Quest: book 3

by Yufeng Zhuang

9

  We got close slowly toward the tent where the officers had their dinner from the back, the soldiers stood in the prior arranged positions one by one. The front row few people crouched down slowly, they gently pushed the soil on the ground aside, they found the rope heads from the underground and grasped them in hands tightly.

  I looked over to the watchtower at the camp center, a sentry over there gestured to me with a special technique in the fire light, he told me that the whole camp was ready now.

  The long spear is in hand.

  Martin Arthur, what are you waiting for? I was getting some worry...

  Suddenly, dozens of issuing strong light magic fireballs almost appeared from both sides of the camp at the same time, they upset the silence of the night with the howling, they drew the flight curves with fire lights, and fell vociferously into the open-air dinning enemies.

  In such large scale magic sneak attack, any efforts of the enemy were in vain. In fact, there not that many enemies perceived being attacked. More people only found that something's wrong when the fireballs fell on their heads, and they could only looked stunned at the fireballs to hit down. From their blank expressions to see, it seemed that they had no thinking at that moment.

  Some fireballs directly hit on the ground, they made some loud noises and burst apart. The magical energy sealed in the fireballs by the sorcerers pushed the intensive flames to spread out around. The enemy hit directly by the fireballs was burnt into charcoal even too late to make a shriek, the sabre rattling flames walloped everywhere disorderly, the flame jumped, the sparks danced, they swallowed everything they met, burnt them, turned them into their own parts...

  The countless enemies with flame on the body rolled on the ground, they were howling, they were crying, they sent out the sounds no human can make, the voice was all filled with pain, panic, and fear... The twitches spread out in the night sky. The magic flame is not that easy to be put out, so not long later, such sounds were getting quiet in the raging fire.

  There three places had the enemy in the camp, they were all surrounded. The soldiers hidden in the tents and the underground appeared first, the soldiers hidden outside of the camp still kept coming in continuously.

  The not burnt enemies gathered in couples and couples together in a very short time, they chewed down the last bite of food, and they grasped tightly the weapons in hands. Under the shine upon flames, they stared with their blood-red eyes at our soldiers marching toward them.

  At that moment when the fireballs was flying in the sky, by my side, the holding ropes soldiers shouted in unison, and they put forth their strength to yank together. The other ends of the ropes were attacked to the poles of the tents which the officers dinned in. With the loud crash sound... The tents collapsed, the whole tent top smashed down and covered on the heads of these hapless people. The depressing snarls and exclamations came out through the thick tent.

  "Kill!" the front row soldiers shouted loudly, the long spears in hands stabbed to the bodies which were still utmost struggling under the tents.

  Once, twice... accompanied with the shrieks, the blood splashed out from the rows of the pricked out holes.

  "Kill!" the soldiers behind rushed up, no matter the human forms under the tents were moving or not, a burst of disorderly knives or swords, all were cut into muddy flesh.

  This was almost a one-sided slaughter.

  Most of the enemy officers were finished like this in a fog, their flesh and blood touched on the tents, became into pieces of stains.

  With the sound "shua", that biggest tent was cut open a big hole by the sword, four enemy senior officers jumped out. Two of them waved their big swords fiercely to open a way in front, they rushed over to the place where I stood while protecting the in white dress officer.

  The behind one just had a slightly delayed action, he was immediately stabbed by seven or eight pikes, "Ah..." the raised highly by the pikes him was shot into a hedgehog by the archers.

  "Despicable behavior!" the in white dress officer looked at me and scolded, "and only you Kone Cada would do things like this!"

  "Nuts!" the regain original look me returned a compliment to him, "Blood of the losers, you are a loser!"

  "Is it over..." he took a look around, the turned pale lips trembled slightly. There were fires everywhere in the camp, everywhere had the shrieks coming.

  "I want to have a fair fight!" he walked pass the two officers in front of him, his eyes stared at me straightly, "I! With! You!"

  "As you wish!" I walked to the front, the black iron knife was drawn out of the scabbard and into my hand, "I hope you wouldn't let me down."

  "For the noble's honor!" he waved the large sword dashed come over, "watch my sword!"

  "For the noble's honor!" almost at the same time, the two officers behind him also rushed out to another direction.

  Our knife and sword collided together, spattered out a few sparks, we both were jarred and pushed back a step at the same time. Several screeches came, that two officers had already died under the disorderly arrows.

  "Shit!" I flicked my knife to cut over. The in white dress officer crossed his big sword, not only blocked my attack, but also "shua shua shua" attacked me three times with the sword, it's one more diabolic than another, he showed his own toughness enough.

  I bit the bullet, held the knife with my both hands, picked up these three thrashing power hacks. I knew that he couldn't hold it too much longer, especially he ate the food I prepared for him, it contained some special stuff.

