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[size=+1]Chapter Four: Roar of a Thousand Lions
Part III[/size]
Part III[/size]
Lawliet brought her shield up to block the blow of a sword that had descended. With the dragon on their side, she expected victory before dawn.
She had killed just as many of the enemy as Riku had, and the enemies thinning numbers were starting to show. She elegantly weaved through the crowd of soldiers, dragging her blade across their chest with each slash, and then slinging onto the next person, taking several people out within merely a second. Her blade cut deep, powerfully, and unyieldingly. They needed to finish this.
A man raised his blade to strike, but that was as far as he got before his arm fell to the ground beside him. Growing weary of the crowd approaching her, Lawliet played a deceptive game.
She dropped her blade.
With a chuckle of victory, the soldiers rushed in to finish the job.
Only to be engulfed in an orb of flame and lightning.
Taking full control over her mastery of magic, she sent the flames spiraling outwards, as the lightning arced to anything metal, shocking and (more often than not) electrocuting those unlucky souls. In a burst of flame, her sword was lifted, as golem of fire wielded her blade. The golem charge through the enemy ranks igniting the ground with every step, burning anything that was unlucky enough to pass through its body, and slicing down anything that veered to close with Luna. When the golem approached Lawliet, she dismissed it and plucked her blade out of the air. A globe of fire engulfed her, as she sent lightening spiraling down her sword arm.
She charged into the enemy ranks, each blow, causing powerful explosions of magical energy, fire, and electricity to rip through their bodies, often carrying the lightning and fire through an arc to those she couldn?t reach.
Bathed in Flame and Lightning, Lawliet was almost as deadly as the dragon. With each swing of her sword that took out almost ten knights at a time; the enemy ranks became decimated around her.
Mizutoki, and the crowd around him, was awestruck at the shear power that radiated from his comrades. A whistling arrow reminded him he was in a battle.
He resumed hacking at the enemy in front of him, using his shield to block that attacks of swords coming from his open side, that were increasing in occurrence.
As one man drew near, Mizutoki brought his blade down as the man lifted his shield ? Mizutoki?s blade snapped in half and deflected behind him, striking a man.
Wasting no time, Mizutoki stabbed the broken blade into the face of the man, and took his sword.
Mizutoki: Thank you?
Then the fighting slowed. Mizutoki was sodden with both blood and sweat, from the fighting and the heat. The moon had not yet reached its peak in the sky. Looking around, he estimated there to be only four hundred fighters left. With Guenhwyvar, Riku, and Lawliet backing him up the battle would not last much longer.
An arrow bounced off of Mizutoki?s shield, and he noticed a single ranger among the soldiers.
Rushing for the man, the ranger pulled out a long, thin blade, and started parrying Mizutoki?s attacks with as much grace and skill as Mizutoki himself could manage.
Mizutoki brought down his sword, but the man slapped it away with his rapier. The man brought out a dagger and slash at Mizutoki?s open flank, but he quickly thrust his shield in the space, saving him from the jagged blades wicked bite.
Mizutoki brought his sword down from the side, in an attempt to cleave the man in half, but the ranger jumped and landed on Mizutoki?s sword, jumping again to force the blade down!
Such agility!
While in the air he lunged forward with his rapier, and had it not been for Mizutoki?s raised shield, the blade would have hit home. The man twisted his body in air, and landed on his feet.
Rolling at Mizutoki, he thrust his rapier upward, but Mizutoki parried it with a horizontal slash. The man then sidestepped inward towards him, slashing at Mizu?s face with the dagger, only to have it deflect of the shield.
Mizutoki faked a stumble, and the man went in with a double thrust of each weapon, only to have them stopped by Mizutoki?s shield, which he brought close. Then, with a sweeping arc he slashed over handedly at the man.
The man?s movements where fluid and smooth, wasting not an ounce of energy in the fight. With the advantage of no armor, he was much faster than Mizutoki, and Mizu found himself often having to use his shield to block an attack.
The man quickly back rolled, dodging the blade. He rolled again, this time towards Mizutoki, and thrust his rapier outward, as the blades connected and stopped. The man brought the dagger around for a thrust, and Mizutoki readied his shield.
Then, he abruptly stopped.
The ranger whistled a four note tune, and suddenly, three fourths of the remaining army turned on the others!
Mizutoki: What?! Are you so quick to turn against your comrades?!
Decipher: ?ey, it?s not what you think. My name?s Decipher, and those are my men.
Mizutoki: Decipher?? Wait, you?re Decipher, the leader of the Western Gale Mercenaries!
