Cedric "no, if we retreat Wilaric army will be wiped out and as we run we will suffer severe casualties. Right now they are waiting but as soon as Wilaric's army is defeated they will attack us from all sides so we can't wait any longer. We must move, now"
The crept out slowly separating themselves and forming 7 separate units, 4 of the group forming an arrow formation with gaps between them and the 3 in the inside the formation back up slowly towards the other army, with Torric, Darviz and Silgard leading the charge.
The infantry of the enemy started moving forward, the arrows continued pouring down. Cedric noticed something (wait I overestimated the enemy, ofcourse that was it I am really dumb i should have figured it out sooner) he shouted "The units with me regrouped and charged forward, the arrows, they can only hit the middle ground!! Torric! Drarviz! Silgard charge you don't have to stay in formation anymore they can't reach you!!" confusion spiralled through the team but all the soldiers decided to listen to their commander.
The infantry of the enemy started pouring in, 100 vs 60. They were vastly outnumbered but their soldiers were better trained, the bandits had no Armors and dull weapons, it was surprising they could push Wilaric's well equipped army even with their numbers it shouldn't be possible for ill equipped and barely trained mere bandits to do so.
Torric's team rushed forward to engage with the enemy, as the sun sets it brought along with it a ray of crimson matching the blood stained snow, Torric team almost in contact with the enemy and simultaneously the enemy infantry and Cedric's units were moments away from making contact "stay in group of 3 everyone of you, quickly don't get separated" Cedric ordered. They all engaged at the exact same moment, just as Cedric's units destroyed the first wave, the difference in strength became quite noticeable.
Another wave was annihilated, just then from the back the enemy pop out with long spears over 30 feet long, it was as though they planned this all along, the enemy force held the spears tightly three men back to back wielding it, their formation packed they thrust it against Cedric's unit, a single spear impaling multiple people at once.
On the other side Torric and his unit was outflanked by a detachment that seemed to have awaited them all along, blood spilling all over the ground, heads and limbs dropping down like it was a butcher house. Torric, Silgard and Fenric fought fiercely holding their ground, but Draviz froze. He fell down on the ground, his hands trembling, his eyes rolling left and right uncontrollably, eyes wrinkled like a puppy as tears started dripping down his eyes.
Just then he saw Torric on the ground brawling with an enemy soldier as large as him both stood at 6'5+ and were built like tree trunks, the enemy soldier managed to get on top pushing his blade onto Torric's neck but Torric manage to resist, he was struggling to hold on. Aware of Draviz presence he called out for help but Draviz couldn't move he watched horrified by the sight, Torric called out "Draviz!! Quick!! Or we all die!" Draviz gathered his courage, he let out a scream so loud it matched the roaring of the sky, he grabbed his sword and as he continued screaming he slashed the enemy with a fatal blow ending him."
The Twilight arrived as the bloodshed continued, the moon glowed beautifully as people lost their breath slowly. And as nightfall approaches, the battle seems to be coming to a conclusion. Cedric commanded the units to scatter, the long spears were pointing at them once again, as both the enemy and Cedric's units caught their breath they realised something, if Cedric's unit suffered another round of the thrust it would be over. The spears surrounded them ready to unleash their venom, "So we are really getting done by a group of bandits", Varron swallowed hard, tightening his grip on his spear and placing his foot firmly on the ground "Cedric take care of my daughter".
Varron charged in with his shield on the spear formation, he brushed aside a few of the spears, but the other spears pierce through him. As he roars bloodied and wounded he looked like an injured beard on a rampage, with the spears impaled on him he moved forward violently, he stood there with 8 of those spears penetrating him. The bandits and Cedric's own unit were in awe of his resilience, a normal person would have fallen down as soon as one of those spears struck them but Varron was different, no wonder he survived countless battles.
Cedric takes a deep breath, his eyes sharp like a wolf, his voice thunder through the entire hill "Now!! Everyone charges! Give it your everything, we will not let Varron's sacrifice go to waste!" They poured in through the opening Varron created, the tide turned equal again, it was back to chaotic brawling. Just then reinforcement from the Milaric army and Torric unit pour, completely annihilating the bandits. Torrice and his unit had managed to create an opening on the enemy lines and managed to free the Wilaric army from the encirclement turning the tide to their favour, they won swiftly after they were freed. The commander in charge of the bandits fled but was slain, the remaining surrendered along with the person that made Cedric draw a step back just with his gaze.
Darkness swallowed the sky as the battle ended, hundreds dead and many injured, their blood painted the ground red. The Milaric army had lost over 70 men leaving them with 80 and Cedric's army lost a similar amount of soldiers 75 in total, they were left with 65 soldiers. The bandits lost 380 men, the remaining 40 were restrained. What had begun with a simple expedition of 300 soldiers to slain a mere band of bandits for battle experience and stop their petty crimes ended with a trained army to lose half their force.
No one had expected such a force of bandits to be present in the hills of Drouca of Dravem, General Rolith had organised this military expedition believing it would be a simple task. The man that was able to cause this much damage to a force of organised soldiers with regular bandits, was not commander of the bandits it was their strategist Syleic, the same man Cedric met eyes with in the battlefield.