Facing The Rain

Facing The Rain

 

It was raining. In my world and in everyone else’s too. The rain had been with me ever since I had left home and started my journey through life. It was almost nice that it would be with me now, at the end. I think so at least.

We numbered only thirteen against what Martyn had counted to be around thirty men. Thirty men and Symonds. Only four of us were real warriors, but I had no doubts that we would come out on top. The thought of us losing never even occurred to me.

“Scared?” Martyn smirked at me from where he crouched, but a few meters away.

The rain was only really just beginning, just a slight drizzle. Although the fact that it would soon grow heavier was made clear by the black clouds that hung in the air.

“The only thing I’m scared of is having to look at your ugly face for any longer.” I laughed quietly. “I thought you said that we would move as soon as I was ready, so what are we waiting around here for?”

It was awfully funny that I could still find myself joking with Martyn, a man who could very well be my executioner. He knew that too though, and yet he continued to act the same as he always had before.

“We’re waiting for Nicolas to give the signal for us to move in.” Martyn pulled a funny face. “Which he will give after he deals with the few archers that Symonds has” he added before I could speak.

I sighed and slumped down onto the ground. I was getting tired of waiting but I really did have to from the sound of things.

“You all seem rather well organised” I ventured as I weak attempt to spring up a conversation. It worked well enough though.

“It would seem so wouldn’t it?” Martyn replied gleefully. “You know, it wasn’t really any of us who planned this all out.”

“Well who was it than?” I asked. Why did I always talk so rudely and abruptly? I hated myself for it sometimes, I really did.

“It was your father actually.” Martyn’s reply shocked me into a state of silence for a moment.

“The mighty Guardian of the East. Lord Reubin le Pelletier!” he called out mockingly.

I stared ay him and nodded blindly. I mean the rain wasn’t that heavy, and I could still see Martyn. But the nod itself was blind or something like that, I think? Both rains started to get heavier then, and visibility was quickly starting to become poor.

“If Nicolas takes any longer than we won’t be able to see his signal” I grumbled.

I was right, even though the rain wasn’t that bad the air was misty. Mist always meant that even flaming arrows were hard to see unless you were close, and Symonds was probably closer than us… So you would have thought that he would see it first, or at all. He didn’t though.

“Speak of the devil” Martyn muttered with a smile.

He also pointed to a small dot of light that was quickly sailing in our direction. I drew my sword and quickly spun up to my feet. My weapon was incredibly light, something I hadn’t noticed during my fight with the Manhunter. I had been far too emotional then to think about a thing like that.

The horses’ head and cherry tree design of meteorite metal glowed dimly. When I swung the weapon to warm my arm up I could even have sworn that it flashed. It was nice to know that the three of them would be with me at the end too. The rain wasn’t going to lessen this time though.

“You ready for this, Danny?” Martyn sounded sombre for once, almost respectful.

I looked around at all the people and faces I could make out nearby. I could see Elle, Eugene and Damon, Peter, Lettuce, Samuel, Godfrey and the whole lot of them. Everything was right, everything was just as it should be. Everything that was, except for Symonds.

I could feel my lips curling up into a smile and a twinkle dancing in the back of my eye when I nodded.

“Let’s go and get him then.”

Before Martyn had even finished speaking or before he had even shouted for everyone to charge I was already sprinting over the hill. Every step I took had me gaining speed as I made a headline for Symonds. Of course I couldn’t see him, but I still knew that I was running towards him.

The area I was heading into strongly resembled the farmlands of Hollowdell. It was possible that at some time in the past the Duke of Hollowdell had held a stake of land out here. Something along those lines probably, hence why Symonds knew there was somewhere out here that he could retreat to and hide in. Hiding wasn’t going to protect him from me though.

Slowly gaining my wits I started to slow down my sprint to more of a jog. Allowing for Martyn and the others to catch up to me as I approached the ruined village. That was all the place was really, a messed up village with a crumbling watchtower that actually didn’t look to bad for wear.

“If you keep running at that pace you’ll be burnt out before we even catch sight of Symonds” Martyn mumbled.

I laughed, and then howled against the rain that battered my face. The water was pouring down from the sky now, I think I was enjoying it. It felt kind of… fresh.

“Don’t worry about Symonds” I replied. “Just try not to die, otherwise you won’t be able to walk me into that prison cell.”

Martyn looked dead serious and a little upset for a second, but then he scratched the back of his head with one hand and laughed. It was funny after all.

