We Shall Hold the Day
#5 of Hunter Hunted
To those who will read on. I must warn you that I have tried to accurately represent the warfare of the medieval age and its not pretty there are a few scenes that shall disturb with violence just a heads up.
Hunter Hunted: We Shall Hold the Day
"We're Under Attack!!!" roared one of the sentries and instantly the camp was transformed from a peaceful slumber to a raging beast ready to fight
Jimmy and Tyan both sprang up and helped each other strap on their recently acquired armour and weapons from the armoury. Jimmy still couldn't help laugh as he looked at Tyan's choice of armour.
"Oh just put the armour on" Tyan shouted at Jimmy
Jimmy snapped back to reality and quickly fastened the ties on Tyan's armour securing it to her body as Tyan did the same to his. As they emerged from the tent they saw a sight that could have been more unwelcome, another gate had opened outside the city and pouring out of it were monsters, the countless hordes of the Alhations had descended onto the city and the surrounding ground and their commanders were pissed.
"Seems we struck as nerve when we killed the Alhation in the city, doesn't it?" Jimmy asked Tyan
"That's not helpful" Tyan groaned at Jimmy
Jimmy just laughed and looked towards the sentry that had sounded the alarm it appeared he was struggling with a human that was until Jimmy saw the person the sentry was fighting the attacker was clad foot to toe in blood red armour that gleamed bloodily in the rising sun.
"What the fuck?" Jimmy swore when he saw the attacker then roared "Help the sentries!"
One of the men drew back his bow and loosed an arrow at the attacker who was struck square in the back throwing him off his feet giving the sentry a chance to attack, which he did finishing the attacker off with a twirling blow sinking his blade deep into the neck of his assailant.
"When did he arrive?" Jimmy asked the sentry giving the body a kick
"Just then, shitbag somehow climbed the walls and then tried to kill me" the sentry replied
Jimmy's face fell "Shit, where are the other sentries?" he shouted
The camp scattered running to the walls to check on the sentry posts. They were all empty not a single sentry could be found and what was worse; there was not a single mark to give a clue to what had occurred some time during the night.
"Fuckers" Tyan breathed "How are we going to get people to stand sentry? No one will want to volunteer after today."
"I don't think we are going to have to worry about that" Jimmy said hopefully
"Why would that be?" Tyan asked scepticism heavy on her voice
"Well the Alhations' new army is heading this way and it looks like they'll get here before lunch" Jimmy said "So we won't have to worry about tonight's watch"
"That's really helpful" Tyan said sarcastically
"Well let's get everyone on the walls, we need some serious defence now" Jimmy said voice suddenly deadly serious
"Oi" Jimmy shouted "I need twenty men to dig another ditch in front of and behind the spike ditch then fill the ditches with pitch. Who is up for some digging?"
Surprisingly at lot of soldiers volunteered, Jimmy choose thirty, ten more than was needed but it also needed to be done fast and well their lives might well depend on those ditches.
"The rest of you get sharpening your weapons and put some pots filled with pitch or tar up on the wall the archers will need it" Tyan roared after Jimmy went with the diggers
Tyan went around to the blacksmith's area "Hey who amongst you is a siege engineer?" she called out
Two blacksmith stuck up their hands "We are" they volunteered
"Right you gentlemen need to organise the rest of the blacksmiths into making some catapults to hurl rocks and jars over the camp walls can you do it?" Tyan asked them
"OF course" scoffed one of the smiths "But why jars?" he continued
"Fill the jars with pitch or something that will stick and burn and throw them at the enemy should keep them occupied don't you think?" Tyan asked in cold voice
Tyan looked around the tent and not one of the smiths could meet her gaze. Tyan stopped and listened intently then swore and ran out of the tent leaving the smiths shuddering at the memory of her gaze.
The diggers had finished the first ditch behind the one filled with poisoned spikes and had begun on the next ditch one of the diggers appeared to be struggling with his shovel. The struggling digger began crying out for help and his mates turned to see what the issue was.
A creature black as the ash from the burning city had snuck up on the digger and had latched onto his leg, one of the soldiers started towards the stricken soldier only to beginning rolling on the ground swearing loudly.
