1
Dark clouds began to thicken on what was likely to be the last battlefield of least resistance.
A young man, crowned and covered in silver armor, looked down the ridge, the enemy army getting bigger, second to second. He had long black hair, falling back slightly, a hint of defiance and big blue eyes full of bitterness and zeal in the same time, like someone who is aware that this would probably be his last day of life.
The few thousands men who were with him were the desperate that had already lost everything but life. The greatest, the young man's companions of many battles had left by now, swept away by the plague that had ravaged their land, and that now, unless a miracle, could not be stopped.
A cold wind suddenly rose, almost a death knell.
The young man took from inside the armor a golden pendant, and opening it, observing the contents for a long time, and then sketch a slight smile. He was still watching when a deformed and unwatchable creature, completely covered in bandages encrusted with blood, came up to him; despite his hideous forms, he was dress as a soldier, with a cloak , and still had some orange hair on his head, but most of the head, especially on the right, was completely burned.
Nevertheless, even his eyes, which hardly seemed the bandages, exuded pride and determination, the look of someone that is ready to die, but reserves the right to do after killed as many enemies as possible.
«Men are ready, Your Majesty.» He said with a raspy, hoarse voice of a woman.
The young man quickly closed the pendant, buying back the same look as before.
«And the Aviation?»
«It's coming. Five ships.»
«I guess we will have to be satisfied. Prepare for battle.»
«Yes, your majesty.»
A soldier came to bring a dirty white unicorn, the young man got in and headed slowly toward his men, who were waiting behind the ridge. In their eyes there was bitterness and despair; some were crying, others were praying, others seemed about to use their swords to open the throat, to avoid unnecessary suffering in battle.
«Men,» said the young man «You served me faithfully in those two years! Whatever happens, I want you to know that it was an honor for me, having driven you into battle so many times!
I know that you are afraid, and you think it is useless to us here! But every second you earn, every enemy you kill, will be a chance to save more for those that, behind us, are preparing the last defense! And if this is really our last battle, well I say, let's take them with us!»
The soldiers, fervent and heartened by the words of the young man, raised their arms crying out loud, then they ran each in its place, forming ranks and getting ready to fight with renewed vigor.
At dawn, when the sun had already begun to appear on the horizon, the two armies were standing facing one another on both sides of the lower valley that would be the battlefield.
The difference in strength was more than evident; the enemies was over hundred thousand, armed with guns, rifles, sorcerers and sailboats, while the young man had their orders to just over thirty thousand, poorly equipped and tired.
The enemy soldiers, were frightful; it looked like an army of ghosts, so locked in their dark armor. Same for sorcerers, wrapped in long black robes with hoods pulled, and their faces covered by the lapels.
The young man nodded, and the first shots were fired; the enemy made no attempt to avoid them, remaining motionless and still as thousands of statues, even when the ships, which occurred at last, began to fly over them bombarding them.
Then, suddenly, the answer. After losing at least a thousand soldiers without reacting to the hostile army suddenly seemed to awaken, the guns thundered, sorcerers awoke and galleons began to engage the enemy fleet quickly and efficiently, preventing any attempt to support ground units.
At that point, the young man drew his sword, and at his command the men rushed down the hill, imitated by the enemy, resulting in a collision which resulted in a deafening noise of swords, shields and spears.
The enemies fought like many machines, without showing emotion or fatigue.
The battle was terrible and lasted several, long minutes.
Riding his unicorn, the young man fought like a lion, waving his sword in the air and stabbing anyone that got near him, and then, suddenly, an enemy was able to grab his mantle, pulling off his horse, but the young man getting up quickly and continued to fight with more fury than before.
He was wounded several times in various parts of the body, and soon found himself covered in mud and blood.
The blindfolded creature was fighting at his side, with uncontrollable fervor and fury, stabbed and seriously wounded many times, until, overwhelmed by ten enemies at once, he died, shouting imprecations and curses with his scratchy and scary voice.
The young man meanwhile had now exhausted all his strength, fell to his knees. He gasped, clenching his teeth in pain, and expected to be finished at any moment.
Instead, suddenly, the enemy stopped and step away from the young man now remained the sole of his army alive, to form around him a large square. After just they opened further, allowing the passage of another young man, this time a little more than a boy; he was very handsome, slightly tousled white hair, white skin and fine bearing, pink eyes, but they did freeze the blood, by cold they were.
The young man looked up, crossing the boy, who grinned maliciously.
«It's been a long time, your majesty.»
Seeing him, the young man ground his teeth, and striving with all his being he finally managed to get to his feet, raising his sword in defiance; the young man smiled even more evident, then he put up his sword, throwing the cloak behind.
The two men gazed silently for a long time, while the wind was getting stronger, then the young man stepped forward with all his screaming voice: the boy waited, and they fell a violent battle.
The boy was a talented swordsman, able to withstand the assaults of the young man without any particular difficulties and simply being on the defensive, but, perhaps, he hadn't considered his enemy's fury, that taking advantage from a good moment kicked him, making him lose his balance, then threw him to the ground, throwing himself immediately above and pointing his sword at his throat.
The soldiers stood still, without trying to do anything to save their commander. These, despite the death in front of his eyes, still smiling; but at least, the young man seemed to hesitate, panting with fatigue. His hands trembled, and the tremor reached the tip of the sword, suspended a few inches from the boy's white neck.
«What is it? Don't you have the courage to do it?»
«Do you know ...» growled the young man opening his eyes, «Do you know how many have died because of you?»
«Then what are you waiting for? Hit.»
But the young man continued to waver, despite having slightly lowered the tip of the sword, which now touched the skin of the boy.
«I ... I'll kill you ..»
«Then do it.» Said the boy, then twisted his handsome face into a terrifying expression, «Daddy».
Those words echoed like thunder in the ears of the young man, that was left paralyzed. The time for an instant, and soon after felt a sharp stabbing pain, he found himself with the sword of the young planted in the abdomen.
The young man's eyes widened, while streams of blood gushed from his mouth and the wound, and as the boy drew his sword suddenly everything went black.