August 12, Noon, Battle of Cremona
Two steps later the Irishman tripped over the outstretched arm of a corpse and dropped to all fours. Releasing his weapon, he crawled forward the last few feet before collapsing.
Baer shouted, "Get him out of here!" Lukas Baer looked at the prone body of the Irishman. They never truly got along, but that didn’t matter. This man’s heroic action had just saved the line from untold death and carnage. Seeing O’Barr fall fueled Baer with a rage he had not felt since the breach.
How many men will it take for us to win? Way too many. Damn them damn them all.
A roar escaped Baer’s throat as he stepped over O’Barr’s body and turned his pike parallel to the ground. He charged into front rank of the Venetian pike unit, his body and plate armor absorbing much damage. Baer merely used the pain to fuel his anger and his body.
The Venetians were caught off guard by the large German. The five men directly in front of Baer were pushed back and down. The tripped and ended up in the quagmire of mud and body parts. Much to their dismay their comrades behind them merely stepped upon their bodies to use as better leverage against the slippery mud. Unfortunately for them they also were struck down by Baer’s righteous fury.
Seeing the gap forming Erik directed the heavy infantry to move in behind Baer. The numbers of the Heavy Pike had dwindled down to a mere six men left. Of the original four Zweihanders, only two remained. This battle had taken its toll and Erik was done with it. If he could smash the enemy now, then he would.
“HENRI! ARTUR! GRAB SOME MEN AND FALL IN BEHIND THE HEAVY PIKE! MOVE INTO THE GAP AND PUSH OUT. LET’S TEAR THESE VENETIANS FROM THE INSIDE OUT!” The two men looked at Erik and felt the responsibility of what was just placed upon their shoulders. They have been given temporary rank to maneuver men within the pike unit. They hurried to the task and selected several men, then they pushed their way forward to behind the heavy pike.
Baer’s vision was blurred from his or someone else’s blood, he didn’t know which and really didn’t care. He had pushed the Venetians back and heard the men fill the gap behind. A sword snaked in and cracked the shaft of the pike. Baer dropped the ruined weapon and grabbed the next closest thing he could. Unfortunately for the Venetian that Baer grabbed, Baer had no intention of taking the Venetians weapon.
Grabbing the Venetian by the arm, Baer pulled him up and over onto the press in front of him. Once more this knocked a couple of men. Out of the corner of his eye, Baer saw a flash of steel. Quickly he grabbed another Venetian and pulled him to block the sword strike. The Venetian locked eyes with the large Grizzly of a man and saw only pain and death there.
Baer twisted the body of the now dead Venetian pulling the sword out of his attacker’s hand. The large German reached forward and grasped his attacker by the neck and just squeezed. The man’s throat gave way with a sickening crunch and a spraying of blood. The men directly behind took one look at the blood soaked berserker and broke. They ran to the rear, none of them wishing to battle the red killing machine.
This caused confusion that Jaeger’s pikemen used and began to decimate the Venetian pike. Baer took two steps forward and fell to his knees. He tried to rise but realized his legs would not respond to his commands. He cursed loudly and twisted from side to side. With a guttural roar Baer’s eye’s rolled up into his head and he fell back on to the ground.
Gerd saw the large sergeant fall and grabbed Oskar. Oskar merely looked where Gerd was pointing. What he saw stopped even the talkative Oskar into still quiet. Quickly the two men raced forward and grabbed Baer and began to drag him back to the rear. There was so much blood that they were unsure if Baer was wounded or merely exhausted. Baer had stood on the front line for the entire battle, a seemingly unyielding stone of steel death.
Men passing the three men stopped to stare shortly before pushing deeper into the Venetian unit. Erik was walking forward with his unit when he saw the three men. Looking down at Baer and the two struggling pikemen, his heart sank.
“You two, return to your position, leave him.”
“But sir…” Oskar started.
“You heard me man, get back to your position. He will be picked up if he still lives from those in the rear, but we must finish the push that he and that Irish bastard started, now get the hell back into the line.”
The two men placed the sergeant down with his head above the muck and moved forward once more. Erik heard the irrepressible Oskar start in about something, No doubt about me just leaving Baer here to die.
Erik looked down at his Sergeant and long time friend.
Damn you Baer, live or so help me God I will march down to the gates of Hell and find you myself. God be with you, you old bastard.
Erik nodded and moved forward. He looked up in time to see the Florentine army crash into the flank of the Venetians. The cold grin grew and he bellowed, “TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY TO BE A VENETIAN!! ONWARD, SEND THESE MAGGOTS TO HELL WHERE THEY MAY BE TORMENTED FOR ETERNITY!!!”
There was a general yell and the pike unit moved forward. To the left of Jaeger, Le Clerc and the reserves from Sforza pushed forward as well. Behind them they left ground littered with the dead and dying. Only time will tell if those that were left behind would tell of their deeds tomorrow.
