I really, really apologize for the lack of updates. School is really, really keeping me busy. Anyway, hopefully I can crank out chapters faster in the future. I've cut this chapter a bit short, in order to post it. The battle's next! Remember to review, people. I'm going to try to finish the next chapter as soon as possible, I have NOT abandoned this fic, I'm just really busy.
Chapter 7
Max trained his group hard, and he trained them well. He usually never had to get his points across by shouting: he had the respect of every person he taught. Max just seemed to breathe authority. Over several months, Max taught his group well, running them through drill after drill, combat skills, training them in the use of different weapons. Even Serena developed a new-found strength, and agility. Everyone was reaching their peak potential under Max's leadership, and watchful eye.
"Vincent, don't hold your lance like that."
"Why? It seems fine to me?"
"Because of this."
"OW! THAT HURT!"
"You can't fight well with a sprained wrist, which is what you'll get if you block an attack holding an lance like that."
"Ouch...OK. I'd better get some ice for this."
"Of course. After these drills."
"But I'm in pain, here!"
"Don't need your wrist to run, do you? Anyway, it's just a sprain. It'll heal. Get back in line."
"Yes, sir."
Most importantly, however, was that Max trained his group to work as a team together. They learned how to support each other in battle, to help out friends in need. Together, everyone became close through a sense of camaraderie, a mutual goal. However, their first test came in just a few short months after they had begun training.
Max was running his team through a basic weapons drill when Edward came charging out of his farm, toward him. Max held up his hand, signalling a stop, and waited with worry as Edward ran up to him, gasping for air. Max waited for him to catch his breath.
"We've got a problem, Peregrin." Edward said. Max waited. "Remember Adom's Mercenaries?"
Max nodded. "What about them?"
Edward grimaced. "Adom's coming after you. He wants your blood for what you did to his men."
Max wasn't too worried. "Maybe I should just leave. I can go places he wouldn't be able to find me."
Edward shook his head. "That's not the worst part. He says that if he can't find you, he's going to start burning the village down until he finds you!" Gasps came from the crowd behind Max. "He's a ruthless killer, Peregrin. If he makes a claim like that, he'll follow through."
Now Max was worried. Putting his own life on the line was one thing, but if it hurt innocent people, that wasn't something he could stand. He mulled over his options. He could leave town, but that would probably mean that dozens of innocent people would die in his place. Or he could simply turn himself over. While he would die, it was possible that Adom would have his bloodlust satisfied, and leave the rest of the village alone. Or he could try fighting...
"How many men are in Adom's Mercenaries?" Max asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe three dozen." Peregrin replied.
Max grimaced. Three dozen to one odds didn't give him a good chance of survival. Even with the hidden ace he had up his sleeve, the magic-filled Evil Ring, he still wasn't optimistic about his chances. Unfortunately, fighting them would be the only option left. Max was startled as a comforting hand was laid on his shoulder.
"You're going to fight them, aren't you," Serena said, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.
Max sighed. "That's the only choice left."
Serena put on a determined look. "Peregrin, I'm coming with you."
Vincent stepped forward. "And I."
Lydia stood up. "Me too!"
One by one, the rest of Max's trainees stood up, and declared their intentions. Max was dumbfounded.
"There is NO way you guys are coming with me. You'll be killed!" Max exclaimed.
"Says who," Serena stubbornly said. "You've trained us pretty well over the last few months. I think we have a good chance." Murmurs of agreement came.
"Training is one thing. Combat experience is another." Max said. "This is a real battle, where people are going to try to kill you. This isn't some game!"
Vincent scowled. "I don't care. You can't force us not to go! We'll follow you anyway."
Lydia smiled. "Vincent, showing courage. Has the moon fallen?"
Max shook his head. "There's no way you're letting me go alone, are you?
Serena grinned. "That's right. We all have a better chance of survival if you accept that, and lead us. Without you, we're all going to die."
