Kingdom of Iron: Tyrant's Fall

"They are made up of Elves, Dwarves, and Knights." Matt kept his voice level as he tried to describe the situation. "It looks like they are coming from the west, so I'd expect a mix of soldiers from the Alterians, the Onyx Clans, and the Order of the Raven."

Captain Snolt grimaced. "Gwelfed didn't get close enough to check?"

"She's headed back there now with some of Lucy's scouts." Matt shook his head. "She didn't want to get too close and get caught before we even knew the enemy was here."

"A wise choice." Balred had switched with one of the newer lifeguards to attend the small meeting. He looked around at the others, his eyes skeptical as he looked at the expressions on the Humans' faces. Riley, Jordan, and Alicia weren't exactly excited about the prospect of participating in another battle, especially not one against twenty times their number. "Should we withdraw?"

Matt hesitated. "We can't. Not yet." He saw the lifeguard begin to protest and held up a hand. "Gorfeld is indisposed, and the army is positioned to cut us off from Bridgeton. We can fall back deeper into the Pridelands, but there's no guarantee that we won't find a second army from the west waiting for us."

Snolt nodded and grinned. "Better to fight while you can, after all. So, do we just charge through them and make a break for it?"

Alicia shook her head. "Miguel and the others can't be moved. They need constant care, and slow transport. Otherwise…" She grimaced. "We'd lose at least two of them. Maybe all."

Matt clenched his jaw for a moment. "More importantly, we can't fight any of them at all."

Silence fell, and he looked around at the others. "Remember the terms of the ceasefire we signed? Lucy's troops can't attack any of us, but we can't attack anyone in the Pridelands. If any of us so much as lays a finger on one of those Alliance soldiers…"

"Then we're in her custody." Balred shook his head. "Are you sure this new Maiden did not arrange for these circumstances, sire?"

He gave his lifeguard a stern look. "Lucy didn't have any better idea of those assassins than we did, and I'm sure she would never work with the Alliance against us. Especially not the nobles who are riding with them." Then he paused. "Also, I hope you haven't been using the word 'Maiden' to describe her out loud very often. I'm not sure she'll approve."

Riley broke in before he could continue. "Then what are we going to do? If we can't run and we can't fight, then how are we going to do any of this?"

Matt hesitated. "I don't suppose you have found a way to heal the damage I've taken?" She shook her head, and he grimaced. "Then we're going to have to rely on Lucy. She says she has the forces to turn back the enemy."

Snolt snorted. "You're talking about that mass of peasants, right? She really expects them to turn back an army that size?"

He gave the Goblin a steady look. "She's fought other battles against the nobility. I imagine she knows at least a little about what she's doing."

Balred spoke up quietly. "And if she does not succeed?"

"Then at least we might have an opening to run." Matt shrugged. There was also a chance that if Lucy fell, his agreement with her would be nullified. If that happened, he wanted to be sure he could strike and turn things against the Alliance. The last thing he wanted was for the Divine Right to fall back into their hands—and if that meant he had to take it for himself, he would.

He didn't try to think too deeply about the hollow feeling in his stomach when he pictured Lucy falling on the battlefield. Emotions were a luxury none of them could afford.

Trying to banish those thoughts, Matt focused on the situation at hand. "Get the Royal First ready to move. We'll be marching north as soon as Gwelfed returns. Anyone who wants to go with Gorfeld and the wounded will march to Mornal Castle while we go to fight. Any questions?"

There were none. He watched for a moment as they all departed, and then looked towards the Knights's camp, where they were scrambling to prepare. He'd already been there to visit the others. Gorfeld had still been unconscious, but at least Miguel and Mulwan had been able to give him their weak reassurances. Tanya had looked angry enough to barbecue half an army by herself; he'd barely been able to convince her to just stay and watch over the others. Once the battle was over, he'd be able to get them back home.

At least, that was what he hoped. Whether it was true remained to be seen.

The army moved north, and Matt went with it.

