Chapter 48

Battle on the Floating Island

The world around Riku came into focus. He was now flying over a large island covered in snow. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was the island of the koorime. What bothered Riku was that the east end of the island was void of any snow. It was black rock. "That end is where the Black Legion has taken over" Gurumin said. Riku let out a growl at the thought of Yukina's home being destroyed.

They flew to a city made of ice. Along the streets were crowds of koorime. They were cheering as the Rebel Forces marched on the road. Ryu and Katana were up front with Relena and Serenity behind them. Ryu was riding a red horse with a golden mane. Katana was on a black horse with a silver mane. Relena and Serenity were on white horses with black manes. The other troops were each mounted on brown ones with red manes. Riku noticed that each horse had a pair of wings on each hoof. He had heard of that species of horse. They had the ability to run on air, which explained how they were able to reach the floating island.

"I never thought I'd see the day my sisters would welcome a fire demon" Relena said. "Well war causes desperation" Ryu replied. He looked back at his army. Quit a few of his troops were shivering. Being a wolf demon meant he couldn't get cold easily. The same went for Katana.

He looked back ahead and saw a large ice palace. They stopped in front of the gates. "Welcome Lord Ryu" a guard said. "I'm not a lord, just a leader" Ryu replied. "You may enter. We will provide lodging for your troops" she said. "Just a sec. Lieutenant" he said. A wolf demon clad in armor nodded and lifted a horn to his lips. When he blew into it all the rebel troops pulled out a vial from their pockets. It was blue in color. They drank it and put the vials away. "What was that?" Relena asked. "It's a potion that keeps their hormones in check" Ryu replied. The troops headed for their lodgings.

Ryu, Katana, Relena, Serenity, and a few rebel officers continued through the gates. The area in front of the palace had various ice sculptures of koorime in it. "Who are they" Katana asked. "They are past queens or heroes of out race" Relena replied. When they reached the front entrance they dismounted and headed inside. After walking through a long corridor with paintings of koorime queens on the walls they entered the thrown room.

Sitting one the throne at the end of the room was the koorime queen. She had white hair and ice blue eyes. Her skin was very pale but she had a shapely body. She wore a beautiful blue dress with a white lining that hugged her body in all the right places. She wore a crown with three points on the top. The center one was taller than the others. A tear gem was on the center of it. It was the tear of the first queen. She also wore a necklace of tear gems and a ring on her right index finger with a diamond in the shape of a snowflake on it.

Ryu and the others bowed before her. "I have come in response to your call for help" Ryu said. "It's an honor to met you Devil Wolf" the queen said. "The feeling's mutual Queen Arcticus. Though I prefer you call me Ryu" he replied. The queen stood up and walked to them. She stopped in front of Relena and Serenity. "You two have done well" she said. Relena lunged at her and threw her arms around the queen's neck. "I've missed you mother:" she said as she cried on Arcticus's shoulder. "It's good to see your safe Relena" she said as she hugged back. "I thought your scents were similar" Ryu said as he stood up.

Katana watched in silence. Since arriving the koorime had done their best to stay away from him. They would hide their daughters or try to hide from him. He could understand why they feared him even though he was on their side.

"The maids are waiting in your room. Why don't you go freshen up" Arcticus said. "Thank you mom" Relena said as she bowed and headed out of the room with Serenity close behind her. Arcticus looked back to the rebels. She had noticed the way her daughter looked at Ryu and how Serenity had looked at Katana.

"I take it you wish to see the front line?" she asked. "Yes your majesty" Ryu replied. "Follow me" she said. They walked out the room and headed to the front. Waiting for them were their horses but this time a completely white horse had joined them. She mounted that one. Ryu got on his red one and Katana got on his black one. "A fine stead you have there" Arcticus said. "I call him Red Storm" Ryu said. "And what is yours called?" she asked Katana. "Dark Flame" Katana replied. They rode out of the city to the east.

They stopped near the edge of a cliff. In the distance Ryu could see the enemy forces. "How many?" Ryu asked. "They number 2,000 strong" Arcticus replied. "How do we fight such an army with only 200 troops" an officer asked. "What's been holding them back so far?" Ryu asked. "We have an ice barrier put up about one hundred feet from the gate, but it won't last much longer" she said. "Do we know when they plan to attack" Ryu asked. "You've arrived just in time. We've learned they plan to attack later today" Arcticus said. Ryu looked to his right and saw an ice gate blocking off a pass through the cliff. It was the only was through. "How many can fit through that pass" Ryu asked. "Twenty five shoulder to shoulder" Arcticus replied. "How many archers did we bring?" Ryu asked Katana. "Fifty" he replied. "I have a plan" Ryu said.

