The Six

Chapter Thirty Six- Charge

Watching from inside the tower she saw the Sher Wood warriors painting symbols onto each other.

Iasa had beat her down stairs and could not be missed among the others. Her bright, fire red dress tight on the top with two long bunches of fabric going down both sides of her long-tanned legs. Kimi was in a bright purple corset that glittered every time it saw the sunlight.

Orlan was dressed in what looked to be the Rolezal army uniform. Shiny silver metal plated armour over the top of a yellow tunic. He was helping Raus into a set of armour, though not of metal but leather.

"Ready?" Bren said, walking from behind her to stand at her side, to join her looking out of the window.

"Yes. What about you? Are you going to be ok?" Eboni asked, taking in her brother as she thought about how hard the battle would be on him.

"I believe I am." He said, looking down at her, smiling confidently.

It had been decided the night before that as Bren was their only defence again the fog that turned them bind- it would be too dangerous for everyone to have him out on the battle field.

He was to be sealed in a stone room Kas would build on the second to last floor at the top of the tower. It would be silent and dark- the perfect environment for him to meditate continuously throughout the battle.

"Come on, they are about to finish the war painting. I want to- how did Iasa put it? Oh, 'look fierce'." Bren said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked outside.

Looking around as they crossed the moat Eboni saw Darien stood by his King as they talked to a group of Rolezal soldiers.

Jolon was by the shore, organizing the Cerinian people, who were all putting on the leather armour like the set that Raus had put on.

Admari soldiers were walking to their designated stations after receiving orders from the Commander, who was stood in the distance talking to a remaining few.

The Brothers and Sisters of God's Land were in their designated positions already, and sat on the grass in contemplative meditation as the soldiers organized themselves around them.

Catching the nervous eye of Arianna, Eboni sent her what she hoped would be a warm and reassuring smile. Bren and Eboni joined the Sher Wood warriors- who had formed themselves into a circle. Raus, Kimi, Iasa and Orlan following suit.

Kas swapped places with another warrior to be at Eboni's side.

"It is part of our pre-fight ritual." He whispered in his ear. "The pots of paint are used to bring us confidence in the face of fear. It is said that hundreds of years ago my people used the war paint to look so strong and dangerous that any potential invaders fled at the sight of them." Kas pointed to the pots that were being passed around.

"There is black, blue, green, purple and white." He said. "You choose the colour you feel most connected with and paint whatever markings you choose on your face."

Eboni watched as Raus painted a blue stripe across his face, grinning as he passed it on.

Kimi chose the green, painting a stripe across her eyes. The black pot reached Kas, who painted a line down the centre of his face, with two lines diagonally on his forehead.

Eboni passed on the black paint to Bren, who took some on his fingers but did nothing with it- passing it on to Atu who painted a black stripe diagonally across his face.

The purple reached Iasa, who carefully drew a line underneath his eyes.

The white pot landed in Eboni's hand. Deciding to keep with the theme of her dress, she painted a dense white line across her eyes.

Passing the pot to Bren he took the black on his fingers and mixed it with a small amount of white. Following her suit, he painted a grey stripe across his eyes.

"You are a natural." Kas said to Eboni, taking her wrist his in hand to and drawing a small swirl in the black paint left on his finger.

"What is it?" She asked, looking down on the small mark.

"It means forever." He replied softly. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Eboni smiled, her cheeks flushing at the compliment and their close proximity.

"Let us hope they take one look at us and flee." She replied, her cheeks still red.

The blast of a horn rang through the air, silence rippling across the land.

This was it.

The Sher Wood warriors ran to their positions leaving the rest of them stood stoically in a circle.

"I will see you all at the end." She said, looking each of them in the eye.

"Go, now." Iasa said, pushing Bren towards the tower.

"I will be beside you soon." Kas said, running after Bren to build the room at the top of the tower.

"Let's go kick Dark Ones butt!" Raus said, hopping from one foot to the other as adrenaline began to rush through his body.

"Be smart. Be ruthless and be unpredictable." Orlan said, gripping Raus's shoulders to stop him from jumping up and down.

Raus mumbled 'strong, ruthless, and unpredictable.' Under his breath.

They stood in their small circle no one wanting to break away first.

Eboni looked to the horizon, a black line surrounding the land growing as they neared.

"They are attacking as predicted." Eboni said, relieved that they were at least prepared for what the Dark Ones had planned.

"Then it is time to set up our first line of defence." Kimi said, clutching the sword by her side.

"Let's go." Atu said, his voice strong with determination.

With a fleeting look to the top of the tower where Bren was being sealed in, she began her walk to the area of land she would be defending.

She passed a sea of red tunics and gold armour as she walked thought the two hundred Admari soldiers who would stand behind her.

The yellow tunics and silver armour came next as she passed through one hundred or so Rolezal soldiers.

Getting closer to the shore the nodded to the twenty Cerinian fighters who were clad in leather armour and the Sher Wood warriors wearing only cloth and painted symbols for protection.

The ships encircling the Barren Land were approaching at a terrifying rate.

Looking to her left she saw Kas run up the shore, his gaze locked determined on the ships.

Her heart fluttered, a mix of attraction and nerves. A longing to keep him safe.

She tore she gaze from him to look back to the people behind her.

They looked strong and ready.

A gust of wind rippled out churning the ocean and forcing the ships to slow down.

She watched the ocean, knowing Raus had unleashed his first wave of defence. The waves around the ships growing bigger and stronger. The ocean turning from a warm blue to black and uninviting.

A small Cerinian ship half way between Eboni and the oncoming ships served as a marker for her and Kas's second line of defence.

The fleet of ships neared the small finishing vessel, the closer they got the more trepidation Eboni felt growing inside of her.

The earth rustled beneath her feet.

Glancing down, all her fears melted away. A single lily- her lily- grew at her feet.

Looking up to Kas, she knew it was time, she was ready.

Bring it on.