  We fought together once again. My weapon let me took the great advantage, the black iron knife in the hand no matter the length or the weight is so appropriate, especially the forty cm long handle, let me easily to use the flexible moves. I beat the in white dress officer repeatedly stepped back.

  "Pick me up a move!" the breathing heavily in white dress officer was going to put all his egg in one basket. The poison food had the signs of attack, he was blue in the face and soaked with sweat.

  "The fly freely in the worlds fire god! I beckon you, in my life for the exchange, borrow to use your great strength, for me clear the obstacles before..." he raised his sword up high, muttering incantations in his mouth, there was a ray of red light appeared on the blade, the red light was migrating on the blade, changing, and getting thicker and thicker, it looked that it was going to be full of the blade...

  "That's the fire dragon sword! Retreat quickly!" it came Martin Arthur's voice from far away.

  "Fire dragon sword?!" I jumped out, grasped a pike from a soldier's hands aside, threw it out vigorously! The pike hit his chest, popped out through the back.

  "Ah---" the chanting was interrupted, the punctured lungs didn't allow him to make any sounds. He looked at me, the eyes were full of contempt and unwillingness, the red light on the blade dispersed gradually.

  I chopped my knife down, let his head and arm divorced with the body.

  "Play magic with me? Fuck!" I didn't looked back, I brought the soldiers kill to the busy places directly. It needed us to be over there.

  Now the camp was turned into hell, and we were the evils.

  We came to the most intense fighting area, no one talked any bull craps, we all merged in the battle front. The enemies in this place were the last group to have the meal, they were still not poisoned yet.

  The big or small officers all stood first in line, they led the soldiers to fight with their rich experiences. It's different from last time we fought on the horseback, my soldiers coordinated with tacit understanding, according to the dilemmas.

  Our soldiers tied the white cloth on the arm to inform the recognition, the spear solders, the sword soldiers, lined up the formation to impact at the enemy, the archers supported a few steps behind. The sorcerers used the floating magic at themselves, they attacked on the enemy in the air. The wing-men were busy flying around, they were armed with bows and arrows, they shot the breaking out of the encirclement enemies to death...

  The
resistance of the enemy was very severe, although their defeat was decided, although they had people vomiting blood by poisoned and falling down continuously, they were still fighting. They lined up tidy rows and rushed over toward us, and they also wanted to live.

  The people around you bellowed in a hoarse voice, stared with the red eyes, waved the weapon in hand by instinct completely. Obsessed with only one thing in your mind, Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill the enemy in front, then you can live! Kill! Kill! Kill!

  All the goodness and ideal, worth less than the broken knife in the hand, redeem the soul? The future in life? No one considered all of these, they became not so important, as long as you can kill the enemy before his weapon reach on you body, that means you own everything... The pike stabbing, the sword and knife hacking, all the people have the same ferocious face, the body covered with blood stains. You don't even know they are yours or the enemy's. Even the blood cover you eyes, you don't have a free hand to wipe it off. The thick blood taste filled the air, it made everyone have to breathe with mouth. The armor punctured sound and the bones broken sound stimulated your eardrums...

  Kill! You don't kill people, then people will kill you!

  Three enemies rushed over to me. I sent my knife forward sneering, I stabbed it into an enemy's body, rowed it sideways, pulled out a large cut on his body. Then I turned the blade around, cut off anther guy's head. And then I hacked the knife transversely to force back that last enemy. I exited from the front, I had already known the situation in the front, I didn't need to stay there any longer.

  Elsewhere in the camp had been quiet down. I shouted loudly, commanding the soldiers from elsewhere to throw the pikes at the enemy formations across our soldiers, this could reduce the pressure of the front.

  Perhaps the long time killing blind my soldiers' eyes, or perhaps my voice was not that clear on the battlefield, or even perhaps the deep feelings the soldiers had among them. The soldiers behind threw with howling not only the pikes and swords in hands, but also the helmets and stones. If someone told them the head can hit the enemy to dead right then, I believed they would not hesitate to cut down their heads and throw them over there.

  Blew by our absolute advantage, the enemy's resistance were getting weaker and weaker...

  Finally... The last enemy was nailed firmly on the pike, he was raised up high by the soldiers as if it's a monument.

  He hung down his head powerlessly, his body was twitching, big strands of blood gushed out from the wound, all the way down along the pikes, it's very frightening.

  The soldiers cheered, no matter whether they knew each other or not, they would drop down the tears of joy and clap on the shoulders each other with "ha ha" laughter, and they would embrace together.

  Held my extreme nausea feeling back, I found a place to drink the water crazily. Otherwise, or I would vomit...

  "If you have a goodness heart, you don't go to the battlefield, you will perish,

  If you have a great ideal, you don't go to the battlefield, you will die,

  The dying people in the killing! Your soul would not be redeemed,

  The surviving people in the killing! You life would be in deep darkness..."

  ……

  "Sir! The enemy was all destroyed!" an officer found me, he reported to me very excited, "chief Martin Arthur is looking for you! Are you going to there now?"

