Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Four - Dead Reckoning

Tommy

The sun began rising over the horizon, coloring the world in blazing reds and fiery oranges. About half a dozen large wooden boats cut across the water, creating ripples in the glassy surface. They all bore a dark, navy blue sail with an off-white spiraling shape sewn onto the front to symbolize the country they were coming from. The boats steadily approached the shoreline. They had been imposing figures that started out as distant shadows becoming defined shapes that carried hundreds of soldiers. This wasn't even the bulk of the army. This was the opening force that would march through the lands until they made their way to Manberg. The only way for Oceania to make it there safely, however, was to deal with the pesky tribal country called Business Bay. The captain of the head ship, the general of this portion of the army, didn't quiver at the sight of her opponents gathering on the beach to meet them. She pulled her cutlass sword from its scabbard, holding the refined metal into the sunlight to prepare the soldiers fighting alongside her. She had been entrusted by her king and queen to conquer Business Bay to cut a path for the remaining army to get to Manberg.

On the shore, Kristin and Tommy were standing in their uniforms. Kritstin's gloved hands were holding the dark colored hilt of a saber with a purple tinted blade. As if to compliment his sister's, Tommy's sword had a red finishing with lighter colored ribbons wrapped around the hilt. Kristin was standing tall to inspire the forces they were able to scrummage before reinforcements could arrive. Tommy was crouched down with a spyglass pressed against his right eye to make out the details of the ships. He lowered the spyglass with a sigh, tucking it away so it didn't get in his way during the fighting. Tommy rose back to his feet, gaze sweeping across the beach to do some mental estimation on their odds of winning. Mostly, it came down to how many men Oceania sent and how long it would take for the rest of Business Bay's army to arrive. Tommy resisted the urge to complain about his situation out loud. To increase the odds of victory, they need to keep morale as high as it could go. No one would fight if they didn't believe they were going to make it through the battle.

As the ship reached the shallows, soldiers of Oceania began leaping off into the waters of the bay. Kristin raised her hand up before throwing it down. Seeing their signal, the soldiers of Business Bay surged forwards to meet Oceania. Kristen lingered behind as Tommy joined the fray. He ran alongside the rearguard until they met the soldiers. It was at this point that the soldiers of Business Bay gave him a wide berth to work. In seconds, anyone who came close to him was cut open with the edge of Tommy's sword, Leavition. He grabbed onto one soldier's sword, pulling it forwards while his body twisted to slam his foot into the man's head. As the man went to the ground, Tommy used the man's sword to block another soldier's weapon, and stabbed the man's stomach with Leavition. He kicked his foot up to knock an approaching soldier down as he pulled his sword from the body. As the soldier stumbled back, Tommy swung around to slam the hilt of his blade into the man's forehead. The man fell back, and Tommy ducked down to avoid the soldier who was behind the man's sword. Tommy tackled the soldier to the ground, twisting around the soldier and pushing his upper body forward. An arrow that was meant for him implanted itself into the soldier's chest.

Tommy used the soldier as a shield as he looked around the battlefield. There were fallen bodies from both sides. He could see Deo locked in combat with another swordsman. He thought that he saw Kristin siphoning the life out of an enemy soldier that had fallen. Oceania's ships were still in the bay, and he was certain that he saw more soldiers dropping from the side. Tommy needed to find a way to eliminate the ships. If he could take them out, some of the soldiers on board would be killed and Oceania wouldn't be able to retreat. They could settle this here and now. Tommy didn't want to worry about the island nation any longer. Business Bay had suffered long enough from all the raids. His sister's people were dying right as he planned, and he wanted to save as many lives as he could.