Warriors by Wolfman!
The young warrior thought back to the time when he was young, living
in his village by the stream in the valley of his birth. He had known many
happy days there playing in his youth.
He and the other boys had played at war among other things, not
really knowing of its pains and horrors.
One day they learned the hard way when the high kings tax collectors
came to collect the years tithe!
Their fathers had tired of the king from far off KRONOS collecting
a quarter of their grain and stock as taxes!
this time they would fight and drive off the high kings soldiers
and keep their grain and stock.
The king lived so far off he would surely not send more warriors
to investigate the disappearance of a few tax collectors. In the battle
that raged through the village that day several villagers were killed and
11 of the 12 warriors had died in battle. But one had escaped to tell the
tale of the ambush of the kings tax collectors and the battle that followed.
The high king had sent a strong
force to rape, burn and pillage the young warriors village in retaliation
for defiance of and the death of the kings collectors. He had ordered that
no living soul was to be left in the village as a lesson to all the others!
When the kings warriors attacked that day he was by the stream fishing.
Even as a 10 year old he knew enough to hide until the battle was
over and the warriors gone!
Not a soul was left alive in the village, not a man..woman..or
child had survived. What stock hadn’t been driven off had been butchered
and the granaries burned to the ground! Not a hut, shed or lean-to had
been left untouched by fire.
He had walked the ashes
of his home until he had found his mother and father among the dead .
Even as a small boy he was strong for his size, and had spent the
rest of that day and the next dragging the bodies of his friends and neighbors
to the partially burned meeting house.
He had spent the third day pilling small logs and unburned firewood
around and in the meeting house.
Boards and unburned furniture was piled on top of this and set
afire as a pyre for his friends and family.
As he watched his whole
life go up in flames through tear filled eyes, he vowed this was the last
time he would cry until he had vengeance on the High King and his men!
His whole life from this day foreword was dedicated to fulfilling his vengeance
on the destroyer of his family! He would find someone to teach him the
ways of war and exact his vengeance one day if it took him the rest of
his life! He would travel to the North to the warring villages in the Mountains
and try to find a teacher or die trying!
The young warrior had found a village with a chieftain that had lost his
only son in battle and found a teacher as well as a family . His foster
father was a great mountain warrior who was only to glad to teach his new
young son the ways of war! His foster father always went to the village
fortune teller before battle to ask for guidance in the battle to come.
It was a way the young son soon learned to follow in the years to come.
As the years passed he had grown ...large of bone and firm of muscle, his
abilities as a warrior had grown as well. His eagerness to learn and his
unswerving devotion to the skill of arms made him one of the most formidable
warriors in all the land. His reputation grew as did his list of victories,
both in single combat and in the melee of clan battles. He stood a head
taller then his mountain brethren...his shoulder length blonde hair
made him stand out among his dark hared brethren. Like Moths to the flame
his enemies came to him in battle, to be struck down by his mighty arm.
With Battle ax or long sword he slew his enemies until the ground ran red
with their blood!
In his younger years he had sustained minor
wounds in battle, but with age and experience his wounds diminished until
soon he would battle many foes and remain unscathed! His fame as a warrior
resounded throughout the land.On his 25th birthday he decided it was time
to avenge his family ! It was time to exact his revenge on the High King
, his training and skill made him the match or better to any warrior in
the High Kings kingdom. He donned his chain and plate armor and went to
see the village fortune teller for guidance.
This day the seer didn’t
give him the smile in greeting as usual, but a solemn look...deep into
the young warriors eye! As Beran sat the elder said "This day you go forth
on a journey of vengeance against a great evil. Many enemies you will vanquish...IF
YOU KEEP YOUR EYES TO THE PATH! In your blood lust for vengeance...remember
to watch your footing young lad! Don’t slip up or your vengeance will go
unfulfilled!!!"
The
young warrior left the village elder pondering his words....what could
he of meant? His eyes had always been kept to the path of final vengeance
on the High King and his soldiers! Don’t slip up??...Did he mean don’t
trust someone he shouldn’t or give the King a chance to escape??? Well
he would trust none and the King wouldn’t get a chance to run away!
