Battle of Kavanos [closed]

[Western Confederation]

Colonel Geylordis of the 9th regiment
Somewhere on Arcadia - Belfras border
June 7, 1865

Geylordis was raised in a working class family as most of the people during that time, it was an absolute shocker when his father kicked the bucket
and he was left on the streets. He had nobody to go to but was accepted as an infantry boy of the Cornellian Empire. Despite that he never shied away from his political views; for he absolutely despiqsed having anything to do with Cornallia when he was a recruit. When the war for independence broke out he picked sides without hesitation and was quickly promoted lieutenant due to his developing leadership skills and combat knowledge.

He is now wearing a three-star insignia, ranked colonel within the Confederate Army, an army that is composed of all those who oppose Republic rule and want to create a stronger more knit union with the nation across the strait. The perception of Latium as the official successor state grew strong in the southern states being better off in political union with Latium as opposed to being an independent republic or to stay part of the Cornellian Empire.

Though this war was a bloody one and casualties on both sides are off the roof. They needed allies and one vital one was Latium which has openly stated that it will support the confederacy wherever it can, but at the same time their direct involvement is limited due to their own revolutionary war against their Cornellian neighbors.

Clad in a preposterous outfit that combined a ragged navy blue and white stripes on dark red garment were soldiers of the Arcadian Confederacy. With numerous banner holders, drummers and bugle callers. Thousands upon thousands stood there facing their enemies at twelve o clock some but not in sight. Their bayonetted rifles trimmed to their hands halting before the commander who galloped up and down the line with a horse preparing the minds of the young lads before they moved out. The name of the commander was Milo Geylordis of the IX regiment.

A platoon of horsemen ran in front of the infantry units, charging, heading straight out to enemy defenses.

Their plan was simple and effective, strike the first line of the Balfrasian Army with a brigade of men mounted on horses that will try to destabilize the first enemy line, then the black powder would come into effect blurring the vision of the enemy until infantry regiment gets into shooting range and blast them to smithereens. Out of sight, four military balloons were prepared to launch an aerial attack on enemy's infantry destabilizing the core entirely. Quoting mastermind general Konstantinos during a war cabinet seating a "marvelous strategy that will get us in reach of Kavanos in just a few days. Eribia Major will be ours!"

[Belfras]

Three miles from Aurenton,
Eribia Major

Aurenton was, in General Aetoles Gretkos' humble opinion, a spit-ball of a township that probably wouldn't survive a tough winter. Yet it was here that he had been told to march to with his men, a part of the Republic's Army. He still had a smile about him from the last years, the shackles of the empire finally thrown off and freedom abounds in Belfras. Yet one does not trade one mans shackles for another, and returning to the rule of men across an ocean was simply not an option. He imagined, as an aide went about dressing him, how that news went down in Latium. His smile faded quickly as his mind went closer to home. The news that the country wouldn't swear allegiance to Latium, itself fighting against stiffer resistance than they fought against, was met worse down south than he believed the newly elected President Phillippos Neide expected. Not so long after it was announced, they were fighting. Arcadia and Belfras, once two regions of an overseas empire, now at eachothers throats.

"Good news from Admiral Srantos though, isn't it my lord?" The aide asked, causing Aetoles to let out a small, questioning grunt as he is brought back to reality. "That he arrived in time to aid the routing of the Arcadian ships from Pellas bay. Good news to hear, isn't it?" Aetoles nodded a few times, "It is. It is. This tunic, It's still tight." Aetoles semi-complained as he tugged at his tunic, frowning at the mirror. Aside from blue finishes on the extravagant collar, it was totally white. Behind him, his aide bit a smile. "Yes, my lord. I've taken up the sleeves and had the seamstresses add a second lining to your riding trousers. The chafing should be all but gone." The pride in the mans voice, even as he went around the general fixing him up was enough to let Aetoles immerse himself back into his plans again. He kept quiet as he eventually left his tent and was helped onto his horse. A sword clapped against the horse's side a few times, waking him from his thoughts once again.

"Nothing like it. Wouldn't you agree, colonel?" Aetoles asked over his shoulder to the leader of his cavalry as he and his bodyguard observed the infantry getting into their regimental ranks. Troop colours waved through the breeze, an assortment of different colours that stood out amongst that sea of white uniforms and brown muskets. One regiment that was marching to the center was starkly different, their headdress was taller and their regimental colour was topped with a golden falcon, it's wings outstretched as if in flight. He knew they wouldn't be able to throw off the stench of the Cornellian empire anytime soon, but choosing to keep the country's banner of servitude still sat wrong with him, even if it was now being thrown in the faces of those who dared oppose the new republic.

