All he wanted
All he wanted was a moment---- just a moment.
Time enough to steady shaking hands and wipe the blood off a blade that had snapped in half. Precious seconds won with blood and bone and pain and lives- (always other people’s of course. The 3rd Magus Division paid dearly that day)- moments wasted telling himself over and over again “I’ll get out of this alive!†“This can’t be happening to me†and everyone’s favorite…“I WILL GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE BECAUSE I REFUSE TO DIE!!!-----FOR HONOR! FOR GLORY! FOR THE HOR!!-â€
An idiot obviously.
Time enough though…dearly bought, to step back and persuade himself that this was all just a dream---no, a nightmare…that if only he’d pinch himself hard enough or want it badly enough, that the waking world would fade away in spiraling hues of white and red and black and gray, to wake. To everyday life in Elderine. His Father’s home, safe and warm.
But most importantly---far, far, far away from this place...
But wait.
Why bother cleansing a blade that he would only dirty again?
Oh well…time to step back into the fray.
***
‘The first and arguably the most important thing you learn in the Academy is th-'
“-GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF THE CLOUDS MAGGOTS!! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A DAYCARE WE’RE RUNNING?!? A HARKAN COULD HAVE COME DOWN HERE AND ****ED YOU ALL UP THE *** IN THE TIME YOU USELESS F*****S SPENT SNIFFING EACH OTHER’S A***S!! NOW DROP AND GIVE ME-"
‘My old Academy Master and current Captain…charming isn’t he? Lived through 7 of the wars and still got all the limbs to show for it. The b****rd probably caused a few himself. He sure is something else though… no-one knows whether they respect or fear him more.
I’ve heard rumors from the other initiates….that he disobeyed orders to stay in camp after being hit in the head with an Assassin’s arrow. Several actually…the enemy apparently has him as a Priority-One target. One grade higher than the Supreme Commander---came out looking like a pincushion and twice as cuddly. This was during the last war, he’s lightened up a bit since then.
Anyway, he couldn’t find his weapons (the staff buried them under the General’s tent because of enforced bed-rest, remember?) so he knocks out the elites who were guarding him with a Deva, takes their weapons, reforges them with blood from his wounds all the while incanting Karasian death-rites (bit of a personal touch I guess), rallies his brigade and ran the fifty leagues to the enemy’s encampment. He then supposedly single-handedly corners their army on one side of BloodMunch Pass (the rest of the brigade was on the other side) and personally slaughtered half the hostile forces. The rest he routed right into the blades of his troop...
What an obvious bunch of lies isn’t it?
I say he killed them all himself.’
***
‘As I was saying… the first and arguably the most important thing you learn in the Academy is that it doesn’t matter how strong or tough you think you are. Our foes are legion, outnumbering us a hundred to one. A veritable tide that would wash over our lands and destroy all we have worked for. Not only do they massively outnumber us but can call upon beings more dread than I would care to name. Men the like of our captain are all too rare these days.
But you say you are no ordinary mortal? You trained your Fighter’s body all your life…? Meditating under waterfalls, breaking rocks with your thighs, falling down ravines to break your falls from mountains and so developed prodigious strength and vitality to rival the greatest Warriors? Ahh, you also learned the art of arcane swordcraft from the Old Masters and have the diploma to prove it!!??? In the words of my old Academy Master- our Pride was the first casualty of the wars.'
“DON’T BE SO PROUD! THE ENEMY’S WEAKEST STONIE WOULD CRUSH YOU UNDER HIS TREAD AND BARELY NOTICE THE SMUDGE YOU LEAVE ON HIS SOLE. It is the same with all our forces…Our Mages who command the flame, frost and storm quiver at the might of a single Pinky Matron, our Archers, though swift of foot and sure of aim, wielders of venomous barb and skilled in stealth are nevertheless cut down like wheat by the Trumpy Assassins. Our Clerics, who command life and death with a word and erase all bodily harm and malaise are laid waste by the enemies’ Guardian-CORES, those foul constructs whose breath destroys so utterly, that there is nothing left behind to even ATTEMPT to heal…Even in mere swordplay, we are bested. Those few of the beasts who deign to take up the blade are natural masters one and all. What hope would you have as you are now, against a Swordsman of the Red Clover…? Of whom even a neophyte can eviscerate entire squads. A Red Clover, one who is literally born with a f***ing sword in its hands, whose sole pleasure in life is to hone that deadly art that comes so naturally to it. And to use it on you…
Go ahead and try. Just don’t expect me to pick up your pieces…â€
‘……………… €™
‘I think that was the only time I heard him speaking and not shouting...’
