The Shadow of Death

Chapter 4

"Great work, everyone! Let's get ready to arrive at the port. Keep your armour on and your weapons at the ready; we don't know if any more ships are hiding, and we don't know what kind of arsenal the Cealtans have in Emerald bay. Stay alert." Alric called out, taking the words right out of Garret's mouth.
        Garret nodded his appreciation to his Lieutenant and trotted to the starboard side of his ship, where the Talon two ships were pulling up alongside his.
        "The ships are all sunk, and every survivor we saw is no longer a survivor. Now you, me and General Reyes get the fun job of going ashore." The Talon Commander shouted, a smile streaking across her battle-scarred face.
          Garret nodded and teasingly saluted to her. "Thanks for saving my ass out there!"
          "Your ass always needs saving, General Hawthorne." She replied with a laugh. "Anyways, I got some soldiers to yell at. We just about had some go overboard because they were idiots and forgot to secure themselves. See you in a few minutes." She waved and disappeared into the throng of soldiers on the deck of her ship.
            Garret turned away from her and walked back to the bow. He was now fully able to see the turquoise-green waters of Emerald bay. Countless other ships were moored throughout the bay, floating leisurely in the warm waters.
           Some were pulled up against the dock, unloading supplies and trading goods. They would wait to put their ships there. For now, they would get the first four ships as close to shore as possible while the rest of the armada waited just outside the bay. They were needed there for backup and long-distance firing, and they needed to be ready to retreat if things went very, very wrong.
         Hopefully, the four ships would be enough for now. Garret had no idea who or what would be waiting on the shoreline. The thought was terrifying but also exciting. It got Garret's adrenaline pumping, his heart racing, and his blood on fire. It was an addicting feeling.
          Garret heard a light thump coming from behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to see Raven standing there.
           "Yes?"
            "There are two large guard towers who have probably already spotted us; they most likely saw us take their armada down. Some high-ranking, stuck-up-looking soldiers are standing at the dock, waiting for us. All armed."
            "Thank you, Raven. We will continue as planned."
             "Is that really a good idea? There are at least eight of them there and just three of you. And is it a good idea to have two Generals and a Commander go and meet them? What happens if... if something happens to you guys?" She asked, worry sparking in her eyes.
           "We will be fine. And that's what all of you are for. You will have your bows ready. Lieutenant Johanson and the other Lieutenants are staying on the ships in case something goes wrong. Don't worry; I can handle myself." Garret said with a smile, ruffling the younger girl's hair, much to her annoyance.
           "Just... be careful. You're the best General I've worked under, and I don't want to deal with some old guy telling me I'm not good enough and that I look like I'm twelve."
           "Well, the latter is true. You do look like you're twelve." Garret said with a teasing smirk. "But you definitely are good enough." He quickly said, recovering himself before she could scowl too much.
           "Gen-al Hawthorne, this is as close as ye are ge-in." Captain Kennedy shouted as the sails closed and the ship slowed.
            Garret nodded and let out a long breath, glancing at the two Talon ships slowing down and pulling up beside them. The Commander and General of the two ships waved at Garret and then quickly jumped onto his ship, the latter just about missing.
           Garret rushed over and grabbed General Reyes's hand, and pulled him away from the edge, holding back a laugh at the surprise in the older General's eyes.   
           "You boys ready to go?" Commander Torres asked as she walked towards the dinghy they would be taking ashore, throwing her helm into it.
           "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go and have a nice civilized conversation with the ports Commander. And then destroy the whole town if they don't peacefully surrender." Garret said with a shrug. Most people would think he was being sarcastic, but he was being one hundred percent serious. If that's what it would take to conquer the kingdom, then that's what he and all of his soldiers would do.
          "You scare me, Garret." Commander Torres said with a smile, catching his helm as he tossed it to her.
          "Take care of the crew, Lieutenant Johanson; I'll see you on shore," Garret called over his shoulder to Alric, giving him a salute as he hopped into the dinghy and started lowering it to the water. As soon as it hit the water, Garret unclipped all the ropes and grabbed the paddles, rowing them to shore.
         "Put your back into it!"
          "Shut up, Aria," Garret growled at the Talon Commander, who was lounging with her feet up. "Thanks for helping me." He said sarcastically, glaring at the Commander and General sitting across from him.
         "You're the youngest and strongest, so you get to do the rowing."
         "Fuck both of you." Garret scowled as he continued rowing, already feeling himself starting to sweat beneath his armour. "You guys could help, at least." He grunted as he looked over his shoulder, hoping they were getting close to the dock.
         "It's more fun this way." Aria laughed, waving her hand, making a small gust of breeze ruffle through Garret's hair, pushing it out of place.
          Garret glared at her and kept rowing until they finally pulled up beside the dock. Soldiers were already starting to run down it, and Garret quickly put his helmet on, hiding his face.