The soldiers began backing towards the plank that served as a bridge over the pitch ditch as more of the black wyverns came crawling out of the ground from hidden bolt holes that the soldiers had been walking over for hours without incident until now.
The soldiers rushed over as they saw their injured friends get swarmed over by the hideous creatures still emerging from the ground, only Jimmy stood over the plank blocking the way smiling.
Tyan screamed at Jimmy to get over the plank to safety Jimmy still stood there, smiling. Jimmy reached behind him and quietly lit a slowfuse standing on the plank; the wyverns finished feasting on the bodies of the soldiers and turned their attention on Jimmy standing in their way.
A massive wyvern stalked its way to the front of the innumerable pack of wyverns waiting on the enemy side of the ditch, it growled and began to stalk forward towards Jimmy. Jimmy smiled and loosened the slowfuse from his belt getting ready to spring his trap.
The wyvern sprang towards Jimmy intent on its prey; Jimmy dropped the slowfuse onto the plank and sprang back to safety. The wyvern smashed through the plank plunging the burning slowfuse into the volatile pitch mixture igniting it surrounding the camp in a moat of fire.
"Dramatic" Jimmy laughed
Tyan walked over to Jimmy and punched him hard in the arm "Did you have to wait so long?" she asked
"Of course it had to look dramatic" Jimmy said in a serious voice than burst out laughing
Tyan tried to stay angry but it was very hard not laugh and soon she found herself laughing along with Jimmy.
Jimmy noticed the catapults being assembled outside the smiths' tents "What are they doing?" he asked
"Making catapults" Tyan said
"Well obviously but why we don't have any rocks" Jimmy said bewildered
"No we don't but we have lots and lots of pitch and tar" Tyan said in an evil voice
"Dear God" Jimmy breathed out as he realised what Tyan was suggesting "That is brilliant"
"Thank you Thank you" Tyan said mockingly with a false bow
"Don't push it" the Sergeant groaned as he walked out of his tent
"Sir what the hell are you doing up?" Jimmy asked "Healers said you would be good to move in at least two weeks"
"I am a good sight tougher than they think I am" the Sergeant growled out
One of the Healers gave a cry as she saw the Sergeant out of his tent and standing up with Tyan and Jimmy and rushed over to the Sergeant.
"I am fine" the Sergeant said to the healer
"You're lucky to be alive now get back into your tent before you worsen your injuries" the Healer ordered
She and the Sergeant stared each other down and although Jimmy could believe it he thought he saw the Sergeant waver in the face of the Healer. The Healer continued to stare down the Sergeant though there was no sign of his previous weakness they continued for a few more seconds until the Healer swore at the Sergeant and demanded he got to his tent or else she would cease to help him. That finally broke the battle with the Sergeant storming off to his tent.
"Gods he is such a baby" the Healer complained after the Sergeant entered his tent
Jimmy stifled his urge to laugh the Sergeant had been beaten by the Healer though he was amazed the Sergeant had lasted so long against the Healer's will who was now to reduce the strongest men of the camp to tears if she was angry enough.
"How long till the Sergeant is battle ready?" Jimmy asked
"Well I am amazed he could stand and he seems to be recovering unusually quickly at this rate two days but he can be moved easily now that he can stand" the Healer said "But really how could he stand? That poison should have killed him left untreated but he is standing the day after he was bitten"
"Oh did you see the Wyvern?" Tyan asked turning the subject away from the Sergeant in case he was listening
"Yes I did and I don't think that I will want to see what wounds they can produce" the Healer said quietly
"What kind of poison do you think they'll use" Jimmy wondered
"Something nasty no doubt but they have no armour which means you'll be able to kill them more easily" the Healer said
"Somehow I doubt that" Jimmy said darkly "The Rhytinyll was slow thanks to its armour those wyverns will be faster and no doubt more poisonous"
"Wait you said the Rhytinyll were slow" Tyan said laughingly "What were on when you were fighting them?"
"I meant they will be slow compare to those wyverns" Jimmy replied "I saw it jump and it was bloody fast. We need a new weapon to keep those things off us"
They talked to the smiths' who weren't much help only promising to put spikes on the shoulders and shields of the soldiers armour to keep them off those parts of the body.
