Are you guys ready for this?

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32

BURN!

Hearing Slyfer’s words, the captain’s feeling of foreboding increases. He doesn’t say anything and turns his mount around leading the rest of his group back to the town. “How am I going to convince that fat worm, to let them go?” He curses his luck, of all the commanders he had to get one that got his position purely out of family influence. “They probably sent him here because he is so useless. All he does is eat and fuck! It doesn’t even matter what he eats or…. He even had the lizard woman before he strangled her to death.”

He sighs, worried and hating what comes next. Climbing down from the horse he can already hear the screams coming from a house the commander has made his residence. “Sick bastard.” The captain walks to the door and after a pause and a moment to collect his courage, he knocks on the door. A sudden scream is followed by cursing as the commander is once again interrupted in his “fun”.

“This had better be good or I am hanging whoever it is!” The door slams open revealing a pudgy naked body covered in smears of blood and things the captain does not want to contemplate. Commander baldy is glaring at the captain, with a bloody knife in hand. “Well, what is it?! Speak up you dolt.” The commander looks behind the captain as if searching for something. “Where is that red haired beauty, I told you to bring?” He smiles and licks at the bloody knife his face turning ugly with perversion.

The captain takes a step back, as he sees the dirty thing between the commanders legs start to stir while he licks the blade. “By the gods, what a sick creature. Maybe I should let that demon kill me to release me from this thing.” Before the commander can notice Captain hides his disgust again. “They refuse to enter, and they wish for you to release their brethren. They ask what you want in return. My lord the red haired girl is a Princess and if she is here that means a bigger army can’t be far awa-“

The fat, sweaty body shakes as if in ecstasy. Breathing hard he looks at the Captain, while he starts to touch himself. “A princess, I have never had a princess! I wonder how she screams, I wonder how she bleeds? Will she beg hahahaha or will she be too proud to do so, making it all the more satisfying to break her.”

“My lord I strongly suggest you re-consider!” The fat man stops his act of touching himself. He points the knife at the almost panicking man in front of him. “You listen hear slug, you are under my command, when I say fetch you fetch. When I want you to kill, you kill! If worst comes to worst, we can release the Bassisk.” The bald head turns froglike as he smiles. The thin captain feels even more panicked. “We can’t, the Bassisk was given to us in order to transport it, to the capital, not to mention it only kills it does not differentiate between friend and foe! We will lose our own men.”

The fat man aims a stab at the thin captain who has to jump back in order to save his face from having an extra hole in it. “I told you , you are under my command, now go get me that girl or I’ll castrate you and hang you up until you have bled out.” He slams the door shut and the screams inside the house start up again. The captain is left staring at the door, pale faced. He puts his hand on the pommel of his sword contemplating murder, but the thought leaves him when he thinks of his family.

This mission was a godsend. The money he receives for it is almost double the pay a normal captain gets and it all goes to his family back in the west. “If only it wasn’t for this…. This thing that can barely be called human.” The mission is to transport the Bassisk to the capital of Atlantia, for what reason? He doesn’t care, he doesn’t need to know and prefers not to. This was his last stop before reaching the city, but this man was holding the mission back enjoying his power in this place, where his word is law!

He turns around, calling for his second in command while they walk toward the waiting horses. He has to kill the demons outside, or he will be destroyed by the monster inside the town.

Slyfer impatient scans the town once again. Wind rustles faintly around them. No one talks everyone is waiting with baited breath. “If this goes south, I hope Vanya and Aldowin are in position.” He looks at Fira a bit worried, but the determination on her face reassures him.

Fira can feel his gaze on her and looks at him with a smile. Slyfer’s head suddenly turns toward the sky. “Retreat! They are attacking send the signal!” His voice barely leaves him before they hear the whizz of arrows in the sky. Seeing they are not going to make it he gives a signal and they all group up, Fira in the middle.

