Chapter 4: Courage of a Boy
Leon pulled down on his gloves and threw his black leather jacket over his shoulders with a stoic, calm look on his face. He exhaled the oxygen that was pent up in his mouth, releasing his tiredness. Brushing aside a lock of brown hair, he looked around his room for any last minute objects he had left behind. There weren't any. He was dressed in his usual battle attire and his battle dresser was wiped clean. Feeling quite ready, he shut the door. His powerful gunblade hung around his waist as he walked down the wooden staircase into his shop. Last night's late visit, threw him off guard and he spent the majority of evening putting away the weapons in his shop. He had left a note outside the door explaining his absence for the day. Luckily, Yuffie had dropped by earlier this morning to help him finish checking off the inventory. His black boots echoed as he made his way down the stairs and into the storeroom. The second story of the building was his home, a 4X4 square with a bed on one end and a stove and table on the other. He threw open the door and went outside. The sun was clearly in the sky, signaling the start of another fine day, yet no one was found on the streets. There were soldiers though, posted everywhere, with grim looks on their faces. Evidently they knew of what happened last night. Leon saluted them as he kept walking.
He followed the rock lined road to the south gate. There were more men here, standing, sitting, and talking amongst themselves. Some had tired looks on their faces while others looked confused and lost. They wore barely any armor, except for chain mail and some were fortunate to have sturdy breastplates. They were covered in grime, a result from staying in the closet for too long. On the contrary, Leon didn't wear any armor. He sold them, but he wouldn't be caught dead in them. His long black pants, leather jacket, and gloves were the only outer coverings he had. The extra weight limited his movements and slowed him down. Secondly, he couldn't move his arms as fast. A sword was the only weapon he used. No shield. No helmet. He looked around him at the crowd of men who had gathered. He recognized some faces as current customers or old acquaintances he had met on the battlefield. Some looked overweight and countless others yawned from a lack of sleep. His brothers of the sword weren't looking too good. These times of peace had made them soft. Their grizzlied toughness and intimidating nature was nowhere to be found. Leon hoped their swords were sharp, at least. They should be; he sold it to them.
Up above him were a line of archers, spread across the top of the strong gate. Their brown quivers were loaded with a surplus of arrows made of the strongest ash trees. Those trees made the sturdiest and stiffest wood and were the material of choice to build long, piercing spears as well as boats. The excess remains, twigs, were converted into arrows. A projectile that could cover 30 meters through the air was deadly. That's what made these archers so great. They hardly ever missed their marks and their arrows were true as daylight. They aimed to kill. Leon had seen them practice in the courtyard and they also competed in the yearly spring festival in the bow and arrow competition. Their arrows cried through the air with deafening force.
A cloud of high rolling dust approached the gate and all the men stood at attention. A cavalry of armored stallions stormed into the gate. The king lifted his shining helmet and brushed his hair from his eyes. His armor shone brilliantly like the sun giving his troops a newfound confidence and pride. He took a good long look at the line that stood before him. A soldier dressed in a blue flowing cape came to the front and presented the king with a scroll.
"All the men who are able-bodied and willing to fight, according to the census, are present my lord," the general stated. His voice was firm and resolute. No smile graced his lips as he looked up to the king's face.
"Very well, then," the king answered giving the man a pat on the shoulder. "Ready the archers. Have them on my signal."
"Yes, sir."
The dismounted his noble steed and he addressed those who had gathered.
"Men," the king said in a loud, powerful voice, "history is forged on the battlefield but the stories that you will tell your kids stems from men's own backyards. Radiant Garden is home to us all. Fight for her!"
The crowd of rugged soldiers cheered in unison and stomped their feet as they lifted their swords to fight.
"My king," a scout cried out, "the enemy is approaching!"
The king put back on his helmet as he climbed on top of his horse. His hand was raised as he signaled for the lines to form.
A multitude of black heartless crawled over the dunes like ants. They littered the green field, blackening the ground. Their yellows eyes flickered and flashed. Maleficent stood up high on a cliff watching her administers of darkness close the distance to the city. Her crow was perched on her shoulder, its eyes locked on for the first sign of a fallen warrior. Maleficent stroked the birds' broad neck as a wicked smirk was on her face. It would only be a matter of time now.
