“Oh great, that is perfect. You need to watch those breaches, if we know about them so do they!” she exclaimed.
A loud screech, just like the one before came from the train’s whistle. Synne looked back at the rear of the train and could see Thrax ordering the people about. Ulric was getting a line of spearmen in a rough position to defend the last part of the train. Back at the front, Jac was waving frantically to get her attention. Synne signalled, to be met with Jac pointing off to the side. Synne turned her head to see a dozen mounted warriors galloping as fast as the train and only a hundred feet away of the side of the wagon.
“Here they are, good luck!” she shouted and jumped up to the tender and towards the engine.
As she landed on the metal platform at the rear of the engine, she noticed Tom had pulled a metal bar from a hatch on the side and had placed it on a shelf.
“What’s that?” she asked as she leaned out to the ladder.
“This? Oh, just my little friend in case anybody gets too close!”
“Nice!” replied Synne, and with a few tugs lifted herself onto the top of the engine.
Resting on the platform were several weapons including a heavy wooden crossbow, short spear and one of the curved swords she had taken from the Raiders. She bent down and picked up the crossbow. It was one of the Raider’s weapons and the underside was equipped with an irritating metal blade that pushed out almost a foot out in front of the end of the weapon. The rest of the defenders on the engine did the same and loaded their weapons, readying themselves for the action. Another blast from the whistle indicated the enemy were near. Synne turned to check the rear of the train and was horrified to see a huge cloud of black smoke covered the rear.
“The train!” she shouted.
Her mind told her to grab onto something but her body wasn’t quick enough. The impact forced the entire train to shunt forward several feet and it propelled Synne from the platform and onto her front. The back of the platform was open and just a few more inches would have thrown her from the train and onto the track. She shook her head and lifted herself up. The crossbow was on the base of the platform and she grabbed it as she stood. From her spot, high on the engine she had the perfect view of the battle that was about to begin.
The smoke and steam at the rear of the train had obliterated her view, she could only assume those at the back of the train were okay. She didn’t have time to worry about it though as a dozen riders were moving in to try and board the engine from the left.
“The left!” she shouted to the others onboard.
The riders were all wearing armour and two of them carried short powder weapons, much like the one her father had shown her. A volley of yellow flashes erupted from their muzzles and she heard the whistle of lead balls fly overhead. One struck the armour plating just a few feet from her.
“Stop them!” she cried as she took aim.
The sights on the crossbow were rudimentary, just a small metal spike sticking up. Lowering the weapon, she took aim at the closest rider who was only twenty feet away. She pulled the lever and released a deadly bolt. It flew off and passed clean over the man’s head by at least two feet.
“Damn!” she muttered as she pulled another bolt from the pouch on her waist and loaded it.
The rest of the fighters on the train were having similar problems, though two of them managed to strike one of the riders almost simultaneously. One bolt struck the man in the arm, the second hit him square in the chest. The second shot hit with such an impact that it flung the rider from his horse to the ground.
“One down, one army to go!” said Synne as she lifted her reloaded crossbow.
Aiming much lower this time she aimed at the centre of the same target as before. The bolt flew off and this time struck the man square in the throat. The impact was hard and though he wasn’t thrown from the horse, he did slow down and disappeared to the rear behind the smoke and steam.
“That’s more like it!” she said with a grim smile.
* * *
Thrax was in his element. Though the impact had shattered part of the rear armour of the train, they were still on the track and they were doing well, so far. He had kept his unit pushed well back inside the wagon so that he had the space to deal with the first wave. Sensing an easy victory the first six men had leapt in with barely a care, only to find half the wagon clear and the hulk of Thrax stood in the middle. On his shoulder, he carried the deadly two-handed sword. For this battle, he had strapped on any armour he could find including a tight fitting helm that looked like a rusted bronze helmet from an ancient warrior. The tallest of the Raiders stepped forward, he was a good six feet tall and well built. He carried a flail in his right hand and a small metal buckler on his left. He lifted the flail and started to swing it over his head. The rest of the group assembled behind him, each with a different but savage looking weapon.
“Put down your sword, old man, we’re here for Cainon!” he said.
“Come and get him!” said Thrax with a roar and in a quick motion he dropped the tip of the sword down and at the last moment redirected it so that he cut for the opposite side. The Raider, being as cocky and arrogant as he was, didn’t suspect for a moment that the man was in range. In the end it didn’t matter though, the blade slashed downwards and struck the man in the neck. The blade kept moving and in a single swift movement, the Raider’s head flew out of the train. Thrax continued moving the weapon and then brought it down in another sweeping arc. The group split up and moved towards him but the reach and power of the weapon was too much for them. The second cut badly wounded two men and the other three started to back off, their doubt taking precedence over their hunger for victory. Thrax was having none of it.