It felt beyond uncomfortable to move with a force full of what could have been enemy soldiers; the sight of so many armed and armored Knights made him feel like he needed to hunch his shoulders to avoid a bowshot. The Royal First around him seemed to share his discomfort; many of the Warg Riders were studying their traveling companions with ill-concealed distrust. Captain Snolt was unusually subdued, and the lifeguards were not much better.

Lucy had, at least, been considerate enough to allow his banner to move on its own. She hadn't demanded that he lead the advance or keep to the rearguard. Instead, he'd been located near the middle of the column, intermixed with her own Eagle Company. The Knights of her personal banner seemed to accept the presence of the snarling Wargs in their midst without much concern. Of course, the presence of nearly two dozen banners of friends had probably reassured them.

To Matt's surprise, Lucy hadn't ridden a mount. Instead, she marched along beside her soldiers, occasionally receiving reports from her captains or scouts. The amount of walking didn't appear to bother her at all, and those few times that she strolled back to join him, she didn't seem to mind looking up at him as he rode the warbuck.

He offered her a space beside him, but she'd given Nelson a mistrustful look. "Thanks, but no. Never got the hang of riding anything but a bicycle back home, and I don't mind the walk."

Matt raised an eyebrow at her, and she grinned. "All right, I confess. I managed to get ahold of some of those magic chants that the nobles were always using. Managed to build something that gave me a bit of extra stamina and speed."

He nodded. "Air, then? Maybe with Summer and Body to go along with it?"

Her eyebrows climbed a little. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Everyone's heard what happened at Greyhenge." She gave him a skeptical look. "Though I didn't see anything world-ending the other day. Were you just worried about collateral damage?"

Matt winced. He shook his head. "Greyhenge… was a onetime thing. I never want to do it again." She glanced up at him again, and he sighed. "At the moment, my magic is still kind of… recovering. Not that I could use it right now to help us anyways."

Lucy chuckled to herself. "Too bad. It would be useful to have some magical firepower to back us." She looked around at the lifeguard and the Wargs surrounding her. "I don't suppose we can negotiate a little access to that type of thing?"

"You'd have to give us quite a bit." Matt shook his head again. "Spells are like nuclear launch codes around here. Not something anyone shares for free."

"Nuclear codes, sire?" Snolt sounded hesitant? "What are those? A kind of magic?"

Matt and Lucy exchanged a look before he answered. "Nothing you have to worry about, Captain Snolt."

Lucy nodded. "It'll be a long time before you have to worry about those kinds of weapons." Then she looked at Matt again. "Then again…"

He sighed. "I doubt anyone will go around copying my poor decisions, my lady. Not if they can help it." Snolt muttered something under his breath, and Matt gave him a look. The last thing he needed was to have his most bloodthirsty and aggressive captain trying to lecture him about restraint.

She didn't seem to catch the byplay. "So I shouldn't have to worry about it during the next fight, then? Because that would be inconvenient."

Matt smirked. "No. The Oaths the royals have sworn give them plenty of extra strength, but not enough to reproduce that." He paused. "It also comes with a significant flaw. If any of them are there, they'll more or less have to come after me, no matter what might work better. They won't be able to help themselves."

"Hmm. Good. I can use that." Lucy gave him a rueful smile. "As long as you don't mind playing bait."

Snolt laughed so hard he nearly choked and fell off his Warg, and Tiridine spoke up from her own mount. "Why not? He does it enough on his own time, my lady."

Lucy smiled. "He does, does he? I'm sure it's usually something to see."

Balred cleared his throat. "It could be impressive, if it didn't see him in danger so often."

She looked at the Leaffall Orc. "No wonder he has so many devoted protectors, then."

Rethferd rolled his shoulders. "He gives us plenty of practice, my lady."

Matt broke in before any more of his lifeguards could speak up. "And I'm grateful for their continued help." He looked back at Lucy, trying not to acknowledge the fact that he felt hot under his collar. "If there is any assistance we can give you, we will."