  I nodded to him, "Help me up!"

  "Our casualties?" I asked him.

  "It's still in statistics! There may be the results soon!" as he supported me to walk with his hands, and he said the words, "Sir, I saw your fighting scene! It's really neat."

  A lot of officers surrounded together, when they saw that I approached to them, they all shut their original opened mouth.

  "Our casualties are very small," Martin Arthur said to me, "none enemy escaped."

  "Any alive?" I asked.

  "Yes, but not that many." Martin Arthur answered me, "we are interrogating them now."

  "Feed them the antidote first, let's talk about it after questioning them," I took off the helmet and scratched my head, I held back my turmoil thought, "move all the enemy's bodies together to one place to burn! Check all the spoils of war immediately, start off immediately after complete all the things!"

  "Yes!" The officers answer me loudly, and then went to do their own parts separately.

  "How do you feel?" Martin Arthur walked close to me, "you look like that you are a little bit uncomfortable."

  "That's nothing," I waved my hand, "I just don't get well used to it, I will be alright a moment later."

  "This is your battle, for your performance, you have done very well." Martin Arthur patted on my shoulder, "hold on, all your soldiers are watching at you!"

  "Well!" I said, "then let's ride the horse to tour the camp!"

  Looking at the soldiers humming ditties and checking their equipments to get ready to start off, I had a smile on my face. Yes, there were so many soldiers could go home safely, what else regret would I have? You can say, my officers and I saved many people's lives with our wisdoms. As for the soldiers of the other side... Since they are soldiers, they should understand that the death is a kind or traditional home for the soldiers. Once I thought this through, my mood also got easy up.

  "Sir!" the soldiers raised their head high and saluted to me, their eyes were filled with reverence.

  "How do you feel?" I smiled and returned the salute, “follow me this ‘despicable’ Sir?"

  The battle had been over, there's no need to be so serious. But the soldiers didn't think of that I would joke this way, they all stared blankly.

  "Sir! I don't know anything before!" a tall soldier answered loudly, "but now I make up my mind to follow you! I don't go anywhere, I don't go even you whip on me!"

  "Follow me?” I smiled, "as a 'despicable' soldier?"

  "No, it's not like that!" the big guy answered me, "oh! I forgot to call you Sir, Sir! I think the war is not like the two men fighting, and not like the same as the duel. I can't read books, I don't know what to say. But I know the war is to win, as long as we can win, we can use any dirty tricks..."

  An officer hit the big guy's head with his palm and interrupted, "what are you babbling about?!"

  "Sorry! Sir, he didn't read any books before, please forgive him!" the officer said to me, “this guy is very brave! He killed more than ten enemies by himself, I just wanted to recommend him as a small captain.”

  "What are you doing?" I and Martin Arthur looked at each other and had a smile, "who is going to do anything to him?"

  "If your commander can't even take these words," Martin Arthur said aside, "how can he still be your leader?"

  "The way he just wanted to protect you," I said to the big soldier, "it's also a dirty trick."

  Heard my words, the group of soldiers opened their mouths widely to laugh.

  "Hurry! Get ready!" the officer had a smile at me, and said loudly, "we will soon be starting off!"

  The soldiers dispersed in a hubbub, I also rode with Martin Arthur toward the outside of the camp.

  From far away, a flute sound came over. Although it's very unfamiliar, but it had a rich sadness and deep nostalgic feeling in. My heart had a move, I decided to take a look over there.

  In the empty space next to a small forest, a group of soldiers were putting forth their strength to dig some holes. Not far away from them, placed were the bodies of the soldiers who died in this battle, they were going to bury them nearby.

  A young soldier sat on a battle drum, his slightly trembling hands were holding a blue flute. He blew the flute facing a dead body which had not had the face covered yet, the sorrow flowed out from his blue eyes unconsciously... the tears were still hanging on his face.

  "Who is he?" after he finished the ditty, I walked over to ask him.

  "Sir, he... Is my younger brother!" he looked at me with his empty eyes, he said with a trembling, "he's dead... never can see home again..."

  I took a l
ook around, there were people more or less standing by every dead body, that expression, that sight, made a person feel so sad.

  "Bury the soldiers' body nearby..." Martin Arthur whispered in my ears, "this is the tradition of all the troops now, the soldiers and the noble officers are not the same, not only their lives are humble, but also the treatment of after death are not the same."

  "It's not my tradition!" I said, "the soldiers have already sacrificed their lives, I must bring them home!"

  "Sir! What you said... Is true?" the soldiers surrounded to my side.

  "Yes! As long as it is in my Kone Cada's troops!" I said loudly, "we will not leave any wounded and sacrificed soldiers' body behind! Never!"

  The cheering sounded up, the sound shocked the sky!

  Never leave any one behind, this became the real tradition of the Darkness forces, and it became the tradition of the future duchy forces!