by Andy Nadir
Chapter Nineteen
Laxus turned, and strode out of the tent fuming. He threw open the flap of the next tent down, and looked around. Tabitha was resting on a cot while a doctor sat next to her, mixing something.
“Care to tell me what is going on?” Laxus asked coldly.
The doctor turned around. “I assume you are Laxus?”
Laxus nodded. “Your friend was found out in the fields, rather bruised up. Julius took her in to this tent, and had her treated.” The doctor said.
Laxus shoved the doctor out of the way, and looked at Tabitha. She had several bruises and a painful looking bump on her head. Laxus turned and looked at the doctor was mixing.
He scanned the ingredients on the table. “What are you making?” He asked.
The doctor shrugged. “Why should I tell you?” He asked.
Laxus drew the Rainbow Flail. “Because I have this.” He said.
The doctor paled. “It is a potion to keep her asleep.”
“So Julius can have his way with her easily?” Laxus snapped.
The doctor shook his head too quickly. “No, of course not! It is so that she can recover faster!” He said.
Laxus smirked. “Want to tell me why none of you have used magic to heal her? I have seen most of you, and you all have magic, even if some are weak.” He said.
“Well, our healer wasn’t strong enough.” The doctor said.
“I saw him heal a broken bone.” Laxus replied.
The doctor turned, and ran from the tent. Laxus didn’t bother chasing him, and turned to Tabitha. He poked her on one of the bruises. When she didn’t move, he poked her several more times. Suddenly, she sat up. “Wha… where am I?” She asked.
“I told you to be careful around Julius.” Laxus said.
Tabitha paled. “That monster! I was training in the fields, and some soldiers came up to me. They asked what I was doing, and when I went to answer, they stuffed something into my mouth! While I was stunned, they started kicking me all over.”
She hesitantly poked one of her bruises. She flinched. “Those boots must have been steel tipped.” She muttered.
“Let’s get you to a healer.” Laxus helped Tabitha to her feet, and they hobbled to the healer’s tent.
“What happened?” The healer asked when he saw Tabitha.
“Heal her first.” Laxus replied.
The man nodded, and held his hands over Tabitha, and closed his eyes. The bruises slowly faded away when he touched them. “Are there any more?” He asked.
Tabitha shook her head. “Not where I want you.” She replied.
The man reddened. “Of course not! I was going to offer you a balm.” He said.
Tabitha nodded. “Then, I would need that.” She replied.
The healer headed into a large mess of ingredients, and pulled out a little bottle. “Just rub this on.” He said.
Tabitha took the bottle, and they headed out of the healing tent. “All soldiers, to their position! All soldiers, to their position! We are marching on King’s City once more! We will be hitting the villages just passed the wall we terminated earlier!”
Laxus sprinted off to the commander’s tent. He met the commander just as he was coming out of his tent. “Ready to stab some meat?” The commander asked.
Laxus shuddered. “Please don’t put it that way.” He said.
The two chuckled, and headed to the front lines of the formation. They then marched towards the wall they had destroyed earlier. There was a small region of soldiers guarding the area.
Laxus walked up to the very front of the rebel army. “Move aside now, or be crushed.” He said.
One of the enemy soldiers stepped forward. “Who am I speaking to?” He asked.
“I am Laxus.”
“Then, die with the scum you associate, Laxus.” The soldier said, and raised his hand. A hail of burning arrows arched towards the Rebel army. Laxus drew the Flail, and began to spin it. The arrows all rattled against the flail, and fell to the ground.
Laxus swung the now flaming Flail into the enemy ranks, and crushed through several ranks of soldiers. The army waded in behind him, some throwing spells, others arrows.
It didn’t take long for the rebel army to easily destroy the kings’.
The rebel army continued to a nearby village, and destroyed any opposition they had. They then settled into it for the night.
“What is the point of all these battles? Why don’t we just take out the king?” Laxus asked the commander as the commanders and leaders of the rebel army sat eating dinner.
“We have to show the king that we are no longer prey to him. We will wade through his city, and destroy anything and anyone loyal to him.” Julius said.
Laxus glowered at Julius. “I wasn’t talking to you.” He said.