“Lift shields! Lift shields! Don’t let the sons of bitches get you!” The ten juggernauts lift their huge shields and lock them in place. Twak, twak, twak! The arrows hit, sounding like hailstones on a zinc roof. Slyfer’s anger makes him want to burst forth and destroy these cowardly humans, but they have a plan and he needs to look after his men… for now.

The hail stops and the volley is finished, but it won’t be long before a second one comes and the men won’t be able to hold up the huge shields forever! “Return, as planned circle around, Vinx tell the other fairies to give Vanya the order to attack we need to turn their attention away while we get the hell out of here!” The riders and wolves turn around and sprint to the right, heading in a circle around the town.

Vanya is laying in a field her heart pounding in her ears. She heard the arrows being launched from the enemy, but she has to wait for the signal. “I hope the others are okay.” A fairy sitting in her neck suddenly says. “Slyfer says to attack, quickly arm your bows.” She lifts her hand and suddenly the drawing of numerous bows can be heard. Another fairy shoots high into the sky, to take a bird’s eye view of what is going on.

Vanya looks to her right, spotting the six scouts. They are still on the ground, only they are on their backs. The huge bows have been taken off, but are being held up by their feet! Bulging arms are pulling back arrows larger than normal. She gives a silent command and fifteen arrows shoot into the sky. The scout’s six have a smaller arc and they scream with power as they tare through the sky.

The fairy looking down watches as the arrows come down among the archers that have their attention on Slyfer and his group. The arrows hit from behind them and their attention is on the fleeing wolves, so none take cover! Screams fill the air as arrows pierce flesh and bone! Slyfer hears it and it’s like music to his ears and she can hear him start to laugh.

The fairy keeps her eyes on the six larger arrows. One of them, pierce through a man and the force shoots him back as if pulled by an invisible force, folding him double! He lets out a scream that is cut short as he is thrown into another archer behind him, the arrow carries the two and they get nailed into a wooden wall. They thrash and scream for help, but no one pays them any attention as the rest are too busy trying to save their own skin by diving for cover, wherever they can get it. A second volley follows the first, but it has less of an effect.

The captain swears as he raps a cloth around his bleeding arm. “Find out where those arrows are coming from!” Another arrow gets nailed into the door-frame he is hiding behind, but it pushes through stopping halfway way in and coming to a vibrating stand still an inch from his right eye. He lets out a curse and scurries backwards, looking at the arrow. Its point is twisted but the basic design is still evident. The point looks like that of a crew and is bladed to cut as it turns into whatever it has hit, the way the point is designed is ingenious and makes it armor piercing.

“I have found them to the North West; the bastards are in the grass!” The captain shoots to his feet screaming orders. “Fire arrows at them I don’t care about the accuracy just get their firing to slow down!” Twang, twang, twang! Arrows leave bows and head toward Vanya’s position.

Aldowin hears the shout and smiles. So far everything is going to plan. He leans around the corner and spots two soldiers running toward the North West. He turns to the blades. “Okay most of the attention is drawn elsewhere. We need to do this quickly spread out in teams of five and search for the prisoners. One fairy will be with each group in order to relay the position of the enemy, so listen to them closely.” The men nod grim faced, slowly drawing their blades.

Aldowins group had snuck closer from the least defended side of town. They made their way in when the humans were distracted by Slyfer’s arrival and have been hiding, waiting to make their move! Aldowin with a fairy on his shoulder leads five others to the nearest building, as they start with their search.

Slyfer sees Vanya and her group. He urges Grey King to go faster and they pick up speed. Arrows fall among her warriors two scream as it pierces through flesh. Vanya looks at Slyfer’s group approaching with the huge shields and lets out a breath of relief. “Halt! Plant shields!” The group barely comes to a halt before they hit the ground. The shields are in the form of a kite but the bottoms are sharpened. The ten lift the shields high above their heads and grunting, force them into the ground.

