War Prize (A Roman Britain story)

Chapter Twenty Eight

"I do not ask you to come with me," Kailen said to his sworn brother. "You can take the chance now and return to Elsa, to your children."

"I could never look them in the face if i did such a thing." Bran returned. "Besides, you don't have to ask me. I'm with you in death as i am in life."

Kailen nodded and turned to his other side where Vaughan watched them with bated breath. "Vaughan-"

"Do not ask me to run, Kailen. It is not our way. I'm not going to start now." He said fiercely.

"Then we are all fools." Kailen sighed.

"Speak for yourself." Lena snorted from behind them, the men turning to see her blow some of her hair out of her eyes.. "Let's get this over with."

"May the Gods have mercy." Kailen intoned and the others echoed his sentiments.

With that, they called up their remaining forces that was still left to them and they charged directly at Aquilla.

It was time to cut the head off the snake.

~

This is the part where stories made heroes, that songs are sung of the great last stand. Young boys and girls dream of this moment, imagining themselves as fearless giants in the death grip of tyrants.

But it was nothing like that.

Kailen's heart was threatening to break his ribs with how hard it was beating, his grip turning sweaty around the pommel of his sword. It was a hard slog, bloody and desperate. There was nothing glorious about the reality of war, of killing one man to live a little longer. It was kill or be killed and nothing heroic about it. But it was working.

It was like an endless eternity before they reached Aquilla and his personal guard. Ban got there first, his strength dealing death to the men who dared stand in his way of reaching the general. Kailen felt his heart lift at the sight and he fought his way to his friend's side, the others soon following in his wake.

Kailen had just killed a soldier when his when his instincts prickled in warning and he turned in time to block a blow from Aquilla himself.

"It's about time you came to me," Aquilla hissed as he pushed all of his weight behind his sword, causing Kailen to shift his legs to better hold his stance. "I was beginning to think you were all talk. Not that i would be surprised, given that you're nothing more than a Hill Man."

"You Romans" Kailen tutted with a deceptively calm voice. "Your always looking down from the lofty heights you set for yourselves."

"For good reason." Aquilla laughed. "We stand above the likes of you. Always."

Bran, Vaughan and Lena worked with the other Warriors to keep Aquillla's personal guard away from the fight, so they could fight uninterrupted. Kailen had to end this quickly.

They separated and began to circle each other like weary predators on the look out for any weaknesses in each other. They parried, slashed at each other, used force to knock each other off balance and started the dance all over again.

During the first blows, Val concentrated on his defense and let his muscles settle into the rhythm. After several minutes of attempting to get past Kailen's defenses, Aquilla lost his temper and began to batter at him as if to pound him into the ground. The Commander had expected a quick defeat and easy humiliation, not an equal opponent, and his simmering anger was now at boiling point.

There came a pained bellow and Kailen experienced the sinking sick feeling as he watched two Roman soldiers attack Bran, one managing to stab at Bran, carving into his sword arm. He shook them off but it looked like a deep wound.