From: novashayde@aol.com (NovaShayde)
Date: 27 Jul 1998 17:44:33 EDT
The light rain became an absolute downpour as the battle raged on. Once the enemy had gained the wall, Red Arrow withdrew to begin sniping them from the battlements. His sparkling red arrows hammered home into many a breastplate and helm, and he began to laugh to himself as he leapt from outcropping to outcropping, avoiding arrows and blades and men... it all almost seemed too easy. But, no matter how many he killed, no matter how
many fell... there were still more. He couldn't kill them all. Nor could he keep his comrades safe forever. Still, he laughed in the face of it and continuing firing arrow after arrow into any and all men climbing the ropes and siege ladders. He brought his bow up and loosed an arrow into an idiot clubman who had found the nerve to raise his arms into the air when he attained the walls.
"Jerk," Red Arrow muttered under his breath and swung his bow to angle on other soldiers.
Hadrian War Sabre fought like a man possessed, his blades twirling and slicing and killing everything that had the misfortune to get into his path. His mind was free of doubt and worry, he was proud to be beside these men and he knew in his heart they would watch his back as he drove forward. As he reached the edge of the battlements and looked down at the climbing enemy, he heard a shout from behind him, he wasn't sure what was said, but he
knew it was directed at him. As he turned, a blinding light flashed in his eyes, forcing him to squint. He felt himself sway, a tremendous weight pushing him to the ground. As his cheek touched the cold stone, he realized he had removed his helmet when the rain started... and left it where he had placed it when the attack began.
The rain was warm now on his face. His hands were beginning to grow bitterly cold, but it didn't matter to him. He closed his eyes and thought of his wife. He would be home soon. He'll wake up and this whole thing will have been a horrible nightmare. He would wrap his children up in warm blankets, sit them on his bed and tell them of the great legends of Suhn. He always could tell a good story...
Grey Shadow called out to War Sabre as the enemy line closed in front of him, War Sabre unknowingly trapped behind them. He watched as an enemy soldier clubbed War Sabre across the brow, knocking him to the ground only to be toppled by a sparkling arrow when he raised his arms for another strike on the prone man. The dead soldier fell forward onto War Sabre and Grey Shadow rushed forward with a small wedge of defenders, cutting through the
enemy line, pushing more than a few off of the wall as he drew closer to its edge. Yanking the dead clubman from War Sabre, he saw the blood pooling beneath Hadrian's head and quickly grabbed War Sabre's armor to drag him away from the way. Nova felt the warm blood on his hands, despite the now cold and bitter rain and he couldn't help but think his friend was already dead and he was merely risking his life to drag another body away to be buried in
a mass grave once it was all over.
The enemy line broke for a moment and Grey Shadow ducked down and lifted War Sabre from the ground, carrying him behind the line of defense and shoving the limp body into the hands of two defenders waiting to fill any gaps in the line. Leaving Hadrian in their hands, he rushed back to the line, leaping back into the fray.
His twin tulwars danced and swirled through the air, cutting tremendous arcs that spun enemy soldiers from their feet. He focused on both the enemy before him and his own line of defense, making sure that he didn't stray far from those that he was there to protect (and, likewise, were there to protect him). A soldier slipped on the wet stone next to him, a enemy spear slicing into the man's back before Grey Shadow could react. His right
blade snaked out and sliced into the spearman's throat. Leaving the man bleeding to death on his knees, Grey Shadow turned back to his left only to watch two more soldiers fall beneath enemy blades. Nova felt it then, the defense line was gradually being pushed back. He chanced a look over his shoulder. Only ten yards from the back edge of the wall. They had lost.
The Final Night
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From: novashayde@aol.com (NovaShayde)
Date: 27 Jul 1998 17:59:16 EDT
Red Arrow was panicked now. All his life he was too fast, moving beyond the speed of thought, but here, on the last wall... he wasn't fast enough. He couldn't keep the mass of enemy soldiers from gaining the wall. He couldn't stop them from pushing his comrades back toward the edge of the wall... only a miracle could save them now. And he knew in his heart there were no more miracles to be had.
He leapt down the stairs leading down from the back of the battlements, moving out onto the field between the Keep. With all his speed he ran, one hundred yards, two hundred... he looked back and saw Grey Shadow looking over his shoulder to gauge the distance from the wall... three hundred. Up into the Keep and to the highest window. The entire run didn't last more that two seconds... but what good could it do. The sparkling arrows once
again leapt from his bow, flashing over the heads of the defenders to hammer uselessly into the enemy line. There were just too many...