Arrows sing as they head toward them and Slyfer calls on magic inside him drawing it out feeling it surge! He holds his hand out into the air sending magic into and as if caught in sludge the arrows slow down and eventually come to a stop. He had prepared the spell way before reaching Vanya if it wasn’t for that he would not have been able to cast it now. With the shields planted Slyfer gets into motion again. The ten that are still on the ground run toward their mounts and grab hold lifting their legs, the force throws them over and onto the wolves. Slyfer smiles at the beautifully completed running mounts. They had practiced it hundreds of times first without and then with the heavy armor.

Vanya and her group run and get behind the shields, now imbedded into the ground. Slyfer feels his heart race. “Juggernauts! I think we’ve done enough running for one day!” The human captain had seen their actions and he can’t help, but feel respect for them. Despite himself he smiles, the warrior in him spoiling for a fight, as he makes his way toward his war horse. “Now the real fight begins!”

Slyfer and his group run around the town once again heading for the other entrance. They take a wide turn and come to a halt. In the entrance a group of about fifty humans are sitting on their war horses. Slyfer immediately recognizes the one in his shiny armour. He smiles and grips his lance. “Prepare lances, let’s skewer these pigs!”

“Captain, are we really going head on with that?” the captain glances over the wolves and their riders. He smiles. “Men it has been an honour fighting with you. If any of you survive, try your best to open the bassisk cage!” The one who had asked the question looks back at the demon on his majestic wolf. His eyes settle on Slyfer’s “lance”. It’s black and almost as long as the wolf. It is pointed in front, and splits into four blades running back and away from the stem with serrated edges. Under the point is a blade twice as long as his arm that runs in an arc. Making the sinister “lance” look more like a Scythe. “What is the purpose of the blade? There is no way anyone can swing that thing!”

Then it starts a cry filled with blood lust and excitement at first only one shouted, but the rest of the hell spawned riders start to shout it as well. The humans don’t understand the language, but the meaning behind it is not lost on them. “Maim, kill, burn! Maim, Kill, Burn!”

Slyfer starts to laugh and lowers his lance the blade that runs in a curve points back at him, as if accusing him for not using it to kill! The wolf growl in pleasure and Grey king gives the first step his eyes resting on the War horse under the shiny two-leg. “I haven’t had fresh meat in a while.” The other wolves follow and they start to pick up speed. Slyfers heart pounds with every beat of the wolves’ paws hitting the ground underneath it. As if on signal the war horses also start their sprint heading toward death and carnage!

The gap closes quickly hoof, and paw beats mingle together. Slyfer holds his breath he can clearly see the facial expression of his enemies his body goes stiff and he leans back preparing to thrust forward and reap lives! Grey King feels the movement and with his leg muscles pulsing with power he prepares himself. Ban and the other four that are in the same line as Slyfer, do the same. Just before the clash the humans are expecting the front line of the wolves…. Jump!

Slyfer looks down and sees his eyes and the captain’s meet. The surprise on the captains face makes him want to laugh. The face disappears under him and time suddenly feels like it suddenly speeds. Grey King soars through the air he checks where he is going to land more or less and aims his paw at the head of the rider that’s in his way. He growls, the sound almost coming out as a roar! “Puny two-legs, die!”

SLyfer on his back thrusts forward putting his entire body behind it, the lance connects tearing muscle and breaking bones, of the rider behind the one Grey King just killed, his horse shrieks as Grey King lands on its back breaking it with a sickening crunch. The sound is drowned out by the clashes everywhere around them; men and horses cry out in pain, as wolves and lances kill, bite, cut and maim them, turning their bodies into paste.

The cries of the enemies are not the only sounds. The riders behind Slyfer also receive hits from the human’s front line. One wolf gets tripped up and rolls forward throwing his rider into the human and horse’s wall of flesh. Clash after clash can be heard until the shrieks and cries of battle fill the sky along with the blood of warriors in battle! Slyfer and his group make it to the other side and instantly turn around to reap more souls. The humans that made it through the clash are met by something even worse; Fira!

