Chapter 160 - Troubled Times (7) : Up We Go!
Jon's front started to get active too as it seemed that the Bloodsails has spared their cavalry to wreak some damage in the small villages around Kynesgrove town.
The cavalries of the Bloodsail were so miserable compared to an average Firemane scout. Actually, none of the hidden clans can be compared to the Firemanes in terms of quality when it comes to the quality of its troops, even the Imperial Legion elites can learn a thing or two.
Yet, despite being a hidden clan, the Bloodsails performance was merely so. It was as expected from a clan that most of its activities were naval skirmishes and surprise raids. In an open battlefield, they got broken very fast.
Jon didn't act most of the time and only gave commands to chase the raiders and kill them. The raiders came from the west which means they had crossed the White River and were really preparing to give the Firemanes a headache.
Still, all of their plans went into disarray as Jon's men were expecting them and even ambushing them. Jon foresaw their raid through his Familiars of course.
As he was riding a Flame Atronach Horse and used a 'Bound Bow' to hunt down any enemy that would stray away, he saw a Flame Atronach Hawk approaching him.
"Jon, there is an update on the situation."
Jullanar jumped down and walked near to him. After getting the report about how half of the enemy force was crushed and the party crusher that just arrived, Jon went into a moment of silence.
'Big Bad Ulfric himself? That means some serious complication even though we are going to have a sure win.'
"Is there any further instructions from Grandpa?" Jon asked.
"He said that if there are no problems on your front, then he would need you to secure the back of the main force and protect the mage squad."
"Easy! We just need to finish all the Bloodsails left in this area and go right away."
Jon and Vladimir met and started hasting the plan. There will be a lot of trouble later so playing time was over.
Around half an hour later, all of the bloodsails raiders that were about 50 were annihilated with the air advantage that Jon abused too much. No matter how good the cavalries were, being attacked from the air is not something any kind of fighting unit is trained to face in that day and age. With the Firemanes' young generation elites, all the work was done.
The party then turned around and headed north after leaving a message for Nurina and Keepers about the update in the situation.
***
After Jullanar departure to inform Jon with the new instructions, the elders of the Firemanes made a quick meeting on their mounts.
"Ulfric Stormcloak seems not to be hostile to us."
"Of course he wouldn't. His family and ours share a lot of history."
"It is not that I am doubting his intentions but he is not attacking the enemies either."
"He is the Jarl and this is his land, the situation was getting out of hand already."
"He also can't risk his troops aimlessly without reading the situation. Normal soldiers are not really a good match against a soldier from the clans."
"We also have an early advantage but half of the Bloodsails is still there and the Blackrocks still have a horde of undead waiting."
After they summed up the facts, Tormund started giving a new series of orders.
"We were on defense long enough. Now it is time to attack… Change the formations!"
With his orders, the third and the fourth rows of the infantry started retreating with speed, the went behind the Mage Squad and came a minute later. Each one of the soldiers was riding a horse and pulling another.
The troops of the Firemanes changed from 100 cavalries and 200 infantry to 300 cavalries that were ready to charge anytime. The mage squad was already mobile on the Flame Atronach Horses that passed down by Jon.
The movement of the Firemanes caused a cloud of dust to form and cover the scenery behind them. It wasn't intentional but it would be handy later on.
On the other side of the battlefield, a figure stood tall between his men and looked at the situation while narrowing his eyes.
"It has been fifteen years since the last time we saw something like this." The man spoke in a deep voice.
"Jarl Ulfric! You sure you want to be here at this time of year? The other Jarls should be heading to Solitude right now."
"It is of no use to me anyway, Galmar. We wanted to make a statement last year but it all went for nothing. Still, I am seeing more interesting things over there. How on Nirn can I miss that?" Jarl Ulfric replied to his right-hand man, Galmar Stone-First.
Over the battlefield, there were a lot of hidden clans' fighting forces that were battling. Jarl Ulfric came here to witness something and to make use of the situation if a chance came by.
Still, some strange things appeared in front of him today that made him a bit hesitant on how to move.
"Jarl Ulfric, I heard you were asking for me." A young voice came from behind Ulfric.
"Ah, Ralof! I think we want to ask you about something, what do you think of that?"
Galmar brought Ralof to stand beside him and Ulfric then pointed at the Firemanes' troops across the battlefield.
Ralof looked at the Firemanes but he couldn't point out anything other than the varieties of the beasts they were riding.
Ulfric and Galmar seemed disappointed for a second but it was rather normal.
"Have you been training your Aura lately, boy?" Galmar asked.
"Eh, Ah! Yes. I trained." Ralof replied and was a bit taken aback.
He was chosen by Galmar along with other talented young soldiers to become officers and were told that they will be trained on some ancient martial tradition called the Aura. It was a bit hard to understand but Ralof was training as he was told.
