Napoleon of Another World!

Chapter 21 - The Flight of the Eagle

The javelin skirmishers broke out of their formations and advanced up the road in a spreading formation, closely followed by the first line of auxiliary infantry.

"Fire!" ordered Septimus.

Perhaps it was his nervousness, perhaps he had simply miscalculated the exact moment, but none of the ten cannon shots, the rumble of which shook the rock, effectively hit the target. Most of them turned out to be too short, and the balls, while managing to bounce and roll despite the rough terrain, caused fairly limited damage to enemy troops.

The second shot was more accurate, but again the results were rather poor with just a few dozen killed or wounded; after all, there was a reason Adrian had suggested to Ron that the archers adopt such an extended formation, very different from the classic closed squares.

Theoretically there was time for a third volley of shots, but due to the bumps they had been positioned behind, by the time the crews finished reloading their guns the enemy had already gotten too close.

Septimus then sent his archers forward to try to limit the damage, but two different shots were in turn thwarted by the extended formation of the skirmishers and the shield wall of the auxiliaries.

Then, when the distance between the two sides was so small as to endanger the safety of the artillery, Septimus had no other choice but to command the advance of his front line, which even before reaching the hand-to-hand combat saw a good number of soldier fall due to the javelins. At the same time that the imperial auxiliaries and the rebel legionaries began the hand-to-hand engagement, the cannons were ordered to leave the foxholes and take position in front of the right wing, from where they could still fire on further advancing enemies.

Of course it wasn't something that could be done in the blink of an eye, and by the time the gunners had reached their new position Ron had already sent the second line forward to reinforce the center and increase the pressure on the enemy.

They immediately opened fire, and this time the damage was much more important, but after the first shot they immediately had to stop so as not to risk hitting their allies with a too short shot.

However, after an initial moment of indecision, the rebel line managed to hold the position and contain the impact of the imperial infantry. It wasn't just about discipline or preparation; everyone knew what was at stake in that battle, and that in case of defeat no one would be spared.

From atop his horse Septimus watched the battle rage before him. He wanted to charge too and join his companions, but Daemon's peremptory words still rang in his ears.

A Commander's duty is not to prove his courage fighting on the front lines, but to lead wisely and coolly the men whose lives depend on his decisions.

Thus, fighting with instinct, he remained immobile and watched, trying to read the unfolding of the clash and to act in the most rational and appropriate way.

Seeing that his men struggled to hold the position he sent forward part of the left wing, which advanced supported by the archers.

His idea was to attempt an outflanking by forcing the opposite wing back and engaging the enemy center on two sides. Unfortunately, as the wings were composed mainly of lightly armed slaves and conscripts, their thrust was not strong enough to push back the opponents, so that in the end that sector found itself engaged in a battle of its own that would go on until the end of the clash.

"Hey, look! What's over there?"

Preceded by a blast of trumpets, a small group of infantry burst out of the forest not far behind enemy lines.

"It's Army of Lions." Oldrick recognized them, who still had the vision of a hawk even with one eye. "But where are they going?"

Both grew pale with fear as they realized that the newcomers, instead of heading into the valley, seemed instead intent on taking up positions at the mouth of the Dorian Vale.