The Battle of Anerĭ

The Askegri men stood shoulder to shoulder across the field from Nanuk. A wall of shields met him and no man could be seen beyond it, except for small breaks every 200 foot or so where a break 2 men across with bombards and gunmen. The formation was bristling with a mixture of spears, pikes and long axes with a blade protruding from the end, unlike anything the Erigi men had seen. The few men that could be seen where clad nearly totally in iron armour and wielded large axes nearly 6 foot in length.

The Kisurani line was mainly made up of men wielding large pikes about 17 foot in length, with every 2 pikemen being grouped with a Dreka and a man with a shield. Each of the 4 men would be given short swords to protect themselves in close quarters combat should it come down to that. The 2 opposing lines would stand across from each other for hours whilst generals on both sides would discuss how to handle the coming battle. Askegri commanders where quite confident they would be able to smash through the Kisurani lines with their heavier infantry with Nanuk and he commanders believing the best course of action would be lure them close and then cut them down with bombards and cavalry archers.

As plans begun to fall into place it then became a game of waiting to see who would make the first move. Eventually Nanuk would order a small detachment of riders to test what sort of response they would receive. 400 men would make their way out and begin to fire arrows over the shields and into the men behind them, a few would get too close and get felled by the enemy Dreka. Not finding a way inside the wall they would be ordered back, not being persuaded on their return. Entirely unsure as to how to counter the formation that faced them the Kisuranis would try and think of other ways to get through.

Having seen the unsuccessful attack against his forces the Askegri general would order parts of his force to advance about 15 minutes after the cavalry returned to their lines. Seeing the begin of the advance Erigi commanders would order their bombards be brought near the front and men be prepared to move out of their way when the order was given. Eventually the shield wall would get close enough for the order to be given and Kisurans guns would open fire, sending a hail of iron shot that ripped holes inside the enemy formation. Quickly return fire would arrive from the enemy Dragoners and men breaking from the formation and charging towards the pikeline.

The following fighting would be furious with many being impaled but just as many being hacked to death with axes. The supplied bronze swords would fair pretty badly against iron armour when trying to slice at it, however the men would soon learn to aim for joins to cripple the enemy. Askegri men without the benefit of this armour would be a much easier threat to handle, and as the men fell their weapons would be picked up by the Eriaz and turned towards their former masters. With the defence having been lifted the cavalry would charge once again, forcing their way through the fighting and trampling anyone in their way and soon pouring arrow fire into the lighter shield wall to mixed success. The fighting would continue for a few hours before the Askegri would eventually withdraw after taking heavy casualties and their rear being hounded by Erigi riders.

The Kisuranis wouldn’t fair much better, having been totally outmatched and a man to man basis and only having come away with a victory die to their larger numbers. It was estimated out of the 19,000 Kisurani that had arrive at the battle only 13,000 would continue to pursue the Askegri menace, compared with the Askegri having arrived with 11,000 and leaving with 8,000. Small skirmishes would continue for a few more months as the Eriaz would attempt to dislodge the few strongholds the southern barbarians had left in Kisuran. By the end of it and many more raids and counter raids the 2 leaders of the respective states would come to the negotiation table. Nanuk would demand the total withdraw of Askegri troops from Kisuran and a return to the pre-civil war border and demanded reparations to make up for the utter disregard of their Kingdoms treaty bound duty.

Nanuks southern counterpart, King Utherd, would outright refuse to do such a thing, believing that should the war continue the men of the Erigiresh would surely faulter he instead suggested that a new border be drawn just south of Ašyarûdkalif and that the town itself be split between the 2 Kingdoms and a new treaty be drawn up. Finding it laughable the Malik would return the suggestion that all occupied lands before the second invasion be returned, the border treater be redrawn to fit the pre-war border in exchange for the return of fallen soldiers and no reparations for the treaty violation. Days would go by as Utherd debated with his council, before eventually agreeing to the proposal, not pleased with the pointlessness of the whole ordeal but seeing as his people had turned against it he chose what was most likely to keep himself on the thrown.