The New Order. Stormlight Archive Fanfiction

Prologue

The rhythmic tapping of rain on his hood kept Dealith aware of how quiet it was. The silence was almost unbearable, it made him itch to move to act, but that would disrupt this whole operation. The sound of a bird echo through the forest, as one Dealith and thirty other men moved forward hidden by the foliage around them. They carried spears painted green and black while Dealith carried a sword, which was rare for a dark eye. It was similar to a cutlass sword but the basket was part of the blade as well as the pommel. It was wrapped in black leather so the steel wouldn't reflect the spots of moonlight that breached the trees high above them. They all wore cloaks that canceled there dark purple uniforms, the hoods pulled tightly on there heads. They moved silently for what seemed like hours to Dealith, but he knew was merely minutes. They arrived at a large stone wall that seemed wrong in the otherwise lush forest. A soldier approached Dealith, Hift was his name, he was a shorter man with black hair, dark blue eyes and tan skin. He handed Dealith a rope with a hook at the end of it saying nothing. Dealith gave him a short nod before looking up at the towering walls. Their mission was to clear the base of all hostiles, there brightlord had commanded it not telling them exactly why, but Dealith's job was to kill not question. He spun the rope a few times, the iron hook looking like a blur as it spun, before launching it up. The hook soared upwards before landing on a nearby window. Dealith pulled the rope coming slack for a second before the hook latched onto a small indent in the stone window. After making sure it would hold with a few pulls he ascended up the wall, a group of five spearmen crowding below him. Six other groups began to ascend as well at different windows. Dealith breath began to pick up as he climbed, his muscles felt sore as his hands rubbed painfully against the rope. He made it to the window grabbing onto the window cile, the cool stone a welcome sensation to his burnt hands. He pulls himself up silently cursing the heralds as his muscles screamed in protest. Dealith enters through the window looking down the hallway seeing no one, he peeks his head over giving a thumbs up to the soldiers below him, singling it was safe to climb. After making sure the rope was secure he unwraps his sword, the steel glinting slighting in the moonlight. Dealith rolls his neck hearing a few satisfying pops. It took nearly ten minutes for all the spearmen to make it into the window, by then they all felt the pain of the climb but were determined to push forward. They moved down the hallway checking each room, finding them empty. Something felt off to Dealith but he shook it off, thinking it was his nerves getting to him. His dark grey eyes searching the dark for something, anything. He rounds a corner seeing another group of spearmen. Dealith approaches them, the leader of the group recognizing his sword. A small smile on Dealith face as he recognized the man
"Anything Ruw?" Dealith whispers
"Nothing Lith," Ruw gruff voice response from the shadow of his hood
Dealith sighs rubbing his eyes
"Somethings up." Another spearman whispers
"Agreed," Dealith said glancing around "let's head writes the center of the base. See if we can find someone."
The spearmen nod falling in line behind him, except Ruw who fell in step next to Dealith
"Did you hear?" Ruw said quietly
"Hear what?"
"That we may be heading to the shattered plains soon."
"A load of Chull crap." Dealith grunts turning a corner
"No, I heard it from the Brightlord himself." Ruw protests
"He's full of Chull crap too."
Ruw rolls his eyes
"Anyways, we are going there. We're going to fight under the Blackthorn himself." He whispers excitedly
The others murmur in response, Dealith could feel their excitement pooling off of them attracting an array of joy spren
"Hey, cut it out!" Dealith whispered shouted pointing at the spren
The spearmen quickly push their excitement aside, the joy spren slowly fading. Dealith sighs before glaring at Ruw who glances away
"Let's save this for later."
Ruw nods staying quiet. They continue through the base still finding no one, they did run into the other groups of spearmen who fell in line with Dealith. A small seed of doubt started to sprout in Dealith but he ignored it. They soon reach a large corridor that leads to the courtyard. Dealith pointed at the sides, and the spearmen slowly line the walls staying in the shadows. Dealith strode out into the middle looking around, his sword held tightly in his hand. This was wrong, very wrong. This base was supposed to be heavily guarded, they saw guards patrolling the walls constantly for weeks, carriages had entered the fort and ever left so where-His thoughts were interrupted by an arrow entering his shoulder
"Lith!" Ruw shouts rushing to his friends. Dealith growls ripping the arrow free, thankfully it didn't pierce the chainmail he wore. Dealith spun around slashing an arrow that was aimed for his throat out of the air
"Ambush!" He shouts rushing to the side. The courtyard was a box shape with stairs on either side, and a fountain in the middle. Arrowmen began to appear from the shadows of the upper area releasing arrow after arrow at the spearmen. Most fell to the first volley while others where lucky and rushed the sides. Dealith rushes up the stairs Ruw right behind him, an arrowman tried to turn to shoot Dealith, but found his cutlass buried in his gut. Dealith ripped it free grabbing ahold of the dead body and using it as a shield from the other arrows. Ruw charges past Dealith impaling another. Ruw and Dealith slowly cut their way through the arrowmen slicing or stabbing them. The arrowmen dropped there bows grabbing spears of their own, most of Dealith's men were dead but those alive had made short work of them. Two rush Dealith, he deflects one and ducks under the other. He slipped the dagger that hid in his boot free and rammed it into the one on his left's thigh causing the man to scream and fall to his knees. Dealith stood quickly slicing the other spearman's spear in half, he kicks the man in the chest knocking him into the wall. Dealith swings his sword horizontally, the sharp metal digging deep into the man's gut, he lets out a pained wheezing noise. Dealith spun kicking the man with his dagger in his thigh jaw, there was a sickening crunch as he did, blood and teeth flying from the man's mouth. Dealith reaches back without looking, grasping the handle of his cutlass and pulling it free. He heard the bloody wet slap as the man fell to the floor dead. He walks forward raising his blade so the tip would be pointing down. The man's eyes budge, he tried to speak but he has bitten a chuck of his tongue off when Dealith kicked him so all that came out was a bloody gurgle. Dealith rammed his blade down between the man's eyes, his body twitches for a moment before going still. Dealith rips his cutlass free wiping it clean before pulling his dagger free as well. He looks around seeing they had killed all the arrowmen, he walks towards the middle his remaining men limping after him. Of the original thirty only seven survived the fight, Ruw strode up to Dealith his hood pulled down revealing his messy black hair, black eyes and dark skin