"How can we hit something that fast?" Jimmy shouted "Only thing I can think of is poisoning our blades with their poison or Rhytinyll poison to kill as many of them as we can beside that I have nothing"
"When the fire burns out tomorrow I want everyone including the healers on the wall" the Sergeant ordered quietly "We need to kill tons of them fast, one massed volley with the auto crossbows emptying the clip at them. It should take the numbers down"
"God idea sir" Jimmy said "Only problem with that is if they come out of the ground after we finish the crossbows we are royally fucked and there will be the army out there not just the wyverns. By lighting the pitch trench we kept them out until tomorrow but tomorrow when it burns down we are looking at one hell of a battle"
"Well if we can kill a shit load of them I am happy" the Sergeant aid grimly
"Well sorry sir but I am not" Jimmy said defiantly "I have Tyan to live for and there has to be a way to win this battle. We have catapults---"
"Catapults" the Sergeant exclaimed cutting Jimmy off "When were they made?" he asked
"Yesterday sir" Tyan replied "My order sir. I have Jimmy and neither of us is willing to die pointlessly any more"
"Well the catapults change things" the Sergeant said hopefully "Get them up to walls and fill them with pitch, tar and beer whatever I don't care if it burns put it in the mix"
"Yes sir" Tyan and Jimmy snapped both hopeful now that the Sergeant wasn't acting fatalistic
"Get those fucking catapults into firing range on the wall" Jimmy roared at the soldiers
The catapults were soon set up by the wall and just as quickly loaded with a horrific mixture of tar and pitch (for those will weak stomach you may not want to read on. Tar and Pitch is like napalm when on fire but much, much worse when lit on fire and hurled at an enemy) the jars of pitch and tar were loaded and the Sergeant shambled up to them.
"By the Gods they shall feel this" the Sergeant said the he roared "Fire at will"
The catapults let loose their deadly cargo with frightening accuracy onto the enemy outside the walls of the camp trapping those close to the pitch wall by bombarding them mercilessly with burning pitch and tar which stuck and burned with an unquenchable fire upon the enemy.
The roars of mindless agony and squeals of pain carried clearly into the camp but yet the engineers did not cease their fire continually bombarding the monsters that lurked outside the walls with the jars of pitch and tar that soared into the air before descending to shatter and sending liquid fire in all directions.
"Hold fire" the Sergeant roared "Give them some unlit shots then ignite it"
The engineers looked confused for a moment then loaded jars that didn't have burning pitch or tar in them and sent them flying over the wall covering countless enemies in the deadly mix that awaited them smallest spark.
"Give them some fire" the Sergeant roared and the engineers started the flaming pitch and tar again and the result were breath-takingly devastating
The unlit mixture had covered countless thousands in pitch and tar and when the burning pitch and tar hit it was as if the land itself was burning them. Vast carpets of fire spread across the enemy as the unlit mix caught fire and the results were terrible.
It seemed one of the Alhations had woken up and ordered the monstrous army to pull back, some tried to follow that order marching towards their Lords still afire and burning. The sight was terrible and the casualties they had inflicted would have been enormous.
"I doubt they will try to attack until the pitch trench has burned itself out" the Sergeant said suddenly sounding very tired
"You should get some rest sir" Tyan suggested
"No I am not tired" the Sergeant said "I have done that fire bombardment once before in my life and I swore on that day that I would never do it again but I had to today. You saw those monsters well they were all once humans, you saw what happened in the city to Mikael, Chris and Bobby well that's why there isn't any prisoners. All they Rhytinyll those were once children and the Gentryll were adults. Those wyvern were animals like dogs or cats I'd assume because they didn't retreat when ordered they are still dumb animals just better killers now"
"Holy Flaming Hells" Jimmy swore
"I know its terrible Jimmy" the Sergeant said sadly
"No sir you need to see this" Jimmy said sounding actually afraid
Another gate had opened but through this gate there were no ground forces. Things of horrific nature came flying through borne on wings like bats or dragons.