“I’ve got something else for you!” he boomed and stepping forward he delivered a flurry of cuts and thrusts that made it almost impossible for the Raiders to reach him. Two more bodies fell to the ground. The rest of the defenders, now psyched up about his personal victory, moved forward and easily finished off the wounded Raiders. Ulric commanded this line and ensured they stayed together and disciplined. They made to push ahead and deal with the last few until Ulric spotted many more Raiders coming through the smoke. It looked like a second wave and this time there were far more of them. He turned and shouted to them to reform and to take a few steps back. Three crossbow bolts flew down, one hit a woman in the leg and she was carried back by two men as she cried out in pain. Another man with a spear pushed in to take her place.
“Back, stay close together!” ordered Ulric as the little group gave ground.
“Give them a little room, it will make it easier for us, trust me!” shouted Thrax.
Thankfully, they recognised his ability and did exactly as they were told. Thrax nodded in satisfaction as they took a few steps back in good order. He had seen well-trained units in the past that would have failed here and the training and experience of Ulric was already showing in this fight. By having a trusted lieutenant at his back, he could concentrate on cutting a bloody path through the enemy’s front ranks.
A few more bolts whistled overhead but it seemed the Raiders were far keener to secure the wagon quickly than to engage in a ranged fight with bows and crossbows. Thrax stood in the centre of the wagon and flanked by the dozen most experienced men and women Ulric had been unable to find. They were mainly armed with spears and a few with crossbows. The train following had used grapples to hook the rear wagon and though they had beaten off the first wave, they were unable to reach the ropes and chains that would release the enemy. It would require them to actually board the front of the enemy engine to successfully separate the two moving sections. Three of the defenders lifted wooden shields and held them out in front of the group. They were too cumbersome to use in combat but perfectly suited to create a section of cover from which to shelter until the Raiders were close enough to fight.
“Steady now, let them come to us!” shouted Thrax over the din of the battle.
The rest o
f the defenders in the two wagons were busy firing their crossbows at the riders on their flanks, desperately trying to keep them away from being able to board the train where the battle would inevitably favour the better-equipped and more experienced Raiders. From the attacking train a dozen men climbed along the sides, each one carrying an evil looking sword, axe or mace. They struck the first man with several bolts in the torso and he fell down to the tracks. From the sound he made as he disappeared, they knew he had gone directly under the wheels. The first of the second wave jumped onto the damaged wagon and directly in front of Thrax who gave the signal to Ulric.
“Now!” shouted Ulric.
Though they maintained their position, they all pushed ahead and stabbed repeatedly on the command of Ulric. This fast and fluid movement created a wall of fast moving spear points that made it almost impossible to breach. One Raider rushed forward only to take a point to the face and another to the stomach. As he fell down the next Raider took similar hits from the spears. With enough space in the wagon for the entire wave, the surviving nine jumped aboard and advanced more cautiously. One man, obviously experienced at fighting spears, cut sideways and managed to push four of the tips to the side. With a small breach now open, the Raiders hacked past the points and managed to reach close enough to drive the tips of their weapons into the spearmen. It was almost enough to break the wall, apart from Thrax being there. With his massive two-handed sword now lowered and handled like a spear, he delivered multiple fast stabs that struck the men that had broken though the breach and stopped the attack. With a small gap between the two groups, Thrax’s blood was up and he wanted them off the wagon.
“Push them back!” he cried.
With great effort the defenders pushed forward, just one small step at a time but it was enough. The last seven men tried to hold them back but they just couldn’t stop being pushed back to the rear of the train and the crushed metal where the two trains were now joined. Three of them fell from the sides. The other four turned and tried to jump onto the front of their engine. One was struck in the back by a spear, three managed to make it.
“You!” shouted Ulric as he pointed to the three men with their crossbows.
“Hold them back!” he ordered.
The spearmen reformed their defensive position whilst the other three kept reloading and shooting their deadly bolts at the retreating men. They weren’t the best shots but they did succeed in wounding two of them before they were far enough away to avoid being hit. The second wave had been held off and for a moment, brief that it might be, Thrax allowed himself to get his breath back. Looking behind him, he checked on the state of the battle. At least half a dozen men were climbing onto the engine, about the same number were climbing over the armoured side sections of the middle wagon. He was about to turn back to help, when two of the spearmen next to him were blasted backwards. He turned to see the third and deadliest wave of attackers. This group included the survivors from the previous attacks but this time they carried a weapon for which they had no counter, the terrifying powder weapons. Only two of the enemy carried them and both looked improvised and crude. As they fired their weapons, they were surrounded in smoke as the weapons blasted heavy lead balls that could penetrate armour and wood.
“Take cover!” he shouted.
The defenders did their best to crouch behind the bodies of the enemy or the wooden sections that formed parts of the bulkhead of the wagon. It was no good though, the powder weapons blasted through the cover every time. The only saving grace was that it took over half a minute to reload the weapon with the black powder and lead ball.
“Fall back!” shouted one of the men, as he threw down his wooden shield and clambered towards the front of the wagon and away from the battle at the rear of the train. At this part of the train, two dozen people were busy shooting from the sides at the galloping enemies nearby. The rest of Thrax’s group started to move backwards as the fire from the approaching Raiders pushed them back. The two gunners had climbed down from the engine. They were now crouched at the end of the wagon, taking it in turns to reload and fire. In this way, they could fire a shot every fifteen seconds or so. Whilst this continued, more of the Raiders jumped from their horses and onto their own engine so that they could climb over and onto the rear of the escaping train. Another man with a powder weapon dropped down onto the wagon and prepared his weapon. It wouldn’t be long before they had enough warriors to keep up an almost continuous rain of lead down the length of the train.
