Shielded Land Chapter 2 (2 of 2) (232 hits)
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Submitted by Registered_S_O (View user info) at 2008-03-07 02:40:35 EST
The two exited the mayor's property, without ever looking back. They continued deeper into the city, approaching its northern edge. Very few people were left now that hadn't either escaped or been killed. Suddenly, a monstrous whoosh of flame erupted just beyond the line of houses in their path. Loud cheering and laughing, as well as horrified screaming could be heard, just before being swallowed by the whoosh of flames.
There was a small alleyway between two houses that angled in the direction of the fire. Based on where they were now, and the size of the fire, Minska surmised that the city hall had just been lit. He shuddered, thinking of how many people must have been in there in order for their collective screams to have reached Minska and Mikalik. He and Mikalik headed into that small alley, and ducked behind some crates that were at its other end. They peered out, scanning the area before them.
The city hall was completely engulfed in fire, the flames licking high into the sky. Minska could feel the heat of the fire on his face as he broke into a sweat. The stench of the people who were roasting inside was so strong that he felt like retching where he was. When he looked to the small clusters of soldiers around the city hall who were waving swords in the air or celebrating over bottles of liquor, his anger reignited.
The only advantage he could see was that each group had no more than five or six soldiers together. Each knot of men was spaced a good distance apart. Most had half empty bottles of liquor in hands stained with blood. If he and Mikalik acted quickly, they could cut down at least several groups before the others would have a chance to bear down on them.
There were about four soldiers to Minska's left, leaning against the clerk's office that Minska and Mikalik were hiding on the side of. Minska elbowed Mikalik on the arm, and gestured with his head to the left. Without so much as an acknowledgement, Mikalik suddenly burst from his cover, and rushed towards the soldiers. Minska had to move quickly just to keep up.
These soldiers weren't expecting an attack, especially an attack by two people more skilled than they were. Minska, along with Mikalik cut through them quickly, barely slowing in order to dispatch all four. The fallen enemy soldier's couldn't even sound an alarm during the short fight. Minska angled to the right, and headed for a group of soldiers that were directly in front of the city hall's front doors. These men had caught sight of the two avenging defenders, and were hollering for their other companions to come help them.
Minska tore a path into their midst, using every ounce of skill Mikalik had taught him to quickly kill as many men as he could. Mikalik joined in a few seconds after Minska had started. Within moments, a dozen men lay sprawled on the ground, dead. The closest groups of soldiers were still a bit away. But as they approached, several other groups joined them. Mikalik grabbed Minska's shoulder and pushed him back towards another alleyway. They ran as hard as they could, knowing that only death waited for them should they stop.
As they emerged into the clearing at the other side, they came upon twice the number of soldiers waiting there, then what were chasing them. Minska was almost as shocked to come upon so many enemies as the enemies themselves were. He regained his wits much quicker though. With screams of rage, knowing that their lives were soon at an end, Minska and Mikalik danced into the ranks of men. With every cut, every thrust, every slash, both Minska and Mikalik felled an enemy. Each man fluidly moved deeper and deeper into the enemies midst, knowing that soon they would be overcome.
The shock of unexpected attackers, along with the brutality of their initial charge caused confusion among these enemies, but they soon regained their composure.
"Alive! I want them alive!" Minska heard a gruff voice yelling from deeper within the enemy's position. As he parried a blow from one man, he slashed at another. As he brought his sword arm back to perform a killing blow, he felt something hard smash into the back of his head. He tried to shake the darkness from overtaking him, but as his sword fell from his hands, he recalled himself falling to his knees as the blackness completely consumed him.
*****
Minska awoke, and immediately regretted doing so. The back of his head throbbed so badly, that he almost passed out again. He shut his eyes and focused on the gentle swaying of his body, until he was able to open them again. The world slowly came back into focus as he stared at the underside of a horse. He was lying across the beast, his hands and feet bound tightly to the creatures' body. From his viewpoint, he could see the legs of other soldier's along with yet more horses. Minska and Mikalik were in the center of the soldiers' small cavalry. He looked up and saw soldiers grinning wickedly at him. Minska looked to his right, and saw that Mikalik was bound right next to him.
Mikalik was conscious as well. He had bruises forming on his cheeks that were beginning to turn an angry purple. He gave Minska a wink and a small smile. Even that caused his face pain, by the slight wince he gave.
"We sure killed a lot of those bastards. In all the confusion of our attack, I saw nearly a dozen captured townsfolk escaping from the men in that little clearing you and I stumbled upon. Worth it." Mikalik finished with a resolute tone.
Minska nodded, as best he could anyways with the way he was tied, hanging nearly upside down. Mikalik looked up, checking to see if any of the soldiers were watching him. No one was paying him and Minska any mind at that particular moment. He quickly placed a dagger in Minska's hand, then returned his own hands to the position they were in. Minska had missed that. Apparently, the ropes tying Mikalik's hands together were cut. Mikalik shot Minska a sly smile, then motioned to Minska's bound hands. Minska started at once, slowly cutting the ropes around his wrists. Within moments they were free. He held the ropes in place so as not to tip off any of the soldiers that both his and Mikalik's hands were now free.
Minska rotated his ankle muscles, testing how tense those ropes were. He noticed that they felt considerably looser now that the tensions on his wrists were slack. He looked over at Mikalik's bindings and noticed the same thing. The soldiers had done a poor job of tying them up. Once Minska released the ropes at his wrists, both he and Mikalik would be able to shake off all their restraints. The problem was that they were surrounded by enemies, with only one dagger between the two.