Lucy studied him for a moment. Then she smiled again. "Thank you, King Matthew. I will hold you to that."

They reached the enemy a little while later that afternoon, and the sight of them made Matt happy that the rest of the others had chosen to head back to Mornal.

He saw at least three banners of Dwarves; two of Crossguards and one of Siegemakers. The sturdy soldiers marched in their heavy armor through the fields of the Pridelands, cresting the nearest hill with their flags flying. On another flank, he saw three banners of Pinions and another of Murdersworn stalking along beside them, all flying the colors of the Order of Ravens. Five banners of Chargers and Men-At-Arms, remnants of the Order of Lion's Roar, arrived as well, with the former filling an entire flank with their mounts and the latter marching alongside the Dwarves.

Yet the grand majority of the army appeared to have come from the Alterian Elves. Gwelfed had counted at least four banners of greatelk cavalry. Snolt had called them Cavaliers; the three banners of archers beside them he'd called Huntsmen. His greatest dislike had been for the full five banners of Elven Sentinels that had anchored the center of the force, however. Their armor had gleamed in the sunlight, and their long, wide swords shone as they marched into position.

By contrast, Lucy's forces seemed to have none of the heavy armor or lethal grace of their opponents. The various Companies simply spread out into formation, with the Hounds taking up positions on the flanks and the banner of Sparrows dividing up to join them. The Eagle Company hung back to the rear while the Lions and Hawks began to sort themselves out in a broad line facing the enemy.

Lucy had chosen to meet the enemy at a spot the Knights had called Rohlplains. There was a village nearby, but it seemed like the villagers there had chosen not to participate in the battle. If anything, it looked as abandoned and vacant as any of the dead towns on the other side of the Blackstone; Matt had to wonder if the fields had been left to ruin by the revolution, the war, or some other catastrophe.

The land itself wasn't promising. She'd chosen a valley south of a broad hill to position her center on, with smaller, rougher terrain to the east and west. With the high ground, the enemy would have a substantial advantage, and the nobles would have combat magic on their side. Why hadn't she stopped a little further to the south?

Matt frowned as he looked over the terrain and the arrangement of the troops. The Lions were set up in a familiar formation; the pikes were in five ranks in front, protecting the longbowmen behind. By contrast, the Hawks were packed into narrow columns about five soldiers abreast, their formation stretching far behind the Lions by several ranks. None of the Hounds and Sparrows weren't stationed like they were supposed to be ready to receive or give a charge, either; in fact, they were positioned so that they could take cover behind the infantry if they needed to.

He was still trying to puzzle out the tactics behind her choices when a horn blew, and a hushed stillness fell over the Knights. As he looked around in surprise at their response, he heard Lucy speak a moment later, as if she was right next to him. It was a spell of some kind, probably similar to the one he'd learned before his Air Source had been damaged. Matt wondered how different it was, given that it used a separate Season.

Those distracting thoughts were chased away a moment later, as Lucy began to speak.

"Heroes of the Revolution! Heed my words, for today we will strike a blow for your freedom!"

Silence followed those words, and she continued in a ringing tone that sang in the air.

"The enemy before you stands ready to place you and your loved ones back beneath their boot heels. They wish to strip from you your rights and your honor, which you have so dearly won on the field of battle. They demand that you bow to their authority and submit to their demands for no other reason than that they were born to command you, and you were born to obey. Their royal blood is too noble and pure to sully with good, honest work or fair treatment of those beneath them."

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"Yet today they will learn that they are no longer the Lions that rule these plains. Here, upon this field, you will show them what free men and women are capable of. You will keep your honor, your loved ones will preserve their freedom, and one day soon, you will rejoice that you were here to witness these invaders driven from our lands!"

"Soldiers, brothers, sisters, they are coming for your lives and your legacies. Let us write the next chapter of the Revolution in noble blood. Fight with me today, and your children's children will sing of this day. For Liberty! For Equality! And for the Low Folk!"