Decipher bowed low, sweeping his hat out wide.
Decipher: The very same. We?ve already received our payment, and I see no point in losing anymore of my men to the three of you and that mystical beast. You?ve got impressive prowess with a blade.
Mizutoki eyed him uneasily.
Mizutoki: What will you do?
Decipher: Depends. Probably just wander with what is left of force, until the next pay check comes along. Unless?You are willing to supply some coin? Or, at the very least, some medical treatment for my men? A mercenary I may be, but my men are my pride, my friends, and my family. I want them treated well.
Mizutoki hadn?t noticed, but the fighting had finally stopped. The one hundred and thirty seven warriors of Decipher that were left had quickly disposed of the remainders of what was once the Lions Brigade, and Lawliet and Riku where making there way towards Mizutoki.
Riku: Sounds good to me.
Lawliet: Veil could always use more warriors, and the Western Gale is indeed revered. If you join our cause, and stay true to your word, your men will be well looked after and receive fine attention from our healers.
Decipher thought quickly, but then agreed.
Decipher: I?ve heard of Veil. That can only mean that the Lions Brigade was part of the Rebellion. If the rest of Veil is like you three, my money is on Veil, and I have a feeling my purse will be all the heavier for it!
With that, he turned, and his men followed, as they went to the top of the ridge, behind Riku. Mizutoki still surveyed the land though, soaked in blood, and littered with bodies. He couldn?t believe how abruptly the fighting has stopped. But, battles often ended that way if not in retreat.
Lawliet: If you have something to take care of here, take care of it. I?d like to make camp before dawn, and be on our way back.
Mizu nodded, and she turned to leave.
He wanted to survey the damage they had done ? was this fight necessary?
He traversed the field, stepping over the dead and dying. The earth was sodden with blood, and it had soaked through his clothing. But, he even in what seemed a random maze of corpses, Mizutoki knew where he was going.
A brilliant red cloth, emblazed with golden lions, with the entirety of the tent trimmed with a silver fringe. It was sizable; it must have been wide enough to house ten men.
The War Tent.
He pushed aside the flap, and stepped inside.
The interior was more extravagant than the outside. Though the same red and gold motif adorned it, beautiful weapons, shields, sets of armor, and scrolls lay out in the open, but seeming to be displayed. It almost felt like a library. The thick, rich, forest-y scent of wood, not blood, filled the air.
A man who looked to be close to his sixties sat with his hands folded and eyes closed at a mahogany desk. He was adorned in a suit of pale blue armor, with intricate golden trimming, and a lion on each shoulder and upon his chest, inscribed in brilliant silver, his silver hair (Mizutoki couldn?t tell if it had always been that color, or if it had taken on this gleam from time) flowed past his shoulders. A shield lay against the desk, the same pale blue color, the same silver lion, and the same gold trim. A sword sat next to it in its scabbard. Though he couldn?t see the blade, the hilt was unimpressive. A single golden colored cross guard and a black grip, with a pale blue pommel.
Mizutoki didn?t need to be told ? he could feel it in the air. Almost everything about this man?was enchanted, and enchanting.
The man sighed, as he stood up from the desk.
Lion?s Brigade General: I suppose you?ve come to finish the job? Noble warrior, I applaud your courage. Your small band destroyed one of our most powerful brigades. Though, know that I will not be subdued easily.
Mizutoki drew his sword, as the man mounted his shield to his arm, and drew his sword from its scabbard. The blade was the same pale blue color.
Lion?s Brigade General: I know I am your enemy, but, seeing as we are about to partake in a duel of honorable knights?Grant this man, what will probably be his final request: tell me, why do you fight?
Mizutoki averted his eyes, unable to answer
Mizutoki: ?..
The man?s eyes soften, and he let out a deep chuckle. He could have been anyone?s grandfather.
Lion?s Brigade General: You?You remind me much of myself, knight. We are foes; we fight each other to further our own force?s gain. But, you, knight, fight for the same reason I do; I can see it in your eyes..
Mizutoki: Then tell me!, Honorable General. For, not even I know?
The man?s pale blue eyes seem to have a weak shine to them, as if his mind was pulling upon memories from his past. The man looked at him, those soft blue eyes seeming to ease Mizutoki, the reassuring smile showing Mizutoki that his heart would soon be at rest, and Mizutoki?s inner trifles would soon lessen.
Lion?s Brigade General: We fight?so that we may end the fighting.
The simplicity struck Mizutoki hard.
Mizutoki: I?I?m so stupid!... Thank you.
