Part 20

15^th day of the march.

Greza noticed commotion up ahead in the formation.  They continued to march but she strained to get a look at what was happening up front.  Officers on horses were gathering and talking.  They gestured wildly and were practically shouting.  She could hear them from a distance but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Whatever was happening seemed important. 

“What’s going on?”  Ox asked. 

“You tell me,” Greza said.

He was the veteran after all. 

Ox was a good head taller than most people around them and had a good view. 

“I don’t know.  It looks like trouble though,” he said. 

A few minutes later all the officers, even platoon leaders were called in a massive group over on the side.  The Duke and his entourage were there.  She tried to keep an eye on him as she walked past.  His face was an unreadable statue.  Some of the other officers had scowling faces and others had closed moths and wide eyes. 

Ox was correct.  It did look like trouble. 

Then the assembled officers called a halt to the march and everyone stopped.  Some took out their canteens and others began whispering about what was going on. 

A few minutes later the conclave of officers broke up and came back to their units.  Lt. Tezana rushed up to the front of their platoon. 

“Platoon, listen up!”  She barked.  “Drop your packs and carry only your battle kit.  The capital city of Lerichstag is under siege and we move to support them.  The enemy army is camped outside the walls and is aware of our presence.  Expect battle.”

The platoon burst into excited shouts, questions, complaints and cursing. The quietest ones were the veterans.  She looked to the veterans to see how they acted and tried to act the same. 

But she couldn’t help but feel nervous.  A part of her was excited and wanted to prove herself in battle, but the larger part knew this could end up being very terrible. 

This was why she was here.  This was her chance to prove herself.  She had to show them – she had to show the Duke what she was capable of. 

She put on her cestus and lit the wicks on her pistols.

The army then moved out.  It was going to be five miles to the battle.  The support units were staying behind to guard their things and set up a base camp. 

The march was quick but not so fast that they’d be worn out before they arrived.  Soldiers spoke of what they’d accomplish, boasting before the battle even began. 

The forest opened up and a vast plain opened up before them.  A walled city with tall towers and a blocky castle with square towers stood in the middle.  An army stood between them and the city and they were gathering into formations of blocks. 

Horns began to blow issuing orders.  Just like the training, they lined up into their formations.  She knew exactly who was supposed to be on her left and right.  Lt. Tezana stood behind them and drew her sword.

“Listen up, platoon!  Don’t mess this up.  Fail me and I’ll see your pay docked,” the lieutenant said.

“So inspirational,” Ox said somewhere behind her.       

“I’d like to see that fat bitch get up in the front line,” someone else said. 

Greza was in front and she had a clear view of the army moving up to meet them.  She could see the glint from their spears and their waving banners.  There were thousands of them and they were marching right toward her to kill her. 

How could they possibly kill so many of them?  It was impossible. 

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Steady, Grez,” Burana said.

She looked back and nodded at her.  Burana retreated back into formation and shouldered her gun. 

Like an approaching storm the enemy army and their fluttering banners creeped closer.  As they got within shouting distance they stopped.  The enemy were equipped with small round shields and long pikes.  She knew that those pikes were for defense.  Armies like that would attack with massed gunfire. 

That was why she was there.  She raised her shield and drew a pistol. 

“Prove your worth,” Greza said to herself.

She looked around for the Duke but didn’t see him from where she stood. 

Then the horns blew telling them that the battle had started.  That was quick.  She had expected the generals to negotiate.   But apparently all the conditions had been set already and this was a serious battle.  Whatever was going on was urgent. 

“It’s starting already?” Someone said.

“Man up, everyone.”

“We can do this.”

“We’ll kill them all.”

“Steady.”

Then she watched as the enemy gunners began to move forward and prepared to fire. 

“Targeteers!  Ready shields!”  Lt. Tezana shouted.

She kneeled down and she felt the gunners move behind her and leveled their guns. 

Then the guns fired over her head.  The concussion slammed her brain like a drum. 

A second later she saw the enemy gunners fire.  White puffs of smoke erupted along their line and a second later she heard the reports.  Something struck her shield.

She had just been shot!  Well, her shield.  But it would have struck her.

Someone behind her yelled out in pain. 

The gunners that fired retreated and the second line moved up and aimed.  Another concussive string of blasts gonged her head. 

A horn sounded three times.  The signal to advance. 

She took a deep breath and shoulder to shoulder with her fellow targeteers she began marching forward as the third line of gunners moved up and fired on the move. 

She readied her pistol.  Their job was to take out the pikemen and move in on the gunners.  As they got within range she fired at the nearest pikeman.  The small buckler on their arms wasn’t enough to defend against bullets and her man went down with a hole where his eye used to be. 

They sheathed their first pistols and pulled and fired their second.

A pikeman thrust his long spear at her and her head narrowly dodged.  She batted it away with her empty pistol and moved in to where their long pikes couldn’t get her.  Now she was within range to do what she did best. 

Gunshots ran out in front of her and she felt two separate impacts on her shield and a flash of pain along her shoulder.  She looked down and saw a small cut where a bullet had grazed her. 

More cries of pain came from behind her.  A white fog was enveloping the battlefield and she could only see a few ranks in front of her.  All around were gunshots and yelling. 

She saw an exposed enemy gunner.  This was her opening.  If she could get inside the enemy formation she could cause serious havoc. 

This was her chance.

Greza charged in with her shield in front.  She barely felt an impact from a bullet before she crashed into the enemy gunner.  She knocked the man down. 

Now she was surrounded by enemy gunners.  Some of them were backing up and one was frantically trying to reload.  She took off her shield and threw it hard at the loading man.  The heavy iron shield knocked the gun out of his hand and she whirled on the nearest soldier.  She grabbed his head and pulled it down hard to connect with her knee. She felt the bones of his face crunch and she let go. 

She looked for another target. 

One after one she grabbed an enemy and broke something on them.  She’d smash them in the face with her armored gauntlet or break their necks in her arms.

An enemy soldier in armor and carrying a sword pushed his way through the ranks. By the way he moved she knew he knew how to fight.  This was a veteran. 

She looked around her.  A gunner’s helmet lay on the ground nearby.  With her foot she picked it up and kicked it right at the armored soldier.  He knocked the helmet out of the air with his sword and had time to swing at her as she rushed him.

She bashed the blade away with her armored gauntlet and reached for his shield.  He managed to pull back but it left him slightly off balance.  His belly was exposed. 

Greza ducked down and wrapped her arms around the soldier’s waist and pushed up.  She picked the man up from the ground and heaved him up with all her might.  Then she slammed him back down on the ground as hard as she could.   She heard him grunt and the sword flew from his hand. 

She opened his visor with her left hand and brought her right hand down in a bloody crunch.