2. New Alliances

GASPS FILLED the air as the catapults fired in union. Some of the archers fired their weapons but at this range their bows were wildly inaccurate and most of the arrows fell short. Within hours the archers fled, the warriors on the flank of the archers were spared the devastation of the catapults, the catapult ammunition expended the English defenders celebrated but then they stopped.
The Russian chariots were foreign to both of the armies, the Russian warriors were preparing to attack the strange units when they realized they were carrying the Russian banners!!!
The first and second Russian chariot units charged. Two horses pulled the chariots. One driver sat in the chariot along with one warrior with a long sword giving him a very long reach, and a lot of momentum. Some of the chariots had spikes on the sides, threatening to skewer anyone who came close, the English phalanx put up a brave defense but they were outnumbered, outclassed, and shocked, what the hell were they fighting? The phalanx fled from the low ridge they had been occupying back towards the unprotected city, but few of them made it that far as the Russian chariots pursued, their riders hooting with their joy and bloodlust. Then came the catapults turn to defend, a token defense was mounted which ended swiftly as the chariots came close.
As the dusk settled graves were dug, the stench of battle filling the air, and the citizens prayed they would never bear witness to such carnage again, the newest bastion of the Russian empire was fortified, its name, 'London'.
As queen Elizabeth fled on horseback to her second city of York, she cursed her intelligence sources, and her scouts. She would have to make peace with Lenin, and with the victory the Russians had won it would be an expensive commodity. She had made mistakes by under estimating the Russians. She would never make that mistake again.
'Hello??'
'Yes??'
'Who are you?'
'I am chang.. what are you??'
I am sidhu... of Bombay"
'Never heard of it!!!'
'Have you ever heard of Delhi??'
'No!!'
'I had heard rumors, but never thought it was possible, other civilizations, with power and riches comparable to the great Indian empire."
And so it came to pass that a new era of enlightenment was brought to both civilizations as the great Indian and Chinese civilizations allied, forever to tread parallel paths??
'Damn those Zulu bastards'
Heinz was usually a mild mannered man, but recently things had gone awry. Following the acquisition of new techs from the Zulu’s in their recent exchange the main body of the German army had been upgraded. The German commanders were not foolish however. They realized the aggressive tendencies of the Zulu’s and so the old units were not decommissioned, the four warrior groups were renamed the 'explorer' division. Their job now was to look out for the Zulu units.
The Zulu’s were far too intelligent to launch open hostility, this would give the Germans warning of the forces arranged against them and a chance to counteract this move. Instead the Zulu’s would bribe them away. One by one the scouts were being removed, strategic positions falling to the Zulu’s and they could do little about it.  People in Berlin were starting to get a little nervous. With Zulu armies on the border trade had already suffered a decline, the Zulu’s would have to go but the Germans could not bribe the Zulu’s as they had moved more armies to the hilltops so the units would keep a check upon each other. If German armies advanced adjacent to the Zulu’s then the Zulu’s could attack when they wanted to, the Zulu’s had already begun to build fortifications, making it impossible for the Germans to force wholesale retreats. Instead, an ultimatum was sent to the Zulu emissary.. "Withdraw or face the consequences". He knew the Zulu’s would never withdraw though, all the cards were in their favor, and they would know the consequences would be pitiful.
Within hours the answer came back "what consequences?", it was official the Germans and the Zulu’s were at war.
The German chariots rolled down the path, on both sides of the path was a clearing of about 10 meters, past that was dense forest.  Ludwig smelled a trap, he just hoped he had read the mind of his opposing commander. As the arrows hit the leading chariot the rest turned and ran, the Zulu archers began the charge from their concealed position only to be faced with the ground where the German chariots had been, as they wandered, befuddled, their commander trying to assess the situation the German first archers unit struck, a hail of arrows carved glittering arcs out of the light blue sky before descending into the Zulu archers with devastating effect. The Zulu’s began pulling themselves into line, turning right 90 degrees, but they saw only shadows in the forests where they fired. The Zulu line took heart from a piercing scream of a German archer in the distance. the Zulu commander thought that maybe all was not lost... when he heard piercing screams from behind, the German chariots had returned, the battered Zulu ranks turned and saw the battle was lost. Pride kept them from running. They rearmost archers drew their swords, and more archers turned to fire arrows at the chariots the Germans began taking casualties. Seeing his men like fight like demons the Zulu commander felt his heart surge with pride, but archers were no match for the German chariots at this sort of range, with the arrows still falling amongst them the commander ordered the retreat, as rank after rank peeled off and moved to the wood, he stayed behind in the rearguard.
ludwig watched the Zulu’s retreat in good order, he was shocked that they managed to maintain their integrity under such tough conditions, looking at his archers he doubted they would remain put in such a maelstrom, but he had won, that was the important thing, the Zulu spearpoint aimed at the German capital had been blunted, and his men would face tomorrow as the victors. as the last of the Zulu’s departed, leaving a trail of dead and wounded he shuddered to contemplate the next engagement with those troops.
Zulu strategists worked all night collating information and updating maps and statistics. the news was mixed, on the flanks the Zulu’s had made tremendous progress, but no German cities lay in the path of the advancing Zulu’s and the German units their had been second line units, using outdated technology, the German military would hardly notice their loss. in the center where the fighting had been hardest the third, fourth, fifth & sixth archer units had achieved their objectives, putting them in the right strike positions, but the first and second archers unit had been fended off, and they had taken heavy casualties. Mpondo, enlightened leader of the Zulu’s let out a gasp of amazement at that fact, he knew that units leader himself, and over the long years together had begun to think him invincible. the Germans had earned themselves a reprieve, without the archers at their throat they could maneuver their troops to plug the gaps in the line.
German strategists also worked late that night. Frederic stared at the maps, both of his flanks had collapsed but his center had held firm. that would buy him time, but time for what. the chief scientist, hendrick, approached. Frederic insisted that staff officers called him simply 'Frederic' formality had its uses, but here where sharp minds were needed it acted like a metal collar.
"Frederic, the experimental unit is ready"
"What?", He needed every unit he could get his hands on at the moment, he  needed victories, if he could turn one of the Zulu’s flanks it might raise some questions about their own defensability, that was the only hope they had. As he was briefed the king of the German Empire felt a smile touch his lips as he imagined the Zulu’s reaction to this latest development.
The Zulu chariots advanced. silhouetted against the sunrise the soldiers moved rapidly, partly belying their skill in piloting their machines and also their haste to finish this campaign. suddenly a sound filled the air like none before, a trumpet, but what was it?? As the hairs flicked up on the back of the leader’s neck he ordered a halt. what men always feared the most was the unknown.
the lumbering hulks were hidden by the forests behind them. the dark shapes were remarkably quiet, a low rumbling the only hint of their presence, then the charge begun.
The theory was that the elephants bulk, their tonnage of muscle, made them armored cavalry. the Germans piloting the elephants had endured a great deal of training, as the elephants struck the Zulu’s from all sides to compensate for the chariots enhanced maneuverability the Zulu’s terror was evident on their own faces. There was no retreat, only death and destruction as the Germans bloodlust wreaked his havoc.
"So what is it to be?"
The leader of the small tribal village always aspired towards something better. As time wore on he seemed consigned to share the fate of his forefathers, a lot of hard work to little effect. Then had come the Indian messenger. He heard tales of their cities, their splendor, and he had seen their technology. Now the council of village elders was in deliberation. What would they do? A few hours later the decision was made. The leader of the village walked over to the Indian emissary
"Welcome to Calcutta, the newest city of the great Indian Empire"

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