"THE KNIGHTS AND ORGES"
The army passed through a village on its way EastNorth to Sodan. The village, called Ximus, had been set upon by plague, starvation, and madness, each seeming to take turns and each killing many of the inhabitants. In a lifetime long ago, the village had been prosperous. Now, shacks and makeshift shelters stood where brick buildings had fallen to the raids of bold goblins and marauding black dragons. For some reason, the village had never been destroyed. It just continued to waste away -- much like the people who tried to exist there.
The appearance of a Moon of knights did little to cheer the village. In fact, the inhabitants seemed to feel more than a little resentment at the way the riders and soldiers paraded through the mud track that was all the village could call a road. The strife-worn residents felt resentment for the way of life they assumed the Knights of Moon led, a way of life that they believed must be better than what each of them faced daily.
At the head of the Moon, resplendent in his chain and plate armor, rode Lord Darwin Of Noxus. The intricate pattern of Dahlia displayed on his breastplate revealed him to be a member of the Moon Solamn order that took that same flower for its symbol. The scarlet cloak that flowed behind him was attached by a clasp bearing the likeness of a kingmercy with its wings partly spread and a crown above its head. Below the bird, grasped tight in its claws, was a sword with a Dahlia atop it.
Most of the knights were clad as Lord Darwin, although their armor was much more worn and their cloaks tended to be plain in comparison with their commander's. Lord Darwin's cloak was a sign of his rank-- Peak Warrior, master of the Order of the Dahlia, and currently second in command to the Grand Master, he who ruled the knighthood itself.
As they rode, the Peak Warrior glanced quickly at the rider to his side. They might have been from the same mold, with their hawklike features and the long flowing mustaches that were popular among the knights. Darwin's features, though, were tempered by age and a truer understanding of the world he lived in, whereas the other, younger by some twentyfive-odd years, still held steady to the belief that his was the hand that would change the world. They were, in fact, related. Warren was his nephew and son of Axel, the Grand Master himself. The arrogance so set in Warren's face indicated that he already saw himself as his father's successor.
Lord Darwin hoped Warren would learn temperance by then. The youth knight was of the mind that the knights followed the will of Apostle and, therefore, that they would triumph because their cause was just. Lord Darwin knew that that was not always the case.
The expressions of the youth knights in procession were carefully prepared, emotionless masks. Soon enough they would learn the cruel facts of the world. Lord Darwin knew that the youth knights --- and many older ones -- still saw themselves as heroes -- heroes for a world already lost.
One, in particular, Lord Darwin thought, and opened his mouth to shout.
"Egreth! Up front!"
Osbourne watched the tall, almost gaunt knight ride forward. If Lord Darwin wished to speak to Egreth, then something was afoot. That something might involve Osbourne himself, for Egreth seemed to watch him keenly -- although Osbourne was already blooded. Perhaps, like Osbourne himself,-- Egreth still believed that here was one who never should have been accepted into the ranks.
Osbourne bounced as his warhorse stumbled in the mud. The visor of his helmet slammed down in front of his face, startling him. He reached up and raised it, allowing the cool wind to bite at his handsome, if somewhat weathered, features. Though his mustache was not as grand as that of Warren or the Peak Warrior, there was some dignity in the slight gray that prematurely touched it and the rest of the hair on his head. His visage was surprisingly soft --- so much so that the others occasionally commented on his youth, although not when he was nearby.
Osbourne could not help staring at the grimy, torn clothing of Ximus's women and children. Even his own armor, worn as it was and much less intricately decorated than that of Lord Darwin, seemed made of gold when compared to what they had. Their rags hung loosely, and Huma wondered how often these people ate and how much -- and what they ate, for that matter. The rebellious part of his nature wanted to take his pack from the saddle and throw it to the villagers. Let them have the rations stored in there. It probably would be the best meal they had eaten in three weeks.
"Keep up, you!" the knight behind him growled -- and Osbourne realized how close he had actually come to giving away his rations. He knew it was wrong, as the knighthood rules proclaimed, but it was still a strong desire. Another sign of his inadequacies, he thought with a sigh, and wondered why his petition to join the knighthood ever had been granted.
