by Aeon Solo
Anu-Krai left his chambers and met the Knights of Anu in the control room of the Pyramid. As he entered, the four Knights turned toward him as they finished their conversation.
“Here he is, late as always,” one remarked.
“Yes, very funny Scherzo,” Anu-Krai responded bluntly as he usually did with Anu-Scherzo.
“Lord Krai,” one of the knights extended his arm with gratitude.
“Zvest, my oldest friend,” a smile extended across both their covered faces as they embraced. Anu-Krai turned his head to face the Knight beside them and with his left arm grasped his shoulder.
“Hask,” he said, he nodded his head in recognition. They finished their greetings and Anu-Krai approached the final knight who was leaning against a pillar alone with his arms crossed.
“Novo,” Anu-Krai said, “Everything alright?”
“Of course, just having a break from Scherzo, that clown can be a real handful,” Anu Krai laughed slightly in response.
“Yes, he’s not my kind of company either, come,” he gestured with his hand. “I suspect we will be given instruction shortly.” Anu-Novo nodded in response.
Monstah entered the room. “Krai!” with a roll of the lips he turned toward the door where Monstah awaited him.
“The Archon requires your presence,” Monstah said. He returned to the throne room. Anu-Krai walked to the door, he glanced back to his brethren.
“Behave yourselves,” he remarked sarcastically.
“Don’t’ worry my lord, I’ll keep them in check” Anu-Zvest responded eagerly.
He nodded back pleasantly in response with a smile. He approached anxiously to the obsidian door of the throne room, it opened. He entered, scanning the room as he usually did. Monstah and the Archon awaited him.
“I will be entrusting you two with command of the forces today,” Monstah and Anu-Krai bowed.
“Any ideas on how you will proceed?”
Monstah responded first.
“We take them head on and obliterate their defences with a barrage of men from the sea.”
“Wrong!” Monstah turned to Anu-Krai. “Ragmana is an island surrounded by water, their fortifications and defences will be strongest at the side facing us, the north side, because their scouts would have seen our armies assemble,” he paused for a moment with no response, so he continued. “We should spread the forces, attack with a bulk of men from the north, but at the same time, attack every coastline at the east, south and west, they cannot protect the entire coastline of the island.” The Archon raised his head in thought and Monstah turned to face him.
“Continue,” the Archon said.
“Once we have broken their defences at the east, west and south, we will travel across the land and hit their north facing forces from behind, they cannot defend on two-fronts, their fortifications will hold strong if we fight them only from one side.” Monstah gritted his cavernous teeth in frustration, fearful that the Archon will choose the human’s strategy. The Archon nodded.
“Yes Krai, this should work and be very effective, nice thinking, you continue to amaze me.”
Anu-Krai was ecstatic from the recognition from his master.
Monstah however, was furious that his leader has chosen the will of a human over him and Anu-Krai sensed it, which made it all the while sweeter.
“Enact this plan and return to me victorious,” the Archon said, the two left the throne room.
Monstah was the only Anuai that would be present at the battle. The Archon designated him as commander to serve as oversight and if necessary, he could intervene to change the tide of the battle.
Once the two exited the throne room, Monstah grabbed Anu-Krai by the throat unexpectedly and raised him in the air with ease.
“You’re overstepping your bounds Krai, the only reason you’re still alive is because somehow, he finds some use for you, without our technology you are nothing, squirming little maggot!” Monstah snarled in a menacing tone.
Anu-Krai gasped for air.
“Snake,” he muttered harshly.
Monstah threw him forcefully to the ground.
“Maybe,” Anu-Krai said in a raspy, coarse voice because he struggled to regain breath.
“Maybe you should thank me for saving you a much greater embarrassment, if we attacked them head on, we would lose most of our entire army. I thought you would know that.” His defiant tone became somewhat empathetic, despite the altered pitch of his voice.
“Prepare your forces to embark!” Monstah barked back angrily, he departed.
Anu-Krai shook his head with antipathy whilst he grasped his now sore throat.
His Knights of Anu approached him whilst he still lay on the cold ground staring intently at Monstah, who was now deep into the abyss of the corridor.
“My lord, are you alright?” An alarmed Anu-Zvest asked. Shocked by their presence, Anu-Krai stood instantly.
“It’s nothing,” he said, he swivelled in the direction of Monstah who had now entered another room in the corridor. The Knights shared a tense look beneath their guises, a look of sympathy, because they understood the position their leader was in. Knowing the abuse, he received from the daemon Monstah.
The knights and the forces of Naprador travelled to the shore to begin the voyage across the sea to Ragmana. Anu-Krai emerged from the treeline of a woodland area, the beach became visible. It was littered with thousands of troops, large vessels filled the shore, the troops began to fill them. He was amazed at the sight he was seeing, his conscience heavy at the thought that a lot of these men will not return home to their families. His brethren passed him by as they travelled towards the command ship together. Anu-Krai walked a few strides ahead of the others alone, they were conversing about the coming conflict. They entered the command ship which was designated for Anu-Krai. Monstah’s was across the beach on the other side. He communed with the captains of the armed forces who had congregated at his command vessel.