"Son of a bitch" the Sergeant swore "Get everyone who knows how to use a crossbow out here. We use ordinary crossbows save the autos for tomorrow"
All the soldiers lined the walls wondering where the fuck the flyers were, they had lost sight of them almost as soon as they left the gate and now that the gate was gone they didn't have fucking clue where the flyers were.
One of the soldiers stepped out from the shield wall they had erected to prevent the flyers from dive bombing them off to check the skies and as soon as he did he was swept off his feet and slammed into the ground fifty meters away from the sheer power behind the aerial strike.
"Shit!" the Sergeant swore as he saw the soldier's body crumple on the ground "Alright when I say we all turn and fire upwards then back beneath the wall alright"
The soldiers grabbed their shields holding the crossbows in one hand and prepare to stand and fire
"Now" the Sergeant roared and the soldiers calmly unlocked their shields and fired upwards into the night then remade their wall
The thumps could be heard all around the wall as multiple bodies fell from the sky killed by lucky bolts from the soldiers' crossbows.
"Well that might convince them to clear off" one of the soldiers cheered
"Might but then again these fuckers are pretty dumb" the Sergeant shouted back "Reload and prepare to fire again"
The soldiers stood taking their shields with them and soon the air was filled with bolts again. The soldiers crouched again beginning to reload their crossbows and as they prepared to fire again an ear-shattering screech cut through the night.
"Look the fuckers figured we're to good for them" one of the soldiers shouted victoriously pointing at the fleeing monsters
One of the soldiers jumped down from the wall and took a look at one of the downed monsters "buggers look just like bats" he noted
"Really that would explain why they're leaving its only a few hours till sun up" Tyan replied tiredly "Reckon all this shit was just to tire us out now so we fight less tomorrow"
"Well they'll get a surprise now won't they" the Sergeant shouted out
During their training one of the exercises the Sergeant enforced was random ten mile runs that could take place at any time including midnight.
"Yes we really thank you Sergeant" Jimmy called out sarcastically
The Sergeant chose to ignore that remark "Pull all the tents into a circle and put a fire outside every second one it should keep the flyers away, all the sentries will stand by the fire with auto crossbows to shoot anything dumb enough to attempt to scale the wall"
"How will we survive tomorrow Sir?" one of the soldiers cried out "We are almost out of pitch and tar and all that stands between us on the morrow is the poison ditch and the wall"
"Tomorrow, soldier is a few hours away so I suggest you worry about tonight first" the Sergeant said cuttingly "Make no mistake, death will not take me until I am good and ready. We Shall Hold the Day tomorrow!!!"
The last few hours of the night passed uneasily for everyone and the sentries were the worst off, eyes constantly scanning the walls not wanting to be the next one to vanish.
As the sun rose the sentries woke their replacements and went in their tents to grabbed what could be their last few hours of sleep in this life.
Tyan couldn't sleep any more she got up and opened the tent door as she did Jimmy swore and sat up holding his head.
"Serves you right for drinking last night" Tyan scolded Jimmy "You know you might consider the novelty of waking up sober for once"
"I am sure that's unhealthy" Jimmy laughed back
Tyan laughed and threw Jimmy sword to him "Get up we might as well examine the walls"
Jimmy groaned and pulled himself upright and began to get dressed next to Tyan. They walked along the wall watching for the enemy who must have pulled back into the city because the army was no where in sight.
"Reckon they're in the city?" Tyan asked
"Absolutely when we killed that Alhation all hell broke loose right. Well since they are willing to pull an army out of position to kill us that one must have been extremely important, I think there is something the Sergeant isn't telling us about this fight and for him to stay silent about it it'd have to be bloody serious." Jimmy replied
"Probably is" Tyan said "Well if we have pissed them off that much why aren't they attacking us now? It's plenty light for them to see so why are they still in the city if they are here at all?"
"Well every hour the men can rest is one more they can fight but the wait is chafing me to" Jimmy explained
There was some sudden activity by the city gates "Looks like someone woke up over there" Jimmy noted
Within minutes the army was filling out of the city onto the plain outside of it getting to battle.