Later that day

Ryu sat calmly on Red Storm as he watched the Black Legion prepare their assault. Katana, on Dark Flame, was behind him. "Do we know who's in charge of their forces?' he asked. "Kane" Katana replied. "Then our strategy will work perfectly" Ryu said. The first wave of enemy troops charged the barrier and started to hack at it. "Let's get into position" Ryu said. He and Katana galloped to the entrance to the pass.

They entered it and stopped behind two columns of archers. The stood in rows of twenty-five. The gates were fifty feet in front of them. "Remember, shoot only when you know you'll hit something" Ryu said. The gate started to shake as the Black Legion rammed it. Ryu and Katana unsheathed their swords.

After fifteen tense minutes the gates came crashing down. The first wave of Ghouls charged into the pass. "Let em have it!!!" Ryu shouted. The first column of archers shot their arrows into the enemy ranks. As they reloaded the second one let their arrows fly. This allowed for an almost continuous barrage of arrows. The enemy dead started to pile up as they struggled to gain ground. Each inch further cost dozens of casualties. Ghouls screamed as arrows hit. Ryu and Katana watched with no expression as the enemy continued with shields up.

"Archers fall back" Ryu ordered. The archers turned ad ran to the end of the pass. "We have to hold them off till the cavalry arrive" Ryu said. Katana nodded and prepared his sword. With a snap of their horses' reins the two charged. The narrow pass helped to even the odds. Ryu and Katana slashed away at each Ghoul that tried to get by them.

"They never have any skill" Ryu said as he killed one. "What do you expect, their brainless" Katana said as he fired a blast that killed four. The enemy continued to pour through the gates.

The sound of hundreds of hooves filled the air as the Rebel Forces galloped into the battle. The enemy troops panicked and ran for their lives toward their comrades. With a battle cry, the rebels charged forward.

"What's going on? Why are our troops retreating?" Kane said as he watched from atop a hill. He then saw hundreds of men on horseback charge out of the pass. They continued to slaughter the retreating Ghouls. He got a good look at the one on front. "It's Ryu!!!" he said. The officers around him gasped. "Order an all out charge. Leave no one standing" Kane said" An officer nodded and blew a horn. The entire army charged forward.

Ryu and Katana dismounted as the enemy troops charged toward them. Ryu pulled a bow from his saddle and an arrow from a dead body. He lit the tip on fire and shot it into the air. His archers fired their arrows from the cliffs. A large number of koorime also fired arrows. The rebels had given them a quick lesson in archery.

The arrows rained down onto the enemy troops and they fell as if a scythe cut them down. Ryu slashed to first Ghoul that reached him. He clashed swords with another and kicked it back. He stabbed on behind him and then cut the one he kicked in half with an upward swing. He continued to kill any Ghoul that got in his way.

Katana ran through the enemy ranks at high speed. Many of his victims didn't know what hit them. His back hit someone and he turned to slash it but saw only Ryu. They spun around and each slashed a couple of Ghouls that tried to sneak up on them. They stood back to back as they looked around them. The rebel troops were fighting well even though they were outnumbered. What the rebels lacked in numbers, they made up for in brains and skill. "It's easier since we caught them off guard" Ryu said. "I'd say our forces have killed around seven hundred by now" Katana said as he killed another. "The leaves 1,300" Ryu said as he jumped into the air. "CRESCENT STORM" his attack was like the one Riku used against Muraku. It killed dozens of enemies.

The battle dragged on for hours. Casualties were mounting on both sides but the Black Legion troops were being slaughtered. "That makes one hundred twenty kills for me" Katana said as he killed another. "It's one of our slow days" Ryu said as he killed one.

"RYU" Kane yelled. Ryu looked to the source and saw Kane killing six rebel troops with one swing of his massive sword. "You continue with the Ghouls. Kane is mine" Ryu said as he slashed his way to Kane.

"Kane!!!" he said when he reached the general. Kane turned around and looked at the wolf. "Well, well, if it isn't the Devil Wolf" he said. "Shall we continued from where we left off in Egypt" Ryu said. "Let's" Kane replied. They prepared their swords and charged.

I'm so mean for stopping it their. Oh well. Sorry the update took awhile. Next chapter, the battle between Ryu and Kane. Review please.