Wow, I mean wow, I did not expect my story to get so many faves and follows, hell this story has almost half the amount of faves and follows my other story has that one has 5 chapters! This one only has one chapter WOW.
Though i did not get any reviews, strange. Please review! Not forcing just suggesting :D. Hopefully this chapter will get ya in reviewing mood. Also sorry for the long wait, I had trouble planning on how I would introduce…. Stuff but i think i nailed it on this attempt, attempt number 4 XD.
Have fun reading !
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
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Maximus collected his equipment and other essentials early in the morning before continuing his journey. His camp was now miles behind him as he walked through the forest. His feet sloshing in the mud causing the bottom part of his armor to become dirty. He ignored it for the sake of finding some form of human life. He knew for certain that they were humans nearby for he discovered a pile of human looking bones beside a tree as he passed through the woods. He had looked at the bones for a few more moments to find a means of death but he could not find one. It's bones were either broken or missing as signs of animals scavenging his corpse for food were evident. However, now knowing that there were humans nearby made him more determined in getting out of the forest.
Pushing apart a brush a large clearing showed itself to him finding himself at the end of the forest. Hearing rushing water he searched and found a large river streaming down to his left. He grabbed his leather skinned water bag and gathered the fresh water from the stream before drinking it. It's refreshing taste swirled in his mouth as he sat next to the river for a short rest before continuing on his journey.
He layed down on his side, reveling in the beautifully sunny day but his peace was interrupted. As the ground began to shake. His first thought was a small earthquake but it was quickly debunked as its trembling was not coming from the earth and it was too even. As it continued his mind began going through his memories as it felt incredibly familiar to him.
"A war march. That's what it was", he thought, finally recognizing the tremors..
Maximus gathered his bag and began to frantically look around for any sign of a war march. He noticed a natural dam of rocks stopping most of a waterfall, the same waterfall that was creating the river. His instinct screamed at him to look over the dam of stone. Maximus quickly jogged up the river and then climbed the small slope of rocks until he reached the top. Getting a good footing on the rock under him he removed his helmet and peaked over the edge.
"Impossible…" Maximus whispered as he stared at the inconceivable sight.
Dead. He saw the dead, walking, wearing armor, wielding swords and bows. Standing in formation, there bony and inexpressible faces of horror preparing for war. A man wearing masterfully crafted metal plating armor, mounted on a skeletal horse, rode in front of the army. His face was covered by a intimidating skeletal helmet as he moved up and down the line staring at the undead warriors daring them to step out of line. Maximus looked further down the army as he saw more grotesque monstrosities. Giant undead creatures standing at almost 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide. They looked like they were woven out of dozens upon dozens of human corpses. They had four arms, each embedded with a either a hook or a hatchet for a hand, their mouths were slacking open revealing dozens of sharp human-like teeth, and their chests were busted open revealing their intestines. Intestines that appear to be functioning even when the skin had been ripped off.
An opening among the ranks appeared allowing a group of people, he could not tell if they were human men or otherwise, wearing robes decorated with small skulls of animals and blood of their victims. They each wore a goat skull on their heads like a helmet, all except one. This man was taller than the rest ,standing at around 6'4. The tall robed man's face was covered as he wore a strange but death related headdress as he led the robbed men to the warrior riding the horse.
He watched the robed man give some sort of order to the warrior. The interaction finished with the warrior saluting as the robed men walked back through the undead army. Maximus eyes grew wide once again as he noticed the large, menacing, dark and decriped metal fortress in the distance that the robed men were walking towards too. The fortress sat on a small island in the middle of a giant lake. The waters were black as if corrupted by some dark powers.
" Is this what I must face? Armies of the dead seeking the destruction of the living." Maximus thought as he put his helmet back on before starting to move off the rock side into a small crevice between the rocks, allowing him to get through without the undead warriors noticing. After a few minutes of struggling to fit his shield through the crevice he finally got to the other side. Sprinting between trees and rocks he was able to get past the undead army without notice. As he left the safety of the tree he was hiding behind, a few miles away from the undead army, he discovered a paved dirt road leading towards an unknown destination.
