Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ but it would be a lot cooler if I did...
AN: Moving right along. This story is chugging now. I feel good with a few chapters put out in a row. Especially after a rough week at work. Enjoy!
The wind had a chill in the air. The weather was starting to turn. It was no longer summer. The autumn cold had begun to set in. It cold enough to see a man's breath in the air but not enough to snow.
At the very least it made the march to this place much easier. Their forces had managed to get here just as the enemy crossed the river. It was too bad they could not prevent them from crossing the river. Apparently there had been a big cavalry skirmish.
The sky was gloomy and overcast. It was the kind of day where there might be no true sunlight at all. Two armies stared at each other across a clearing. Each was preparing for the slaughter of the other. Neither had ever faced each other before.
The Narbian scouts could never hold back a force of this size. Looking at it now it seems inevitable. A few light cavalry units could hardly stop such a huge army. It looked like over ten thousand men to Vegeta. That was just the heavy infantry on the field. That didn't include the auxiliary forces of the cavalry which he could not see.
Vegeta looked across the clearing stunned at what he saw. It was an army. A true army not some ragtag force joined together. These men all bore the same colors and wore the similar armor. They were united by a single commander. He could make out three golden eagles on three high banners with numbers on them. They bore old imperial numbers from ten to twelve.
The front lines moved perfectly. Perfectly formed heavy infantry marched in rows in full kit with heavy shields. Every line was in step and unison. It halted at a perfect pace just across the field. Vegeta was in awe. He had heard about such things in theory and his squad had even practiced marching drills. However nothing prepared him to see such precision and coordination on such a large scale.
He gripped hilt of his sword tightly in his left hand. He looked around to see the banged up band of mercenaries he was in. He knew that half of Turles's men were already out and injured. The ones who could fight were not at full strength either.
As he looked over the purple and gold standards across the field every fiber of his being cried out in warning. They should not be attacking a force like that. They should have waited in Martea. He didn't exactly have any good ideas of what they should do save withdrawal.
"Who are they?" Biorr called out curiously.
"I heard a scout saying they claim to be from the Tiber Empire," Kakarot mentioned to everyone.
"I thought there was no Tiber Empire anymore," Jenounes reminded everyone.
"Not necessarily, while it's true that the empire fractured over four hundred years ago, there are several remnants and kingdoms left over in the east, "Vegeta corrected warily.
"This is from your studies?" Biorr asked him.
"Not really more like a combination from my history tutor and my father's advisors," Vegeta said with a hand on his chin. "Even I don't know much about it. Saiya is quite a long way from the old eastern part of the empire."
The horns rang out across the lines. They all knew what that meant. Even if they didn't want to it was time to advance. Turles walked out in front in full battle armor waiving his sword high. The silver lion banner flew just behind him with its bearer. He pointed his sword towards the enemy lines and the Silver Lions began to move.
Vegeta drew his blade and walked with the others. Kakarot stepped in beside him, intent of using his shield for both of them if it came to it. Jenounes strode with his great sword resting on his left shoulder. Biorr held his mighty bear axe in both hands.
Adrestia was missing from their lineup today. It would only be Biorr, Jenounes and Kakarot with Vegeta in this fight. While she wasn't too banged up, she insisted she stay with Iustitia this time. She said something about not leaving her squire alone this time. Vegeta chose not to argue with her. As much as he needed Adrestia, he didn't want to leave Iustitia by herself in case this battle did not go their way.
Vegeta walked reasonably confident. He still had some of his best men with him. His blade was sharp and honed. His armor was also intact and could reasonably resist what a shield could not.
On the other side horns blared and orders were shouted down the line and repeated by sub officers. Each of the heavily armored men began to move in line. They stopped roughly two hundred paces from their foes at the sound of another round of horns. Vegeta was unsure of what they were doing at first until something else from his classical warfare studies came back to him.
"Shields!" He called out in warning, but it was too late.
A rain of spears hit the entire line of infantry. Men cried out at they were impaled. Others cursed as the spears dug into their wooden shields rendering them useless. The lucky few who had metal shields were relatively safe as the spears only hit them with the full force of being thrown.