The soldiers around them roared, and the members of the Royal First shifted in their saddles around him. Matt glanced at them and made a calming gesture, though he had to catch Snolt's eye twice. His Captain grimaced and twitched at his reins in disgruntlement; clearly, he wanted to be about the same bloody work as the Knights after a speech like that.

Unfortunately, he couldn't let the Goblin get carried away today. Even if it had been a pretty good speech.

Horns blew on the other side of the field, and the Alliance started down the hill. The Elves retained their position in the center, with their cavalry held back in reserve. Enemy Knights marched alongside them, with their cavalry spreading out in an attempt to threaten the flanks of Lucy's troops. Both Ravens and Dwarves marched stolidly along, clearly hoping to ward off similar threats to their own flanks.

Matt watched it all with a grim feeling of impending danger. He could almost feel someone's attention fixed on him. There had to be at least one royal in the army, and he had no doubt that as soon as Lucy's army broke, they would do their best to hunt him down.

His feeling lasted until Snolt grunted and pointed at the flanks. "Sire, what are they doing?"

He turned to look and saw just about every mount that Lucy could spare spreading out to the sides. Some of them were just the Hounds, ranging out ahead of the main force. They looked to be aiming to occupy some of the hills on the sides ahead of the Alliance's advance. The smaller number, however, was dragging a set of carts far out ahead of the lines as well.

Matt frowned as the Sparrows reached a pair of low rises in the ground, a little ahead of the main army. The greatelks involved spun around, bringing the backs of their carts to face towards the enemy. Hair on the back of his neck rose as the other riders accompanying each cart leapt off their horses and began uncovering the carts. There was a moment of frantic preparation as the riders went to work.

Then, moments later, each cart had been unfolded and turned towards the enemy. Matt let out a disbelieving huff of air as he recognized them. "Ballistae."

Snolt looked at him, and Matt shrugged. "They are siege engines from my world's past. Something that people would use to bring down walls." He watched as the Sparrows made adjustments to their aim, cranking away at the system of pulleys that would drive the engine's operation. "Normally they're fixed in place, but it looks like she's modified the idea to serve as a flying battery."

The Goblin looked perplexed. "A what?"

Rather than explaining further, Matt pointed at the Sparrows on the right. They'd finished adjusting their aim, pointing their towed weapons at the Dwarves marching down the hill towards them.

Then they fired.

It wasn't a full volley. A pair of ballistae fired at a time, with another pair shooting as the first went into frantic efforts to reload and reset. Matt watched as the first pair of projectiles soared up and away from the engines, spearing directly towards the heavily armored Dwarves.

Both massive bolts slammed home a moment later, smashing through the Dwarven ranks and leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. A second pair hit a heartbeat later, followed by a third, and a fourth. On the other flank, another steady set of salvoes soared in at the Murdersworn, smashing through their slow, heavily armored ranks in a dependable pattern of butchery that made Matt wince.

The reaction of the enemy cavalry was immediate. Chargers streamed forwards, trying to close the distance between them and the ballistae. Snolt grunted as they charged forward, shaking his head. "They put those things too far forward, sire. The cavalry will…"

He trailed off as the closest ballistae abruptly packed up and the greatelks that pulled them started to run away. Snolt leaned forward, cursing under his breath as the Sparrows abandoned their position, withdrawing from the oncoming threat of the cavalry.

Matt grinned. "That's where the 'flying' part comes from. They get into a good position, fire a few volleys, and then retreat. It's like a bunch of Shadow Hunters, only a bit more…"

He trailed off as he caught sight of the Hounds making their move. Abandoned by the cavalry, the infantry along the flanks had been left reeling by the bombardment and vulnerable to attack. They started a charge, something that brought an immediate reaction from their opponents. Both Dwarves and Ravens pulled back and towards the center, frantically trying to form ranks in order to fend off the oncoming greatelks.

