[das123]

-=*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*=-

THE AUTUMN BATTLE

Throughout the Kingdom of Ermor the heralds and messengers had called young boys and retired veterans to join the legions. In the dark swamps envoys command the lizard men assemble their Auxiliaries. The Sauromatian leaders had been ambushed and the time to take back the outer villages was at hand. Winter approaches and only week remained to launch an attack before the snows and rain make marching all but impossible.

And so, in the early dawn, the legions of Ermor stream once more from the mountain pass while the Lizard Auxiliaries ford the river, attacking the masses of Sauromatians encamped in the forest. The battle is long and bloody with honours fairly even. In the end, the high morale of the flesh eaters wins the day but the field is strewn with hundreds of bodies from both sides.

Small pockets of troops assemble for days later, dwindling back into the camps. The final count of the dead is devastating. Over half all the Ermorian troops are gone. The only saving grace is the knowledge that the Sauromatians also lost many men in the battle.

-=*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*=-