《Dragonhearts: The Redeemer》Chapter 2: The Dawn's Watch
Advertisement
The black figures had moved swiftly, passing through the Duchy of Dominas like a roaring wind in the night and coming to the border with the Duchy of Belovel. The road leading to Belovel was bordered on either side by tall, rocky hills that funneled the road like a valley before reaching the border of Belovel where it opened from the tall pines and dark forests into open grain fields of yellow wheat and barley.
The Duchy was a dark and quiet one, the forests holding dark monsters and even darker secrets. A plague had devastated the region, and what few people remained were insular and quiet, rarely ever leaving the borders of their territory, and their Duke was an absent man who rarely showed himself beyond his castle on the upper reaches.
They came roaring down the road, thundering hooves as they went. They passed a farmhouse swiftly and suddenly and the farmer, having heard the roaring thunder, came outside after they passed wondering whether a stray storm cloud had let out some sudden burst of lightning overhead before disappearing in much the same way it had come.
But his thoughts were wrong, and if he had known the truth he would have never dared to have opened his door and peak outside for the figures in the night.
They rode on, the territory passed in a blur and soon the deep veil of twilight turned to a light blue hue on the eastern horizon, and as nearer they came to the border that blue hue turned to yellow, then a bright salmon pink as the sun prepared his sleepy ascent and the dawn came. The dark forest now held a watchful eye, like the Duchy itself watched them eerily as they passed, and the stones seemed to echo their thunder.
Advertisement
The border was just ahead, the road thinned and squeezed between the two rocky hills, the pink stream of sunlight beginning to shine upon the yellow fields ahead, they pressed harder into the flanks of their beasts. And then, a sound.
To an untrained ear, it was nothing but a robin chirping in the air, or perhaps the drowsy hoot of an owl preparing to nest through the hot day. But to the wise ear, it was the signal of an ambush.
Their funneled hope at the end of the road was dashed as from either side of the rocky hills came rolling down two logs, picking up speed until crashing down on the road and blocking their path. As they came to a halt, figures appeared on the ridge line of either hill, they drew their longbows and fired down onto the road.
Arrows stormed like hail onto them, impaling horse and rider alike. The robed figures threw themselves from their mounts and sought cover, whether behind boulder, horse or man. They cried out in confusion and anger, and as they tried to gather their bearings the battle cry of dozens of men sounded.
The knights of the Dawn's Watch came screaming down the hills, their swords lifted high as the dawn light lifted and shined upon their armor. The dark figures cried out in anger before their armored foes were upon them with a crash.
Sword struck sword, horses cried out in pain and terror, mud mixed with blood and red stained the rocks. In the midst of it all one of the knights fought. He was a younger man, but not a man of youth. He had a worn face, and a scar across the bridge of his nose. He was a young man that had traveled much, and seen more. He fought with agility and grace and clear in his movements was expert training. One of the black robed figures rushed him with a dagger, the two tumbled over the rocks and wrestled for control. The knight kneed the man twice in the side, and as he gasped for breath the knight shoved the dagger into his chest and left him there to bleed out.
Advertisement
Another came, a man whose hood had fallen down and revealed a ugly, crude face decorated with scars and dirt. The man stood atop a dying horse and lunged for the knight with his sword. The knight parried the blow and threw a chop at the man's head, but the man glanced the blow and pressed again, catching the knight by surprise and getting a glancing blow across the knight's arm. The knight could see that the man was well trained.
The knight kicked at the fallen horse the man stood atop, kicking the beast in the belly. The dying horse cried out and threw itself back and forth. The man lost his balance and fell forward. Before he could recover the knight put a sword in his neck.
The battle was in their favor. Most of the robed men were killed, and what few were alive were making their way down the road before being ridden down by the reserve knights.
The knights had made swift work of the invaders. The knights wore decorated raimants, plate armor that shined with colors of gold and white. Over each of their chests was a tabard of a white sun with golden rays stretching in all directions, and over the sun was a black hand holding a gold flame stretched out above.
They were the Dawn's Watch, an ancient order of knights dedicated to the god Adir. Once the most numerous order in all the kingdom of Bravia, now they were numbered only a few dozen.
"Isaac!" Another knight called out to the younger.
"Borges." He returned the greeting.
"Praise Vero you survived." The older knight said. "I saw you in a nasty scrap and go down, I didn't see you get back up."
Isaac smiled. "It will take a lot more than a crazed cultist or two to take me down, Borges, you know that."
"Well, the battle is won," The older knight said. "We're rallying on the western slope." The older knight got closer. "We've tracked them for days, and it led us right here. Do you think they have found out?"
Isaac looked gravely at the older knight's face. "This is no coincidence, Borges." He said. "They know the Redeemer has been found. Time is of the essence. We must ride to Hollyheln immediately and ensure his safety."
Advertisement
We Can Go Back
The Fan is a young city that consists of three races. Humans: possessing no supernatural power, Elementals: able manipulate matter, and Imps: the failed and mutated attempt at a man-made Elemental. Like the Fan that exists in a delicate balance, Lilah's natural born Elemental family is constantly on the brink. With her mother slowly wasting away from an incurable illness for ten years, she lives every day with her like it's the last. In that time, her father, one of the strongest Elementals alive, used his very life-force to keep his wife going. Until one day...he didn't.
8 224In-game Item Storekeeper
Theodoric Shang Yinchao (???), a Chinese student was transported into a world where there are no such thing as Daoism, Foism, Ruism and etc. Binded along with him was a shop system that sells only ingame items. The world he was transported was not the only world he would be opening shop.Shang: Hi, Batman, do you want to buy Ironman schematics? Bruce Wayne:.... Shang: Hi, Hanabishi, do you want to learn real ninjustu? Hanabishi Recca:.... Shang: Hi, Xiao Yan, do you want the True Fire of Samadhi? Xiao Yan:....
8 174Write Way Magazine
Write Way Magazine is a weekly publication aiming to bring articles, short-stories, news, and editorial pieces related to web fiction, to you, the readers. The world of web fiction has grown over the years yet it is not serviced by mainstream literary magazines or journals, a hole Write Way Magazine intends to fill. To submit an article, please send WhoCares a message over RRl or Discord.
8 99He's a Student Council President(Soon To Edit)
We are wrong in the saying that the rich is for the rich and the poor is only for the poor. Because true love has no choice. True love is not based on wealth or your status in life.WARNING! -Childish era-Wrong typos and errors ahead
8 86Alpha King's Human (completed)
I looked out of the window. The huge window had bars on it. It was designed in a way only I could see outside world. That's what I could only do. I could never live there. Why? There were two huge arms wrapped around me like chains as I stared at the window blankly. "Mate, I can still feel your dislike towards me. Tell me, what should I do to gain your affection. I'll do everything you say or buy anything for you. I love you, mate. Name it"I stared at his wolf eyes filled with love which made my heart churn. I pressed my urge to puke and stared blankly at him."Free me" "I told you. I'll never leave you. How dare you think about going away mate. I'll fuck you so hard that you won't be able to step out of the bed. Then you'll carry my pups. Let's see how you'll deny my love" He growled angrily. In a minute. I was lying under him naked... Again.---
8 173Star Wars Imagines
Sooo, yeah!! This is my first ever book, well, about Star Wars that is. I'm not the best writer so I'm sorry if you're looking for something to read that's all fancy and such.P.S. I do not own any of the characters in this book!
8 118