Serpent’s Hold isn’t the biggest fortress out there, so it makes me wonder how it could possibly defend against a heavy onslaught of enemies. Its size is similar to that of a small mansion, making it seem rather insignificant and non-threatening. Did its builders even intend for it to be a battle fortress? It’s no wonder they needed reinforcements. Bright green banners hang from the ramparts, bearing a golden snake coiled up in a circle and staring upward at the heavens. Beside these are the red banners of Dragon’s Maw, flapping in the gentle wind that blows through. Well, at least they have pride in their meager fort.
I am standing beside Gabriel on the outside of the fort. The gates of the hold are shut tight behind us, to keep out unwanted ‘guests’. He is standing amongst a large number of knights gathered in a crowd around the gates. Séaryne is standing beside him, katana drawn and held tightly in her gloved hands. Every single knight has their weapons drawn, including Gabriel, armed with his longsword and shield.
The tension and anticipation here is so thick, I can almost touch it. The silence here is so loud; it sends chills up my spine. The pounding of my heart echoes in my ears. I’m not even participating in this battle, but I can feel it. The paranoia, the anxiety, it’s all here, covering the battlefield in an impenetrable shroud.
I notice Séaryne’s brothers Alain and Dashiell amongst the knights. Alain is rocking back and forth on his heels, nervous. Dashiell, on the other hand, manages to maintain his composure, standing straight as a board. Gabriel would be succumbing to this tension too, but it seems like Séaryne’s presence beside him puts him at ease. He looks at her, and she smiles reassuringly at him for a moment. They are so happy together, I can tell. I hope both of them survive this battle.
If there even is going to be one. There are no demons on the battlefield. Zero. The wide open plain is empty. Their absence is what is causing all this tension. The knights were here because they responded to a distress call from the hold, right? There was utter chaos at Dragon’s Maw because demons were attacking. So where are they? There is a bit of forest land on the Talyyn side of the border. Could they be hiding there? From my perspective, it doesn’t look like it.
After a few moments of waiting, Séaryne sticks her katana into the ground and leans on it, looking a bit angry. “Alright, I’m starting to think this is a case of ‘the boy who cried wolf’.”
Gabriel and a few knights around her nod their heads in agreement, murmuring to themselves. A few of them take in deep, relieved sighs and relax.
“I wonder who sent the summons? They’re going to get an earful,” Gabriel says to his fiancé.
“I hope they get slapped with guard duty for a whole month,” she replies, frowning out at the deserted battlefield. She doesn’t seem fully convinced that the threat is gone. Her azure eyes scan their surroundings, especially the forest lands in Talyyn.
“Is something wrong, love?” Gabriel asks, sounding a bit concerned.
Séaryne shakes her head. “Nah, it’s nothing,” she replies as she returns her sword to its scabbard. Her eyes drift to the knights trying to signal to the gatehouse, urging them to open the gates. “Come on; let’s go get a bite to eat.”
Gabriel nods and they walk side by side to the gates. The tall iron doors start to creak open on their rusted hinges at a rather slow pace. The knights all stare up at them, as if they are willing them to open faster.
Then, the new found peace is broken when the poison arrow strikes a knight.
It sinks straight into his neck with startling accuracy. Time seems to move in slow motion as he falls to the ground with a stunned look on his face. I can hear the poison sizzle as it burns away his flesh, like a powerful acid. A few shouts can be heard from the parapets on the gatehouse and the gates slam shut. Archers up top nock arrows in their bows and aim in the direction the arrow flew from.
Gabriel swivels around, drawing his longsword. Séaryne stands right beside him, taking a defensive stance with katana in hand. In the distance, loud howls echo from Talyyn’s forest land. They sound so unnatural and frightening, not warm like Kaiya’s howls. These are not wolves, but something different.
Eyes peer out at the knights from the shadows of the trees, ranging from fierce blood-red to venomous green to piercing blue. They belong to all sorts of animals, from reptiles to felines. Their rumbling growls and snarls resound through the ears of the knights. They fill my heart with dread, that sinking, hopeless feeling.