Vegeta was exceedingly lucky. A loud knock cracked in front of him. He was staring right at a spear point only a breath or two from his face. He stared at the thing that practically had his name on for an eternity. Then it was tossed aside casually along with the now useless wooden shield they had been issued.
"Whew," said Kakarot. "That was close."
"You're telling me," Vegeta agreed.
"Well that was my only shield so let's hope they don't do that again," Kakarot joked a bit grimly.
"They won't they only carry one throwing spear if I remember correctly," Vegeta recalled.
"What now?" Kakarot asked him.
That barrage had practically stopped their advance in its tracks. Around them it looked other mercenary companies kept looking behind them with furtive glances. That was a bad sign. All it takes is one retreating unit to turn this mess into a disaster.
"Now they try and finish us in hand to hand," Vegeta informed them all.
"Let them try," Biorr called out and swung his axe in a hungry arc.
Another call rang out on the lines and they began to advance again. Each step was slow, deliberate and calculated. This was the difference between a well-trained army and mob of rabble. It was easy for men to get caught up in their emotions and rush the enemy in an all-out charge. True soldiers held it in, marched with their peers and cut down the enemy one at a time.
This was the sight that greeted Vegeta as he closed in within a dozen paces of the line. All he saw was an impressive row of shields in his front. No doubt guarded by short swords or spears behind them. He turned to study his own lines, not liking what he saw.
"Kill them all!" Someone cried out from his side.
Then it began. It was chaos and bedlam. The entire line rushed the enemy. It crashed straight into the shield wall with varied effects.
In Vegeta's section he could not break through. He kicked and stabbed but it seemed like against a brick wall. He barely dodged a thrust of blade aimed at him. He felt it graze off his armor.
"Damn!" He raged in frustration.
If only he had two good hands! He'd show them. Or perhaps a good Warhammer to break through the line, even disciplined troops were vulnerable to the breaking of a line.
"Get behind me," Jenounes told him.
His great crimson armor towered before Vegeta. He gripped his giant sword in both hands and swung it down with a crash. Vegeta swore the big man had split the shield in front of him. He heard a cry of pain and saw a splintered shield on the ground. Before a man could fill the gap, Jenounes swung into the gap horizontally cutting down two more men. Helmets fell to the ground and blood pooled at his feet.
"Is this the best you got?" Jenounes taunted.
He heard a similar crack a few paces down and saw Biorr doing the same thing with his two handed great axe. Kakarot was behind him, ready to strike. Vegeta seized the moment changed in. Gauntlets deflected one blow as he thrust his sword into another man.
Things were going well for them then a horn call rang out. Almost as one the line they broken into stepped back and another marched forward to replace them. Vegeta did not like the looks of it. Unlike the previous men, these men all looked scarred. They were all in their thirties. Veterans, Vegeta thought grimly.
A shield knocked Vegeta back. He was dazed by the blow and nearly dropped his sword. All the ground he had taken was given up. He heard moans of agony and cries of all around him. He looked up to see their forces being cut down mercilessly.
"Retreat!" Someone called out.
Vegeta could not tell who it was. It hardly mattered. Their will was broken now. The flood had begun. Men began to turn and run all around him. There was no stopping the tide now. His men were beginning a slow withdrawal to him. They struck down enemies that got too close as they reached him. They all bored tired and frustrated looks on their faces.
"Let's go," He said simply and turned his back to the battlefield.
0-0-0
At the camp, two female mercenaries were held back along with others too injured to fight at the front today. Frost was still on the ground as the morning dew had frozen and the sun had yet to melt it away. The lines of tents for the mercenaries were scatted rather haphazardly. Each had a fire going to guard against the cold. They were safely behind the lines of the battlefield.
Inside the main squad tent, Adrestia helped Iustitia pack. She had a bad feeling about today's events. So she packed their belongings in a hurry just in case. It had taken most of the morning but they were just about finished. The others had better be grateful they bothered to pack up their belongings as well.
"Why are we packing up when no one else is?" Iustitia asked packing away some maps into a chest.
Adrestia reminded her, "It pays to be prepared my young squire. You don't want to leave anything behind if we have to leave in a hurry."
