Broken Blade

Broken Blade

 

The farmlands we were headed for were situated to the west of Hollowdell. The impassable mountain range that sat between here and Silvermouth was a constant sight in the distance.

The ground in Silvermouth and this area of Hollowdell was extremely fertile and good for growing crops. Most people said it was because one of the mountains had once been a volcano, but I liked to think that it was because Silvermouth had a quiet magic of its own that nurtured life.

The grass was far greener in these parts that were closer to my second home. Apart from the fact that the Megalo trees had been replaced by the ruins of old watchtowers and such, I almost felt like I was back with Rowan on the farm.

He was so close and yet so far away.

“You see that there?” said Eugene beside me. He was pointing out towards a cluster of old buildings and watchtowers.

I nodded.

“Well that’s where Symonds men watch over these farmlands from” he continued. “The captain said we would wait behind that hill there, and on his order make a break for the place in a shield wall”

There was a large hill before the buildings which I assumed he was talking about, hopefully we would be hidden there.

“I don’t exactly have a shield, Eugene” I mumbled.

“Don’t worry, just stay behind me and Damon” he replied with a smirk.

I stayed behind Eugene and Damon after that as we approached the hill, with Martyn close behind. We all took a seat against the mound of dirt while Lucius peered over the top at our enemies. Planning or something.

“How many of us are there?” I asked, trying to count all of the men who waited behind the hill.

“Well about eighty men were supposed to be on duty today” said Damon. “Which means that at most we have about a dozen over fifty men”

“A lot of the time some people just don’t show up” Eugene explained, biting into an apple.

“Ready, men?” called Lucius, interrupting our conversation.

“Yes, sir!” came the unanimous reply of every single man.

The soldiers slowly drew together at the base of the hill in a large cluster with shields aimed in the direction of our enemies. I drew my sword and grabbed on to the back of Eugene’s leather armour, I was in the middle of the cluster.

All I could see was Eugene’s back and all I could smell was iron, sweat and the stink of men. Although I could not see the man I knew that Captain Lucius was somewhere in here with us.

I could remember Marcus saying that men like him commanded respect for not only commanding but fighting alongside their troops. So he was a respected piece of s**t to me, but a piece of s**t nonetheless.

“Now men!” Lucius roared, his voice piercing into my mind and singlehandedly propelling more than fifty men over a hill.

The shield wall quickly moved towards the first of the buildings, what looked like an ancient church. I could practically feel the arrows being fired at us but from the sound of things they were harmlessly bouncing off the shields of my allies.

I could see in between the gaps in the shields enemy soldiers filing out of some of the buildings on our left. Others stood in open windows and fired the arrows I already mentioned at us in a failed attempt.

We reached the church without losing a single man and stood together at the closed doors, pushing to try and force them open. They were shut tight though and it would take the force of a mammoth to pry them open, probably barricaded from the other side for this very reason.

“C’mon Danny!” shouted Eugene, while bashing one hand against his shield. “Jump on and I’ll throw you up”

There was a window sitting a few feet above the top of the door, and the soldiers were forming a circle to let Eugene boost me up to it. However, they were also leaving his back unprotected, I needed to hurry up.

“If you’re half as good as Martyn says you are than this should be easy for you” said Damon, whacking me over the back.

“The fresh meat always get sent out of The Wall first” Eugene added quickly. “So Martyn will be taking the watchtower alone, now hurry up and jump already!”

Without a word I ran at Eugene and jumped, landing right on top of his broad shield. The soldier then bounced me up off the shield as I jumped again and launched me straight into the window.

I landed hard and very ungracefully, it was kind of lucky though. My right arm was crushed into the ground and I continued to slide for a bit skinning the arm. Once I had stopped I rose to my feet and peered back out the window at ‘The Wall’.

It was starting to move towards the watchtower which Eugene had mentioned Martyn would be tackling by himself. As I had thought every single arrow was deflected by The Wall and fell to the grass, not a single man had even been touched yet.

Honestly I was kind of glad that I had a whole church full of people to murder by myself. Blood usually slowed the rain or occasionally even made me forget about it altogether, and without anyone else by my side the blood was all mine to spill.

I was also sure that most people would reject my way of fighting like Martyn had done when I had killed that smuggler. Yes, it was better that I was alone.

“Now let’s go and murder me some of Symonds friends” I whispered, strolling into the church.

There were three levels to the place. I stood on the second which consisted of a balcony surrounding the lower main floor. Seemingly above me was another floor, which was lead to by a number of stairwells that I could spot.