He contemplated for a moment on where the path could lead. He knew that roads would lead to civilization but if this place was controlled by the undead where could he go to for safety? Though he then analyzed the area around him seeing the lake on one side and an unclimbable mountain terrain on the other. His only choice was either following the path up or down back towards the undead army. Between those two choices his decision was obvious.
Putting his equpipment rapped in the thick leather he got from the gnolls on his shoulder he began trekking towards the unknown. As he did so he took the opportunity of peace to think upon his new discoverings, not the undead but the level of advanced weaponry they had. The armor the undead warrior wore was impressive and the fortress looked as if it was made out of raw metal, thought to be impossible in the Empire, now he finds a paved dirt road. All this would imply that the people who live here have advanced to the level of or even higher than the Roman Empire. If that is true then he would find things more interesting than what he originally thought.
Maximus found himself in a fork on the road. He looked to his right and saw metal gates in the distance with stone and metal crosses in the dirt behind the gates. His mind digested the image until concluding he did not want to go through there. It was most definitely a graveyard. As he began to walk to the right that had only trees and small grassy mounds to greet him he thought upon the discovery of the use of crosses.
"Is there some form of christianity here?" Maximus mused in thought as he remembered the religion back in Rome. It was growing but not the point that would challenge the identity of the Roman Gods. Many of the poorer people worshiped Christ since many feel that the gods abandoned them. Admittedly, he was not a religious person so he did not know much about this topic. He hadn't even truly believed in the Roman Gods until seeing them in person.
His musing was cut short when he heard the tell tale sign of battle, the clashing of blades, the screams of horror and pain. Maximus sprang to action and ran towards one of the larger mounds. When he reached the top he saw a city of, maybe, a quarter the size of rome. A very impressive feat for anyone's people. He watched undead warriors entering the city with crude siege weapons that looked like some sort of catapult. Its wheels were spiked and blooded but from what he could tell it was made for easy maneuverability as it continued using…" Are my eyes deceiving me?" he thought in horror as he watched the meat wagons use the corpses of the dead be shot to their enemy with destructive ease. Watching this is when he heard the screaming, human screaming.
He looked towards the city the yells of men and women fighting for their lives was evident in every direction he looked. Flames were blaring from homes, corpses were lying on the edge of the walls and flying creature that looked like large bats shaped humans were swooping down picking up individuals before letting them go to fall to their deaths. Maximus determined to save as many people from this city as possible sprinted down the mound and through the road till he reached the bridge connecting the dirt road to the warring city. Maximus readied his shield, both javelins and his sword, his helmet fastened on his chin and adjusted for the best possible vision. He breathed in a deep breath before letting it out, slowly.
He took a step forward then another and another and another, soon he was sprinting towards the city. Two meat wagons each one manned by two men wearing thick black robes. There were four Skeletal warriors, two wield two handed swords, another had a sword and shield while the final held a large bow. They stood in front of the wagons guarding them from any sort of attack from the front. Never expecting an attack from the rear. He charged at one of the robed men from behind as he was loading the meat wagon with a corpse. The force from his charge pushed him towards one of the wagons spikes piercing his chest. His fellow robed acolyte heard his scream and turned around to only find a blade stabbed into his heart. The undead warriors and the other acolytes did not notice. Their minds only filled with the need of destruction of the city. Maximus charged again and was rewarded with the same result of an impaled acolyte. The second acolyte was on the other side of the meat wagon but the distance was short enough for Maximus to stab at the man's throat. This is when the undead noticed their acolyte masters dieing. They turned to find maximus wiping his bloodied blade on their robes.
Maximus readied himself with his shield in front and his sword at his side. One of the broadsword(two handed weapon) wielding undead lunged forward and was blocked with Maximus' shield. An arrow then wooshed by his head from the skeletal archer. Maximus pushed the undead being off him before striking him at the heart but it would seem it proved to be futile as the wound did not kill him, it only made him angry. Maximus changed its grip on his gladius before pushing it up cutting off its arm. He swirled the blade back in place in his hand then cut the undead's head off as it was stunned from losing its arm. As the undead fell he noticed the archer preparing another arrow. Maximus raised his shield feeling the thunk of the arrow hitting the wood he lowered his defence. To reveal an undead swinging his short short to his head. He narrowly dodged the swing but before he could steady himself the other undead swung his broadsword down. Maximus raised his shield blocking the attack. As the blade bonked off the shield Maximus quickly rose with his sword aimed for its neck, cutting most of it off. The undead's head dangled on his shoulders as it stumbled back. Maximus then turned and shield bashed the remaining melee zombie. He countered with its own shield bash, crashing their shields together in a battle of was surprised by the undead beings amount of strength because of the lack of muscle it showed on its body.
