The Attack on Jerusalem

[Pharaoh Sabé]

OOC: I'm going to assume that Babylon is the active Persian capital as historically it was the most prominent of the three Persian capitals. If you want it to be a different city, let me know.

IC: The Egyptian army had approached the city in full force, hoping that the men inside Jerusalem would surrender in sheer fear of the great army. The elephants stood in front, men behind and cavalry on the flanks. Behind the men were a couple of hundred catapults, armed with flaming ammunition and diseased cow's heads, in case of a long siege, and just in front of these were ballistas, also armed with flaming ammunition. Behind the catapults were the chariots and it was in one of these that Sabé sat, watching his army as it prepared for battle. Sabé hoped it would be unnecessary, the people of Jerusalem seemed sensible and should understand that they did not stand a chance against the Egyptian army.

As soon as they had taken Jerusalem, Sabé and his army would be moving off again, towards Babylon, the capital of Persia. Once they had taken the Persian capital the war would be over and the threat of Persian occupation would be gone. Sabé ordered some of his chariots forward with him. As they approached the gate, Sabé called out, "People of Jerusalem, I will not bore you with speaches of the greatness of Egypt and the wisdom and strength of it's people. Instead I will give you a choice; Firstly, you can decide to continue to live your lives as you do except for one detail; you will be called Egyptians rather than Persians, or you can sit helplessly as your famillies are tortured and killed before your eyes before you are made into slaves to feed the demands of the mines in the desert.
"If you choose the first option, show a white flag and surrender to us now, we will let you continue to live your lives as you have done so far. If you choose the second, show a black flag - black to indicate your imminent death - and prepare yourselves. You have five minutes to make your decision." Sabé turned his chariot around and headed back to his previous position, ready for battle if it was demanded. "General! Prepare the army for an assault! If nothing else it will help scare them into submission."

[Malchior]

The city of Jerusalem, the capital of Jews and city-state of Persia. Threw centuries it had stood stand against any enemy that had threatened it, but no one like the Egyptian army. As the alarm was called by bells of ringing, the 20 000 soldiers that were inside went on top of the walls to fight the million army who had appeared. It was a scary sight, but still they stood ready as victory they hoped to achieve. Light armed men were placed around on the walls, 10 000 spear-men with shield was placed infront as the rest 10 000 archer were behind clear to shoot. By the sight of enemy not long ago the scouts on the outposts had discovered them, in haste they had gone by horses to warn the people for what was to come. When the army of Egypt first were seen in distance, they did nothing then wait on their move.

However from the east an army had been summoned, since Athenians were attacking the north, Cyrus himself and his 350 000 cavalry men had gone to fight them. Malchior the general of Persia were to fight the Egyptians, with an army of 650 000 infantry and 1.000.000 slaves that had got ordered to join. The trained infantry were named Immortals by others who knew their skills in war, they were invincible but always they came like nothing could stop them. Two swords of the eastern culture they had, but lightly armed by thick clothing as movable they had to be in battle. The one million slave that had followed were not used in fighting, but still were told to come along as men was needed. These carried bows and arrows as most of them could not fight, but they also had spear and shield with them. By their approaching behind the city of Jerusalem the earth shacked, as large the army were to scare any enemy away. Malachior the general rode in front, as he with interest and without fear was excited for war. In formation they all marched, the immortals in two groups as behind and in front of the slaves they stood.

[Pharaoh Sabé]

"My Pharaoh, an army has arrived to reinforce the city." The scout captain reported, still atop his horse.
"How many?" Sabé asked, quickly.
"At least one and a half million."
"One and a half million?!"
"Yes, Pharaoh, but a million of that are completely unarmoured and appear to have had no training. We suspect that they are slaves forced into fighting."
Sabé smiled, "They've seen no fighting yet? Good, I'll have to give them a good introduction to it. What does the other half a million consist of?"
"Immortals, Pharaoh."
"Immortals? Well, if they really are immortal, we'll just have to strike them down again and again. General! Take command of the assault on the city with 100,000 infantry. I'll take the rest of the army to engage their army."

Sabé ordered his men forwards. The bulk of the army moved to engage the Persian army, leaving 100,000 men behind to take the city. "Bring the elephants and chariots in range to fire on the Immortals. Do not spread your fire! Concentrate it on the 50,000 Immortals on the far right, that way they'll have nowhere to move where there won't be an arrow." Once the archers were in range, Sabé grabbed his own bow and knocked an arrow, aimed and yelled, "Loose!" Sabé's arrow flew through the sky, closely followed by 300,000 more, all aimed in the same spot. The Immortals had nothing to shield themselves with, and with that many arrows all in one place, Sabé was sure they would all be slaughtered - six arrows per man was easily more than enough. "Reload!" Sabé called out.

