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Pugna pro diligo, secui 1 |
| Written by You Dont Know Me | |
| Wednesday, 16 January 2008 | |
 To whomever reads this: As with most of my work, I wrote this on a whim. I did not format it, or adjust it whatsoever from when I originally wrote it. I just wrote it and put it up here. I would like this to be an on going story, but I would like some feedback to see if it is even worth the hassle. Please dont hold back on any criticism, my ego is far from fragile, and I can take whatever you think I need to work on. My main thing is poetry, so story writing is till somewhat new to me. Thank you and as always, insisto semita ageless animus termino.
I look across the vast auburn and green plains with a demon in my soul. Staring at the masses of barbarians, who only wish for the moment to massacre me and my men. My back straight and my muscles tight I suck in breath to announce my arrival to this hated place, to finish this business once and for all. "MY NAME IS RIAN, SON OF TIMON, AND HEIR TO THE THRONE OF RODLIG. I COME TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER AND BROTHER. I COME TO KILL YOU ALL!"
Picking up the reins, I direct my once noble steed, to a grove of Mastic trees down a trail behind me, where I dismount. "JORDAN! COME!" I yell as I beckon my most trusted servant to me. He runs with a fever, he too loved my Father and Brother, and wants nothing more than to kill a few barbarians. Good man he, who was with me in the battle of Puniceus, and also in the campaign against the dark men almost ten years ago. "Go tell the Captains that I want them to ride and surround these ignorant fools." I say to him. "Aye sir, right away" says my servant as he turns on his heels and runs like a madman to the Cruor River behind us to inform the others of my plans.
I pull apart the drawstring of my leather satchel and reach in for my tobacco. Nasty thing it is, but I do like it to calm my nerves. I got the damned stuff from a merchant who was traveling through Nex Urbs. The man was not trustworthy, but I had heard of Tobacco, and I wanted to try it at least once. I put a small wad of the brown leaves under my tongue and turn toward my horse once again. I reach into my saddlebag and pull out my horn, a Rams horn inlaid with the Emblems that have followed generations of my family to battle.
I walk east toward a group of my men who have been readying their swords with sweaty anticipation. "You there," I call to the one nearest "what is you're name?" The man turns toward me and with a proud voice states, "My name is Ralen, sir!" I give him a pat on the back and face the others around him. " You men, you loyal men of mine. I have brought you with me on many battles have I not? Do you wish for glory? Do you wish to avenge the death of my Father, our beloved King?" They stand up straighter and look a little more serious at the mention of my Father, as I knew it would. "Yes sir!" they yell in unison. "Then will you follow me into battle, and die if needed?" I ask this of all my soldiers before battle, it is a way to ensure they are well prepared mentally as well as physically.
Oddly they say nothing to my last question, the one named Ralen steps forward and removes his armor, and drops it to the rocky, grassy earth below him. He removes his helmet and drops his sword. He looks at me with a grave seriousness that I did not expect from someone so young. "Sir, should the time come, I would die for you. I would kill myself should you ask. We as soldiers honor and respect you more than you know sir, we will follow you till the end and farther if required. We will follow you through the gates of Hades, and into the mouth of the Styx if you wish it." The boy who is now a man tells me. I stare at him for a moment, then raise the horn to my lips, take in a deep breath and blow with all my might. It is time to begin, and all must know that as warriors of this realm, we will not be scared by their numbers. For they are a stupid breed of animal, and we will slaughter them like the pigs they are.
The horn surely got the attention of my captains who I had briefed earlier about how this battle should be conducted. I help the boy Ralen assemble his gear and don it. Turning back to my horse, I notice a black spot in the sky, a bird of some kind. Depending on what kind of bird it is, it could be a good or bad omen. I look up and see a gigantic Raven circling our group, damn the gods! Ravens are the worst luck on a battlefield. Something else though, something seems familiar about this particular bird, although I can't remember why. I walk toward my steed, still seeing the damn Raven in my head. What could it mean? I begin to don my battle gear, and it hits me like a hammer. The damn bird! It's his bird, the dark man who killed my beloved. I look up and the bird is gone, but the flaming hatred I feel in my head is there to take the bastards place. I scream like a madman as I throw my helmet at the air, at nothing. "You son of a *****! You bastard child! You stole my beloved and now you're here to take me too!" I jump on my mount and ride up the trail, into the plains, into the hordes.