“Maybe save the jokes for after the battle laddies” Godfrey called out from just behind us.

“Good idea!” shouted Eugene.

“Especially since I can see the first of our enemies just there” Damon added.

“Lemme at ‘em!” both men shouted as they raced off towards the first enemies to come into sight.

Only the two of them broke away though, everyone else continued to run together towards the tower. Symonds had to be there, I could feel it in my bones as the group clustered around me. They formed a sort of protective wall around Martyn and myself against our enemies.

This protective wall was slowly diminishing though. As every time we passed a group of enemies, just like how Eugene and Damon had split off so did more and more people. Eventually only Martyn remained at my side after Godfrey began to crush the skulls of men with his hammers.

The two of us were growing closer and closer to the watchtower. We darted in and around men, many of who ended up sprawling on the floor. It was only when  we reached the watchtower and both rains reached their peaks that we were forced to stop.

We skidded to a stop in the mud and started to look around. We were completely surrounded by Symonds’ men, or at least those who weren’t being held off by everyone else. There was far more of them than I had expected, now I thought about it, if I had come alone they would have killed me.

However, with Martyn at my side and the majority of our enemies being dealt with I was certain that I could win. That we could win, it was only a matter of defeating Symonds after that.

“Are you ready for this too?” Martyn asked beside me. I could have sworn…

“Is it just me or are you afraid, Manhunter?” I asked. I thought I had heard a tinge of fear in his voice.

“Most men would be afraid when surrounded by this many soldiers” he mumbled back. “At least I’m brave enough to admit that though.”

I was about to laugh, but then instead I screamed through the rain at the men surrounding us. A few of them faltered which lead to me wanting to laugh even more, which in turn lead to even more and far louder screaming. I could feel Martyn’s back against mine, shaking with laughter as we stared headlong into death.

“What are you waiting for?” Martyn roared. “Come and get us!”

At his ‘command’ Symonds’ men converged on our position. Like a loop tightening around something and strangling it, except there was going to be no strangling.

I pushed off Martyn’s flank and launched myself into the fray. I think I was screaming the entire time that I carved through our enemies. It was all far too easy for my liking, the scream helped to make things more intense though.

Swords, axes, clubs. All manner of weapons came hurtling towards every single part of my body, and usually multiple at once. My sword, Ropitherin, darted between each approaching object easily though. In part due to its light weight, but I also noticed that I had become far quicker after my father’s training.

As Ropitherin pushed away the blade of another man I simply stepped forward. From there I buried the sword up to its hilt in his chest and then ripped it free. Blood sprayed across my arm and poured from the wound down and onto the floor.

Ropitherin was then ignited by the first blood of battle. Many of the enemies surrounding me watched in horror as blood seeped into the metal. Pure white cherry blossoms slowly started to bleed a deep crimson red. This colour spread throughout every visible white section of the sword, stopping only before the horses’ head pommel which I had purposefully separated from the rest of the blade with a small shard of steel.

While my enemies simply watched the sword change I continued to slice my way through them. There came only a small amount of resistance to my attacks, which was easily overcome. Ropitherin seemed to always find the holes between each man’s guard before creating its own holes in the men. Slowly growing deeper, darker, and far more intense in colour with each kill. Heck, I’m sure I would have been scared of me too.

“Danny!” Martyn’s scream cut through the rain like a blade of sunlight.

I spun on heel and flicked Ropitherin over my back at one of the men. The sword sliced the throat of the final man assailing me as I walked towards where Martyn’s scream had come from.

“I hand would be nice, Danny!” Martyn screamed again. A hand? I did only have one after all. I laughed.

Martyn was surrounded and although he was doing well against his enemies there was obviously too many of them. He looked physically exhausted and it was impossible to tell how much of the blood covering the Manhunter was his own. I guessed that at least some of it would have to be, especially judging by his limp.

I lunged into the mass of men surrounding Martyn blindly. Ropitherin immediately found purchase in the throat of one man and then the chest of another. After killing the first two I crouched and spun with my arm outstretched. The sword cut into the back of several legs and brought the owners down and into the mud.

I wave of fear surged over me as I realised that I could have just slashed out Martyn’s legs from underneath him. Although from the sound of things the Manhunter was still fighting, that helped to calm me down. I would have to be more careful and go about helping Martyn less erratically, lest I accidentally kill him in the process.