"That was fun." He exclaims
"It was planned, they knew we were coming." Dealith mutters wincing slightly
"They did...you alright?" Ruw asked worried
"Fine, arrow did a little more damage than I thought." He grunted
"We should get you to a healer, come on Li-"
He stopped his eyes widening. Everything seemed to slow down for Dealith as an arrow pierced Ruw's lung, the head of the iron arrow poking out his chest
"NO!" Dealith roars grabbing his friend
The spearmen rush off towards the final arrowman as Dealith fell to his knees along with Ruw clutching his friend
"No, no, no, no," he muttered over and over unsure what to do
Ruw let out a bloody cough, his crimson red life essence trickling down the corner of his mouth
"S-Storms, m-missed one." He choked out with a chuckle
"Y-You're going to be alright Ruw." Dealith assured him, his voice breaking slightly
Ruw chuckles again before coughing up blood
"W-We both know that a-ain't true," He weakly reaches into his belt pulling out a small medallion. It was silver and gleamed in the light "w-w-would you give t-this to T-Tih for m-me?" He asks softly his voice getting quieter
Dealith closes his eyes weeping slightly, Tih was Ruw's wife. They had been together for years. Dealith hesitantly accepts the medallion, it felt cold and slick in his hand
"I-I promise...she'll get it."
Ruw smiles closing his eyes
"T-Thank you...brother."
He went limp in Dealith's arms. Dealith held his friend close weeping, the sound of shouts and greet scraping caught his attention. He looks up, his hood falling back to reveal his long black hair. He fell over his grey eyes giving him a menacing look. His spearmen were dragging the arrowman over to him. Dealith didn't move, he stayed on his knees clutching his friend.
"How did you know we were coming?" Dealith asks quietly, his voice void of emotion
The arrowman spit at Dealith which earned his a punch to the gut by one of the spearmen. He grunts doubling over. Dealith repeated the question
"B-Brightlord N-Noks." The arrowman chokes out
Dealith felt cold inside. Brightlord Noks was Dealith's Brightlord, he looks down his body shaking with barely contained rage. He nods at the spearmen behind the arrowman, without a word they ran the man through killing him instantly.
Dealith sat against the wall of the stairs fiddling with the medallion in his hand. It was light now, his spearmen sprawled about. They were distraught, there own Brightlord tried to kill them, he killed Ruw. The sound of horseshoes on gravel drew Dealith's attention. Brightlord Noks rode into the center of the square, his four vanguard would be here soon. It was hard to keep up with a horse. He had the traditional Alethi black hair and light blue eyes, his skin was slightly paler and he was pudgy. His eyes widened in disgust at the carnage, they haven't picked the bodies up, Dealith wanted Noks to see what he did. He stood silently striding down the stairs. Noks looks at him surprised
"Dealith! You are alive!"
"You sound surprised." Dealith said emotionlessly
"W-Well when I saw the bodies-"
He was cut off by Dealith grabbing the man and throwing him to the ground. He yells in surprise falling to the bloody ground
"W-What are you doing?!" He shouts fearfully
Dealith loomed over him, his eyes narrowed into slits
"Why?"
"W-What?!"
"Why did you send us here to die?"
Noks paled, his eyes bulging. That's all Dealith needed to see
"W-W-What a-are you t-talking about?!" He stutters fear laced into his voice
Dealith sneer punching Noks in the nose shattering it. He scream clutching it, blood flowing between his fingers
"We know what you did Noks, now tell us why?"
Dealith's spearmen has circled around Noks glaring down at him
"I-I needed to f-form a-an alliance!" He shouts through the pain
"So you send us to die?" Dealith voice was strangely calm, but his eyes held a cold fury
"I-I am sorry! It was for the good of us all! We would be sent to the shattered plains! Ask Ruw!"
Dealith closes his eyes before smiling. Hope glitters in Noks eyes
"Ruw is dead because of you."
The last thing Noks saw was Dealith smiling as his cutlass took his head off.
Noks honor guard soon arrived, it was a short fight. The cut down Dealith's men before arresting Dealith himself. He was brought before Noks wife, brightness Rael. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair with bits of brown mixed in and light purple eyes.
She was lighter skinned with some red on her lips. She listed off his crimes. Murder, betrayal, deserter. Dealith searches the crowd of spearmen. Their eyes held disbelief in them. She was going to condemn him to death before someone whispers in her ear, his name was Blish. They had been having an affair behind Noks back for years everyone but him knew. Blish has short blond hair, light yellow eyes and tan skin. Everyone would call him handsome. A devilish smile worked its way to Rael's lips. She called for something behind Dealith over, when he saw what it was his eyes bulged. It was a Slave brand, a Shash brand. It was the worst one, it meant he was a danger. They ripped his shirt off much to his protest, the medallion Ruw has given him tucked safely in Dealith's pants tied around his waist with a string he had managed to obtain from his shirt. They went behind Dealith heating the brand up, he shouted at Rael and the spearmen saying Noks sent them to die. They turned away, and the last thing Dealith saw as a free man was Rael smiling at him, satisfaction  and pleasure in her eyes as the brand was pushed between his shoulder blades, then nothing but searing pain.

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