Chapter 8 – The Ronin Plains
Two weeks after the defeat of the Crimson Division at Valor Corridor, the Wyvernian Army tried and failed a second time to attack through the pass, this time they were repelled by the new 9th Army Division lead by the defected Sir Damien and consisting of crack ex-Wyvernian soldiers. Now the Wyvernians were going to try again with a force nearly twice as strong as both of the previous armies combined. In order to ensure that they won't find a way around Valor Corridor, Raynar has decided to intercept their armies at the Ronin Plains using Sir Draco's 1st Army Division, Sir Gannon's 6thArmy Division, and Sir Damien's 9th Army Division, although the enemy would outnumber them over two to one. Furthermore, they would be lead by the legendary Sir Cael Aquas, a Feraligatr known as the Azure Knight, turning the Ronin Plains Battle into one of the most mismatched victories for Arcceonn in the entire War…
The sun broke the horizon and shone on the Ronin Plains, revealing the combined forces of the 1st, 6th and 9th Army Divisions waiting tensely for the alert to prepare for battle. Raynar as well as Sirs Draco, Gannon and Damien were observing the landscape in front of them, which for the most part was barren, empty land. It was only called a Plain because it was flat, even though the characteristic fields of grass had long withered away and died. Raynar was looking through a spyglass he had recently been provided with upon his return to Port Haven after the First Battle of Valor Corridor, and finally he was able to see their armies approaching. Unlike Valor Corridor, strangely enough, they had virtually no air support. "Why am I starting to think this was a bad idea?" Gannon said. "Don't worry, they can't strike us from here" Raynar responded when suddenly Sir Damien chuckled slightly, "What's so funny?"
"They can't hit us, but we can hit them" Damien answered, "If you remember I had nearly three hundred Rhyperior in the Crimson Division, all of them are now on our side. Their function back then was as living mobile artillery!" "Artillery…of course, why didn't I think of that?" Draco said in surprise. "Very well…when will the enemy be in range?" Raynar asked. "They already are…" Damien replied as he turned to one of his officers, a Machamp, "Captain! Tell Major Litheman he is cleared to open fire!" "Yes Sir!" he replied as he ran off to tell the "artillery" division. Damien turned back towards Raynar and nodded towards the enemy. "Now just sit back and enjoy the show…" he said with a wide grin.
Meanwhile, the Wyvernian Army could now see their foes across the plains, although too far away to strike yet. They continued a steady advance, saving their energy for the fight itself, the most patient of them all being their leader, Sir Cael. His deep blue armor glistened in the light of the rising sun as he continued forward towards the enemy lines, his trademark halberd, Tsunami, in his left hand. So far, their advance had been unimpeded, and there was no sign it would be.
That is until an ominous whistling sound could be heard followed by the loud bang of the impact of a large rock against the ground bursting to pieces near his soldiers. "Take cover!" one of his soldiers shouted. "Take cover where? We're Sitting Psyducks out here!" another exclaimed. "Medic!" shouted yet a third. Sir Cael, although normally calm, was greatly angered by this sudden attack and shouted, "Enough! Charge!" The Wyvernians began advancing much faster now towards the Arcceonn center…exactly as Raynar had planned.
"Draco, tell the center to hold their positions! Gannon, Damien, tell the flanks to advance forwards in an inwards arc!" Raynar shouted. "Yes Sir!" each of his knights replied as they ran off to give the orders to each section. The central forces, the 1st Army Division, would stay firm and remain in their positions as a diversion, while the 6th Army Division on the Left Flank and the 9th Army Division on the Right Flank would advance, eventually enclosing and surrounding the much larger Wyvernian force, but for now, Raynar would have to fight along with the 1st Army Division to ensure phase one's success. He summoned Exomere in its dual-halberd form as the Wyvernian Army came ever closer at a much faster pace than before, then finally, impact. The two armies slammed head-on into each other and began to fight, and again, their leaders were pitted against each other.
As Raynar and Cael caught sight of each other, they immediately knew who each other was, and by tradition, the leaders of each army would typically fight each other as a way to decide the outcome, and Cael clearly intended to fight Raynar tooth and claw. "So at last we meet on the battlefield Traitor" Cael said as the two circled each other, "I will not make the same mistake Sir Damien did." "We will see…" Raynar responded as the two entered fighting stances. Seconds later, the two attacked each other with their full fury and their battle begun.
Cael managed to land some early hits on Raynar and struck him back, but the Prince of Arcceonn would not go down so easily. As Cael came at him again, Raynar caught Tsunami in Exomere's blades and twisted it out of Cael's hands before slashing him several times. Despite the savage blows he sustained, it became clear to Raynar that Cael could take far more hits than Damien could. This would be a much longer battle than he had at first thought. Cael managed to retrieve his halberd, but was unable to use it to fend off Raynar. Instead he slashed him with his claw across the face, forcing Raynar staggering back in pain.
Raynar knew his wound would leave a scar, but it wouldn't impede his fighting ability. Cael attacked again, Raynar back-flipping away to evade before he ran behind Cael and kicked him in the back of the head. Cael staggered slightly but immediately spun around, at which time Raynar struck him with Sky Uppercut. This knocked the Azure Knight high into the air, with Raynar pursuing. He slashed his foe multiple times with Exomere before slamming Cael with a final overhead slash that launched Cael into the ground.
"Give it up" Raynar said as he approached Cael, the latter beginning to stand up again. "My defeat would mean nothing!" Cael shouted angrily, "Wyvernia has every advantage! It is useless to resist!" "Sir Damien certainly didn't seem to think so" Raynar answered as he looked off to the right, "He is leading one of the armies that now has you surrounded." "What?" Cael exclaimed as he looked around. They were indeed surrounded; Cael had fallen for a technique so old it was considered ancient history, the pincer movement! "Even then, unlike him, I will fight to the very end!" Cael shouted, "My people will hail me as a hero for my sacrifice!" "Maybe, but your defeat will raise morale for my army as well" Raynar answered, "Either way, I will finish you here and now." Cael rushed at him in a frenzied rage; Raynar ducked and swept the massive Feraligatr off of his feet before he plunged Exomere into his foe. Cael stiffened up slightly but soon loosened back up, mortally wounded. The Wyvernian soldiers, meanwhile, were in a panic to begin with, and now with the defeat of their leader, they began to surrender en mass. The Arcceonn soldiers raised their arms to the air and cheered for their hard-fought victory.
Hours later, the data on the battle had been gathered, and the result was bittersweet. The Arcceonn army, although victorious, suffered over thirty percent casualties, whereas the Wyvernians suffered about twenty-two percent, but still lost more numerically. About ten percent of the Wyvernian troops had seen the approaching flanks and had managed to escape, but their leader Sir Cael, was dead. Raynar hated the thought of killing such a warrior, but in the end he had no choice; he couldn't help but laugh slightly, because only a year ago he wouldn't have hesitated to kill Sir Cael. He had changed a lot, and was becoming more and more like his late father he never knew. "Sir, what is it?" Gannon asked as he came up to him. Raynar snapped out of his daydream and realized that his eyes had teared up slightly. "I just have some dirt in my eyes" Raynar answered as he wiped off his face, "Carry on."