Chapter 47 – Yesterday?

Blood gushed out. I was covered in it. Cyclops’ body began to fall down to ground lifeless. I took out Ulfberht and jumped up onto the back part of dead cyclops’ shoulder. I looked at my left side, and saw Gorn’s mouth crushing another lizardlike creature’s head.

I felt a breeze from right side, and bended my knees to avoid the baton strike by another Cyclops aimed at me. I put force on my legs and sprang towards another Cyclops. I slashed Cyclops with Ulfberht but what got my interest was that it didn’t cut through Cyclops body into two but made normal cut. Their skin was hard enough to trouble a sword such as Ulfberht. I jumped down to earth and felt another breeze. I avoided baton strike by jumping forward and the bat hit another Cyclops.

Analyzing the situation, I came up with few theories on spot in a short moment. Firstly, Cyclopses were much more powerful than most of the creatures I have met up until now except Gorn. Secondly, I killed the first Cyclops by striking its head, which meant that they were most vulnerable from their heads – I think I smashed Ulfberht to its eye. Third and the most important was that I was at an advantage, as they were massive in comparison to me and I had convenience of speed and small size around many cyclopses who had their eyes on me.

I felt another breeze coming up from sky downwards; shadow of baton was approaching fast on me too. I made a somersault to my right and jumped back onto cyclops’ baton. I began to run upwards the baton to its arms and slashed my sword as hard as I could through the cyclops’ neck. Blood came out but it didn’t have the effect of the first strike that killed the last Cyclops. It felt like a deep scratch.

Another strike was coming onto me, and I teleported back to ground. I saw a massive baton striking to the shoulder of the Cyclops where I was standing a moment ago. I bounced away as I saw foot of striking Cyclops almost crushing me. It had hit my previous location in precise attack but unfortunate to him I was not there anymore and it had crashed its comrade’s shoulder.

Sound blasted from enemy front. Sound of the trumpet, maybe it was coming from a horn. Cyclopses began to go back to their forces as if nothing has happened. Lizards that felt like dragons without wings withdrew from battlefield too. Gorn was going to go after them but I called to him and we went back.

Gorn could be categorized as soulless and impatient bastard but no fool. He knew that going after them was not a wise idea. I killed two cyclopses. One was easy kill because of the strike directly to its eye, though second one was still moving its arms and legs as if giving its last breath.

Soldiers had seen our fight and were shouting in our favor. We had accomplished what I had in my mind but right now I knew why there were only human corpses on the battlefield. We were no match to them in a proper fight. At least human forces were not ready to fight them head on and were taken in surprise when monsters attacked them using war tactics rather than barging indifferently.

[Luna]: What the hell do you think you are doing?

[Me]: Testing enemy forces.

[Luna]: Do not test my patience!

[Me]: Calm down.

[Luna]: You know, I was worried! You both could get killed. Do not…

[Me]: Luna wake up. We are in the middle of war and unfortunately we are on the losing side. Unless we change the tide of war.

Queen Xristiana’s eyes were looking at us in awe. Gorn and I had done something, which they couldn’t accomplish in last few weeks.

[Me]: Queen Xristiana, would you tell us what had happened? In details, from the first moment when you came in contact with army of monsters.

[Xristiana]: Y…Yes…Let’s go to tent.

Whoever was leading the army of Cursed Lands was bright. He could but didn’t kill army of three kingdoms in one go. Instead he was sending small forces of cyclopses, drakons (Xristiana told me that they were not lizards but draKons) and centaurs to attack and kill as many as possible and retreat later. He was demoralizing our forces. Was he thinking to inject fear and despair into human minds? The feeling of helplessness?

That night I slept well. I had to rest, as there was a possibility that enemy will strike in full force tomorrow or any other moment.

In the afternoon, another centaur with a white flag came half the way into the battle field and began to wave the flag. We decided that Queen Xristiana and I were going to go to meet the centaur. Xristiana had hope in her eyes, and I think we were the reason. We walked for 25-30 minutes with slow steps and reach the centaur.

[-]: I’m Erekiel. Hakim’s messenger.

[Xristiana]: I’m Queen Xristiana of Jorm.

[Me]: Aslan of Kali tribe.

[Erekiel]: Our beloved prophet had a revelation yesterday night. Johum had shown him the kingdom where centaurs, humans, drakons and cyclopses live side by side…

[Xristiana]: He had meant, whatever left of humans…

[Erekiel]: Prophet Hakim told that’s the choice upon the leaders of humans to make. Jeremy made his choice; it is your turns now.

[Me]: What else Hakim says?

[Erekiel]: Prophet says that by Johum’s will the victory is with us!

[Me]: Did he predict death of cyclopses from yesterday?

Next: Chapter 48 - Eyes