Legion

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Apologies it has been too long since i wrote. I've come back with a new story. Set in my own world. Any criticism good or bad would be useful so tell me what you think. Here it is......

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CHAPTER ONE
Legion wandered through the trees, which were laced with snow. He stared at the ground. Never forward, never back, never side to side. His eyes only watched his feet carrying him wherever they chose to go.

His mind filled with thoughts of Jaared. His partner, his best friend, his brother. He was dead. Dead because Legion owed money. The plan was to become soldiers for hire, mercenaries. They had done it for four years and Legion’s slate was almost clean. One more job to go. One more job left. Jaared’s last job. They accepted a contract to fight in a battle. 10000 gold. An astounding sum! Enough to pay off the debt and have a great deal left over. They had been in many battles before and survived. This would be no different, they thought. How wrong they were.

The sun as settling in the west and the Norad were preparing another attack on the keep. The Phoasr generals tried to encourage their troops. They had already lost 4000 troops in two days. They couldn’t last a third day of attack. In fact they never made it to the third day.

Legion stood with Jaared on the battlements. Legion stared at Jaared’s bloodstained clothes.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Jaared. “It’s not mine.” Jaared gave a feeble laugh to try and lighten the mood but Legion could barely force himself to smile.

“Id like to say we’d been in worse than this,” replied Legion. “But I’d be lying. We’ve lost over 4000 men.”

“We?” Jaared seemed confused. “We’re Mercs. We fight for money, not honour or such rubbish. For gold.”

“There won’t be anybody to pay us tomorrow.” Interrupted Legion. “So we need to protect our employers. We won’t hold. It’s a lost cause. We should get out.”

“Yeah I’m sure the Norad will let you and I past,” joked Jaared. “Even though we fight for the enemy, and have already slain hundreds of their warriors.” The large warrior laughed and the mood of the battle seemed to change. Legion laughed for the first time in weeks. All of a suddenly war horns sounded from the Norad camp.

“They’re coming,” screamed the lookout. “Everybody to arms, they’re coming.” The lookout ran down from the battlements arousing troops as he passed.

Legion looked towards the rapidly advancing Norad. “Here we go again,” he said unsheathing his Katana….

(OoC = it is short just now but more will come)

[ October 28, 2004, 19:58: Message edited by: Lawless ]

 

Nice story Lawless. Roll on the next post .

 

And so the story continues.

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The Norad marched swiftly and were approaching within bowshot. Legion could hear the orders to shoot being shouted. Himself and Jaared would have to wait as neither used a bow of any sort. As soon as the Norad were within distance, the Norad leader could be heard shouting and a mass of shields was held above the oncomers. The Norad broke into a run as arrow upon arrow glanced off the shields although the occasional arrow would take down a warrior. The Norad were within earshot and a scream from beneath the barrier came, “Ladders.” At least thirty ladders were propped against the long wall within seconds and warriors began to climb. The Phoasr archers tried to pick off as many of the enemy as possible before they could reach the top of the ladders.

A ladder appeared in front of Legion and a head appeared shortly afterwards. Legion’s Katana hammered down on the helm, slicing through metal and flesh. The warrior fell taking one man below with him. A second warrior appeared but Jaared’s huge mace sent the attacker hurling from the ladder. The Phoasr fought like demons, holding the wall until the moon was up, but still the warriors came. On and on they fought causalities aplenty on both sides. The sound of dying men’s screams and the sound of steel upon steel filled the air.

Captain Tag of Phoasr waited in the courtyard with twenty of his troops for any gaps which might open up. He watched Jaared and Legion fighting side by side. The huge form of Jaared devastated countless skulls as Legion’s sword sliced and cut through every single warrior opposing him. They were complete opposites; Jaared would use brute strength with impossible speed for a man his size. Legion, however was the epitome of grace and agility, dodging countless attacks and parrying even more. Yet their partnership worked. They saved each other’s lives countless times, always knowing when the other was in danger. Not a single Norad made it over the battlements into the castle grounds where the stood. A gap opened up at Tag’s left and he charged in to fill it.

Legion blocked a wild cut and Jaared snapped the man’s neck with his bear-like paw. Another warrior fell beneath the sword of Legion. All of a sudden a gap appeared near Legion and he ran to it leaving Jaared to hold where he was. A group of Norad warriors fought their way onto the wall forming a fighting wedge shape. Legion rolled beneath a slash and felt his sword slice the man's belly continuing the move to parry a wild cut aimed as his groin from a second warrior. His katana opened two men’s throats with a single slash and each fell to the ground gurgling blood. A man sent a wild hack his way and Legion’s sword locked with the offending sword. He produced a curved dagger from his back and sliced it across the man’s throat, he died within seconds. He rested it back in it’s sheath. He hammered the last man’s sword aside and then reversed the Katana’s direction to take his head clean off.

