Loving the enemy

14. Fire

I lunge to the side just in time as the burning pole crashes next to me. Heat and smoke are hurting my eyes and lungs as I crawl under neath the come down tent. It was difficult to come out of my petrified position, but I certainly wasn't going to die like this! With on hand on the sword and the second on the ground I pull myself underneath the heavy material. Heat was burning my feet letting me know that the fire was right behind me. I claw at the ground with all my might. I choke up from all the smoke and cough heavily while I keep going. There had to be a damn exit somewhere!

I keep crawling even though I can't see anything when I finally make it out from under the heavy fabric. I push it off myself but my vision is nebulous and my eyes burn. I turn towards the tent which is now going up in flames drastically, and quickly scoot away from it. My chest pains horribly and my world spins as I try to come to a stance but tumble back over. The big flame is causing such a huge amount of heat that I try my best to crawl away from it on all fours. I scream out when a almost crawl into a lifeless body, of a man in armor. His dead eyes look at me as I try to get up once more. I turn and see people's swords clashing, blood splattered on the hay and other tents around the camp, and fires roaring in every direction. Blue and red were fighting to the death but the smoke had caused me such confusion and dizziness that I could only barely come to a proper stance. I wobble back and forth as I I try to hold my balance.

No matter how hard I try to concentrate my body isn't working right. My chest pains again suddenly leaving to to claw at it.

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*Zaydens POV*

My sword clashed with that of an enemy, as sparks of fires burn my skin. I doge a blow and piece him right in the gap between his helmet and his chest plate. Blood spews out from under his barbute and he falls to his knees. I quickly look around the camp of men fighting. We're clearly outnumbered but we've been dearly underestimated.

A far as I could catch a glimpse we were winning even if the odds were against us. Another Lyrian came running towards me while screaming out. He'd lost his helmet and I use that to my advantage as I run towards him and pierce his skull while while dodging his sword. I'd been awarded greatly by the king for my excellent sword play skills and the men who worked for me are all trained by myself.

Dead bodies, burnt down tents and gore littered the floor of our previously neat camp. How the fuck did they get beyond the wall?!
I see Jonathan and a fellow soldier fighting of three knights and I jump in to aid them. I swing my sword catching one of the of guard and knocking him out.

I wasn't wearing armor and here and there id gotten cuts on my arms and even one in my face but I couldn't even feel it. I was in fight mode. This is what I was good at. "Jonathan!" I shout letting him know that someone was attacking him from behind. He's panting heavily but wards of the sword with his. I use this to my advantage and run towards him. These men were badly trained and their bodies only partly covered in protective armor. The man attacking my advisor isn't wearing leg protection leaving me to slicing both of his calfs. He immediately surrenders his pressure on Jonathan's sword and his legs fold as he screams out. I knock his throat with the back of my sword leaving him to fall completely. My other soldier had beaten his enemy.

"My Lord! We need your orders!" Jonathan shouts.

I nod at him and turn to the battle field which only has a few blue men left standing. I'm proud how well we'd gotten out of this ambush. "All men retreat!" I roar across the camp.

Fuck! Bella!!!

Okay orders! "Take what's salvageable and follow me or Jonathan north!" I shout at the top of my lungs.

"Jonathan, take control." He nods at me and starts towards what was left of the battlefield.

I turn around frantically, and almost scream out when I see that my former tent had burned down to small flames and burning ash. I run over as fast as my feet can carry me. This can't be happening!

Please! Please no!

"Bella!!!" I shout as I arrive at the ashes.

"Fuck! BELLA!" I frantically search the surrounding spaces. My eyes scan the area. Please let her be alive! I'd only just found her!

That's when I see her. On the floor. I run around the massive ashe pile towards her and shout her name. She doesn't move and her face is covered by her hair. "Bella!" I turn her around and shake her, before stroking her face free of her hair. I curl her up between my arms and quickly check her pulse. Come on Bella!

It pulsates underneath my index finger.  And relief floods me. She's alive. I stroke her face and quickly check her body for any more injuries. She seems unwounded but isn't responding. "Lord Asher!" One of my soldiers shouts.

We need to leave the camp. Quickly. More Lyrian soldiers will probably come to take the rest of us down. If we stay here we die. I pick up Bella in my arms and head for the gate where some of my soldiers are waiting for orders. After moving north for a while we take a rest in between the safety of the trees.

The entire time I'd carried Bella she hadn't become conscious again. I kept checking her pulse. It was there.

I gently lean her against a tall tree and look around at what's left of my men. "Soldiers!"
Everyone stands straight as they wait for orders. We've lost quite a few men. We're down to about 25 of us now. I look at their states. Tired, injured, scared.

„At ease. We heading to the next village. We need supplies and heal up."

We're going to have to seize Caper. We have no choice.