Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 123: The Scarlet Ground

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."

The general’s eyes flickered. They had suffered defeat and had lost a lot of their soldiers. A few generals even died fighting the territories they snatched from Northem. But the soldiers stationed here in Carles were the best of Estalis and they outnumbered the Northem army by threefold. He could not believe they would be unable to defeat them in the close combat.

With that, the general hardened his heart. "Do as I say. Report back to the Mayor and General Abner. He should have arrived with the reinforcement from the capital."

Without waiting for a response, the general vaulted over the wall, landing hard on the back of a wild horse. The animal thrashed beneath him, but he gripped its reins, subduing it with practiced ease.

The young lieutenant’s eyes were sad as he watched his general lead the infantry out of the gate to meet the Northem soldiers in direct combat.

The Northem soldiers stood behind a carefully marked boundary, refusing to cross. No amount of taunting could lure them beyond that invisible line — a line that kept them out of range of the longbows of archers stationed along Sentro’s walls.

The Estalis soldiers grew impatient. Fury burned in their hearts, pushing them forward in a blind charge.

As the infantry from Carles surged forward, Lara and Aramis remained on their horses and kept their distance. Their arrows flew fast, aiming low, striking legs and hamstrings.Armor was no defense against such precision.

Lara’s eyes scanned the chaos, searching. She spotted the general. He was originally on horseback, but then an arrow from Angus struck his horse, sending the beast crashing to the ground.

Both camps had engaged in direct combat. The battlefield roared with the clash of steel, the clang of swords, and the screams of men. Lara’s sharp eyes tracked the fallen general. He was guarded now, surrounded by his soldiers. No clear shot. She cursed under her breath.

Alaric who did not engage in direct combat, remained on horseback and was a few meters from her. He seemed to have guessed her intention. He released arrows after arrows.

Suddenly, Lara found an opening — brief, fleeting. Lara drew her bow. The world narrowed to the tip of her arrow, the string taut beneath her fingers. She released.

The arrow found its mark, burying deep into the general’s thigh. The general was stunned. Then a numbing sensation spread from the wound throughout his body and he went limp on the ground.

"Father!" A desperate cry pierced the air. The young lieutenant defied his orders and secretly followed him into battle.

"Retreat! Everyone, fall back!" The order rang out as he supported his father on one side and another soldier on the other.

Before he left, he looked back at the soldier who shot the arrow. Their eyes locked for a fleeting second. He did not understand why he targeted his thigh and not the chest. Was the arrow poisoned? Why did his father passed out? He felt his pulse and he was sure that it was strong.

When the Estalis soldiers saw that their general fell and heard the order to retreat, they did not hesitate and retreated.

Alaric who was beside Lara could not understand her thought process.

"Why do I feel that you’re intentionally maiming them and not killing them?"

Lara lowered her bow, eyes locked on the retreating figures. "If they’re alive, their comrades will be too busy trying to save them to keep fighting. But if they’re dead..." Her gaze darkened. "Wouldn’t that only fuel their hatred for us?"

"So that’s it?" Aramis, who was also beside them, scratched his head. Kane made sense.

Soon, Aramis noticed Estalis soldiers scrambled to carry their wounded, retreating toward the town gate.

A commander approached Alaric, breathless. "General, do we pursue them?"

Alaric scanned the battlefield. Blood and bodies painted the land brown and red. The Northem forces stood victorious, but there was no pride in his eyes — only the weight of what had been done. He shook his head.

"No need. See to our wounded. Count the dead. And send word to the other fronts."

As the sun was directly above them, its heat spread relentlessly across the field, causing blood to glisten. The cries of the injured filled the air.

The battle was not over yet.

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