Jaared swung his mace snapping bones and killing with each blow. A warrior jumped off the ladder and rolled under Jaared’s mace. The man stood up and thrust his sword at the huge mercenary’s belly but Jaared’s mace smashed the sword from his hand. The huge warrior sent the man spinning into the courtyard below with a single punch. Another warrior jumped from the ladder and landed behind Jaared. Jaared felt the blade plunge into his back, he cried out in agony. Legion spun to look at his friend. Jaared twisted his body and the sword was wrenched from the hand of the warrior he faced and in the same turn he crushed the Norad’s head with his mace. Another two warriors confronted him, Jaared parried as many cuts as his speed would allow. Legion ran towards his friend and hurled his Katana like a javelin at one of the men, it went through his neck straight up to the hilt. Legion drew two curved daggers and ran at the second man. Jaared fell to his knees as a second sword plunged into his chest. He looked as Legion blocked the man’s first slash and then plunged the other curved dagger into the man’s head. Legion grabbed his Katana and blocked another warrior’s sword and sending a riposte across the man’s chest, cutting deep. Legion fell beside the now lying Jaared, but it was too late for last words he was already dead.

All turned to blackness, as he was smashed on the head with a mace.

Legion awoke, with his eyes closed, pain throbbing the back of his head and the taste of blood still fresh in his mouth, the smell of burning flesh in the air. He opened his eyes and looked around him. Bodies of dead Phoasr lay beside him. He stood up, on top of a mound of burning carcasses. The Norad were nowhere to be seen. Not a moment too soon as the mound was almost all on fire, he leapt from the burning “hill” and landed on the ground with a thud and a groan.

He struggled to his feet and ran as fast as he could. For an hour he ran until he could ran no more. He slowed down to a pace of walking; he had no idea where he was. He stared at his feet as he walked. Thinking about Jaared and his last fight.

Legion collapsed to his knees in the snow and wept. It was his fault, his problem. He owed the money. Jaared had nothing to do with it. “It’s my fault, my fault, my…” He could feel dizziness creeping into his head again and he slumped to ground unconscious…

[ October 27, 2004, 15:46: Message edited by: Lawless ]

 

He was hit on the head with a mace. Dead.

 

Ill change that bit.....

to...

A mace glanced off the back of Legion's helm and he slipped into the darkness of unconscious.

 

You could have just edited your post.

 

Too late. Anyway roll on the next post. This is mostly conservation. More action coming soon I think.

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He had found the stranger unconscious at the side of the road. A lump on the back of his head and a deep cut on his left shoulder. He had set up a campfire in a nearby glade and carried the man to it. The wanderer made his way over to the wounded man and removed the passed out man and removed his clothes. They were drenched in blood and he burnt them. He went to the forest and cut three leaves from a tree and returned to the fire. He began crushing the leaves in a small bowl with a small, sharp stone. He added some liquid from a vial and moved over to the unconscious man. He poured the leaf mixture into the deep cut and quickly but carefully sewed up the gash using a fine needle and thread. The man’s body flinched a few times before he lay still in deep sleep. Moving to his pack he removed some dried fruit and began to eat.

It had been three hours since he treated the man. He looked over to him. He was still asleep. The man was tall and quite thin. But that was not to say he was weedy, muscles bulged on his arms. A warrior perhaps, he thought. That would explain his injuries. His long hair fell down to his shoulders and met with an unkempt beard. He looked at the man' face and was startled to see the brown eyes open. Legion looked at him wondering where he was. His mouth was dry and there were pains in his shoulder and on the back of his head. He groaned and sat up, not saying a word. The other man took some bread from his pack and threw it to him.

“Eat,” ordered the man. “You’ll need your strength. I don’t know what happened to you but I found you unconscious at the side of road. I treated your shoulder wound and burnt your clothes for they were covered with blood. There are fresh ones beside you.” He gestured to a neatly folded pile lying beside Legion. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Rest I’ll bring you some meat.” He got up, drew a long dagger from his pack and began to walk to the trees.

Legion tried to speak but could only force a few words out. “I am Legion…who...you?”

The man paused, “Pilgrim.” He walked away as the exhausted Legion fell asleep.

Pilgrim returned about twenty minutes later to find Legion sitting by the fire warming his hands. Pilgrim placed some freshly cut meat over the fire to cook.

“So,” Pilgrim began. “Do you remember what happened? Can you tell me how you received these injuries?” Pictures of battle flashed through Legion’s mind, he could see Jaared being cut down. He opened his tear filled eyes.

“I was in a battle between two armies. The Norad and Phoasr. Idiots. I was contracted, a merc. We lost obviously.”

“Why work as a merc? Why not be a poet or a farmer?” Asked Pilgrim.

“What would you have done if you owed a lot of money to some rather unscrupulous people?” countered Legion. Pilgrim smiled. There was a pause before Legion asked, “Why did you help me?”

“A true follower of the light never abandons those in need,” replied Pilgrim.

“Are you a priest?” asked Legion.

“You could call me that. Anyway, can I ask why you call these people idiots? It is in the nature of humans to attack each other. Unless you are a priest or pacifist.”

