Chapter 87
The Tarantum reinforcements on the right flank were forced to retreat as well. Fortunately, they had two hundred cavalrymen on standby. The Lucaria warriors didn't dare to chase after them, afraid that they would be too spread out and let the Lucaria cavalry take advantage of them. Thus, the Tarantum reinforcements' retreat was relatively smooth …
Only the center of the Lucaria army was in a state of disunity …
"General Felix, we've lost! We've lost! What should we do? What should we do?! " Kunogorata, the usually witty and eloquent general in the City Hall, was panicking at this moment.
"What else can we do?!" Felix laughed bitterly and said regretfully, "It's my fault that I didn't stick to my opinion! It's my fault that I underestimated the enemy! It's my fault that I didn't listen to the advice of others! It's my fault that Turís lost today! "
He looked at the fleeing soldiers running past him and his expression became firm. "Hurry back to Turís and get the citizens to prepare for defense! I'll buy time for Turís to repent to Apollo! " As he spoke, he picked up his spear with his withered arm and pushed the fleeing soldiers aside to face the incoming enemy. The guards, slaves, and tribesmen he brought with him shouted, "For Turís!" Hundreds of them surrounded the old general and charged forward. Wherever it passed, some of the citizens of Tuliyi were influenced. They stopped fleeing and joined in the fray.
Cunogorata hesitated for a moment before turning his horse around and retreating. As he ran, he comforted himself. Felix was right. If they all died here, who would protect Turís?!
When they faced the enemy, Felix's army had reached eight hundred men. The old general, who was over sixty years old, shouted, "Apollo!" The first to charge into the enemy's formation was followed by a counterattack. The soldiers were not afraid of death and fought bravely. To the surprise of the Grummentum warriors, their formation was almost broken. The Grummentum warriors had no choice but to gather their soldiers and surround the small group of brave and tenacious Tuliyi soldiers …
The most tragic scene of the battle had finally come to an end. The 800 Tuliyi led by Felix had all died in battle. Not a single one of them had escaped.
Kunogorata wanted to rush back to Tuliyi as soon as possible. On the way to escape on horseback, he was almost knocked down by the defeated soldiers several times. He was worried about the safety of the city and a little regretful. He should not have joined the battle in order to gain prestige …
… …
The city of Turís was only five or six miles away from the battlefield. Everyone was paying attention to this battle that concerned the fate of the city. Every family was either at home or in the square, praying for the soldiers.
When the scouts ran back to the city, they shouted in panic, "We lost! We lost! " At that time, the news quickly spread throughout the city like a thunderclap, making the people feel that the sky was about to fall. The timid people fainted immediately; the suspicious people thought that the scout was spreading rumors and wanted to drag him down from his horse and beat him up; the pessimistic people declared that Tuliyi was going to perish and asked everyone to quickly flee the city; the scoundrels, in their despair, took the opportunity to stir up trouble and fish in troubled waters, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits … The whole city, especially the square, was filled with cries and the scene was extremely chaotic.
The two most important leaders of the "Nine Generals" were on the battlefield. Fortunately, the generals had learned from last year's defeat. At this critical moment, the generals, led by Neonesse, stood up. They first sent out patrols to maintain order in the city, then called on the people in the square to take up arms and defend their homes. They led their people and slaves up the city wall.
At this moment, a few nobles, led by Cunogorata, rushed over the drawbridge and entered the city.
The people who heard the news immediately surrounded them, asking for news of their families. Cunogorata, who knew the urgency of the situation, acted as if he did not hear them. He shouted anxiously, "The Lucarians are coming! Close the gate! Close the gate! Don't let them in! Otherwise, Turís will be finished! "
Neonesse frowned and said, "If we close the gate, the soldiers won't be able to enter the city!"
"Let them go around the city wall and jump into the Crati River. We will pick them up with boats! The Lucarians can't swim! "Cunogorata had already thought of a plan on the way.
At the moment of crisis, the appearance of Kunogorata and his suggestion immediately gave the people a backbone. Everyone discussed and felt that it was feasible, so they pulled up the drawbridge, closed the city gate, and began to shout at the defeated soldiers running to the bottom of the city, "Jump into the river, we have a boat to pick you up! Jump into the river … "
… …
The Devers sent Asistes back to the camp first to report the situation, while they quickly led their troops back to the camp. Ledes, who was beside them, held up the flag to guide the troops.
Picosis's Warriors had been attacked by the Light Shieldbearers earlier, so they had pulled some distance away from the mercenaries. On the other hand, Grummentum's desperate counterattack had slowed down the mercenaries' pursuit, so the mercenaries' retreat could be said to be smooth without much risk. However, along the way, there were constantly fleeing soldiers who rushed into their ranks, and the mercenaries knocked them down with their shields without hesitation. But the Dyvers Mercenaries retreated in an organized manner. Their orderly formation naturally attracted the panicked soldiers. Even if the mercenaries treated them violently, they would just let them beat and scold them. Like tamed dogs, they obediently followed behind the mercenaries …
When the troops passed by the city of Turín, the Devers' team was a little bloated, but they didn't care. Looking at the countless fleeing soldiers gathering at the foot of Turín in the distance, and then back to observe the movements of the pursuing troops, he took the flag, handed it to Asistes, and said to Ledes, "Go to the foot of Turín and tell the soldiers that the Lucarians will be here soon. Our camp is very strong, so let them hide in our camp first."
Ledes accepted the order and left.
"All troops, to the right!" The Devers shouted, and the red flag fluttered in the wind, guiding the troops not to enter the camp through the west gate, but to the south gate …
The warriors of Picossis, led by Gneinath, chased after the mercenaries. Ever since he became a warrior, he had participated in dozens of battles, big and small, but he had never been so vexed, and he even almost lost his life. These Greeks wanted to slip away after slaughtering his people, and this made him even more furious. Therefore, he only had eyes for the mercenaries: Catch them! Kill them!
Even though the fleeing soldiers at the foot of Turín were closer to him, he didn't care. As a result, Picossis' team collided with the Grumentum's warriors who were pursuing the fleeing Turín soldiers. When the two armies finally separated, the Devers had already entered the camp.
… …
The Turín generals led by Cunogorata had little experience on the battlefield (the only experienced person had died in battle), so they thought too simply of the problem.
Indeed, the shouts from the top of the city made some of the fleeing soldiers leave the city gate and jump into the Crati River, but there were still some who were unwilling to leave. After all, the city gate was right in front of them, and they were too exhausted to take the long way around to jump into the cold Crati River. They begged and cursed at the foot of the city, and during this delay, the Grumentum's warriors arrived. After a chase and a massacre, the fleeing soldiers had no choice but to jump into the river. However, in their panic and haste, they did not even have time to take off their armor. Many of them sank directly into the river and drowned alive …
The people on the city gate watched their loved ones being killed and drowned alive, and all of them burst into tears. Some women even jumped off the city wall, and their bodies were smashed to pieces to accompany their husbands to hell …
The ferocious appearance of the Lucanian soldiers and this bloody and tragic scene became a nightmare that the Turín could never get rid of …
… …
The Devers heaved a sigh of relief that the Lucanians did not chase them in time. He did not enter the west gate directly, but went around the south gate instead, because he was worried that the soldiers would be too slow when they entered the camp. His worry did not come to nothing. In fact, it was worse than he had imagined. The panicked fleeing soldiers disrupted the order of the troops entering the camp.
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