Max slowly nodded his head. "All right then. But this is going to be tough. Most likely, some of you aren't coming back alive after this. If anyone wants to bow out, do so." There were no takers.
Max smiled. "All right, looks like we have a battle on our hands." Everyone cheered. "Edward, I'm going to need a map of the surroundings."
"I'm on it."
"All right everyone, to the War Room"
*
The War Room turned out to be the Draco's kitchen. Everyone gathered around the fairly large table, where Max had spread out the topographical map of the immediate area.
"All right, we're here." Max pointed on the map to a area marked with red squares, signifying a settlement. "Where's Adom's Mercenaries located at?"
Edward pointed. "It's rumoured to be in the woods north of here."
Max looked, and nodded. "Now Edward, I want your opinion. What's the route that Adom is most likely to take to get here?"
"Well, there's really only one choice. There's the mountain pass, right here, and that's pretty much it, unless he doesn't mind hiking."
"And when are they supposed to come?"
"They said they'd be here in two weeks time. It's going to take them 2 days to reach the mountain path, and another day afterwards to come here."
Max thought about it. A narrow mountain path would be perfect for an ambush. However, even with the element of surprise, and the fact that the mountain path was cramped, and didn't allow for room to spread out, there was still the fact that they were up against 3 to 1 odds. However, with a few tricks...
"All right. Here's my plan. We let them get into the mountain path. Once they're in, we commence a pincer attack. Max pointed. "I'll lead a group here, south of the path. Serena will lead another group here, north."
"Why does Serena get to lead?" Vincent asked indignantly.
"Do you want to have a duel to settle it?" asked Serena, smiling sweetly?
Vincent gulped, remembering how soundly she had beaten him in sparring matches. "No."
"That's what I thought."
Max cleared his throat. "Anyway, we both attack from the two sides. However, even with the fact that we are attacking from two fronts, we couldn't possibly beat them all. This is where I play our hidden card." Max pulled out the Evil Ring.
"This ring can emit magical bolts of electricity, and is able to strike several people in a given area."
Lydia gaped. "My grandfather told me about rings like those. They're really valuable, really rare, but usually cursed. How'd you get one?"
Max shifted uncomfortably. How to explain? "Um, I picked it up on my travels." No one seemed to believe in. Serena had an sceptical look on her face. Max continued, "The important part is, with luck, we should be able to take out half of the group. That cuts the number of mercenaries we have to deal with. I have full faith in everyone's ability to hold in battle." Everyone smiled, and glowed with pride.
"Questions?" Max asked.
Trowe, a young warrior, raised his hand. "Where are we supposed to hide while they're coming through?"
Max rubbed his chin. "Good question. From looking on this map, there seems to be a fair amount of caves. We just pick two, and go."
Glenn, another one of Max's trainees, raised his hand. "What if something goes wrong? Do we have a plan B?"
Max sighed. "If something goes wrong, then we're all dead. This is the only chance we have." Everyone was silent. "But we'll do it."
"All right, I want everyone to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we'll work out the final details, and prepare to move out. I'll assign duties to each of you in the morning. Be here at 9." Everyone nodded, then got up, and began exiting the kitchen, talking to each other about the upcoming battle.
Max turned to Edward. "Edward, you've been very quiet about this so far. What do you think?"
Edward sat back, to consider his answer. "There's nothing else we can do. If we don't do this, then Adom will just be able to terrorize us for the rest of our lives. Besides, if we do nothing, either way, innocent people die."
Max nodded. "And are you sure you want Serena participating in this? These are bad odds."
Edward sighed. "She's grown up. There's nothing I can do, even if I wanted to stop here. She's too stubborn to stay behind."
Max nodded. "Then there's nothing to do but prepare."
"Peregrin, do we have a chance?" Edward asked.
"Yes, we do. I've trained them well. But, this is going to be their first battle. They're green soldiers. And we're heavily outnumbered as well."
