Chapter 123: The Scarlet Ground
Lara had been gone for only an hour but when she returned, the plain of Gwamuros was unrecognizable. What was once a lush, green field was now a scarlet landscape. The grass, once soft beneath her boots, was soaked with blood. Bodies of men and horses lay scattered across the ground, some still, others writhing in pain. The air reeked of iron and death. Arrows jutted from bodies, and deep hoof prints in the grass told a story of panic and destruction.
The soldiers positioned on the walls of Sentro could only watch in horror. None of the 500 cavalry of Estalis and Zura remained standing. Some of the riderless horses bolted back inside the Sentro, creating chaos amongst the infantry standing there waiting for the signal to attack. Soldiers scrambled out of their path, shields clattering as they fought to stay on their feet.
An Estalis general stood frozen, atop the walls of Sentro, his grip trembling around the shaft of his spear. He could not comprehend what had happened. In the distance, he glimpsed a shadow moving across the battlefield — a lone figure darting between the bodies, unsettlingly quick. He remembered seeing something earlier: the glint of metal buried beneath the earth, the sudden hiss of arrows erupting from hidden traps. Horses reared, screaming as arrows pierced their flesh, throwing their riders. Those closely following behind were caught off-guard and had no time to stop. Unable to control their horses, they trampled their fallen comrades, the ground slick with blood and panic.
As if it wasn’t enough, ropes had sprung from the earth, tangling the legs of man and beast alike. The proud cavalry of Estalis had been undone not by Northem’s blades and arrows, but by their own panic and the cold precision of unseen hands.
The Estalis general was horrified by the truth laid before him. Most of their soldiers were killed under the hooves of their horses — a bitter, senseless death. It was a repeat of what happened nights before, when they killed their own soldiers in the chaos.
Below him, men scrambled in disarray, trying to rein in the frenzied animals still galloping through the ranks, arrows protruding from their sides.
"General, do we send the infantry?" a young lieutenant climbed up the stone stairs, his face pale, and awaiting his command.
"Go report to the Mayor about the situation here. I will lead the infantry to attack." The general exhaled slowly, his breath heavy with dread. He was reluctant but he could not just surrender.
"General, if our forces fall here and Northem pushes through to Estalis..." The lieutenant hesitated. "We won’t be able to defend the capital."