None of the enemy soldiers who were inside seemed to have noticed my presence yet, in fact, they all looked rather relieved that The Wall had left. Save for one man who sat in the corner tearing pieces of his own hair out.

“Seven” I said under my breath after counting. “Plus whoever’s up top”

There were only two men on my level, walking around and patrolling the balconies. I stayed crouched and silent, watching the closer of the two as he slowly walked in my direction.

There were three balconies of sorts, or one in three parts really. The part I was crouched on and that one of the men patrolled, a part that sat against the wall on the other side to me where the other man stood, and a part against the back wall that connected the two sections of balcony.

“We should get out of here” said one of the men down bottom. “They’ll be back soon enough and I’m sure we can slip out and return to the captain”

A second man took a step forward and hit the one who had just spoken. He let out a yelp and jerked away, rubbing the back of his head. The second man was probably their leader.

“Captain Symonds gave us an order you little whelp” snarled the leader. “And that order was to stay here and kill anyone who came for our food, so we’re not going anywhere”

“And he’d kill you just as quick as the Duke’s men would if you disobeyed his orders” the man patrolling the balcony opposite to me added.

As he spoke every man on the floor, and the other man on my level, who was only a few short meters from my hiding place turned to face him. Seizing the opportunity I sprang from my hiding place and at the solider in front of me, sword at the ready.

With one fell stroke I severed the man’s head and dropped my shoulder into his chest, sending the headless soldier down and into the church. The corpse spiralled down and onto a long wooden seat, smashing the thing and creating a momentary distraction for me.

“What the f**k!” came the shout of a man as a span around the first corner.

I could hear the rustling of cloth and clang of swords still in there sheathes bouncing about as the men moved to investigate their dead companion. I wouldn’t have long before they realised he was dead and the whole building would become a death trap for me.

“Well our friend here looks to be missing his ‘ead” said presumably the first man.

“I did notice that already you idiot!” grumbled the leader. “One of them are in here with us, find whoever it is before he get anyone else you morons!” he screeched.

It was already too late by that time though. I had already made it around the balconies and to the other patrolling man who was too preoccupied with looking down to see me coming.

My sword flashed as I brought it up and into the man’s chest, sending him down to meet his friends on the floor. Not being quite as silent as the first man I had killed, the soldier shrieked on his way down to the ground, drawing all attention on the room to me.

“There he is!” shouted the leader, pointing some kind of wooden cross at me which issued a loud twanging sound.

The wooden cross was, as I soon realised, a crossbow, and sent a bolt directly at my head. Realising I was about to be skewered through the eye I dropped to the floor and the bolt flew into the wall at the exact height my head had been a moment before.

“What are you waiting for?” roared the leader. “Go and get him!”

I couldn’t see exactly, but I knew that at least three of the five men would be heading up the stairs to get me while the leader and maybe one other man remained downstairs. I would have to be more careful from now on, these weren’t just any old bandits or raiders, they were trained soldiers.

I ran directly at the stairwell, keeping my eyes fixed to the shadows that were quickly gaining height. I was going to have to fight them on the stairs, where they had little room to manoeuvre and would have to fight me one at a time.

“We’ve got you now” came a call from the stairs. “There ain’t no running away in here, we have all the exits sealed off”

A sword fell straight in front of me as I entered the stairs, thoroughly scaring but also missing me completely. My own attack was far better aimed however and sped down through the soldier’s wrist and into the floor, severing his hand and losing him his sword.

He fell backwards screaming and tumbled down the staircase into his fellow compatriots giving me time to pry the fallen sword from his missing hand. This wasn’t going to be as hard as I had first thought, maybe I had overestimated my enemies, or better yet, underestimated myself.

The second soldier to attack me was far more skilled and relentless though, forcing me to back up the stairs. Choosing to fight in the stairwell where there was little mobility had been a mistake, when outnumbered I still needed that space, even if it meant being cornered.

Two soldiers exited side by side from the stairwell and continued to launch a series of attacks that forced me back further as I attempted to parry.

As if decided through some unseen command the two soldiers both swung their weapons at the same time, one high and one low, aimed at my neck and my knees. I blocked both swords but found myself caught in between the two men, swords locked with the soldiers.

This was not good, there was no way I would be able to overpower to men, chances were I wouldn’t have been able to overpower one. The two men both pushed with their full weight, refusing to give up I was slowly pushed backwards with my feet dragging along the floor.

