A Day’s Work
JAMES
Alexander crept through the bushes as he stealthily approached our target. He moved his hands in to motion signals as he looked at me, and then he clasped his hands on the bronze saxe knife.
I winded my deadly toy, my steel crossbow. I multi-tasked, watching Alexander’s move and loading my crossbow.
Alexander put his pitch black glove on the guard, and then sank the knife into the guard’s spine, as I watched the liquid of war fall out of the guard’s back.
Finally I thought to myself, this thing takes forever to load.
THINK! The arrow glistened in the moistened fog as it sailed into the head of the guard. I jogged and caught up with Alexander.
“Lucky shot,” Alexander mumbled faintly. I managed a little chuckle before Alexander and I emerged into the sight of the towering castle. My hands trembled when I saw the glimmering figure of the iron monsters, the cannons. Don’t worry, I thought to myself, this is all in a Day’s Work.
***
Lazy Bird-Brain Idiot
DANTE
“Prepare the guards,” ordered King Tomas. His slithery, hissing voice echoed throughout the amour chamber.
“There are only two of them, and over fifty score of us. You know what, just man the cannons and blow them into little chunks so I can dance all over there carcasses. Or what’s left of them.”
Yes sir, you lazy bird-brain idiot, thought Dante, chief general of the 6th Infantry squadron in the kingdom.
“Dante,” oh brother, it was the snake-like voice of King Tomas Benecheti. “Take your infantry and go to meet with the two imposters, before anything else is done.”
“Won’t you have the cannons firing down at them?” was the reply from Dante.
“Don’t worry about that, why would I do something so stupid as that.” With that, Tomas stifled a laugh and walked off. But you would, thought Dante.
***
The Meeting of the Cannons
ALEXANDER
It was nice being greeted by a few forty men, armed with spears, crossbows, and other killing machines.
“King Tomas tells you to get off his kingdom,” said the leader of the infantry, with his voice hollow, blank, and clearly, James and I could tell that the man hated his king.
“I’ll repeat, get off of the kingdom’s territory.” The leader repeated.
I shot a look at James, who nodded toward me, and then I nodded back. With great brute strength, toppled a few of the men over, and then swung his massive fist toward a warrior’s nose. Snap. The man’s nose gave a crack as the man fell to the ground unconsciously.
I pulled back my longbow string, and strung and arrow and let go. A great sensation filled me, as I let go the bow string and sent and arrow through a warrior’s stomach. Then I pulled out my glistening bronze saxe knife and ran towards the crowd of war. I bounced off a few people, knocked them out, and then migrated to the position of the leader. I kicked him over and then he was down, he was helpless and defenseless. I pulled back my knife and hurled it toward the leader’s neck—
A shot fired through the blood splattered sky as the cannons came into action. Are they stupid? They were firing their cannons at their own soldiers. I looked into the crowd and watched as James bounced out of the soldiers just as a cannon ball flew the crowd all around. I looked at James, who appeared not to be hurt, except for the gash that ran across the side of his face.
Dead Soldiers lay all around, not from us mostly, but from their own cannons. Whoever this King Tomas was, he was either stupid, or a jerk. I had a feeling though that he was both.
***
The Good Betrayal
JAMES
I shot a glance at Alexander, and he had the same puzzled look on his face as he looked at the dead, then at the cannons, and then dodged the cannon ball that was flung at him. I strode over toward the infantry leader, who Alexander was going to kill. His leg was bleeding bad, and I pulled out a piece of shrapnel that was about the size of Alexander’s bronze Saxe knife. “As I pulled out the deadly junk, the man gave out a bawl in pain. “What’s your name,” I said as I wiped the blood across my face.
“Dahanteyeh,” the man mumbled, “Dante,” the man said more clearly.
I called Alexander over to pull out his medical objects and bandage Dante.
“I am James, and this is Alexander. I come from Genovesa,” I waited for the tremble people usually give me when I say that, but Dante gave none, “And Alexander comes from Aspienne Fief in Araluen.”
“I’m gonna kill ‘em.” Dante mumbled in desired anger. “and then I’m gonna drag his dead body around town.” Sweared Dante in a horrible oath.
"Okay," I mumbled to myself.