"When those two soldiers move past our horse, let's attack. We can take their weapons before they realize what's happening. At least then, we will have a fighting chance. We can break for the tree line, and lose them in the forest." Mikalik whispered, staring straight at the ground.
Minska whispered back that he understood, and then waited. The two soldiers came past them, muttering how much they looked forward to the death that was awaiting both Minska and Mikalik. When they passed, parallel with the horse's neck, Minska and Mikalik burst into action. They shook off their bindings, and used the powerful muscles in their stomachs to propel their bodies over the side of the horse, both landing right behind the soldiers. Mikalik deftly spun around and kicked one soldier in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground as his fellow soldier quickly drew his sword. Mikalik kicked his face so hard that Minska heard bone break. The soldiers' sword flew out of his grasp, spinning end over end to Mikalik. Mikalik caught the blade, and quickly gutted the man.
The entire procession of enemy soldiers flew into chaos as the prisoner escape began. Startled by the sudden violence that was taking place, the horse Minska and Mikalik had been riding on began to go wild, spinning around and kicking with its hind legs. The horse managed to knock several oncoming soldiers back, preventing more than a few enemies at a time from getting at the duo. The onslaught of the kicking and rearing horse sent the other horses into a frenzy. Riders were toppled left and right as the cavalrymen were thrown into turmoil. Before he could dodge, the horse connected a kick on Minska's stomach, toppling him. When the horse brought its legs down, he caught Minska across the forehead, striking a blow against his brow.
"Mikalik," Minska wheezed, clutching his stomach where that vicious kick had landed, "leave me."
Being blinded with blood running from the gash across his forehead, Minska could barely see his friend as Mikalik redoubled his efforts to get to him. With soldiers entering through any gaps the screaming horses opened, it was all Mikalik could do to keep his head.
"I'll follow you straight to the Demonsbath Minsk. I'm not going anywhere." Mikalik roared, hacking off the leg of an attacking soldier. He brought his sword around and ran through a soldier that was coming up behind him.
"You must find my mother. Your death here will not help her." Minska said, regaining some of the strength in his voice.
Minska rolled onto his side to face Mikalik, and what he saw cleared his blurry vision. Mikalik, in the midst of wildly screaming horses and attacking men, blood dripping from dozens of wounds, had a look of such profound loss and sadness on his face. It was the type of sadness that cut straight through Minska's heart.
"Minsk, don't ask that of me." Mikalik said with a grunt, parrying blows from several directions.
"I am lost Mikal, my friend, my brother. Find her. Protect her." Minska replied, aching with the knowledge that he would never see his mother's warm smile again.
Minska caught a look at Mikalik. Tears were glistening on Mikalik's face in the warm sunlight. With an overhead swing of his sword which decapitated two soldiers, Mikalik tore away from the battle. From his position on the ground, Minska could see there was a close pursuit on his oldest friends' heels as he made the tree line.
"Go with the Forerunners, my brother." Minska whispered softly, resigned to his fate.
With the threat from Mikalik gone, the remaining soldiers set about restoring order. The horses were all calmed and the wounded were tended to. Minska didn't realize how much damage he and Mikalik had caused until he took a look around. There were about fifteen soldiers lying unmoving on the ground. Half again as many had some sort of injury. The grievously wounded were led farther down the clearing to be worked on. With the crude way these soldiers did things, it didn't look as if there was much hope for the soldiers who were seriously hurt.
Two of the soldiers came over and lifted Minska, hauling him to their leader. Haddon had his back to the small company as he surveyed the carnage around him. Without warning, he spun around, bringing his spiked gauntlet across Minska's jaw. Strings of blood whipped to the side of Minska's face as his head cranked painfully to the side. With the ground still spinning in his vision, Haddon reached around Minska's head and grabbed a fistful of hair. He pulled Minska's head back until he was looking him in the eyes. Haddon began trembling with suppressed rage as he stared into Minska's unwavering gaze.
Minska began trembling with a barely contained rage of his own. The soldiers holding him, feeling Minska tense, tightened their grip on him. With a smirk, Haddon released Minska's hair and took a few steps back.
"I heard you mention to your friend something about finding your mother. I'll find her first, believe me." Haddon boasted, pacing back and forth before Minska. "We have a few captured townsfolk. I'm sure one of them would love to curry favor with me by telling me where I can find her."
Minska stood there, staring at the man, his face a mask of boiling rage. Even if he wasn't being held by two men, he didn't think he would be able to put up much of a fight. At that point he didn't care. He would have given almost anything to wrap his hands around the throat of the man before him.
"Throw him in." Haddon said, his smirk vanishing.
The two soldiers turned him, each placing one hand on his waist and shoulder. They lifted Minska and rocked him back and forth. During a back swing, they brought Minska down with all their might, launching him straight ahead. Minska saw the field before him become a white, blinding light that engulfed his entire vision.
User Reviews
Submitted by Registered_S_O (user info) at 2008-03-07 10:45:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
thecaes you points are spot on. I'm glad what I want noticed is noticed.
on a side note, fuck me, i spillt beer on my laptop keyboard last night. I suck.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-03-07 09:46:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Not my bag at all.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2008-03-07 07:54:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I didn't like the conversation Minska was having while he was half-unconscious from that horse-kick to the head. He was entirely too coherent...I would think that if he was hurt (by a head injury, no less) he'd be too groggy to have such a normal-sounding conversation. I also didn't like Mikalik's side of it -- he's fighting 15 guys, you'd think he'd be able to concentrate on not much more than that.
Otherwise, it was pretty good.
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2008-03-07 05:25:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
WELL LOOKIE AT ALL THEM THERE WORDS STRUNG ALL TOGETHER LIKE THAT.
YOU DESERVE A SLURPEE.