"The enemy is on the plain" Jimmy roared out waking the camp
The camp was abuzz as the soldiers blew out of their tents pulling on their armour as quickly as they could; the engineers raced out and armed the catapults with what little ammunition they could muster and the automatic crossbows were armed and placed ready on the walls.
Some of the soldiers were tasked with guarding the gate that would stop the enemy from bursting into the camp, the soldiers stood there in a typically Spartan shield wall about two meters from the gate ready to impale the first thing through the gate.
Jimmy crouched down resting his auto crossbow on the wall gazing through its sight just about begging the enemy to charge so he could use the deadly weapon to its fullest power as he looked around he saw Tyan lying next to him gazing through the sights of her auto crossbow finger on the trigger ready to fire.
"When the enemy charges let the catapults do their damage when the catapults cease firing feel free to inflict as much death on the enemy as possible" the Sergeant ordered "May we all survive this ordeal"
"That tone fills me with confidence" Jimmy said sarcastically to the Sergeant who merely growled in return
It was half an hour when the first attack came the Sergeant signalled the catapults who once again lit the plain up with flaming pitch and tar burning thousands of the enemy alive destroying whole parts of the army didn't seem to faze the commanders who pulled their monsters back after five minutes of watching them burn alive.
The second attack came almost an hour later after the last vestiges of the fire burned itself out the enemy charged and again they were met by the pitch and tar burning the monsters alive but this time their commanders pulled them back almost instantly, the loyalty of the monsters was hard to watch some of the returning monsters were on fire burning and they didn't do a thing.
"Well there goes the last of the pitch and tar" the Sergeant shouted "Ready your bows mates and hold the gates"
The next attack came only twenty minutes later and when it came the sight was terribly to behold about half of the total army charged down the slope and into range of the crossbows, the first few ranks fell the wheat scythed down by the overwhelming first volley.
The enemy ranks folded under the trained fire of the crossbows of the soldiers and the enemy was soon fleeing back out of range. The Alhations seemed to find this very vexing and their screams of outrage could be heard at the camp.
"We seemed to have pissed them off" the Sergeant laughed
"Indeed we have sir. How long do you think they'll keep it up?" Jimmy asked
"Probably until they breach the gates" the Sergeant said "But if they do they'll find the experience more than unpleasant" he pointed down "the soldiers down there thought they enemy had it way to easy to they put a second poison trench about two steps from the gate"
Jimmy laughed "We certainly are holding them back" then his voice turned dark "What about tonight I don't think we can survive another night here"
"I know" the Sergeant said back "If they don't break off on the siege we will have to break out"
"Are things that bad?" Tyan asked perplexed
"Look at the sentries from last night" Jimmy said quietly "They are still shaking, they really shouldn't even be fighting"
Tyan looked at the nearest sentry and she did notice that the man's hand shook and his voice wavered when he spoke
"If we stay here all the men will end up like that" Jimmy pointed out "So we'll have to break out tonight if they don't break off"
"Gods" Tyan breathed "Breaking out? To where?"
"We'll have to kill the Alhation commanders and use the confusion to escape" the Sergeant said grimly "But if there is one left alive they will hunt us down like dogs"
"Damnation here they come again" the Sergeant swore as the enemy rushed across the plain towards their camp
The soldiers once again readied their crossbows and sent another wave of arrows sighing through the air to plunge into the enemy and though as always the enemy fell in great numbers they kept charging towards the gate and wall intent on killing those who had felled so many of them.
"Those are some crazy mother fuckers" one of the soldiers shouted as the enemy continued their headlong charge
The enemy crashed to the ground as they hit the poison trench killed as the Rhytinyll poison rushed through their veins poisoning them.
"Poison seems to affect them more than us" Tyan noted
"That's good" the Sergeant said
Still the enemy didn't stop resorting to walking across their own dead to cross the trench if they got that far. The first Gentryll reached the walls just below Jimmy and as it raised its hand to strike the wall Jimmy placed his blade at its spine and pressed the button. The blade sprang out an extra few inches easily severing the spine of the massive Gentryll.
"Very good Jimmy" the Sergeant said as he walked over the wall and drove his blade into the eye of a Gentryll that had reached the wall.
