The story takes place during the first holy war, during the times in which there were ferocious battles on every front and soldiers died everyday...
Almost all hope had been lost... but one young Captain would bring back that missing hope... the hope that would bring light and courage to all...Kingdom of Blood
Chapter 1: The Courage to keep on
The weather was unsettling that day, there were foggy clouds all over the place and the war seemed to have caused the world to be in an eternal twilight. There was not a day in which blood was not spilled. The world was in its darkest moments and, at least, some hope would bring the spirit to fight back again...
Alexander's recon batallion had been reduced to just a couple of crusaders, knights, and some priests. They were all tired and injured from previous battles, the priests were doing their best at healing their wounds. They had to get to Prontera as soon as posible to inform the King that one of the main alliance forces had been entirely obliterated. They would need to ask for reinforcements as soon as posible.
"Alexander, Sir!"- said the young knight.
Alexander, the squad's captain, was a crusader. He was on his early twenties and and had black-purplish hair, brown eyes, was wearing heavy armor, and had a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek.
"Hmm?" he responded.
"Sir, we have found a place to stay during the night but we must be on our guard, skeletons and even orcs coul attack us at night."
"How long until the Legion (1) arrives with reinforcements?"
"They might come at sunrise."
The young captain sighed. He was not surprised that they would have to wait until morning; the legion was already busy defending all fronts.Alexander rallied the troops to set camp under the shade of the nearby trees. They set up the tents, a nice fire and they were ready to spend the night there. It was all calm and peaceful. But in spite of all this calmness, the soldiers couldn't get some sleep, they all had to be ready for anything that might happen.
Alexander just sat in a corner, sword ready, and started to tend the wounds on his arm. Although he had the power of healing, he was exhausted and couldn't perform healing properly. He saw on the distance a priestess discusing something with her brother.
"I told you that I would get some water Cloud".- said the priestess.
"But, sis, your foot is hurt, you shouldn't walk." Responded the knight.
"I already told you, I am okaay, besides, you need the water, or you wouldn't recover quiclky enough."
"Sigh, ok.., I'll be back at the tent."
"Ok.."
Alexander saw as she walked off to the nearby lake.
She was a young priestess, maybe around 18 years old. She had long, auburn hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a white priestess dress. On her way she passed next to him, and since he had his arm uncovered...
"Oh my!, Sir, are you all right?" she said worried.
"Oh yeah, dont worry about it, it'll heal eventually."
"Oh no, It'll just get worse, see, its getting black."
He was about to reply that he didnt needed the help, but she was already healing him. He had never been healed by someone else before, he always would heal himself. Somehow, it felt very warm. His wound was healing rather quickly.
"Hmm, your name is Lina right?"
"Yes sir."
"Heh, no need for the "Sir" now, we all are exhausted and talking normally wouldnt hurt anyone."
"Oh okay.. um, Alexander?"
"Yeah, that's what they call me, you can also call me Alex though."
He looked as she gently healed him, it felt so warm, so... peaceful..
"Sir, uh, i mean, Alex..., I need you ta lay down for a bit so that the healing process can be completed."
He complied and lied down.
She sat next to him to watch his wound.
But the sound of the wind made her mind center on the landscape around them, the burned trees, the black ashed earth, it all seemed to made her remember painfull memories as tears started to form on her eyes. It was a little while before she started to sob.
"Huh? Whats wrong?"- asked Alex
"Oh, sorry, (sniff) its just that, all these destruction, all this killing, it makes me feel bad. "
"Yes, I understand..., all this killing just seems to never end."
She continued to sob quietly.
"Here." He gave her his handkerchief.
"Oh, thank you." She smiled a bit.
He gently smiled back and she blushed a little.
"Listen, no matter what happens I'll always protect you all guys; to strive for a better world." He said as he clasped her hand.
Suddenly, they heard screaming from the other side of the field. A knight came rushing to them.
"Sir!, skeletons are attacking the camp!, by the looks of it, maybe eighty or ninety of them!
The young Crusader quickly stood up and readied his weapons.
"Steve, you and the other knights, go help the others; " "Lina, hurry and back the troops!" We're going to fight."
Alexander and and the other knights and crusaders stood up on the front. All of them rushed to battle while the priests started to cast their healing and support spells.
"Do not let them corner you! Fight back!"- shouted Alexander as he finished of a skeleton.
He charged with his sword towards another group of them and started to slash them to pieces.
The knights courageously kept slashing and cutting all the skeletons but they just kept on coming and coming.
The camp, suddenly became a battlefield, the soldiers kept fighting, but lost all hope of winning. They were all tired, hungry, hopeless, but Alexander kept giving them the small hope they could get, the hope and courage to keep fighting until the end.
"Keep on!, we' re pushing them back!"- he said again.
"We fight for him, we do not fear death, as if we die, we will join the Lord by his side." said Alex as he fought.
The clashing of swords and roars echoed throughout the camp.
"We are doing it!, we are wi-----AGH!. A stray arrow had just been impaled on his chest. His sight started to get blurry. It was a poisoned arrow. Out in the shadows the skeleton archer laughed maniatically as he readied another arrow.
"Noo!!, Alex!"- shouted Lina as she ran to his side, but it was too late, he was now lying on the floor, his body white as ice.
"Augh, Li-i-i-nn-a, p--ro--tec--t th-e o--th--er-s..."
"Bb-ut"
"Pl--ea-s-e..." He fainted.
She faced the uncoming group with a determined face. She was going to stop them at all costs.
"Evil and Shadow.." she started praying.."fear Him.. for He shall judge you now.." "I call upon His mighty power...Master of Heavens...give me your strenght..."
She raised her cross above her head.
"Magnus Exorcismus!!!"-she shouted.
Light started to emmanate from her body in the form of a huge cross. It expanded on all directions. The holy light she produced burned all of the skeletons to the ground. They screeched in pain as the light burned them.
She fell to the ground exhausted. She fainted too.
All of them were exhausted now, there were bones all scattered around the field. The ones that were still standing got Alex and Lina and put them to rest. But Alex was grave... if they didnt remove the poison in time he would die. The other soldiers, not sure of what to do next, decided that the only thing that would save them was to wait patienly for the Legion to arrive.
And as if heavens heard their pleas...
"Hey, what the..., Commander!, they are over here!!"- said a crusader that appeared in the distance. Behind him, twelve dozens more followed. The legion had arrived.
1. Legion: The main force of the Pronteran army, consisting mostly of crusaders and knights.
A/N: I would like you to tell me how was it since this is my first attempt at fanfiction, and I accept any kind of tip or suggestion to improve anything on the story. I am currently working on the second and third chapters but I'll only post them after I get at least 5 reviews.