Champions of the Apocalypse

by Michael G. Thomas

  From their position, the battle appeared to be going their way. One building was on fire and a tower had smoke belching from it. The rest of the buildings remained well defended, and repeated crossbow bolts and stabs with spears were keeping the buildings clear. A low rumble from a war horn blasted through the plain and in less than a few minutes the surviving horsemen were riding away to the north.

  Ulric, with the help of Synne dragged himself up to the side and looked out to the field of battle. He watched the riders moving well out of range of their weapons where they appeared to stop.

  “Why are they waiting?”

  “It is simple, they were caught by surprise. The next attack will be even worse than before,” replied Ulric.

  Another horn, this time much quieter came from the north.

  “No, look, can you see that?” shouted Synne.

  “Yeah, I see it, they’re bringing reinforcements,” said Thrax with a tone of resignation in his voice.

  “We can hold them though, right?” she asked.

  “That isn’t up to us, look,” he said, pointing down to a group of people emerging from the town and riding out on horses towards the horse that waited not half a mile away. One of them carried a long pole with a white flag hanging from it.

  “It’s that idiot Jackson! What is he doing?” asked Synne.

  “A white flag, they are looking for a truce,” answered Ulric.

  “I don’t believe this. A truce for what, surrender?” she demanded.

  “Who knows? We need to be ready. If they return and try to hand over the Trading Post we will have to intervene. I know the Brotherhood, they are oath breakers and will say anything to get what they want. Cainon cannot be trusted. Just like his father,” said Thrax bitterly.

  “They are coming back!” said Ulric.

  “That was quick, is that good?” asked Synne.

  “Not usually, come on, let’s get down, we need to find out what that idiot has said,” said Thrax and he lowered himself down the ladder. Synne and Ulric followed though both held their weapons out to the side, ready for trouble.

  Jackson approached along with two other riders.

  “What the hell are you doing, Jackson?” demanded Ulric.

  “I’m doing what you should be doing, resolving this peacefully and without killing half the town.”

  “You fat oaf, we’re trying to protect you all. What did you tell them?” shouted an angry Synne.

  “It doesn’t matter, they won’t negotiate unless we hand over the children of Galan,” he said, whilst looking down at Synne from his horse.

  “Look,” said Thrax.

  Three Raiders including the clan’s standard bearer, a short but heavily built warrior, as well as Cainon and Khan approached them. The three moved on foot and like Thrax they carried their weapons in the open. Cainon looked vicious, his clothing and armour were damaged and ripped and he bled from several minor wounds. Khan, despite his previous setback looked equally dangerous. In front of him, Cainon pushed the fragile figure of Anna, now in chains. Thrax turned to Synne and Ulric.

  “Be careful, you cannot trust these bastards, I promise you!”

  “Yeah, he’s right, move back to the buildings, we need cover if they try anything,” replied Ulric.

  They all moved their way back until they stood just twenty or so feet from the nearest building. Some of the defenders hung out of the windows to watch, whilst small contingents left the safety of the cover to get out and watch the events unfold. Behind Cainon, the rest of the enemy force approached but at a careful distance. They were close enough that they could rush in to assist their commanders, but not close enough that they could be easily hit with most of the projectile weapons used by the town’s defenders.

  Cainon stopped no more than ten feet away from Synne and her group. He said nothing, just stared into her face in her eyes. Khan, the animal that he was, growled but like Cainon, said nothing. The rest of the Raiders had already dismounted and formed up into a large line of men where they could watch.

  “What about the reinforcements?” whispered Synne.

  “They’re already here, look to the left,” replied Ulric quietly.

  Synne moved her eyes over to her left and spotted about another thirty or forty men dismounting and running over to join the rest of the Raiders. One of their group carried a different banner to Cainon.

  “They must be another clan from the Brotherhood,” she replied.

  “Yeah, great,” answered Ulric.

  Jackson dismounted from his horse, which was quickly taken away by some of his lackeys. He took a few steps ahead of everybody else to face Cainon. Thrax, Ulric and Synne also stepped forward until the two small groups faced off against each other.

  “What do you want, Cainon?” demanded Synne.

  Cainon snorted and spat on the ground.

  “I don’t speak to rats like you,” he growled.

  “You will...and you will like it.”

  The group of Raiders separated as the leader of the reinforcements arrived. As he approached, it was clear he was much older and far more distinguished than the rest of the men there. He moved up to Cainon and Khan who both bowed down before him. After speaking quietly, he then took a few steps to face Synne and her allies. Ulric instantly recognised him.

  “Master Lar, you bastard!” he shouted.

  The man gave an evil grin whilst looking at the group. He spotted Thrax, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.

  “Thrax?” he asked.

  “Yes, you old snake, it is me,” he replied with scorn.

  “Interesting. Well, I see you are all getting along well?”

  He stepped to the side so the rest of the people of Horizon could see him.

  “I have a proposal for this Trading Post. If you leave immediately, you can live, for a while. Stay and you die,” he shouted with an evil laugh.

