Battle of Dentor Valley

The Acroniyan army was moving for hours; finally, they entered into Dentor Valley. When they were midway through, Julicous felt something was off, not sure what that was.

“Soldiers, hold!” The front lines of soldiers stopped, and then it started to chain back. Julicous was trying to see something in those high grounds. Opening a golden map, he thought, “There is nothing, but...”

Julicous in confusion once again stared at those two high grounds surrounding them. “Bring the golden hawk.” Soldiers moved, making a path; a young soldier carrying a hawk on his shoulder was visible.

That hawk's body was covered in a beautiful shade of yellow.

Julicous checked that hawk's condition and made it fly. After circling both high grounds for some time, it landed on Julicous's hand; he lifted its wings and saw black spots which were not there earlier.

“Looks like they are already here.” “What happened, Commander?”

“The Neothaliyans are already here, and they have captured both the high grounds. This is a clear ambush.”

“Should we return back, Commander?” “Harsay, we can't return now. They will surround us before we can escape. Besides... if we move back, then the fight will be brought to...”
“What are your orders?”

“Harsay and Yentio, I think there is a chance to fight back, but it depends on you two. So my plan is as follows......”

“Ok, Commander,” both said in a single voice and moved to do preparations, while Julicous moved towards the soldiers on his feet.

“Commander, we heard your conversation. Just tell us, what are your orders?” a soldier in the front lines said.

“I need your lives,” Julicous said while lowering his head. The soldiers pulled their swords out and added, “Just say, Commander, when.”

“I will be playing bait while Harsay and Yentio will capture the high grounds. I need soldiers to accompany me to prevent their suspicion.

Your sacrifice will not be in vain, so will you....... I will get the commander's head for you, but.....” Julicous left his sentence deliberately half-finished and his head was still lowered.

“Commander, we are ready. We are well aware of the stakes, and raise your head—it does not suit you."

“Yes, Commander, just tell us how to proceed.”

Julicous started discussing the plan with the front lines; as for Harsay and Yentio, they arranged the soldiers to follow them.

“Soldiers, get ready. If you have final words, say them now.”

Silence returned to the area. After a little while, a soldier said, “Commander, we are ready, and if some of us are unable to return, can you convey this message on our behalf:

To our parents: their sons are brave, they didn't leave the battlefield till the end.

To our wives: their men always love them.

To our children: that we will always protect them.”

Julicous turned his head and saw all the soldiers' faces were filled with smiles; he unsheathed his sword and stabbed it into the ground.

Julicous was on his right knee while his sword rested straight in front of him. “Commander.....” “Don't stop him...”

“I will; I will deliver this message. No matter how many days or years it takes, I will find them and tell them your message and how brave you were."

"From now till the very end, you will be remembered as the nameless heroes of Acroniya.

I, the Third Commander of Acroniya, kneel in front of you.”

After several minutes, Julicous was still in that position, then he moved. Turning his gaze towards his enemy, he said,

“Now there is one thing to do. Crush our enemy.”

“For Acroniya!” the soldiers started roaring.
"Army, first formation!”

On the Neothaliyan side, several minutes earlier

A soldier was peeking through a spyglass.
”They are here.”

Their Commander looked at the sky and said, “Exactly on time. Neothals, get ready to slaughter those Acroniyans, and you can get all the glory."

“Kill.... Kill.... Kill them...” The Neothaliyans started to scream; their voices echoed in the region, but soon it was overwhelmed by screams of “For Acroniya!!”

The Commander roared, "Why have you stopped? Don't you need glory?”
”We need it!“

”I can't hear you!“

”Weeee neeeeed glorrrry!! For glorryyy!!”

"Glory.... Glory... Glory!" they started screaming.

”Good enough. Move forward.”

Back to the Acroniya side

”Acroniyan army, first formation!”

The soldiers stopped screaming and beating their swords; they moved forward, forming several layers of rings around Julicous.

The ring closer to the center was filled with experienced soldiers, which was clear from the way they presented themselves, whereas for the outer layers, they were mere human shields.
”Move now!”

