Chapter 21: The raid (2)

The ruddy flame hungrily devoured Narse’s men like a pack of uncaged beasts, sparing them no dignity nor grace. His men howled like wounded beasts, their voices raw and haunting. The wicked flame framed the white armors of the men within the dimmed crimson light of the red moon, stubbornly refusing to let go. Rolling on the ground did little to protect them from the wicked flame, neither calling for help until a guard under Narse’s command somehow managed to douse the fire on his friend’s body with his own cloak, wrapping it on the man’s body. The rest of Narse’s men tried to do the same with unfortunate victim of the fire.

Narse was on guard all this time. He tried to compose himself by slowing down his breath, keeping a firm but relax hold on his sword. Narse could not understand why Bloodbeard and his gangs just stood still, laughing, jeering and surrounded them while all of that happened. He had the absolute advantage in number as well as the support of those treacherous magic casters. There would be no way for Narse to win had Bloodbeard and his gang used this chaos to attack them. Bloodbeard could have wiped Narse and his men off if he chose to attack. Why didn’t he? Narse could not understand.

What can he do to get out of this situation? Narse asked himself repeatedly. He glared at Bloodbeard, wondering if he could take the bandit lord hostage and made these bandits to open up. The devil still had that condescending smirk on his face, he must absolutely believe in his victory.

Is that even possible to win against this devil? Or maybe, they can focus their attack at one point of this encirclement and hope that they can open a blood path. Then, what’s next? Rush back to Madukat and inform everybody of the treachery of White Winter kingdom, that must be done, that must be the priority.

Narse tried to consider all the possibility then he glanced at the magic casters, it’s impossible for his plan to work unless he dealt with these treacherous mongrels first.

“Guard, how about this, if you surrender, I will let you live.” Bloodbeard hit the butt of his pole axes against the ground while asking Narse.

“Screw you, we would rather dead than surrender to you,” the men under Narse’s commanded cursed, pointing the blades at the bandit lord.

Narse waved his arms, shushing them while trying to buy more time, “Really, how can I trust your word?”

“You just have to believe it.” Bloodbeard laughed, “You look like a smart person. I really like your idea of attacking me and my boys here in the night. It’s crazy and I like it. Not many people could come up with a plan like that.”

“Then, you have to look for Narik. This is his idea. He’s raiding your main camp at the South gate at the moment.” Narse still stole a quick glance around while considering all of his options. He could not understand why Bloodbeard wanted him and his men to surrender nor how would that benefit him. He felt his head was spinning like a top.

“Then he is already dead. It is not my fate to meet him. How unfortunate,” the giant sighed.

The word “fate” rolled off the bandit lord’s tongue made a strange echo with Narse’s ears. The word “dead” made his gut wrenched. His thought was on Narik. The sound of clashing steels from afar reached his sharp ears and he could do nothing to help his brother. How useless he was.

“You want us to surrender?” Narse asked. He wished he was Narik at the moment for he was not confident in his acting skill. He wanted to convince Bloodbeard that he was about to surrender.

“That’s my intention all along,” replied Bloodbeard.

“Screw you, don’t even think we would fall for that,” Narse’s men swung their swords and cursed.

“You heard it. That’s my men reply.” Narse pointed his thumb at his men, “You must give me some time to convince them to change their mind.”

“Very well”

“And swear to the gods that you would spare them”

“Only if they surrender to me peacefully,” Bloodbeard cackled.

Narse sheathed his long sword and joined the rank with his men. This sword was dwarven-made, extremely well balanced and sharp, it could cut through bone easily like firewood if the user knew how to do it properly. Narik swindled a traveling merchant to sell him this blade for five jars of fire wine and then gifted it to Narse on his seventeen birthday. It has been on Narse’s waist ever since.

“You cannot possibly tell us to surrender to these bandits,” Whisker and the men told Narse, their face scowling.

“I’m buying us time,” Narse quietly replied, scanning the casualty on his side. Those accursed fireballs took out twenty five men. These guys required healers to heal them, otherwise, they would meet their maker soon. “Come over here and pretend to act like you are disagree with my attempt to make you surrender to that devil,” Narse signaled the rest of his men to form a circle around him. Some of the men cursed him and Bloodbeard, some hitting the ground with their shield and sword.

Narse grabbed Whisker’s shoulder, “We must open a blood path. One of us must make it back to the wall to inform the men of this betrayal. Otherwise, we can never win against this devil.“

“What’s about these brothers? They can’t even walk”

“Leave them,” Narse told the men and Whisker stared at him in disbelief. “I will try to defeat Bloodbeard and hold him hostage, hopefully that will keep them alive for as long as I could. If that doesn’t work, I can only apologize to them with my death after taking Bloodbeard with me.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Whisker grimly replied, “We will stay and fight with you.”

“No, listen to me Whisker. Jack is already dead. I need you to lead our brothers out of this encirclement. Get at least one of our brother back to the wall. That’s the priority.”

“But…”

“No, but here. Madukat is my home, your home and our home. We can’t let these savages destroy it. My sister in law is pregnant for eight months now. Even if I die here with Narik, old man Borig will take care of her but that would not happen if these savages won. These devils must not win. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Whisper replied grimly, putting a hand on Narse’s arm.

“I need five men to stay back and cover my back. I must take out these magic casters first or we could never break out of this encirclement. Just trying to understand that, anyone who stay back with me would die.”

