The night was grim and sunken into the chasm of silence. Chimmers of armor echoed distinctly. Preparing for their last battle perhaps.
"Today."
Upon the Stage of Demise stood a figure of countless tales in his footsteps. A man of Gold Armor and eyes of fire, they called him the messiah of Marina. "I am Alika, the Captain of Naval Soldiers of Marina." In the solemn silence merely his voice reached every ear that stood before. The Army of Two Hundred Men. "I want you to listen with all your ears, eyes, and heart open. Each of you who stood on this soil, remember that this earth is the sole reason why we abide. This soil keeps our homes and loved ones safe, and they can sleep with comfort, knowing we stand on this very same earth as they do, and that we are protecting them. Each of the soldiers that stood here, yes you! You are the reason why there is hope and dreams in this city, that they have a destiny because today you are here!"
He paused.
"Be proud, be proud to be the symbol of hope. Be The Justice that prevails!!!"
Not a single roar matched his mighty lasting echo. Their eyes were overwhelmed with sorrow and the deaths of their comrades. The Drum Pirates are the animals of hell, had they not had a history of massacring their enemies in such a monstrous manner to make an example to never wage their sword against the mighty pirates. Mere two hundred soldiers did not have the guts within themselves to last any further.
They wanted to scream, tear open their lungs and turn the steps into the haven, flee from the massacre they were about to witness, but those faces of love of each shackled them to shore before, those burning torches far glowing within Drum Pirates. Soldiers of Marina grasped their swords tight and shields to their chests. The raging drum echoed and closed towards the shore as if as the step of ants, their rhythm started to surge into the soldiers. It was coming to them slowly yet with a presence of death in their far shadows. Captain Alika had his eyes fixed to the sky, he could feel the day was nearing, mayhaps in a matter of less than two hours there would be dawn before the sun, he could feel that it was the perfect time for the barbaric enemy to make their move.
Captain Alika was thrown into the mayhem of his library of words. He had nothing to say that could bear the moral of these hopeless muppets destined for their death. Alika drowned in the whirl of an ocean shaped by doubts and conflict. The Black Cloak, he trusted everything upon could be the end of Marina, he questioned and questioned yet no answer he could answer himself. His nerves raised, and vision fainted, with a fog over his view, the words of this brother circulated in his head as if Despair ate his limbs with the claws of regret…
The Eyes of Sunflowers.
The wind gales strong and that sudden brace of ears heard from behind—footsteps of a dashing horse echoed faintly. Each of them spun their scared gazes, perhaps they were surrounded by all the sides, yet when he came into their slope it was a young lad. His long open swaying through the sky, as he had a brown body, not tanned. As he rode the Pegasus, a grim horse of impossible control, the lad wandered upon it in comfort like no other. He slowed it down. With him riding the horse was an even younger kid in the traditional clothes south of Artelia.
His eyes had a distinct tint of that Gold, a flower perhaps within those gazes, wandering on each of them. Many of the soldiers have seen his face mere hours ago, but some have grasped tight on their swords and shields unknown to the foreign figure. Alika frozen into the moments before, he had gained a sparkle of history, of days when he served under the mighty Hero of the Nation. He could feel it, the soul of Prince Leocus walking beside them, that hinge of power when they fought against the nation.
He has Hope risen beyond his soul.
"Soldiers!!!" Captain Alika had once again all the eyes spun to him. "I promise to you all!! Today we will not lose. Today will be the last day that we will face these nuisances, this is the promise, I, Captain Alika, vow to you, that today !!!" He had never used such a tongue before, never had he lied when loss walked to their doors, yet today when his lips spelled a promise, each and every one of them had a sparkle glowing within each of the eyes. They had a belief that maybe today they can achieve the impossible. A soldier rose this sword into the sky, above his head. "Aye Capitan!!" The young lad that wore the armor of silver shine, had his arm pointed to grim night, had his voice replied from the crowd. Of course, the veterans of this war, the soldiers that have fought so bravely through their voyage to protect this city from barbaric pirates would spin their back on it now, or would they let a young lad outwill them. More of them raised their swords above, into the sky. "Aye Captain!!!" They wailed.
Hope was born.