  The people were visibly shaken by the man though from the expressions on some of them Synne was convinced he had been here before.

  “Why did you attack Haven? What are you up to?” demanded Synne.

  “The League is weak, we will combine it with us to create something, well, what is the word, something more agreeable,” he said with a sneer.

  Some of the defenders were already starting to move away from the defences and it was clear Cainon had spotted this, as he leaned in and whispered to Lar.

  “We need to do something and fast, look at them!” said Synne as quietly but as forcibly as she could manage without being noticed.

  Thrax heard her and had also spotted their weakening position. He needed to do something to turn the tables and give them a fighting chance. There was only one thing he could think of.

  “I demand a Contest of Champions!”

  The look on Lar’s face instantly told Synne that he had made the right choice. Whereas before his expression had been one of confidence, a glimmer of doubt had slipped in.

  “Never. We have nothing to prove!” he replied with venom.

  “Your brave leader refuses a Contest with us, this little band of fighters!” shouted Thrax.

  He turned to the people of Horizon, most of whom were stood in a mixture of fear and awe.

  “Look at these brave warriors!” he shouted, as he pointed to Lar and his men.

  “They are professional and they quake at the chance to fight us in a Contest!” he shouted even louder.

  A few in the background started to laugh. Others around them joined in and in just seconds the tension of the situation changed completely as they started laughing and shouting towards the Raiders.

  Cainon was speaking loudly into Lar’s ear, but with the din of laughter, Synne couldn’t hear what they were saying. Khan stood there, saying nothing, just staring directly at Thrax, his intentions were clear and obvious. The warriors behind Cainon were starting to fidget. Whether it was because of doubts of the inevitable battle or because they were unimpressed with the lack of valour of their leaders was impossible to
tell.

  “Well, will you fight us or will you leave the work to everybody else?” shouted Ulric.

  Lar shouted loudly, holding his sword to the air. A silence gathered over the group of warriors, each waiting to hear what he had to say. Though the numbers were roughly even, the defenders of Horizon had the advantage of the buildings and the towers. It could go either way but a large number would die to settle the decision. Synne and her group knew it and so did Lar.

  “The Brotherhood has never turned down a Contest!” he shouted though his expression showed he was less than impressed.

  The army of the Brotherhood roared in approval at their master’s decision.

  “Now, our demands are simple. With our victory we will occupy Horizon, the League will cede this entire territory and…” he said as he pointed to Synne

  “I will take Synne for our personal pleasure!” he added with a roar.

  The men shouted with approval. Synne started to move forward, goaded by his insults. Ulric grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  “They’re just provoking us. Stay calm,” he said quietly.

  “We accept your conditions, now here are ours,” answered Ulric.

  Ulric turned to the people of Horizon and then back to Lar.

  “If we are victorious you will hand over all your territories along the tracks up to your settlement and your mine. Plus, you will hand over a hostage of our choosing!” he shouted.

  “Done!” replied Lar quickly, before the crowds even had time to digest what had been said.

  The leader of the Brotherhood clan turned and walked away, flanked by the standard bearer, Cainon and the still snarling Khan. He stopped and turned back for one last comment.

  “We will meet in our hour for the decision, if you are not there we burn this place to the ground. Here, you can have her as a token of our intentions,” he said as he signalled to Cainon to push Anna in front of them before returning to his men. She stumbled and fell a few feet in front of Ulric who helped her up. As the enemy moved away to a safe distance, Synne and her companions stepped back to the safety of the buildings.

  “Why did you do that?” asked Synne.

  “Simple, this way we only need to win one small battle. Look at the people of Horizon, they would never have stood another attack. I doubt they even have enough ammunition for another fight. This way we risk less, plus, we get to choose who on our side will fight,” said a grinning Thrax.

  “They will do the same though and they have a whole army to choose from!” said Ulric.

  Well, we had better find another dozen people to join us.

  “You should be happy,” said Thrax to Synne.

  “Why is that?” she replied.

  “You are going to fight in the Battle of the Thirty!” he said with a laugh.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Both of the armies had moved closer to form a wide curtain wall around the impending battle. The large numbers of citizens, warriors and onlookers gave the impression of an arena of old. The space created in the centre was easily a hundred yards in diameter, plenty big enough for a battle between hundreds. Along one side, stood Lar flanked by Khan and Cainon. Behind them stood twelve, equally vicious looking warriors. Each of them wore their armour though every man had a different look to him. Some had leather caps on their heads, others full metal helmets and most wore something in-between. Cainon wore a heavy looking iron helm whilst Khan went bare headed. Whether it was down to not having a helmet big enough for his skull or down to sheer intimidation, wasn’t clear. Cainon carried his favoured flail whilst Khan had moved to a pair of curved swords. They were very much like the one carried by Synne, though these were embellished with details and stones as expected of a man so high in the ranks of his clan. All of the men’s armour was blackened with fire and from a short distance away they had the look of a horde that had climbed up from hell itself.