"Where did they all come from?" he groaned beneath his breath. The metallic "twang" of his bow was no longer as satisfying as it should have been.
Grey Shadow cut down an enemy soldier and looked over his shoulder once more as countless red arrows began to scream over his head to punch into the enemy lines beyond. He saw Red Arrow and couldn't help but thank the gods that he had survived thus far and still had the will to spit into the eye of the storm. Five yards from the edge of the wall.
He knew they wouldn't hold it.
"Disengage! Now!" he screamed as loud as he could, his voice carrying over the din of battle and thunder. The men didn't need to be told twice... they broke and ran.
As they leapt from the wall, some had the right of mind to roll as they hit the ground below... others had panicked and leapt without looking, their ankles twisting, legs breaking as they hit the ground hard. Those that could still limp away, did... some of them even dragging those less fortunate with them. The enemy charged over the wall, many of the defenders were caught without a brother in arms to aid them and were quickly slain, their
blades overwhelmed just by the sheer number of enemy soldier... The enemy had thrown everything they had left into this one charge. If only they could survive this fight... the enemy were bound to have very few reinforcements left.
Grey Shadow hurried to the command, shouting orders to the men that managed to land safely and retreat. Quickly he ordered the regroup and they stood before the enemy, unable to look away as those injured in the retreat or merely just too slow were dispatched. To fight was to die... to give up was to die. The night wore on....
Date: 27 Jul 1998 17:59:16 EDT
Red Arrow was panicked now. All his life he was too fast, moving beyond the speed of thought, but here, on the last wall... he wasn't fast enough. He couldn't keep the mass of enemy soldiers from gaining the wall. He couldn't stop them from pushing his comrades back toward the edge of the wall... only a miracle could save them now. And he knew in his heart there were no more miracles to be had.
He leapt down the stairs leading down from the back of the battlements, moving out onto the field between the Keep. With all his speed he ran, one hundred yards, two hundred... he looked back and saw Grey Shadow looking over his shoulder to gauge the distance from the wall... three hundred. Up into the Keep and to the highest window. The entire run didn't last more that two seconds... but what good could it do. The sparkling arrows once
again leapt from his bow, flashing over the heads of the defenders to hammer uselessly into the enemy line. There were just too many...
"Where did they all come from?" he groaned beneath his breath. The metallic "twang" of his bow was no longer as satisfying as it should have been.
Grey Shadow cut down an enemy soldier and looked over his shoulder once more as countless red arrows began to scream over his head to punch into the enemy lines beyond. He saw Red Arrow and couldn't help but thank the gods that he had survived thus far and still had the will to spit into the eye of the storm. Five yards from the edge of the wall.
He knew they wouldn't hold it.
"Disengage! Now!" he screamed as loud as he could, his voice carrying over the din of battle and thunder. The men didn't need to be told twice... they broke and ran.
As they leapt from the wall, some had the right of mind to roll as they hit the ground below... others had panicked and leapt without looking, their ankles twisting, legs breaking as they hit the ground hard. Those that could still limp away, did... some of them even dragging those less fortunate with them. The enemy charged over the wall, many of the defenders were caught without a brother in arms to aid them and were quickly slain, their
blades overwhelmed just by the sheer number of enemy soldier... The enemy had thrown everything they had left into this one charge. If only they could survive this fight... the enemy were bound to have very few reinforcements left.
Grey Shadow hurried to the command, shouting orders to the men that managed to land safely and retreat. Quickly he ordered the regroup and they stood before the enemy, unable to look away as those injured in the retreat or merely just too slow were dispatched. To fight was to die... to give up was to die. The night wore on....
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From: novashayde@aol.com (NovaShayde)
Date: 27 Jul 1998 19:10:48 EDT
Grey Shadow watched calmly as the enemy advanced. They weren't in a terrible hurry, afterall... the siege was won. All that was left was to dispatch the remaining defenders and raise the gates. Of course, they would have to wait for reinforcements, this battle had taken its toll, but in a short week they would be strong and ready to invade the Plains beyond the mountain pass. The taste of victory was sweet indeed.
Arrow after arrow hammered into the advancing ranks, the bodies that fell were trampled beneath slow moving feet. They no longer mattered... it was only one or two men, it made no difference... it could not make a difference, they were already dead. Some walked on, others had the good sense to raise shields they had taken from bodies on the wall. Red Arrow targeted these soldiers the most, sending arrows slicing down into their groin or
belly, beneath the raised shields.