Hatim had chosen the path from the forest to spare many ample and important moments to reach the Navel Shore earliest. Had he not had the young girl, named Zera with him he would have gotten to destination even with more time in his palm, yet perhaps he came at the right moment after all. His eyes wandered to raging soldiers waging their shield and sword in the sky, with roars and rhythm taking birth, a song from the clash of steel armor and weapons. Zera, astonished before the view reflecting in her eyes, was mesmerized that hope still abides in the people who have drunk despair each second, for days they have lost count. Alika before them stood unwithered and a man of words, like a hero of tales, bright eyes, and a loud throat, Alika resembled not him but legends of history.
Alika had given his speech, and now he stood on the same ground as everyone, before the young lad who had eyes as if with a supernatural tint. "You have come, that means the Witch is dead…?" Alika had a smile Zera never saw him wear. "No…" Hatim. "But she has been dealt with.." Frown occurred on his face. "Why?! Why have you not killed her yet? She can be a nuisance and send vital information to the enemy!!" Zera with gazes of a raven snake glued to Captain. "I don't think she will…" She said, of course, Alika could not trust the words of the child and spun his eyes back to the lad after hearing her. "She is dealt with, don't fuss over it…" Hatim had no intention to talk any further. But Captain Alika also had a matter of questions far beyond important than attending a bratty lad and went a separate path.
Hatim led the raven horse, Pegasus to the place where it belonged, the Barn of Fort he entered as the young Zera followed his steps. "So you actually came…" Voice echoed from behind them to spin both of them. "I thought you would run away from all this." He was one of the three great soldiers of Fort Marina, having fought the most battles for the city that gave them that title on their names, Polemiko stood before Hatim and Zera. "You seem the same age as my brother…though he died on the battlefield and we had to leave his body in the sea to those pirates…" Zera saw him. "Sir Polemiko of Three Great Soldiers!" That he ran his fingers through his white hairs "Call me Miko, kay?" Hatim didn't had a reply and kept leading the horse to its shelter, Miko once again walked behind them. "Warriors of Paladins, have I not heard countless stories about your kinds actions throughout these past years. Always abiding by the rules they say, the men of honor they say, delusional they say…wonder how you guys stay alive for so long with such saint ideologies…" Zera adopted a frown, she stood and averted her gaze to Miko; who with apparent tongue wanted to take emotional deed out of Lad of Paladins; but he, Hatim did not care and led the horse to its stable, putting his back on Miko's face. "Woah don't look at me like that, I'm afraid now, little lass!" Zera's angered gaze startled Miko but just when she noticed as he put his fingers to his chin, he only had three fingers. "Those eyes of yours, hopeful…raven yet reflecting…kid, have you ever seen blood?" Miko walked to her till he stood a step away from her, bending his knees and meeting Zera's eyes directly, his fingers nearly touching them. In the same second a dagger of Gold struck a wood pillar, a strand of hair away from Miko's head. "Now, now, it looks like I have gotten your attention." He bore a freaky smile. "This…dagger, it's made of Gold? How do you even cut flesh with it? It is no match for human bones or steel swords, that's for sure. Is this what they sell in the Black Market of Paladins?" Hatim spun, met those eyes that seemed dead, Miko absences emotion. Intimidating the young lad of Paladins whose heritage was Gladiator. Miko knew what he was doing. "I can't believe your eyes shine in the darkness…I have never encountered Golden eyes as yours." Hatim scratched his head with a sigh. "What you want!" To which Polemiko stood frozen but curling a wryly smile. "Fight me."
Without another word shared Hatim cracks his knuckles.
"Wait, what!? Here? Now?" Zera could see Hatim getting his stance ready as well as his opponent. In an instant Hatim stood before Miko, he dashed like an animal that even eyes couldn't believe, his punch less than an inch away from Miko's head, that left him surprised, yet in all those battle scars meant years of experience, he evaded the punch, bending his knees with the same matching speed. "So you're a fist fighter? Wonder what that dagger is about, then?" Miko runs to the Golden Dagger of Hatim to which Hatim with widened eyes follows in an instant. "Haha! Fool ya!" Miko climbed up to the barn pillar and flew towards Zera with insane speed. "Wait!" Hatim wails and spun his direction like a wild animal.
Zera stood perplexed, yet to comprehend the situation, but now a man like a predator flying to her in less than a second, she knew she could not run away, shutting her eyes and holding her bag tight was all she did.
The sound of breaking bones echoed with the clash of woods being demolished.
