CHAPTER IV
L'aqua crept back to the corner of his chamber. The stone floor could no longer be seen through the dead bodies, and the blood. He choked on the smoke of the fire, and grasped the handle of his broken spear. He looked up at his quartz window, looking at the sunlight trying to penetrate the smoke. He knew that he would die soon. The arrow in his leg could be treated, but his chamber had been sealed. He was to die, alone. Or so he thought.
A pathetic figure crawled up to him.
"L'aqua…" he rasped out.
"Kincaid? Kincaid, is that you?!" L'aqua cried out.
"Brother…it's me." The two brothers drew together and locked wrists with their dying breaths. L'aqua wouldn't ask how Kincaid survived, he would just be thankful that they could spend their last moments together. The fire was eating at the woodwork of his once great fortress. He would be joining his wife, and the many other great otters that had died in this very same battle. He could feel the pressure building up. He closed his eyes, and waited to die.
Rain's eyes were red from the tears. He looked up at the ferret that had executed his close friend. Shadowfang decided to ignore the weeping otter and attend to the battle at hand. A sharp sound shattered his thoughts. Rain's head snapped toward his father's chamber, and could see shards of quartz flying into the air, and a loud, dying scream of a fallen warrior. Smoke billowed through the opening. He would know the scream anywhere. It was his father. His father was dead.
Celtian saw it too. He looked over to his brother, and the dead form of Ruby. Two very loud and very angry battle cries ripped the battlefield apart.
The boys roared in unison "Holt L'aquaaa!"
Rain jumped up and knocked into Shadowfang too fast for him to react. Rain readied his saber, and held it over his head.
"Die!" Rain yelled. Five rats tackled him to the ground, promotion for saving the captains life gleaming in their eyes. Celtian was on top of them in a flash, and soon, all five were slain. Both of the angered warriors looked over at Shadowfang, the light of battle in their eyes.
"Wave number two! Attack!" Shadowfang yelled towards his giant ship. "Take them all alive!" Rain and Celtian were both overwhelmed by the masses of the horde, and were soon stripped of their battered and broken armor, and their weapons.
A few wounded otters were carrying on the battle, but they were no match for Shadowfang's huge, well-trained horde. Some of the otter snipers continued to pick off some of the horde with slings, but were soon killed by a back draft from the blazing fort under them. Only one and a half score were taken prisoner. The rest lay dead. All of the vermin loaded back onto the ship, after searching the battlefield for items of value. He had done what no one had been able to do. He had defeated and destroyed Holt L'aqua in a day. His ship sailed west into the sunset, leaving a wake of blood.
Shadowfang stood on the stern, watching the plateau disappear into the distance. He laughed in his head at the fools that tried to defend themselves. And soon, he thought, Natakeu Monastery will be mine!