Unfortunately for them, the Hounds appeared to have no intention of indulging them. Instead of charging, the Hounds wheeled away, taking up a position on another low hill. To Matt's astonishment, they dismounted. He watched as they brought out the longbows that they had stored on their greatelks, nocking arrows and turning to face the still-scrambling infantry. As the cavalry continued to advance, the Hounds began a steady shower of arrows from far beyond the enemy's reach, pelting them with waves of bowshots.

Seeing their allies in trouble, the enemy Knights in the center started to respond. The Men-At-Arms turned from the front to spread out and engage the Hounds, letting the Elven Sentinels and Cavaliers continue the forward advance on their own. Meanwhile, the Chargers had continued their own advance until they started to come under fire as well. This time, it was the longbowmen behind the pikes who were raining arrows down, at least until the cavalry wheeled around to pull back. They caught sight of the Hounds, and began a wide sweeping turn to charge back against the enemy on their flanks.

In response, about half the Hounds leapt back onto their mounts and prepared to reposition. The Sparrows, on the other hand, were changing course. Instead of fleeing the field entirely, the siege machines had settled in on a hill a bit further away, but still very much in range of the flanks of the approaching host. Soon enough, massive ballistae bolts were hurtling in at the Ravens and Dwarves yet again.

The battle was quickly becoming a chaotic, disorganized mess. Cavalry wheeled and tried to form ranks, infantry scrambled to change their facing and avoid the incoming bolts and arrows. A formerly steady, disciplined advance had been thrown almost completely into disorder.

It was at that point that Lucy's remaining banners began to move. The Lions and Hawks, once stationary except for a few of their archers, stirred into a brisk march, far faster than he'd expected. Matt leaned forward slightly as the pikes came into position; the advance of the Revolutionary troops was steady and disciplined. By contrast, the advance of the Hawks seemed far quicker, but far less well organized.

He frowned. The enemy's response didn't make any sense. They were so busy defending their flanks that it seemed like they had forgotten about their center. If they didn't adjust soon, they were going to be hit by the pike formations while they were still disorganized. At the very least, they needed to start hitting the Lions with archer fire.

Yet even as he watched, the enemy was still reinforcing their flanks. Elven Huntsmen were joining the Men-At-Arms to repulse the Hounds' harassment, Chargers were charging again as the Hounds simply remounted and fled on their lighter greatelks. As the Hounds evaded them, the Knights had started to turn to another target, obviously looking to charge the repositioned Sparrows once more. The Cavaliers and Sentinels in the center had continued their advance, seemingly intent on only what was in front of them.

The consequences for their distraction happened moments later, as horns blared the whole length of Lucy's line. Banners of Hawks charged forward at a sprint, their polearms ready to pull cavalry from saddles. Behind them, at a slightly calmer pace, came the Lions, whose pikes presented an advancing wall of spearpoints. Those Chargers furthest forward in the Alliance lines suddenly found themselves outflanked and drawn into melee, without the benefit of their momentum. Archers and heavy infantry that had focused on the elusive Hounds or been pounded by Sparrows now were out of position and scrambling to change direction once again.

It wasn't the flanks that were the worst hit, however. Matt felt a burst of triumph as six banners of Lions lowered their pikes and barged straight into the lines of the Sentinels in the center, joined by another two banners of Hawks. The Elves found themselves isolated, outnumbered, and overwhelmed. Confronted by a literal wall of spearpoints, there wasn't much the agile swordsmen could do aside from throw themselves forward and hope to cut through.

Matt heard Snolt swearing in increasing volume and incredulity as the pikemen simply smashed through over the Sentinels, breaking their ranks with brutal efficiency. Those who survived the initial clash tried to pull back, but the Lions continued to push their way forward, even as the longbowmen behind showered the enemy back line with arrows. The Cavaliers, obviously alarmed at the sudden collapse of their companions, tried to charge in, only to find that pikes and polearms were more than ready for them as well.