"Smug filth," he hawked and spit onto the Keep floor before aiming again, the arrows flashing forward.
The remaining defenders jumped into the attack, running forward in a wedge formation to slam into the enemy line. The line bent... the enemy took a collective step back... and then they pushed forward again. The mass of soldiers continued on, Grey Shadow calling the wedge back and leading it forward again and again... each time the enemy fell in the tens and twenties... and each time, another defender or two or three was taken with them.
Despair settled over the remaining defenders, the gate was one hundred and fifty yards away. Soon, their backs would be to it and they would be gutted. The thought was enough to drive more than one of the defenders berserk and they broke formation and leapt forward into the enemy, cutting and killing and killing and killing... until they too fell beneath the enemy blades.
Grey Shadow led yet another attack wedge into the enemy line... they were thinning now... that was good, if only they could hold for just another hour. If only. He blocked a cut with his right blade and struck out with his left, the body twisting away from him and wrenching the blade from his grasp, he stumbled forward. At that moment the air left his lungs and he felt himself lift from his feet. He looked down and watched a red arrow slash
down into the eye of the spearman holding him aloft on the end of his spear and felt himself begin to fall, his legs caving in beneath him as his feet touched the ground.
"NO!!" he heard the cry above the battle, long after the arrow had delivered the killing blow to the soldier. The remaining wedge disintegrated around him, the few remaining men that attempted to rescue him cut down from behind or the side or from the front... it didn't matter. He looked down at the spear jutting from his chest. He knew the blade had gone straight through. He could feel the blood bubbling in his lungs... it was getting so
hard to breathe. He felt a presence above him and looked up, his eyes filling with tears. Grey starlight started to sparkle in those flat, colorless eyes like so many times before. The enemy soldier hesitated to deliver the killing blow, watching the starlight dance in the air between them, flying forth from Grey Shadow's body, a stark contrast was the grey to the red blood seeping down from the wound. It was almost beautiful, like the nightsky
captured in the air between them, despite the pouring rain and gloominess of the night above them.
The starlight grew brighter, its light would be likened to the intensity of the sun when the story is told in the future, but, in that moment... it may well have been brighter. Nova Grey Shadow, his life slipping away, took the only action he could think of... he released what remained of his power. As the black curtain descended over his eyes, the starlight streamed forward, literally exploding through the air, slicing straight through the
enemy lines as if it were a great sword of a nameless god were sweeping down upon them. The enemy literally disintegrated before the remaining defenders' very eyes. Screams were many, the sight was horrifying, and those that witnessed it and lived, both defender and enemy alike, would never... never forget the sight. The "beam" of nova force was so powerful that it blasted straight through the Wall of Peace, some two hundred yards beyond
the line, and to this day, a scorch mark remains upon the Wall of Despair where the blast finally ended.
Grey Shadow slumped to the side, his face ashen, his hands trembling as they touched the spear handle jutting from his chest. The grey starlight swirled around his body, slowly... so very slowly, fading as its master's life slipped away. Grey Shadow felt his head touch something soft and felt a hand brush across his face.
"You'll be okay, Grey Shadow," the voice was tender, quiet. Mournful.
Nova tried to smile, but he wasn't sure if he achieved more than a twitch to his muscles, "You did good, Red Arrow..." the whisper was harsh and raspy, barely audible.
"You did better, Nova... we won," the remaining defenders massed around the two Novas, they could hear the rising panic in Red Arrow's voice as his predecessor slipped away... so young. He gave a short, triumphant laugh. "We won!"
A lie, in fact... none of those present could be sure if they had won or not. Watching the two men, it seemed as if they had lost something much more important.
"Nova? Grey Shadow?" Red Arrow's hands brushed across his forebearer's face, wiping away the droplets of rain and the tears of pain and anguish. A soft, quiet breath escaped Nova Grey Shadow's lips... and he did not breathe again.
"Nova?!" the ebon-skinned bowman shook the lifeless body once, then twice, as if trying to bring the spirit back from the veil. His hands curled around the handle of the spear, he tried to pull it free but his hands slipped from the blood and rain.
"Help me!" he looked up and cried to the mass of defenders, Koren War Angel stepped forward to grip the top of the spear and together the two men wrench the weapon from Grey Shadow's body.