The hoard of heartless crossed over the low dunes and crowded into the flat plain. Seeing no obstacles ahead, they stood on two feet and raced forward. They were reckless as they ran, causing destruction everywhere they stepped.
Leon could sense the tension build all around him as they heartless inched closer to them. A few were already sweating bullets and some were shaking uncontrollably. Leon combed a strand of hair that was over his eyes as he reached down to grip the hilt of his blade.
The heartless were coming in quick but the soldiers did not make a move. They stayed silent, their eyes glued on the raised fist of the king. The soldiers tightened their formation making a near impenetrable wall.
One hundred meters.
Leon could start hearing some of the soldiers begin praying.
Seventy meters.
It's a good day to die.
Sixty meters.
He could see the sweat being to trickle down some of the men's faces.
Fifty-five meters.
The horses grew impatient and restless. They lifted their legs feeling the itch to run.
Forty meters.
They king pointed a finger in the sky as the archers let their arrows fly. A good 300 projectiles screamed through the air, eclipsing the mighty sun. They landed on the heartless creating black puddles of ooze. Some fell but most escaped unharmed.
The king looked on stoically at the carnage that was unfolding in front of him. Still, the heartless had not gone down and their numbers were still unbelievable numerous. They had about 20 meters until impact. The king dropped his hand and the large south gate was rolled up and the surge of screaming men raced out. Their swords shined when the sun reflected off of them. Their battle cries filled the air.
The king's heart beat loudly as the clashing of metal and claws collided. Blood- both red and black was being spilt everywhere.
Leon was at the head of the pack and instinctively dove right into the middle of the gang of heartless. He drove his gunblade into his foe then turned around and delivered a swift kick to one behind him. His gunblade was soon covered in black ooze as he fought more and more.
-KH-
Sora heard the screams of the soldiers and the clashing of weapons. He immediately raced back to the gallows and knocked down the door.
"What in the-" Riku said as Sora came crashing through like lightning.
"Come on Riku," Sora said panting heavily. "The fighting has started."
Riku looked at this friend dreading the next inevitable words that would come.
"Let's go!"
Riku slapped his head rather hard. He knew Sora would say something like that. Once again Sora wasn't thinking with is head. Sora gave his friend a wide grin as he raced out of the gallows. Riku shrugged as he followed behind.
Sora made his way to the foot of the battlefield where he abruptly stopped. He could see the blackened blood paint the field and limp and torn bodies lying all around. The smell of blood was fresh and he was thankful he had a strong stomach. Most people would faint from witnesssing this blood bath. He could see the heartless swing their claws powerfully as they tore through the steel armor.
"Send in the calvary!" he heard someone shout. The earth shook as pleated horses raced out onto the field, their jockeys armed with a spear in hand. Their thundering hooves and forceful snorts added to the noise of the battle. Battle lines split as soldiers made way for the next installment of reinforcements to pass.
Sora raced forward as he joined the fray. He grabbed a blackened stained sword that lay next to a fallen soldier. The ooze felt sticky yet smooth like honey. It darkended his hand as he picked it up. Sprinting with terrifying speed, Sora dragged the tip of blade along the ground like he had seen Leon do countless times. Why he did it, Sora had no clue. All he knew was that it looked pretty cool. The young teen lifted the blade over his head and swung down as it cut through a heartless. Surprisingly, the heartless swung back forcing Sora to go on the defensive. Sora held on to the blade tightly as the heartless unloaded on heavy strikes. He could feel the strength of the heartless channel through the blade like electricity. The spiky brunette gritted his teeth as he swung. Harder and faster, he fought as he finally rid himself of his foe. The heartless fell and a black puddle remained. Sora was dead tired; his breathing was loud and heavy. He looked down at the ground and saw a shadow hovering above him. Sora closed his eyes as he braced himself for the blow that never came. Slowly, opening his eyes, he found Riku toe to toe against the enemy. Riku plunged the blade deep into his enemy's midsection and cut across. Black gunk splattered out. The heartless slowly sank into the ground.
