He surprised himself with the ease with which he decided human fates. By the hundreds, by the thousands. Take a few men from the rear, send them to die here as a diversion. Why these two units? He liked the numbers, they were lucky, and he needed luck. The people in them weren’t fortunate today, though. They dreamt about escaping death tomorrow, but the czar pushed them right into Morana’s clutches.

Most heroic stories are ones of luck. A guy who got stuck under a pile of corpses with enough air to last the battle comes home a hero with a clean sword. The czar will name them veterans as if anything depended on them. The archers in the back meant to provide cover in the case of total defeat, they’ll be named heroes, too, even though a victory would mean they never get to draw an arrow from the quiver. Good eyes and steady hands make you a lucky piece in this fight. Not so much if you have to charge on horseback.

He held the piece resembling the royal guard. A hundred riders trained in the fighting arts of the old khans. Undefeated on a horse, sworn to die before they let their king fall. And in the scenario in which he does, they’d be expected to follow him by their own will. An old tradition but one worth keeping for a ruler who values his life. In most battle maps, they remain behind, protecting the czar from an unexpected flanking attack or a sudden change in the course of the fight. But this time, he placed them leading the cavalry. They’ll be the tip of the spear, and he will be with them.

“We’ve been chasing them for two days. I don’t know why they’re falling back. They have more men than us.” - one general said.

“Either way, they’ll have to give us a battle tomorrow. They’ve got the water behind their backs now.” - another continued.

“A retreating army twice the size of ours is no good sign. We’re falling in a trap.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“Wait.”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, wait, see what they do.”

“If we wait, they’ll fortify themselves there. Each soldier they have is half a builder, and they’ll have a better city than ours if we give them time. Then good luck stopping the menace.”

“They’re a long way from home. We cut out their supply lines and wait until they give battle on empty bellies.”

“They’re falling back because they don’t know how many men we have. They can’t scout.” - the czar interrupted the argument.

“Sire?”

“They think we have a greater army, and they’re falling back to the sea waiting for reinforcements. But the wind isn’t in their favor.”

“What do you command, my czar?”

The czar lifted his gaze from the map, drawing his mind away from the grass-covered fields, the woods and the river. He looked at his generals and advisors, desperate to find a way to arrange the pieces so they won’t have to rely on a miracle tomorrow.

“We seek battle with them tomorrow.”