  Stood at the front of the small army was Master Lar. He was significantly different in both the amount and quality of his armour. It was tight fitting and almost all made from blackened metal. Parts of the armour were faced in red paint or blood and a light red cloak hung from his shoulders. In his hands he carried a two-handed sword that looked almost identical to the one carried by Thrax. His arms and legs were covered in plated armour that was heavily decorated with runic symbols.

  Facing this host was Thrax and fourteen other brave souls. He wore his normal armour though he had no armour on his head. In his hands, he held his trusted two-handed sword and on his belt hung a number of long knives, each one almost the size of a sword. Synne and Ulric stood to his left side, both armed with spears. It hadn’t been their first choice but Thrax, after seeing the warriors they had available, explained to them that they would have to rely upon discipline and co-ordination to beat Lar, as he had better warriors and better equipment. The spears were an easy weapon to use and when combined in a group could prove deadly. Each of them also carried a curved blade on their side for close quarter work. Synne wore the same armour as before though she had managed to find a pair of iron spaulders to fit on her shoulders. Ulric on the other hand had scavenged every piece of armour he could find so that he was protected in a loose assortment of plating that ran from his ankles to his head.

  The group stood behind them include a mixture of the escaped prisoners from Haven as well as a few volunteers from the Trading Post that had some form of combat training. Three of them were warriors Ulric had trained previously. Anna had joined them as had Bara and Thrax’s two fencing students. Under normal circumstances, it would have been an impressive group but today, when facing the best that Lar had to offer it looked petty. Thrax had explained this would work to their advantage. Synne was less than convinced.

  Jackson, now wearing less of his armour and more of his regalia marched out into the centre of the field. Some of the inhabitants of Horizon started to boo him, much to his chagrin. He stopped upon reaching the middle and turned several times to look at the crowds. He glanced at Lar for a brief moment before turning away as though he was embarrassed to show he knew the man. Synne and Thrax had already spotted this and were certain of his treachery. He lifted his hand in the air, signalling for silence. The crowd softened though a few continued to interrupt.

  “A Contest has never been fought at Horizon before. This solemn event is usually reserved for when the great Houses of the League and the Brotherhood are in disagreement over leadership or major policy. Today the Contest will decide the future of this region and the future of these people,” he said as he waved towards the assembled fighters. It is a matter of honour and of the truce between all the Houses and clans that the result of a Contest is always obeyed. To refuse is to bring the enmity of all peoples in the alliance. Will you accept the result of the Contest?” he shouted to the crowds watching.

  A roar of approval spread around the arena though how much was of fear and how much was hope was uncertain. At the very least, this battle would stop all the inhabitants having to be involved. Jackson turned to Lar and held out his hands to the man.

  “Are your people ready?” he asked.

  Lar said nothing, he simply nodded in agreement. Jackson then turned to Thrax, Synne and Ulric.

  “Are your people ready?” he repeated.

  “Of course we are, you asshole!” swore Synne.

  Jackson was taken by surprise and for a moment had absolutely no idea how to respond. As he came back to his senses, he realised that although he was stuck between two groups of people who probably wanted him dead, right now, they were much more interested in fighting each other rather than him. He smiled to himself and then stepped off to the side.

  “I need you both to steady the line. Keep them together, I will take my two students and work around their flank. Do not follow me, understood?” asked Thrax.

  Synne and Ulric nodded and then turned and took their positions in the single line of warriors. Thrax remained at the front, right in the centre and as far as Lar was concerned, on his own.
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  “As the leader of this region, and the representative of the League, I pronounce this Battle of the Thirty legal and its result beyond question. You may start when ready!” Jackson shouted.

  Half expecting both sides to explode into violence he rushed to the crowd and jumped amongst them to avoid being caught up in the action. In his haste to avoid the weapons, he stumbled and crashed to the ground. As he lifted himself up he realised he needn’t have bothered. Both sides stood waiting and so far, not one soul had moved.

  Synne and Ulric stood with just a couple of warriors to each of their sides. In the middle of their group were another four warriors, all stood waiting with their spears at the ready.

  “Are you ready, brother?” she shouted over to him.

  “Always,” he said and turned to face the enemy.

  They were still not moving, each of them waiting for the signal. Then it happened. Lar hardly moved, he simply raised his hand and sword in the air. At that signal, the entire line rushed forward save for Cainon, Lar and Khan all of whom stood their ground. The other twelve warriors raced forward, each waving their swords or axes and every one of them intent on killing as many of the lightly armed people as they could.

  Thrax bounded backwards and into a gap specially made for him in the centre of the line. He made it just in time to turn and push his two-handed sword out like a spear in front of him.

  “Now!” he shouted.

  The whole line dropped the butts of the spears to the floor so that the end of the weapon rested against their rear foot. They lowered the tip to chest height and held the spear with their left hands. This kept their sword arms free and with these, they drew their axes and blades and held them, ready for the carnage. An axe flew close to Thrax but caught one of the men carrying a spear in the forehead and knocked him down to the ground. Thrax growled and pushed his sword out further so that it extended slightly further than the spears.