My sight fades…. The vague outlines around me dissolve into forms of shadow and light, sounds of muffled angry voices grow ever distant. 'Where am I?' ask my self My mind wanders to thoughts of miss opportunities throughout my young life, occasionally interrupted by the thud of a boot or the connection of a fist to my disconnected body. I can feel the rush of blood flowing from my many wounds. I can hear the crunch of a bone breaking under the weight of this onslaught yet I cannot feel any pain, the scene suspended below passes in half speed my body slowly becomes more unrecognizable. I can see the fading form of my body hunched over the lifeless silhouette of a pure jet black steed, whose blood had half drained producing a dark Erie lake. As the scene slowly retreats the vivid red outlines of my hostile enemies can be seen approaching, pounding my broken body with fist, foot and other blunt implements of torture.
I'm unable to pick out a single voice but the screams of the surround echo in my thoughts and I remember. 'My … friends, my brothers and sisters in arms, my…. Family! Are they….. How could I be such a fool!' The word Family echoed in my consciousness along the faint call of my name. With that last splattering of blood the word 'family' splutters from my beaten mouth and I suddenly awoke, like a person rising from a violent nightmare. The scene below me suddenly transforms. With unearthly strength and resolve my crippled body rises from ground, my mangled eyes blinded by a red haze. My unsporting hand finds my concealed dagger I turn on the one who dared speak my name.
5 minutes earlier…
I wheeled my stead Raina gracefully around observing the battle from my elevated vantage point. We have been pushed back through the Moragh settlement. 'Gah how can this be!!' I thought desperately as I'm forced to watch chaos of blows traded between factions battling below occasionally sending an arrow whistling into the neck of a young soldier bearing the mark of Three Rings.
Despite our greater numbers our forces were caught off guard, enjoying the last vestiges of a late Autumn day in the heart of the settlement complex. The fate of the young Fearghal recruits placed on the road to warn of such movements unknown. Crom seeks to test us I believe, allowing such a hell bent force to pass though the winding mountain passes untouched on the eve of such happiness for Fearghal and Lord Tyrnan.
When the tribal war horn was sounded I could scarcely believe my eyes as the hoard of Three Rings warriors marched slowly over the crest of the hill beyond, a wall of broad shields expertly presented. It was only when legion halted to a stop I saw the forms of another band of warriors. My face fell as I glanced upon the hooded faces of our Northern neighbors who hail from the House of Asgaurd.
The late nights suns rays glance of the highly polished shields and blades of the enemy hoard obscuring my vision. 'It appears even the sun god of old seeks to test Fearghal resolve and skill' I could make out Lord Tyrnan declare as he addressed Lady Leeloo and our guests and allies. My eyes scanned the horizon looking for a weakness in the lines of the trained soldiers but alas the only way now was back into the thin alleys and pass of the higher settlement. To stay where we were would be suicide. One way of another I thought desperately the fight would lead us back. But of course we were pushed back, and far beyond the point any of the allied force might have expected.
Despite the fierce precision of Commander Sentanza and his mercenary band and the tremendous presence of Lord, Tyrnan our forces were slowly being cut down by the well supported enemy. I watched as two more Fearghal recruits from a northern Cimmerian tribe were struck by the lightening fork of a spell cast from behind the wall warriors, their bodies momentarily elevated before their screams of utter desperation can be heard piecing through air splintering the morale of the young fighters in the second line.
These screams scared me more than anything I had yet seen in this battle. I froze, I looked upon their bodies, a plume of black smoke still rising from their burnt corpses, barely of age. I looked upon the face of the hooded Stygian who had cast the deadly spell and recognized him to hail from the fortress of Asgaurd, his sharp angled features and menacing smile. The twisted Mage was wearing a blood soaked robe of an indistinguishable colour as the glittered in the retreating Suns rays as though teasing my eyes with is shifting hues. 'Zethrion... Why does Asguard support this madness?!' I muttered under gritted teeth. Then Rage took me. I was no longer the calm collected Counselor of Fearghal, the voice of assurance, of reason.
I could not longer hear the sounds of battle, all muted as I stared into the face of the hooded man. As his eyes meet mine I had pure hatred and rage flowing where blood should have been. The caster of spells lazily side stepped my first piecing arrow bedding its self instead into the forehead of a young soldier. To whom he fought for I do not know nor did I care. The second arrow burst into flames sending shards of burning embers into the eyes of the Necromancers' kin and allies. Yet the Mage stood firm ignoring the writhing bodies around him desperately trying to rid the molten ash from their eyes. My rage fueled further by the smirk across the his face I threw down my bow, unsheathing my sword and shield, I barely heard the call from Lord Tyrnan to retreat and reform.
'For Fearghal!!' I screamed eyes bloodshot and burning and I urged Raina to charge down my foes. The Adrenaline pumping through my veins like black lotus concoctions straight to my heart disconnecting any form of Fear sent form my head. The pure strength and momentum of Raina sent the first line of defenders crashing onto the floor, Raina's graceful but powerful hooves pounding the life out of those that dared stand firm. The Turnir skills I had so often practiced with my brothers and sisters coming into their element I skilfully raised my broad shield with half a second to spare as an arrow thudded into its centre. Then turning the shield to its edge I placed the razor sharp corner into the visor of the nearest southerner in full plate. The experienced soldier let out a gasp of pain as I bathed in the warm spray of his blood across my face. His hand clutched his blinded face in a desperate attempt to stem the flowing entrails and severed optical nerve endings falling from the sockets his bright eyes once rested.