         The group stepped out of the dinghy, all walking beside each other toward the approaching soldiers.
         "Stop right there!" One yelled shakily, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword, his eyes alight with fear.
         "Let us pass, please; we would like to have a conversation with your commander," Aria said smoothly, hands splayed in front of her in a peaceful gesture.
         "I wasn't talking to you, woman." The soldier snarled at her, spitting at her feet.
          "You do NOT talk to my people that way." Garret snarled, the voice echoing out of his helmet, sounding like a beast. He reached for his sword, but Aria put a hand out to stop him.
          "You're The Demon General..." the soldier whispered. His nostrils flared in panic, and he took a few steps back.
           "Take us to your Commander. Now."
           "I don't take orders from you." He said shakily, tightening the grip he had on the pommel of his sword.
           "We are just going to go around you then." General Reyes said gruffly, shoving the soldier out of the way so they could walk past.
           "Hey!" The soldier yelled, finally unsheathing his sword. He swung it at Garret, who quickly widened his stance and braced his hands in front of him. As the blade swung towards them, Garret caught it and pulled it out of the soldier's hands. The iron gauntlets completely protected his hands, and within seconds, Garret had the sword up against the enemy soldier's throat.
           "Please take us to your Commander unless you want to go for a swim with the sharks. We've got some hanging around our ship that would love a tasty Cealtan soldier for lunch."
           "He's-he's at the end of the dock, waiting for me to get rid of you." 
           "Excellent, let's go," Aria said, waltzing down the dock with her helmet tucked under her arm.
Garret looked back at the trembling soldier and the sword he had pressed against the man's throat. He then gave one quick flick of the sword, slitting the soldier's throat, before tossing the sword at the dying soldier's feet.
General Reyes glanced back at Garret, his eyes darkening slightly as Garret jogged to catch up to him and Aria. It looked like he might have said something, but he just gave a small shake of his head. Now was not the time for him to be challenging Garret, not when they had bigger issues to deal with. He just quietly fell in behind Aria, letting the commander lead them towards the Cealtan soldiers waiting ahead.
           They stopped again when they reached the Cealtan Commander, wearing shimmering gold armour studded with medallions. A very classic stuck-up-looking Commander.
           "You are not welcome in Cealta." The Commander said, his dark eyes scanning Garret, General Reyes and then Aria. His face crinkled with disgust when it landed on her, and he whispered something to the soldier next to him. Whatever sort of insult he said, it made the soldier snort with laughter, which infuriated Garret. His grip tightened on the pommel of his ornamental sword.
           "Garret, I can handle myself. Keep your mouth shut." Aria hissed to him, and he had to force himself to relax his grip on the sword and unclench his jaw. He shouldn't be letting her boss him around, but he was curious to see where this would go.
           "Either you let us go by in peace, or we take the city by force." General Reyes said simply, with zero threat in his voice, despite the obvious danger that lurked in his words.
           The Commander across from them gave a hearty laugh, the soldiers around him laughing nervously as if they thought they had to be laughing just because their Commander was.
           Fucking pricks. Garret thought as he wrapped his gloved hand around the pommel of his sword again, feeling and hearing the gauntlet creak slightly. The Commander across from him must have also heard because he dragged his gaze away from Aria and back to Garret.
            "That's some impressive armour you've got there. What are you hiding underneath it, Demon General?"
              Garret kept his mouth shut and narrowed his eyes at the Commander, wondering how much of his eyes and face could be seen with the helmet on.
             "He seems like a Demon to me. His eyes are practically glowing." One of the soldiers whispered, and Garret felt himself grin at the fear in the soldier's eyes.
             "Please let us pass so we can get to the capitol to speak with your king." General Reyes said again, more warning in his voice this time.
             The Commander eyed Reyes for a moment, his muscles tensed slightly, and his eyes flitted around. He was about to attack.
             As quick as lightning, Garret unsheathed his freshly made black sword and blocked the Commander's blow, inches away from Reyes's neck.
             "Stand down, Commander." He growled, pushing against the sword, slowly forcing the Commander's sword down.
             "Show your face, Demon General. Fight like a true man."
             Garret glanced toward Aria and General Reyes, who both just shrugged and nodded. Garret smirked and shook his head slightly, and pulled off the helmet, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the whole light and as he got his full peripheral vision back. The best part was seeing the shocked look on the Cealtans Commanders' face. "You're just a kid!" He said, and then burst into laughter. "We are scared of a kid!"
           Garret rolled his eyes and lifted his sword, lunging forwards as fast as lightning, stabbing the soldier nearest the Commander. His sword went clean through the unarmoured man's chest, and Garret twisted it, letting the slightly serrated edge dig in and then he yanked it out, taking a step away.
         The soldier's body crumpled to the ground, and the Commander stared at Garret in shock, then anger. "SEIZE THEM!" He shouted at the other soldiers, who ran forwards.