He watched as the middle of the enemy force fell back, and back, and back until finally…

The Elves broke, and with them went the majority of the Alliance center. As the surviving Sentinels and Cavaliers began to flee the field, the remaining unengaged Hawks pushed forward in pursuit while the Lions wheeled out to the sides in order to march on the remaining Alliance soldiers. Men-At-Arms, Chargers, and Huntsmen abruptly found themselves facing those same walls of pikes, even as they were struggling free of the Hawks that had caught them before.

Panic spread along their lines, and more and more of the Alliance soldiers began to run. Matt winced as he watched one brave, but foolhardy banner of Chargers run directly into an incoming formation of Lions. Pikes shattered, and the Lions stumbled a bit, but less than half of the Chargers were left when they pulled away.

Yet even as the majority of the Alliance soldiers began to abandon the field or lay down their arms, there were two sections that seemed to defy their fate. Both the Dwarves on the right and the Ravens on the left continued to fight their way forward, even as they continued to be bombarded from all sides and picked apart. Their ferocity was enough that most of the Hawks turned aside to strike at other targets, preferring to chase down and destroy what was left of the other Knights and Elves rather than those stubborn, heavily armored holdouts.

As those two forces advanced, Matt watched them push forward. It was a pattern that Matt had grown all too used to. He could almost hear the screaming royals in their ranks, bellowing for his blood. Their madness had driven them to similar suicidal charges before. He told himself he shouldn't be surprised to see it again here.

Of course, loyalty and fervor might supply some advantages, but they weren't a badge of immortality. All things came due eventually.

It was the Ravens that broke first. The Pinions, unlike their heavily armored companions, had been exposed to too many arrows for too long. As they pulled back in disarray, the Murdersworn continued to push forward, only to find themselves increasingly targeted by the incoming fire of the Sparrows. Matt could have sworn he felt when the royal in their midst was hit; their entire banner seemed to ripple as one of the bolts tore through their lines. Moments later, those who weren't throwing down their weapons were attempting to run for the hills, only to find the Hawks and Lions waiting for them.

The Dwarves, on the other hand, managed to cut their way through a banner of Hawks and charged across the field towards him. Matt watched as portions of the Revolutionaries turned to pour arrow fire into them from behind. Some of the crossbow-wielding Crossguards turned to exchange shots with them, but those who did were caught and cut down by more Hawks that swarmed after them. Siegemakers summoned temporary barricades to block the pursuit, or to impede the incoming projectiles from the ballistae still battering away at them.

Ultimately, their innate toughness and heavy armor prevailed as the Dwarves closed in. Matt watched them charge—exhausted, wounded, and alone—leaving the tattered remnants of their fellow Dwarves scattered in their wake. He could hear the royal below screaming for him now, bellowing a challenge that Matt knew he couldn't answer. Snolt stirred on his Warg, the Goblin watching the survivors of three badly mauled Dwarven banners close in.

The Knights of Eagle Company were waiting for them.

As the Dwarves advanced, Lucy's personal soldiers formed ranks and moved towards them. Matt could see Lucy in the middle of the Revolutionaries, urging them forward. The Knights raised their poleaxes, the weapons ready to receive the heavily armored foes. He saw the Dwarves raising their own heavy weapons, from heavy crossbows to hammers, axes, and swords, to answer them.

It was going to be a bloodbath. The Dwarves had the advantage in armor, even if they were on the verge of breaking. With a superpowered royal in their midst, anything was going to be possible. There had to be some way…

An idea flared to life in his mind. Matt smiled. "Captain Snolt."

The Goblin tore his eyes away from the battle. "Yes, sire."

"I think it's time we take a closer look at this battle."

Snolt jerked in surprise, as did the lifeguards around him. "Sire? We can't—"

Matt nodded. "We can't fight, I know." Then he pointed at the incoming Dwarves. "But they don't know that. And the royal doesn't care."

Before Balred or Snolt or anyone else could protest, he dug his heels into Nelson's sides. "Let's move!"