As her eyes opened, Miko was laying outside the barn, leaving a large hole in it. 'What just happened?' Miko knew he merely fooled around and carried no intent to hurt the young lass, but for less than a millisecond, he saw a monster. "Guess someone did not like the joke" He coughed blood as he covered his mouth with palm. He had a few broken ribs he presumed as the punch landed on his lower chest barely leaving his vitals out. He took a few long breaths, and rose back to his feet. "Tell me…what is your name?" He met the gaze of gold. Hatim wears a smile, a smirk of the devil. "Warrior." He replied.
Hatim and Polemiko stood outside the barn beneath the raven clouds clearing their way, a little moonlight shone above them. 'I didn't think the power gap between us would be this big.' Miko has taken a defensive stance, he knew Warrior before him would not play along with his games, yet it didn't stop him from smiling.
A sudden thought occurred to Miko, and made him stand still, leaving his stance and marched. "Let me get my stuff." He walked towards the entrance of the barn that Hatim had just created, not nearing the lass even the slightest, and grabbed a bag of cloth. Something of a steel echoed from within, of course, it was a weapon, mayhaps dagger or swords; Zera and Hatim merely trusted their thoughts in sync. "Tell me…have you ever killed someone…" Miko stood back to his place, a few steps further from Hatim and one of his hands searched in the bag of cloth. "I have killed so many that I can not even remember…it feels very different once you kill someone, believe me, the blood of a human on your whole will give you unimaginable strength…" He pulled out a pair of sickles, leaving both Hatim and Zera surprised. "But to live by sleepless nights would be your curse, shackled to your nightmares every time you lay with those hands that spilt blood of another…" Beads of tears fall from his eyes. Miko cried as if he had not seen a day with comforting sleep.
He dashed with two sickles in his hands.
Hatim was in his stance waiting for the opponent to march close, yet it was different. In a splash of a second a flying sickle neared his eyes merely millimeters away from strike, he vouched that it was different.
Hatim evaded, kneeling backwards, and using dirt on floors, as an advantage to splash in the face of Miko.
His breaths were heavy and fist hardened like rock, the foe before just have changed their pattern of combat, amused Hatim have to be cautious or else for certain he would lose a limb or two. Like a menace Miko dashed to Hatim from one end to another with a loud cracking throat he shouted as if like an animal. Yet was it not much different from the Gladiator arena, menace as his were perhaps the common ones there, fighting like their lives depend on it.
Hatim bore a smile.
Miko, the one of those great soldiers that stood on every battle for this soil since the beginning of it all. His wounds, scars on each point of the body was the proof. His experience of fighting constantly for days he has forgotten, how many massacres he has forgotten, Miko resided in humanity yet distant from it. He has accepted his fate to kill to live, that was his destiny. To his eyes reflected the smile Hatim adapted, a smirk of devil they call. He had seen himself in those feet a long time ago, but was too foolish to understand then that all the pride leads to nothing but misery, it angered him with a frown.
Dashed, Miko left his shadow behind, yet this time Hatim rather took his stance instead of evading the attack. Miko dive even lower knowing the brat head had brilliance on the counter, Miko shared the same smile. After all it was his experience before the Gladiator, one of the most skilled fighters that walks this Realm. What will be different this time? What will he learn from this one, will it be like barbarians pirates? Or would it be honoring Navy battles, those abiding the rules?
To his toe was the goal of Miko to make a severe blow, he knew it was rather impossible to fight any further for the brat if sickle landed upon it.
"Oh Warrior of Paladins, dance on the stairs of destiny!!"
Loud he screamed while dashing.
Hatim's eyes glow in the chamber of darkness when cloud covered the moon and sunk the empty vast in pitch black, unusual, Miko caught a glimpse of it, standing just few inches from his toes, but losing the sight to those eyes of Gold,
'What…?'
Hatim vanished, as if he never stood there, as the cloud passed and the moon shone again. Fist to Miko's face landed in less than a split second, left him out of his mind for ample seconds, he could have swore the brat was before him, yet the punch came from behind. Within the blank state, he thought of it a thousand times, nearly losing himself, yet just millisecond before he could collapse, he rose to his feet once again, with many teeth and a broken jaw this time.
He shall no longer speak.
Zera in the corner witnessing the madness these two bring, yet left startled to the view that just occurred, it was as if, supernatural. Hatim vanished and came behind Miko with a strong menacing strike. The power and the speed he demonstrated was not comprehensible by a mere human, but perhaps that was what the Warrior of Gladiator was capable of.