The rain made was going to make this process even harder though. The shapes of men and their weapons could be made out in the misty rain, sure, but who or what exactly those shapes were was impossible to tell. Even with Ropitherin’s crimson glow lighting my way it was going to be hard to figure out who Martyn was. Although I was certain that the poor visibility had lead to Symonds’ men fighting one another, if not than I was certain that Martyn would have been dead already.

“Danny!” I heard the scream again. This time it sounded far more desperate though.

The desperation in Martyn’s voice made me worry less about accidentally killing him. Since after all, if I was too tentative the Manhunter would die anyway. I’m not certain, but I don’t think he would have minded had he died by my hand. I was in many ways already a murderer.

I plunged my sword into the back of a man’s neck and then tore it out in the direction of another. The second man also fell, decapitated and Ropitherin continued in its arc and through the wrist of a third man. The weapon cut through bone and flesh as if they were only butter, it made murder far easier.

The next man I swung my sword at ducked the blow and darted forwards at me. He slammed into my chest and dragged the two of us from the pack of men and into the ground several feet away.

“Danny?” the man gasped as I thrust my sword towards his neck. The point of the blade stopped but a hairs with from his throat.

“Martyn!” I exclaimed as the Manhunter rose to his feet.

The shape of a large dark hand appeared by my face. I gratefully took it the hand with the stump of my right arm and was yanked up and onto my feet. From there I was just close enough to make out the Manhunter’s face in the gloom. His eyes shone with a pale blue light, quite different to that of Symonds’ dark blue eyes.

Thinking of Symonds’ rain eyes seemed to make the man appear. Thinking about them was what heralded the end.

“Hey l... Martyn was crouched over and gasping for air between words. “Look who it is, Danny”

For a second I had no idea that Symonds was there staring at us… well at me. All I could see were the men who stood all around us, menacing looks on their faces and weapons in their hands. Not too many of them, I would have been able to deal with all of them. But all of them and Symonds, that was a stretch.

“It would appear that we’ll be having that rematch after all.” I only realised where Symonds was when he spoke.

He was the dark silhouette that stood up near the base of the old watchtower. Absolutely everything about his figure was entirely black and shadowy, except for his eyes. His deep blue eyes shone at me through the downpour like two shards of rain. Just like shards of glass I could feel them digging into my skin, and also my soul.

“Oh and I see you have a new sword” Symonds remarked. “ohh Shiny” he added shortly, his voice sounded nothing short of childish.

While he spoke not a single one of his men made a move against us. Lucky considering Martyn needed time to catch his breath, and a quick rest after my warm up was a good idea before battling Symonds I decided.

“We really are the same you and I” Symonds mused.

I think I let out a laugh… or maybe it was a cry. “We have nothing in common, Symonds.”

Symonds waved an arm and started to walk down towards me from the stone steps of the tower. With every step he seemed to become a little clearer through the rain. Although with every step the rain seemed to get a little heavier, and a little foggier.

“Just hear me out for once, Danariel! I mean all I’m saying is that we both enjoy a god fight” Symonds explained. “That’s how we’re the same, although we probably do share other similarities…”

I was quiet and pretended to be in deep thought for a few seconds. I could still hear Martyn’s deep breaths beside me, and really I was just stalling so that he could rest for the storm that was to come.

“I suppose we are similar in a few ways” I mumbled back, just loud enough for Symonds to hear me.

Beside me Martyn nudged an elbow into my ribs and I looked at him in the corner of my eye. The Manhunter nodded. It was his way of saying ‘I’m ready’.

“I’ll deal with this riff raff” he whispered quietly as I returned my gaze to Symonds. “You just make sure that Symonds gets what’s coming to him.”

I smirked and nodded side on to my Manhunter friend. “My pleasure.”

“It’s a real shame that I’m going to have to kill you” Symonds called out. Then he drew his sword. “You know, with us being so similar and all. We could have been the best of friends!” he explained with a shrug.

I laughed and took a step forward, Symonds was only a few bounds from me. I drew up to my full height and stared carefully into his eyes of rain. They didn’t seem so scary anymore. Even though it was raining, and I was cold, and I was facing the man who had murdered my only true family and cut off one of my hands, I wasn’t scared.

Originally when I had looked at Symonds all I had been able to hear was Katherine’s heart wrenching scream. Now though, I could hear her dainty little laugh and could almost see the flash of her white toothy smile. I was ready.

I was still thinking about my home and smiling when Symonds launched himself at me. In our first battle I would have been too slow to dodge his attack, but this time he seemed so much slower. Ropitherin appeared in the way of his sword reflexively and I bounced away from Symonds, causing him to stumble ever so slightly.