The left hand of Lukas Baer twitched once and then laid still…
Two steps later the Irishman tripped over the outstretched arm of a corpse and dropped to all fours. Releasing his weapon, he crawled forward the last few feet before collapsing.
Baer shouted, "Get him out of here!" Lukas Baer looked at the prone body of the Irishman. They never truly got along, but that didn’t matter. This man’s heroic action had just saved the line from untold death and carnage. Seeing O’Barr fall fueled Baer with a rage he had not felt since the breach.
How many men will it take for us to win? Way too many. Damn them damn them all.
A roar escaped Baer’s throat as he stepped over O’Barr’s body and turned his pike parallel to the ground. He charged into front rank of the Venetian pike unit, his body and plate armor absorbing much damage. Baer merely used the pain to fuel his anger and his body.
The Venetians were caught off guard by the large German. The five men directly in front of Baer were pushed back and down. The tripped and ended up in the quagmire of mud and body parts. Much to their dismay their comrades behind them merely stepped upon their bodies to use as better leverage against the slippery mud. Unfortunately for them they also were struck down by Baer’s righteous fury.
Seeing the gap forming Erik directed the heavy infantry to move in behind Baer. The numbers of the Heavy Pike had dwindled down to a mere six men left. Of the original four Zweihanders, only two remained. This battle had taken its toll and Erik was done with it. If he could smash the enemy now, then he would.
“HENRI! ARTUR! GRAB SOME MEN AND FALL IN BEHIND THE HEAVY PIKE! MOVE INTO THE GAP AND PUSH OUT. LET’S TEAR THESE VENETIANS FROM THE INSIDE OUT!” The two men looked at Erik and felt the responsibility of what was just placed upon their shoulders. They have been given temporary rank to maneuver men within the pike unit. They hurried to the task and selected several men, then they pushed their way forward to behind the heavy pike.
Baer’s vision was blurred from his or someone else’s blood, he didn’t know which and really didn’t care. He had pushed the Venetians back and heard the men fill the gap behind. A sword snaked in and cracked the shaft of the pike. Baer dropped the ruined weapon and grabbed the next closest thing he could. Unfortunately for the Venetian that Baer grabbed, Baer had no intention of taking the Venetians weapon.
Grabbing the Venetian by the arm, Baer pulled him up and over onto the press in front of him. Once more this knocked a couple of men. Out of the corner of his eye, Baer saw a flash of steel. Quickly he grabbed another Venetian and pulled him to block the sword strike. The Venetian locked eyes with the large Grizzly of a man and saw only pain and death there.
Baer twisted the body of the now dead Venetian pulling the sword out of his attacker’s hand. The large German reached forward and grasped his attacker by the neck and just squeezed. The man’s throat gave way with a sickening crunch and a spraying of blood. The men directly behind took one look at the blood soaked berserker and broke. They ran to the rear, none of them wishing to battle the red killing machine.
This caused confusion that Jaeger’s pikemen used and began to decimate the Venetian pike. Baer took two steps forward and fell to his knees. He tried to rise but realized his legs would not respond to his commands. He cursed loudly and twisted from side to side. With a guttural roar Baer’s eye’s rolled up into his head and he fell back on to the ground.
Gerd saw the large sergeant fall and grabbed Oskar. Oskar merely looked where Gerd was pointing. What he saw stopped even the talkative Oskar into still quiet. Quickly the two men raced forward and grabbed Baer and began to drag him back to the rear. There was so much blood that they were unsure if Baer was wounded or merely exhausted. Baer had stood on the front line for the entire battle, a seemingly unyielding stone of steel death.
Men passing the three men stopped to stare shortly before pushing deeper into the Venetian unit. Erik was walking forward with his unit when he saw the three men. Looking down at Baer and the two struggling pikemen, his heart sank.
“You two, return to your position, leave him.”
“But sir…” Oskar started.
“You heard me man, get back to your position. He will be picked up if he still lives from those in the rear, but we must finish the push that he and that Irish bastard started, now get the hell back into the line.”
The two men placed the sergeant down with his head above the muck and moved forward once more. Erik heard the irrepressible Oskar start in about something, No doubt about me just leaving Baer here to die.
Erik looked down at his Sergeant and long time friend.
Damn you Baer, live or so help me God I will march down to the gates of Hell and find you myself. God be with you, you old bastard.
Erik nodded and moved forward. He looked up in time to see the Florentine army crash into the flank of the Venetians. The cold grin grew and he bellowed, “TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY TO BE A VENETIAN!! ONWARD, SEND THESE MAGGOTS TO HELL WHERE THEY MAY BE TORMENTED FOR ETERNITY!!!”
There was a general yell and the pike unit moved forward. To the left of Jaeger, Le Clerc and the reserves from Sforza pushed forward as well. Behind them they left ground littered with the dead and dying. Only time will tell if those that were left behind would tell of their deeds tomorrow.
The left hand of Lukas Baer twitched once and then laid still…