Chapter 24: Night Attack and a Diversion

The sun retreated behind the endless horizon, as darkness quickly advanced behind it's receding scarlet rays, and engulfed the world in the bold elegance of the pitch black night sky, illuminating the world with only the gentle glow of starlight.

But this canvas of natural beauty wasn't going to last, since it was about to be smeared by the haunting pandemonium of battle!

Hamilcar stood calmly in the middle of the Melting Mist Plains, with nearly three hundred battle mages, while wearing his demon like armor, and holding his massive war axe, as he stared serenely at the moonless night sky, then deeply breathing in the cool, brisk air, as he thought 'It's perfect!'

Slowly Hasdrubal appeared from the mist on his left, donning his intimidating armor as three thousand infantry men emerged as well, wearing their black colored armor, and brandishing their gleaming sabers, and spears, as he said "We're ready, my lord."

Immediately afterward Horus appeared from his right, along with fifty palace guard, as he similarly said "We're also ready, my lord." But unlike Hasdrubal who was wearing his iconic armor, Horus was instead wearing the uniform of the Luminous Empire!

Hamilcar didn't even turn to look at them as he said in a commanding voice "Do not fail our emperor's expectations." Both Horus, and Hasdrubal respectfully saluted him as they rushed with their men in different directions.

In a few minutes Horus reached his position, so he turned to the man next to him, and nodded in his direction. Seeing this the man understood and began mimicking the sound of an owl.

A few seconds later Hasdrubal also reached his position without alerting the enemy, and he also nodded to the man next to him, who in turn once again mimicked the sound of an owl.

Hearing the two signals, Hamilcar turned behind him and looked at the battle mages, as he asked "Are you prepared?"

The commander of the battle mages immediately nodded and silently raised his staff, ready to attack.

Seeing this Hamilcar's eyes begin to eerily shine with vermilion flames, while showing a fiendish smile, as he slightly released a tiny amount of his colossal blood lust as he said to the man next to him in a voice that sent chills to all those who heard it "Begin the hunt!"

The fourth level martial artist man who was frozen stiff by Hamilcar's appearance, began to be influenced by his powerful aura, and charisma, as he showed his own mad smile and began to gather his power before releasing a haunting howl that echoed throughout the entire plains!

As the signal loudly announced the start of the hunt, the battle mages shot their fire spells, while Hasdrubal drew his twin serrated sabers, and quickly led his men to emerge from the fog, like a spectral army, that has risen from the deepest pits of purgatory!

The Luminous soldiers stationed as guards that night stared with pale faces at the fearsome march of Hasdrubal's menacing soldiers, and at the magic spells, that looked like falling stars, with only one thought before being reduced burning cinders by the magic bombardment 'Is this the end of the world?'

***Scene Change***

Georgios was sleeping peacefully when he abruptly sat up straight with cold sweat covering his entire body.

After spending centuries perfecting the art of war, Georgios developed a sixth sense that would always warn him when the enemy was threatening him, and that was exactly what he was feeling in this instance.

Georgios bolted out of his bed and began equipping his armor, as he loudly yelled "Lucas, wake up!"

Lucas who was sleeping in the tent next to him, woke up and hurriedly entered his tent and asked urgently "What the matter my lord?"

Horus quickly understood this and instead of sticking to the script he memorized, he cleverly said "I told no one, my lord. But our commander sent more messengers to get reinforcements, if we don't hurry all the glory would be lost."

The officer upon hearing this was blinded by his own greed and desire, and completely forgot about his assignment, as he immediately ordered his one hundred men to turn around, and head toward the supply tents.

The officer was so intoxicated by the thought of all his ambitions coming true, that he neither noticed the derisive look in Horus's eyes, nor when fifty men started closely following them.

After a few minutes of navigating a maze of tents and people, they finally reached the supply tents, and what they saw completely puzzled the Luminous soldiers, especially the ambitious officer.

Because the supply tents were perfectly fine and protected, and there was no indicator that any battle had happened here.

"What the fuck is this? The supply tents don't need reinforcements! Why the fuck did you..." The officer roared furiously as he turned to face Horus, but he was interrupted when Horus's spear mercilessly plunged into his chest as he said coldly, with a cruel gleam in his eyes "I know.

We just needed a guide."

Seeing this the palace guards instantly attacked the helpless soldiers of the officer, and decimated them in the blink of an eye!

And then they turned their predatory gazes to the stunned supply tent guard, that could provide little resistance before Horus's phantom like spear, and fifty level five martial artists!

In less than a minute Horus, and the palace guard exterminated the supply tent guards, and any Luminous soldier that detected them. Seeing this Horus quickly said "Hurry and burn them all!

Sooner or later more soldiers will arrive!" The palace guard quickly did as they were commanded and grabbed torches from the near by brazier, and began to light the tents on fire.

Georgios was still standing near his command tent, constantly getting reports on the situation, and issuing orders accordingly when finally Lucas arrived with the information he was waiting for the most.

Lucas quickly reported "My lord, we estimate that their numbers are between two and five thousand only. We also have a few unconfirmed reports of general Hasdrubal Tistra being on the field!"

Hearing this Georgios released a sigh of relief, as he said darkly "Order the Vanar brothers to attack with their men, and inform them that Hasdrubal Tistra might also be there. Also tell them if they fail to kill or capture Hasdrubal a second time, I will have them flogged for incompetence."

But as soon as he gave that order Georgios felt the same uneasy chill run up his spine, his senses are still warning him of something! But what?

His mind has been constantly churning through all kinds of possibilities as soon as he woke up, and yet he couldn't think of anything, and then suddenly he felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on end!

Feeling this he swiftly turns around, and when he looked behind him, he knew that something was wrong! He didn't have anything to base it off of, he simply trusted his instincts. And based on this he loudly ordered, before dashing in the opposite direction of battle "Lucas, you take command."

Lucas showed a confused expression upon seeing this, but nonetheless complied with Georgios's command, and began issuing orders in the same manner that Georgios would.

Georgios didn't know what he was looking for, but he knew it was there, and soon enough he found it, when he caught the whiff of ash and smoke!

He followed that smell, until he found hundreds of corpses littered on the ground, and finally he found the cause of his constant unease, and as soon as he saw what they had done to his men, and what they were planning on doing, he unleashed his horrifying blood lust, and bellowed maddingly "YOU ECLIPSE BAAASTAAAAARDSSSSS!"