by Brad Clark
He took two quick steps back to be sure he was out of her immediate reach. Defeat was clearly in his eyes and on his face, so Nikki hesitated. He turned his sword down and buried it point-first into the ground. Nikki relaxed, as the fight was over. No Sak’Hurai would dare defile their weapon by putting it into the ground in such a disrespectful manner unless they were relinquishing their position.
Tys dropped to a knee and held out his good hand. He chest heaved, and his eyes were heavy as he said, “I yield.”
Nikki still burned with anger. The adrenaline that pumped through her body during their fight continued to course through her veins and fueled her rage. “You have chosen to revolt against my authority. That is your right, but your failure does not allow you to yield, or for me to give you mercy!”
She replaced one of her swords in the scabbard that hung from her back and took her other sword in a two-handed grip. She stepped forward.
“Hold!” Kile cried out from behind her. “Princess Nikki! We will need all the swords we can get. This does not need to end this way!”
Nikki did not need to look around at the Sak’Hurai to know that it needed to end this way. If the infection was left to survive, it would permeate her warriors, eating it from the inside out. She would lose all power and ability to lead. If she chose any other option, she might just as well put her swords down and walk away from her life. But, it was not just the Sak’Hurai that needed her, it was Conner and Glaerion that needed her and her army. It made her sick to her stomach to do what she must do, but there was no other option. She was their leader, and she must do what they needed her to do, and that was to ensure that she maintained her rank and position. Anything less, and another Tys would step forward and try and take her position.
With both hands on the sword, she leaped forward and swung the sword at the same time. Using the force of her jump, coupled with the speed of her swing, she drove her blade through the air and between Tys’ head and shoulders. His eyes were closed as the blade struck true, and the head tumbled to the ground.
She took one deep breath to keep herself from being sick. She had killed many times before, but none had ever torn her soul like this one did. She hated being the leader, the one who needed to do what needed to be done. There was no one else to do it. Her father was hundreds of miles away, and even he might not have been able to do what needed to be done.
The Sak’Hurai who remained all drew their swords and took a step forward. As one, they let out a cry of support with a low, guttural chant. She had proven her leadership on the battlefield, and there would be no more challenging of her role. Her heart pounded, and she sucked in deep gulps of air to get her wind back. She had made a nearly critical error in not breathing while she fought. Fortunately, the fight was quick.
“To arms, your highness,” Kile said. “The battle awaits.”
The emotion of the moment had drained her energy, but she knew she did not have time for such weakness. With a raise of her bloody sword, she cried out, “To arms! Death to the Bargoroth!”
Chapter Six
Nikki walked to the front of her Sak’Hurai warriors, stepping over the body of Tys. He was just the first casualty in the battle, but she knew he would not be the last. Not one of her Sak’Hurai looked at the body. Their eyes were solely focused on her. He had been defeated in an honorable way and would be quickly forgotten. The battle was about to begin, and it was time to focus on fighting the enemy instead of one another.
A shout from behind caused heads to turn. Atop his horse, General Lucius was charging at them, screaming for them to get into position. Before she could respond, he rode past, his horse churning up big clods of mud. His voice carried for some distance as he yelled and screamed at anything that moved too slow or moved too fast.
Nikki seethed with anger and could not move while she watched General Lucius ride away. For a handful of heartbeats, the moment was becoming too big for her. First, she had to put down one of her best warriors because he had tried to usurp her authority. Now, she had to listen to General Lucius berate anything that moved. Yelling at professional soldiers was not motivating. It only made them angry and frustrated. Chances are, they would fight poorly.
“I’ll take point,” Kile said, recognizing Nikki’s mood. He needed to get her out of her funk, so he volunteered for the most dangerous position in their formation knowing that she would never allow it.
Nikki shook her head and said, “That is for me.”
Kile relinquished with a sharp nod and held back a smirk. She had not realized what he had done. With her emotions back in check, she stalked to the front of their formation, swords firmly in hand and ready to be put to use. A legion of Tarans marched past, their boots crunching and stomping on the cold, muddy ground. They made enough noise that she had to shout as loud as she could.
“Diamond formation,” Nikki cried out.
As one, the Sak’Hurai tightened their formation into the shape of a diamond. She did not turn around to face towards the battlefield. She stood still, her eyes moving across her warriors, gauging them for how they returned her gaze. She liked what she saw.
Still shouting, she said to them, “This is not our fight, but it is one that we have chosen to engage in. We give no quarter, nor expect any. We push forward as fast as we can, but we stay in tight formation. No one leaves or steps out. If the enemy does not engage us, we do not engage them. We are not here to win anything. We only must punch through their lines and survive.” She looked around to be sure there were no questions. All eyes were clear and showed they were ready. “If you fall, you are on your own. We will not wait, so keep moving forward. Are we clear?”
The Sak’Hurai lifted their swords as one and gave out a deep, guttural battle cry.
“On me!” She shouted. Then she turned and began striding towards the center of the Taran army.