***
Dodge,
“STOP TRYING TO DODGE MY ATTACKS AND START F***ING SUCCEEDING!!
NO!
NO!!!
NOOOOO!!!!!!
THAT’S IIITT!!! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS BS!!
I’M BRINGING OUT MAH AXE! BUT FIRST…
DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY, YOU F***ING MAGGOTS--"
-
Parry,
“PARRY LIKE YOUR F***ING LIVES DEPENDED ON IT. BECAUSE I’M F***ING TELLING YOU NOW IT SOON F***ING WILL!! FIND THEIR WEAKNESSES AND MAKE THEM SUFFER FOR IT!!
-SUNNN!!! YOU IDIOT!! MAKE THEM DROP THEIR WEAPONS, DON’T DROP YOUR OWN!!
@%*$!!! DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY YOU—"
-
Strike,
“YOU CALL THAT A HIT?!?! I KNOW F***ING CLERICS HIGH ON DEX WHO CAN BELT ONE BETTER THAN THAT!! DROP AND GIVE M--!!â€
-
Remember lessons beaten into a body-
“I’LL KICK YOUR ASSES SO HARD—YOUR GRANDDADDY WON’T BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN!! CAN’T YOU MAGGOTS EVEN BREATHE RIGHT?!??!
NOW DROP AND GIVE--â€
-
Weathered and beaten beyond possibility of words to express.
“AGAIN YOU MAGGOTS!! YOU WILL JUMP DOWN THAT CLIFF AND YOU WILL F***ING LIKE IT!!
THE ENEMY DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A F***ING 'MORTAL FEAR, OR WHATEVER OTHER CRAP YOU USELESS LUMPS OF FLESH SPOUT OUT OF THAT PIE-HOLE YOU CALL A MOUTH!!
But before you jump…
DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!!-"
-
Trained to act without hesitation or restraint.
“I WELL NEARLY LOPPED YOUR ENTIRE HEAD CLEAN OFF YOUR SHOULDERS MAGGOT!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF??
NEXT TIME…YOU WILL NOT FLINCH, YOU WILL NOT STOP TO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH IT’S GOING TO F***ING HURT, YOU WILL LOOK DEATH RIGHT IN THE F***ING EYES AND SPIT INTO THE COLD HEART OF THE ABYSS ITSELF!!
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...YOU WILL NOT TAKE A SINGLE STEP BACK!!!
DO YOU HEAR ME MAGGOTS!?!? DROP-"
-
All things come to an end. Now...hear the call for retreat sound in the distance.
"Nooo-
The 3rd…
They...
Those…
THOSE IDIOTS!!!
THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO DIE YET!!!"
-
Run.
“MAGGOTS!!
GET BACK HERE!!
I DIDN’T SAY YOU COULD DIE YET!!â€
-
It wasn't supposed to be this way...
DAMN IT!!
MOCK YOU FOOLS MOCK!!!
THEY'LL NOT GET PAST US TODAY!!
HOLD THE F***ING LINE!!
THE MAN NEXT TO YOU IS THE ONLY THING STOPPING ME FROM COMING DOWN THERE AND KILLING YOU MYSELF!!!
SO F***ING KEEP HIM ALIVE!!!
IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL A SHIELD-WALL!?!?
KEEP YOUR CLERIC ALIVE AND HOLD THE F***ING LI-“
-
Obey your orders...
‘but Sir….orders from Comma-’
SCREW THE RETREAT!!!
‘-they’ve spotted Ravagers cresting the Northern front. They’ll be upon us in five-'
I HAVE THEM IN THE PALM OF MY HAND!
‘…I don’t want to die…’
THEN YOU'LL OBEY MY ORDERS, OR DIE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, BY MY HAND!!
-
...like the perfect weapons he shaped you to be.
YOU ARE NO LONGER MAGGOTS! YOU ARE MY MEN!!
ON YOUR FEET AND FOLLOW ME!! WE WILL TURN THE TIDE!
CHAARRGGEEE!!!
-
Fall...
GET UP MAGGOTS!!!
I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!
YOU HAVE ONLY BEGUN TO KNOW THE MEANING OF PAIN.
-
Live…
at least awhile.
****
reedited
I just noticed I had the Cap. use only one kind of active swear-word in there. Man sure loves his F-bomb.
Last edited by Innortal; 02-05-2009 at 08:48 AM..
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