“When will we attack next?” Laxus asked.
“We will hit the main gates of the city tomorrow morning.” A sergeant said.
Laxus nodded. “I am going to sleep then.” Laxus left the building, and collapsed into the first open cabin he found.
When Laxus woke up, he could already hear the rebel army preparing. He pulled on some slight leather armor, and headed out to meet the commander. When the rest of the army had pulled together, they headed out to the city.
The army charged at the city’s main gates. Many of the rebels were picked off when they neared the gate, but the majority made it. Laxus began smashing the gate to pieces with his Flail.
When he had broken the gate down, the rebel army charged past him, and engaged the enemy. Laxus focused in on a man with a large mace. Its end was a flaming red ball that looked like a sun. “I think that is the last part for the prophecy.” Laxus said.
He walked up to the man. The man looked Laxus up and down. “I am Tarus. I assume you are the holder of the Rainbow Flail?” He asked.
Laxus nodded. “And your defeat. Lay down your weapon, and I will not kill you.” He said.
Tarus shook his head. “I could not, even if I wanted to. This is a matter of honor. One of us will die here, by sword or spell.” He said.
Laxus nodded, and swung the flail at him. Tarus nimbly rolled out of the way, and slashed at Laxus’s feet. Laxus jumped, and brought the Flail down. Tarus blocked it with his mace, and returned the hit. Laxus changed the flail to a sword, and blocked it.
Tarus nodded at Laxus’s skill, and used the mace to vault over Laxus. Tarus kicked Laxus in the back, and slammed the hilt of the mace into Laxus’s chest plate. The hit was so strong it dented it.
Laxus staggered backwards, and swung the sword at Tarus. He jumped out of the way, but a spike from the sword snagged his mace, and threw him to the ground.
He rolled up, and threw his mace at Laxus. When Laxus rolled, he shot a beam of fire at him from his mouth.
Laxus raised his sword, and the beam was absorbed into it. “Fire from your mouth? What are you, a dragon?” Laxus quipped.
Tarus said nothing, and blew another burst of fire at Laxus.
Laxus changed the sword back, and slammed his mace into Tarus’s shadow.
Laxus began to pull, but froze when he saw what Tarus’s shadow looked like.
Tarus’s shadow was massive and hulking, with two wings, a tail, and a lizard like head.
“By all that is Holy, you are a dragon!” Laxus whispered.
Laxus was caught off guard by a heavy blow to the chest from the mace, and he slammed into a wall.
Laxus hacked up a little blood. He pulled off his armor, and threw it onto the ground. He felt his ribs. “Dislocated.” He muttered.
He twisted his body sharply, and there was a loud snap. Tarus actually winced. “That looked painful.” He said.
“Don’t even start.” Laxus muttered.
They both laughed. “It is a shame to kill you.” Tarus sighed.
“You won’t kill me that easy.” Laxus said.
Tarus shook his head. “I am afraid I will. You don’t live ten centuries without learning
how to fight. Maybe I will leave you alive and put you in the dungeon. Yes, I like that idea. You might even live through it!”
Tarus bulged, and wings burst from his back. He put his hand on Laxus’s head. Laxus reached up, but found he couldn’t move it. Tarus’s arms rippled, and bulged. His hand turned into a massive claw, and covered Laxus’s face.
Tarus reached down towards Laxus’s face. “I can’t have you seeing though, much too dangerous.” He said.
His claw drew near to Laxus’s eye. Suddenly, The dragon shuddered, and his claw fell. He returned to normal size. Laxus pushed the man’s hand off of him, and saw a sword protruding from the dragon’s chest.
The man toppled sideways to reveal Jack. “Saved you.” Jack said happily.
Laxus shook his head. “You really are something.” He said.
Jack grinned. “I know! I had to take a detour to save you though, I have to get the towns people out of here! I don’t want them hurt in the battle.” He said.
Laxus nodded. “That is a wise choice.”
Laxus grabbed the man’s staff, and pulled the sun ball off. He connected it to his Flail. “Lets go…” Laxus was cut off by a blow to the head.
Laxus toppled to the ground, knocked out. Jack looked up, but was too late, as he too collapsed to the ground.