章 170: Departing for Tongpai

"Welcome on board Qin Ming, we are glad to have you." Dom replied, "I still want to send you back to the City to see the Hua Tou the Doctor for a check up, but we'll get you a role assigned upon my return."

"You've made the right choice." Hua Rong added, as he patted him on the shoulder. "I'll visit you when we return."

"I look forward to it." Qin Ming replied, "And I'm sorry for my rashness, I hope we can still be brothers."

"We need to find my sister first." Hua Rong said with a sad shrug, as he looked towards Dom for some help.

"She'll be safe, Song Jiang wouldn't hurt her." Qin Ming said, "I'm sure she'll find her way."

"I can't make any promises, but we can always hope." Dom replied seriously, not knowing if the mechanics of the game would lead to that solution, or if he had to resolve it himself.

"What about this one?" Tomyris asked as she looked down at Huang Xin who had finally had treatment finished and was waiting for the carts to depart.

Tomoe went to kick him, but Dom interrupted her. "You have the same choice, so there is no need to rush. It would be best you recovered first. I feel you have both been betrayed and tricked by those around you, and some rest and a reset would do you both well."

"My student will join." Qin Ming stated, not really giving Huang Xin an option, to which Huang Xin raised his good arm in acknowledgement.

[Congratulations Warrior Hero Huang Xin recruited]

[Huang Xin - Injured

Hero Grade - E- (reduced due to injury, will return to D upon successful healing)

Hero Strength - Expert Swordsman

Huang Xin was a Liangshan General and known as the Malignant star. He ranked thirty eighth out of the 108 Liangshan Bandits Leaders. He was known as the Guardian of the Three Mountains, due to his promise to rid the nearby mountains of any bandit presence, which he did not. His fighting style was known as the Dancing Swordsman and he was one of only a small few of the Liangshan Bandit Leaders who survived and died a natural death. After the wars that the Liangshan Bandits had been involved in after being given amnesty by the Emperor, Huang Xin was given his old role back as a Military Officer.]

"We'd be glad to have you both." Dom said seriously, before turning to Tomoe. "Stop bullying your new colleague."

"I'll save it until after he has recovered then." She replied with an evil grin, to which Tomyris rolled her eyes and the new recruits, Hua Rong, Qin Ming and Huang Xin all felt a shiver.

"Optio Macro will escort you to riverside and you will depart shortly." Centurion Octavian stated as he noticed a small selection of Warriors appear from the Military Camp towards them.

"On that note, we should get some rest before tomorrow. I hope you both heal well." Dom said kindly as he departed with Tomoe, Tomyris and Hua Rong behind him.

He soon big goodbye to the others and headed towards his own tent that was placed in the camps centre, alongside the other Heroes tent. Once inside he cleaned his armour to make sure there was no blood on it from the earlier battle. When it was clean, he lay down as the exhaustion took him and he was soon fast asleep.

....

Dom was soon awoken by Gregorios who had peered in to the tent. "Good morning Lord, General Subutai has requested your presence."

"Thanks Gregorios, can you help me get ready." He replied as he got out of his bed and Gregorios quickly helped him get his armour placed and fastened.

"Looking good Lord." Gregorios smiled cheekily, as he left the tent and led the way to the commanders tent. The sky was still dark, with the first glimpses of the morning peaking in the distance. The Military Camp was busy with movement happening all around. Some Warriors quickly ate breakfast at food stations that had been set up, where as others were doing final checks to their equipment. Their was noise in the distance from the stables as Horses and Tigers were fed their breakfast before departure.

"It's going to be interesting going to battle with such a variety." Homer said, the other guard that had been at his tent with Gregorios.

"It will be." Gregorios agreed, "A siege, with Tigers, Heavily armoured soldiers and attractive horse archers."

"I wouldn't say that so loudly." Homer replied as a horse archer walked past and gave Gregorios a threatening look.

"We have great commanders." Gregorios continued, "I am excited."

"And a great Lord." Homer added, giving Dom a smile, who was busy watching the movement around the camp.

They soon arrived at the Commanders Tent and Dom headed inside, leaving his two Hoplite Guards to continue talking.

.....

Inside the tent, Subutai was stood over his table, with the other Commanders who would be involved in the battle around him. Tomyris, Tomoe and Xun You stood at his sides, where as the new arrivals Hua Rong, Guo Sheng and Lu Fang listened intently.

"Do you have any questions?" Subutai asked the new heroes as Dom entered, they turned to look at Dom, who waved at them to continue.

"So we will support General Tomyris with her attack on the Military Camp?" Lu Fang asked, "Our men will support in the follow up force once she had opened the main gate?"

"Correct, however Guo Sheng will climb the wall with General Tomyris and will give her additional support whilst you lead the Celts and Legionaries through in support." Subutai replied with a nod.

"And we are attacking at night?" Guo Sheng asked seriously, wanting to make sure he took all of the information in.

"We will get in to position as the sun sets, and attack once we have the signal from Centurion Meng." Subutai explained, "Just as they are getting ready to go to sleep, or drinking with their colleagues. They will be most unprepared, and we will take them by surprise."

"I am to assist you with the Horse Archer Cavalry?" Hua Rong asked.

"You are, and then you will assist General Tomoe and Lord Lazarus in the attack on the Manor, whilst myself and Strategist Xun You will secure the rest of the Town." Subutai continued, "Are there any other questions?"