“Are you really so dishonourable as to attack before I’m even ready?” I spat. “And you believe us to be similar!”

The two of us circled one another circled around one another while the rain continued to heave down. None of Symonds’ men had moved yet and neither had Martyn. The Manhunter stood right where I had left him, he looked ready to kill anyone who got too close.

“Honour! Goodness! Morality!” Symonds screamed. “They’re all just words, none of which will save you in a battle! The only difference between you and me is that you insist on pretending to be a good person and you try to do good things, Danariel.”

Symonds started to shake his head and lowered his guard. He paced slowly from side to side and occasionally shot glances or pointed his sword at me.

“I know you’re just as bad as the rest of us, and so do you” he hissed. “We’re all horrible and evil really, the best thing to do is just to accept that fact. Otherwise, all that’s going to happen is you’re going to die!”

Symonds lunged at me once again, this time a scream on his lips and a look of murder on his face. I just slipped underneath his sword and brought the stump of my arm up into his stomach. He coughed and moved backwards while I spun and arced my sword towards his neck. However the strike was easily avoided and Symonds quickly regained his composure.

Symonds raised and hand high into the air and clenched it into a fist. On that command all of his men rushed towards Martyn. After spinning his sword in between one man’s head and his neck the Manhunter spun out of the path of a man’s axe.

“Eyes on me my friend” Symonds growled. “I won’t pay you that courtesy again, so try not to get distracted again.”

I launched my own attack as soon as Symonds had finished talking. Ropitherin struck out towards his neck and was bounced back. But I simply spun the weapon I turned my next attack towards his leg. However that strike was also blocked and Symonds jerked forward with his leg afterwards, catching me just in the bottom of my ribs.

Using the hit’s momentum I dropped my legs back and landed on my hand and stump in the mud. From there I kicked off the ground and spun through the air at Symonds. Our swords locked together preventing Ropitherin from cutting Symonds’ but he was unable to block my entire body.

I crashed down on top of him and the two of us smashed down into the mud. A mixture of rain and earth sprayed up around us and into the air, displaced by our bodies. I screamed and pressed down with my sword forcing it close and closer to Symonds’ face. However, taking a hold of his sword with both hands Symonds jerked forward and kicked out with his feet, launching me away.

This time I slammed down onto my own back and the air was squeezed out of my chest. I attempted to roll forwards and onto my feet but the lack of oxygen seemed to weaken my muscles which ached, especially my leg and back.

Now it was Symonds’ turn to pounce as he ploughed down on top of me. A bright flash dove past my face as his sword just narrowly missed my eyeball, only just necking the skin of my temple. Then the sword rose and fell once again, this time it stabbed deep into the earth on the other side of my head which I twisted to avoid dying.

His legs were pinning my own to the ground. I only just managed to slip one free as his third strike came for my throat this time. My knee came up and dug into Symonds’ thigh as I ducked my head under his and slammed my skull into his chin. The attack which had been aimed for my throat simply slid over the back of my head and his sword stabbed into the ground once more.

Symonds spat blood and what I think was a piece of his tooth onto my face and readied to pull his sword free. I was already moving though and slammed my fist into one of his collarbones and my stump into the other. He was pushed free but this time managed to spin to his feet as he slid backwards. However his sword was left in the ground behind my head.

I jumped up and ripped the sword out with the side of my boot. I placed a foot on the weapon’s blade and eyed Symonds carefully, he simply stared at the sword. Unmoving.

There was a sound from behind Symonds and I looked over his shoulder to see Martyn standing in the midst of three men. Several more were fast approaching. I bit into my lip and watched as the Manhunter could one and then another of the three men. But as he turned to strike down the third another men leapt towards him, sword aimed at his throat.

I could feel my lip start to bleed again as I bit down on it ever harder. However, as the man’s sword got within a few inches of Martyn a dark line whizzed through the air and struck the man down. It had been an arrow.

Another arrow emerged from the darkness and struck down yet another man before Nicolas burst forward. I stopped biting my lip and smiled. He had two long hunting knives in hand and thrust them both into the stomach of a man who had charged him. My smile deepened even further as Godfrey burst forth with a hammer in hand and joined Nicolas and Martyn.

I turned my attention back to Symonds who had silently moved closer to me. He thrust at me with a knife and I moved just quickly enough to deflect the attack with my gauntlet. Then I leant backwards and slammed my foot into Symonds stomach.

He slid back to his original spot and started to cough and pant, but only for a moment. I waited until he had finished and kicked his sword back towards him. I wanted to kill him properly, not when he was practically unarmed.