Sora thanked his friend as he moved on deeper into the chaos. He found Leon and Cloud standing back to back in the middle of a circle of heartless. The heartless jumped into the air but the two blonde haired fighters were too quick as they were airborne within milliseconds. With one swing, the heartless threat was no longer there. Sora looked at the two fighters in awe. They alone have killed around 10 heartless with just one jump.
Cloud was a pretty good fighter too. He used a broadsword and just like the gunblade, it was massive. The blade was at least 8 inches wide. It was an unusual blade. Sora had joked saying that it was "mummified" because of the wrappings Cloud would put over it after battles. It preserved the coating of the blade and protected it from the elements. Cloud, though, fired back saying that real fighters don't use wooden swords or compete in stick fights.
Leon and Cloud split up to provide relief and support to the other soldiers that were fighting. The heartless were still quite numerous.
-KH-
Maleficent looked on with a small smile on her face. From where she was standing, the battle looked to turn in her favor. Her battalion of shadow heartless was far superior to the king's noble army. The damage of human weapons hardly inflicted any pain and it took a lot of effort to beat one. Physical attacks just bounced off.
Maleficent licked her blood red lips as she threw he right arm out. More and more heartless came up from the ground and rushed over to join the battle. She had them outnumbered at least five to one and with a horde of fresh minions, this battle was over.
-KH-
Leon lifted his head to get a good look at the new coming heartless. He could hear the screams of panic and fear come from his comrades. Their fear gripped them and their dropped their swords and ran back behind the city gates. Leon looked on as he gripped his blade with both hands and raced forward to meet the enemy. He could hear shouts of "retreat, retreat" but he paid them no attention. Archers dipped their hands into their quivers and readied their bows to assist their fleeing comrades. Cloud was still sticking it out, though he wasn't fairing any better. He was surrounded by a field of heartless and their claws shined from the red blood. They swung viciously but he was able to avoid them and he fought back, swinging.
Leon brushed past groups of heartless and began to take out the individuals. They dropped to the ground leaving their black remnants behind. However, the gunblade wielder was blindsided from behind as a heartless was able to get above him. With one slash, Leon fell on his knees. A flow of blood trailed down his face and his hands was bloody and stained. His vision was blurry from the blood seeping into his eyes. Leon tried to wipe the excess blood away but it was no use. He closed his eyes shut and waited. The heartless began to jump up and down all around him and he could hear their squeaks and hums.
Suddenly they were gone like words lost in the wind. There were no traces of the black heartless anywhere. The black pools of blood were slowly drying up but still stained the green grass.
Sora and Riku dropped their weapons on the ground and looked around. The heartless were nowhere to be seen. Cloud sheathed his giant blade and turned his head back. He couldn't see them either. Up above, Maleficent's crow soared in the sky, gawking and crowing. Its black wings were spread out to catch a gust of wind. The hill on which Maleficent stood was vacant. The king ordered everyone to fall back inside the gates. This fight was now over. Leon fell on his back and dropped his blade beside him. He drifted into unconsciousness.
-KH-
It had been two days since the battle and yet the atmosphere in the air was far from peaceful and relaxed. The fields outside were still painted red and black as a reminder of those who died and the damage was costly. Dead bodies, maybe hundreds more, still littered the fields and a crew of volunteers worked endlessly to clear the wreckage. Pyres were assembled and the bodies were burned as requested by family members. Their ashes were scattered among the four winds. For those who didn't want to see their dead cremated, the cemetary would be more than happy to host them. Their swords marked their grave and flowers hung from the handle. Priests and undertakers worked endlessly performing countless burial rituals. Aside from the smoke of fire, mourns and sobs were lifted to the heavens.
In the castle courtyard, the king had invited the whole town to try to figure out what must be done. The king believed that this matter too big and far too important to be handled by a handful of chosen councilmen. He sent word throughout the city, rallying the people to attend the meeting once the dead were taken care for. It was a custom to allot one week to mourning, as it was in other cultures. The kingdom was literally painted black but not from the death of so many. The presence of Maleficent was like a storm cloud hovering over the king's thoughts making it impossible to focus. He put on a strong front as he addressed the multitudes of those who had gathered.
