The Land Below our Feet II (Unleashed) COMPLETE

BLOCKAGE

Most of the King's men had been dispatched to the narrow passage known as Tarknot´s path to be part of the blockage that he had designed to ideally contain their enemy long enough for the help to arrive.

Thanks to Ajora´s convenient input, Ishtun and his army were now perfectly conscious of the size of the menace they faced. So, they had planned accordingly in hopes that they could somehow slow their advance while simultaneously depleting their forces significantly with some luck.

If the Mavaerian ruler had learned anything from the last war he'd fought in, it was that in the end it didn't matter how large the rival's troops were, all they needed was advantageous terrain that they could use in their favor… And a few clever tactics to even things out a little.

So this was exactly what he was planning to do.

He had completely marveled at the effectiveness of Ussiariah´s tactics back when he had successfully ambushed the Argantean army using only a canyon at the outskirts of Midland's Gate and a combination of well-executed strategies that had all been part of a flawless maneuver which ultimately had led to the beginning of the invaders´ eventual defeat.

Ishtun could still picture the exact moment when he'd entered that ravine along with his men as clear as day, and the outstanding precision with which the Yahurian´s plan had started developing before his eyes in the exact manner the warrior had described it to him and the small group who had shared the table that night at Lowland's gate with the masked man, many moons before the battle finally came.

“There are a few useful things that will get you through this life” – The golden-haired soldier had told him once as they readied their troops before marching north to face their enemies – “A clear sight, a cool head… And a backup plan in case everything else goes to s**t”.

To his good fortune, the young king had wisely spent the last war dutifully taking notes on the way the experienced Commander approached every situation that they were presented with, paying attention and learning all the little knacks that the man had used to guide them through each challenging combat.

So, now that it was his turn to replicate this pragmatic directing style to the best of his growing capabilities, he felt confident that he would at least pull off a few good tricks out of his sleeve and put up a decent fight against that pretentious woman that was coming so callously after his realm.

This time he was not running from the conflict at all… But he was not willing to let it get to his doors either. Because another thing he had picked up from the warrior was the importance he gave to keeping innocent civilians out of the way.

So, he had chosen a similar enough patch of land at a sufficiently safe distance from his town to try and mirror the Yahurian´s method while adding a few modifications of his own.

Even when the core structure of the Commander's stunt had been mostly applied to this new battleground, the situation and the particular challenges which they were confronted with differed considerably on this occasion. So, Ishtun was fully aware that just copying the previous plan to the letter wouldn't cut it this time.

They would have to get creative and improvise... And that was precisely what he and his crew had done.

There was one main contrast between Ishtun´s strategy and the Yahurian´s operation, and that was the goal in itself.

While Ussiariah´s intention had been primarily to entrap their enemies and push them forward towards a series of subsequent ploys the whole time. The Mavaerian ruler's major objective was simply ceasing and repelling the army coming their way.

He wasn't looking to lure them to someplace else but to hold their advance altogether. So, with this purpose in mind, he had decided to combine and recreate another piece of tactical masterstroke which he had also been lucky enough to witness back then: Queen Histya´s obstruction of the Tulixa pass.

Mimicking the impressive fortress that the Xiblenean ruler had used to impede the Arganteans´ marching, Ishtun had ordered the express construction of a massive metal barrier that now extended from side to side of the canyon's end, and which had been tightly secured by plenty of enormous iron anchors to its rocky surface.

The huge, alien construction seemed to have abruptly materialized in the middle of the road like a gigantic monster, effectively interrupting any ascent to Mavaerian grounds… The eerie ambiance that its own foreignness conferred on the vegetated landscape making it a dreadful enough image to watch in itself.

Thankfully, the young monarch and his army had arrived at the designated site with sufficient anticipation to calmly position his troops all along the heights of the steep walls that enclosed the narrow passage, so they had all been patiently waiting for days now with their eyes fixated on the eastern horizon.

But even after all the careful prepping and as intimidating as his maneuver might look at first sight, this was still just a defensive tactic nevertheless, and that worried the ruler considerably.

Ishtun was painfully aware that no matter how effective it seemed, their blockage would only last for as long as the barricade held.

It was sturdy as it could be, and they were going to defend it tooth and nail. Yet nothing is completely infallible or impenetrable, and he feared that it wouldn't be enough to restrain the reportedly huge Hathengatter army coming their way.

There was also another crucial matter that he couldn't underestimate, and that was the fact that their rivals were in possession of several firearms, while they weren't.

He had, of course, requested immediate intervention from Lowland's gate on the issue, and he was sure that they would soon be coming to his aid, along with the Yahurian army.

But in the meanwhile, Mavaerians would have to manage and fight a bunch of heavily armed soldiers using only their regular weapons, and this worried him greatly.

He knew firsthand how lethal rifles could be, and even when he suspected that their rivals were probably not very well-trained in the use of this newly acquired ammunition, he could not minimize the deadliness of their shots, no matter how poor their handling was.

This time they couldn't count on the luxury of having some snipers of their own to take the passing armed soldiers down... But they still had archers, and fairly decent ones.

So, Ishtun had posted them all up there in the absence of other kind of marksmen, instructing them to act as shooters and focus mainly on the gunners with each arrow they had.

As the tension slowly built up among his squads and the invisible menace that loomed over them had yet to make its appearance, the young monarch fought to keep his mind clear and his objectives straight. Muttering to himself every little piece of advice that the Yahurian had once given him to calm down his nerves.

He'd been standing on top of the large metal structure that separated his land from the incoming danger when he spotted the first signs of movement in the distance and his eyes noticeably darkened.

-They're here –Ajora´s soothing voice whispered into his ear as her warm hand squeezed his palm encouragingly – We got this... We've gone through it a million times! The barrier stands strong, and our army does too!

-Well, let's hope that's enough to hold them back then – Ishtun sighed gravely, giving her one last kiss, then turning around and directing his words towards his expectant men. His inflection hardening as he assumed a loud, commanding tone – Everyone take position now! You all know what comes next! Hold your ground and whatever you do, don't let them pass!