The tides of war

First contact

Onyx's POV
      I slowly walked through the destroyed remnants of our camp, my shield and spear hung lazily by my side as I sorrowfully looked around at all my dead men. I slowly continued on my path towards the main tent only to see my sister's corpse, I froze for a second before walking to her and crouching. I allowed my shield to slide from my forearm as I dropped my spear and gently caressed my dead sisters cheek as I spoke, my voice watery and mumbled "I'm sorry I could not save you, I will hunt down every last Heathen until I join you in Elysium" I heard rustling in the brush before me causing me to swiftly grab my shield and spear, I crouched and held my shield firmly infront of me as my spear leveled at the sound.
     I called out "Show yourself or taste the bite of my spear!" the rustling continued until I heard a twig snap to my right, my head snapped to the sound until a man in yellow and black armor stepped forward. He held a long sword lazily at his side, I gritted my teeth as I called "You dare step foot on Spartan territory! I'll send you to Hades!" He didn't reply but got his sword into a ready position. I glared as I flexed my fingers on my spear, before I sprinted forward and spun to my left using the edge of my shield as a weapon feeling the jolt as it made contact with his chest plate.
      I quickly raised my spear using it to block the overhead strike the man threw he didn't let up the barrage of quick attacks from all directions, I backed up while using my shield to block most of the attacks dodging a few and taking a couple licks. I sighed as we dueled growing tired of being on the defensive until he took a step back and crouched, I've seen the move before causing me to smile under my helmet as I crouched lower as he rushed forward attempting to bash his shoulder into my shield only to flip over as I used his momentum to throw him over me. I spun and stabbed at his form with my spear only to have a shorter man take the hit and cough blood as he looked down at my spear's shaft that emerged from his chest, he looked up only to have me kick his corpse off my spear as more men emerged from the forest.
    I stabbed the man I initially dueled through the throat hearing him wheeze before I pulled the spear out of his throat as I leveled my spear again "You will pay for your treachery! All of you!" I yelled as I charged forward and jumped plunging my spear into the closest soldier only to spin ripping my spear out as I threw the edge of my shield into the second soldiers neck hearing the satisfying crack of a broken spine before lifting my shield blocking the arrows of the archers before crashing my shield into the last soldier and yelling "ahhhh" as I stomped on his chest and planted my spear into his stomach like a flag. The archers looked unnerved at the sight of their ally screaming in pain as I stared at them "Who dares?! Who dares strike me down?!" I saw their bow pull back until I heard a female voice "Hold!" I spun and leveled my spear at her.
        She walked out of the tree line in ashen black armor, spikes and serrated edges lined almost every part of her armor but her helmet is what drew my attention, the eyes had grates smithed in, I inspected her looking for weaknesses as she stood casually infront of me, like I wasn't even a threat. I released an angry deep breath as I tightened my grip on my spear before charging her, in a flash her sword was up and ready to defend, i jabbed several times that she either leaned out of the way or swatted away until she swung her sword at me and I locked the serrated edge on the top of my shield earning an "impressive" from the mysterious woman.
      I grunted as I spun throwing a kick instead of my shield catching the woman's chest plate making her slide a foot before I spun to my left swinging my spear like a bat feeling the satisfaction as I listened to my spear point drag against her armor. She spoke again "Maybe I should stop playing around, let's see if you survive little sheep" I recoiled at the insult before barking back "You will feel the bite of a spartan's rage! It is something you will never forget!" She laughed "we shall see" as we backed off and stared at each other.
      I crouched and prepared to defend until the woman leaned back with her sword running down the length of her back as she leaned forward and swung the heavy handed overhead hit, my eyes widened as I realized I wouldn't be able to block it causing me to quickly sidestep and turn my shield so it stood vertically as her sword slid down the length of it. She mused impressed "Quick thinking" as I dodged forward while jabbing with my spear gaining another foot of reach and gaining purchase with my spear embedding itself an inch into her armor. I heard a grunt as her talon clad hand gripped my spear's shaft, I smirked as I spun away dragging the spearhead through her grip slicing her hand as I returned to my stance, I saw the woman staring at her hand as blood dripped off the tip of my spear. I expected rage from her but instead she simply laughed, I must've let my confusion seep into my body language as she spoke "This is the most fun I've had in a long time" I gritted my teeth before yelling "this isn't a game!" She looked at me "I suppose I should stop playing then."
