You really needed a career change, if a giant demon-blight infected frog rushing towards you in the midst of the dark forest didn't instill this thought then nothing would've. But you fear you wouldn't have the chance to job hunt because soon a putrid smell rushed your face when the beast's mouth almost completely engulfed your head within seconds after tearing through your teammate's innards in front of you.
This was it, you lived as a peasant that wanted to make a change for your kingdom. To bring about "Honer" you always heard that among captains and fellow knights, it seemed inspiring until you were seconds away from being mauled because of it. Why'd it have to be squad 13, it practically had a less than 10% survival rate, if you didn't die this mission you'd die the next.
But this seemed to be it, a name on the never-ending list of casualties. There were men who died before you and many who'll die after. You pray to whatever God there may be that you're next life will be fruitfu-
-A green light flashes and the frog disperses into purple mist covering your face in frog gore. Your head whips to the direction of the attack, you can't quite tell but it seems to be in the tree lines. With your new chance at life you take no time scrambling and making a beeline under one of the carts, hiding the duration of the fight. Deformed frogs burst left and right. Some from the the mystery sniper, others from the new dark-skinned fighter throwing knives. 10 minutes of explosions and gore later the battle seemed to be over. The new issue arising was getting in trouble for deserting your position and hiding the entire fight.
Maybe you could sneak off and regroup with everyone later…Yea! You got lost fighting and just made it back after the battle happened to be over! Your thoughts are interrupted when the cart gets pushed away, stripping you of your shelter. The gruff bronze-skinned man stands over you. Next to him stands a grinning lanky, scuffed looking dude, missing multiple teeth, holding a thunderstaff carelessly. He must've been the sniper.
The scruffy man lets out a cackle before speaking "What a coward, hiding without a sense of honor as your teammates get slaughtered." He nudges the weapon towards you, aiming it down directly at your chest. You flinch, confused, sure hiding like a punk wasn't the most honorable thing in the world but surely death wasn't a justifiable punishment. "Deserters like you deserve a fitting punishment." The weapon starts to charge up, casting a green light. The new light allowed you to see the fighters better, more specifically their, necks. Red X's covered their throats to the back of their napes; Penal Heros. Ah, you were about to die…again…to felons.
Before you could imagine your brain matte splattered across the forest floor the green light shoots directly behind you, causing a gust of purple guts and gore to cover your back. You whip your head around to see a demon-blight frog carcass. Looking back at the man he lowered his now smoking thunder spear and gave a detached snaggled toothed smile.
"You thought I was aiming at you did'n-" He lets out a pained groan as the dark-skinned man throws a hefty punch directly into the left side of his jaw. You wondered if that had cost him another tooth.
"Try that shit again Tsav and I'll make sure they'll resurrect you while your body burns on a stake." That seemed a bit harsh to you, but to be fair just a minute ago you thought your last moments would be spent looking someone who looks like a cracked-out bandit. "I was just messing around , no harm done!" He replies. They start going back and forth or more specifically it was who you presumed to be the 'leader' berating the more submissive man. This gave you the chance to sneak off and try and regroup with survivors, you pushed yourself up and ran through the dimly moonlit forest. Knights surrounded you but none alive, some masked, some not. Some in one piece, others with just their lower halves left. The deeper into the cranage you went the more the blood consumed the grass leaving almost no trace of the untainted greenery. The blood on your back starts to dry and cling to your undershirt; your chest armor lost to the battlefield for a while now. The crusted amphibian blood on your face serves as a reminder of your derailed demise.
Mothers, Sons, Fathers, Daughters, Sisters, Brothers all dead. You were the only one f your group left alive. Flies start to swarm the fresh corpses of your comrades. They seemed to have mistaken you for them with how still you stood as they started to land on your cheek.
Uhhh Gomen it might be shotty tell me if I should finish. First fic a little nervous
