Chereads / Broken Spear of the Gods / Chapter 23 - Nightfall

Chapter 23 - Nightfall

Grim looked out at the small outpost, looking over the wooden walls for any sort of weakness. Wood burned, setting the settlement ablaze was an option but he needed the knife so his master who granted him a true name would be pleased. He glared at the walls before raising his hand, bowstrings being drawn back before suddenly the arrows were lit with flames. Grim closed his hand into a fist as the arrows were let loose. These {Demon Arms} were a gift from the Master, nothing like the knife the girl possessed but still functioned seeing as they bypassed the {Law} that the {Blacksmith} had put in place. The arrows hit with solid thunks that sounded like whispers as the flames began to lick the wooden walls, beginning to burn away the feeble timber walls.

The walls slowly became an inferno as the rats were trapped in a cage, the flames spreading to the gates. Grim nodded to his men as he pointed his sword to the flaming settlement.

"Unlike a phoenix, they will not rise from the ashes of their settlement! This is the land of the Goblins! Breach the gates, take the girl! The one who brings her and the King Blade will be rewarded with the girl as their concubine and a high position in Gobtown! Charge!"

This made the Goblins stir as they came from the woods, screaming out as they charged from their hiding places and towards the burning town. Grim smiled as the wooden walls began to fall from the flames yet… Something wasn't quite right as the realization came too late. Behind the wooden walls was something not originally there that day, the cover of night obscuring the view as against the flickering of flames it became apparent that they spent the day preparing as the walls fell down to reveal . Stone walls now surrounded the small town as his eyes widened as suddenly groups of goblins screamed out in anguish and pain, no longer visible as Grim jabbed into the sides of the drake with his heels.

As the beast began to lumber forward there was less than twenty Goblins remaining, traps littering the space between them and the gates as Grim gripped the reins of his mount as the gate was still crumbling, they couldn't avoid a fight. Grim was confident that he could take the town on his lonesome, the power his master imbued him with made him impervious to most everything! The remaining Goblins began to gather at the gate as it continued to come down. The gate wasn't long for this world as it crumbled into ash, the low light of the town barely made the visage of several fighters, the humans but there was something that Grim could not shake. He looked back to where the archers should have been yet no arrows were raining down, the smell of blood was on the wind as Grim narrowed his eyes before a set of flaming grey eyes stared back at him.

The ambush drake began to buck and desperately tried to get Grim off its back before the Orc was thrown to the ground, landing with a dull thud. Several Goblins fled as well, a chill running down Grim's spine as his instincts screeched in terror, as if forcibly being corralled into the town as he stepped forward with what remaining forces he had. Grim felt an intense pressure on his very being that was more intense than the false chief had, as if he was before a force comparable to the one he served. He looked at the shadowy figures, almost like purposely giving a path to the man on the throne as grey eyes bore down on Grim.

Wyll glared at the Orc before him, glancing at his comrades before nodding. Like a blur four goblins had been killed, blood the color of freshly pressed olives spewing as a head spun in the air as the greasy blood splattered against Grim, his vision being severed by the head. An arrow hit against Grim's forehead as he stumbled back in shock, not expecting something so bold from a lowly human as he grunted and regained his footing. The remaining Goblins lay in dismembered messes, their blood soaking the earth beneath his feet as Grim grit his teeth and let out a furious roar. His followers slaughtered! His mount running away like a coward! Pesky humans daring to attack the body of steel his master had given him!

Grim took a step forward, bellowing out again as he charged towards Wyll. Once their leader fell they would all fall! His first step was met with a large hammer colliding with his side as a clang of metal against metal rang out. Grim grit his teeth as he felt his insides rattle, grabbing the shaft of the hammer. The weight was insane, the strength needed felt like that of an ogre was needed to wield it. He flung the hammer back into the embers of the gate as he took another step, an arrow just before him ready to pierce his eye as he caught it last minute as two more struck his back as he stumbled forward as two sword tips were thrust against his stomach.

The blade tips glanced off him as he raised his arm to bring his sword down only to feel a death grip on his wrist and a pull before a foot met his chin. His brain felt like it was bouncing around in his skull as his vision grew blurry. All of his attackers seemingly disappeared, as if never there as Grim barely made out the silhouette of someone approaching him, teal markings dancing across their skin as sweat clung to the green skin of the Orc. How were these measly creatures putting up such a fight! They were annoying, as annoying as a mosquito buzzing in one's ear whilst sleeping!

"You came into my land and spilled blood! You trampled and made demands! Killed an innocent and demanded a child as sacrifice to appease, attacked my people who have done nothing to provoke! What I am going to do to you is not as simple as justice, once I am done with you everyone will know that a futile act like your own will only leave you engulfed in despair! What I do is not justice, this is not a slaughtering of your followers but a massacre of feeble beasts that know nothing of their place!"

Wyll boiled with anger as he shouted out at the Orc, stepping closer as he glared at the insect that dared to think he was a wolf among sheep. As Wyll came closer Grim saw the beast before him, a man wearing nothing but pants holding a spear of silvery runes as Grim's stomach churned. Wyll stood four feet from Grim, raising Askalon before slowly slashing the air. Grim's face was that of confusion before twisting into pain, a warmth seeping from his chest as he looked down and saw a slash across his chest, not deep but broke the skin as fear began to embroil Grim. He began to shake before turning away and began to run.

Nothing had pierced Grim's hide, his master swore nothing would unless his master wished it! How! How could these humans have such a power! Grim hadn't stopped running, denying his primal instincts as he ran towards his original ambush point. His breathing erratic as he felt a pulse of unknown power as instincts screamed out, as if in an effort to flee quicker as words rang out through his ears and the world around him disappeared.

"I am the blade of my spear, my bones its metal and my blood the magic. My soul knows no rest, the battlefields empty with only I remaining. Steel is my body and my soul the fire. I have walked endless battlefields, unknown to life nor known to death. I have withstood pain to end battles and wars yet have never known rest. My hands are stained with the blood of the just, the foul, the worthy, the unworthy and the innocent. My life is full of regrets and those hands will never hold onto life. I am the spear, I am the greatest failure. I am the first and will be your last. Askalon!"

A silver thread led into Grim's chest as he looked back at the glowing light that forced their way through the darkness. The light was blinding as it seemingly washed away everything. Grim blinked and opened his eyes, an infernal pain searing into his very soul as he lay on the ground, looking up to the stars as tears welled up in his eyes. He tried to breathe but no air seemed to come. He looked down, unable to feel most of his body only to find a spear embedded into the ground, blood gushing from what remained of his body as he desperately tried to breathe, choking on blood and air as his eyes rolled back.

Wyll was panting, his body felt shaky and as if his bones had no connection to his flesh. He felt weak as his brain felt like glue. His hearing was an endless ringing as he struggled to stay standing as tears streamed down his face. Why was Wyll crying? Why did there feel like there was an endless chasm of sorrow and depression? He couldn't think as his own world went dark, sleep engulfing him as a small ding sounded off in his head.