PART 4 - Glorious Battle Days 11-14

The eleventh day had begun when Maximus arrived in the Great Hall to see that the decision had been made once again to attack Scarlet Faction and the Merchant City 8. With a stare and a look of will, Maximus rose to recommit his troops to the battle ahead. When he arrived at the camp, he presented himself outwardly as the strong leader, but inwardly he was breaking under the weight he had carried with him since the beginning of the Glorious Battle. The burden of having to detach himself from his big army because the pay was literally bankrupting him and his family. He could not simply dismiss the army because they had sworn an oath to live and he did not want to rob his men of their honour. He thought for himself: “Ancestors, I honor you and will try to live with the dignity that you have taught me.”. Reaffirming that he only can survive and care for a small part of his army, the burden of knowingly sending most of his men to their deaths robbed him of his soul and has literally broken him.

However, Maximus was also a warlord, and his honour would not allow him to hide, so if he was to die in battle, he wanted to do so alongside his men. When Maximus arrived with his first march they immediately came face to face with Andy Nord. As Maximus and his men fought side by side he looked his men in the eye and felt a mixture of pride, respect and gratitude to have served with such men. However, Maximus soon realised that he had to retreat due to the high losses. Exhausted and desperate, Maximus marched again towards Andy Nord and Merchant City 8, knowing that Andy Nord was still there in defence, this timethey brought the spears. Maximus knew that he was one of the last to go into battle, as many others had already retreated due to heavy losses. 

Just outside the gates, the men tuned up once more, and in the end Maximus shouted to his brothers, "What we do in life.....echoes in eternity. "This time Maximus and his men could defeat Andy Nord.

The twelfth day in this tiring and gruelling battle dawned. Maximus, however, rose that day with pride and and confidence. He knew these moments only too well, he knew that his armies would win victories today. The way to the great hall was easy for him, willing once again to carry out all orders, he took the command to ride to Merchant City 8. Doubts and fear flared up briefly as he remembered the past battles in this place, but he immediately stifled them and prepared to go into battle again, as he had done so many times in the past days.

When Maximus entered the battlefield he found many wounded, smelling of blood, fire and defeat, but no Andy Nord, euphoria or abdyrakhman to be seen. Cautiously, with swords drawn, he and his men advanced. Their caution paid off when he spotted archer banners in the distance, still undetected. He swallowed his fear briefly as panic rose up in him that he and his men once again might face the overpowered warlord euphoria. But he could not allow himself to be seen with fear, he looked at his men and screamed: "Ultimately, we are all dead men. Sadly we cannot choose how but we can decide how we meet that end in order that we are remembered as men." With loud battle cries, the warriors rised up and charged towards the enemy archers. When the battle was over, Maximus realised that the gods were protecting him today as he looked at the enemy's two dead regiments. His feeling in the morning had been right.

The last day for Maximus and his army had arrived. And on this last day, his army had to defend Military City 4. He knew that today was his last day of fighting, as his army was already so reduced that he had problems providing a whole regiment.

Maximus gathered his men for the last time. He looked humbly into the eyes of his men, knowing that despite all the losses, defeats and victories, they would once again go into battle with him. No matter whether they left the battlefield alive or dead. As he looked through the ranks into the eyes of his men, it filled him with pride. One last time he swore his men in. I knew a man once who said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back." 

A loud Aruh!, Aruh!, Aruh! rang out as the men struck each other hard on the breastplate with the hilt of the sword.

In the end, however, Maximus and his army suffered another devastating defeat when they met Andy Nord and euphoria again, as they had done so many times before in this Glorious Battle.

Meanwhile, while Maximus and the rest of his men were retreating home, on Day 14 the Longreach Faction managed to take the Glorious City from Lordsbane Faction. Maximus and his army will emerge from these battles stronger, after the battle is over and everything has been restored to order. The badge reinforcement they had received for their bravery added to the strength of many men, and now that the army wasn't so large anymore, it was easier to hide and reinforce allied armies undetected.

I hope you enjoyed this little series of posts about our Glorious Battle. Thanks for reading and stopping by!