest, motionless, surrounded by the royal mage, Karina and Teresa.

They were on a high ridge, but the trees almost completely obscured the fighting below.

Listening to the fierce battle below, her fingers began to lose control and kept shaking, her heart also jumped suddenly, and her palms continued to ooze cold sweat.

Sure enough, she suddenly noticed it from the corner of her eye.

Large tribes of ogres, trolls, and hill giants, arriving from the Stormhorn Mountains to the west of Suzar, are about to join the chaotic massacre.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

The sound of the drum came closer and closer, under her skin, making her tremble.

In an instant, the enemy had appeared in front of him, emerging from the top of the hill all over the mountains and plains, rushing towards the big battlefield below the valley in a chaotic manner.

At this moment, above this group of fresh troops, an oval portal with a diameter of about 5 meters suddenly opened.

From a distance, she saw a constructed creature the size of a mosquito in her sight, hovering and flying above the ogres, trolls, and hill giants amidst the buzzing sounds one after another.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

There was a crisp and pleasant sound of glass shattering, and seas of flames rose up in this humanoid army.

Wails, cries of pain, cursing, trampling on each other... made the already chaotic army even more chaotic like ants on a hot pot.

The trolls are the most painful in the sea of ​​fire. Their rubbery skin has no power to resist the scorching flames like maggots attached to their bones.

One after another spell flashes.

Huge mechanical puppets smashed fiercely into this group of chaotic enemies like steel boulders.

A torrent of constructs composed of various mechanical puppets such as smashers, hammerers, shield guards, etc., and even gargoyles and a few steel golems, in the crowd of ogres, trolls and hill giants In the midst of it, there was a steel storm of shattered skulls and spattered flesh and blood.

"Roar!……"

The terrifying roar of the dragon came from the sky, and it raged across the entire battlefield in an instant, causing the soldiers on the battlefield, both the enemy and the enemy, to tremble in their feet and show fear in their eyes.

Howling winds hit.

A huge figure swooped down directly from the sky, but this was just the beginning. When the first huge green dragon figure appeared, two adult green dragons appeared immediately after.

The dragon wings rolled up the wind, sand and blood rain all over the sky, and the terrible coercion enveloped all the mortal things on the ground.

The ancient green dragon headed by it spread its wings, and it looked like a huge shadow.

The figures of the three giant dragons flew over the Cormyr army formation in an instant, and the terrible dragon's breath was born in the square formation of the army, clearing out lines of death like plowing the ground.

The sound of the dragon's roar seemed to penetrate straight through Hesaiah, and she found that she was trembling all over, her heart seemed to be tightly grasped, and she could not breathe.

She couldn't help but began to pray for the warriors of Cormyr fighting below, for it was a sound of terror, of fear, and of death.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

The ancient sacrificial war drums sounded, and groups of orcs with red eyes raised their heads and roared into a berserk state, launching a frenzied attack.

This group of crazy orcs, without hesitation, rushed towards the half-moon gun array formed by rows of enemy troops without hesitation, like steel hedgehogs with thorns on both sides.

The new moon is in the sky, sharp and thin like a knife, time passes like water, the days are shortened, and the nights are long.

In this battle, the sun does not reach the valley below, the moonlight has no chance with it, and even the stars seem to have become indifferent spectators.

The night that had already fallen, although Hesaiah could not see the battlefield, could at least allow her to hear the whole process.

The valley echoed violently, with the crackling of broken spears, the sound of clashing swords, the roar of dragons, the roar of magic, and countless hissing cries and prayers.

When she realized that it was useless to open her eyes, she closed them and listened intently.

She heard horseshoes galloping, iron boots splashing shallow water, the dull sound of swords splitting oaken shields, the friction of steel colliding, fireballs bursting, lightning flashing, bows and arrows whistling, war drums thundering, and countless war horses and wargs screaming at the same time.

The valley seemed to disturb hearing, and once she thought she heard Brian's voice, so clear it seemed he was standing beside him, shouting, "Argotus! Argotus!"

Then she heard the howling and roaring of the red dragon, its sharp teeth tearing at the flesh, and the terrified wail of the other dragon.

How many dragons were involved in the battle was difficult for her to tell.

A few strands of red dawn appear in the east, and dawn breaks out.

The distant sky condensed colorful ponds, and a deep purple beam of light pierced into the misty valley like a sharp sword.

Accompanied by a deafening wail, the sound gradually weakened and finally subsided.

The No.1 cavalry passed through the dense forest and appeared in Hesaiah's sight.

He was not wearing armor, but only a plain coat stained with mud and blood, no doubt to save the horses under him some effort.

But even so, the steed was panting and foaming at the mouth when it arrived.

The purple dragon knights hurriedly supported the trembling warrior, he almost fell off his horse, and the mount under him seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

The knights lifted him down as gently as they could.

It was then that his cloak fell aside, and everyone realized that the blood was all from the dark-haired, bearded warrior.

He struggled to open his mouth and said, "We... have already...."

Before he finished speaking, he swallowed his breath.

Not long after, Sisaiah saw Brian and his party appear in her line of sight.

He was riding a sorrel warhorse that he found from nowhere, his face was pale and tired, his right hand was pulling the rein, his left arm was drooping weakly, but he seemed to be safe and sound.

This made her heave a sigh of relief.

When he walked in, she realized that his cloak and coat were covered with coagulated black blood, and his drooping left arm was still oozing stinky pus and blood.

"It's nothing serious, it's just that he was hit by the war shaman's plague spell." Brian shook his arm and gasped, "The worst thing is to cut it off and grow it back."

He got off his horse and almost fell to the ground. The priest Karina who was beside him hurriedly supported him, released divine spells, and treated his wounds.

After a while, a large group of people followed.

Although she had long expected that casualties would be unavoidable on the battlefield, she still found it difficult to accept the detailed battle damage.

Because too many people stayed in the valley where they fought the orcs.

The Ranger Commander of the Moon Elf, Besrina Yongjian, the Legion Commander of the Shield Dwarves, Barend Crackstone, the Paladin Leader of the Armor Order, Mogrand, and the Spiritual Leader of Goliath, the Soul Shaman...

The warlord Oglas was bitten off by a green dragon, and the supreme commander of the East lost his two sons...

Even if she learned from Brian that only one of the orc generals died, the legendary orc sword master of the Warblade clan died in battle, and the two adult green dragons brought by the ancient dragon were beheaded, she still couldn't hide her heart. sad.

"Although we won the Suzar defense battle."

Bryan said calmly, "But it's not the whole war. As long as the 'Great Sage' of the orcs survives, one day they will make a comeback."

………………

(End of this chapter)