"Their isn't. No." The colonel, Hector Taveris, responded. His uniform was green and significantly sparse of the decorative pieces that Aetoles' was. A soldiers uniform, Aetoles thought. The green was interrupted only by blackened pieces and a rimmed hat, the long feather of a peacock rising from it. Whereas Aetoles' bodyguard were dressed similar to Aetoles to confuse anybody trying to sharpshoot him, Taveris' bodyguard were Cuirassers of the republic, clad in torso-protecting armour and boots thick enough to help minimise any slashing injuries. Their horses were thoroughbreds and admittedly made the general a little jealous, his own horse being a pure-stock show mare, not meant for the charging lines of battle. Aetoles threw this line of thought aside, "You'll be standing by on the left flank today, colonel. When the times comes, you'll know what to do." With a brief and sharp 'Yes sir!', Taveris made his way back to his men. From a distance it was a cloud of green, suddenly setting about in purpose as it slipped behind a hill and about their deadly work. Aetoles let himself smile for a moment until his attention was attracted to the drum beats of his infantry getting into position. "Time for us to be about our business, gentlemen."

It had taken the army, all 24,000 of them, but a half-hour to get into position. A feat that surprised the general pleasantly, even if he paled somewhat at the line upon line of blue-clad regulars of the newly born Confederacy. The small glints as the sun reflected off their bayonets and the cannons safely back in their lines were only matched by the Belfrasian linesmen's own bayonets. "Cannons are to skirmish." Aetoles spoke up after a moment, causing a series of shouts as the orders were placed down the line. Eventually cries in reply were muted by the roars as the cannons lit off their own roars of fury, sending plumes of smoke and cannon balls high into the air. Aetoles could spot their landing, either giant plumes of dirt would be shot into the sky, or plumes of bodies and body parts would take it's place. He was thankful for the surprisingly flat ground that had been mutually chosen for this battle, his light infantry were weary from almost a month of non-stop scouting and skirmishing with Arcadian lights in the area.

"My lord!" An aide of his called out, his eye set down a looking glass. "Cavalry are coming out of their lines toward us." Aetoles had to see it to believe it, and mere moments later he saw it. "Are they mad?" He half-asked himself. Cavalry, essentially men upon a few hundred pounds of momentum, were riding directly toward what medieval soldiers would call a pike that could spit fire. It was idiotic several hundred years ago, it still was. "We won't look the literal gift course in the mouth. Lines and cannon are to fire upon the cavalry. Get a messenger to Colonel Taveris to begin a feint on their left flank. At best it'll cause the Arcadians to withdraw their cavalry to pursue. At worst, it'll force them to reinforce that flank so Taveris can earn his medals today."

Mere moments after Aetoles had given his orders, the almost unending lines of infantry began getting their drum-beaten orders. "Ready arms!" An officer in one company called out, raising his sword. His words were echoed by the hundred men they were under his own command. "Take aim!" his sword pointed toward the cavalry now rapidly advancing and were joined by countless muskets. The first rank took a knee, allowing the second rank - almost another twenty-five men for his own company and almost another seven-hundred down the entire first rank of the battle line. When he heard the roar of the cannons behind him, set on sending their own rounds of doom toward the cavalry, he lowered his sword. His own command to fire went unheard as the line lit up, smoke obscuring them as their musket-balls to set about their deadly work. The second rank fired moments later, sending another wave of musketballs toward the cavalry. The Arcadian infantry weren't in range, but chance had led the Arcadian's cavalry to be so.

[Western Confederation]

^{General Konstantinos
Eribia Major}

General Jacques Konstantinos was the commander of the entire garrison positioned near camp far behind the last line of defence. A moustached tired-looking man of forty years filled with confidence-although it wasn't until the cannons had opened fire that this battle shook him awake.

Jacques, though not at all enthusiastic about his posting, cared deeply about the lives of his men and the integrity of his country. Those were qualities that got one far in the Confederate army, and that was why he had been promoted to the rank of general with what passed as astronomical speed. However, sentiments could only do so much-in Jacques' eyes, he had earned his position through merit, and little else.

It was that merit which he intended to showcase to the republicans who dared to attack the cavalry so vigorously. In the background, he could hear but little noise of enemy cannonballs hitting the dirt indistinguishable from muffed explosions - occasional shouts and neighs.

Right around that time a messenger halted his horse in front of Jacques nose. "Sir the first cavalry unit has charged into enemy defences from position regiment IX." The messenger stressed, with a calm nod the general spoke out, "order the third and fourth cavalry units and tell colonel Geylordis to continue putting pressure on the enemy per plan."

Excellent Jacques thought knowing that his old colleague Aetoles Gretkos, fighting for the other side would've been flabbergasted by this unconventional style of warfare. They knew each other like a set of pepper and salt with Jacques being somewhat submissive in comparison to Aetoles- as was expected as subordinate, but nonetheless on even fields.

Anticipating the enemy's movements Geylordis and his regiment gradually pace forward with audible drums flags and banners asserting formations and riflemen lines, this was of course but a fraction of the total garrison to be frank-the total number of infantry rounded to roughly 20.000 men. Soon-to-approach carnage where craters of dirt and grass sprung up farther down the line.

Taking a closer look at the ill scene were limbs of both human and animal dispersed over ground like it was part of it, a fully integrated component. Most of them died in vain and those that survived retrieved back to the safe area as quickly as they could.

Their own artillery wasn’t a baby either, antic maybe, but certainly not something to underestimate. Behind the first line of infantry were the operators of the cannons that would fire as soon as the infantry were in range. The clock starts ticking and it would just be a matter of time until the enemy infantry would be in range of the home artillery before the actual dogfight starts.