[Malchior]

Malchior who was to lead the Persian army against the Egyptians believed this would be a battle to remember, many had arrived and it all was to be decided in front of the gates of Jerusalem. If the city fell into enemy hands then a province of the Persian Empire would be gone, this was something they would not allow to happen. With a simple order he told the half of the immortals that were behind the slaves, miles away from the Egyptians to move behind and around the city of Jerusalem. That way no one were able to shot at them, nor attack them. As this was done, the slaves who had taken up bows and arrows were told to shoot with fire against the enemy horde. By lowering Malchior`s hand he gave signal for them to fire at will, 1 000 000 arrows headed toward the Egyptians as 1 000 000 more followed after the other. It was so many arrows that the sun were not seen anymore, and far it went as no one were able to escape it.

However those immortals that were shot at, that stood in front of the slaves was ordered to move back so the slaves could move forth with shield and spear. Great losses the small group of 50 000 immortals had taken, but still able they were to retreat behind the lines of slaves. The half of the slaves were told to march straight against the enemy, while the rest of the half kept shooting. By all the arrows who had gone, it would make it easier for the infantry to move in as not many could stand against the millions of arrows that had been loosed into the air. The immortals were now impossible to be seen or shot at, as large the army was.

The army who stood waiting in Jerusalem for the enemy to come, started to shoot arrows with fire. Catapults that were ready inside the city shoot at the same time, all heading toward the same target as an army of 100 000 Egyptians were against them.

[Pharaoh Sabé]

Sabé heard in the distance the yelling of the General in charge of the assault on Jerusalem, "Fire!" Sabé glanced over to the 100,000 men and saw the catapults all fire in one place - the gate. The wooden gate would not last long against the onslaught of flaming rocks flying from the catapults and behind them huge flaming bolts volleyed into the defenders on the walls. The bolts could pierce an average of three men each and once the gate was destroyed, the defenders would be outnumbered five to one.

Sabé turned back to look at his own battle. Half of the Immortals had circled behind Jerusalem and the other half had taken heavy casualties before retreating behind the slaves. "Perfect..." Sabé muttered, "Elephants! Forward!" 100,000 heavily armoured War Elephants started advancing, breaking into a charge they stampeded towards the front lines of the slaves. The elephants were ounumbered ten to one, but Sabé reckoned; one elephant against ten untrained, lightly armed slaves who didn't even want to fight in the first place and had been forced into it, who would win? And, of course, the elephants then had two trained archers mounted on them, too high for the slaves to reach. Sabé smiled.

"Chariots! With me!" Sabé's chariot moved to the left of the battlefield, on the opposite side of the battle to Jerusalem. As they went past the slaves, the charioteers loosed arrows into their flanks and some on the edge used their scythes to cut down some who were on the edge. One of the chariots moved closer to Sabé's and a captain spoke, "Pharaoh! The arrows have killed over a hundred thousand infantrymen already!"
"Don't fret," Sabé replied, "All is well - we will win." The chariots reached the back of the slaves and drove between them and the Immortals, using the same tactics as they had before on the Immortals, but firing at specific targets in the slaves, also cutting some down with Scythes. The chariots used their speed and manouverability to their advantage, quickly moving away if they got too close to the Immortals. The Egyptian light cavalry moved up behind the chariots, circling behind the Immortals and halting a couple of hundred metres from them.

OOC: I'll have a picture of my movement soon.

[Malchior]

Malchior who had from start stayed in the front lines, had later decided to move were his immortal army stood behind the slaves. From there he watched what happened, but not unexpected had he seen the Elephants wanting to interfere. As the 500 000 warrior slaves charged into the lines of the Egyptian infantry, they soon were meet by large beasts. It quickly made their line split, even they tried to fight them back. Heavily losses it caused, but by the order of the general he told the 500 000 untouched archers to start shooting fire arrows against the towers of the elephants. The warrior slaves at the same time tried to trick them in corners and drive them back with the long spears they carried, soon it would make the large animals to charge against their own as people on top took fire and fear was caused. The slaves new that if they did not fight in this battle, it would make them lose everything even their lives. However no other choice they had to fight for their lives, as commanded they all were.

The 315 000 immortals that had moved behind the city were now approaching the Egyptian army who attacked Jerusalem, as outnumbered the enemy were and weak on its flanks they had become an easy target. In quick speed they charged against them, while cries for war could be he heard approaching. 100 000 Egyptian infantry that had gone against the city, was to meet an army of trained soldiers named immortals. It all looked good for Persia, but still great damaged the city and army had got. Malchior who on his black horse road back and forth in front of the other immortals in the far back, saw that something more was to be done before victory was complete. In a unexpected move the Egyptians had realized their cavalry for charge, on the left side they came with chariots and cavalry but as they reached their destination, the chariots charged between the immortals and the slave archers while the cavalry further forth went and behind.