And still, he would not breathe. The spear clattered to the cobblestone ground.
Tears streamed down Red Arrow's face, hidden by the rain... but the thunder could not hide his sobs. His hands clamped down over the wound as blood puddled beneath the body, a vain attempt to staunch the flow of crimson... the flow of life. Koren War Angel dropped down heavily beside the two men, his face twisted in a sad grimace. His lower lip quivered as he watched the fruitless endeavor... he wanted to rip Red Arrow away from the body,
make him realize it was futile... but he couldn't. The defenders had no more hope to give, but each of the remaining one hundred and eighty-seven men stood there, staring at the lifeless body.
It was over an hour before Red Arrow finally gave up, the tears and sobs... not only his, but those of the defenders as well, subsided as the sun began to rise and the clouds slowly dispersed. Less than three hundred enemy remained after Grey Shadow's death, and though they still outnumbered the remaining defenders, as the men massed around the body, they broke and ran, leaving the defenders to mourn the passing of the man who saved their
lives.
Hadrian War Sabre awoke to a horrible pain shooting through his head, the sun was falling down through the windows in his room, and he sat bolt upright in bed, the pain causing him to drop back down to the pillow immediately.
"We won," a quiet whisper came to him as he struggled to focus his eyes. His chest tightened as he heard the words, yet the pain behind them.
"It wasn't a dream," the hope fled from him and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Nova Red Arrow stood on the crumbling battlements of the Wall of Peace, forcing his gaze away from the death and destruction, up towards the now cloudless sky. The sun shone brightly, warming his now armorless body. Strangely, he was not uncomfortable, though the temperature was hot. The weight of realization was too much for him, he guessed, Nova's death, the fact that the remaining defenders would have to sit here amongst this death and
decay for another week before the reinforcements arrive and begin carting away the bodies. The battle was over, but the healing still remained... and he wondered if this world... if he would ever recover.
Date: 27 Jul 1998 19:10:48 EDT
Grey Shadow watched calmly as the enemy advanced. They weren't in a terrible hurry, afterall... the siege was won. All that was left was to dispatch the remaining defenders and raise the gates. Of course, they would have to wait for reinforcements, this battle had taken its toll, but in a short week they would be strong and ready to invade the Plains beyond the mountain pass. The taste of victory was sweet indeed.
Arrow after arrow hammered into the advancing ranks, the bodies that fell were trampled beneath slow moving feet. They no longer mattered... it was only one or two men, it made no difference... it could not make a difference, they were already dead. Some walked on, others had the good sense to raise shields they had taken from bodies on the wall. Red Arrow targeted these soldiers the most, sending arrows slicing down into their groin or
belly, beneath the raised shields.
"Smug filth," he hawked and spit onto the Keep floor before aiming again, the arrows flashing forward.
The remaining defenders jumped into the attack, running forward in a wedge formation to slam into the enemy line. The line bent... the enemy took a collective step back... and then they pushed forward again. The mass of soldiers continued on, Grey Shadow calling the wedge back and leading it forward again and again... each time the enemy fell in the tens and twenties... and each time, another defender or two or three was taken with them.
Despair settled over the remaining defenders, the gate was one hundred and fifty yards away. Soon, their backs would be to it and they would be gutted. The thought was enough to drive more than one of the defenders berserk and they broke formation and leapt forward into the enemy, cutting and killing and killing and killing... until they too fell beneath the enemy blades.
Grey Shadow led yet another attack wedge into the enemy line... they were thinning now... that was good, if only they could hold for just another hour. If only. He blocked a cut with his right blade and struck out with his left, the body twisting away from him and wrenching the blade from his grasp, he stumbled forward. At that moment the air left his lungs and he felt himself lift from his feet. He looked down and watched a red arrow slash
down into the eye of the spearman holding him aloft on the end of his spear and felt himself begin to fall, his legs caving in beneath him as his feet touched the ground.
"NO!!" he heard the cry above the battle, long after the arrow had delivered the killing blow to the soldier. The remaining wedge disintegrated around him, the few remaining men that attempted to rescue him cut down from behind or the side or from the front... it didn't matter. He looked down at the spear jutting from his chest. He knew the blade had gone straight through. He could feel the blood bubbling in his lungs... it was getting so
hard to breathe. He felt a presence above him and looked up, his eyes filling with tears. Grey starlight started to sparkle in those flat, colorless eyes like so many times before. The enemy soldier hesitated to deliver the killing blow, watching the starlight dance in the air between them, flying forth from Grey Shadow's body, a stark contrast was the grey to the red blood seeping down from the wound. It was almost beautiful, like the nightsky
captured in the air between them, despite the pouring rain and gloominess of the night above them.