“We will attack the entire coastline. Monstah will take a platoon of ships to the north facing side of the island. I will command the rest of the forces and we will attack the east, west and south facing sides. We depart in 30 minutes!” The captains scattered so they could prepare their vessels and soldiers.
“My brothers, Scherzo and Zvest, you travel east and assist in the taking of that territory. Novo and Hask, you take the west. I will travel south.” The knights cheered in anticipation of the battle to come.
“Go now, take the kingdom and fulfil our destiny. Today will mark the beginning of our reign and the entire world will know who we are!” he exclaimed to the greater cheers of his brethren. They raised their weapons and knelt.
“My lord Anu, give us the strength to overcome weakness, we will stop at nothing for you and we will finish what you started” Anu-Krai stated. A few moments passed, and they rose to their feet and went to their designated location.
“Zvest,” Anu-Krai remarked, grasping his shoulder before he left, “Be careful, once I’ve taken the south, I will come to you at the east,” he said. Zvest watched the other Knights exit and turned to his closest friend.
“I can handle myself,” Anu-Zvest commented, a little arrogantly.
“I know you can, it’s just I want you to be by my side in the battle, but I don’t think Scherzo can take the east on his own,” he said anxiously.
Zvest was his only friend, the two have been together since the start, fighting side by side. He cared deeply for him. The two braced arms.
“All will be good, I promise” Anu-Zvest responded. He exited the command vessel, Anu-Krai watched him with nerves of the coming battle.
“This time you will be coming to the celebrations!” Anu-Zvest shouted. He was now some distance from him.
“We’ll see,” he retorted with a grin. It soon faded though. “We’ll see,” he murmured once more.
“Commander!” a voice shouted, he conversed with his subordinates.
Chapter 4
The armies of R
agmana were spread thin across the island, an armada of fortified ships engulfed the entire coastline. The soldiers stood firm, bow and arrow in hand. Along the beaches ready to fire at the oncoming ships. Sweat dripped from their faces, fear began to mount in each of them, their breath heavier, because they thought of the horror that awaited them. Many of the beaches had fortifications and an altered altitude so that oncoming enemies must climb up mounds of sand to reach the mainland, making defence easier.
Ships boarded the beaches, a barrage of troops mounted, hundreds of arrows flew. Tens of men fell to the ground, they perished in the barrage. Some troops dodged the onslaught and reached the mount. They began to climb over it, they engaged in one to one battles with their enemies. Blades clashed; metal particulates fell to the ground. Men screamed in pain, in horror, whilst they watched their friends and family die before their eyes.
Anu-Zvest powered through the Ragmana defences, hundreds of archers scattered the treeline ahead. Hundreds of men descended the mounts to meet their foes head on. One approached, he instantly slayed him, arrows flew past his face. He ran toward the mount, slaying multiple foes in the process. He and a few others reached the top, an arrow hit the Knight of Anu in the torso. His armour strong, prevented the arrow from contacting his body. He slashed the soldiers ahead of him and passed through the treeline, 20 metres in, the trees faded into a plateau of land. Multiple Naprador soldiers caught up to him; the beach defences were conquered, but with consequence.
Hundreds of men lay slain in the sand, some bellowed in agony due to the severe wounds inflicted upon them.
The Knight stood firm in the face of adversity, his face dropped, a thousand Ragmana troops lingered before him and the forty-five survivors. Their spirits sank as they realised their fate before the armada. A barrage of arrows ejected upon them. Eleven arrows hit the Knight of Anu across his body, some penetrating weak points of his armour. He quailed forward in agony, but he caught his breath. He briefly scanned the men beside him who had all perished from the barrage. He mustered up the energy to stride forward killing some of the thousand men before him. But he was quickly overwhelmed. Men drove their swords into the torso of the Knight, he fell to his knees as his hands grasped the blades.
Anu-Scherzo emerged from the treeline with a second wave of forces, to engage the sea of men before them. Blades clashed, arrows flew once more, spears were exchanged between the two forces. The Ragmana troops were forced to retreat slightly, which allowed Anu-Scherzo to reach his comrade, who was still on his knees. He came behind and clutched him by the shoulder. His torso was littered with arrows and the four blades still protruded. The assailants abandoned their weapons in the retreat.
“Get up!” Anu-Scherzo bellowed.
“I can’t,” his voice was rough and deflated. “I’m finished, please tell Krai I…” he fell unconscious in the arms of his comrade, unable to finish his final sentence. Scherzo became enraged, he butchered multiple enemies in his path. In an instance, the five became the four.
The scene was horrific, limbs scattered over the torn battlefield, scavenger species began to pick at the victims of the terror. The Ragmana forces retreated inland, Anu-Scherzo walked defiantly forward, blade extended, he raised his head in contempt for his rivals.
“Regroup by the beach!” he screamed to the remaining soldiers. They returned to the beach and he carried his fallen Knight back to a vessel to send him home to Naprador.
Sometime passed…
Anu-Krai stood manipulating controls on board his ship and communing, via his wrist audio device with Monstah and the Archon. He was interrupted.
“Commander Krai,” a voice trembling with fear muttered behind him. “Our forces were unable to penetrate the beaches to the south.” Anu-Krai pivoted his head slowly disdainfully.