The soldiers in formation started moving forward, while the rest followed them. When the enemy was roughly 15 meters apart, they stopped, looking towards each other.

”Keep shields ready and charge!!”

”Slaughter them all!!”

Both sides started running towards each other.

The Neothaliyans' entire force moved at once, but for Acroniya, apart from the ring formation, the rest remained still.

”What are they planning? Nevermind, they can't win this one.”

The area echoed with the sound of clashing swords. ”Attack their edge! A single person defending the path, are they....”

”Move!”

The soldiers in the outer rings started to move; the formation now represented a crescent moon.

Those Neothaliyans who tried to attack were trapped between layers of Acroniyans. They struggled, but soon were overwhelmed by the same persons they planned to kill.

Julicous raised his sword. From the trap, one soldier cut a Neothaliyan's head off and threw it back.

”Move now!”

The remaining soldiers entered the battle; as the Acroniyan soldiers started falling, new soldiers took their places.

Only a handful of them were able to survive and started moving back, crawling on the ground.

The battle only intensified; both sides' death counts started to increase.

”And I thought Neil would be here. Yellow hair, what is your name?”

Julicous killed another Neothaliyan and shouted, ”Done hiding! Come out and face me!”

”How rude of you.....”

”Soldiers, charge!”

Julicous charged, followed by his soldiers. The crescent moon was inverted now; the Neothaliyans were pushed back.

”Commander, please let me go! Commander, please!”

”Where are you planning to go?”

”Commander.... Ahhh!!”

”Yellow one, you can call me Lenthur.” A smile appeared across his face.

Julicous raised his hand.

”Raise for shields!” The soldiers started to scream, though Lenthur ignored them and said, ”This won't help.”

Looking towards Julicous trying to attack, he screamed, ”Do it!”

A sound echoed in the region, soon followed by a rain of arrows.

Julicous dropped his shield; moving several steps back, he picked up the same, while Lenthur was moving towards his back.

Julicous barely on time pushed his shield as far as possible from his body.

Two arrows pierced through his shield; after halfway through, they stopped.

Julicous swung his sword, cutting the shafts from both sides.

Waves of arrows returned. Holding his shield as high as possible, he moved forward.His shield was covered in arrows, and some were able to make it through, leaving his arms with cuts.

He was out of the arrows' range, but his shield was barely usable.

Julicous threw his shield away.

”Thank you, you served your commander well. Rest there. Yellow head, a gift for you,” he said, kicking that soldier towards Julicous.

Julicous barely gave him a glance, but that soldier's body was filled with arrows.

While Lenthur was wrapping his arms, he muttered, ”Even with armor you made me bleed.

Wasn't it your duty to protect me?

Anyway, yellow head, did you like my gift?

You will be like him soon enough.”

”Lenthur, I challenge you to a duel!”

”A duel? Hahaha! Do you want to kill me with laughter?

Then you are wrong. That wasn't funny.

Why would someone fight alone when they have numbers? And besides, you have more numbers, then why ”

Julicous quickly turned his head and analyzed their condition. He locked onto Lenthur while thinking, 'Their shields are in bad condition. Maybe one more wave is the limit.'

Dodging Lenthur's attacks, he thought, 'I need to end this soon.'

“Too bad, looks like your luck ran out. Fire now!” Lenthur roared, followed by a rain of arrows.

“Shields!” Julicous roared and increased his fight intensity; this time, the wave was smaller.

Julicous launched several attacks, but only a few of them connected, and they were shallow.

While Lenthur's attack connected, a deep cut was formed across his left arm. He held his arm, but the bleeding didn't stop.

Julicous moved several steps back; the soldiers noticed him and made a defensive wall around him, while one wrapped a clean cloth around his wound.

Lenthur swung his sword; with each strike, he killed several men.

“I am okay,” Julicous said. The soldiers moved, making a path for him.

“Kill them all!”

The Neothaliyan soldiers rushed forward and started attacking. Both sides clashed; after struggling for some time, the Acroniyans started to overpower the Neothaliyans.

“Spearmen!”

The Acroniyans started moving a few steps back as the Neothaliyans started thrusting their weapons.