Thier strength, however, can be easily defeated by cunning.
Pushing once again with his shield allowed an opening to its legs. Taking the chance he stabbed its legs immobilizing it from moving. The former gladiator finished his it off as it kneeled on the stone bridge with its head being cut off.
He felt something hit him from behind as he turned he noticed an arrow on the ground. It had bounced off his durable armor. The archer readied another arrow free from the possibility of hitting his allies. He released the arrow and Maximus dodged as he charged. His last arrows was released hitting his shield before getting hit with a shield bash pushing it to the ground. Slashing at his head killed it almost immediately if the lack of movement from it told anything. A growl from his right caught his attention as the undead whose head was detached from the rest of his body laid on the ground. The head was growling and moving but it body was limp.
"Their head is their weakness." The former general concluded. Cutting off their head is easier than most of their limbs as it seemed that the undead favored to armor their body other than their heads, ironically. Though there were a few who wore helmets that seemed smarter than most as they were faster and quicker to react to attacks but they were still easily defeated. He had noticed this killing any undead soldier he encountered as he went through the city after sabotaging the siege weapons on the bridge. Moving through the side alleys, ruined homes and corpses of the dead; who were either the defenders of the city or the undead warriors.
As he continued closer and closer to the center of the city he began to see banners in bright blood red with the crest of a flame began to appear on the stone walls. The same crest that the city guard wore on there tabords. The fallen soldiers wore either full plate, leather, or, strangely enough, cloth armor all colored in blood red; hiding their own essence splattered on their bodies.
The roars of battle was getting louder and louder telling Maximus of a nearing skirmish. He readied himself before entering a small passageway between two standing walls, it was barely large enough for his shield to pass through. Each step he took the more gruesome details of the sounds of war began to surface. The grinding of metals before a cry of pain from a wounded warrior. The sloshing of stabs with bloodied coughs. It was filling his ears and mind as he finally reached the other end, his eyebrows rose slightly.
The city guard was scattered in small groups swinging wildly but with a strange mixture tempered control at the undead. Holy priest were healing wounded warriors in combat to that they may continue the fight. There were archers using what looked like a hand held ballista in their hands as they rained arrows down in relative ease. Clothed soldiers using magic of flame to burn the walking corpses to ashes. The soldiers were fighting valiantly without any sort of fear. However, what the former Roman general noticed was that because of their barbaric, in his opinion, yet effective tactics were working in smaller intervals. It seemed more suited for fighting against living enemies who can succumb to fatigue and fear. It's useless against an emotionless army almost three times their size that have unlimited stamina and strength.
HIs body was screaming for him to charge. To fight along with them and push the undead back. However, he couldn't move something or someone holding him there. Whispering into his mind to watch the battle to learn how the undead and the living fought in large battles. So that he may be able to assist them with tactics of his own.
"Die! You undead filth! We are the Scarlet Crusade, holy warriors of the all mighty light! We will purge your corrupted bodies from this city and claim it for the light!" A steel plated warrior screamed. His was like the other warrior only difference is that he wore a sash over his right shoulder. Signifying himself as an officer. The officer wielded a large two handed weapon glowing slightly yellow. With every swing of his blade two undead warriors fell, their armor cut with ease, laughing maniacally with every kill.
Maximus looked at the religious zealot slaughter the undead. His laugh brought unpleasant shivers down his spine. " Warriors of the light," he thought," they must of lost themselves in faith when the undead began to rise." Maximus finished in contemplation as he watched the Scarlet Crusade surprisingly pushed the undead. It would seem their tactics are not useless against them afterall.
"ABOMINATION!" A man screamed in horror. One of the large creatures he earlier saw broke through a stone wall with a horrifying human-like roar. Maximus saw the creature charge towards the warriors, crashing through them with little effort killing them in the process. Until it stopped standing before the officer.
