The huge company of the Royal Highland followed its leaders impatiently, anxious to reach their destination. Their prince had given them a taste of blood already when they had burned Ryube to the ground; the soldiers were thirsty for more. Now, they were about to take over a mercenary fort that lie between the remains of their two latest conquests--Ryube and Toto.
"Soon we'll be able to see their fort," Lord Culgan commented as they drew near.
One of his companions, the general in charge of the company, Solon Jhee, laughed cruelly. "I bet they're in there shivering like little mice." He clucked his tongue almost as though he were disappointed. "Let's finish this before Lord Luca comes!"
"Don't be reckless," the older man warned wisely. "You might lose your head."
Seed shivered at that comment. Why did Culgan have to say something like that, when they were about enter another bloody battle? Sometimes the old man made him so angry... "I agree we should finish them before Luca comes," he said, giving Solon a glance. "Otherwise we might not get a chance."
"Right!" Solon nodded with a wolfish grin.
Seed smiled back, glad he'd pleased his fellow commander, and disagreed with Culgan yet again.
Culgan shook his head at both of them. "It's unwise to take foolish risks. Better conserve your strength until it's needed."
Solon sighed. "How boring!!! An opportunity missed is an opportunity wasted." Without a word of warning, the soldier drew his blade and held it high.
"No!" Culgan cried, making a grab for Jhee's arm.
But it was too late. The general swung his blade, the signal for "attack". The company raged forward, the men howling like a pack of wolves and their eyes red with bloodlust.
As the men charged forward, Solon licked his lips, eager to join the fray about to begin. He spurred his horse forward and fell in behind his mounted soldiers.
Seed trotted over to Culgan's horse. He smirked at the older man, gloating over some small private victory, then followed the others. After another shake of his head, Culgan joined them.
If anything, Solon hadn't expected the mercenaries to resist. After seeing what had been done to their neighbors--thriving cities under the protection of well-trained soldiers--how did a cabin-full of mercs expect to survive? But these mercenaries put up a surprising fight. "A surprise attack, huh? Let's rout these mercenary scum!!"
The sounds of screams rang in the ears of the three commanders, but the screams belonged to their own men--painful, agonizing screams.
"What are those weapons they've got?!" Seed cried, feeling the heat from a distance.
"Fire spears!" Culgan cried incredulously. "But how did they......?"
"Don't get too close!!!" Seed warned his men.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air as thick as the black smoke gathering. Seed made a disgusted face and covered his mouth with his arm's sleeve. "God! I can't stand this!" His only consolation was that Culgan looked a bit nauseated, himself.
To General Jhee's loathing, he saw his men staggering back. "No!!! It must not be! Fools!! Fight, damn you all!!!"
"We've got to retreat and reposition our troops!!!" Culgan shouted above the shrieks of the dying.
Seed hated to admit it, but for once, he agreed with the old man.
Back in their private tent, the commanders let their attendants take care of their needs. Seed quickly drained three glasses of water as Culgan wiped his blade.
Solon Jhee watched the blood dripping from Culgan's blade into the bowl of water as though mystified. The water became a swirl of clear and red, slowly mixing into a deliciously tainted pink...
"Solon--!" Seed cried out suddenly. He rushed forward, catching the other man in his embrace as he fainted. "God, Solon! You've been injured!"
"Get a doctor!" Culgan screamed to one of the servants.
"W...what's going on?" Solon murmured, coming out of his black out. Why was he lying on top of the table? "What happened? What are you doing to me, you worm?!" he demanded as Culgan tore away his uniform.
"You've been run through, you fool!" Culgan spat back.
Solon looked down at himself with disgust. There was a frighteningly long laceration running along his chest. How could he have missed that? "Oh...shit."
Culgan dumped a pitcher of water over the cloth he'd torn from Jhee's shirt and pressed it roughly to the wound. Solon screamed.
"Don't--!" Seed cried, grabbing hold of Culgan's wrist. "You're hurting him!"
"Let go of me," Culgan said calmly. "If I don't put pressure on this wound, he could bleed to death."
"Oh, shit," Jhee hissed through clenched teeth.
Seed let go of Culgan's hand, but didn't move away. He wanted to be there for Solon...no matter what happened.
"The doctor's here, Sir," an attendant informed them. Culgan moved away, taking the cloth with him. Blood was smeared all across Solon's chest.
