A.N: Gadzooks! EVERYTHING here's erupted all at once. Fortunately (for you, that is) this has become my late-night habit, really helps with everything. Still, this chapter is dedicated to my Mum, who's currently in hospital. Thanks for supporting me in all I do…
Still, as for the wonderful people who left a review…Dory Shotgun (the drink would be life-saving Lipton Lemon Iced tea. As to my exams, I don't mind you asking questions, and may you NEVER stop, but to explain… We get accreditation from an outside body, which gives us the extras. The exam I sat on the Saturday was a music prac exam for the AMEB, and it gives me musical accreditation which I then use for getting into shows… Hopefully that made sense!), Kazzy (Welcome aboard! Make sure you mind Mordrid-he bites : ) ), James Jango (Trust me, things will become apparent, and Anita and Josie are based on myself and my friends when we were their age, and trust me, we didn't say whatever till we hit fourteen.), Joshwales ( The Doc and Rose are coming up! I've got a plot, and they come in where they're needed, and they should be appearing a bit more soon. Trust me, okay?), Freak and Proud (Tried the Dalek game today. Twas weird. Then went and painted my jeans… As for Lucy, just wait and see…) and Bookz (the time-travel was a long-running joke in the family, and for Rose, it became her way of telling her children what she really was doing without subjecting them to the knowledge. Josie also stated/thought that her parents were international spies. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction…)
Still love you guys, can't wait to hear from you all again.
Enough of my befuddled rambling and on with the story!
Thought of the week: Only dead fish go with the flow…
The Greatest Summer of All Time, Chapter 9Entwined.
By Starlite1.
Mothers were sobbing upon each other's shoulders as the men were ferrying weaponry from the Armoury, preparing for the oncoming armada. Black cloak sweeping behind him, the Master marched purposefully through his people, fire blazing in his grey eyes.
"Lady Lucy!" He shouted over the heads of the crowds. Instantly a path emerged through the masses to reveal her, setting up her base of operations with the help of the rest of the staff.
"Aye, milord?" she asked, not glancing up from the boiling gauze she was preparing.
"Are we ready?" he demanded bluntly.
Risking a glance, "I cannot say for sure. I am a healer, not a soldier."
"You have proven your worth in battle more than once."
She sighed, "Senka has begun amassing the men, and setting up the perimeter. He has help, and we will be ready when the time comes."
"Thank you. That is all I ask."
With that, he left for the armoury.
"We will be ready." She muttered determinedly.
IOIOIOIOI
Jack, the Doctor and Adrian were sharpening weapons when the Master swept in. He quickly spotted Senka standing in the eye of the storm.
"Are you ready for this, son?" he asked, resting a hand against the boy's shoulder.
Senka swallowed slightly, "Aye. Jerome taught me well. We have archers taking up their station on the battlements, the drawbridge is up, so we're sealed in, and all those capable of holding a weapon are ready."
"He would be proud. And I am proud." He said.
Senka inclined his head, "Thank you."
"Now, might I request some help with my armour, so that I can at lead the defence of my home."
Senka nodded, "Aye, sir. Considering we may have close quarter fighting, all who can are wearing full armour."
The master nodded, "Very well."
Going into their arsenal, Senka quickly found both his own suit and the elaborate gear of the Master. Racing back out into the main room, he handed the Master a set of chain mail leggings and gloves, a breast plate and guards, assisting him in strapping those on before handing him his helm, the broadsword and crested shield.
"Thank you, Senka. May your blade strike true and fast." The master said gratefully, before heading out into the main yard.
Senka paused momentarily, looking out at the Master's steadily retreating figure, mildly annoyed at the Master's refusal to return the favour. Muttering to himself, he quickly donned the chain mail component, all the while attempting to figure out how to secure his own guards when Adrian came up behind him.
"Need a hand?" He asked nervously, "Only I've never done this type of thing before."
Gratefully Senka smiled, "Thanks. If you can just get them done up tightly, then I'll be set."
In under a minute, his plate armour was secure, "Have you got your own yet?" He
questioned.
"Not yet. Been busy trying to get the swords ready to go."
"You'll be no use to us dead. Go and grab a set of leggings, gloves and armour, and I'll show you how to put it on."
"Don't suppose you'd be willing to get some for us as well, my dear brother?" Asked Josie, as she and Anita marched across the room.
Senka paled, "You're ladies!"
"Your point?" She replied back.
"And you want to fight?"
"And you have a problem with that?" She demanded, "If we're going to die, we'll go down defending ourselves, not huddles in the corner like a pair of wimps."
Senka shook his head, "Honestly… Very well. But you three are sticking with me."
She grimaced, "Fair enough. Least we're going."
"Now Let's SUIT UP!" The Master roared from outside.
IOIOIOIOI
Tense as whippets, they crouched on the battlements, eyes staring out through the moonlight. Bows were checked, arrows notched, swords, battle-axes and maces were unconsciously fingered and inspected in endless repetition.
And still they waited.
From above, the stars scrutinised the scene coldly. A doe scrambled for purchase on an icy ledge, the click of her hooves echoing eerily over the moat. A brown owl swooped upon an unsuspecting mouse, soaring off to feast on silent wings.
