1 - It's Too Late

Fort Goran is under attack. Major Boarwood doesn't have much time to make a choice. Does he sacrifice himself and his men to buy time for the escaping women and children or does he die with his family

"It's too late, we're overrun" Major Boarwood's words rang out through the courtyard of Fort Goran.
Battlements fell around them, cannons crashed to the floor and fire crackled in the darkness. His heavy metallic armour weighed on him after three days of siege. His thick helmet couldn't keep out the sounds of people's screams around him. His breathing was loud and raspy and his hazel eyes burned in the heat of his dying Fort. He knew he was going to die. All he had left was his honour and Major Augustus Boarwood had never been destined to die without honour.
He climbed up onto the half crushed roof of a market stall and called out to his men.
"Tonight, you are going to have to make a choice. I will not judge you for whatever option you pick. The women and children are fleeing into the caves with hope of escape. I know many of you have families down there. You may choose to die with them or you may stand here and fight alongside me and try to buy them some time"
He finally caught his breath, taking off his helmet to look upon his men. Men looked straight back at him with the faces of long service and years of fighting. One pushed his way to the front and stood tall.
"I have been proud to serve alongside you, Major, for many a year. My wife will tell my son of the story of his father's death when he is old enough. She will tell him that he fought to defend their right to live and died at the side of a great man"
He held his hand up for Major Boarwood. The Major knelt down, slowly, his exhaustion finally beginning to set in. He grasped the man's hand firmly, a nod was all he could muster to show his appreciation. After all, his own wife and two daughters were currently escaping through the dark damp tunnels that laid beneath Fort Goran.
He pushed up hard, clambering to his feet. His armour creaking as it showed the signs of wear and tear from its battles over the long years. He stared at his men, all had spear and shield in hand, they look tired and weary but he could see that their courage had not faltered.
Mustering all the strength he could, he shouted "What say you!"
"Howrah! Howrah! Howrah!" His men answered their commander's call.


Outside what remained of the castles walls, Gorgon, the commander of the Spica legions listened to the desperate rallying of the Major's men. Gorgon has a huge beast, 7 feet tall with green skin and numerous scars scattered up and down his arms. He was 197 years old and joined the army of the Siadi Dynasty when he was just 24. He rose through the ranks quicker than any Spica in history. His troops did not follow him because of loyalty, they did so because of fear. Gorgon was ruthless and answered only to one, King Yunoki, leader of the Siadi Dynasty. The king saw Gorgon as a brother but one who had to be controlled or he could become a loose cannon. Gorgon had followed the King for more than 100 years and was willing to die for him but he had no plans of doing so today.

He sat upon his own beast, Amdacus. A giant black bear, her fur was burnt as charcoal and her red piercing eyes put fear into even the bravest of men. She was given to Gorgon by his father when he and she were small. They have never left each other's sides. Her claws were as sharp as knives and hard as rock. Blood of her victims stained them dark red. She snarled as they moved between a hundred thousand soldiers armed with heavy spears that looked more like pitchforks. They had been forged from melted Grittum found in the hills of Portide. One of the toughest materials found in the land. His army would shake any man to his core, but not these men.

Major Boarwood knelt down in the shadow of the portcullis, feeling the cobbled stones with his bare hand. He was the mere age of 12 when he walked through these gates for the first time with his mother. He could still remember the smell of Apple pie in the air and the noise from the markets, people haggling, change being rustled in someone's pocket.
"Sir, Sir...." A voice whispered behind him.
He opened his eyes slowly and turned round to the 50 men standing behind him.
"I am honoured to die beside your side men." He said through a raspy voice and watery eyes.
"When this gate is lifted we will make our final charge into the light realm, may I see you there." He raised his fist and punched his armour three times as a salute and a sign of his gratitude towards them. His men gave a little bow and then did the same.

The Major took a deep breath and rotated to face the roar that resonated behind him. He looked straight into the red angry eyes of Amdacus. Her mouth was foaming at the edges and her large white teeth bared at him. Boarwood kept a straight face, this wasn't the first time he had come nose to nose with this brute. Amdacus and Gorgon both shared scars that were caused by the silver tip of Boarwood's legendary blade, Therod.

Therod was passed down through ten generations of the Boarwood family. As his father died when Augustus was very young, his grandfather, Samier Boarwood gave Therod to his grandson on his deathbed.
"This blade has a past, present and a future. Your forefathers were its past, I was its present and now my dear Augustus you are its future, she will never fail you. Use her to cut down your enemies, defend your people and honour the legend of the Therod knights" Samier whispered with an airy voice.
"I will grandfather, I promise" Augustus replied.
"I know you will, I know you will" Samier whispered again, with an even quieter voice this time.
He shut his eyes and he was gone, gone to join his son in the light realm. Finally at peace.

Boarwood removed his helmet to look Gorgon in the eye. The green monster had the same expression as the monstrosity he sat upon. The Major met them with a smile, almost a laughing smile. He gently began to tap Therod against the courtyard floor. The silver tip made sparks with the cobbles. An accompanying noise thundered behind him. Without turning round he knew his men were banging their spears against the ground, trying to strike fear in the enemy's heart and showing they were not afraid to die for the right cause.