In the years
since the village massacre the Kings power and strength had slowly slipped
away, until he had only a few of his most devoted warriors left . The King
was still in good physical health...even at the age of 50 years of age!
His body still strong , a good right arm to wield his sword. A fondness
for fruit had kept him healthy, Bananas being his favorite. Eating as many
as a dozen a day they were one of the few luxuries left to him.
As the King
nibbled at his third Banana today, he casually dropped the peel on the
battlement as he watched an armored rider ride in the gate to the keep.
As the kings guards casually went to see who this interloper was , he dismounted
and without a word drew his sword and struck down the nearest guard!
Then with a cry of battle from barren the young warrior and a cry
of rage from the dozen guards remains battle was joined in the courtyard!
The High King wondered who this young fool was...attacking a dozen of the
Kings guards in his keep all alone? What did he seek to gain but a quick
and messy death! The High King casually kept eating the rest of his banana,
expecting at any time to see the young warrior go down in a splash of blood
!
BUT!!...Barren the young warrior didn’t go down, the Kings guard did as
they approached! Each hacked ,slashed or pummeled to the ground in the
swirling dust of the courtyard! Soon an even dozen guards became 10 with
a slash and a thrust! With a parry, kick , stab another met his fate! 9
guards remained
and they circled the young warrior, each looking for an opening
to strike. As each one leapt forward to strike he was struck down in a
spray of blood or brains! A strike to the head and there were 8, a pivot
and stab and there were 7! The young warriors arm was a blur as he struck
each guard down!
Five guards
remained and were backing towards the stairs to the Battlements. The High
king had finished his Banana and drawn his long sword in preparation
for battle. Only four guards remained , with a shuffle and slash another
went down! The young warrior stepped back and cried out "I am Barren the
Bloody...Only survivor of the Heron stream massacre you ordered 15 years
ago!!! Ive come to claim my vengeance and your head you villainous old
fool!!" With that the High King and guards knew who their foe was, his
prowess with weapons in battle had reached all corners of the kingdom!
With the knowledge of victory or death as their only options the , the
guards fought more fiercely then ever ...but to no avail!
The young warrior struck each down as if lambs to the slaughter,
then advanced up the stairs to the waiting King! His eyes never leaving
the kings, his only thought to keep the king from escape and to fulfill
his revenge. As he reached the top of the steps the king slashed down at
him then retreated!
The
young warrior hacked parried and slashed at the king...driving him back
along the battlements.
The High King retreated in fear for his life from Barren the Bloody!
Finally...after all these years of waiting , he would have his revenge!
When he was through slashing the kings body to pieces he would throw his
remains on the rocks below to feed the Ravens! His time of revenge was
here as the King had backed as far as he could, his back to a wall! The
young warrior Barren the Bloody eyes had never left the king, NOW...NOW
WAS HIS TIME TO STRIKE!!!! As Barren lunged forward for the final killing
thrust, his eyes never wavering from the KINGs....he stepped on something
and his foot went out from under him!
Loosing his balance, one foot in the air and the other sliding
out from under him Barren felt himself going backwards and sideways! His
left hip struck stone and he released it was the edge of the battlements
as he went over head first! The next to the last thing he saw was the High
Kings smiling victories face as he remembered the elders words "Keep your
eyes to the path"!! His vengeance would go unfulfilled, Beaten by a banana!!
He screamed in rage and fear as he fell towards the rocks below...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
The last thing he saw was the rocks rushing up to meet him......Whumppp!!!!!
The High
King peered over the edge of the battlements as he peeled another
Banana, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the Bloody mess below. Taking
a bite of the Banana he turned and surveyed the courtyard below, "Well
he thought...time to hire some more guards" Looking at the Banana in his
hand he began to laugh, a Banana peel had done more to protect him then
a dozen of his best guards!
Who would of thought...Barren the Bloody slain by a mere Banana!
Laughing and munching his Banana the King turned to go look for an orange
or pear ...but then again why not another warrior slaying Banana!!!
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