"It is high time for your kind to die, you filthy offspring of death!" The officer charged with no fear as he roared towards the abomination. Maximus eyebrows rose as the man seemed to duplicate with some form of magic. The now four officers attacked the beast forcing it to divide his attention between the them, all the while getting pelted by arrows from crossbowmen. When the abomination finally struck one of the officers it disappeared in a puff of smoke. An illusion is what they were and a very good one. When the first illusion fell the other two fell a short time later. Now only the officer stood alone and without hesitation he charge the beast by leaping into the air with a surprising amount of strength. He crashed into the creature his sword going through the beast brain pushing it back. As the beast fell the officer fell along with it but he was held steady for his grip on the blade was tight. The officer then twisted his blade before pulling it out with a roar of victory that his fellow soldiers soon followed.
Maximus shook out of stupor before standing up, prepared to announce himself to the Scarlets but before he could he noticed one of those large bat swoop down towards the officer. The Scarlets reveling in their victory did not notice the creature. Without second thought Maximus grabbed one of his javelins from his shield and threw it towards the gargoyle. It struck it the second before it could grab the officer. As it fell to the ground in pain, the scarlet warriors were momentarily stunned before two of the melee warriors quickly went to finish off the gargoyle. The Scarlet warriors turned and finally noticed Maximus. They stared at him intently; mistrust was apparent in their eyes but they were hesitant in taking any sort action.
With a scream the flying beast was killed. The warriors pulled the javelin out of it chest and presented it to the officer. He inspected the ornate yet very durable spear before grabbing it and pointing it towards Maximus.
"Usually we would have arrested you for being an unknown in this battlefield but seeing as you clearly fight the undead I might ignore protocol." The officer said, his voice smooth with an accent Maximus had not heard before, as he walked towards Maximus inspecting his armor more closely. His eyes and movements told the former general that he was suspicious of him. Even though he had saved his life a few moments earlier but he could not blame him as he could easily be spy sent infiltrate their ranks. The man stopped in front of him, their eyes locked, sizing each other up. The Scarlet lifted the spear placing it between them.
"This spear is very well crafted and very beautiful. Your armor is both exotic and powerful, your weapons are no different. You scream of an ignorant foreigner yet you're dressed for war. If I would have to guess you came from the south, probably from Stormwind. Your nobles were known to be more pig headed than ours, I see no difference with you. You wear expensive armor and weapons and think you can take on anything. Coming to the north to prove yourself and sate your ego." The man concluded stabbing the spear to the ground in front of him. "I thank you for saving my life but you will surely be liability if you stay here. Leave now and return to your home and find some other way to increase your arrogance." He finished, Maximus had to admit that his assumption was well crafted and probable and would have been true if he was from this realm.
However, he was not from this world and he did not take being insulted very well,no matter how subtle it might be.
"You speak with an educated tone with well crafted thoughts and words. Telling me you're well educated and know what would be right or wrong. Yet you drown yourself in faith and zealotry; letting it consume you. You let it cover your grief, digging it dipper and dipper into your heart allowing it to boil. Never accepting what you lost. If you never accept your grief you will doom your heart and mind; making you easily controlled. You will become a mindless drone being manipulated by anyone you view as a being closely related to the light. A fool you are, all of you are fools." Maximus finished, he knew that insulting their religious teaching would surely cause hostilities. However, he needs to show them that he will not ignore insults nor open hostility but instead to meet them head on without hesitation.
The Scarlets were silent for a few moments before many grew angry and began to walk towards Maximus in a threatening posture. The officer, however, stood still, watching Maximus, his eyes with a contemplating look.
"How dare you! Insulting his faithful heart, our faithful heart! The light has protected us, saved us, and is helping us to purge the undead from our fallen kingdom, Lordaeron. You have no right to say those words and by the teachings of the light, your blasphemous words will not go unpunished!" A priest roared as he began to cast a Smite spell.
"Kedar, stop your casting!" The officer told the priest receiving a wide eyed look.
" But sir, his words- blasphemy is what it is. He can't-"
"Cease your nagging, I insulted the man first and he merely returned it in full." He said signally the rest of the soldiers to stand down; they all reluctantly lowering their weapons. The officer turned back towards Maximus. He removed his helmet revealing his blond military cut hair, blue eyes, his ragged blond beard, a stern and scarred face. The term for his appearance would be ' ruggedly handsome'.