I forget to give the signal to begin the battle, but my screaming and riding into battle was cue enough for these men of war. The battle is on! And I don't even care who I kill anymore, somebody has to die, the rage is on me, and all I can see is death. A red haze has fallen over me as I ride across the plains toward the massing barbarians, who were caught slightly off guard by my entrance to the battle. I pull my sword, a shining beacon in the hazy blood filled view. I scream for my father, for my brother, but especially for my beloved.
The first waves of barbarians are racing toward me now, my top men at my side keeping pace on their horses. I don't see them, all I see is death. Death for anyone who makes the fools mistake of getting in my way. I bring down my sword on the head of the first barbarian that comes within striking distance, crushing his helmet and his skull in the process. He falls with a quiet thump that I barely notice as I move on to the next victim. I continue on my bloodthirsty crusade for another three hours, not noticing the many cuts and wounds that I get from all the killing. One of my men race toward me as I finish off a giant man who was wielding a mace of some kind I have never seen before. "Sire, the enemy is retreating, they are few in number, should we pursue?" the man asks me as I wipe blood from my face and neck. "I told all of you to take no prisoners and let no one escape. Damn you're face, do I have to hunt them down myself. Gather a party and follow me!" I yell and race off toward the foothills and the far end of the plains.
I can hear the soldiers on horses and on foot behind me, following me. All I can think about is my beloved, my Euthalia. All I can do is wish that I would have died with her that night, if she would only have listened to my warnings. But no, it was not meant to be. Women are meant to be stubborn and cruel sometimes. It makes up for their beauty and kindness. Damn her face! If only she would have listened. I reach the foothills and slow my horse down to take a look. My men behind me trying to catch up, I hear a rustling in the trees above an old hay barn, used for travelers who need to feed their horses after traversing the desert like foothills of the area. I look up to see the Raven who has been mocking me from across the battlefield. My head fills with rage as I dismount my horse with such awkward force, that my foot catches in the stirrup and I fall off the steed. The fall scares her just enough to get her running, and I get dragged a good twenty yards before my head hits a rock jutting from the ground that I swear wasn't their before. I fall from the horse and land on my back, I can't see anything, and I can barely feel anything below my neck, I smell hay in the air though. I know I'm going to go unconscious soon, so I try to muster the strength to give my last orders to my men. I take a breath and in the silence between I hear a voice in the distance giving orders to what could only be an army. Fear races in my guts as I realize that it was just a trap to get us into the foothills where the enemy could trap us. I try to scream but nothing comes out. I hear my men around me setting up what could only be a makeshift stretcher to carry me out with when all hell breaks loose. Sounds of screaming and weapons clashing fill my ears to the point I think it will spill out. Damn my stupid idiot brain for letting that raven and his master best me once again. I have to figure out a way to help my men, it sounds like they are getting slaughtered and its killing me to hear it. I try to roll myself over but all I manage to do is let out a loud screech from my mouth that sounds like someone just cut my throat.
Someone must be protecting me, because I haven't felt anything hit or touch me since the battle began. I hear footsteps close to my head, as I wonder if they are friend or foe, a familiar voice yells out "Never fear sir! I promised that I would follow you to the end, and it looks like this is it. I'll meet you at the gates of Hades, and together well sack the underworld!" It was Ralen! God bless his face, he has proved to be a very worthy soldier. I think once this is all over, if we survive, I will promote him to Captain at once. Suddenly I hear a sickening sound that makes my heart sink and my blood turn cold. The voice of the dark man close to my ear, "Hello Rian....I like you're friend here, he may sound like a warrior, but I assure you that he looks like a baby that just **** itself. HAHAHAHA! Don't you see you fool? You're done! I'm going to eat the young soldier's heart after I watch him die by my hands. Then I'm going to work on you. But first you must listen." Before I can do anything I hear shuffling feet and the sound of someone being choked to death. Must be Ralen, poor child, he will live forever in the halls of the warriors. I suffer through this for thirty seconds or more then there is no sound. No fighting, not moving, not even any air moving. Ten seconds go by, twenty, nothing.
The silence is unbearable when I hear what sounds like wet lips blowing air next to my ear, a creepy sound to say the least. Shuffling feet again and then a blow to the head, I pass out with my last thought being of my beloved Euthalia.
To be continued..... Copyright 2008 You Dont Know Me |
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