Tyan put her crossbow to her shoulder and fired a single bolt into the throat of a charging Gentryll sending grinding into the trench now filled with bodies. The Sergeant shook his head in disbelief at the accuracy of the shot, the crossbows were notoriously inaccurate.
"Nice shot" Jimmy commented
"Thanks" Tyan said
The group turned as they heard the gates smash open and they saw the group of soldiers prepare to drive the enemy out, the enemy rushed forwards triumphantly into the second poison trench.
The charge collapsed at that point the enemy tried to retreat through the gate to get away from the poison stakes at the bottom of the trench but their comrades behind them pushed forwards not yet realising the trap that awaited them.
The men on the wall near the gate rained hell with their auto crossbows into the face of the enemy causing more and more casualties. The enemy eventually retreated in the face of this fire back to their lines but the damage had been done, of the tens of thousand that charged earlier only one hundred now returned to their lines.
"Now comes the real fight" the Sergeant said
"What?" both Tyan and Jimmy asked
"The whole purpose of those charges was to break down the gate which they have done" the Sergeant answered "Now comes the fun part they will send their whole force against us"
"Well we can rebuild the gate" Jimmy said laughingly
"With what?" Tyan asked
"I see no end to the bodies outside the gate" Jimmy replied "Let's just tow those bodies back to the gate to block it off and have the soldiers stand with their spears on the body wall"
"That is bloody brilliant" the Sergeant praised Jimmy "You heard the man tow those bodies back to the gate, use them to form a wall and the blocking troops can use it as high ground to hold the enemy back"
"Where are all the wyverns and Rhytinyll?" Tyan asked
"Oh shit" Jimmy breathed out "What are we going to do if they send them? They easily dodge the bolts unless we darken the sun with bolts the soldiers down there will be slaughtered"
"Doubt it" the Sergeant said "They rarely use the Wyverns and Rhytinyll for anything but urban warfare. They probably sent them some where else"
"Let's pray to the Gods that you are right" Tyan said
The entire army assembled on the plains before them and was obviously preparing to attack when Tyan said "Sir that weapon you killed the Alhation with you have a bolt version of that?" she asked
"I do" the Sergeant said "Why?"
"I can see one of the Alhations walking in front of his army" she said
"All right waste him" the Sergeant said and tossed Tyan a strangely shaped bolt
Tyan loaded the bolt into one of the ordinary crossbows then stood and focused intently on the distant figure moving in front of the monster. Tyan slowly moved her finger onto the trigger and not daring to breath pulled the trigger sending the bolt whistling across the plain.
Jimmy and the Sergeant watched the figure intently and saw as the bolt struck the figure crumple and when it fell the army gathered outside the city went berserk.
"Looks like we have our distraction" Jimmy said
"We do" the Sergeant said "But is there another Alhation nearby waiting to take control" as he finished speaking the army ceased fighting amongst itself and began to charge towards them
"Well sir I guess that answers your question" Jimmy said
The Sergeant shrugged and put his crossbow to his shoulder and began firing with the other soldiers, Tyan and Jimmy laughed and grabbed their crossbows and fired upon the massive force charging towards them.
The bolts flew in such great numbers for a few seconds there sun was shaded then the bolts descended and the slaughter began. Countless numbers of the enemy fell within seconds and ragged gaps appeared in the charge, still the soldiers fired the crossbows at the enemy and the enemy continued to charge ignoring their fallen.
Jimmy shook his head and fully automatic as the enemy reached the trench, still they charged in even though there were gaps in the trenches they ran ceaselessly towards them falling in great numbers they charged on. The soldiers lined the wall kneeling and firing fully automatic into the face of the enemy reloading frantically when their clips ran dry.
"Is there no end to these fuckers?" Tyan cried out
"Doesn't seem to be" Jimmy shouted back "Wonder if their commander will put in an appearance?"
"I hope not the last one was bad enough" Tyan replied
Jimmy's clip ran dry again and when he reached for a reload there was none "Shit I am out of ammo" he shouted drawing his sword running to the edge of the wall to attack the enemy directly
Tyan spared a glance for the gate holders who seemed to be doing just fine, they would let them Gentryll clash on their shields then slam them back and attack before hiding behind the shields to await the repeat.