She sits on her wolf her eyes closed at first listening to the sounds of the dead and dying, as she gathers her magic energy. Her hair starts to float around her as if weightless; she raises her hands, her eyes open.

“Buuurn!”

Fire envelopes the riders, searing flesh and cooking them in their armor. They scream and some fall to the ground along with their horses. The captain swears and veers to the side to try and get out of the inferno as soon as possible. The ward on him turns the fire blue before completely making it disappear, but it’s a simple ward and won’t last long. “If the fat bastard had given me our four magicians this would not have happened, instead the slug keeps them as prisoner guards!”

He makes it out of the fire and immediately turns his horse to catch Fira from the side. SLyfer sees it as he stabs another rider with his lance, he spurs Grey king on in full sprint. Fira has her eyes locked on any human that escapes out of the mad battle happening in front of her as soon as they emerge she turns them into a flaming mass of flesh. Charred bodies litter the ground near her no longer recognizable for what they once were.

“Turn around Fira, turn around!” Slyfer repeats the thought as he and Grey King head toward her in a headlong rush now and then he cuts a horse and rider apart by swinging the scythe as if swatting flies. “Grey King, remember the day we first met?!” Grey King bites a human in his way and drags the body along before dropping it as they run. “Yes, I threw you of my back…. Wait you don’t want to-“ “Exactly aim for that tin-can on his pretty horse.” The wolf wants to stop and look at him as if the boy is stupid, but they have no time to argue. The tin-can is almost on her.

Fira feels a sense of danger coming from her connection with Slyfer and when his voice suddenly breaks into her mind. “Turn around Fira, turn around!” She spots Slyfer and Grey king in their bloody path, heading towards her. She burns another enemy wrinkling her nose at the smell. She finally gets a chance to look behind her, but it’s too late….

Slyfer stands up and balancing tries to go as far back on Grey King as possible, his heart feels like its about to explode with worry. Grey King looks at the horse and his rider he aims a bit in-front to compensate for the speed. “This is going to hurt, Slyfer you are crazy!” The wolf tucks in his head and starts his roll. Slyfer leans back against the roll until he is vertical with the ground, he kicks off the force shooting him forward like an arrow! Air rips at him the lance cutting it as he points it forward towards the human captain that is moments away from killing Fira!

Time seams to slow as she looks at the face of the human in his shiny armor, his facial expression is blank there is no sign of a victorious smirk, only grim determination to complete his task. A black and red blur enters the corner of her eyes and like a streak shoots past behind the human!

Slyfer swears as he misses his target, desperate to do something he swings the lance blindly behind him. The horse under the captain gives way its legs cut off into stumps by Slyfer’s scythe-like blade. It throws his aim off and they crash into the girl and her wolf the four roll onto the ground limbs mixed together!

Grey King grunts as his back hits the ground with a crunch the links in the armour aren’t really made to roll like this, so its more like his body was simply flipped around. Air leaves his lungs as he slides a little on his back before it gets hooked on something and he is thrown into a roll. Taring grass from the ground and shooting up dirt.

Slyfer aims the Scythe’s blade at the ground and slams it into it; his armor creaks and cracks, as his grip stiffens on the lance that is cutting through the ground like a plough, to slow him down! The blade hits something hard and the lance is torn from his grip, after he gets flipped over by the force and slammed into the ground. He ignores the pain as he stumbles to his feet, he needs to get to Fira, he needs to….

Aldowin puts his hand on a human’s mouth and quickly draws his blade over his throat. A few gurgles later the man sinks to the ground, the light leaving his eyes. He and his group had gone through most of the building, killing as they went two of his warriors are injured and he knows one won’t make it. His whole group is back together again and he can hear the fighting on Slyfer’s side, as well as the cries of archers as they exchange arrows with the Wasps.

He slowy pushes a door open a crack. He is almost afraid to do it beacause of the other atrocities he has seen in the other buildings. Mutilated bodies are everywhere, not a single woman still had her clothes on. He who almost never loses his cool is feeling like unleashing hell on these people, but it has to wait. His mission is to find Jade and the others and he can’t afford to fail!