Hatim eyes glow bright amid darkness and he felt immense strength running through his veins for mere seconds, but in just those same moments, his eyes lost the shine and his steps became drowsy along hazy vision. It was a sudden surge of power now that it leaves his body, his muscles felt as if it was fluid only with no bones, draining all his composure and ability to fight any further.
'What are you…?'
Of course the broken jaw did not stop the mighty Great Soldier from speaking when one could only imagine the hellish pain of doing so. With daze in his vision, Hatim pulls two pieces of cloth from his robe, tide them around his knuckles. The glint that drools from his eyes, now fades little by little, as he regains strength over his body, Hatim takes a stance with his fist over a little over his head, prepared to fight till death and with broken jaw, Miko yet endure to toothy smile and meet the brat's eyes as he spread his arm, carrying sickles danced on his fingers. Hatim breathed heavily, drained of his all might and power from his fist and muscles, yet his hand over his head with bare knuckle fists prepared for fight, of course, he was loving every essence of it, and failed to hide his menace of smile.
The spectator, Zera gulped down with infinite worries in her eyes, for the first time missing Athena to put halt to this whirlwind.
In a simple blink more than two hours faded behind the ticker of time.
The dawn smiled at them with its tint of yellow across the sky, waves paved to shores, sung along with chirps of birds beginning the day. Distinct yet ready roars of soldiers ringed into their ears, wondering if the war had started, yet, Zera merely gawked at the madness, nothing but the sheer idiocy of two men. Blood dripped from each cut of the sickle blade upon Hatim, cuts many that fingers can not count, while swollen bruises covered the entirety of Miko sheathed with countless punches from the fist of Hatim and blood from his nose fell with no halt and of course, he coughed blood, barely keeping his fist stick to the rocky ground.
Yet it was not enough yet, far from it perhaps, their battle needed to last days till one of two could not bear to afford a breath. The cracks in rocks devoured their blood, and splashes of scarlet red paint of them went far, touching the toes of Zera, baffled, as she occurred. It was enough, there was no obligation to behave like animals just in the sake of proving their might, rather with each second passed each of their thoughts sunk into the vast ocean of blood, nearing their deaths and losing their vision.
'Why…?'
Without the chain of thoughts connected to her tongue, she asked, with echo lasting to mere herself.
"SOLDIERS!!!!!" The voice of a man most mighty echoed endlessly into the empty sky, striking the buildings and boulders all around, and reflecting back to them. Named Sir Navarch Ischyros, the head captain of all soldiers, stood with his height impossible to miss. "Polemiko…?" He could not recognize the swollen face of his comrade, as his eyes then wandered to Hatim, a lad carrying countless cuts all over himself. With a sigh of disappointment, Navarch had his palm over his face. It was the story of old times, Miko causing mayhem with anyone he saw. This was, of course, had happened times when Navarch would lose fingers to count, yet, each of those times his foe had fled with loss of a limb or two—often fingers or toes—losing their strength and never wielding the weapon again. Miko was the reaper to free the men of their rage, the freedom to their life's burden. It was his repentment for killing the countless, perhaps it would never be enough, yet it was his only way to clear his sins.
However…
The lad stood with mere cuts, it baffled Navarch, and his expression spelt it all. Never had anyone landed a punch on Miko in all the battles they fought, let alone landing times so many that his whole body would vouch with bruises. he had heard he was the lad of Paladins, a Gladiator. But the power between them and the lad would be this large was not something he had prepared himself for. The boy perhaps could fight toe to toe with Sir Stolos Dodiah, the strongest man of the Marina fort.
"THE ENEMY HAS ARRIVED!!!"
As between the pause, it was a loud echo that came ringing from the soldiers afar to put their eyes behind. It was the voice of Captain Alika.
To leave their stances, men of brawl walked towards the coming echo. Hatim cracked his shoulders and Miko his fingers. "I have warmed up." Hatim said, as Miko set his broken jaw back again "Yeah me too!" They shared a smile as their matching steps marched forth. They walked past Navarch proudly with their heads high and Hatim glanced at Zera. "I leave the Sword to you!" He spoke of Golden Dagger aloud and she merely could gawk back at him. Of course, she had an enormous frown and anger in her eyes.
"IDIOT, I HATE YOU!!!!" Zera yelled with all her throat could afford.
As the sun rose behind them, they walked with each ounce of their soul carving for battle. They were about to rewrite the chapters of history.