Tyan's clip ran dry and she realised she was out of ammo to, she gave a laugh drew her sword and rushed to the wall edge to help Jimmy.
"Thought you'd never run out of ammo" Jimmy said breathlessly
"Relax I am here now" Tyan laughed
Jimmy laughed and swung his blade shaking his head "You'd think they'd realise attacking us here is a dumb idea wouldn't you"
"I hope not" Tyan replied "A stupid enemy is a gift from the Gods"
"Well these must be the pick of the litter when it comes to mindless idiocy" Jimmy shouted over the sound of swords clashing against Gentryll armour
Jimmy swung taking the head off a Gentryll he prepare to swing again but there was nothing there, he looked around and the enemy numbers had been crushed against their camp walls. They had won!
"We won" Jimmy shouted at the top of his lungs
"Don't celebrate too soon" came a gravelly voice
"Shit we got an Alhation" Jimmy swore
The Sergeant drew back one of the strange swords preparing to strike the Alhation in the back as he swung the Alhation turned and back handed him sending the blade flying over the Alhation's head into Jimmy's hands who promptly swung the blade low at the Alhation, ducking under the Alhation's sword bring the strange blade up into the Alhation's stomach and out through his shoulder blades.
Jimmy lowered the point of the blade and kicked the Alhation off it then tossed the blade to the Sergeant.
"Let's get the fuck outta here" Jimmy said
"Couldn't agree with you more" Tyan shouted back
The soldiers packed the camp up with the speed of a thousand men filled with the desperation to escape the battlefield before more of the enemy could arrive.
"Wished they packed up that quickly all the time" the Sergeant said
"Can you really blame them sir? This has been one hell of a battle and I really didn't expect to come out alive either" Jimmy replied
"Neither did I" the Sergeant said quietly "We have gone above and beyond on this mission. We are going home and when we get there if you want to leave you can but I'd rather you stay on"
"Where else would I be" Jimmy said laughingly "I will stay if Tyan does"
"Well I am staying on" Tyan said "I don't think there will be much left for me any where else"
"Thank you. I doubt I'll have much luck with the others though" the Sergeant said
"Sir?" Jimmy asked "What happened to Calais? He just vanished one night"
"Ah that one" the Sergeant replied "He is going with a two man group to make sure our evac is calmer than the insertion "
"Well I hope he had better luck than we did" Tyan said
"If I know Calais he has already done what I asked him to do and is waiting for us back at the docks" the Sergeant said shaking his head
"Let's take the poison spikes with us" Jimmy said on a whim
"All right but why?" Tyan asked
"Might be usefully later on" Jimmy said thoughtfully
"Rip up those poison stakes guys we're taking them with us" Tyan shouted down to the men
Within five minutes all that remained of the camp was the log wall and the trenches now empty of their deadly stakes, the soldiers moved out quickly restraining themselves from bursting out in all full run to escape from the scene of the battle.
"By the seven lower hells, I am glad we broke the enemy so soon" Jimmy whispered to the Sergeant
"I know the men are all shaking, they are in no condition to fight" the Sergeant agreed
"How long till we can see the docks?" Tyan asked breathlessly as she ran up to the Sergeant
"The better part of today why?" the Sergeant said mystified
"Look backwards Sir and tell me what you see" Tyan said
The Sergeant turned around and saw a dust cloud on the horizon that was so massive that an army numbering in the thousands of thousands would be hard pressed to make. The Sergeant let out a terrible oath and began to bellow orders.
"They'll hit us about a kilometre out from the docks at this rate" the Sergeant said
"Well let us run" Jimmy said "Why don't we plant poison stakes ever now and then it should keep them... slower"
"Might help" the Sergeant said unconfidently then he bellowed "Start running gentlemen if we can't reach the docks before the reach us we are royally fucked"
The soldiers ran and they ran spurred on by the memory of the battle and the knowledge of what would happen to them if they were captured alive. Jimmy checked his crossbow was held firm in its holster her certainly wouldn't want to lose it, he also checked the second sword he had strapped to his back next to his other sword he was certain that it would be used before the end of the day.