His thoughts were interrupted by Egreth. Like Osbourne, the older knight carried a shield whose markings proclaimed his place in the Order of the Crown. Egreth, though, had many years of practical experience and therefore was a commander in his own right. His visor hid all but the two piercing, cold-blue eyes and only hinted at the face. Egreth had few friends even among the Order of the Crown.
Egreth returned Osbourne's stare, then looked at the section as a whole. "Ordon. Osbourne. Trigonia..." He shouted, eight names in all. "Break from the Moon column for patrol duty."
The words betrayed no emotion. Egreth was methodical, a strategist of high caliber. One could not ask for a better leader in time of combat. Nevertheless, his presence always seemed to chill some part of Osbourne's soul.
"Lord Darwin wants the dead woods to the south searched over. Possibly goblins, maybe the ogres. We have to return to the moon column before sunset." Briefly, Egreth looked up at the perpetually overcast sky. Always, it seemed about to rain, but it never did. "Before total darkness. We do not want to be in the woods at night. Not this close to the East border. Understood?" When the knights assented, he turned his horse, a tall, pale animal much like its rider, and signaled the others to follow.
In a minutes, thankfully, they were far away from Ximus. The ground was hard and easier for the mounts to trod upon. That was not surprising -- the fire, which had killed much of the forest they rode toward, had baked the nearest fields. No food would grow here for years to come.
It was all so useless sometimes, Osbourne thought. Where was Apostle? Osbourne wondered that the god could allow this to happen, and he glanced at the ashy stubs of trees as the patrol rode along. Light might as well be in the claws of Hanuba already, the way things were going.
He clamped his mouth tight. That he dared call himself a knight after thoughts such as that!
As they reached the first patch of gnarled, twisted trees, the knights lowered their visors. From a distance, they might have looked like demons, for the horns or wings that decorated the sides of each knight's helmet were now more evident. The more elaborate, the higher the rank, save in Egreth's case. Typical of his ways, he had only a crest that rode from the front all the way down the back.
The woods were but one more sorry victim of the seemingly endless war that had razed the continent of Alton. Osbourne wondered what this land had looked like before the Drakonqueen's creatures had ravaged it. The dead trees gave the woods an evil look. The patrol was unusually tense. Eyes darted here and there, as each knight sought a foe behind the blackened trunks.
Osbourne clutched at the hilt of his sword. For a brief moment, a motion seemed to catch his eye. A dark-bear? In this barren land? As the knights moved on, he noted no new movement. Nerves. There was no life in these woods. There was nothing but sorrow.
Egreth called for a halt with the raising of one hand. Even he did not seem to wish to speak, as if the sound would release an unwanted presence.
"All of you... Spread out!. You five to my right," he said, gesturing at Osbourne and four others. "The rest to my left." He drew his sword.
The others followed suit and moved into position, with one man between Osbourne and the patrol leader. Egreth gave the signal to advance. The knights kept a slow but steady pace.
The woods curved over a hill, one of the few in this area. If goblins or ogres lurked anywhere nearby, they would be here. Egreth pointed at the knight to Osbourne's left and sent the man forward. The rest of the patrol stopped and waited. The scout climbed off his horse and made his way to the top of the rise. The others watched anxiously as he peered over the top, and as quietly and quickly as he could, returned to the knights and horses. Osbourne, who had taken the reins of the other's horse, handed them back.
"...Well?" Egreth asked quietly.
"Orges. The ugly creatures are eating. A marauder patrol, I think. Must be at least thirty. No more than several dozen, I think."
Egreth nodded in satisfaction. "Nothing we cannot handle." Osbourne thanked Apostle that his visor hid his own worried face. Egreth pointed at the scout, Osbourne, and the three knights to Osbourne's right. "Ride around the right side. Well take the left. When you hear an owl, ride in. Osbourne, you will take charge of your group."
Some of the other knights shifted uneasily, but no one would argue. Osbourne gazed at the visors of his three companions and had no trouble reading the eyes of each man. He almost asked that someone replace him as leader, but Egreth was already turning his band away.
Osbourne chose to say nothing, and he turned his own mount. Whatever their personal feelings, the three were Knights of Moon Solamn. They had been given an order, and they would obey. To his relief, they followed him without murmur.
