Legends: The Knight of Helm (#1)

Chapter 42

Nerus looked about the empty waste land, the snow relentless. It had been four days now, sense Cladius had left. He tilted his head over the mounds of snow. It had truly begun to pour down with snow. It came down almost as if it was rain, on a stormy day. The flakes of the white substance was as thick as wool. Fluffy, and warm, it was the perfect snow, easy to carry because of its light nature, perfect for child's play. Nerus, on the other hand, was keeping a watch for his king, a journey would be rather easy, they had already traveled the bulk of the distance. On horseback, a man could make it to and from the capitol in a week, with a human's regular breaks. Something told Nerus, however, that even without horse, Cladius wouldn't stop even for day's end. He estimated four days of travel alone. His pupil, and now lord, would soon arrive with either benevolent news, or the news and ill fate of doom.

He could see objects off in the distance, the snow growing even thicker the further off his eyes went. He looked behind him, as his men starred at him with worry. Bulky read figures approached from the south. Nothing good was to come of this. The broken way point they now stood at hadn't been fortified in years, nothing but a few rubble stacked upon itself called a "wall". Nerus, looked behind him again. A object of similar size was coming from the north. This was an ambush, they were surrounded, and whatever was coming, was coming fast, covering huge amounts of distanced in seconds.

"Archers, at the ready, we are being attacked! Men, together now, form a shield wall; protect those archers at all cost!"

The men quickly huddled together, their round shields, atop one another to form a three shield high, thousand shields long circle. Nerus watched the demons come closer; their hot breathe steaming in the cold weather, and snow melting off their red skin. They had four arms; these were man eaters, the bane of human existence. The first came, the men bracing for impact, but never the less, ill prepared.

One broke through the horde, tarring a man and his shield in half, swallowing him, as the archers put him down. It only got worse from there. Their four arms began to smash their way through, Nerus, drew his blade, as one leaped over a small opening in the wall, and arrow pierced his chest, making the fiend fall to its knees. Nerus, quickly grabbed it by the horn and plunged his blade into its chest. He heard a terrible popping noise; he had split the rib cage in half, completely. The general, backed away, as the corpse fell to the ground; men around it staggering back, to avoid the ton of weight sloppily falling.

"We're being slaughtered out here!" A soldier yelled to Nerus.

"Hold your ground! If one of us moves, we will surely die!" Nerus yelled back.

The battle completely stopped, as the sky began to quake, even the demons, in mid chew of human flesh looked to the sky. The sun, faded behind black clouds, the snow stopped, and a wicked crackle sound was to be heard miles off. A giant lightning bolt came crashing from the sky, slamming into the demons ranks. From the newly made creator stood a man, none other than Cladius of Helm; he had used his blade as the point of contact, tarring a whole into the demon's torso. All other fiends in the vicinity fell to the ground; limbs split by the magical energy the surged from the fall. Such power had no man held before.

The silver armor of the Knight of Helm seemed to shimmer with hope, as the men he lead began to yell, as if victory was within their grasp. Cladius, raised his blade into the air, giving his men a leading battle cry into battle. He charged forward, forgetting the demons flanking them from behind. The demons began to pursue from behind, only to feel the spear tips of Inger knights piercing the devilish red skin. The horses road forward, the blue and steel color of the Ingers colors one their saddles and armor. There stood the bodies on the ground, no respect for the blood that forged them. Cladius was too busy to count, as his blade swiftly slashed through one monster to another. Limbs fell to the ground, blood stained his sword. Necrosis worked like a charm. It was a long sword, with the shape of a gladius, for a guard, a pommel. The threading of the handle was that of dark red leather, covering a perfectly casted dragon bone. If the blade wasn't so wet with blood, a dark glow of death could be seen pouring out from it. As much as people saw hope through birth, it was only one part of life, the other half, is death. The sword Cladius used was proof of that.

The Inger knights looked about their forces, only about fifty men had fallen by this small onslaught, not a great deal, given their number. Cladius, glanced over the two armies, his forces dwarfed in comparison. His ear twitched as he heard the soft snow move.

"Hold your ground." Cladius spoke.

The men nodded, reading for more demons. Cladius held his hand in the air, ready to give the order to his men to fire their arrows. Slowly, the faint glow of bronze armor against the sun, and snowy weather came through. Cladius looked back, as the men took care of their weapons. The newly found king charged ahead, as he looked at the knight leading them. In his hand was a rope tied around a Ommart's hands.

"Who is this you carry soldier?" Cladius questioned.

"Lennix, a prisoner of war, he hasn't spoken not even a word sense our trip. Volohs has taken fort crown, there is nothing left but what you see. We only hopped you had made good connections here, or this would be the end of Helm."

Cladius looked over the people before him. There stood about one third of the population of Helm, including their military force. He gritted his teeth, and clenched his jaw, this was bad news. He took a second look, his heart leaping to his throat. Almorah was not to be found.

"Sir, what should we do with the Ommart?"

Cladius looked back at him, then to the prisoner. "Lennix that is your name?"

Lennix looked up at Cladius, scoffing at him.

"Will you serve me?"

Lennix was taken back, as the knights around Cladius eyes widened.

"Say what? You want me, a might Ommart to serve you?!"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Cladius questioned.

"Never, you're a worm, and a weakling." Lennix replied, looking at Nerus, "And now Nerus, you are going to die!"

Lennix, leaped from his bands, he had managed to break free during their long and burdensome trip. Cladius caught Lennix by the hand, slamming him back down into the snow, butt against the ground.

"Stop, you're not worth the trouble." Cladius replied.

Lennix leaped from his feet trying for Cladius this time. As soon as Lennix leaped up, Cladius kicked his right foot, making the Ommart fall flat on his face. He growled into the snow, never had he been so humiliated.

"Lennix, I want you to live." Cladius paused, kneeling down so Lennix could hear him better, "I want you as my ally. I need someone I trust, to lead the Ommart, people. I offer you a life, will you take it?"
"I will." Lennix, knew who was in charge. He knew who was blatantly stronger here.

Lennix had had time to think things over in prison. After months of neglect, and knowing that Volohs wouldn't come for him, he began to sway towards a freelancer's line of thought.

"As it is, Lennix, your people are near extinction. Your war on Helm has done that, and Volohs's march through Hell. I pray there are enough of you left to avoid genocide. You could very well be the last of your race."

"Good, I was the strongest to begin with." Lennix replied, "And I will forever be the strongest!"

"The strongest fight with me," Cladius replied, walking off, "leave him, we have preparations to make.