The Morningstar

Flashback 3

The landing of serpentine bay, depending on who you asked, was the end of the war in norsia. And this final battle was orchestrated by shaxx a week after crushing his enemies in the second battle of wintersfield although he had wished to have done it sooner but on this day a storm was raging and the winds pushed him straight to the city and shaxx enjoyed using the omens of war as a fear tactic.

The plan was simple, the third company would attack from the water using half a dozen long boats and the second company with aid from the fourth company (or what remained of it) would launch an attack on the main land entrance (of course by now the elves of clan snake and lion had barricaded said entrance as well as the sea entrance ) however shaxx had assumed the second company was more than adequate enough to start the siege. He was wrong they struggled to reach walls by the time shaxx had climbed the ramparts.

"ROW MEN ROW" shaxx stood clad in his steel plate armour at the hull of his long boat, his men listened to his orders and rowed harder and faster, the sea leading to the bay was rough and unsteady but this did not break the resolve of the third company

Thunder clashed in the sky and a heavy rain began to pour from the sky like a bad omen however shaxx used this to his favour and stood ready staring at Serpentine bay, his one purple eye slightly glowing with fury and anger. Finally after almost ten years of endless civil war for no apparent reason other than the empire and elves starting a proxy war in land they could lose.

A wave of arrows came flying to the ships from the bay. "SHIELDS" shaxx bellowed and grasped a kite shield bearing the imperial sigil of three golden spears connected by a golden crown and raised it. His men raced to raise their shields to block the incoming arrows.

"RAISE THE MAST" shaxx ordered "STAND READY" his orders was somehow still heard over the clashing of thunder and screams from the other boats, only shaxxs long ship had taken no casualties as of yet.

His men raised the mast and stood in formation, four lines with shaxx leading the vanguard, shaxx turned to face his men as the ship traveled the wind a land raced the current to reach the sand of the bay. "TODAY IS THE DAY WE END THIS MADDNESS, TODAY IS THE DAY THE HISTORY BOOKS WILL REMEMBER" he wasn't wrong after all in the centre of triads landing is a statue of armoured soldiers in a formation to commemorate the landing. "SO READY YOUR SWORDS FOR THEY WILL SHATTER AND SHIELDS WILL BREAK" shaxx drew his sword from its scabbard and turned to face the bay, his men drew their swords and smacked their own kite shields with their weapons. The pounding of steel on wood sounded like the war-drums of old as they echoed all around the bay.

As the long boat hit the sand shaxx jumped on to the sand and raised his shield blocking any arrows that came his way "FORMATION" his men made four rows on the land. The first four men kept the shield in front of them but the other men behind them raised their shields to make a roof "SLOW ADVANCE" shaxx and his men advanced forward up the beach. The sand was difficult to traverse as the rain had made it thicker and sludgier.

Rodrick and Tobin were on beach as well, to sides of shaxxs battalion however unlike shaxx they had not advanced as far because shaxx and his battalion did not fear death.

Shaxx and his battalion put their backs against the wall of the bay city to prevent any arrows from hitting them. "LADDERS" his men rushed to put up two siege ladders. Shaxx threw down his shield and climbed up the walls of the bay using the ladders and finally stood on the ramparts and began to fight the elves of clan lion and snake. They stood no chance against the steel demon as he cut through each elf like a scythe through wheat.

As the battle raged on shaxxs men climbed the defensive walls and began to butcher any elves who dared fight against the third company and their lord. Eventually Tobin and rodrick would breach the defensive barrier at the entrance and storm the city in force. But what had really taken the elves by surprise was the third company breached the main entrance from the inside allowing the second and fourth company to flood the city with steel.

Shaxx locked blades with an elvish warrior who was better than he had assumed. This elvish soldier was clad in his hoplites bronze armour but was wearing the cape of clan lion, a golden mystical tree with a golden sleeping lion on a Forrest green background, however ultimately shaxx would win this engagement by throwing the elf over the wall killing him instantly by breaking his neck and back.

Shaxx looked at an elf who was standing there in shock, he raised his sword but suddenly the karnyx war horn of the elvish city rang out from the villa in the centre of the bay city. This caused the elves to throw down their weapons and surrender themselves too the warriors of norsia.

Shaxx walked into the royal villa where the snake king was in chains and surrounded by second, third and fourth company soldiers

"Lord shaxx it is over we won, any survivors have been taken prisoner and are being take to lupin city as we talk to be given a fair trial and I've heard the king is on his way here" Tobin was ecstatic to deliver this news to shaxx because if it wasn't for him Tobin never would've been promoted to knight and gained a full suit of steel plate armour which he proudly wore during the landing.

Shaxx nodded "ensure the city is locked down and double the shifts I don't care who complains about this" he sheathed his bloodied sword and left the villa.

Shaxx strolled through the streets of the city to see the corpses of innocents and soldiers laying dead on the paths and roads, his men followed tradition and began to collect these corpses of the elves and placed them in the temple of the great city where elvish enchantresses ,or so they were called, could preform rituals on the dead and allow their souls to return to the natural world with out the stain of elf kind or man kind.

As shaxx wandered the streets the storm came to a halt and the sun began to illuminate the city. He thought to his self that perhaps this was a good omen and this visit with the king would go without a problem.

A half day passed before the king had arrived but by then the corpses no longer littered the streets and any elves that remained were now cooperating in the cleaning up of the city. Shaxx and Rodrick were in the villa guarding the elvish snake king as Richard Steel king of imperial norsia entered with his host of kings guard escorting him.

"So finally my demon" Richard laughed at that nickname "you have usurped the snake king of his throne and now have him resting on his knees before me" he stood in front of the elvish king and looked down in disgust

Shaxx smiled at Richard "your grace the city was taken with a swiftness not seen since you put down that rebellion in Jericho some eighteen years back"

"That is wonderful news morningstar and you must be Rodrick Rooster shaxx has told me a lot about you especially your distain for my sons lack of military prowess and I agree with you" Richard smiles at Rodrick

"Your grace" Rodrick bowed to the king

"Enough with your nicety's man folk, what is it you wish to do with the snake of norsia" the elvish king spat

Richard turned his gaze back to the king "oh my dear boy that's a simple answer....death" his voice was cold and Stern

"Thought so" the elvish snake jumped up with a dagger in his hand and attempted to kill the king however by the time the snake lunged for Richard shaxx had already thrust his sword through the neck of the snake killing him. The snake dropped his dagger

Shaxx withdrew his sword from the elf making the body collapse to the floor in a pool of blood

"Thank you shaxx, dispose of this mess, me and the wolf king need to talk because I did notice a distinct lack of banners adorning the entrance, his daughter seemed ready for a fight yet they did not show, it's rather quite disappointing" Richard turned and left the villa with his kings guard.

Both shaxx and Rodrick bowed to the king