         Garret gave a slight nod, and seconds later, all the soldiers dropped to the ground, arrows sticking out of their chests and heads. Arrows that had been shot all the way from the Fang ship.
         Good work, Alric. Garret thought, then he turned his attention back to the Commander General, who was about to turn tail and run. Warning bells started ringing from the Guard towers, alerting more soldiers to come, but they wouldn't make it very far.
         Cannons boomed, and the crashing of iron meeting stone echoed through the bay. Screams erupted as the towers slowly tilted and collapsed, sending a plume of dust through the market. Another cannon fired, and another tower collapsed. There would be no reinforcements any time soon.
         "Emerald Bay is ours now," Garret said to the Cealtans Commander, who stood his ground with his sword raised, ready for Garret's attack. But he wasn't prepared for Garret to grab a second sword.
          The fight was done within seconds. Garret had easily disarmed with one sword and had the other swinging for the Commander's neck before he could even beg for mercy.
           "Now for the boring part. Let's secure the city." Garret grunted, nudging the Cealtan Commanders' corpse with his boot.
           "Garret, in the future, keep your temper in check when I am insulted. I have been dealing with this for thirty-five years and can handle it myself. I do not need a twenty two year old kid standing up for me. Are we clear?" Aria hissed, grabbing Garret's arm to stop him from walking away. He was surprised at the anger flashing in her eyes, he had truly not meant to insult her. Why would she assume that?
           "Of course, Commander Torres, I didn't mean to insult you. I just wanted to help." Garret said respectfully to her. He could have fought her more on it, especially since he outranked her, but getting on Arias' bad side was never a good idea. Plus, he truly did respect the women across from him, even if he often disagreed with things that she said.
            "Let's get our soldiers to come to shore. I'll wait here with them; you two start securing the city; make sure that no city guards or soldiers are left."
            "Yessir." Garret saluted the other General and put his helmet back on, thumping down the rest of the dock and into the cobblestone streets. There were a couple of soldiers around, still digging through the rubble of the guard towers pulling their comrades and town folks out of it. 
            They turned when they saw Garret and Aria approaching. Some raised their weapons to fight, and some instantly dropped them and put their hands on their head, surrendering, begging for mercy. Garret and Aria killed the ones that tried attacking, none of them making it very far. Garret would have liked to kill the ones that surrendered, but Aria convinced him to tie them up and let all the Generals put it to a vote.
              "If we can make them join our side, then we can spare a few lives and help prevent a revolt from the townsfolk." She reasoned as she began tying them.
              "I don't know, Aria, how do we know they won't stab us in the backs... literally. If we kill them, they can't turn around and kill us tomorrow. That's my motto, at least." He grunted in annoyance, not bothering to help her.
"We-we won't. We promise. We have families; we are just doing our jobs!" One of them stuttered, blubbering like a newborn baby.
Garret scoffed in annoyance and slammed the pommel of his sword hard into the man's face, hearing a crack as the man's nose broke.     
       "Stop talking." He growled, turning away from Aria's disapproving stare. 
      "Was that really necessary?" She hissed in his ear as he began walking away from the wailing soldier and towards the town center where the Mayor's office would be.
      "Not really." He responded with a careless shrug, twirling his sword as he strutted down the cobblestone street.
      "Garret-"
      "Commander Torres, this is how I do things. Either come with me or stay behind and help unload the ship." Garret snapped, whirling around to glare at the Commander. He had had enough of her challenging him, she needed to be reminded of her place.
      Aria met his gaze defiantly, clenching her jaw. She looked like she was about to say something else, but she just sighed and shook her head slightly, making the smart choice and keeping her mouth shut. "I will join you at the Mayor's office, General Hawthorne. We don't know what to expect, and it is unwise to go anywhere alone right now."
            Garret nodded in agreement, making his way through the busy market and towards the office. As he walked, he could hear and see the panic coming from the townspeople as they beheld him in his battle armour. He still loosely held his sword in his hand and stared straight ahead as he walked, not even acknowledging the people he walked past.
            Two armed soldiers walked in front of his path, blocking the way into the building that housed the Mayor. Through the narrow eye slits, Garret could see the fear in their tanned and weathered faces, but they held their ground.
           "You are not welcome here." One of them bravely said, his leather gloves creaking as he tightened his grip on his sword.
           "Let us through if you want to live."
           "You will not hurt our mayor." The other responded, his voice shakier than the first.
            "Stand down, boys; let the General through." A voice called out from in the building. "Let's hear what he has to say."
            The two soldiers looked at each other apprehensively but did as their Mayor said, moving to the side so he and Commander Torres could walk past. They didn't move enough, and Garret went out of his way to shoulder past one of them, smirking in satisfaction as the sharp spikes on his armour left a sizeable scratch on the soldier's chest plate.