Malchior knew that if the Egyptians lost their cavalry, it would make them lose the advantage in the fight they fought. However as he almost got killed in the swift of the enemy, he ordered 15 000 men to step out of the city and stop the charge who went threw. With flags the commands were told, but 5000 soldiers were left inside Jerusalem as the rest went to fight outside. Spearmen placed them self in front in three lines, the first kneeling, second standing and the third ready in case of need, archers that followed were placed behind. They were to fight the chariots who in speed charged forth between, but as they went by the slave archers was told to shot quickly at them while the immortals threw knifes onto the driver and horse. The cavalry who went behind, was soon to be taken down as Malchior ordered the half of the immortals to kill them with their two swords. Malchior himself and the other half tried to destroy all chariots that went by along the infantry, since close the two leaders of both armies stood he decided it would be interesting to duel. "Pharaoh of Egypt, face me!"He said with a loud voice so he could hear that a challenge for duel were made, in quick speed he road against him. With his sword high in air he waved it around, ready to fight.

[Pharaoh Sabé]

The elephants were not affected by the slaves' tricks with their spears - unlike horses these beasts did not naturally fear the spears - their armour was strong and their hide thick - not many could penetrate both. The fire arrows fired at the towers did not light many, for although they were made of wood and wicker, the walls of them were covered in leather. However, the fire scared the elephants so that the drivers found it a lot harder to control them, some even losing control completely. Fortunately for the Egyptians, by this time the elephant's charge had brought them far from their own lines and while those elephants that were no longer controlled rampaged around the Persian lines, those that were still under control continued charging - straight into the archers and their fire. At this point almost all the elephants went out of control. The amount of fire was too great and they fell to their natural instincts, rampaging in fear, impervious to pain, simply going insane amoung the Persians.

Following up, breaking into the huge holes in the Persian ranks that the elephants had made, the relatively well trained Egyptian infantry charged forward, taking advantage of the confusion sown by the elephant's rampage. Sabé gave several more orders, the cavalry retreated directly away from the battle before the Immortals could reach them whilst the Chariots headed towards the slave archers, one man per chariot firing at the slaves, one at the Immortals.

Sabé himself heard the Persian general's challenge and responded quickly and simply. He raised his bow and fired an arrow past his left ear, striking a man down with an arrow through his neck. "General of Persia, I will not fight you, for when I win this battle I will use you as my general, if you wish and you are no use to me dead! I will give you a choice; Surrender now and your army will be spared and given land in Egypt or here in Persia, you yourself will be given much more land and money than you already have and shall be made a Grand General of Egypt. However, if you do not surrender, every single man in your army will be killed and this city will be burned and in time, the rest of Persia will join it. It is a smiple choice; Surrender, and recieve riches more than you have ever dreamed of owning, or continue to fight, and die."

Sabé's chariot sped off into the midst of the rest, cutting his way through Persian slave archers. He could still hear the Persian General's reply but there was no way a single man could fight his way through so many War Chariots.

[Malchior]

Malchior who was close to his immortals watched in anger as he saw what happened with the slaves he controlled, they all were falling one by one as the elephants seemed not to retreat and the chariot now turning to destroy the rest of the archers. However victory they still had not achieved, cause more tricks were able to use. As he had challenged the leader of the enemy, he did not stop his horse before an arrow almost hit him. It was the Pharaoh who had responded, but to fight he did not wish. Coward Malchior thought their leader were, as he did not accept the challenge. In return to the words he spoke, he shouted back out loud."Do you really think a bribe will convince me to lay down my arms and the defense of my country, the people I love. No! I am an man of honor and accepting such a bribe would only bring bad luck, take your treasures and army back to Egypt. This is no land of yours, this belongs to Persia and my home!"He said in fury, but at the same time he decided to throw his spear to were he stood, hoping to hit him. Champion in spear throwing he was, as games in Persia they had in times, now it was time to show his skills.

By the sight of all slaves being slaughtered by the massive army, he knew it was no possible way to fight such eager people. With a wave he ordered them all to retreat, the immortals behind the city went with the people of Jerusalem to the east while the rest of the survivors that were close to the enemy came shortly after. The slaves were left behind to fight, none of them would survive the massive attack of Egypt and live threw it, never again would they see their home. Malchior himself in anger took one glance upon the enemy and the city before he himself went after the army, they were all to fight another day but at the city of Tyrus.