If they pushed me all the way back to the wall I was done for, the could either slice me open or simply crush me, I needed to break free. Using the only feasible plan I could muster I pushed forward ever harder with my right hand and stopped pushing with left.

The soldier battling with my higher left hand’s sword slipped just over my head and collided with a pillar just beside him, clanging loudly. Falling backwards from the force of his push my lower right sword mimicked the soldier’s, but instead of colliding with a pillar the blade climbed higher and collided with the other soldier’s face.

The two of us smashed down to the floor, one dead and one alive, leaving only one soldier standing and he had dropped his sword after jarring his hand in the impact. He was as good as dead already.

I drove my blade up and into the man’s stomach as he attempted to retrieve his sword. Warm blood flowed down the sword and wet my hand, spiking my battle fever.

There were only the two men down in the church now, and I was certain that neither of them would put up too much of a fight. Even soldiers were likely to lose their will to fight after you kill five of their friends.

“Where the f**k are you?” shouted the leader. His voice was beginning to irritate me.

I moved towards the edge of the balcony and wrenched my sword free before jumping over the edge. I landed with a loud thud and the remaining two men turned to face me.

“Would you just kill him already” mumbled the leader, pushing his last soldier towards me.

I stalked towards the leader slowly, completely ignoring the other man who was charging at me until the last second. I spun and stabbed the sword in my right hand directly into the man’s throat.

He started to groan and blood gurgled from his mouth down onto his chin and neck where the sword was still impaled. I simply continued to walk at the leader, pointing my sword at his heart.

He started to jitter and recoil away from me, feebly attempting to bat my sword away with his own.

“M-m-mercy!” he cried, tumbling backwards into a chair. “Please! I have a family, a wife!”

He could cry all he wanted, he was still going to die.

I laughed and raised my sword into the air.

“I had a family too once” I said, half laughing half crying. “And no one gave us mercy”

My sword fell and cleaved the man’s face in two, it was a good feeling.

I could still hear the sounds of battle outside, The Wall would still be fighting out there and could probably do with my help I decided. I Pulling down the barricade and taking a lump of wood as a shield I sped out and into the chaos.

The Wall had broken up and the whole area was a mix of Symonds and the Duke’s men. It was an open melee where every man fought only to save his own skin.

Eugene and Damon stood together, carving a bloody swathe through anyone who attempted to attack the pair. If anyone went for Eugene, Damon’s axe would cleave them in two before their stroke fell, and if anyone went for Damon, then Eugene’s hammer would crush their skull. The two were a perfect team.

“Form The Wall!” bellowed Lucius over the roar of battle. “Form up!”

Everyone I could recognise as one of my allies began to all crowd behind Lucius. Everyone, that was, except for Eugene and Damon who continued to massacre anyone who entered the duo’s circle of death.

Martyn stood locked in combat at the bottom of the watchtower, three men surrounded him and he looked tired. I made a headline for the Manhunter and ignored anyone around me who got in the way, simply darting between the blades of my enemies somehow unscathed.

I lounged at the first of the three men surrounding Martyn and before the soldier had a chance to react he lost his head. Then bouncing from the floor before my next victim had even noticed me I severed the man’s hand before plunging my sword between his ribs.

“Danny!” Martyn exclaimed as he yanked his sword free of the third soldier. “Glad to see you haven’t gotten yourself killed yet”

“Same goes for you, Manhunter” I replied with a grin. “Although speaking of dying there’s more than just a few men between us and our friends over there” I added, nodding my head in the direction of Eugene and Damon.

There was in fact, close to twenty men who were stalking towards us with obvious murderous intent. This was where I belonged, in the heat of battle with a sword in hand and the sound of men dying around me. I almost felt like I was at home, almost.

Martyn nodded. “I’ll take the right side you take the left side?” he asked jovially.

“The left side looks bigger, Manhunter!”

“Exactly!” Martyn shouted over his shoulder as he sped off towards our enemies.

“F*****g Manhunter’s” I laughed under my breath running after Martyn.

The roar of the men all around me spurred on my bloodlust as I ran into the middle of the soldier’s. Without even having to think about it, my sword began to weave in intricate arcs around my body, prepared for the attack that was to come.

The first man dove in with an axe, swinging wildly at me. It was a simple matter of stepping a foot to the right and pushing my blade through the man’s stomach. Everyone seemed to be moving so slowly, taking their time with every little movement and I deflected every attack that came for me easily.