Max got up. "I'm going to head off to bed. In the morning, we make preparations. We should leave in about a week. That gives us time to set up, and prepare for Adom's arrival."
"All right."
*
The week passed by quickly. Through all the preparations Max was making, planning out battles, running drills and simulations, and acquiring equipment, the dreaded day arrived in no time. Max and his group were making final preparations to leave. Families had come to see them off, and wish them luck. There were tears on both sides, as they realized that they might not see each other again. Max was currently watching the Draco's say their goodbyes.
June was fighting to hold back tears. "Now you come back alive, you hear?"
Serena scowled. "Don't worry about me, Mother. I can look after myself, I always have."
"But you could be killed!"
"Better out in the battlefield as a soldier then cowering at home."
Edward extended his arms out toward his daughter. Serena stepped into his warm embrace, as Edward held her in a firm hug. "Now, be careful. What you're doing is right, but I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks, all right?"
"Yes, Father."
Edward glanced at Max solemnly. "Peregrin, can you look after her?"
"I'll do my best," Max pledged.
"And remember to follow Peregrin's lead, Serena," Edward said. "If you follow his orders, you can't go wrong. I have full faith in his abilities."
"Yes Father, I understand."
Edward extended a hand out to Max. "Good luck, Peregrin."
Max grasped it firmly. "Thank you."
June turned to Max. "Please, be careful, and keep her out of trouble!" she cried.
"Mother!"
Max sighed. "I'll try."
"Peregrin?" came a new voice.
Max turned. Waiting behind him, was Ginny. "Peregrin, please look after Serena for me."
Max nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best."
"And..." Ginny hesitated, "Look after yourself as well." She kissed Max on the cheek, making his face grow hot. "Good luck." Ginny quickly turned away, and went off to say her goodbyes to Serena.
Max smiled, then looked up. The noon sun was currently beating down from the sky, showering him with its blazing heat. Time to leave.
"Attention!"
Max's trainees looked up, then assembled in rank.
"We're moving out."
"Yes sir!"
Together, as a group, they turned, and set off along the path, without a backwards glance, prepared to face the troubles ahead.
Chapter 7
Max trained his group hard, and he trained them well. He usually never had to get his points across by shouting: he had the respect of every person he taught. Max just seemed to breathe authority. Over several months, Max taught his group well, running them through drill after drill, combat skills, training them in the use of different weapons. Even Serena developed a new-found strength, and agility. Everyone was reaching their peak potential under Max's leadership, and watchful eye.
"Vincent, don't hold your lance like that."
"Why? It seems fine to me?"
"Because of this."
"OW! THAT HURT!"
"You can't fight well with a sprained wrist, which is what you'll get if you block an attack holding an lance like that."
"Ouch...OK. I'd better get some ice for this."
"Of course. After these drills."
"But I'm in pain, here!"
"Don't need your wrist to run, do you? Anyway, it's just a sprain. It'll heal. Get back in line."
"Yes, sir."
Most importantly, however, was that Max trained his group to work as a team together. They learned how to support each other in battle, to help out friends in need. Together, everyone became close through a sense of camaraderie, a mutual goal. However, their first test came in just a few short months after they had begun training.
Max was running his team through a basic weapons drill when Edward came charging out of his farm, toward him. Max held up his hand, signalling a stop, and waited with worry as Edward ran up to him, gasping for air. Max waited for him to catch his breath.
"We've got a problem, Peregrin." Edward said. Max waited. "Remember Adom's Mercenaries?"
Max nodded. "What about them?"
Edward grimaced. "Adom's coming after you. He wants your blood for what you did to his men."
Max wasn't too worried. "Maybe I should just leave. I can go places he wouldn't be able to find me."
Edward shook his head. "That's not the worst part. He says that if he can't find you, he's going to start burning the village down until he finds you!" Gasps came from the crowd behind Max. "He's a ruthless killer, Peregrin. If he makes a claim like that, he'll follow through."