He can hear muffled voices that are whispering to each other. “One, two, three… no four of them.” He lifts his hand showing four fingers. The blades behind him spread out and move forward cautiously, they can’t afford to draw any attention. There must still be about fifty warriors inside the town not counting the archers! They reach a hallway that stinks off piss. Bottles litter and other things are littered everywhere. “How these things have not caught some kind of disease, is beyond me.” Thinks Aldowin to himself as he slowly opens the first door in the hallway. He looks inside…. The room is empty the furniture inside basically destroyed.

By now thirteen of the blades are inside the house the other injured two were taken back to their infiltration spot to hide until this is over. Two of them carry the body inside and close the door behind them, they take a position on either side of the door in case any unlucky soldier decides to enter unexpectedly.

Aldowin reaches the second door in the hallway. Where the voices are coming from. He waits for another of the blades to go stand on the other side of the door. He looks at the rest and they nod expressing readiness. To their surprise… he knocks? “Who is it?” He knocks again and he hears a chair scrape, before footsteps start to sound drawing closer as a man swears. He takes a step back. The handle moves, he lashes out kicking the door half into smithereens, the man that had been holding the door is thrown back crashing into the table where another three are sitting. They had been playing a game of cards.

Aldowin steps forward drawing his sword in a flash, he cuts the man in to two from shoulder to hip before he can utter a sound. The other blades rush in behind him, storming the other three. One dies with four blades entering his stomach and coming out of his back. The other dies with his skull split in two, spilling out blood and brain matter as the body drops to its knees. The last one, who was the furthest away from the door. Gets time to jump back against the opposite wall. He raises a hand and Aldowin swears. “Take cover, magic!” Earth spikes shoot out of the ground right where Aldowin was standing just a second ago. Two of the blades scream as their legs and feet get ruined. Aldowin jumps over the spikes stabbing forward with his sword.

The magician screams as he tries to back away more and cant. He points at Aldowin and the earth under him starts to rumble. Aldowin throws his leg to the side trying to change or angle himself differently, if only a little. Earth shoots up and pierces through the sword master’s leg, he grunts in pain and finally drives his sword home through the magicians open mouth and into the wall behind him pinning the man in place. He falls to the ground as his one foot touches it, the other leg is stuck in place by the earth spike through it. It tares a bigger hole because of his moving body. Aldowin clenches his teeth. The other blades rush over and want to lift him off. He signals no and wrenches the sword out of the magician’s mouth, calming himself he concentrates and makes the sword sing through the air. It cuts the spike just under his leg freeing it.

He topples over and the blades rush forward. “Leave me, check the last room quickly.” Despite his order a few stay behind they look at their other two dead comrades with grim expression. Aldowin props himself against the wall, takes the magicians belt and starts tying it around the leg, to slow the bleeding.

A cry comes from the third room and Aldowin sighs in a bit of relief. He recognized the voice, it was Jade’s. A few seconds later the other blades return carrying five of the green hawks. They look thin and underfed, but otherwise fine.

Aldowins eyes meet with Jades and she faintly nods, as tears start to stream down her face. Four of her comrades had been taken, one every day. If the town was quiet enough she and the others could hear their screams and begs for mercy. She had first been angry, but as one disappeared each day her spirit had given up and she was expecting them to come for her very soon.

The gaurds laughed as they carried each girl away. Saying things like it’s a shame for such a pretty girl to have a date with the commander. Now seeing her own people, seeing Aldowin relief runs through her body as the same thought repeats itself over and over.

“I am going to live!”

Aldowin looks at his too few men. “Barricade the house, we made too much noise and someone is bound to know, we need to survive until Slyfer and the rest get here.” The warriors faces are grim, all looking at his leg.

“Stop looking at me like that, these fools are a thousand years too early to kill me!”