This time
we did not form one single, impenetrable unit, we merely attacked. I gave the
order and my sixteen brave friends sprinted behind me through the moist,
bloodstained courtyard and hurdled over the many lifeless lumps that littered
the ground. I had my eyes on the large wooden gate that protected the houses
and homes of the inhabitants of Hungate Castle; however my hopes dropped even
lower as I came closer to see that it had been smashed through and ten red
dressed soldiers blocked the entrance to perhaps double the amount of green. I
transferred all the rage from on top of the wall into my run and my trusty
blade and as I was almost upon the men I leaped into the frosty air. Proceeding
forward seemed to take longer than it should have, but this was all the more
time to get my attack honed. I pulled my sword back in the air and jabbed a
random man inbetween the neck and the shoulder. But if he screamed, I would not
have realised because I landed on a not-too-happy enemy soldier.
“What the”-
he blurted out as I slammed into his back and forced us both to the cold, dirty
floor. I pressed my shield to the back of his head and pushed his screaming
face into the ground. I broke his feeble neck. Just then my attack team arrived
with a thunderous clatter all around me. Green troops that had been caught by
surprise succumbed to the power of my soldiers blades and landed either side of
me. I stood up, and ran again. Hacked at my right where I slashed open a back
and smashed the persons spine in two, no time to stop. Two men had their backs
to me; they were fighting two of the defending red soldiers at the base of the
demolished gate. My eyes narrowed and I slowed down, I cut the left mans leg
off at the knee to which he toppled, and I beheaded the other. Amazed glares
came before thankful nods from the two defending soldiers; one patted me on my
shield, a symbolic gesture. I turned around to see the ground covered in green
soldiers bleeding and some crying, fourteen of my sixteen soldiers were still
standing, a minor victory, I thought.
I pushed
forward with my men, who had been joined by the ten defending the broken gate,
into the civilian district of the castle. We all lowered our heads briefly as
we seen houses burning, and children lying dead in the street, slaughtered. I
was sure I seen a tear stroll down the dirty cheek of the comrade next to me.
We progressed past the houses towards the screams of battle. Before us was a
prestigious set of white stairs that went up to the keep. Exactly one-hundred
and one steps ascended a small hill and held up a large marble building that displayed
a beautiful array of different columns on the outside. A raging battle was
taking place on the stairs, and my men were ready for it. I gave them all a
brief look and then jogged up the stairs missing out two every time. As I ran,
I studied the battle; these were not mere enemy soldiers. These were skilled
warriors that Rulf had sent to attack; they must have been from the deep end of
his army. They looked powerful by just studying them, however I did not back
down, and neither did my men. One of the enemy knights stepped down three steps
and squared up to me as I stopped. My eyes were dragged from his helmet to meet
a rusty broadsword hanging from his hands. It was almost the length of my body.
He raised it up without warning and let it drop towards me, the large chunk of
sharpened metal getting ever faster trying to destroy my body. I only just had
time to squeeze my shield in front of it, but even then the blow knocked me
down and I fell five steps. Bruised, I slowly stood up to see my attacker
advancing towards me.
“Go around
him!” I shouted to my troops, to which they obeyed, but they were clever about
it, one of them strayed too close so the knight took a large sweep at him to which
the man ducked. This was my opportunity. Disregarding my sturdy shield, I moved
as quick as lightning and jumped onto his back. Using all of my force and
weight, I pulled him down to the stairs where we toppled together for an
unknown number of steps. I ended up on top of his steel-armoured body with my
sword clutched in my right hand and my left on his face. He had misplaced his
death-bringing broadsword, but this did not stop him doing damage, he punched
my right arm with the force of ten men so it went numb and I toppled to the
left, where he tried to take advantage and grab my throat. However I moved my
sword in towards my body and it pierced his think armour and ripped through
flesh. I heard a loud grunt through the shiny helmet and I felt warm blood flow
down my wrist. Are you dead? I mutely
questioned him. No, he physically replied, he lifted me up into the air and
threw me onto the stairs where I landed on my back. Pain shot through me from
the blow. I noticed, as I landed my gaze back upon him, that my sword was still
sticking from the right-side of his stomach, he seemed unaware of it. Ignoring
the pain as he lunged at me, I kicked out at the pommel of my blade, forcing it
to the left, a crunching sound followed by metal hitting metal came from the
persons’ torso. I kicked the blade so it tore diagonally upwards through muscle
and ribs and it clanged against the inside of the knights’ armour. He fell on
his face and stayed motionless. I too stayed still for a few seconds to catch
my breath, they better not all be as
tough as this one, I thought. Standing up, I pushed the heavy body over and
yanked my sword from the armoured man. It was covered in a deep red blood that
contained all the memories of that man that I had just slain. I disregarded the
thought and turned around to see three gaunt-looking red soldiers remaining,
and many bodies entangled on the red-stained stairs. So many. These two words bounced around my mind continuously and I
pondered a question. What is the point in
all this death? Step by step I took, towards the three remaining troops of
my command. But the battle was not over. Inside the keep was King Rulf, leading
his powerful attacking group through the halls of our Kings home, and if there
was one main thing that stood out from the rest of the nagging emotions that
were rebelling against my own conscience; it was that I was going to stop that
devil in disguise, even if it took every ounce of my own depleted life.
>G
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