"Of course my lady," Iustitia replied, not fulling understanding, but humoring her lady anyway.
Iustitia packed the last of Kakarot's things in his chest. She didn't bother locking it. He could do that himself when he came back. Or if they were really in a hurry, they could do that later. Who knows? This was the first time anyone ever mentioned fleeing before. She really had no idea what to expect.
The sound of hooves interrupted her thoughts. It must be as scout or messenger she thought at first. That was until she heard more than one horse. It sounded like at least several dozen riders. Iustitia had no idea what that was about. Perhaps a unit was being recalled and relocated from the front.
Adrestia looked worried and grabbed her sword belt and fastened it to her. She threw Iustitia her blade as well. The squire took it without question and remained alert. It must have been serious for them to be armed. A scream caught their attention along with the sound of a rider running through camp. Then another and another filled the air.
"Ambush!" Someone called out.
"To arms! To arms!" cried another.
Adrestia drew her sword and grabbed hold of her shield. She signaled for her squire to get behind her. It was not technically an ambush. More likely this far back it was a cavalry raid. She took a few cautious steps towards the flap of the tent. She was hoping it was light cavalry. It didn't sound heavy. They stood no chance against mounted armored foes. At least with light cavalry if their initial charge was broken they could kill or escape the riders.
She opened the flap and stepped outside slowly as not to draw undue attention to anyone. It was quiet outside. It was unnaturally so, for a raid. She saw a body lying just two tents over doubled down on the ground. Another tent was sprayed with crimson.
A spear rushed by her in a whirl and struck the ground. She turned instantly facing a rider in black armor at the end of the tents. He had a fierce look about him and wore a helmet decorated by a wolf's head. He seemed unfazed by missing and reached for another spear.
Adrestia stared the rider down and signaled for Iustitia to remain in the tent. She slowly positioned herself near the spear impaled in the ground. He shouted something in a language she didn't know and braced himself to ride her down. Without losing her calm, she dropped her sword and picked up the fallen spear. With no time for proper form, she threw it with all her might.
It struck the rider in the shoulder, not fatally unfortunately. Adrestia sidestepped the fleeing horse as its rider fell down with a crash. As he lay on the ground moaning and pulling at the spear impaled in him, Adrestia picked up her sword once more. She glanced around carefully as she closed in. Riders never came alone.
As she reached the supine figure, she heard a clapping sound. She turned her head to see a mounted man in a purple cloak and bronze armor with a golden eagle on his chest. He had a strangely amused look on his face and dyed purple hair. He was flanked by two more men in black armor.
"That was a good show," He told her. "Are there any more of you?"
"None," Adrestia lied as she got into a battle stance.
"I doubt that," the man called out contemptuously. "No matter, we'll soon sort it all out."
"I assume you are their commander," Adrestia sneered.
"You can," the man called out. "I am Centurion Cui."
"Then fight me like a true commander," Adrestia prodded hoping for a typical male response.
The man just laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world. The men beside him bore an unusual stony faces. She could not read any of this. She was sure calling him out would work.
"While I'd love nothing more than to get hot and heavy with a beauty like you, my general has ordered me to take prisoners," Cui said with a shrug. "And you know orders are orders."
"Coward!" Adrestia called out.
"I prefer prudent," Cui retorted with a smug smile.
He said something in that guttural language his men spoke and more riders bore down on her slowly. This time from multiple sides with their spear points pointed right at her. Adrestia swore as she heard rustling from within the tent. She lunged forward only for Iustitia to pop out with her hands up. Behind her a rough looking man with a scarred lip and black armor came out.
"Not as pretty as you but she'll do," Cui called out. "Surrender or I'll have my men show her a very good time."
Adrestia dropped her sword and lifted her arms in the air. Looking into the heartbroken teary eyes of her squire she knew she made the right choice. Fate had already taken Nerine from her. She'd be damned if it demanded Nerine's little sister too.
0-0-0
Summer had officially ended as the first frost set in a week back. Now it was time for the Harvest festival. Every cultural and civilization had some sort of festival to celebrate the harvest, it was no different in Saiya. Even in the mostly urban capital of Vegos, a full of week of celebrations had kicked off.
