Sustained Momentum
Why wouldn't a seasoned commander like Aries comprehend the repercussions of engaging in war so impulsively?
When the supply of provisions failed and the stamina of the soldiers declined, defeat in this campaign would be certain. This was something that every seasoned general knew, but Aries, newly appointed as Grand General and newly tasked with command of 200,000 soldiers, had no proper basis of his own. For the moment, compliance with orders was not a matter of decision—it was a matter of survival.
He thought quietly, the horizon before him spattered with smoke from conquered cities. Then a strategy formed in his mind:
"Let us do this. Split the army into two parts. One part rests while the other keeps battling. Then we switch. The resting part can help bring in supplies. Thus, our strength can be maintained perpetually. We battle, we march, we rest, and battle again!"
One of the inferior generals' eyes lit up, his shoulder tension melting away.
"At this time, that is the only thing that makes sense, General."
Aries' eyes scanned the soldiers still filled with energy. The Ironforge Kingdom's defenses had been so compromised that even 100,000 soldiers could overwhelm them in an instant.
He struck the soldiers' plated chests lightly with the flat of his greatsword, his voice ascending into a bellow that resonated up and down the ranks.
"Comrades-at-arms! March into battle with me! Now is the moment to win glory, to leave your mark!"
"Yes, General!" The bellow of 100,000 voices surged ahead, a clap of adrenaline and passion.
And thus, the Drake Kingdom's army pushed forward, a ceaseless wave of black armor and steel, taking cities and gaining ground as if the very earth itself invited them.
_____________________________________
The Ironforge Kingdom struggled meanwhile. Men were reordered, ambassadors dispatched in frantic appeals, and generals paced the war table with maps scattered like the frantic beat of a dying heart.
Within the imperial palace of the Drake Kingdom, Silas, Ironforge Kingdom's envoy, entered, chest inflated with anger. His voice boomed within the grand hall:
Your Majesty of the Drake Kingdom! We had already signed a treaty! Our country paid dearly for the Red Rock Iron Mine! And now you forcibly take it back, invading our country! You have reneged on your word, broken your promises, and failed in your responsibilities as a ruler!
Lucian Drake relaxed back against the Imperial throne, his shoulder-length dark hair spilling over his shoulders, his purple eyes glinting with amused serenity. A slight smile wandered at his lips.
Ambassador of the Ironforge Realm, you overstate. What treachery, what violation of oaths? I have not done as you claim. The Red Rock Iron Mine is still set aside for your use—you can take it whenever you wish. The other lands? No compact restrains me from claiming them. Have you not done so as well on your own campaigns?"
Silas's face grew red with rage, veins pulsating at his temples.
How dare you say that our mine is ours to claim whenever we choose! You have taken our lands and encircled it! How are we ever going to get it back now?"
He gritted his teeth, almost shaking with fury. As an experienced diplomat, he had met hundreds of negotiators, generals, and kings—but never one so audacious, so unashamed.
"It appears your Drake Kingdom has no plans to pull out your soldiers?
Lucian's eyes flashed with keen mirth.
"Have you ever seen anyone spit out the meat already in his mouth?"
Silas's fists curled at his sides, jaw clamped hard.
"Very well! That is all I have to say. Drake Kingdom Emperor, bask in your brief moment of victory! Soon, you will experience the irresistible cavalry of my Ironforge Kingdom! This is not a thing to be teased lightly! I bid you adieu!
The smile remained on Lucian's lips as he nodded his head marginally.
"As you wish."
Having dismissed the envoy, Lucian settled in to play the Empire Forging Map Game.
The Map was not as it once was; now, it stretched over fifty miles north of where it originally was, the success of Aries's aggressive campaign evident in digital landscape and expanding borders.
Lucian's eyes sparkled, a heady combination of ambition and joy.
"This… this will make me wealthy."
And so, in that instant, the Drake Kingdom stormed northward, its forces unappable, its Emperor already totting up the booty of triumph.