"My friends," the king greeted. "I pray your week of mourning was better than mine but it is behind us now. Those men who died, I promise you, will not be in vain. Their sacrifice is only a small foreshadow of the upcoming events. There is a new threat to our kingdom. Her name is Maleficent and she wants rule our kingdom."
"Where is she from?" one voice called out.
"She is the queen of darkness, a black witch who specializes in the art of dark magic," the king answered over the crowd.
Sora and Riku stood towards the back of the crowd. They could hardly hear anything from the all the whispers that were flying around. Just who exactly was this Maleficent the king spoke of and what were those black monsters that attacked yesterday. Everyone wanted to know. Rumors were circulating everywhere but as of today, everything was indefinite. Sora wanted to know more and he worked his way up to the front. Riku looked at his friend in disbelief but he started inching his way forward. Both boys pushed and shoved their way closer and soon were at the front.
"Is there anyone brave enough to fight this new evil?" the king asked.
He turned and looked at the crowd but everyone was turned to one another, murmuring their indecision. No one had yet raised a hand and their fearful eyes dared not look up to the king. Their heads were down low. Some played with their fingers, feigning contemplation. Others looked around for volunteers and became disheartened.
"I'll do it," a voice called over the silent crowd.
"What in the world are you doing?" Riku whispered to his friend. This certainly wasn't Sora's stomach talking which only left...this definitely was a bad idea. Now was not the best time to play hero.
Everyone's head and eyes immediately shot up, their ears perked in the direction of the voice. The king stood in disbelief. His eyes were wide and his jaw was practically on the floor. There was an eerie silence as everyone stood and waited. No man answered the call but a boy.
Filled with god-like courage or insanity, Sora walked up and stood in front of the king. He heard a loud gasp from the people for he was only sixteen, seventeen years old tops. The whispering started again but this time the eyes were piercing, cold, and curious. Sora could hear their talk.
"What is this boy doing?" one voice asked.
"Who is this kid? This isn't a joke," another muttered to a neighbor.
The king's eyes twitched but he cleared his throat as he leaned down to whisper into the boy's ear.
"Sora, please understand. I admire your courage but you're still a young teen. Don't do this," the king pleaded as he looked out once again to the crowd. "Please, is there anyone else?"
"I'll go with him," a strong voice said from behind the throng of people.
Everyone turned their head back their eyes filled with surprise at the man who stood before them. It was Leon. A white bandage covered his entire face but left two holes for his eyes and one for his mouth and nose. He walked past the stadium of people and up to Sora's side. Placing a firm hand on his shoulder, Leon gave the king an assuring smile.
"Leon," the king began, "I am afraid that I cannot send you. You are still injured and partially blind. You're wound hasn't healed yet."
"I'll be fine," he told the king. "I trust this kid."
Riku looked on with guilt seeping from his heart. He admired Sora's assertiveness and sense of heroism but was opposed by his decision. Still, the two were best of friends, brothers if you may. He would never leave him.
"I'll go too," he boldly said as he shot Sora a thumbs up.
Now the crowd was really irritated. It meant that their kingdom would be in the hands of two boys and a half blinded warrior. They continued their whispering while shooting glares at the two teens.
The king shook his head vigorously and he cleared his throat one last time.
"Stop your whispering! I asked for men but I got boys. How could a mere boy have more courage than you?"
The king's angry tone instantly quieted the crowd. Guilt and disgrace was written over all their faces and they lowered their heads in shame. Sora had put them in their place.
"Come now," the king said as he extended his hand to Sora, Leon, and Riku. "We have lots to do if we are to prepare you for your adventure."
I re-did the last chapter because I didn't get to use all the allusions that I wanted to use to describe Maleficent. I tried to make that part a bit more dark, sinister, evil...So hopefully it turned out better. I guess I had better write a little disclaimer. Let's see here...I don't own any of the allusions taken from Greek Mythology, Dante's Divine Comedy/Inferno or any other work that I did not create. That should clear that up.
Rock out, party hard, live hardcore