The effortless power of Raina drove me threw the front line and to my delight the dying embers of the second arrow still distracted the soldiers closest writhing with hands to their eyes. The terrible image of the two brothers burnt alive still vividly imprinted onto my mind I carefully directed Raina's blistering pace towards the first of the soldiers. My sword bent low over my shield I took careful aim like so many times with the training sword it sliced the man between the gap in his breast plate breaking his collar bone and releasing a spray of warm blood onto the side of Raina's neck. The pace of my mount still unheeded I swung the broad sword into a high arc throwing it wildly down upon the young warrior next in line the blow sending the fighter falling to the ground the loud thud drowning any sound the fighter might have released.
My eyes caught sight of the Mage casually retreating to an alerted secondary cohort readying themselves for battle. With one last look the Hooded Stygian smiles and turns tail whipping his long blood stained cloak as though it were a flame distinguished by the sudden surround of bodies. The line behind me had closed, the legion of the Three Rings and Asguardian Warriors had sured up whole I had punctured. I glanced behind to see the alliance of Fearghal tribesman and the brave members of the Blood Dawn faction making a desperate attempt to break through. The shouts of Tyrnan I can clearly hear now yet I slowly close my eyes not daring to acknowledge the furious orders of my captain.'I cannot turn back now' I whispered to myself. My adopted Cimmerian family unleashing their anger furiously and futilely against a shield wall interpretable. 'While I'm still alive they will not give up their attack' I resolved as I opened my eyes to peer into the onslaught my Family were dealing to the enemy. Yet as though in half motion for every stroke landed on a misguided soldier, a slash of Cimmerian blood could seen spraying like the crest of a sea wave constantly breaking upon a cliff.
The sharp halftone sound of an arrow sweeping pass my face went almost unnoticed as I sat mounted upon Raina. The slow sounds of the secondary cohort armored chain mail creeping closer yet I remain transfixed on the scene before me. 'You fool Caspian' I muttered to myself as the image of the hooded Mage's sinister smile flickered into my consciousness.
'He wanted this... to lead me where he knew my brother's and sisters would follow. 'How could I not foresee this ploy?' I pleaded with myself. A tear fell across my cheek when I realized I would never see the any of my friends again. I could hear the fighters approaching, screaming chants of war only yards from me now. An arrow slices the flesh on my shield arm. I feel it drop slowly yet there is no pain. The tear nears the end of my chin grasping onto the very stubble my young years have blessed me. Now every stroke traded between the opposing forces becomes indistinguishable. The weight of every stroke upon every soul seemed to weigh upon me some how. Every relentless swing of Fearghal sword, Axe and arrow, every pint of blood spilled was because of my haste. I smiled to myself in acceptance.
As another arrow whistled past my face I remembered something Athair once told me. 'Even the lowest trickle of water cannot be stopped by anything on this world. Given time it can eat away through Earth, rocks and steel and yet not even Crom himself can deny its path.' A smile broadened slightly as I finally understood its meaning. My brothers and sisters shall never give up. Fearghal, family of honor shall prevail in the very end. I looked one last time into the eyes of my brothers and sisters. Tyrnan's sword drops as he steps away from the front line, his face relaxing he gives me the smallest of nods. Slightly behind Captain Sentanza and his Sergeant Naridos let their attention to the battle falter they raise their hands ever so quickly to a salute.
The image of the Mage stung into my mind, red with anger, flames raging from the sockets of his skull. I laughed as I could feel him attempt to burn his fury into my the very depths of my mind as he attempted to destroy my soul. I learned forward slightly, stroking the slender neck of Raina, wiping the blood of my foes from her well groomed hair. 'I'm truly sorry Raina my friend you have ever been loyal but I ask you... leap for me one last time' I whisper.
My adrenaline pumping once more the events around me sprint into real time. With one last burst of energy I screamed 'For Fearghal' in the dialect of the northern tribes sending my words as far as I could muster. As though reading my mind Raina reared onto her hind legs. With every last piece of strength summoned to my arms I pull on the mounts main of hair pleading with my graceful friend to preform this one last act, to die with with me.
My heroic charge into the heart of the enemy was short lived, a spear sent straight into the breast of Raina sends her crashing towards the ground kicking out with every last drop of strength towards her destroyer. I feel the sturdy weight beneath me falter as a two handed blow partially severs Raina's slender neck just before another mighty slash slices the tendons of her powerful rear legs. She falls lifelessly onto the ground dismounting me for the first and last time.
My sword falls from my grip, my shield abandoned I crawled with every last bit of strength towards corpse of my loyal mount. For some kind of twisted sport or pleasure my attackers lunge at me with bare fists and armored feet screaming taunts in my ear as I attempted to reach Raina. Life leeching away from me this was when I slipped into my coma, curled up around the once mighty body of Raina begging for the deadly blow to end my life so I could finally find my place of peace.
...
...
'Leave him! Caspian is mine' a man shouts as I lay semi conscious between the worlds.
The word Family echoed in my consciousness along the faint call of my name. With that last splattering of blood the word 'family' splutters from my beaten mouth and I suddenly awoke, like a person rising from a violent nightmare. The scene below me suddenly transforms. With unearthly strength and resolve my crippled body rises from ground, my mangled eyes blinded by a red haze. My unsporting hand finds my concealed dagger I turn on the one who dared speak my name.
The blade is stopped with ease by the middle aged soldier but his grip is not tight but supporting. I can just make out a fatherly like smile appear across his weather worn face
'I am Darion of the kings 11th legion and you will feel no more pain tonight' he whispers carefully into my ear.
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