Another man charged at me, sword raised high above his head and saliva dribbling down his face. He was screaming something incoherently that quite frankly was annoying me. I caught the shaft of his axe mid swing and found it all to easy to force my sword into his throat.

Swiftly turning without thinking I tossed the axe into the pack of men surrounding me and it embedded itself in a man’s thigh. He fell to the ground and dropped his own weapon, screaming and swearing for his gods to save him.

“Let’s finish off the rest of them!” I heard Lucius call as I decapitated yet another man.

The battle would be won soon, I needed to enjoy what was left of it now.

The next man to charge at me looked more afraid than wrathful, I could see his shoulders tremble even as he ran. Even between his war cry and raised sword I could see in those brown eyes a little boy crying and shaking his toy, wanting his mother to come save him.

I slipped just under his arm and twisted around, grabbing around his neck and pointing my sword down at his heart. The sword fell quickly and easily, piercing through to his heart easily.

His blood spilled down onto my chest and splashed over my face, further igniting my lust to kill. Letting the dead man roll to the floor I spun around roaring for more murder, looking for more enemies to kill. However they were broken and were already retreating away from me and The Wall.

“Stand a fight cowards!” I screamed, wishing that I would be able to spill the blood of just one more man. “Fight Me!”

Yet still no one turned to face me.

“Cowards!” I screamed. “I will kill you all one day”

“Danny, calm down” said Martyn. I could feel his hand on my shoulder. “Calm down, the battle is over, we won”

I turned and looked into the smiling but concerned face of my Manhunter friend. His eyes were all but vacant.

“Good fighting Danny” called Eugene heartily.

“Yes, although I didn’t see an awful lot of you in battle, from what I saw you looked to be the swordsman Martyn believes you are” added Damon.

The two men were both covered in gore and blood as they approached, and had their arms around one another. Eugene had a large wound on his leg and was limping along with Damon’s help from the look of things. You would have thought from how the two acted and fought that they were brothers rather than old friends.

“What happened to your leg, Eugene?” Martyn asked.

“Oh it’s nothing really, just a scratch” he replied. “Mind you it does hurt a fair bit”

“It looks pretty deep” I mumbled, getting down on one knee to examine his leg.

“One of those b******s got him with a knife” said Damon.

“And he didn’t even have the courtesy to stab me with it!” Eugene exclaimed, flailing both his arms and nearly toppling Damon over. “Nasty bugger just threw it at me, lucky he didn’t get my any higher though, eh”

“Any higher and I fear I would have no longer been able to call you a man” I jested, receiving a chuckle from my compatriots.

Eugene brushed off the arm of his friend and planted himself down on the ground after a moment. Proceeding to tightly wrap his wound in a torn piece of shirt.

“It will have to do until we get back” he explained, rising to his feet.

“Well that’s not good” mumbled Damon, staring over my shoulder.

“And rather quick too” Eugene said, once again putting an arm around his friend.

Before I had the chance to ask or turn to see what they were looking at, the shout of our scout reached me.

“Captain! On the ridge, it’s him!”

It started to rain.

Him could only mean one person. Symonds.

Standing on the ridge leading down to the buildings where I stood was a lone man. I gripped the hilt of my sword ever tighter and stared up at my mortal enemy, we were now finally face to face again.

I could barely make out the man and doubted that he had even remembered me. But I could still see his freakish smile and feel his demonic blue gaze settle upon me.

Raising a sword over his head, Symonds summoned an army of men behind himself and they began to pour down towards where I stood. He however remained up top, watching and gloating as he men charged. I would wipe that look right off his face.

I withdrew my attention from the monster for just long enough to realise that I stood alone in the middle of town. Everyone else had already started to retreat, including Damon who carried Eugene over his shoulders. The rain was growing heavier.

“Danny what are you doing?” Martyn screamed from a few meters away. He was slowly backing away while trying to make sure he didn’t abandon me.

“Danny get the hell out of there!” he shrieked again. “Danny, run!”

He turned and started to run after a few more seconds but continued to glance over his shoulder at me. I still hadn’t moved though, and stood staring into Symonds blue eyes, I was going to drown in rain that came from those blue eyes.

Raising Piers in front of me I pointed the sword at him and continued to stand motionless, facing my enemy. I didn’t want to run, but I knew I had to. The rain stopped for a fraction of a moment and I took a deep breath of clear air.

“I’ll be back for you” I called out to him. “Do you hear me? It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow, but someday soon I will kill you” I howled out to the murderer.

Today though, today I had to run.