None of her warriors hesitated. They all immediately marched together in the formation of a diamond with her at the point. Each Sak’Hurai were close enough to one another to cover any gaps between them, but far enough apart where their swords wouldn’t interfere with one another. Her mind drifted for a moment to the death of Tys. There might come a time when she would have to answer for her actions, even though she knew that what she did was right and within her right as the leader of the Sak’Hurai. With a visible shake of her head, the thoughts of Tys left as quickly as they came. Her mind was cleared of any distractions and was focused solely on the battle at hand.
As they neared their appointed spot, General Aeneas approached riding atop a muscular roan mare. He wore a bronze helmet with a single red plume sticking out from the top. It was not as audacious as General Lucius’, but it marked him as a general for his troops to quickly spot. He turned his horse to match their pace.
“Your place is past the Third Legion, right there,” Aeneas said, pointing to an empty spot in between two masses of centurions.
Nikki gave a sharp nod even though she already knew where her warriors were supposed to be. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, and her breathing was deep and controlled. The swords in her hands felt light as feathers, and she knew she was ready.
General Aeneas continued to match her pace. She glanced up, surprised that he was still there. Their eyes caught for a moment, and something more profound than the admiration of fellow warriors passed between them. For a moment, her heart fluttered, and her mind drifted. The instant she sensed her feelings bubbling up, she pushed them down. She was a warrior and could not afford to think any thoughts other than killing her enemy. She snapped her head back forward.
“Good luck to you, Princess Nikki,” Aeneas said with a soft and friendly tone.
Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she replied in a firm and cold tone, “And to you, General Aeneas. “I pray the One God looks down upon you favorably.”
“You will head east?” he asked, with some hesitation.
“As soon as we break through their lines,” she replied sharply. Out of the corne
r of her eye should see that the General was sitting uncomfortably atop his horse. It was almost like he was nervous.
“Your swords will be missed, but I understand that your loyalties are elsewhere.”
“There is room for one more sword,” Nikki said. The moment the words crossed her lips, she regretted saying them. She meant what she said, but she still could not believe that she let her feelings slip into her words.
Aeneas laughed. “That would certainly be an adventure! My loyalties are to my empire, and my duties are to stand with my Centurions. Once this battle is finished, maybe I will find my way east.”
Nikki gave a curt nod and increased her pace so that Aeneas would no longer distract her. There was something both heroic and tragic about the general. He was a handsome, strong man, unlike anyone she had ever met. In some ways, he reminded her of Conner, but he was a professional soldier, something that Conner would never be. Conner might be a great warrior, but he would always have a little of his peasant upbringing inside of him. It was an enduring trait, but not necessarily attractive to her. She also knew they both would fight to the end for what they believed in, which is what made Aenea’s life tragic. Despite the strength of the Taran army, her instincts told her that there would be little left of the army after the day was done. It wouldn’t matter, though, for she would be long gone before the sun was down under the horizon. Their single goal was to punch through the Bargoroth lines, and they would do it with swift viciousness.
The guilt at leaving the Tarans to their fate was fleeting, for she needed to focus on leading her Sak’Hurai to their designated spot. From the middle of the army, it was difficult to see the organization of the army’s movements. It seemed as if there were large masses of soldiers marching in every direction. To her, they were marching in random directions, but there was order to the marching as the Centurions moved to their assigned locations. She stopped in an open area, sandwiched between two large masses of silent and focused soldiers. They were lined as neatly as they could in rows. Many had shields in one hand and their sword in the other. Just as many, though, carried a spear, or a spiked mace, or whatever they could carry. As she looked closer, many were wounded. Bandages and blood-stained tunics were common. This was an army that had fought more than once and was ready to march forward for what everyone hoped would be the final battle. Despite the battered, bloody bodies, all their faces were prepared for war.
A shrill whistle sounded from behind them, and the entire Taran army started to move forward, sending vibrations through the ground. Nikki did not need to signal her Sak’Hurai. They all started moving forward as well, and that was when Nikki realized that they were not only in the center of the formation but also at its front. The Taran Centurions mass split in front of them and began marching to the left and right, stretching the battlefront for as far as she could see. Nikki recognized the move was to try and prevent the Bargoroth from outflanking them. Given that they had nowhere to retreat to, it was a wise move. But, it was also a desperate move as that prevented General Lucius from holding back any reserve forces to fill in weak points in his front lines. He was fully committing his entire army to the battle.
Nikki just hoped the lines would hold long enough for them to escape. She needed the battle to be in full swing when they made their escape, else the barbarians might chase after her.
When they crested the hill, Nikki allowed herself to make an audible gasp at the Bargoroth army. They were lined up from horizon to horizon and as deep as the eye could see. For the briefest of moments, she let her mind consider how many of the barbarians stood between them and freedom. She knew there was no chance the Taran army could survive this battle. As General Lucius had declared this to be the last and final battle, the leader of the Bargoroth felt the same. It likely was the entire nation of barbarians that stood before them. With those numbers, it did not matter if half of them were not warriors. At some point, pure numbers would always conquer skill.
Expecting to see the Tarans falter, she watched with fascination as the Taran troops marched into position with precise discipline. Having them all stay in formation while maneuvering and making their way across the battlefield impressed her more then she could have expected. Maybe it was possible that the skill and discipline of the Centurions could bring victory, but as she looked across the sea of Bargorth, she was again convinced not many would survive the day.