“Are you done?” Bloodbeard’s booming voice reverberated, interrupting, “Or must I help you with a demonstration? I’m very good at demonstration,”

“Break up, those who is with me. You will charge at Bloodbeard’s and his goon’s direction when I give you my signal. Whisker get your men to sheath their swords for the moment. Run straight at those bandits on our right when I give you the signal.” Narse gave his order as he broke away from the rank of his own men. He unstrapped his sword belt and held the scabbard of his trusted sword loosely.

“If we surrender, will you spare my men, all of them?” Narse asked.

“Certainly,” the devil cackled, stroking his gray beard, “A smart man like you is especially welcome under my rank. If you join me, I promise you a worthy share of wealth and woman when I sack that city.”

Narse did not make an immediate reply. He walked toward Jack’s corpse, bent his knee to close his friend’s widened eyes. He spoke a silent farewell to Jack and removed Jack’s blood-soaked cloak from his corpse.

“You sound nothing like the rumor. I have expected a devil who know nothing but wanton destruction.” Narse turned to look at Bloodbeard eye to eye, making the most subtle of wink to Whisker as he turned.

Bloodbeard laughed, “Certainly, I am nothing like…”

“Now,” Narse shouted, freed his long sword and charged toward the unsuspecting magic casters. He heard Whisker’s and the men’s war cries rang from his back. He pumped strength into his legs and plunged straight at those treacherous magic casters. Eleven steps, just eleven steps, Narse told himself as he shrunk the distance between them.

“O mighty Sinintee, you son is asking for your blazing tongue”

“Sinintee, O mighty father, please heed the call of your son, what I seek is the eye of civilization.”

The magic casters adeptly reacted to Narse’s attack and managed to cast their spells when Narse was five step away from their rank. Fiery fire tongues swept across the plain and fireballs launched, eagerly to drown Narse’s body within their unforgiving heat. However, Jack’s rotating blood-soaked cloak was a small hurricane on Narse’ left hand protected him from the flame. He cut through the torrents of fire like a small boat sailing upstream.

Before those treacherous mongrels realized it, Narse was upon them. The men called him the “round ears elf” for his explosive agility and lightning footsteps. His sword tore through the throat of a magic casters and the aflame cloak in his left hand flew straight over the head of two more magic casters, letting them have a taste of their own flame.

Narse did not wait for these treacherous magic caster to react, he pirouetted low, claiming the ankles of two men with his sweeping blade.

Narse stuck near the figure of the stumping men, doubled his sword on their exposed necks before made the length of his sword almost disappeared inside the groin of another magic casters within his reach. He made it impossible for these magic casters to use their spells on him unless they prepared to take out one of their own along with him.

Narse decked the groaning magic caster who clutching his bleeding groin with his left fist, knocking him out cold. A magic cane swung down Narse’s head, he rolled over to evade in the nick of time then plunged right back at his attacker.

The bastard managed to block Narse twice with his magic cane while telling his fellows to spread out. He spun his cane to strike Narse’s head, clank, uselessly got stuck within Narse’s left palm. Narse pulled the man to his sword range and placed his blade on the shocked man’s unguarded neck, drawing a streaming red arc in the air.

Narse ignored the red hot geyser hitting his face. He pirouetted low again, cutting the thigh of yet another magic caster then sent his head flying and his body crumbled with a violent back swing.

A pair of magic canes forced Narse to retreat. The pair chased after Narse, eagerly to put an end to his trail of death.

“Reaping scythe,” one of the man screamed at Narse as he thrust his cane toward Narse’s torso. Narse did not understand what’s that even meant, he blocked the thrust then deflected another strike. Then, the answer came naturally to him.

“O mighty Sinintee, assist your hapless son with your mighty reaping scythe,” a magic caster chanted a spell, Narse managed to see a simmering long crescent shape blade appeared at the tip of that magic caster’s cane before it turned invisible. “Down,” the man shouted and the two people who kept Narse at bay with their magic cane crouched. The man swung his magic cane.

Narse had no time to think, he dropped flatly on his back as the air above him was ripped apart, wailing like a widow whose husband just died in front of her eyes. It was like a sharpened blade, reminding Narse of the state of Jack’s corpse. A fury ate away his heart. Narse bounced right back on his feet, cutting a man down with his sword before he could even react. The other twisted his magic cane, retreating with hasty footsteps to keep his distance with Narse. However, Narse’s legs were lightning, he reached the poor bastard in no time, parrying the cane thrice before chopping off the man’s arms.

Narse turned his sight at the magic caster who conjured that invisible blade, gripping his sword tight. He lunged at him, his sword broke through the man’s feeble defense and dug through his chest. Narse withdrew his blade and the man doubled on the ground with a thud. Narse then quickly scanned the rest of the treacherous dogs who deceived his people, some were crawling on the ground while other running away in with a tail between their legs.

Narse turned his sight at Whisker, he managed to breach the encirclement, great, and these bandits were not equipped to fight them in the first place, neither with their equipment nor skill.

“Now you have done it,” Bloodbeard’s greasy voice echoed and Narse turned at the bandit lords. the men who covered his back was down to the last man, Garet who was strangled by the oaken arms of Bloodbeard himself. Garet struggled, prying at the iron lock on his neck but that did nothing. He looked at Narse in the eyes as if begging.

“Too bad, I gave you the chance,” Bloodbeard sighed and snapped Garet’s neck as Narse was watching.

“I will kill you,” Narse cursed and sprinted toward the devil himself with his gleaming sword.