Bloody Blades

Chapter 2: Flesh bags

As the soldier slowly got closer and closer to the smoke, he could hear the faint sounds of screaming, screams of terror and death. He tensed at the screams, more screams echoing in his head, screams of men falling in combat to the sword. The screams here were different, women and children screaming, soon cut short by the axe of a bandit. The soldier gripped the halberd in his hand and slowly progressed forward, the town soon loomed into view. Fire rose into the air as the village started to burn to the ground, bandits running around with sharpened steel and killing anyone who did not associate themselves to this wild group.

Men who took up arms, trying to fight off the bandits as the last barrier to save their children and wives and fell to the sharpened steel, their blood and guts spilling across the dirt and grass. The soldier stared in horror and disbelief, limbs being sliced off with no regret as if the human body was just an animal ready to be cut up and served for a cook to make into a meal. One of the bandits turned, noticing the injured soldier, he jeered and pointed his weapon towards the injured soldier.

"And the kingdom calls in their injured to save a town full of flesh bags, they really don't care for their civilians now do they?!" the bandit laughed loudly, slowly walking towards the soldier, his axe glinting in the light.

The soldier gripped onto the halberd he had in his hand tight, one hand midway up the shaft whilst one sitting low. His body getting into a position suitable for combat, one that would allow him to have an easy time taking on a low life who had resorted to slaughtering peasants. The bandit yelled loudly as he ran towards the soldier, his axe in the air as he charged towards the bladed tip of the halberd.

As the axe went down, aimed towards the chest of the soldier, there was a sudden clash of steel. The steel of the halberd's blade blocking the swing of the axe, the sound rung through both ears of the soldier and the bandits. The soldier lunged the halberd forward then back quickly, the axe dropping to the floor behind the soldier as the bandit turned around to run, fleeing for his life. As the bandit turned around to run, his eyes suddenly widened and blood slowly trickled out of his mouth, the sound of gargling was then followed by a thud, the bandit dropping to the floor as the halberd was removed from his chest, a lung collapsing out the back of the bandit's body.

The soldier panted slightly, staring down at the mess he had just created, his face went pale but he forced himself not to spew, he knew that more bloodshed was to come. He lifted his head to look into the town, a few bandits were strewn throughout the town, holding loot that they had picked up in one hand whilst holding steel in the other. He breathed sharply and looked down at the wound he had sustained earlier, he shook his head. "I'll worry about you later," he thought to himself and ran into the fiery mess that the town had turned into.

One by one, the soldier hacked, slashed and pierced his way through the bandits, not showing any remorse as he cut them down with no mercy. As the number of bandits started to dwindle, some started to flee, dropping weapons and loot to make their retreat all the quicker. The soldier gave out swift justice to those who stayed, resulting in anyone he faced either to be gutted or beheaded by the blade of his halberd.

As the fighting soon stopped, the remaining peasants and civilians that were still alive, slowly came out of their hiding spaces, staring in amazement and horror. Not only by the bloodshed that had occurred, but also by the fact that only one man had managed to slaughter what looked to be a dozen bandits all on his own. A sudden cheer and applause rang out from the villagers, they gathered around the soldier, shaking his hand and praising him for saving their lives.

The sound of a walking stick tapped on the ground, the soldier lifting his head to turn and look at who it was. An elderly man, who looked to be in his late 70's approached the soldier slowly, he looked the soldier up and down, a weak smile appearing on his face. 

"You, my young man...are a hero, even when injured, you saved the lives of those who could not fight for themselves," he said with a croaky voice, his smile getting bigger and more friendly. His smile turned to a slight frown when he saw the wound on the soldier's stomach.

"It seems that you need medical attention," he said quietly. The elder turned around and motioned for someone to come and do the best they could for him. The soldier smiled, nodding his head in thanks for what the man was offering him.

"What is your name young man?" the elder questioned him, his eyes looking at him with curiosity.

The soldier paused before finally speaking up, "Tabbris....my name is Tabbris Von Kornshire"