“Their fortifications were too strong for our army.” Anu-Krai punched the table in front of him three times with intense fury as the man cringed fearfully, noticeably shaking.
“Is that all?” his voice rippled violently across the room intimidating the man further.
“Anu-Zvest fell in batt…” Before the man could finish Anu-Krai seized him by the throat and crushed his windpipe. The man, a captain, fell lifeless to the ground. He screamed with fury smashing the room with his fiery blade. Men outside heard the terror and cringed anxiously. Anu-Krai barged through the wooden door of the control room.
“Prepare a vessel!” he screamed at a serviceman. They rushed to do as he commanded. Anu-Krai looked toward the island, teeth gritted in frustration, a tear in his eye, chest pounding with anger. His expression of course, masked by his façade. He entered the vessel and travelled to the south shore, alone.
He arrived on the beach, one hundred men remained after the onslaught, he left the vessel before the solid ground. He entered the water thick with the blood of his men, it reached his knees and his dark robe glided across the water. The men who stood before him on the beach shared a tense look of concern between one-another as a masked, cloaked warrior approached them from the ocean. Anu-Krai reached the beach and stood defiantly, avoiding the hundreds of bodies littered along the shore. The site knocked him sick inside, so much death, and for what.
One of the men fired an arrow toward the face of the Knight who caught the arrow in his hand. The men gasped in amazement, the Knight examined the arrow and crushed it with his metalloid glove. He unveiled his Bow of Margan and gracefully returned an arrow to the face of the man who fired upon him. He slumped lifeless to the ground. The men looked upon him with terror.
“Demon!” one screamed at the Knight.
“Fire at will!” a commander screeched to his men. A barrage of arrows from the remaining ninety-nine was fired upon the Knight, each one deflected and broke upon impact with his impenetrable armour and mask. The soldiers gasped in shock.
“He cannot be killed!” one wailed.
“Keep firing!” the commander responded. Anu-Krai began his offence on the group killing numerous foes with the Bow. A group of men descended the mount to engage him in sword combat, but the Knight easily defeated the group and they fell dead in the sandy surface. More came, they overran him. Forcing him to the ground, hacking at his impenetrable armour. He took the barrage and returned attacks of his own.
Eighty men remained, the onslaught continued, one by one they fell into darkness. Their life, taken by the hand of the king of the Knights of Anu. The commander, after losing forty of his men, ordered a retreat inland. “Run, run to your leaders!” Anu-Krai’s voice penetrated the atmosphere causing unimaginable fear in the fleeing soldiers who continued to run for miles inland.
“I’m coming for you,” he added.
They sprinted relentlessly.
“How was that possible?” one urged, he slipped to the ground. He was helped to his feet by his friend. They looked back but the Knight did not follow. This eased their fear, for now.
Anu-Krai activated his audio device.
“I have control of the south coast. Now we begin our conquest inland.”
The forces overwhelmed the defences of the east and west, forcing a major inland retreat. Anu-Krai overwhelmed the remaining defences to the south, so all three sides were now under control of the Archon. Monstah still engaged the heavily fortified defences to the north, and Anu-Krai now began the conquest on land to distract them from behind.
Chapter 5
The Ragmana army was forced to protect its population inland. Half of the forces engaged with Monstah’s legion retreated further inland to protect their populous from the oncoming land forces to the east, south and west. This allowed Monstah to gain traction, their coastal defence would soon cave completely. The north side was overrun, Anu-Krai tightened his grip on all sides.
Anu-Krai waited along the south coast, the place was littered with the bodies from both sides of the battle. A tear flowed down his right cheek beneath the mask, whilst he contemplated what he had become. The faces of his victims were singed into his mind. ‘Anu would
not cry’ he screamed in his mind, an inner war ensued, as it always did. He hated himself, hated his torn character. Part of him would so easily want to run away from everything. To just hide in the furthest most corner of the universe.
He turned toward the ocean; a fleet of ships stormed the horizon, so he composed himself. He couldn’t lose the façade of strength with his forces. His right hand glided through the now blood red ocean water, he rocked his head in contempt.
A short time passed. His troops embarked the land from the ships. He ordered his men to advance, with himself leading the charge. He conversed with his Knights who continued their path through the island.
“Continue the push on all sides, we will crush them in our vice, victory will be swift.” The Knights acknowledged his command through their audio wrist devices.
Many hours passed, and he finally reached the Ragmana retreat. Their king led the defence against Anu-Krai from the south. The soldiers remained firm around the main settlements of the kingdom, to protect their population. They were severely outnumbered and would not last more than a few hours in the coming battle. The king’s men observed a horizon of troops from all directions. The area was open land with a few fortifications. Both armies had an unaltered view of one-another. The men were restless, anxious of their coming fate, 5,000 vs 40,000, they were outmatched eight to one. There was no hope for them.
Anu-Krai’s legions waited a mere 250 metres away from the Ragmana soldiers, the air became silent for a moment, with only a slight breeze passing through it. Soldiers on both sides stood anxiously. Sweat trickled down their faces, fear strife within all who had a semblance of humanity.