Lord Tizona was in the grand hall with the other lords and ladies of the court. He was a tall man in his forties, but like most Saiyans he retained a youthful appearance of a man in his early thirties. Saiyans were blessed by their gods to remain fit for combat far later in life than other races. He kept his hair close cropped, like his soldiering days, and bore a surprisingly carefully trimmed beard.
He was seated at one of the long tables. Servant girls from the temple, dressed in traditional dresses, weaved in and out and brought all the guests food and drink. He eyed the one who brought him his wine hungrily. She was young maybe sixteen, bust just ripe enough to pluck if he inclined to do so. He simply sighed and drank deeply from his cup.
He recalled the previous King had more than indulged in such behaviors at this time of year. In the past, each year a virgin was offered by the temple to be deflowered by the king. It was supposed to be an ancient tradition that linked the Mother of All Saiyans to her people. Tizona suspected it was simply a way for old kings to have sex with pretty maidens well into old age.
He would never know the truth of it. Tradition or not, it ended when the current Queen took her place at court. Women ruin everything, Tizona thought grimly. Though he could hardly blame the king for giving into her demands, even after two children she had the body of a nymph.
His wife has chosen to back at their Vegos residence tonight. He could hardly blame her even he did not have the stamina for entire week of nonstop merrymaking. He was not as young as he used to be. Still politics demanded that at least one representative from each family be present each night until the celebrations ended. He could hardly leave that to his daughters either, even if one wasn't gone to gods knew where.
His thoughts were interrupted by a handsome golden haired lord and his dark haired companion who sat down next to him. His mood soured almost instantly. Atreus and Harkon, they were dissenting lords of an old broken faction who were extinguished in the last war. Tizona hated their kind. Pretentious upstarts from houses whose glory had faded.
It had been so long ago he nearly forgot, but he was pretty sure he slew Atreus's uncle in the last war. Or was it Harkon's? Hard to say, there were a lot of rebel lords back then with too many sons. He and the rest of the loyal Warrior Faction had thinned their herd a lot. It hardly mattered that they were nobles; they were not Vegeans so it didn't matter. He was a direct descendant of one of Vegeta the First's companions. Who were these men? They were descendants of the vanquished and lucky to have kept their titles at all.
"Good evening, Tizona," Harkon said with slightly haughty smile.
"Evening," Tizona replied gruffly.
"Dining alone I see," Atreus chimed in.
"My wife and daughters chose to retire early this evening," He informed them politely.
"How is your daughter? Adrestia wasn't she called," Harkon casually prodded.
"Don't play dumb. You know perfectly well I have no idea," Tizona answered.
"I do, it's a shame I hear she is quite a beauty and right in the marriage age if memory serves," Harkon implied with a smile.
"You don't mean to suggest," Tizona began but was cut off.
"Of course I do. I am head of my house now and have to look after my future like any lord," Harkon reminded him coolly.
"No," Tizona said sharply.
"Why not?" Atreus questioned. "A match with House Harkon would do you great honors. It would raise your daughter to a Duchess, a higher station than your current lordship. Or are you holding out for a royal match?"
Tizona was silent. In truth he was still hoping for such a thing. Princess Adrestia Tizona Saiya, it was still a dream of his to make it so. It was whole reason he agreed to let her pursue that foolish prince to begin with.
Yet he got back no encouraging news as of late from his daughter. He only knew that they were somewhere along the coast. She didn't even mention how she got along with the prince in her letters. Tizona didn't even know if he bed her or not. Though it would be a minor scandal, a pregnancy even out of wedlock would cement his goals for her and his house.
"I see. Well far be it from me to crush those dreams," Harkon conveyed casually. "However if I may make a suggestion, you have more than one daughter."
Tizona was quiet again. While he had more courtly status as one of the nobles of true Vegean blood, it was also true that House Tizona was far from a Great House. His family could use the increased status and wealth such a match could provide. Harmonia's other suitors were from houses not nearly as wealthy as Harkon, even if he hated to admit that.
"I'll introduce you to her, nothing more yet," Tizona relented.
"A fair compromise, you can still weigh your options and I can meet another noble Saiyaness," Harkon agreed with a smile.