“Hahaaa! Hahaha! Are you fools? Don't you have spears? What did you think, it's child's play?”

The soldiers were striking with spears, but it wasn't helping.

“You stay back. I will handle them.”

“You sure are worthy to be called their leader—emotional fools. I don't have time to waste. End this quick.”

Julicous tried to close the gap, but he wasn't able to do so; the spears were pushing him back. He was pushed almost halfway.

“Now, there it is!”

Julicous started running forward. They were stabbing with spears, but Julicous struck harder and ran.

He was in the sweet spot and grabbed a spear shaft; the soldier didn't let the spear go while he was pulling.

The soldiers surrounded him, and then the Acroniyans started to cut their numbers.

“And then you say we Neothaliyans don't fight fair,” Lenthur said, moving his head.

Julicous started receiving cuts, but they were superficial.

Lenthur just watched his soldiers get killed. Julicous swung his sword, cutting off the last Neothaliyan's head. It flew towards Lenthur's feet, but he didn't care.

“Let's see what you did here,” Lenthur said while dodging the attacks.

“They also have families. Looks like I have to comfort them now..... How will you compensate, yellow head?”

“I am well aware of my actions, and if it wasn't for you, they might not be here in the first place.”

“Why have you stopped? See, I am not even moving this is the best chance for you. Come, kill me.. Come!”

Lenthur started laughing.

“Commander, it's okay as long as our people are safe.”

The soldier in Lenthur's hand twisted his own neck.

Lenthur, in a confused and shocked state, dropped his body and moved a few steps back.

Using this opportunity, Julicous stabbed his blade into Lenthur's lower abdomen area.
Lenthur's mouth was covered in blood; he screamed, spitting blood onto the ground.

The Neothaliyan soldiers behind him were hesitating.

“You have lost. Just die now.”

“I will, after taking you all with me.”

“What happened, yellow... buwakk! Yellow head.”
Lenthur grabbed his hands, followed by Julicous's screams.

“You haven't seen their condition yet.”

“Fire them all!”

“Raise for shields, fa....”

Julicous's voice choked in his mouth as he saw the soldiers were filled with arrows. The majority of them bled to death, and while a few were still struggling, their shields were cracked and a few were broken.

Backup was coming to escort them back, but it wouldn't be enough.

“Lenthur, you will die by your own decision.”
Julicous moved, facing the Acroniyans.
Watching his men, he screamed, “Use the corpses now!”

The soldiers started searching for corpses. One of the surviving soldiers' hands suddenly stopped; with tears in his eyes, he muttered, “Hey, wake up, wake up.” He muttered while tapping his friend's face; when it didn't work, he started slapping him.

“Now!!” Julicous roared.

“I can't use him; there must be another one.” He searched; his heart paused.

“Son, why you... why did you have to come here? What will I tell her now...?"

"Now!!"

"I am sorry, friend, I....”

With tears in his eyes, he turned and saw his friend's body was lifted by another soldier; he turned, and his son was also gone.

“I might just give up now,” he muttered while throwing his blade and closing his eyes.

Even after a while, nothing happened, and he opened his eyes. Everyone was in that confused state, and then relief appeared on their faces.

“Finally, finally, this is over!” That person cried, moving towards his son's body.

“Why are they taking so much time?” Lenthur muttered and looked towards Julicous, who was confused like him.

He released Julicous's hands and started running; Julicous didn't try to get his sword back.

Julicous pulled a dagger, cutting through his neck; even though it was not all the way through, it was deep enough.

Lenthur held his neck.

"Stop resisting. You are already dead."

His blood made puddles as he was struggling. Blood was flying around; after a few minutes, he turned motionless.

Julicous looked at him and pulled his sword out.
Raising his sword, he shouted, “Victory is ours! For Acroniya!”

'Kaaboomm!' The area filled with the sounds of multiple explosions; the backup force moved several steps back.

It started to rain blood, flesh, and the remains of survivors, falling all over the place. An arm fell in front of Julicous.

“Another weakling.”

Next time on The Seventh Slayer of Acroniya
Chapter 12: The Battle of High Grounds