Augustus looked up at the shivering man in the gate hub. The man look back and gulped, grasping the lever in his hand, knowing that he would be opening the door to dozens of deaths. The Major turned and scanned his men, he knew they were scared but they did not show it, he looked around and saw courage, might and the will to protect one's family.
He held his sword up as high as his body would allow it and screamed from the bottom of his lungs "Fear no evil!"
The gate behind him lifted up with an almighty creak. Once it is just halfway up both sides charged. Amdacus went straight for Boarwood. He had to duck and roll out of the way of her clenching jaw. He could hear the large snap ring out in his ears. The world around him began to spin as he tunnelled under her. She tried to turn back round too quick and fell onto her side, crushing five unlucky souls in her way. Gorgon was thrown from his mount into a wall and was stunned. Boarwood quickly shot to his feet and did not dare look back, he charged towards the advancing legions alongside his men.

Soon all around him was the sound of breaking spears and shattering shields. His men were holding them back in the shadow of the gate. Gorgon's troops were a range of different races from the wide reaches of the Siadi Dynasty. The majority were Monie, they looked like walking rats, the size of a man but with the advantage of extensive claws on their right hand. Claws that could slice a man's torso open in one slash. The Monies were the front line, expendable creatures whose only real strength apart from their claws came from their sheer numbers.

Many men had dropped their spears after the first charge, unsheathed their swords and begun to extinguish the plague of rats before them. Boarwood was in the thick of it, Therod was too strong for the Monie's light steel swords, it cut them in two and with the following strike he cut the rats down.

Then a tremendous roar echoed across the field in front of them. Every man stood in his place as did every Monie. Over the crest of a small hill that had faded into the darkness came ten gigantic trolls with huge lit torches in their hands. The torches seemed to be made from tree trunks. For all the Major knew the trolls had just ripped them right out of the ground. Augustus stood in shock but only lost his senses for a second. He quickly regained his composure and called out to what remained of his small force.
"Men take the higher ground, choose your opportunities well and go for the throat. If you need to throw your sword make sure it is going to strike its target"
His words were quickly taken in by his men and they began to regroup and move as one to the rocky mounds on the east side of the fort. The major knew they would lose time obtaining that position but he also knew it was easily defendable. Gorgon had failed to take that advantage during the siege. The green menace had managed to collect himself and strike down a few of Boarwoods companions with the mighty club he clutched in his fists. The club was made of steel but it is thick enough to make it virtually unbreakable and it would strike fear into his enemies when they got within range of the metal spikes at the top of it. Gorgon quickly caught onto the major's plan, cursed himself for not utilising that option. He gave Admacus, who had gotten to her four large heavy paws, a stare that was so angry it frightened even the giant bear. She slowly moved back from her master and then leapt into action.

It took her a matter of seconds to catch up with the scattering men who were clambering over the rocks. She swung her head with mean force, throwing Gorgon's forces onto their backs to clear her path. Boarwood saw her coming and screamed at his men to climb faster. A man's foot slipped from the rock he was climbing upon and she crunched it in her powerful jaws, his yelps could be heard across the battlefield. She tossed him over her shoulder as though he was a chew toy and he disappeared into the masses of Monies below them.

With every passing moment the trolls got closer. They were now at the base of the rocks and in that time Boarwood and his men had only managed to climb twenty feet. It was not going to be enough. He jumped over one of the troll's swinging arms and then quickly rammed Therod between its knuckles. A giant roar rattled the rocks. He seized his chance. Climbing onto the trolls hurt arm, he raced up on all fours towards the beast's neck. He pulled a knife from his gauntlet and stuck it in the eye of the troll. It fell backwards, taking the major with it. The defeated monster lay dead at the bottom and Boarwood surged into a run but was taken by surprise. Gorgon had entered the fray and hit the major square in the chest with his enormous fist. Augustus was thrown backwards and landed on his back, coughing up blood on the dirt underneath him, he feared the worst. Gorgon slowly approached him with Admacus at his side. She prowled around the downed warrior, jumping in front of the major and snarling so he couldn't even try to crawl. He leaned his head up to see his final few men trying and failing to fight valiantly. They were struck down with ease by swords. One disappeared into the mouth of a troll. Leaning his head to his right, he could see the masses of Monies scurrying into Fort Goran to try to eradicate the last remaining human occupants of his beloved castle.
"This is where a man might say that you fought bravely, Major Boarwood" the booming voice came from Gorgon, the deep tone only heightened his power and might.
"I am not a man, I don't have your honour and mercy, I know only blood and victory. You have escaped me many times but it seems your running has finally come to an end" he continued.
"Any last words?"
The Major looked up and said "I'll say hello to my father for you".
Gorgon smiled, but it was an evil smile full of hatred and dirty brown teeth.
Boarwood laid his head back and shut his eyes. Only one image entered his mind in final moments. His two daughters, Nadia and Sophia, stood before him in blue silk gowns smiling at their father, their brunette curls winding down over their shoulders. His beautiful wife standing behind them, a hand on each shoulder of her children. He smiled at her, she smiled back with a look that had always filled him with love and happiness. He looked deep into her hypnotic light blue eyes and became oblivious to the world around him. 'This is perfect' he thought. Gorgon raised his club above his head with a look of anger paved across his face. He brought it down with all his might and stuck the major in the torso. The club met his body with a great thud. But the major made no noise and did not stir. He simply shut his eyes and he was no more.