Nikki glanced back behind her, hoping to see a sea of Taran Centurions ready to back up the front lines, but all she saw was a small group of Centurions surrounding General Lucius. She could clearly see him in his plumed helm. She wondered if he would engage in the battle or would he try and escape across the river after his Centurions were slaughtered. Far enough away that she could not hear him, she could still see his boisterous motions with his hands and the clear anger that he was exuding. He seemed to have no clue that his army was doomed.
The guilty feelings of leaving the Tarans to their fate lasted only a few heartbeats. Seeing the Bargoroth army, she was even more convinced that running from this battle was the right thing to do. There was no honor or code to uphold. She was a stranger in a foreign land, forced to fight a battle for which she did not care. Not to mention, she was already days behind schedule, and Nikki simply could not afford to lose any more time. For a brief moment, she wondered what kind of army the Humans could put together if the Centurions and Bargoroth could set aside their differences, but the thought didn’t last long. Even with the world on the brink of collapse, enemies were still enemies.
Forcing her eyes to the front, she focused on the immediate threat of the Bargoroth that stood between them and freedom. Her heart was pounding hard in her ears, and the anticipation of the coming battle was making her palms sweaty. The leather wrap of her sword’s handles would absorb the sweat and make it tacky enough that it would stick to her hands, helping her grip. As the blood flowed and the battle became chaotic, it would be death to lose her swords. Some of her Sak’Hurai actually strapped their swords to their hands, to ensure that their weapons would not be lost. With no shields and little armor, it was only their swords that they could use for protection.
The Bargoroth were about a quarter of a mile away when the first ranks of Taran Centurions dropped their shields and pulled out their crossbows. The Centurion crossbowmen did not need instruction. They lifted their weapons and fired them. While the deadly bolts were still in the air, they began reloading. The second rank of crossbowmen stepped forward and fired their weapons. By this time, the front row of Bargoroth were struck, sending many hundreds of barbarians to a quick death, but hardly making a dent in the size of their army. There were still too many Bargoroth and not enough crossbow bolts.
After the third flight of crossbow bolts flew, the Bargoroth charged forward with a high-pitched cry. Even from their distance, she could feel the echoes of their pounding boots trampling across the open field. Screaming and shouting, banging swords on shields, thumping chests, they did their best to make as much noise as possible to try and intimidate their adversaries. Although the Sak’Hurai were too well trained to be bullied, even Nikki was impressed by the power and force of their attack. It did not take long for them to get close enough where she could pick out individual faces and see their blazing berserker eyes.
As long as they could, Centurions continued to let loose their crossbow bolts. More Bargoroth fell, only to be trampled underfoot of their fellow warriors. The barbarians would not be intimidated by the ranged weapon. There were too many of them to care about a few hundred falling before the real fighting began.
Princess Nikki and her warriors had prepared for this moment. They had practiced and trained until no one needed to be told what to do. Just like breathing, they moved and acted without thought. With a sharp one-syllable battle cry, the Sak’Hurai lowered into defensive crouches to gain leverage against the force of the onslaught. Just before the screaming barbarians reached them, the Sak’Hurai each took a half step outward, to open up space
between them. This allowed some of the attackers to slide through their defenses and right into the waiting swords of the rear rank of Sak’Hurai. Instead of hammering against a solid wall of warriors, they found the wall bending, but not breaking.
The Sak’Hurai’s diamond formation kept the Sak’Hurai from being outflanked, even though they were being surrounded. Bargoroth fell by the dozens, but as each one fell, there were five more to take its place. Nikki screamed for their formation to push forward, for she knew if they stayed still, they would eventually be overrun. Their goal was to escape and not to claim victory. They didn’t need to kill every Bargoroth in their way, they just needed to be able to keep attacking until they found a weakness in the barbarian’s lines. Then, with a desperate sprint, they would charge through that weakness and run out the other side. So far, though, there seemed to be no weakness in the Bargoroth’s army.
While each of the Sak’Hurai fought with the same style sword, the Bargoroth warriors fought with whatever weapon they happened to be carrying. Some had simple wood clubs spiked with long nails, others had rusty wide-bladed broadswords, and quite a few had Taran shortswords but swung them as if they were slashing weapons instead of the stabbing weapons they were designed to be. They were all strong, courageous, and fearless, but they didn’t have near the skills that the Sak’Hurai possessed. Although a handful of the Sak’Hurai took minor wounds, none had fallen while hundreds of the Bargoroth were left dead in their wake.
Nikki swung her blades as quickly as her hand and arms could wield them. She did not care to see the faces of those she killed, nor hear the screams of the dying. Her training and discipline took over, allowing her to push out the sights and sounds that would make any reasonable person cringe with fear. Blood and body parts flew, covering the ground and making for treacherous footing. This too, they had trained for. They kept their movements short and their feet under their bodies to maintain balance. She did not wait for her Sak’Hurai to follow her as she pushed forward, nor did she think they would falter. She had every confidence that they would be right behind her, watching her back and killing as many of them as she could.