"If you were training then use it the way I taught you. Focus it on your eyes and check the Firemanes again."
Ralof was embarrassed as he wasn't really good at this. In truth, Ralof was a talented young man but wasn't as near as a hidden clan youngster. He learned the Aura by joining the personal force of Stormcloak family and was considered a good talent. Still, in comparison to the generation that fought in the Great War and the hidden clans' younger generation, his talent was mediocre.
Anyway, He tried to look once again with the Aura he trained after doing what Galmar said and his vision became clearer, he could better and his sight reached further.
"Ar, are those… the horse-like Flame Atronachs?"
"Yes, it is that. Now, can you tell us about how much your investigation reached so far?" Ulfric asked.
Ralof was taken aback but he managed to calm himself and reported all that he knows.
The Flame Atronach Horses appeared in Windhelm and were connected to the appearance of a young man called Darth Vader. This young man killed one of the strongest Pit fighters in Windhelm and escaped the city on one of those beings. Ever since this accident, the investigation became the responsibility of Ralof and he was to find this Darth Vader as Jarl Ulfric has developed an interest on him. Yet after half a year of looking around, the results only took them to Winterhold to the creator of the spell itself, the rising star of the north, Thane Jon Dare.
Ralof and Jon were friends and Ralof tried hard to keep the relationship strong but Jon was a hard person to track. If not for him appearing the same time as Darth Vader in Windhelm, Ralof wouldn't have known where to look.
Anyway, the case was complicated and Ulfric himself knew that it wasn't an easy thing to achieve so he didn't blame Ralof's inability at all and even invited him to join the Stormcloaks' secret force.
But the appearance of the Flame Atronach Horses today took the case to a whole new level. This will be a hidden clan matter and Ulfric will be the one doing the labor to dig out information himself.
Ralof listened to the discussion between Ulfric and Galmar and even was allowed to say his opinion. It showed how much Ulfric valued young talents himself and he learned a lot of information.
Right now, the whole point of discussion and the reason why the Stormcloaks were halting their movements was the appearance of the Flame Horse Atronachs as well as many other names that came to their minds like 'Jon Dare', 'Darth Vader', 'The Dare Dragon Company'... etc.
During the conversation, Jarl Ulfric pointed out the Firemane Chargers and highlighted them as the strongest force in Eastmarch as they were about to swoop the Bloodsails and the Blackrocks from the face of Nirn right now. His only regret was that he couldn't find the Firemanes in the bad state he hoped them to be in so that he can jump in and offer them the helping hand they need.
He could only block the escape path of the Bloodsails and the Blackrocks with the excuse of 'not letting troublemakers do as they want in his hold'.
'So this old man is still doing fine! How much should I have to wait for that old fox to die? By Talos, he looks younger than me.' Ulfric sighed to himself as he looked at Patriarch Tormund from afar.
"Eh, Jarl Ulfric… I am not sure what am I seeing is true or not but… What is that?" Ralof, who was looking away from the battlefield pointed at something and asked.
Galmar was the first to look and he didn't seem to understand what is going on as well. Ulfric who saw their reactions used his Aura and focused his sight at the direction they looked at. It wasn't something he would have imagined to see but it seemed that the Flame Atronachs weren't just horses anymore.
"A bird-like Flame Atronach? And people on top of them?" Ulfric exclaimed.
"People? Flying?" Ralof wondered.
"Isn't that against the law of the Empire? The Levitation Act…" Galmar looked at Ulfric and asked.
"The Empire? I don't think such a law will be active anymore? The Firemanes are showing some good signs."
It was true, the law of the Empire forbade all levitation magic but that didn't stop many people and it included the Firemanes.
Will the empire see that as a provocation?
On top of the Flame Atronach Hawks, Jon, Wulfur, Alina and Jullanar were joining the attack from the air. The Firemane Chargers saw that scene and were fired up even more. It was a crazy daring move and everyone was so hyped from it.
Jon who was grinning widely didn't want to make it a normal aerial attack move as he planned for something crazier.
"Okay, guys! We are doing it."
"Don't do this, brother! I still haven't said goodbye to Bjorna."
"Jon, I am too young to die."
"Senior, I never imagined myself to say this but I hate you."
"Shut up, you bunch of cowards. This is the pinnacle of personnel modern warfare. We are doing the 'Winner Winner Chicken Dinner'."
"It is more like a funeral that what will be there for us."
"Don't worry, guys. These Flame Atronach Hawks were remodeled by Nurina to just reach 500 meters in altitude. It will be alright… probably!"
"Just?!"
"500?!"
"Probably?!"
"Buckle up, boys and girls. UP WE GO!"