Now Max was worried. Putting his own life on the line was one thing, but if it hurt innocent people, that wasn't something he could stand. He mulled over his options. He could leave town, but that would probably mean that dozens of innocent people would die in his place. Or he could simply turn himself over. While he would die, it was possible that Adom would have his bloodlust satisfied, and leave the rest of the village alone. Or he could try fighting...
"How many men are in Adom's Mercenaries?" Max asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe three dozen." Peregrin replied.
Max grimaced. Three dozen to one odds didn't give him a good chance of survival. Even with the hidden ace he had up his sleeve, the magic-filled Evil Ring, he still wasn't optimistic about his chances. Unfortunately, fighting them would be the only option left. Max was startled as a comforting hand was laid on his shoulder.
"You're going to fight them, aren't you," Serena said, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.
Max sighed. "That's the only choice left."
Serena put on a determined look. "Peregrin, I'm coming with you."
Vincent stepped forward. "And I."
Lydia stood up. "Me too!"
One by one, the rest of Max's trainees stood up, and declared their intentions. Max was dumbfounded.
"There is NO way you guys are coming with me. You'll be killed!" Max exclaimed.
"Says who," Serena stubbornly said. "You've trained us pretty well over the last few months. I think we have a good chance." Murmurs of agreement came.
"Training is one thing. Combat experience is another." Max said. "This is a real battle, where people are going to try to kill you. This isn't some game!"
Vincent scowled. "I don't care. You can't force us not to go! We'll follow you anyway."
Lydia smiled. "Vincent, showing courage. Has the moon fallen?"
Max shook his head. "There's no way you're letting me go alone, are you?
Serena grinned. "That's right. We all have a better chance of survival if you accept that, and lead us. Without you, we're all going to die."
Max slowly nodded his head. "All right then. But this is going to be tough. Most likely, some of you aren't coming back alive after this. If anyone wants to bow out, do so." There were no takers.
Max smiled. "All right, looks like we have a battle on our hands." Everyone cheered. "Edward, I'm going to need a map of the surroundings."
"I'm on it."
"All right everyone, to the War Room"
*
The War Room turned out to be the Draco's kitchen. Everyone gathered around the fairly large table, where Max had spread out the topographical map of the immediate area.
"All right, we're here." Max pointed on the map to a area marked with red squares, signifying a settlement. "Where's Adom's Mercenaries located at?"
Edward pointed. "It's rumoured to be in the woods north of here."
Max looked, and nodded. "Now Edward, I want your opinion. What's the route that Adom is most likely to take to get here?"
"Well, there's really only one choice. There's the mountain pass, right here, and that's pretty much it, unless he doesn't mind hiking."
"And when are they supposed to come?"
"They said they'd be here in two weeks time. It's going to take them 2 days to reach the mountain path, and another day afterwards to come here."
Max thought about it. A narrow mountain path would be perfect for an ambush. However, even with the element of surprise, and the fact that the mountain path was cramped, and didn't allow for room to spread out, there was still the fact that they were up against 3 to 1 odds. However, with a few tricks...
"All right. Here's my plan. We let them get into the mountain path. Once they're in, we commence a pincer attack. Max pointed. "I'll lead a group here, south of the path. Serena will lead another group here, north."
"Why does Serena get to lead?" Vincent asked indignantly.
"Do you want to have a duel to settle it?" asked Serena, smiling sweetly?
Vincent gulped, remembering how soundly she had beaten him in sparring matches. "No."
"That's what I thought."
Max cleared his throat. "Anyway, we both attack from the two sides. However, even with the fact that we are attacking from two fronts, we couldn't possibly beat them all. This is where I play our hidden card." Max pulled out the Evil Ring.
"This ring can emit magical bolts of electricity, and is able to strike several people in a given area."
Lydia gaped. "My grandfather told me about rings like those. They're really valuable, really rare, but usually cursed. How'd you get one?"