Tyan checked the fastening on her new swords she had hated the long projector sword so she had swapped it for two shorter gladius-like blades. She pulled the blades part way out and resheathed them leaving about an inch out of the sheath so it would draw easier in the heat of battle.
The dust cloud drew ever closer to the soldiers as the docks came into sight, Jimmy gave a smile as he heard some of the more optimistic soldiers cheer at the sight of their escape route. Jimmy heard a screeching cry and looked upwards to see one of the flying monsters.
"Shit, Tyan they've got flyers" Jimmy cried out
"We've got to name these things sooner or later" Tyan yelled out
Jimmy turned and pulled out his crossbow and opened fire at the nearest flyer, his bolt struck true and the flyers plummeted out of the sky to impact with the ground far below. The Sergeant looked up and saw the flyers and swore then urging the men to greater speed turned as well and fired at the flyers.
After four of the flyers fell the rest retreated back out of range.
"Shitbags are just watching us they must be telling the army where we are going" Jimmy told the Sergeant
"Well let's hope that Calais did his job well" the Sergeant replied " or the ride out is going to be rough"
"When has anything gone to plan?" Tyan yelled
"Good question" the Sergeant said
The docks were rapidly approaching and even the Sergeant was beginning to hope.
"The enemy will be bloody hard pressed to catch us now" Jimmy laughed
Tyan asked "Doesn't it bother you that something that has a longer stride and greater stamina has caught us on flat ground?"
Jimmy realised she was right and he began to examine the docks with a great deal of suspicion "She's right you know sir they should have caught us but they haven't"
"Well the ship is there and if it has our men on it I'll worry about other things later" the Sergeant replied
"Good idea" Jimmy said chucking a few poison stakes down then he said "Aw hell with it" and poured the stakes out on the ground
Tyan chuckled as she saw Jimmy empty the bag of stakes behind him "They'll find that irritating" she laughed
Jimmy laughed with her and gave a triumphant shout as their feet hit the cold stone of the docks and they began racing towards the ship. The men reached the ship and embraced their sailor brothers glad for the company of others and a real chance of escape.
"Never thought I'd see you again" Calais shouted to the Sergeant
"I never thought I'd make it back either" the Sergeant said "Now let's get the hell out of here"
"You heard the man" Calais shouted "Let's get the hell out of here"
The sailors dropped the sails and poled the ship out of the harbour much to the delight of the soldiers they were going home and none of them ever wanted to see another sword again.
The party on the ship was uproarious that night Jimmy waited till most of the soldiers would be far gone in their drink to grab Tyan and head for their cabin. Jimmy kissed Tyan passionately as soon as they had closed and bolted their door holding her close to him he kissed her with all his flame.
Tyan moaned in his embrace grinding herself against Jimmy desperate for his embrace and passion.
"How I have missed you these last nights" Jimmy said breathlessly removing his clothes
Tyan slowly stripped her clothes "Come here I need you" she said desire heavy on her voice
"At once" Jimmy replied now naked his lust quite noticeable
Jimmy grabbed Tyan and rolled her onto the bed after a mock tussle she ended up on top gasping and moaning as Jimmy's penis rubbed against her slit. Jimmy groaned and thrust his hips upwards his length sliding easily into Tyan's slippery depths, Jimmy gripped Tyan's hips and began thrusting rapidly upwards into Tyan making her moan and squirm with pleasure.
Tyan moaned lustfully as Jimmy leaned up and began suckling on her breasts rolling his tongue across her nipples sending shudders of pleasure through her body. Jimmy felt Tyan spasm as she approach her climax and thrust harder determined to make her cum before him.
Tyan howled as she came inner muscles clenching down hard on Jimmy's cock making him groan loudly and increase the pace of his thrusting. A few moments later Jimmy joined Tyan cumming deep inside her sending her over the edge again.
After they both had come down from their peak Jimmy nuzzled Tyan
"Enjoy that did you?" Jimmy asked
"You have no idea and from the feel of things so did you" Tyan laughed back
Jimmy laughed along with her and kissed her as they lay together and the world seemed that little bit more complete.
Smiling Wolf