The ride was not long, but it was slow and cautious. The Orge were sloppy in every aspect of their lives, including military procedure, but there might be an enterprising leader among them who might have thought to post guards. Orges in general were of little strategic use in the plans of the Drakonqueen's warqueen – save as corsair. Knowing this and knowing that most Orge fought with little, if any, true skill, did not ease Osbourne's mind, however.
Osbourne could see no guards, and he dared to climb from his horse and survey the Orge camp from a small rise. That the creatures were ugly and big teeth was an understatement. Their skins were a sickly Gray, teeth protruded from every inch of their mouths, and their eyes reminded the knight of dead' eyes. The Orges were squat and misshapen, but they were also very strong and big. Many carried axes, and a couple even hefted Arrow. Their armor appeared to be compilations of everything they could rummage from the battlefields.
As Osbourne watched, a Orge came rushing over to the apparent leader, who was twice as big and ugly as any of his subordinates. The big Orge whispered something to the patrol leader, who stiffened and barked out orders.
Osbourne knew what had happened. Either the newcomer had been a guard or he had wandered away from the camp for some reason. Whatever the case, the Orges apparently realized that Egreth and the others were approaching from the other direction, and they were now preparing for a fight. Within seconds, the normally disorganized Orge had formed themselves into an attack formation that, with the element of surprise, meant that Egreth and his companions would almost certainly be struck down. There was no time to send someone to warn them.
"Hup... Get ready!" Osbourne whispered as he climbed back onto his horse. Sword in hand, he turned back to the others. "...We go now!"
"--Yes...Wait!... Now?" one of the others asked. The trio looked from one another and back to Osbourne.
Osbourne had no time for their hesitation. Sword and shield ready, he kicked his mount in the sides. The horse charged, and Huma, waving his blade above his head, shouted the charge.
"Hoi... Apostle!!"
His courage shocked him, but no more than it shocked the Orge. As one, the creatures turned to face this unexpected menace. The horse charged into the midst of the camp, the knight's sword already coming down on the nearest Orge. The Orge raised his rusty broadsword in some semblance of defense, but Osbourne's swing shattered the weapon and then the owner himself.
Osbourne's only desire was to cut down as many of the enemy as possible and give Egreth and his men the chance they needed. Another Orge fell to his sword, and then the rest rushed toward the lone attacker, readying bows and raising pikes. The Orges would not be content to take him prisoner, he knew.
Then Osbourne heard the shouts behind him and knew that the other four had joined the fray. He fought with greater enthusiasm now, knowing that a chance for life still existed. Some of the Orges broke away from the five horsemen. The others tried to regroup under the hurried commands of the patrol leader.
More battle cries filled the air and Osbourne glanced up to see Egreth and the others coming from the Orges' rear. Those of the enemy patrol who had tried to flee fell under the powerful hooves of the warhorses. Egreth methodically cut down three who tried to stand against him, then he urged his mount onward. His movements hinted of a near-eagerness.
One of the knights in Osbourne's group was dragged from his horse and a heavy ax finished him before Osbourne could react. Seconds later, Osbourne rode down the Orges standing over its kill. The ugly creature had only time to look up before the warhorse's front hooves caught it in the head, cracking the skull open.
The Orge, knowing they were lost, fought with a rare determination. Only four horsemen blocked their path to freedom. Osbourne barely blocked a savage swing. An arrow flew past his head.
Suddenly, a howl shivered through the air.
Something leaped at Osbourne's steed. The knight caught a brief vision of something akin to a wolf in form --- but the resemblance ended with the thing's corpse--white pallor, as though it had been skinned. The dark, dripping fangs seemed as long as his fingers and as sharp as needles. Then Osbourne's warhorse screamed and turned, despite the knight's protests. Straining every muscle, the animal raced from the skirmish, mindless of the frantic rider clinging to it. Somewhere close behind, the thing howled again. Osbourne could only clutch the reins and hang on for the wild ride. The sounds of fighting faded as the maddened horse rushed deeper and deeper into the charred forest.
What could so terrorize a trained warhorse? Certainly no earthly beast.
Then, even that thought vanished from Osbourne's mind as his mount broke through the limbs of a knot of trees and found the earth was suddenly far, far below. Osbourne and Egreth take a rest while Osbourne Lost a consciousness.
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NOTE: Hi! This story is a fanfiction, I'm new here and also I'm here for fun and I hope you like this story, So if there's anything wrong just message only..