"How will we get there unnoticed?" Guo Sheng asked, his hand on his chin as he looked over the map on the table, having never been involved in a battle of this size.

"We have sent dispatched Balearic Slingers as a scouting force who will kill or capture any enemy scouts, however from our scouting mission so far, their outer defence is lacking." Xun You replied instead this time, "We will also travel in groups, so as to reduce any potential signatures of a moving army, such as the sound or dust clouds. Once we are around one hour away, we will cover the horses and tigers feet with material and put reeds in their mouths."

"Do we need the Cavalry?" Hua Rong asked seriously, "We are attacking a city and the Cavalry would be better for a field battle?"

"We do for the City attack." Xun You replied, "But your point is understandable. Once the gates are open, seeing a large unit of Cavalry charge in will have a huge effect on enemy morale and unless the enemy has spearmen, the Horse Archers can switch to their swords and easily strike at enemy forces, causing chaos and inflicting high amounts of damage."

"The Tigers are just as important, I hope the Forbidden Guard Tiger Riders will cause the enemy to surrender in fear." Subutai replied, "Fear is very important in winning a battle."

"When do we depart?" Dom asked, deciding it was time he got involved.

"General Tomyris will depart with the Military Camp unit first and the remaining Balearic Slingers." Xun You replied, "Followed by Guo Sheng and Lu Fang, with the Celtic Mercenaries and a unit of Legionaries and Hoplite. You and myself will then depart with the Forbidden Guard contingent, Praetorians and the Hoplite. General Tomoe and the rest of the infantry, mainly the Legionaries will then follow. General Subutai will follow with the Horse Archer Cavalry and Hua Rong will assist."

"Are we keeping anyone here as a fallback?" Tomyris asked.

"There will be a small group of Infantry, and some messengers, but mainly the camp will be left empty." Subutai replied.

"We have to go full in for this." Dom agreed, "We have known dangers we need to deal with, if we don't, then we may be the next Town to disappear."

"And those are the dangers we know off." Xun You agreed, "This isn't a settled country that we are all used to, but a frontier with many unknowns."

...

Soon the first group had departed, following Tomyris who was riding on her Red Hare Horse, she was accompanied by Percennius the Legio I Centurion who wanted to prove his forces worth in the attack on the Military Camp with the Shang Troops who had now trained as Legionaries, albeit not to the high standard of the Legio I or Legio IX Legionaries. They had departed as soon as they could and would set up pace for the rest of the troops.

Around thirty minutes later Guo Sheng and Lu Fang departed, now on their own Red Hare Horses, followed by the Celtic Warriors and their own troops, who were still dressed in their red and white. Dom hoped that the two new Heroes could keep this group under control, as it had the lowest level of professionalism across the wider force. It had a mixture of very recent Bandits and Celtic Mercenaries who Subutai had praised, but had not seen in a live battle situation. The Celtic Warriors walked bare chested, with blue swirling tattoos covering their bodies and their long swords tied to their waists.

Dom and Xun You soon departed, flanked by Dom's guard, a small contingent of Forbidden Guard, including those on Sabre Tooth Tigers who were commanded by Centurion Chen Lu, as well as the Hoplite's under Centurion Alexander's leadership. The Hoplite spear's were held high as they marched, and Dom knew that they would have to lower those as they approached. The Praetorian contingent was also there, with Centurion Septimius proudly at the front. The Praetorian's were supposed to be the best of the Roman Legionaries, especially from the Era that Dom's had spawned from, and he was excited to see them in battle.

Soon after Dom's departure, Tomoe departed, with the Centurions Octavian and Pullo flanking her. The Infantry marched perfectly and their armour shone in the sunlight. The Legionaries were drilled daily and exhibited the most professionalism out of all of the forces under Dom's command. They would be key to the upcoming battle as they were experienced with siege warfare.

Eventually Subutai departed, with Hua Rong on a horse of his own by his side. Centurion Banas led her Horse Archers and the small amount of Horse Lancers behind them. The Cavalry were relaxed and the horses calmy trotted forwards behind the other four forces.

.....

"We should arrive in the next hour." Xun You commented as he looked at the darkening sky, the sun now making it's descent as night approached. The march had been uneventful so far, taking the agreed breaks for food and marching at a gentle pace up to now.

"I'll get the men prepared to leave." Centurion Septimius said from the fallen tree branch he was sat on. They had taken their final break on the march as planned, and the pre battle nerves were evident on some of the Warriors faces.

"As will I." Centurion Alexander said, the first senior Warrior to join Riverside, and having been involved in the previous small Battle's Riverside had been involved in. "It'll be good to fight beside you again Lord."

"No one will get the chance to approach him." Centurion Chen Lu laughed, the leader of Dom's Forbidden Guard and also in charge of Dom's own safety. "We will make sure of that."

"I do not doubt it." Centurion Alexander replied with a smile, patting Chen Lu on the arm before also leaving his seat on a fallen tree branch and heading towards the Hoplite who were nearby, now wearing their improved armour. Dom was happy he had used the Armour Upgrade Token on them, feeling more confident in their capabilities.

"Let's get this over with then." Dom announced with a small amount of excitement. They should soon arrive and take their positions, ready to attack Tongpai Town.