“You’re not from around here are you?” Pilgrim shook his head. “Two years ago the Phoasr king accused Emperor Takka of the Norad of having his first son killed. Takka denied this of course, but King Cernd wouldn’t hear of it and sent an army to Takka’s son’s castle. The army killed everyone there and captured Takka’s son. Cernd chopped his head off and sent it to Takka. Takka was said to have gone to the brink of madness. It was his only son Cernd had killed. Although, word reached Cernd that his son was living down, south in the lands of Emperor Gaete in Arloch. Cernd realised what he had done and hired as many mercenaries as he could because the talk was that Takka was sending full forces to Phoasr for Cernd’s head”

“That’s how you were hired.” Said Pilgrim. Legion nodded. “I see, Cernd’s son was not dead. So this is why you call them idiots as it was over nothing.” Legion nodded again. “Let me ask you something do you have children.”

“Not to my knowledge. I never found proper women. Maybe one of the whores has had one of mine I don’t know.”

“What do think you would do, if you thought someone had killed your son.”

“I’d probably cut his head off with a blunt, rusty knife after making him watch his family being killed very slowly.”

“Exactly, all Cernd wanted to do was make Takka suffer as he suffered. Something any father would do. You don’t have children therefore you cannot fully understand what Cernd went through.”

“But his son was not killed by Takka. In fact his son was alive in well in Arloch.”

“True but what he thought to be true was true for him. If someone believes something it is true to them, whether it is real or not. What other people do or think doesn’t stop their beliefs. Just what the individual perceives is true. For example you think them idiots but that maybe or maybe not true. What matters is you think it is true so it is true to you.”

This slightly confused Legion. “You make me tired, Pilgrim. I’m going to sleep.”

“Not for long. In four hours we ride to Fartune. For beds and beer.” Legion fell asleep and Pilgrim was not long after him.

 

Nice, but I think it could do with a bit more description. The way they look, how they talk, the area about them - that sort of thing. Roll on next post

 

Heres the next post. I probably wont post for the next month because of NaNoWriMo which will disappoint all one of my readers .
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CHAPTER TWO
He waited for the guards to pass on their patrol, keeping his figure from the torchlight. He stole across the grimy cobbled street moving from shadow to shadow. The moon hung low, like a white sickle in the sky, casting a faint light over Fartune. Saro moved down the alley his blue eyes examining the brick wall of a large building ahead of him. He turned his neck and squinted in the darkness. Nobody was near. He ran and scaled the wall with almost catlike grace. He hoisted himself with slender fingers onto the windowsill and prised the window open. Saro slipped inside and landed softly on the red rug at his feet, catching the window before it slammed shut. He stood up and glanced round, his thin-lipped mouth moved to a smile. He crept to the door and peered through the keyhole, moving his long blonde hair from his face as he did so. One guard was in the corridor facing the other end of the corridor. Saro with infinite care opened the door and stepped into the dark corridor. He moved behind the guard, slipping the blackjack from underneath his cloak. He thumped the guard on the back of the head. Catching him before he hit the ground. He pulled him into a seat and sneaked to the large oak double door at the end and went inside.

Saro looked around and saw the fat Golo asleep on his bed, snoring loudly. Saro smiled. He could have smashed through the wall on the back of a charging elephant and not wake the idiot up. He went to the side of the dresser and found the hidden panel beside it. Removing the contents from behind it and placing them in a large pouch, which hung at his side. He glanced at them. There was enough there to keep him in luxury for at least ten years. On the black-market, where the must be sold, they would keep him going for six months. At the top of the back there was an amulet with a small jewel on it, a pretty piece, but this was not the time for admiring it. He made his way back out the corridor and to room he came in. He opened it again and looked over the town. There was an air of tranquillity in the North part of the town where the wealthy lived. He looked to the south and could barely believe his eyes. An entire army had appeared in the valley marching towards Fartune. Saro stood there in shock when two guards and Golo burst through the door.

“Thief, thief,” shouted Golo. “Seize him, seize him.” Before the guards could do anything Saro jumped through the window landing on the ground below. He sprinted away into the darkness to his family. Golo looked over the window ledge and saw nothing but an empty alley and the dirty cobbled streets below. A bright orange cloud caught his gaze. It moved rapidly towards him. It was too late before he realized what it was. The cloud opened and hundreds upon hundreds of flaming arrows rained down on Fartune. Golo fell forward out of the window as one pierced his right eye.

Voa, Takka’s most trusted commander, stood at the centre of the archers ordering them to fire. Arrows whizzed over his baldhead as he lifted his own bow and fired some arrows. “Rip the life from these people and destroy the buildings. The Emperor has ordered Cernd to suffer, make him suffer. Make his people suffer. No prisoners. Kill everything in your paths.” Voa screamed as he ordered his men forward. The town blazed as the Norad army descended on the doomed town.

 

Much better! Shame it's so short!!!

 

I know it's short just wanted to get a post in before NaNoWriMo just to keep it alive more will come in December I promise. (Unless I completely fail in NaNo.)