212 Cavalry Charge (1/2)

Cavalry battles were all about mobility, and even a one on one fight on swifthart-back meant anyone standing still was at a disadvantage. At least, that's how it should have been. But a great general was a great general because he could defy the norm.

Garm sat back on his brown swifthart while he parried attacks from both sides with his greatsword. A spear thrust on the right, a claymore's swing on the left, neither could land a hit on him.

”I always thought Garm was an instinctual type general like Grimthorn,” I said out loud. ”I didn't think he was even more extreme than that…”

”He's a strength-type general,” Aura guessed. ”One who overwhelms his opponents with absolute power…”

”They're crazy rare because everyone knows that tactics can trump strength any day,” I added. ”But it happens in sports too. Guys like M.J. or T.W. who show up and just destroy the competition… when inconceivable strength demolishes any kind of strategy you set against it…”

This theory was being proven on the battlefield below as we spoke.

Our cavalry had more than twice the number Garm's cavalry did, but it was our side that was losing riders despite Xanthor's leadership.

I guessed this was due to Garm's overwhelming strength, and the inspiration it gave his men to fight ever harder just like when Jordan plays his best and his teammates supplement his strength.

Still, Luca and Azuma were keeping Garm in one spot. That was all I could ask for at the moment.

I watched as Azuma launched a combination of spear thrusts aimed at critical points to Garm's right side. His head, his shoulder, his ribs, his thigh, and his shin — all were blown back by Garm's greatsword.

Luca tried to take advantage of Garm's focus by aiming a swing at Garm's exposed neck, but the great general smacked the flat of Luca's blade upward with an uppercut from his gauntleted left fist. It was an incredibly display of martial prowess.

However, my brother wasn't deterred. After his claymore was sent upward, Luca just changed the angle of his attack with a twist of his wrist and sent his shadowblade crashing down on Garm's head.

That's when Garm's greastword came swinging from the right to parry Luca's attack which meant an opening for Azuma to strike.

Azuma launched a spinning spear attack at Garm's side that should have had the piercing strength of a power drill but it was blown back by the force of garm's left fist swinging to the right.

”He blocked that attack with just wind pressure…” I realized while wondering what it would feel like to get smacked by a fist like that.

”Are you worried for Luca and Azuma?” Aura asked.

I glanced down at the oasis below and saw that more than half of our troops had escaped into the gorge. ”They just need to hold him off a bit longer…”

Slowly but surely, the number of riders on both side was beginning to drop as the fighting only got fiercer.

Unfortunately, the enemy's heavy infantry were moving quicker now that they'd drop the turtle formation and opted for the standard phalanx march. This might have had something to do with our archers already moving toward the rear with only a few left to provide covering fire for our cavalry.

It was around this time when I watched Azuma get blown back by the heavy swing of Garm's greatsword. This was bad as Azuma had been the one to repel most of Garm's attacks which kept him and Luca relatively unscathed so far.

”Azuma's nearing his limit,” Aura noted.

”He'd be a perfect warrior if his stamina wasn't so damn short,” I scowled. ”If only we could transfer energy to him like the Magesong clan did for him before.”

Aura smacked me in the shoulder.

”Don't you even—”

”—I was kidding,” I said in a pacifying tone. ”I was the one who stopped that evil practice, remember?”

”Just as long as you remember,” she reminded me. ”I don't ever want to see children used that way ever again…”

”I know,” I answered.

Our focus returned to the fight where Luca was now in a one-on-one with Garm.

”Come on, little bro,” I said, glancing down below where I discovered that only the vanguard units were left in the oasis. ”Just a little more time for Zarz and Ty to set things up…”

Luca and Garm exchanged sword blows. Their thick shadowblades screeched against each other. One, two, three, four, five exchanges in which Luca managed to hold on.

It was an impressive sight to watch, my little brother holding his own against a great general in a fight so intense that Azuma — who had finally gained a bit of his breath back — couldn't even find an opening to join in.

Luca slashed down. Garm blocked with the flat of his greatsword. Luca roared, and it was a roar so loud that even Aura and I heard it from our spot on the clifftop.

”He's activated Foolish Strength,” Aura commented. ”Do you think it'll be enough?”

I shrugged. ”We're about to find out…”