      She gripped her sword and charged throwing a vicious attack into my shield as a jolt of pain shot through my arm until she spun in place and dragged the tip of her blade across the opening of my helmet leaving a deep gash across the bridge of my nose. She threw another attack that I stepped into bouncing off my shield as I jabbed only to have her grip the shaft of my spear and stop it before I found purchase again. She released it before she gripped my shield and ripped it out of the way and she hit my helmet with her cross guard causing me to spin and shake my head. I spit some blood on the ground before staring at her with hate as she charged only to come to a sudden halt two feet infront of me and swung her sword at waist height i responded by crashing my shield into her blade only to grip her chest piece and crash my helmet into hers before spinning and trying to crack her upside the head with the shaft only to be tackled by a man in black and yellow with Lion heads on his shoulder pieces.
      I struggled in his grip until I had several sword tips at my throat, I barked out angrily "Kill me! Do it! You'll never last against my rage!" As I struggled until the woman in black appeared in my view and spoke to the man on me "Holden, get off of him" he sounded shocked "Master? He was just trying to kill you" she spoke sternly "Off" he slowly got off me as a soldier placed his foot on my chest only to have me roll causing him to fall as I got on top of him and crashed my helmet into his face until I got pulled off and had my wrists bound. The man now dubbed Holden spoke as the soldier I had just mauled wailed "My nose! Ah he broke my nose!" "Davis, stop whining. See Master? This is exactly why I didn't want to let him go" the woman looked at him "Holden, look at him, even bound and at our mercy he used the chance he saw to attack. I believe we have a wolf on our hands" the quiet woman standing further away from the group spoke "I don't believe he'll join" I grunted before receiving a kick to the stomach.
     I turned and glared daggers at the soldier "If my hands weren't tied, I'd have them around your fucking throat!" The man flinched involuntarily as I saw movement infront of me causing me to look at the helmet of the woman I just attempted to kill mere inches from mine. She asked "What's your name?" I glared as Holden spoke "Answer her question boy" I glared at him as I spoke "Onyx, The Wolf of Sparta" she nodded pleased "Do you know what my blackstone legion does?" I replied sarcastically "From what I've seen, die" she chuckled which confused me, I was trying to be as irritating as I could, "No, we recruit from our enemies. Those who prove themselves to be wolves, you live up to your namesake Wolf of Sparta" I spit some blood at her feet "What do you want from me? Why not just kill me and be done with it?" I asked as I struggled with the ropes on my wrists.
     She replied calmly "I want you to join the blackstone legion" my eyes narrowed at her "I can't, I'm a bit busy hunting down heathens" she looked at the dead Spartans scattered around the camp "A revenge story, I see. Join me and you'll get all the war you can ask for" I looked up at her "What's to stop me from stabbing your friends there the moment my hands are undone?" She spoke with an edge of warning to her voice "if you wish to retain your head, I'd strongly recommend you refrain from doing such things" I glared at the ground as the blood from my wound seeped into the corners of my mouth "Fine, you've got yourself a new man" she motioned Holden forward.
       He walked forward and roughly removed the rope from my wrists causing me to stand quickly and everyone except the Woman to grip their weapons as I scooped up my shield and spear before walking to my tent and to carefully pick up my father's sword before walking out. I looked around and watched as every Blackstone member staring at me clearly on edge while the Woman walked forward and motioned me to her, I walked forward until I felt her talons on my shoulder "Have you ever been in a fortress?" I replied with a certain tone of annoyance "Only when burning it" she laughed as she motioned to a far off mountain that I could faintly see a Fortress on. I asked "What is your name? I can't keep calling you the Woman" she looked at me "Apollyon, master of the Blackstone legion" I nodded as I felt my nose seeing more blood on my hands.
     Apollyon walked forward before turning "Blackstone, to the fortress!" I heard cheers behind me as I looked back at my fallen family before the quiet woman spoke from my left "Let's move, we can't afford to have you drag us down" I glared at her before I started walking looking at the chunks of wood missing from my spears shaft before I looked at the shape of Apollyon "interesting woman."