"My name is Keldyon Sightsheild, Senior Sergeant of the Scarlet Crusade and former minor noble of Lordaeron, who are you?" He asked. Maximus lowered his head in respect before responding.
"My name is Maximus Meridius Decimus, former Commander of the Kingdom of Stormwind."
Maximus lied smoothly, they would not believe him if he told them who or where he is truly from. Remembering the kingdom from the south Keldyon spoke of, he decided to play the role of a former commander from Stormwind. He did not want to call himself a General or Keldyon would be more suspicious than he already is and see through his lie.
Thankfully, Keldyon did not notice his lie instead he lowered his head in respect but with narrowed eyes.
" A former commander you say, have you led any attacks against the barbarous orcs or the undead? " Keldyon said calmly. Maximus did not know what an 'orc' was but hearing the word 'barbarous' gave him an idea of what they were.
"Yes, I have lead multiple encounters against those beasts, pushing them back farther and farther away from the people. However, my experience with the undead is minor as most of the undead in Stormwind had already been killed." Maximus half lied to the Sergeant. He might not have had fought against orcs but he most surely battled against barbarians of his own. His experience with the undead was even more limited save for the few bouts they had earlier the day. Keldyon nodded at his words before he began to rub his bearded chin in thought. He began to look back at his men and then towards the ruins of city and going battle. He sighed slightly before returning his gaze to Maximus
" I have no way of knowing what you say is true but you seem like an honest man, your remark about our faith could attest to that." He said as Maximus nodded in agreement but as he did so he also began fully understand the depth of his lie. These people know of the Kingdom he connected himself to and can easily send word to them of him, asking for information or confirmation of his status. Well, they could if any of them survived the battle that is.
" You see, Maximus, our current superiors are new bloods, fresh out of training from Hearthglen or Tyr's Hand. They were originally ordered to supervise the rebuilding of Andorhal while General Abbendis returned to Hearthglen for an emergency meeting. However, two days after she left," Maximus's eyes grew slightly wide before he quickly controlled himself. "She" he thought in surprise, " a female general". Maximus was by no means sexist but in Roman values, as well as his values, women are not allowed to join the military because of their many domestic duties. Though he did not underestimate women in battle, oh no he learned from that mistake.
In his early days of being in the Empire's legions fighting against the barbarians when he was a lowly Munifex. He had battled dozens of women in those years. In the first battle he had against one he had underestimated her so severely that he nearly died because of it.
When he used his strength against her she used it against him. When he would use his speed, she would use it against him. When he did anything she would use it against him and give him another wound on his body. It was not until he was on his back, shield thrown away from him, weapon taken from him and having the barbarian women pinning him down reading her weapon, his sword, to cut him down. Did he begin to realize that underestimating women or anyone would cost him dearly. If not for an archer shooting an arrow to her heart he would have been killed that day. It was also the same day he began to both respect and cherish having archers at his back.
"... the undead attacked in full force in all directions. The first few hours in the defence of Andorhal was pure anarchy as the young officers didn't know how to respond to having an army of undead, three times the size of their force break open the gate from all sides. We lost little more than half of our entire army, almost 1,600 men out of our 3,000, in a matter of moments. Most junior officers have been rallying any men or women they could find to fight back and push the undead out of city but are small parties aren't doing any good." Keldyon paused for a moment as some shambling undead warriors walked towards them. The warriors readied their weapons and quickly charged. Thankfully the undead were small in number compared to their force and were quickly killed.
" As you can see," he said removing his sword from an undead's chest," the undead can easily infiltrate the inner part of the city even with 1,400 Crusaders at its defence. " He finished looking back to Maximus.
" I have been leading my group to the center of the city where are main encampment is located and along the way collect any other groups I can. In attempt to rally our forces scattered around the city." He said placing his sword on his back.
" Why tell me this?" Maximus said simply as he understood why he would tell others crusaders what he plans to do but telling him specifically along with what he said earlier insinuates that it has to for a very important reason.