“Let’s finish this, Symonds.” I clutched tightly at Ropitherin as he retrieved his weapon.

He nodded largely so that I could see it though the rain. “That is a grand idea my good friend, Danariel.”

I darted forwards and thrust my sword straight at Symonds’ chest. Ignoring any potential attacks that he could throw my way. Ropitherin slipped just past his sword and continued on its path straight into Symonds chest. I felt his muscles tighten a bit but then they relaxed. He started to make strange gurgling sounds, choking on his own blood I thought. In reality he was laughing.

“You missed.” The words took too long to register and Symonds was already stabbing his sword at my back.

Ropitherin had only slipped between his arm and his chest, somehow managing to slide into his armpit. I yanked back on the sword which Symonds attempted to hold with his arm while his sword flew at my back. However due Ropitherin’s composition the sword slid free easily and I spun to block Symonds’ attack.

His sword stabbed just into the side of Ropitherin and rebounded. A loud clanging noise echoed around the place and  I could see his hand start to shake as the sword vibrated. Pressing the advantage I swung Ropitherin at his sword in the hopes of knocking out free.

My plan succeeded and as our swords clashed Symonds’ hand hadn’t the strength to hold on. His sword was knocked free and javelined itself into the ground a meter or two away. This time since I had properly disarmed him there was no need to give the sword back.

I cracked my stump across Symonds’ face and knocked him down onto the ground. I could just make out the mixture of fear surprise and rage in his rain eyes. Afraid of dying, surprised I had disarmed him and angry that he had not been able to kill me.

I raised Ropitherin in front of my face and prepared to thrust down and into Symonds, finally killing the murderer. Much to my own surprise though a dark figure smashed into my side and carried both of us into the ground. We rolled upon landing and I stabbed my sword up from below the mans ribs and into his heart. He stopped moving instantly.

“Symonds!” the scream rose to my lips unbidden as I launched myself up.

He had already retrieved his sword and now stood at the bottom of the tower’s stone stairs. The b*****d was smiling, but at least he still looked scared, scared of me.

As I stepped towards Symonds and the tower Martyn appeared at my side. He was followed by Eugene and Damon, and the appearance of a bow and arrow at my side made me assume that Nicolas too was there. Slowly from all around everyone filed out of the darkness. A few with cuts, bruises and other injuries, such as Elle who’s arm appeared to be bleeding a fair bit. But all thirteen of us were still there, all alive.

“Give it up, Symonds!” I bellowed. “You can’t win this one.”

Symonds shook his head and slowly started to back up the stairs. The entire time he nervously pointed his sword at each and every one of my companions. Once about halfway up the stairs he turned and started to run up and into the tower.

Beside me I heard Nicolas pull back the string of his bow and saw the point of an arrow aimed at Symonds’ back.

I placed my hand on top of the bow and pushed it down. “No. I’ll go and deal with him in there.”

Nicolas nodded and returned the arrow to its quiver. As obedient as his son had always been to me.

I moved towards the tower and climbed the stone steps quickly, the entire time peering inside trying to catch a glimpse of Symonds. He was nowhere within sight though, I would need to go inside to find him. I felt Martyn’s hand on my shoulder as I was about to step inside.

“Time for us to go and get him, Danny.” The Manhunter smiled weakly.

“No not us” I mumbled back quietly.

He nodded. “I thought that you might say that, I just wanted you to know that I would have come with you had you wanted.”

There was a scream behind us and upon turning I could see a man lying on the floor with an arrow protruding from his neck. Off in the darkness I could also make out the shapes of Symonds’ men, or what remained of them, charging towards us.

“Think you can deal with the riff raff again?” I asked Martyn jovially. “After you do and after I kill Symonds then we can see about having a drink in my new home.”

Martyn nodded again, this time slowly and strangely. “But… your new home? What or where would that be?”

I sighed and patted the side of Martyn’s rough face. He needed to shave too, and cutting his hair was a good idea, it was full f blood and other filth and gore.

“The prison cell you’ll be taking me to after all this of course!” I exclaimed. It was always good to joke about serious matters, it helped take the edge of things.

“Aye” Martyn replied. “Good luck.”

“And to you too, Manhunter” I said with a smile. “Good hunting” I added as he started to walk away and I started to walk inside.

‘This is it’. That was the only thought that I could properly settle in my mind as I stepped into that tower. And that was it, it was time for the end, it was time for the clouds to burst.