“We have to stop them. If they take this wagon we’ll lose the train!” shouted Ulric.
One of the spearmen who had already taken a few steps back shouted over to him.
“How can we fight against those weapons?” he cried hysterically.
“They are no different to crossbows. Come on, charge and clear them. We’ve done it before, we’ll keep doing it till they stop!” replied Ulric.
As Thrax made to move forward, Ulric followed and a small number of the spearmen moved with him. At least the same amount stayed back, their fear of the weapons proving too much. It didn’t seem to affect Thrax though and the last thing they saw of this part of the battle was Thrax, Ulric and a few spearmen disappearing into the white smoke of the weapons with their weapons drawn and ready.
* * *
Synne had ditched her crossbow and moved to the faster and easier to use curved blade. Though the defenders on the first wagon had managed to hold off the attackers, the engine was now where the most effort was being directed. Rather than trying to board it, the Raiders had peppered those on the platforms, until only Synne and two others were left. With their numbers whittled down, and the return fire down to firing sporadic shots, they were moving in for the kill. A dozen men were riding on both sides and two were already climbing along the sides of the train. Synne knew that any other part of the train was expendable, if they lost the engine they would stop and that meant slavery or death. She gave a hand signal to the other two defenders and they moved quickly to her position at the rear of the engine, just above where the engineers were. As they worked their way back, she shouted over to Jonas who was busy handling the defence of his own wagon. He looked over to her, noting the precarious position the engineers were in.
“Jonas! I need fighters on the left!” she shouted.
Jonas couldn’t catch every word but it was clear to him that she needed help to secure the engine. He signalled he understood and then grabbed two of this men and starting directing them whilst pointing at the engine. The two defenders reach Synne at the rear of the engine. Both were well armed and motivated, the possibility of returned to slavery was proving a strong factor in their decision to fight.
“Stay here, attack anybody that gets too close. There are a few coming from the wagon to help, tell them to take the left running boards and to keep the Raiders away from the cab,” she said.
“Where are you going?” asked Anna, the daughter of a blacksmith from Haven.
Synne was already lowering herself down the ladder and to the running boards that ran the entire length of the train. She looked up at the woman who stood atop the train with her curved sword on her belt and a loaded crossbow in her hands.
“I’ll clear the Raiders from down here, watch the top and get the extra fighters down on the left, I’ll deal with this one first!” she said and then disappeared from view.
At the lower part of the train Synne had to be careful to avoid the moving piston and gears that moved at a wickedly fast pace. Four Raiders were clinging to the side and inching towards the cab. Synne was now blocking their way though she was well aware that the left side of the train was in the same position. Five men had already tried to work their way along the top of the engine from the front, but Synne and the others had easily stopped them with a deadly crossfire from their crossbows. She could only hope that the two she had left there were able to keep them busy if they tried it again, at the very least long enough for her to get back.
The first Raider
was now only four or five feet away. He wore a mixture of leather and metal armour with animal skins and furs on his head and shoulders. His face was painted with bright colours and he carried a weird kind of mace in his left hand. Grabbing a handle with his right he swung himself forward and right in front of Synne. She leaned back a few inches and stabbed quickly with her sword. The strike was slightly off target and passed between his arm and chest. He squeezed his arm tightly against the weapon and stopped it moving.
“You’re dead, little girl!” he laughed.
With his left arm now busy keeping the weapon trapped, he pushed forward another step and delivered a snap kick to the front. His foot caught Synne in the thigh and dropped her to the running board. By some miracle, she avoided getting caught in the gearing. He stepped a little closer and made to kick again. As he lifted his foot, Synne moved fast and grabbed at his other leg. With a quick tug, she yanked his leg from beneath him and he stumbled forward. She kept low and he tumbled over her and over the running board behind her. With a terrifying scream he caught his right hand in the gearing and in an instant, it was torn off to leave a bloody stump. Synne didn’t hesitate, and lifted herself up with one of the grab handles and kicked him hard. With his left hand holding his mace, and his right now bouncing off the ground, he had no grip and flew from the train. Synne didn’t see where he landed. She didn’t care, another three men were approaching and they had all seen what she’d done.
The next man screamed at her though most of the sound was obliterated by the sound of the engine and the wind rushing past the train. Having seen his comrade torn apart in front of his eyes, he was being far more cautious. Keeping a step away from her, he swung out his blade, only for it to be snared inside the engine’s gearing. It clattered away leaving him to jump forward to attack Synne with his bare fists. Synne was ready though. She lifted her blade high and brought it down in a fast vertical strike. The Raider didn’t quite reach her and instinctively raised his right arm to deflect the attack. Synne’s blade cut cleanly through the arm and an inch into the top of the man’s head. It was quick, bloody and in seconds, the man joined the first to the dusty plains.
Champions of the Apocalypse Page 15