A Kaskian Story: Leaon, the Kings General

Chapter Fourteen

The guards pushed Erik towards the rebels, the sounds of battle tugging at their attention, pleading for them to turn and look at the destruction being wrought over the city of Loson. Erik waited for his moment, knowing that the guards would make a fatal mistake. All he had to do was bide his time. There was too much going on around them for his captors to pay attention to their prisoner and he was going to take full advantage of their lack of discipline.

A loud explosion erupted from the city, the moment Erik had been waiting for. His two guards turned to watch the fire spread across the city as a second explosion burst in the center of Loson. Erik took his chance, tossing the chains that bound his wrists together, around the throat of one of his captors. The man struggled as Erik pulled hard, cutting off the guard's air as he slowly lost consciousness. The other guard turned in time to see the hilt of his comrades weapon slamming into his face, knocking him out as it connected.

Erik searched the two guards for the keys to his bindings, trying to free himself before more soldiers realized what he had done. Erik Cursed as the first guard did not have his key, losing precious time that he needed to put between himself and Leaon. He silently cheered in triumph when he found the key on the body of the second soldier and quickly freed himself of his chains. Erik grabbed one of the two swords and headed in the direction of the rebels, hoping to use them to escape from prying eyes.

As he neared the prisoners, Erik readied his sword. Soldiers were stationed in a perimeter around the rebels, all of whom were facing their captives, making sure they stayed where they were. The soldiers did not think a threat would come from behind them. One man glanced down as he felt a cold blade piercing out of his chest, his hands absently gripping the blade as his life drained out of his body.

Nearby soldiers saw the body of their comrade fall to the ground and moved to confront Erik as he readied his sword to meet them. The first soldier swung his sword wildly at him only to have each strike parried as Erik pushed the fight closer to the rebels, who were all now cheering for him and taunting the soldiers. The closer the fight got to the prisoners, the more they mocked and even joined in on the fight, helping Erik to get away from the soldiers.

"Do not fight them!" Erik shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd of rebels. "Do not risk your life for mine!"

Despite his warning, the rebels attempted to fight back against the guards. They overwhelmed some, but eventually backed down as the soldiers started killing any who stood in their way. Erik made his way through the prisoners, using them as cover as he hid his intended direction from the bulk of his pursuers, wanting to keep them occupied as he put as much distance as he could between them and him. Four soldiers tried to follow him in the crowd of rebels only to be surrounded by them as they slowly made their way after their target. The soldiers kept their backs towards each other, not leaving an opening for the rebels to attack them from behind.

Once Erik made it to the center of the rebel encampment, he turned north and sprinted at full speed. He pushed his way through the rebels who gladly stepped aside for him, each one cheering him as they knew the stories of the Anvil Warrior and the blows he struck Leaon and his elite soldiers. Soldiers circled the perimeter of the rebels, pointing their swords at their captives, forcing them to back up and tighten their camp, hoping to force Erik out and into their grasp.

Erik burst out of the north side of the rebel group, charging full speed at the nearest soldier, both of his hands gripping tightly around the hilt of the sword as he thrust it through the man's chest. He quickly pulled the blade free in time to duck an attack from another soldier and countered with a slash of his own. Erik moved from one opponent to another, easily out maneuvering them as he made his way north, leaving a pile of bodies behind him.

The soldiers were forced to end their pursuit as the rebels became more and more agitated, threatening to overrun them from behind if they chased him further. Free from danger, Erik ran off in the distance and into the fog that still emanated from the pillars that kept their location hidden from Premus.

"We're almost there!" Reshmi yelled from the rooftops as she pointed to the barracks only minutes down the road. "Be ready!"

"Incoming!" Kerd yelled, while ducking behind a chimney as archers, on the walls surrounding the barracks, released a volley of arrows in their direction. "Prepare to counter!"

"Prepare to counter!" Reshmi echoed his command as she too hid behind a chimney.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Move forward!" Kerd ordered as his archers kept arrows flying towards their ranged enemies, keeping them pinned down from assaulting them further.

"Take cover!" Reshmi yelled as their archers took the chance to move closer to their targets. "Ready counter attack.... Fire!"

"Brethren!" Kerd yelled to his fellow Felein's in the area. "Climb the walls with me! We must open the gate!"

Kerd led the charge up the wall, his long claws digging into the stones. Four other Felein's followed their General, each climbing their way to where the archers hid from incoming arrows. Kerd reached the top of the wall first, pulling himself over the edge near a surprised archer. The General quickly made his way to his enemy, grabbing the woman by her shirt before she could draw her bow. With a grin across his face, Kerd tossed the woman over the wall to the cobblestone street below. Seconds later, his fellow Felein's all made it to the top of the wall, each one attacking their enemies with weapons and claws.

With the wall secured, Kerd led the way to the courtyard below, fighting soldiers alongside his brethren as they made their way to the controls that opened the gate. The five Felein's were unstoppable as they killed every Loson guard that confronted them. Kerd was in the front, dodging attacks and grabbing the soldiers and tossing them behind him to his fellow Felein's who eagerly attacked them with their claws, tearing them apart.

"Attack!" Reshmi yelled as the gate opened, letting her soldiers and archers into the courtyard of the barracks.

Kaskian soldiers, Human and Felein alike, attacked the barracks as a united force. The Felein strength augmenting their counterpart agility and numbers. Reshmi and Kerd ran side by side through the front doors of their target, both grinning wickedly each time they killed an enemy. It did not take long before the Loson barracks fell to the might of their enemy, leaving nothing but a faint memory of what once was only moments prior to the sunrise.