The starlight grew brighter, its light would be likened to the intensity of the sun when the story is told in the future, but, in that moment... it may well have been brighter. Nova Grey Shadow, his life slipping away, took the only action he could think of... he released what remained of his power. As the black curtain descended over his eyes, the starlight streamed forward, literally exploding through the air, slicing straight through the
enemy lines as if it were a great sword of a nameless god were sweeping down upon them. The enemy literally disintegrated before the remaining defenders' very eyes. Screams were many, the sight was horrifying, and those that witnessed it and lived, both defender and enemy alike, would never... never forget the sight. The "beam" of nova force was so powerful that it blasted straight through the Wall of Peace, some two hundred yards beyond
the line, and to this day, a scorch mark remains upon the Wall of Despair where the blast finally ended.
Grey Shadow slumped to the side, his face ashen, his hands trembling as they touched the spear handle jutting from his chest. The grey starlight swirled around his body, slowly... so very slowly, fading as its master's life slipped away. Grey Shadow felt his head touch something soft and felt a hand brush across his face.
"You'll be okay, Grey Shadow," the voice was tender, quiet. Mournful.
Nova tried to smile, but he wasn't sure if he achieved more than a twitch to his muscles, "You did good, Red Arrow..." the whisper was harsh and raspy, barely audible.
"You did better, Nova... we won," the remaining defenders massed around the two Novas, they could hear the rising panic in Red Arrow's voice as his predecessor slipped away... so young. He gave a short, triumphant laugh. "We won!"
A lie, in fact... none of those present could be sure if they had won or not. Watching the two men, it seemed as if they had lost something much more important.
"Nova? Grey Shadow?" Red Arrow's hands brushed across his forebearer's face, wiping away the droplets of rain and the tears of pain and anguish. A soft, quiet breath escaped Nova Grey Shadow's lips... and he did not breathe again.
"Nova?!" the ebon-skinned bowman shook the lifeless body once, then twice, as if trying to bring the spirit back from the veil. His hands curled around the handle of the spear, he tried to pull it free but his hands slipped from the blood and rain.
"Help me!" he looked up and cried to the mass of defenders, Koren War Angel stepped forward to grip the top of the spear and together the two men wrench the weapon from Grey Shadow's body.
And still, he would not breathe. The spear clattered to the cobblestone ground.
Tears streamed down Red Arrow's face, hidden by the rain... but the thunder could not hide his sobs. His hands clamped down over the wound as blood puddled beneath the body, a vain attempt to staunch the flow of crimson... the flow of life. Koren War Angel dropped down heavily beside the two men, his face twisted in a sad grimace. His lower lip quivered as he watched the fruitless endeavor... he wanted to rip Red Arrow away from the body,
make him realize it was futile... but he couldn't. The defenders had no more hope to give, but each of the remaining one hundred and eighty-seven men stood there, staring at the lifeless body.
It was over an hour before Red Arrow finally gave up, the tears and sobs... not only his, but those of the defenders as well, subsided as the sun began to rise and the clouds slowly dispersed. Less than three hundred enemy remained after Grey Shadow's death, and though they still outnumbered the remaining defenders, as the men massed around the body, they broke and ran, leaving the defenders to mourn the passing of the man who saved their
lives.
Hadrian War Sabre awoke to a horrible pain shooting through his head, the sun was falling down through the windows in his room, and he sat bolt upright in bed, the pain causing him to drop back down to the pillow immediately.
"We won," a quiet whisper came to him as he struggled to focus his eyes. His chest tightened as he heard the words, yet the pain behind them.
"It wasn't a dream," the hope fled from him and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Nova Red Arrow stood on the crumbling battlements of the Wall of Peace, forcing his gaze away from the death and destruction, up towards the now cloudless sky. The sun shone brightly, warming his now armorless body. Strangely, he was not uncomfortable, though the temperature was hot. The weight of realization was too much for him, he guessed, Nova's death, the fact that the remaining defenders would have to sit here amongst this death and
decay for another week before the reinforcements arrive and begin carting away the bodies. The battle was over, but the healing still remained... and he wondered if this world... if he would ever recover.