You are exactly right. I?m sorry, but I have to stop the fighting, and that means seeing this war though! And you are just one obstacle in the way?Honorable Knight.
Mizutoki brought his sword to the ready, but he was feeling slightly remorseful. This man was fighting for the same reason as he was, though for a different side. He, like he suspected anyone would, had become quickly attached to the man.
Mizutoki stepped towards the man ? he would not slaughter the General. He would defeat him, and give him an honorable death. This man, enemy or not, deserved that, at the very least.
Mizutoki?s blade came down hard, but the General easily parried it, swatting away Mizutoki?s blade easily. Using the momentum, Mizu went into a spin, brings his blade upwards from the spin, but the General?s shield stopped the blade dead. Mizutoki continued his barrage for several minutes, but the man easily deflected every blow.
Never once did he try to strike out against Mizutoki. Mizutoki had to stop, exhausted. This was incredible! The General had stopped every attack, without some much as breaking a sweat!
Suddenly, the man was upon Mizutoki, who had only enough time to raise his blade. The collision of the man?s blade threw Mizutoki across the tent, and he skidded across the ground. Such power! He looked at his hand; his knuckle had been busted by the sheer force of the blow and? and the blade of his sword had been cleaved off! This man? he had defeated Mizu with a single swing? Surely there was some trickery?
His weapons were enchanted, but Mizutoki knew that there was nothing unseen aiding the man. He was powerful.
Otherworldly powerful.
Mizutoki: How?!
The man sheathed his blade.
Lion?s Brigade General: How very much you remind me of my youth?. Dreams as vast as the sky, a heart in the right place, and adequate abilities? But, like me, full of arrogance. You know that others are stronger than you, but you still think highly of your powers?
I am old. But, I would like to see this war ended. I know I cannot defeat you and your two companions? But, maybe I can be of some aid?
He sheathed his blade and threw it down at Mizutoki?s feet. Then he winked.
He talked, overdramatically, and with exaggerated motions.
Lion?s Brigade General: Oh, I have been bested! Please, honorable knight, spare me! For what reason, you ask? I am knowledgeable! I could teach you the ways of the sword, from generations past!... Truly?! Thank, oh, thank you, honorable knight!
He glanced around quickly, and then gave his shield to Mizutoki, as Mizu picked up the sword.
Lion?s Brigade General: Take good care of these, please. Help me bind my hands.
Mizutoki didn?t question the man, and put the man?s sword and shield over his own. Within a few minutes the old man was bound and Mizutoki was walking towards the top of the ridge with the man in tow.
Mizutoki: By what is my new?master? known by?
General Iron:*chuckles* For now, simply call me General Iron.
Riku and Lawliet knew immediately what was going on. Even if the look on Mizutoki?s face hadn?t told them, the mischievous gleam in the old man?s eyes, did.
Lawliet seemed that, somehow, she had expected this. On the other hand, Mizutoki swore he saw flames of hatred flare up in Riku?s eyes, but he quickly put his blindfold on.
Riku: We should depart? The journey will take considerably longer with a hundred plus in tow.
They nodded, and as they prepared to leave, stopped, as Lawliet stood at the edge of the ridge.
Her power filled the air. The entire gorge they had just fought in, decimated and sodden with blood, burst into flames. The inferno raged, but she was not finished. She lifted her arms and a giant dome of earth formed around field, and then collapsed upon itself.
The glowing showed that the fire burned fiercely underneath, as she made the earth start to churn upon itself. The ground cracked with the force of the churning earth, and the impossible heat of the magical fire.
Then, a glowing silver orb came out of the ground, and the earth leveled off. Other than the charred, flat earth, there were no signs that anything had ever taken place here.
Lawliet: For new weapons.
The reasoning made sense; no point in wasting good steel.
Decipher:: Alpha Wing! Retrieve the metal!
Within a few minutes a cart had been salvaged, and the steel was ready to be towed.
As they turned, the small army started through the woods, on their way back to the Veil headquarters.
Mizutoki finally knew what he was fighting for, and why it was worth it. With that small inner turmoil resolved he would fight.
And he would end this war.
I am but a single soldier, a single blade, a single force.
A single Lion on the savannah.
I have roared ? I roared for justice, at first not knowing that.
But when the other?s roared back, I understood.
We all roar.
We roar with power, with honor.
For Justice.
For Peace.
A single Lion on the savannah.
I have roared ? I roared for justice, at first not knowing that.
But when the other?s roared back, I understood.
We all roar.
We roar with power, with honor.
For Justice.
For Peace.
