The smile
on the General's face faded when he noticed something in the darkness. He saw
it before the men. They though he was seeing apparitions of the men he had just
slain, but they soon saw what he did. A man on horseback came to into the
clearing.
"Damn, fools."
The General muttered to himself. The men on the frontline raised their guns,
ready to shot the man. "No!" The General hissed at them. They looked
at him in bafflement. "Do you fools not see what they are doing?" He
smiled cruelly again. "They don't know we're here. They sent that man out
to make sure we were here! Do you not see!" he said with a small laugh.
His eyes were wide and bright with zeal.
"What do you mean,
General?" asked the closest man.
"Do you not see?
They have sent that man into the clearing for us to shoot. See the fear in his
eyes? The way his horse moves. He was sent as a decoy! If we shoot him, we will
give away our position! They will know where we are and they will attack."
"So why do we not
shoot him?"
"Because you, fool!
Because if they are uncertain of our position they will have to come closer to
us to make sure. They will not be that foolish. But if we are still and quiet,
the will move on! This is more perfect than I could have ever imagined!"
The men stood still, their guns still ready for an attack. They were more
silent than the night itself. The General remounted his demon horse and waited.
The man in the clearing looked very nervous. His panic was most likely seeping
into the warhorses confidence in his fate as well. Still the army remained
still and silent as the trees.
"We know you're out
there!" the man cried with a hint of fear in his voice. "We know what
you're doing! Don't think we don't!" The General laughed softly to
himself. The man could barely control his horse now. It started to lift it's
front hooves off the ground, gaining height every time. Suddenly it reared up
and screamed. A gun fired. One of the General's men had shot at the horse. The
man fell to the ground with a muffled 'thud' as the horse galloped away in the
opposite direction.
"Damn you!" The
General screamed at the man. He kicked his horse in the ribs. The horse reared.
Men entered the clearing. The opposing army had them. They had lost the element
of surprise. The General motioned for his men to attack. They followed his
commands as the General and his horse tore in the direction the gun had been
fired. a small boy of about 14 lay on the ground. He had lied about his age no
doubt. He was feeling around for the gun he had dropped.
"Did you fire the
gun?" The General asked as the horse stopped above the child.
"N-n-no, sir!
No!" he cried.
"You little liar!"
The General screamed to the child. The boy lifted his arms to cover his face as
the horse reared above him.
"I'm sorry, General!
I'm so very sorry!"
"Sorry does nothing
in wars, but invite further failure, boy!" The General unsheathed the
sword and pierced the boys skull. His last screams we shrill and pitiful. The
General pulled the sword from the boy's brain and sliced through his neck. The
boys head rolled across the ground.
The General turned back
to battle. The little boy had most likely lost it for them. They were outgunned
and out manned. Their only real chance lied in strategy, but fools were a curse
to the world, and greatest among the number were liars, cowards, and children.
The General entered the
clearing. Immediately a small group of men on horseback attacked him. He
whirled around in the saddle to decapitate one man and spun around to impale
another and then he turned to disembowel the next. The three men fell from
their steeds and landed on the soft grass. The General smiled as he sheathed
his sword again.
Suddenly there was a loud
sound and the General turned to the battle, just in time to see the the canon
ball hurtle toward him...