Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 122: An ambush for a crown(3)

The first volley of arrows and javelins rained down mercilessly upon Ormund's army. The soldiers barely had time to react before the sky above them darkened with deadly projectiles.@@novelbin@@

With a sharp hiss, arrows and javelins plunged into the unprepared ranks. The men shouted in agony as the missiles found their marks, sinking into exposed flesh, armor, and the flanks of terrified horses, whom had no armor . Some of the infantry attempted to raise their shields, but their movements were sluggish, panicked. These were levied men, hastily recruited and not even given basic training. Their shields, while offering protection on one side, left the other side vulnerable to the deadly rain of arrows from both flanks.

The screams of the wounded echoed through the narrow road. Soldiers stumbled over their fallen comrades, trying to shield themselves as best as they could, but it was futile. The arrows came from every direction. A javelin struck a man in the chest, toppling him to the ground, while arrows pierced through the gaps in hastily raised defenses. The toll of casualties rose sharply with each passing moment, as bodies fell in the chaos.

Ormund's poorly trained infantry was no match for the enemy. With little coordination and no proper training, they could do nothing but huddle beneath their shields, trying to survive the relentless barrage. But their shields were too few and the arrows too many. For every man who blocked one side, another was struck on the opposite.