Battle
Part 7
The clash between the line of horses and the Southern King’s men was ferocious. Some of the enemy fighters were equipped with spears, which unhorsed fighters of the Northern King. Arrows rained down, but the King charged onward, unleashing arrows of his own. He has trained in horsemanship and riding since he was a small boy. He was skilled at simply guiding the horse using variations in pressure from his legs. This freed his hands to fire arrows at enemy soldiers.
He managed a quick glance over at the Queen, who had just released a spear. The weapon hit its target, the Queen chased after it, yanking the weapon from the body and continued the fight. The Southern King remained seated on his steed, observing the chaos unfolding.
The scout worked hard on trying to dismantle the small structure that housed the end of the chain. The others had begun a vicious fight with the men on the shore. The housing for the end of the chain wasn’t large, but it was securely dug deep into the ground. The scout looked around for something to help, spotting the fire. It had dwindled down low, but it would work. She grabbed a piece of the wood that was still lit on one end, and held it against the chain’s wooden housing. Gently blowing on the flames, she watched as the wood quickly caught fire. Within moments it was engulfed and she called to the others.
“Captain!! We should be free to proceed soon!” The Captain looked over and gave a nod, signaling his men to start back to the Knarr. One of the enemy fighters pulled a horn from his bag, blowing on it loudly. He managed two signal calls, but the scout silenced his third. The chain groaned, snapped away from the shore and sank. The hot portion of the metal hissed as it touched the water. With their position exposed by the signal horn, the Knarr ships charged full speed up the river.
The battle at sea was bloody and fiery. Ships had collided with each other, or crushed smaller boats. A large portion of the Southern King’s fleet was on fire or sinking. The Northern King’s fleet was scarred as well, but managing to hang on.
The Captain of the King’s flagship was in the midst of giving an order when a massive explosion drowned out all sound. Fire had dripped down into the cargo bay of one of the Southern King’s large warships. The shockwave knocked sailors off their feet, and threw some overboard. Shards of wood were sent speeding in all directions, impaling fighters on both sides. The fireball and smoke billowed high into the air.
The Captain regained his footing, yelling at the helmsman to steer the ships away from the inferno, smaller explosions could be heard erupting.
The clap of an explosion drew the King’s attention sharply in the direction of the sea. He didn’t know what had exploded, whether it was a ship or something on shore. The King’s distraction was only momentary. He jabbed at an enemy fighter with a spear, as he was out of arrows.
The Southern King’s horse reared as he signaled his own cavalry charge. The Northern King yelled to his men to alert them. His own cavalry had taken a hit during the battle, but his fighting force of foot soldiers and the Queen’s men were holding well. The young King’s remaining horsed knights and soldiers rallied to him, as well as the Queen and they urged their horses forward to meet the charge head on. The two armies collided in a chaotic clash that dissolved into gore and screams.
The Knarr ships made it to the wall of the Southern King’s fortress. There they were met by hostile forces who had been alerted by the horn blower. The fighters in the ships raised shields to deflect arrows and protect those readying grappling hooks and assembling ladders. Archers on the Queen’s Knarr ships fired up at the men guarding the wall. They needed to climb the wall and attack from behind. They were all waiting on the success of this tiny force.
The scout was ushered forward and jumped from the edge of the ship to a rope that had been secured to the top of the wall. She only had moments to climb, as the enemy could release the hook any second.
The King didn’t notice his fatigue, the adrenaline kept that at bay. His armor protected his legs to a degree, he still received some cuts in areas less protected. His horse had cuts of his own, but he still reared, bucked, and kicked on command. He was a fierce warhorse. The horse wouldn’t hesitate to grab hold of enemy fighters with his teeth.
The King swung his sword in battle with men who tried to pull him from his horse. He searched for the Southern King in the madness. He finally spotted him charging down the Queen. She had noticed him as well, raising her spear as she turned her horse to change at the enemy King.
She expertly threw her spear, speeding towards him.
He dodged it, raising a spiked mace that swung on a chain. His horse seemed to gather speed.
They were both passed the point of no return. They were either going to pass by each other or one was going to fall.
The mace struck the Queen directly in her chest, knocking her off her horse. The young King watched as she fell to the ground, landing hard on her side. Her movements made it clear she was in pain, stunned. The Northern King tried desperately to get to her, but the amount of fighters seemed to increase and block his way.
He watched as the Southern King turned his horse around, the Queen’s General was charging towards him. But a spear to his horse’s chest catapulted him to the ground. The Southern King walked his horse around the Queen, who was on her back now, facing her attacker. She made no attempt to hold her hands up in fright. She wasn’t scared.
The Southern King dismounted, handing his horse off to one of his fighters. The Northern King yelled at him, his scream could be heard over the chaos of battle. The Southern King ignored him, straddling the Queen. He drew a long misericord from his belt, grabbing the Queen by the front of her armor and hauling her up a bit. The Queen grabbed the wrist that held onto her armor.
Staring right into her eyes, through the small slit in her helmet, he stabbed her at a sharp upwards angle. He wanted to watch her as she died. The Northern King was helpless, he could only watch and struggle to get to her. The Queen’s hand loosened and fell away from the enemy King’s wrist.
@thatonegreyghost OH DAMN LOOK AT THIS
@eyecandyeoz @iamthespacegeneral @jgvfhl
