Chapter 181: Huszárs

Twenty Second of June marks the day for the greatest battle of the Crusade.

Thanks to the information acquired by John Hunyadi, the Hungarian crusaders hurriedly prepared themselves for the incoming battle which is still not too late. Though the Serbian side seems to have started preparing even earlier, but John Hunyadi did not really have the time and energy to think and grow suspicion about it.

The Ottomans literally flooded and occupied the entire plains between the two mountain ranges by the side filling up the entire battle width separated in smaller formations maintaining a distance with one another whereby it allows them to quickly reinforce each other if needed. They moved out in the early morning before sun set, and marched all the way for seven Roman miles where they first encountered some Crusader movements.

The fifteen thousand Hungarian Crusaders under the leadership of John Hunyadi took up a defensive position with infantries forming up facing the front with the portion in the middle slightest forward than the right and left flanks, and the huszárs with other calvaries stays on the right most of the field's higher grounds ready for their strategic field tasks. These Magyar horsemen that John Hunyadi brought from Transylvania are experts in the craft of horse archery and small group fighting, perfect for scouting or raiding missions, the only thing is that John Hunyadi brought too few of them, only accounting for approximately a thousand.

The Serbians took up defensive positions on their high grounds around three Roman mile away to the left.

Surveying through his army John Hunyadi immediately realised that there is a deadly weakness in his defences that can be exploited. His lines of infantries are insufficient in filling up the entire frontier and there is a huge gap on his left flank with completely no cover, which means that the Ottomans, who are masters in the usage of light calveries, can easily flank him and attack his forces on three fronts.

This is a thing that John Hunyadi cannot accept, he frowned and called a knight. "Go tell the Despot of Serbia, I need him to move his forces closer to us and fill up the battle width."

After approximately half an hour, the Serbian army started shifting just like what John Hunyadi has requested.

"I have thought about it." Seeing this, John Hunyadi sighed and remarked to his sub coordinates around him. "Most likely this is merely another round of disputation by those sinister tricks of that Zaganos Pasha."

"I will have a talk with the honourable despot after this battle, we still need each other in the long run… You know what, probably you all will need to apologise to him, for the reckless deeds you have done to him."

The others around the king regent nodded in agreement.

"Say no more!" The representative of the King shouted from a far. "Get back to your posts! They are coming!"

…

By now the sun has fully shown itself out of the series of Bulgarian mountain ranges. The greeneries and weeds are veiled in the mists, with their trunks blurred by the thin morning fog making they look like a chain of silhouettes casted against a quilt of white, covering the entire battle field in a sense of mysteriousness.

"Be prepared!"

In a distance away from the eyes of the Crusaders, numerous torches, accompanied by the deep tense blowing of Oliphant war horns and the sound of troops marching.

"Get ready!" John Hunyadi climbed onto his horse lowering down his bascinet.

Suddenly, the thin fog is split apart as hundreds of Ottoman riders came galloping out wailing in a strange battle cries and whistles as they came charging directly towards the Hungarian front line, their hooves shaking the ground as they approach fast, in a lightening like speed.

"Incoming! Archers!"

The archers got ready in shooting position, plucking out the arrows on the ground in front of them placing it on the bow strange getting into a ready position.

The Ottoman riders came closer and closer.

"Archers prepare! Crossbows hold your shot!" John Hunyadi drew his sword and shouted to the archers and crossbow men behind.

Five hundred meters.

Four Hundred meters.

"Don't shoot!"

Three hundred meters.

Two hundred meters.

Some archers, unable to withstand the sheer pressure caused by the thunderous hooves and weird bellowing of the Ottoman riders, unleashed their crossbows, with their bolts landing softly down a few meters before the Ottoman riders like feathers attracting a series of laughter and jeers from the Ottomans.

"I said hold!"

One hundred meters.

"Shoot!"

However, things went a different way as what John Hunyadi and his archers has expected as the Ottoman riders are just about to reach the approximated effective range of the archers, the Ottoman horse men used their superb riding skills and took an abrupt turn right in front of the Crusaders, the arrows of the crusaders torn through the air but hit nothing except dirt, and a few lesser skilled Ottoman riders.

The hundreds of Ottoman calvary , using the advantage of their fast speed giving their heavy arrows an additional amount of energy allowing them to have a further range, flung a round of arrows at the Crusaders pinning a wave of Crusaders down to the ground in agony, then jeered and laughed at the Crusaders and seemingly galloped back into the fogs, but John Hunyadi instantly realised their true intentions with his military knowledge.

"Mangudai!" John Hunyadi opened his basinet cover and yelled to the signal man. "Wave the flags! Send the calvary! Archers get another shot ready!"

The red flag with the royal standard of King Ladislaus the Posthumous started waving on the command tower. Sending the message straight away to the commander of the Hungarian calvary, imperial baron Emeric Zápolya.

"Ready your guts! Shine your blades!" Roared Emeric Zápolya as he draws out the long sword gifted to him by the Habsburg king. "Show me what you can do as the proud descends of Magyars and Huns! Cast fear into these unfaithful barbarians and make them tremble hearing the names of Magyar huszárs! Come with me!"

"a király és Jézus Krisztus számára!"

The five hundred Hungarian riders moved out charging down the slope giving them full momentum right in the direction of their prey for the day, meeting the Ottoman riders who have came back with their bows in hand ready for another round of flung shot.