As the minutes ticked into hours, the strain became evident on every face. The moon rose higher into the sky, illuminating the scene in an unearthly light. Nervously, Josie thumbed the bow she'd selected. Even though she'd only ever done archery on school camp, at least she had a better chance with it than the sword fastened at her belt. Glancing over to where Anita sat, grasping her own bow so tightly that her knuckles were white, she flicked her best friend a reassuring smile. Weakly she returned the gesture, before returning to her vigil. Gazing across to her brother, she noticed the slight sheen of sweat across his brow. Next to him, Senka perched on the wall, his longbow resting on his leg, his gold-flecked eyes scrutinising the familiar ruts and crevasses of the land intensely.
Suddenly, he tensed, focusing on the horizon. Following his line of sight, she felt the blood drain from her face. Around her, men gasped, shocked at what they beheld.
"Mortem Agenta…" Senka whispered, instantly moving. Shuttered lanterns passed the command along the battlement. Chain mail clanked slightly as its bearers moved into position.
They flowed over the horizon, row after row of gnashing teeth and maliciously clicking talons steadily advancing upon the keep. As they stalked through the village, the pungent aroma of decaying flesh reached the soldiers, causing many to retch.
"Archers, ready." The master hissed. Instantly all bows were aimed towards the oncoming force. The armada amassed below, blood lusted eyes glaring towards the broken causeway. Row after row gathered, waiting.
Utter silence reigned as the two parties glared across the moat at the other.
The head of the central column stepped forth, "You will surrender, in the name of the King! Lest we feast upon your flesh!" it roared, a sound with all the pleasantness of nails on a blackboard.
Around them, men whispered in shock. Senka merely raised an eyebrow, took aim, and shot an arrow directly into the neck of the emissary.
Instantly, the force roared, surging forth towards the causeway like a tsunami crashing into the shore.
"FIRE!" came the call, as a volley of flaming arrows soared over the moat, raining down upon the enemy's head.
And still they came, scuttling forward with grappling hooks, siege engines and battle rams, some with just their claws and-
"-Guns!" Josie shouted out in anger.
"What the-?" Anita shouted, glancing at her even as she released a deadly shot.
Her eyes darkened in furor, "Those bloodless bastards are using guns."
"Ohhh Shit!" Adrian cursed realising what his sister was saying, ducking quickly as a flaming catapult soared over their heads.
Determination fired anew in their souls, as they pressed onwards.
An hour later came the fateful cry, "The walls are breached!"
IOIOIOI
Within minutes of the call being made, the injured began arriving, blood gushing out from where claws had reft muscle apart. Desperately, they tried to help who they could, bandaging their wounds until there was time for more. As Rose scrambled from man to man, she could only be thankful that their wives and children were hidden in the Chapel, far away from the underground chambers they would soon occupy. Even as she worked, she fought to suppress the worry that her own children may be among the next wave of casualties to come through the doors. Within a quarter of an hour, the gauze was gone, and soon the linen was being ripped into strands, little thought given to boiling them.
It came as a shock to Rose when a boy who would be about the same age as her son was brought to her. His shoulder was burnt and bleeding, his eyes wide as he tried to fight the waves of pain.
"Don't move too much, okay?" she said, pushing her outrage and worry aside, before calling to her husband, "We've got firefight!"
Lucy instantly caught onto what she was saying, "We have burns, people. Wet the compresses in cold water before you dress them! Do not try to do more, you will only exacerbate the problem!" Suddenly another wave of injured came through the door, all sporting similar injuries.
Grimly, they pressed on.
IOIOIOI
Along with twenty other men, the quartet had fallen back into the courtyard, a last line of defence before the Chapel. The clash of metal echoed through the keep, steel beating against their foe's armour endlessly. For each blade that struck home, another was forced against a new opponent. Praying that the lines would hold, they stood poised, awaiting the lookout's signal.
All too soon it came, and they grimly lifted their weapons. Claws clicking, they burst through the walkway like water from a dam, and instantly the courtyard filled with their desperate plight. Josie's arms shuddered with the impact as she drove her blade forward over and over, her companions similarly engaged. They found themselves forced back to the doors, a trio advancing malevolently upon them. Shoved aside, the doors were forced open. Recklessly they darted in front of them, swords readied as they stood in front of the villagers. The stench of the creature's breath rolled of them in heavy, pungent waves as the leader proclaimed, "We have succeeded."
"No, you haven't." stated Josie, standing forward.
Cold, blood-red eyes scrutinised her, "Who says we haven't?"
"I do."
"Do you want me to prove it?" it demanded, turning its gaze to the orphan, "That girl there looks…delectable, and it has been many a day since I have tasted such young…Flesssh." A claw reached out, only to be stopped abruptly, "What have you done-?" It shrieked.
"I SAID NO!" Josie screamed back. Suddenly, the temperature dropped. Leaves began to rustle, hopping and scattering in winds swirling around her. The doors crashed fully open on their hinges, bringing the attention of everyone around them.
The creatures clutched their throats, clawing at the invisible hands denying their air supply. She stood in the doorway, her icy blue eyes filled with power, the wind a swirling vortex around her small figure.
"This. Ends. Here." She stated, coldly watching the creatures writher, finally falling still.
The realisation of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks. She turned away, her face ashen. Abruptly her form seemed to crumple, her eyes rolling up into her head as she fell into blissful unconscious.
IOIOIOI
A.N: It ain't over till the fat lady sings, but the writer would appreciate all comments in the form of reviews. Constructive criticism is a valuable resource, and flames shall be used in the barbecue (So glad summer's here!).
P.S: Also in your reviews, I would like to know if you'd continue reading if I continued after this summer . I've got the plot figured, and early drafts, but still I'd like to know if you're interested…
P.P.S: I posted this at two in the morning :0S so I apologise for any spelling mistakes, etc I missed.