Town of Falkirk*, Ostermark Province
"Beastmen!"
The cry of his fellow village guard surprised Daryn, almost causing him to lose hold of the small bow he had been laxly carrying. Regaining his composure he looked in the direction of the Gryphon's Woods and cursed. Arrows were already flying from the second guard tower, three panicked archers yelling and swearing profusely at the primeval horde charging out from the forest. Some arrows fell short of their mark while others, such as the one his brother Darius had fired, hit their target. Bestial brays echoed from the beastmen who had been hit by arrows. Several of the Ungors, ugly and wiry beasts that resembled a wild human with horns, that had been scattered by the first volley of arrows attempted to retreat.
"Damnit, Daryn!" Darius yelled. He notched his bow and pulled back until the string went taut. "You're reacting too slow again…Minotaur by the group of Gors coming from the east!"
The Minotaur, a bull headed beast with several skulls adorning the macabre necklace he wore, roared and raised a small tree that had been fashioned into a club. The goat headed Gor around him let out cries as well, their infectious bloodlust filling air with a cacophony of bestial brays.
Daryn smiled and drew his arrow back. "Nonsense little brother. I'm merely biding my time until our targets get close enough." The brothers' arrows both hit their target at the same time, sending a Gor wearing little clothing flying back into one of its comrades. The unfortunate creature only had time to let out an annoyed bleat before being crushed under the stampeding Minotaur and its Gor accomplices.
"Sir the Ungors are halfway to the tower!" another guard, Daryn didn't know who, shouted from behind him before a spear whizzed past. An awful gurgle followed and the man stopped shouting. Daryn didn't turn to look, instead firing more arrows at the unarmed Ungor that had thrown the spear. It let out a grunt before falling, an arrow stuck in its eye.
Suddenly, a horn echoed behind them. "Here come the cavalry!" Darius shouted. The guards in the other towers stopped firing and cheered as a column of knights charged through the opened gates of the town, the rising sun glinting off their steel armor and adding a magnificent glow the impressive sight. The cross and skull standard waving in the air was held by a knight wearing no helmet, a surprisingly youthful but serious face that stared down at the opponents standing before the Iron Crosses of Ostermark*.
The company of knights ran through a group of Ungors that had been assembled by a one horned Gor. The leader was struck through the face by a lance, snapping the weapon in half and causing the rest of the Ungors to turn and run before being lanced or crushed under the sturdy hooves of the warhorses. Daryn pumped his fist in the air and gave a whoop, causing his fellow guards to do likewise. He noticed that only Darius still had his weapon drawn, a determined look on his face. He fired his arrow and Dayrn watched as it hit the Minotaur's shoulder. The beast roared and swung his club, bludgeoning a knight off of his horse and intro a group of Gors. The beasts leaped on the downed knight, jabbing with their spears as many times as they could before being overrun by the knights coming to their comrades aid. The young man carrying the standard slowed his horse down and dismounted. He grabbed his fallen knight and pulled him onto his horse, slapping the beast in the direction of the town. He let out a yell before running towards the Minotaur.
"A fine funeral that's going to be." Daryn shook his head and turned to take a closer look at the man who had been killed by the spear. He muttered a prayer to Ulric and closed the man's lifeless eyes. "Darius, looks like 'Doomsday' Daniel's finally met his end. Poor guy didn't even get to use that new sword he-"
"He killed it! The cheeky bastard killed that Minotaur?"
Daryn made his way to his brother. Darius had an awed look on his face and Daryn could see why. Somehow the young knight had killed the Minotaur using only his sword, evident by the mentioned blade sticking out of the Minotaur's forehead. In a swift motion the young knight pulled the sword out. He cleaned it on the grass before sheathing it, spitting on his unicorn before making his way back to the town. Some of the knights were trotting back while others cleaned up the remaining beastmen that had decided to stay and fight.
Upon nearing their tower, the young knight stopped and nodded at the guards. The brothers nodded back and Darius, for once, grinned. "Helluva job you did there, Sir."
The knight smiled before making his way into the gates. The sounds of the emerging town's inhabitants could be heard, cheers and hoots filling the air once filled with the sounds of battle.
"I'm going to buy that kid a drink." Darius said.
"Falling in love with a man isn't exactly something considered soldierly, brother. Especially if that man's some gutsy nobleman years younger than you." Daryn let out a cough after being elbowed in the gut by his brother. "Sigmar's sake, I was joking!"
"I didn't find it that funny. Now come on, we still got to start funeral rites for Daniel."
"Only after a drink, right?"
Another elbow to the ribs shut Daryn up.