Alive and Dead At Arms

Death and Decay

As Grandiz approached the death knights he had to go through ranks of risen and ghouls. They paid no attention to the death knight. The risen stood firmly and quietly, but ghouls growled and clawed air before them already wanting to dig their claws in human flesh. There wouldn't be no ghouls if they would have another leader, but the bone king ordered necromacers to start ressurecting undead who have died in battle. Those that come back have lost every bit of humanity or sense and only want to kill and kill. Once they didn't listen to anyone and tried to kill the necromacers who reincarnated them but bone king taught new ways of making the dead serve. Whatever he taught to the necromancers, it worked.

'Foul things, these ghouls.' Grandiz said to Ferver. The other death knight was toes to head in iron plates and had a huge greatsword on his back. Ferver had been a death knight for seven years now but both of them have been great friends and combat partners.

'Yes. Sadly we can't do anything about it. The bone kings' word is law. No matter how stupid it is'

No one liked the ghouls but they loved fighting and were damn good at it too. Few death knights with their armies started an uprising against the bone king when he ordered ghouls to be made but the civil war was quickly strangled and forgotten.

'What do you think, are we to go against the cavalry again?' Ferver asked with intrest.

'As always.' Grandiz answered.

'Fuck. I hate to fight between the horses. Sad little shits, they don't undrestand what is going on and then they are forced to be part of something that isn't in their nature.'

'We are also using horses.'

Ferver laughed at that and said: 'Our horses are already dead'

'Soon we can say the same about them.' Grandiz pointed at the humen heavy cavalry that was ready to charge.

As the alive started their approach so did the dead. The heavy cavalry of humen formed a triangular shape with flag bearer in front. Most of them used spears in the charge and after hitting it into someone they took out their longswords. The undead however used whatever they had.  They had swords, spears, halberdiers, axes and some even used maces and flails. Death knights formed a circle, leaving an empty hole between them. This is where the biggest fighting will be taking place. Charging against a triangular formation usually ends badly. Especially if that formation is made out of heavy cavalry.

"Schoom" The first volley of bolts that the undead arbalests shot. Undead can't use bows. When flesh is decaying and in the end only bones left, then bow string destroys them. Fingerless soldiers are useless soldiers. Screams followed as the bolts fell into the army of the living.

'Listen to them scream brothers. They are weak. Let's make them strong!' Ferver called out to all the death knights. Every one of the death knights, Grandiz included, let out a warcry. As they did that the human cavalry clashed into the circle, destorying everyone in their path. Grandiz wouldn't have wanted to be part of the piece of circle that got crushed.

'Riss, move in!' one of the necromancers ordered them.

And the circle started to close in. They had the heavy cavalry inside, trapped. Grandiz saw the fear and confusion in them. The alive realized, that they were lured into a trap. "Schoom" and arbalest shot out armor piercing bolts inside the living ranks. Those who were too slow or tired to rise their shields got shot, but others survived and that is where the death knights came into play.  Another shattering sound and screams as the men-at-arms and undead army clashed  further away.

Grandiz moved in against his first opponent. Knight was in his full plate armour and had his sword out. He made the first thrust, Grandiz blocked it and made a riposte which caught his opponents armour, but didn't penetrate. Behind his helmet Grandiz saw, that his opponent got scared as he realized that he was the worse one of the two. Fresh recruit from a rich family that bought him his plate armour and sword, but never cared to train him to use it. Another quick stab attempt from the alive knight. Grandiz caught the blow with his chestplate and struck his blade in opponents' neck. Sanguine blood sprayed out on his opponents shining plate armour. When neck arter is pierced, the pressure makes a small fountain which is beautiful in some horrofying way. Grandiz himself wasn't hurt, because his opponents' blade got caught in his chestplate, where armour is the thickest. He went against his next opponent, man in burned steel, armour black. Grandiz started out this duel by feinting and then trying to pierce armpit. His opponent blocked and counterattacked, trying to cut off Grandiz's head. The death knight caught the blow in his shoulderpiece, but his opponent hit him off balance and blocked Grandiz's attempt to pierce gorget and helmet. The same place he once got stabbed. When fighting on a horseback, balance is the most important thing one has to maintain. If you lose balance, then you can consider yourself dead. The alive knight followed it up with a few quick swings and then hit Grandiz off his horse with a shield. A dead body on the ground softened the blow. An alive person would probably be gasping for air, but death knights aren't alive. The death knight quickly got up and thanked luck that he managed to do that. In a battle one can easily be stomped to death by a horse or another soldier. A lot of people were already fighting on their two feet instead of on horseback.