Operation Plains thunder Part 2
I own nothing save for Oc's
New Konaha
The several hundred troops that survived were all archer, not a good remaining force. All the dragons save for Ryu were dead as well. All of Naruto's generals were gravely injured, save for Ventro's by a miracle. Also by a miracle and luck for the retreat all of Kuroi's people made it out okay. Naruto was mildly injured, but not combat ready.
"They are grouping for another attack, through the area formerly the Land of Earth." Kuroi said, getting word from scouts
"Well, at least we can defend that with what troops we are mustering now. We will move them to the border fortress's. That will take time though." Naruto mused
"Why don't we send the survivors from the first battle to stall them." Ventro's suggested
"That suicide!" Rectangle said, trying to get up
"I'll lead them." Ventro's put in
"Ventro's. I will not send people to die without them wanting to go on this mission." Naruto said sternly
"I'll talk with them." Ventro's said
The remaining archers were assembled. The only kind of Dragon's left were fire drakes. While wingless, and smaller in most cases, save for Taikara's, they had a mindless ferocity that could prove useful. They were intelligent enough to reason. They had orange scales, rounded bulldog faces with straight horns going backwards on there head. All of them were assembled as the last of prepared military forces.
"Everyone, we are in a hour of desperation. I've seen the hell the enemy can bring, and this is basically a suicide mission. To hold out as long as we can and kill as many enemies as we can to slow them down. No one is coming back. If you don't want to come, then leave now." Ventro's explained, but no one left, "Even then drakes?"
All the drakes nodded, and every soldier nodded on going. Ventro's was surprised.
"Then lets give the hell the Dragon empire can give!" Ventro's roared, and everyone roared in return, "Get as many arrows your quivers can carry. Several mount a drake, lets go!" Ventro's ordered
Every soldier scrambled. They all got arrows, and also got long-swords for when they ran out of arrows. The drakes knelled to let the riders on. Ventro's mounted Taikara's drake, and a soldier threw him a full quiver and bow. After putting them on his back, he raised his sword and they moved out. Marching through the streets, people cleared, a solemn mood in the air. Naruto watched as they left, determined to make sure there sacrifice was not in vain in anyway.
On the plains bordering the Land of Earth
A massive path that lead to the fortress deeper in the mountain lightly sloped to the grassland, and the drake army with archers numbered a total of 750 humans, half-orcs and Fire-Drakes. They waited for the army, knowing they had to go through the pass to get into the Land of Earth from there empire. Sure enough they arrived. The massive force was 2 million strong, all horsemen. There leader, a member of the dominate ethnic group, rose his sword, and pointed at them, and the horsemen behind him charged.
"Charge!" Ventro's roared, and the drake he rode sent a massive beam of white fire
The white blast of fire burned hundreds of men and horses into ash in milliseconds, but the rest jumped over the flames. While the massive drake moved slowly forward, continuing the white flames, killing more hundreds, the smaller drakes with the archers charged forward. The two armies finally collided. Despite being faster, the Fire-drakes were not only able to burn the horsemen, they were able to crush them under there weight, charging through there lines and routing them. The archers then rained down arrows from there backs.
"Fire back people! Take down the drakes!" one of the horsemen roared, and began firing
Arrows stuck out of the drakes like porcupine quills, but the thick muscle under the scales and the toughness of the scales prevented major damage. The riders chain-mail stopped a few arrows, but soon they began to drop. Unlike before, the reinforcements wasn't another army, but more heavily armed and armored. They wore scale armor, and there horses wore scale mail armor. Instead of bows, they wielded long lances. The collum of horsemen rushed forward, running down the drakes and there riders in there path, undaunted by the masses of there comrades still being killed.
"Keep fighting people, we have to hold them off!" Ventros roared and continued firing arrows
The horse archer army died under the drakes, and the remaining drakes charged the lance horsemen. When the two lines hit, mass confusing and death reigned. Drake fire cooked men and horses in there armor. Archers were knocked off and trampled horribly under iron horse shoes. Drakes impaled with lances went into a raging frenzy, indiscriminate on what they killed. The massive drake Ventro's rode on was impervious to all attempts to kill it, and the general called in a elite group, siege engine wielders. Hauling massive ballista, they send rounded stones and large ballista bolts at it, knocking it down and pummeling it into submission, and finally death.
Ventro's hauled himself up and charged through the confusion of the battle, cutting down horses and riders with his sword as he charged the ballistas. Once he got there, he cut through the crews like they were nothing. The general saw this and charged forward on his horse. Drawing his Calvary mace and readying his shield, he charged as fast as his horse could carry him. Ventro's cut the front legs of the horse, dropping it and then finishing it with a downward strike to the neck. The general fell from his horse, nearly trampled by his own men as they continued to fight the enraged Drakes. Hundreds died around them as the general got up and they circled each other. A large circle formed in the middle of the battle.
"You know you will not get out of this alive." the general said, readying his weapon
"As long as I stand, I give time for my empire." Ventros replied
"Then your empire will not last much longer!" The general roared and swung his mace at Ventros
Ventros bashed his shield against the strike, and continued to do this as the general swung wildly at him. This continued for a minute as the two armies became nearly depleted. Only two fire-Drakes fought against a few hundred horsemen. The two armies killed each other with arrows and drake fire. Fighting in a ashen wasteland with the dead and dying, the two remaining fighters exchanged blows and shield bashes. During the later stages of the fight the general hit Ventro's shield hard enough to smash it apart. Staggering back, the dragon empire soldier gripped his sword with two hands, and now began using it like a katana that it looked so much like.
"Time. To. Die. Bastard!" Ventros said after each strike
With the final strike he cut through his shield, and cutting off his hand and half his forearm. The general screamed at the top of his lungs and dropped to his knees. Ventros then roared as he decapitated him. Though he was still alive, Ventros dropped to the ground, bleeding out and exhausted. As he slowly died, he was able to get a good look at the devastation caused by the battle.
2 hours later
Naruto walked through the wasteland with two soldiers. He found Ventro's body, and ordered it to be brought back. He then had squads of recruits bring the siege engines back to Deivion to see if he could improve his own ballistas to new heights. Before he worked on moving on to defend his nation, there was one thing he had to do.
Next day, border fortress in Land of Earth
A funeral fire was prepared, with Ventro's body ready to be put in after Naruto made a speech. 5,000 new recruits all equipped with medium soldier armor and weapons were waiting for him.
"Soldiers. We today honor a man for a sacrifice he made for our empire, and immortalize him as a hero. General Ventros and his force died in a super human effort of halting the enemy advance. There names are on this stone behind me. They fought to the last breath to keep this empire safe, and I ask no less of you. I would give my last breath if it could save this empire, and we will win this or die trying!" Naruto proclaimed, causing the soldiers to roar in cheer
"Lets win this war, and take these horse riding assholes down! Battle stations people, they will be coming. Time to put your training to the test!" Naruto roared
Every soldier ran to there posts, all ready to fight if necessary. Naruto then lowered Ventros body into the fire, and walked away, not wanting his sacrifice to go in waste.
MHG: Sorry it took a while, but this was just fun to write. I love writing massive fight scenes, not duels. See you next time.