"Give me some room, please," the doctor said, giving Seed a gentle push. Seed pushed back.
"Let's go, Seed," Culgan said quietly, placing a hand on Seed's shoulder.
Seed twisted out of his grasp. "Don't touch me," he snarled.
"It's okay," Solon said, his voice much softer than Culgan could have ever believed it could be. "Get out of here, Seed."
"But--"
"I'll see you on the battlefield." His voice was stronger suddenly, commanding.
After a brief pause, Seed nodded slowly, reluctantly, and let Culgan drag him away. He turned back for just a moment, choking when he saw several nurses join the doctor around the table. "Oh, God!" he croaked. But Culgan wouldn't let him go back inside the shelter.
Outside, Seed began pacing. "Oh, God....oh, God..." he kept saying.
Culgan couldn't stand it. "You can't do this," he said. "I'll go mad. Let's take a walk."
He started walking on his own, sure that Seed would follow. Anything to keep himself occupied for a while...
"He's...he's not going to die..." Seed murmured, but it sounded like a question. A plea.
"No, he's not," Culgan said. His tone was flat, void of comfort but matter-of-fact. And that was enough for Seed. The redhead sighed with relief.
"So...it's true, isn't it?" Culgan asked when they were out of earshot from their fellow soldiers.
"What's true?" Seed asked cautiously.
"The rumors...the rumors concerning General Solon Jhee and yourself."
Seed's cheeks burned a little. No one had confronted him about this before. "It's true," he said shortly, though he wasn't quite sure what the rumors were. But he had a pretty good guess...
"I thought so," Culgan nodded. He sounded almost...disappointed.
"You got a problem with that?!" Seed demanded to know, suddenly angry.
"No," Culgan said, throwing his hands up to ward off the younger man's quick temper. "I've just been wondering. That's all."
Seed sighed, sorry he'd gotten defensive so easily. "I didn't mean to--"
"It's okay," Culgan said quickly. "I understand how you feel."
"He...he's going to be okay, isn't he, Culgan?" Again, his tone was pleading.
Culgan forced himself to smile. "I guarantee, first thing in the morning, the general's going to be the first one up and in full battle rattle, asking us why we're still trying to catch up on our beauty sleep."
Seed prayed that he was right.
"Soon we'll be able to see their fort," Lord Culgan commented as they drew near.
One of his companions, the general in charge of the company, Solon Jhee, laughed cruelly. "I bet they're in there shivering like little mice." He clucked his tongue almost as though he were disappointed. "Let's finish this before Lord Luca comes!"
"Don't be reckless," the older man warned wisely. "You might lose your head."
Seed shivered at that comment. Why did Culgan have to say something like that, when they were about enter another bloody battle? Sometimes the old man made him so angry... "I agree we should finish them before Luca comes," he said, giving Solon a glance. "Otherwise we might not get a chance."
"Right!" Solon nodded with a wolfish grin.
Seed smiled back, glad he'd pleased his fellow commander, and disagreed with Culgan yet again.
Culgan shook his head at both of them. "It's unwise to take foolish risks. Better conserve your strength until it's needed."
Solon sighed. "How boring!!! An opportunity missed is an opportunity wasted." Without a word of warning, the soldier drew his blade and held it high.
"No!" Culgan cried, making a grab for Jhee's arm.
But it was too late. The general swung his blade, the signal for "attack". The company raged forward, the men howling like a pack of wolves and their eyes red with bloodlust.
As the men charged forward, Solon licked his lips, eager to join the fray about to begin. He spurred his horse forward and fell in behind his mounted soldiers.
Seed trotted over to Culgan's horse. He smirked at the older man, gloating over some small private victory, then followed the others. After another shake of his head, Culgan joined them.
If anything, Solon hadn't expected the mercenaries to resist. After seeing what had been done to their neighbors--thriving cities under the protection of well-trained soldiers--how did a cabin-full of mercs expect to survive? But these mercenaries put up a surprising fight. "A surprise attack, huh? Let's rout these mercenary scum!!"
The sounds of screams rang in the ears of the three commanders, but the screams belonged to their own men--painful, agonizing screams.
"What are those weapons they've got?!" Seed cried, feeling the heat from a distance.
"Fire spears!" Culgan cried incredulously. "But how did they......?"
