Sudden Invasion!

[princeofskotos]

[Amestris]

Everyone had been expecting it to happen, so it was no surprise when Zeon started beaching troops in Amestris. Dozens of ships started ferrying Avshar's Army across. However, now instead of flying the emblem of Zeon, the ships and soldiers bore a new standard: the crossed lightning bolts of skotos on a field the color the drying blood.

Naturally, Amestris was ready to meet their long time foes, but they weren't expecting Avshar's army to be the SIZE that it was. Surrounding the heavy, elite cavalry that Zeon was known for was an unruly swarm of nomads on steppe ponies with wickedly powerful recurve bows and scimitars. They had been secretly shipped in by sea over the last few days, and now swelled Zeon's ranks to two or three times what most strategists had assumed Zeon could field.

The army thundered through Amestris, burning, looting, and killing everything they came across. The Zeon knights mostly stayed behind to set up organized resistance and stop Dagarian forces of all kinds from following while the Nomads punched through with gleeful ferocity like a dagger digging into the heart of the Empire.

Comments

[armstronger]

With Avshar's confidence, Olivier had expected a larger force than many of their other officers and analysts. Given that he couldn't control the entirety of Zeon, he had to have another source of manpower, or else he'd still be biding his time and building his strength.

But this? Not only the skill of these nomads, but their sheer numbers? It surprised even Olivier, and while she adapted quickly, the more sluggish response of some other commanders was opening Amestris up to considerable damage. Reluctantly, she'd fallen back from participating herself to regroup and review her strategy, taking out her destiny crystal with a message to others in Amestris. "Does anyone know where, exactly, Avshar's other troops came from?"

[trollsdragons]

"An excellent question, General," Xellos comments, stepping out from behind something nearby.

"It's as if they sprang up from nowhere..."

[armstronger]

Where did you even...

"I don't doubt that they were brought in by ship, but little beyond that." She glances/glares over her shoulder at Xellos.

[trollsdragons]

That's a secret.

"Mmm. Quantity he has, but are they soldiers of quality? Do they have the loyalty to stick around, should things get difficult?" He merely tips his head a bit at her look, only acknowledging the fact that it was given.

[armstronger]

"Unlikely. Even mind control is less reliable than true loyalty; we'll break them one way or another." Satisfied that she won't get immediate sass, she turns back away from him.

[trollsdragons]

Xellos nods. "I would recommend we do so quickly, before things get too out of hand, lest we have nothing left to break them with, General~."

[armstronger]

"Tch. This won't last long, they'll likely be routed easily once Avshar is dealt with." Which she fully expects to happen within a few days.

[unleashthefuhrer]

The Fuhrer stood at the head of his forces. A battalion of tanks rolled to the front as the Zeon forces marched forward. Drawing one of his swords, Bradley brought it forward.

"ATTACK!"

In an instant, the air was filled with tank shells.

[princeofskotos]

A moment later, the air was filled with the screams of the dying as nomads were blown up by tank shells. Between the two forces there was simply no contest. It looked like this would be a fairly one sided battle.

Except...on the wind game a strange reddish brown dust right into the tank battalion. Where ever it touched a tank, a reddish orange blossom of rust spread like a flower. It wasn't going to destroy the tanks immediately, but then, there was a lot of nomads and knights, and killing them all would take a while.

[unleashthefuhrer]

[As the tanks backtrack, firing and moving away from the mist, the Fuhrer casually and quickly flips up his eyepatch as part of a fluid swordstroke that lands in the throat of a nomad's horse, giving him a moment to gaze upon the mist with his Eye and discern its properties. He then draws his other sword and goes to town.]

[princeofskotos]

The mist was exactly what it appeared to be: A magical mist that rusted metal. It was drifting over Avshar's own troops and descending on Zeon's tanks.

[king_of_flames]

Roy was grateful that the Zeon soldiers were not on the front lines -- he'd feel bad fighting against soldiers who were either brainwashed or fighting against their will.

But these nomads...they were different. They were willingly supporting a tyrant. Roy had no qualms going all out against them.

Which is why Roy was near the front, extending his right hand and snapping his fingers. The nomads would find themselves hit by a massive blast of fire.

[princeofskotos]

Men and horses screamed and died before the power of a state alchemist. However once the first blast of fire started to clear a small shower of arrows sleeted down on Roy. None hit, what with the clouds of smoke obscuring him, but if he stayed out here too long, someone would get a lucky shot in.

[pink_dragon_spooker]

Unless, of course, he had some help.

"Wind barrier!"

A thin burst of wind suddenly surrounded both Roy and his backup.

And then...

"FIREBALL!"

Lina fired the blast almost wildly, aiming at the archers who had launched the first set.

[king_of_flames]

Ah, the benefits of having a Servant. Roy did step back, but only roughly three steps. He took aim for the enemy lines again, and unleashed more flames on the tail of Caster's spell.