And then they come running down the sloping land, across the border of Talyyn, into Fen. A mighty force coming to smite all who would oppose them, weapons ready to bring the cold hand of death. I can tell they have no association to Crimson Hold or Talyyn’s government, whatever that may be. They don’t wear uniforms or appear to have any organization. From what I see, they look like thugs and mindless rebels ready to kill just for pleasure. A lot of them have battle scars marring their animalistic faces. Some are huge, hulking beasts, but most are lithe, slender rouges. There’s got to be more than a hundred of them, snarling beasts ready to wreak havoc.
“Fire!!” I hear someone shout from the top of the parapet, and a barrage of arrows flies down on the demons. I see several fall flat on the ground, dead.
My heart starts to pound as I watch the knights charge towards the demons, two forces clashing with all their might. I feel the adrenaline pumping through my system, and I’m not even fighting! It doesn’t take long for me to hear the crashing of steel against steel, the twang of arrows being released from bows, and the growling and shouting battle cries. The sounds of battle that put your nerves on edge.
Séaryne and Gabriel fight back to back, protecting each other as true comrades would. Her katana slices through several feline demons that try to attack her. The wide range that her sword can hit knocks them all down with one powerful swing. It seems almost futile, though, as more replace the ones she felled.
On Gabriel’s side, he does a series of stabs and parries, making sure to defend himself from the furious onslaught of attacks. He is facing off against a muscular brute of a reptilian demon, so he does more blocking than attacking. Determination is clear in his eyes, and he fights with much skill and precision.
“How are you holding up back there?” Gabriel shouts to Séaryne over the noises of battle. He does so without breaking concentration. His shield rings with a loud clang as he blocks another blow from his opponent’s blade. He may just have a chance!
She grunts as she impales one of her enemies with her katana, and then shouts back, “Not too shabby, I guess. You?”
Gabriel manages to slice deep into the reptile’s arm, making it drop its crude sword. “I can’t complain,” he replies, a satisfied look on his face. He manages to get several more hits on the demon’s shoulder and chest. The reptile’s skin is thick, so he does significant damage, but not enough to make his enemy fall.
The reptile bends down to pick up his sword, trying to move quickly. Gabriel swings his longsword once more in a downward arc, ready to slam into the demon’s flesh and deal a grievous blow to his head. As he does this, the demon manages to scoop his crude sword into his usable hand, and clumsily slices across Gabriel’s chest.
It happens so fast, he has no time to react, or make any sound to indicate that he’s been hit. My eyes widen as the shock from the blow causes his arm to stiffen and make him drop his longsword on the ground. His legs buckle underneath him and he falls to the ground, his wound bleeding profusely.
Séaryne doesn’t hear a thing, as she is so focused on her end of the fight, and the sounds of battle block out anything else. Her katana blazes easily through enemies as if she were slicing through butter.
“Ha! Don’t get too cocky now, Gabe!” she shouts back to him as she finishes off another demon. When she gets no response, she shouts, “Gabe?!”
She turns around just in time to see him at the mercy of the brutish reptile demon, who is getting ready to strike him. “Gabe!” she yells and blocks the blow before it can harm her beloved. The demon frowns and pushes off of her, sending her stumbling backwards on her feet. She doesn’t fall over, to my relief. The only thought in my head now is, “Get him! Destroy him!”
Séaryne angrily slashes sideways across the demon’s waist, sliding her katana across his flesh. Rage burns in her sapphire eyes, seeking vengeance. Her furious strike manages to cut deep into the demon, leaving a huge gash that mutilates his body. Weakened, the reptile now has no chance to block her next thrust, which stabs straight into his heart. The killing blow.
She doesn’t even pause to watch the demon’s body fall to the ground. She runs straight to Gabriel, her eyes clouded with worry.
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A/N: Hee hee, I decided to be evil and leave you with a cliffhanger >:D
Along with the foresty land near Talyyn, this color made me think of reptiles and stuff. So, you got some reptile demons. Huzzah.
Comments? Thanks for reading!