           To Garret's greatest joy, the soldier snarled and pulled out his sword, pointing it threateningly at Garret's chest.
           "Oh, you don't want to do that," Garret said softly, grabbing the blade in his armoured hand and shoved it out of the way. He took another menacing step towards the soldier, towering over the man.
           "General Hawthorne, we have shit to do." Aria muttered. "Stop playing 'who has a smaller dick' with the Cealtan."
             Garret held back a laugh and turned away from the soldier, following the Commander into the office, where the Mayor sat, eyes wide with fear.
             Garret waltzed up to the desk and pulled a chair out, sitting down heavily with a grunt. Once Aria was seated beside him, he lifted his helmet off his head and placed it on the desk in front of him, scowling at the surprise on the Mayor's face.
           "You're-"
           "Young and human, yeah. I know." He grunted, leaning back in the chair, assessing the olive-skinned Mayor across from him.
           "Sorry that I am so shocked. I just assumed that Death's Shadow would be, y'know... scarier looking."
           "Death's Shadow? That's a new one." Aria snorted in laughter, elbowing Garret, not knowing how ironic the statement was when Death himself was hovering quietly behind the Mayor.
            "We aren't here for small talk. As you know, our forces have killed your Commander and taken over the city. I recommend you surrender peacefully if you don't want any more lives to be lost. We don't intend on causing any more harm or destruction, but we will do that if necessary."
            "My people have done you no harm. They do not deserve this treatment. You have already destroyed a large part of the market and killed and injured many people. I think it's a little late for that." 
            "And we will kill many more people if you don't call your soldiers to stand down. You will not call for backup. You will not lead a revolt. You will surrender peacefully if you want to live. You can keep running your town how you wish, but you will now answer to Larovethian rule. I will send one of my advisors over later to discuss the paperwork with you. I suggest you play nicely with them. I will destroy your entire town and everyone in it if need be. Plenty of Larovethians would be happy to move here and rebuild." Garret said threateningly, smirking as he saw the Mayor quivering with fear and anger, but the man nodded and hung his head in shame.
        He glanced out the window beside his desk to the market below and then back at Garret. "Alright, I will call off my soldiers. They- They are at your disposal."
       "You know the consequences if any of them try to turn their blades on my people, are we clear?"
        "Crystal." The Mayor muttered, hanging his head again.
        "Good. Thank you for your time." Garret said sarcastically, reaching for his helmet right as a flash of silver went streaking straight for his throat.
Garret saw the glint of the dagger just in time, and he swung his helmet hard, hitting the Mayor's wrist, but not before the dagger grazed Garret's eyebrow, drawing a thin sharp line through it.
A resounding crack pushed away the slight stinging feeling, followed by the Mayor's scream of pain rang through the room as the force of the helmet broke something in the Mayor's weak wrist.
The two guards at the door lunged forwards, Aria dancing into action to keep them away from where Garret was now menacingly stalking towards the Mayor, who was clutching his broken wrist close to his chest.
"Kill them. Make it painful." Garret grunted to Aria, who hesitated slightly before giving a small nod, dragging her sword up the first guard's midsection, disembowelling him in one clean swoop. She slammed the pommel of her sword into the other one's face and then pulled out a dagger, slamming it through the second guard's hand, pinning it to the wall.
The soldier screamed in pain and went to pry the dagger free, but Aria swung her sword, slicing his other hand cleanly off. He was going nowhere. Now Garret just had to deal with the snake of a mayor.
Garret turned his attention back to the Mayor, who had stood up and was weakly holding a sword in his good hand, his face pale as he stared at the struggling soldier, still pinned to the wall behind Garret and the other one still twitching slightly, the light quickly fading from his eyes.
"You're a monster." He whispered, raising the sword slightly.
"Yeah, but I get the job done," Garret responded, making the risky move of turning his back to the armed Mayor. He walked towards the soldier still pinned to the wall, tears streaming down the man's face.
"Please, I have a family and kids. I'm just trying to do my job, same as you." He started to plead, but Garret cut him off before he could finish, plunging his sword through the man's heart.
"Raahh!" The Mayor shouted from behind Garret, charging clumsily towards him, sword flailing, pure and utter rage flashing through his eyes. Saying he was fighting with only one hand, and his off-hand at that, his strength and speed surprised Garret, but he still was no match.
Garret smoothly parried a blow and lunged forwards, stabbing his sword through the Mayor's chest, twisting slightly, so the serrated blade wedged itself in. "Your kingdom will fall, just like you are about to," Garret whispered in the man's ear before wrenching his sword free, not even bothered by the blood that sprayed over his face and coated his armour, mixing with his own blood that dripped down his eyebrow.
Garret watched the Mayor's body thump to the ground and gave himself a satisfied nod. One step down, and many more to go.