The warbuck obediently started forward. Behind him, the rest of the Royal First followed, frantically urging their mounts after him. Matt kept his eyes on the incoming Dwarves as he rode, comparing their lines to the wedge that the Eagle Company was forming. Right now, the Knights would be plunging straight into the middle of the charging, heavily armored horde. If he could change the angle of their charge by just enough…

He swerved to the right, urging Nelson harder. The warbuck snorted and huffed beneath him, but the beast responded with that much more speed. Matt could hear the Wargs and the mounts of his lifeguards fighting to keep up with him; Snolt's curses and Balred's shouts were competing with the panting, snarling throats of over a hundred warbeasts anxious to participate in the slaughter.

Yet he had no intention of giving them the chance. All he needed was to provide a timely distraction. Just one bit of chaos could tip the scales. He leaned forward in the saddle, still urging Nelson to go faster across the fields. His eyes were still locked on the Dwarves, watching for any sign of sudden confusion in their ranks. If he was wrong, then all he was doing was risking himself and his men for no reason.

At the same time, if he was right…

He saw it start to happen just as the two groups closed to within charging distance. His own banner was already starting to draw even with the Dwarves at that point, still swinging far out to the right of their course. The Dwarves had closed ranks and formed their own wedge, obviously intending to punch through the final banner of Knights and seek their prize on the other side.

Yet the formation abruptly fell apart. Confusion ran through the tightly packed ranks of Dwarves as some of them started to turn. Matt smiled. The royal had to have tried to change the direction of the charge. They were being pulled towards him, and that meant their commander's attention was focused on entirely the wrong thing. He watched, laughing, as the Dwarves lost cohesion, with a quarter of them trying to push through their own ranks to chase after him, even while the rest were carried forward towards the Knights ahead.

The results were predictable. Even as he swung around behind the Dwarves, Eagle Company charged directly into the Alliance troops. Crossguards that had been about to unleash a devastating volley into the Knights' ranks turned and tried to fire at the Royal First, and any momentum that the Siegemakers might have had in their charge vanished as half of them tried to reverse course.

Polaxes slashed down, knocking Dwarves to the ground and punching holes in their armor. The already confused ranks of the Siegemakers and Crossguards were shoved backwards by the momentum of Lucy's troops, and their movements showed signs of panic as some of them tried to follow their royal commander's orders and some tried to turn and face the threat already upon them. Matt thought he saw some of them start to turn on each other. Whether it was out of confusion or mutiny, it scarcely mattered. Within moments, the entire force was broken. Those who weren't surrendering were running as hard as they could for the north, with little hope of an actual escape.

The only exception was one small group of Dwarves who left the main group. They barely numbered more than half a dozen, but they were clearly some kind of royal bodyguard. Heavily armored and moving fast, they were chasing after him on foot, their weapons gleaming in the summer sun.

For a moment, Matt was tempted to turn and face them. The royal who had doomed their soldiers with such a futile charge deserved to meet justice.

Yet at the same time, he knew he couldn't. So instead, he just continued to ride across the field, aiming for the low hills on the far side. Behind him, a group of Hounds dismounted well within bowshot of the final, running Dwarves. A few volleys later, and the last of the Alliance's threat was down.

With those final deaths, the battle was more or less done. He brought Nelson to a halt and breathed a sigh of relief as the victorious cheers of the Knights echoed across the battlefield. Balred gave him a disgruntled look as the Orc finally caught up to him, while Snolt was still looking back in the futile hope that one of the Dwarves might actually make it to them. "Well, that was fun."

Balred muttered something under his breath, while Snolt just looked disappointed. Matt ignored both of them to look at the battle. It hadn't been without sacrifice—there were many of the revolutionaries down among the corpses of the Alliance—yet it had been far, far cleaner a victory than he'd expected. He looked back at Eagle Company, where the Knights had lifted Lucy onto their shoulders.

Snolt spoke up from where he was still staring at the field longingly. He seemed curiously sober for someone who had yearned for battle so strongly. "We should probably make peace with these people as soon as we can, sire."

Matt nodded, his eyes still locked on Lucy. "I'm working on it, Captain. I'm working on it."