"Don't get too close!!!" Seed warned his men.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air as thick as the black smoke gathering. Seed made a disgusted face and covered his mouth with his arm's sleeve. "God! I can't stand this!" His only consolation was that Culgan looked a bit nauseated, himself.
To General Jhee's loathing, he saw his men staggering back. "No!!! It must not be! Fools!! Fight, damn you all!!!"
"We've got to retreat and reposition our troops!!!" Culgan shouted above the shrieks of the dying.
Seed hated to admit it, but for once, he agreed with the old man.
Back in their private tent, the commanders let their attendants take care of their needs. Seed quickly drained three glasses of water as Culgan wiped his blade.
Solon Jhee watched the blood dripping from Culgan's blade into the bowl of water as though mystified. The water became a swirl of clear and red, slowly mixing into a deliciously tainted pink...
"Solon--!" Seed cried out suddenly. He rushed forward, catching the other man in his embrace as he fainted. "God, Solon! You've been injured!"
"Get a doctor!" Culgan screamed to one of the servants.
"W...what's going on?" Solon murmured, coming out of his black out. Why was he lying on top of the table? "What happened? What are you doing to me, you worm?!" he demanded as Culgan tore away his uniform.
"You've been run through, you fool!" Culgan spat back.
Solon looked down at himself with disgust. There was a frighteningly long laceration running along his chest. How could he have missed that? "Oh...shit."
Culgan dumped a pitcher of water over the cloth he'd torn from Jhee's shirt and pressed it roughly to the wound. Solon screamed.
"Don't--!" Seed cried, grabbing hold of Culgan's wrist. "You're hurting him!"
"Let go of me," Culgan said calmly. "If I don't put pressure on this wound, he could bleed to death."
"Oh, shit," Jhee hissed through clenched teeth.
Seed let go of Culgan's hand, but didn't move away. He wanted to be there for Solon...no matter what happened.
"The doctor's here, Sir," an attendant informed them. Culgan moved away, taking the cloth with him. Blood was smeared all across Solon's chest.
"Give me some room, please," the doctor said, giving Seed a gentle push. Seed pushed back.
"Let's go, Seed," Culgan said quietly, placing a hand on Seed's shoulder.
Seed twisted out of his grasp. "Don't touch me," he snarled.
"It's okay," Solon said, his voice much softer than Culgan could have ever believed it could be. "Get out of here, Seed."
"But--"
"I'll see you on the battlefield." His voice was stronger suddenly, commanding.
After a brief pause, Seed nodded slowly, reluctantly, and let Culgan drag him away. He turned back for just a moment, choking when he saw several nurses join the doctor around the table. "Oh, God!" he croaked. But Culgan wouldn't let him go back inside the shelter.
Outside, Seed began pacing. "Oh, God....oh, God..." he kept saying.
Culgan couldn't stand it. "You can't do this," he said. "I'll go mad. Let's take a walk."
He started walking on his own, sure that Seed would follow. Anything to keep himself occupied for a while...
"He's...he's not going to die..." Seed murmured, but it sounded like a question. A plea.
"No, he's not," Culgan said. His tone was flat, void of comfort but matter-of-fact. And that was enough for Seed. The redhead sighed with relief.
"So...it's true, isn't it?" Culgan asked when they were out of earshot from their fellow soldiers.
"What's true?" Seed asked cautiously.
"The rumors...the rumors concerning General Solon Jhee and yourself."
Seed's cheeks burned a little. No one had confronted him about this before. "It's true," he said shortly, though he wasn't quite sure what the rumors were. But he had a pretty good guess...
"I thought so," Culgan nodded. He sounded almost...disappointed.
"You got a problem with that?!" Seed demanded to know, suddenly angry.
"No," Culgan said, throwing his hands up to ward off the younger man's quick temper. "I've just been wondering. That's all."
Seed sighed, sorry he'd gotten defensive so easily. "I didn't mean to--"
"It's okay," Culgan said quickly. "I understand how you feel."
"He...he's going to be okay, isn't he, Culgan?" Again, his tone was pleading.
Culgan forced himself to smile. "I guarantee, first thing in the morning, the general's going to be the first one up and in full battle rattle, asking us why we're still trying to catch up on our beauty sleep."
Seed prayed that he was right.