" We need someone to rally behind, someone to lead us effectively and with experience. The reason we are even this defeated is because the officers were too inexperienced to react. Letting the junior officers do what they pleased to defend the city and as you can see it did not work very well." He said as he pulled digged through his bag that was located on his waist. After a moment he had discovered what he wanted and pulled it out. It was a rectangle made out of stone with a blood red symbol on it. It had a small blood red cloth going through it at its edge. He walked closer to Maximum lifting it by its cloth near his face.
" You say you are a former commander of Stormwind, someone who has led at least a dozen different campaigns against the enemies of your kingdom. If what you said is true, you might be able to effectively lead us to victory or at least kill as many undead as we can before we are destroyed." He looked at the small stone tablet.
"This is the mark of a crusader, the mark of warrior that fights for the light. You might not have strong faith in it but that does not matter as someone in the heavens has led you to us, someone who wishes us to have a chance for victory. Take it, and become a member of the crusade. I can not give you your former rank officially but I will follow your lead. If anyone asks what your rank is simply say simple say Senior Sergeant and for your armor say that you're one of the legionary. As your helmet looks quite similar to theirs." Maximus looked at the tablet for a few moments before he grabbed it, running his fingers over the symbol. Ignoring the interesting information of Legionnaires in their army.
"Put it around your neck and stuff it under your armor." Keldyon instructed and Maximus quickly followed it. As he did so Keldyon turned to his party of soldiers, a party of 46. The soldiers had faces of confusion and shock, some had expressions of outrage probably because of Maximus's lack of faith in the light.
"You all heard what I said and I know you question the logic behind it. Now, before some of you scream out saying that he might be a spy or that he might be lying, let me tell you this. We will die either way, by either if he's lying or if he was spy and even if he didn't come we would all be dead. We all know it would've happened eventually in the battle but we never give up hope, that is something we all agree on and have been taught to do since the beginning of this war." Keldyon spoke getting sober nods of agreement concerning their current predicament.
"However, if what he said is true and he truly is a commander from stormwind, then we might have a chance. He'd be able to rally our forces and put up a strong defence against the undead and maybe, with the light at our side, can win this fight. So warriors of the Crusade, servants of the light, purifier of the darkness, what say you! Do we let the waves of shadow consume us or do we stand and let the light flow through us making an unending ember of purifying flame. Burning all who are unholy, what say you!"
"We fight till the end! We fight to purge the unholy! We fight for the righteous light!" The forty-six crusaders screams simultaneously. Chanting one of the many quotes of their order. Keldyon turned towards Maximus. The new crusader was stoic and calm but was rigged enough to pounce at any moment notice. The light from the sun glistened off his shining plates slightly blinding him by light. The warmth from the rays grazed his body giving him a sense of peace. The light was on their side and they have sent a champion as their avatar.
'Yes, he will lead us to victory, he will save us from doom. The light has decreed it!" Keldyon thought with faith and determination.
"Maximus Decimus Meridius, I, Keldyon Sightsheild, and my warriors are yours command as you see fit. What are your orders?" Keldyon said with a bow followed by his men.
Maximus looked at the burning city and raging conflict before looking at his small ragtag group of soldiers. It was nowhere near the legions he commanded at home but it was enough for now, he thought. He looked at their eyes that were shining with fury, determination, and courage. Ready to combat the undead and show them that the living can be defeat the dead.
"Yes, they will be enough. Enough to change this battle in our favor." Maximus nodded.
Maximus signalled them to follow him as they began their march. Heading towards the screams of men and women, the howls and moans of undead monsters, to what many would call their death.
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So, you guys were surprised I put him in with the Crusade, I bet you all thought he was in Stormwind cause of Hoggar huh?
Originally it was stormwind but then a friend of mine said she didn't like the women I was pairing Maximus with and the reason why was actually kind of eye opening really. So I changed the person he was going to be with and that changed the entire story. I actually like it how it is now than before :D. By the way the women I was going to pair him with was Jaina Proudmoore now its someone else.
Hopefully, you guys like the whole scarlet crusade story arc idea as I rarely see any sort of Crusade fanfics out there.
If any of you have criticism, please try and make it constructive. Also if you enjoy my story please either fave/follow/review or check in once in awhile to see if there' an update.
Have a nice day! :D