"Those Rishkan fools!" Lord Kraut roared, his voice shaking the tent canvas. Maps scattered across the table trembled with the force of his outburst. The flickering candlelight danced in his fiery eyes, reflecting the unbridled fury simmering within.
He slammed a fist on the table, the impact sending a nearby wooden mug clattering to the dirt floor. His officers, gathered like nervous birds pecking for crumbs, flinched. They knew what was coming. Kraut was a man of controlled rage, but the Rishkan Naval defeat had shattered that control.
"Underestimate the Kylians? Underestimate them?" He spat the words like poison. "After all the rumors! After all the warnings! Did they think this was some kind of hunting expedition? Did they think their fancy, gilded armor would protect them from the thousands of Kylian soldiers? Did they think their arrogant smiles would intimidate their Valor strongman and tons of steel weapons?"
Silence hung heavy in the tent, broken only by the crackling fire. Kraut paced, a caged lion desperate to lash out. "They sailed right into the Kylia City's Port like it was a pleasure stroll. They ignored our plan and drank themselves blind every bloody night! And now? Now twenty-two Rishkan warriors are "dying" to alert the enemy! Their expensive armor scavenged, their bones bleached black under that cursed Kylian blue flag!"
He stopped pacing, his gaze burning into the faces of his officers. "Did they even bother to gather intelligence? Did they study their weaknesses? Did they even care?" He answered his own question with a guttural growl. "No. They relied on their lineage, their coffers, their self-proclaimed superiority. And that, gentlemen, is what cost them their lives and threatens to unravel this entire Coalition!"
His hand tightened into a fist, veins throbbing in his temple. "The Rishkans were supposed to advance on the eastern front. They were supposed to suppress the Kylian vigilance long enough for us to attack from north and west. Now? Now they know we are on the attack and can take measures to defend. The moment we show up, the Kylian's will take the initiative to turn a calculated field into a real defeat!"
He ran a hand through his thinning hair, exhaustion finally creeping into his voice. The outburst had drained him, leaving him raw and vulnerable. "We have to clean up their mess. Now we have lost the element of surprise, we have to take the initiative to attack, or retreat. To retreat means to pull out of the State of Kylia. Doing so will change the direction of the war to Kylia. The Blue Army will take that opportunity to conquer us CityStates one by one. Keeping to the original plan will get us all killed. We have to prove that not all CityStates are so...complacent."
He looked at his officers, his gaze turning from fury to grim determination. "Prepare the men. We march at dawn. We're going to show the Kylians that the Coalition main army is not to be trifled with. And we're going to make those Rishkan ghosts proud, even if they don't deserve it." He paused, a flicker of something else in his eyes, something akin to grief. "May Hylia forgive them for their folly. It is we who must pay the price."
…
The first rays of dawn painted the sky a bruised purple as Lord Kraut stood before the Coalition Army. Two-thousand strong they stood, most inexperienced recruits, many underequipped.
He raised his hand, the gesture silencing the murmuring ranks. His voice, amplified by years of command, boomed across the field. "Soldiers of the Coalition! We stand on the precipice of war! The Rishkans, blinded by pride and fueled by foolish arrogance, have stumbled. They have alerted the Kylians to our presence. But we will not falter! We will not break!"
He paused, letting his words sink in. "The Kylians are fierce, but they are not invincible! They are but one kingdom, a mere fraction of the might represented by the Coalition! We are here to secure this land, we are here to show the world that the Coalition is a force to be reckoned with!"
A subdued roar erupted from the ranks, a wave of sound that echoed through the valley. Kraut felt a twinge of despair, and a grim determination settled in his gut. He knew the odds were stacked against them. The element of surprise was gone, and the Kylians would be prepared. But he would lead his men to victory, even if it meant wading through rivers of blood.
He pointed towards the west, towards the looming silhouette of Kylia city. "Forward! For the Coalition! For victory!"
Kraut rode at the head of the column, his face set in a grim mask. He knew this battle would be a crucible, a trial by fire that would determine the fate of the Coalition.
…
Meanwhile, within the fortified trenches of Kylia City, Kylia surveyed the preparations. The city was buzzing with activity, soldiers drilling, and civilians fortifying barricades. The Rishkan attack had sent the entire Kingdom on full alert, and since then, every waking moment had been dedicated to preparing for the Coalition's inevitable attack.
"Your Majesty," General Komada approached, saluting crisply. "The Kylian Air Force reported a large Coalition force approaching from the west. Estimated strength, two thousand men."
Kylia nodded calmly. "Two thousand. As expected. Begin taking the Kylian Air Force towards the west bank of the Roscof River. "
She turned to Captain Odin. "Odin, I'm promoting you to Colonel of the 1st Brigade of the Blue Army. Let Lieutenant Kinnota of the 1st Cavalry Platoon take your place. I need you to lead the Blue Army to Confront Coalition Forces. The Coalition Army must not cross the Roscof River, do not let them touch our industries."
Odin, with a fanatical gaze, bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, I will not fail you. The Blue Army will hold the line, or die trying."
…
As the Coalition army drew closer to Kylia City, Kraut received a message from his scouts. "My lord, the Roscof River is very heavily fortified. Two thousand Kylian men have been spotted encamped both in front and behind the River."
Kraut barked a harsh laugh that echoed across the marching ranks. "Two thousand, you say? The total population of Kylia is likely twenty thousand, which means they have all their forces concentrated on the Roscof!. Kylia finally made a mistake! Good! Excellent!"
He clapped one of his subordinates on the shoulder, the gesture almost jovial. "Remember those 'foolish' Rishkans? They may have blundered, but their sacrifice… their very blunder has allowed us a victory neither they, nor the Kylians, could have foreseen."
He pointed towards the northeast, towards the distant horizon where a small mountain range was visible through the clear morning air. " Lord Starodavniy of Kokhavor has been leading his men over that small mountain range to the north. Now we can use them."
He turned back to the troops. "For the Coalition! For riches! For Victory! Charge!"