Max shifted uncomfortably. How to explain? "Um, I picked it up on my travels." No one seemed to believe in. Serena had an sceptical look on her face. Max continued, "The important part is, with luck, we should be able to take out half of the group. That cuts the number of mercenaries we have to deal with. I have full faith in everyone's ability to hold in battle." Everyone smiled, and glowed with pride.
"Questions?" Max asked.
Trowe, a young warrior, raised his hand. "Where are we supposed to hide while they're coming through?"
Max rubbed his chin. "Good question. From looking on this map, there seems to be a fair amount of caves. We just pick two, and go."
Glenn, another one of Max's trainees, raised his hand. "What if something goes wrong? Do we have a plan B?"
Max sighed. "If something goes wrong, then we're all dead. This is the only chance we have." Everyone was silent. "But we'll do it."
"All right, I want everyone to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we'll work out the final details, and prepare to move out. I'll assign duties to each of you in the morning. Be here at 9." Everyone nodded, then got up, and began exiting the kitchen, talking to each other about the upcoming battle.
Max turned to Edward. "Edward, you've been very quiet about this so far. What do you think?"
Edward sat back, to consider his answer. "There's nothing else we can do. If we don't do this, then Adom will just be able to terrorize us for the rest of our lives. Besides, if we do nothing, either way, innocent people die."
Max nodded. "And are you sure you want Serena participating in this? These are bad odds."
Edward sighed. "She's grown up. There's nothing I can do, even if I wanted to stop here. She's too stubborn to stay behind."
Max nodded. "Then there's nothing to do but prepare."
"Peregrin, do we have a chance?" Edward asked.
"Yes, we do. I've trained them well. But, this is going to be their first battle. They're green soldiers. And we're heavily outnumbered as well."
Max got up. "I'm going to head off to bed. In the morning, we make preparations. We should leave in about a week. That gives us time to set up, and prepare for Adom's arrival."
"All right."
*
The week passed by quickly. Through all the preparations Max was making, planning out battles, running drills and simulations, and acquiring equipment, the dreaded day arrived in no time. Max and his group were making final preparations to leave. Families had come to see them off, and wish them luck. There were tears on both sides, as they realized that they might not see each other again. Max was currently watching the Draco's say their goodbyes.
June was fighting to hold back tears. "Now you come back alive, you hear?"
Serena scowled. "Don't worry about me, Mother. I can look after myself, I always have."
"But you could be killed!"
"Better out in the battlefield as a soldier then cowering at home."
Edward extended his arms out toward his daughter. Serena stepped into his warm embrace, as Edward held her in a firm hug. "Now, be careful. What you're doing is right, but I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks, all right?"
"Yes, Father."
Edward glanced at Max solemnly. "Peregrin, can you look after her?"
"I'll do my best," Max pledged.
"And remember to follow Peregrin's lead, Serena," Edward said. "If you follow his orders, you can't go wrong. I have full faith in his abilities."
"Yes Father, I understand."
Edward extended a hand out to Max. "Good luck, Peregrin."
Max grasped it firmly. "Thank you."
June turned to Max. "Please, be careful, and keep her out of trouble!" she cried.
"Mother!"
Max sighed. "I'll try."
"Peregrin?" came a new voice.
Max turned. Waiting behind him, was Ginny. "Peregrin, please look after Serena for me."
Max nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best."
"And..." Ginny hesitated, "Look after yourself as well." She kissed Max on the cheek, making his face grow hot. "Good luck." Ginny quickly turned away, and went off to say her goodbyes to Serena.
Max smiled, then looked up. The noon sun was currently beating down from the sky, showering him with its blazing heat. Time to leave.
"Attention!"
Max's trainees looked up, then assembled in rank.
"We're moving out."
"Yes sir!"
Together, as a group, they turned, and set off along the path, without a backwards glance, prepared to face the troubles ahead.
