Goro: Prince of the Shokan

Ch 3. The Battle of Kuaton

" Hurry Goro, we must get back to the palace before they attack! " Kintaro ordered silently.

I didn't hesitate at all and followed him back down through the wastelands. What was I involved in here? I thought.

I was still trying the grasp it all as I made it across the lava stream. I stared at Kintaro, whose face was stern and still. Very serious. Kintaro's speeded up and went ahead of me quickly. As I rounded corner, I found he was not in sight and must've entered the palace.

" King Gorbak! " I heard Kintaro address as I caught up. " The Centaur's, they are going to attack! "

"What! " Karakas said in anger.

" The Prince and I were training in the Wasteland's , and there was a group of them, " Kintaro pause to take a breath. " We heard them say they were going to attack tonight. "

" Your absolutely sure what you heard? " father asked.

" Yes, my lord. " Kintaro confirmed.

" and I supposed you heard it too? " father said, looking at me.

" Yes father, Kintaro speaks the truth. "

Father paused for a few minutes to take all of it in, as Karakas eagerly taped his foot, waiting for an order.

" Baros, alert the Shokan's in the village . Gather the males to fight and have the rest of the families bar down their homes. "

" Yes m'lord, " Baros replied as he left.

" Karakas, you must take some Shokan's. Barricade the entrances to the kanyon and hold fort at top of them. "

" Yes sir! " Karakas said excitedly. " Verox, gather the weapons and armor and bring them outside. "

Karakas then ran outside.

" Father I..."

" No, Goro, you are too young to fight, stay here and defend the palace. " father ordered.

" I have learned much father, I can handle the centaurs. "

" Goro I fear this battle is not in our favor, our supplies are low and weapons production has decreased because of lack of war. I fear for you Goro. I do not care for your step brother's as I do you. Zurak's mother was not who I loved. But I want you to live in case I do not return. I will be in danger out there, but I know that you and your mother will be safe in the palace, as long as your there. Zurak will lead a squad outside instead of you. "

" Yes father. "

I followed father outside into a mass of males gathered in a circle, other Shokan children and mothers were running back to there home.

" We are at war!" Morrow shouted to me, " Goro?"

Morrow looked at me, " I thought this is what you always wanted. To lead your people to victory in battle."

" I am unsure. " I said truthfully.

" Look they are passing out weapons! "

Morrow and I walked over to a wagon, where a few Shokans passed out the weapons.

They included, spears, knifes, and special gauntlets for the higher ranks, or what we Shokan would call "Dragon fangs."They gave me a set of four knifes and Morrow two spears for each pair of his hands.

We then proceeded to gather our Shokan armor.

It was metal plated armor. Shoulder gear with spikes used for ramming was placed on the top with a strap going around the body to keep it in place. The armor for the stomach extended down into the loin cloth. another strap was over the right shoulder. In a small portion of the up right side of the body was an armorless space, where material was to keep warm for the different weather we may fight in for different battles. I placed on my head a helmet. it was steel with cover most of the head, with some more pointy edges on top for ramming and charging. A learge piece of red cloth extended from the top and go out over are backs.

"We are ready to knock over the boulders on top of the canyon," Karakas shouted down to us.

" King Gorbak! King Gorbak, " Baros screamed running through the village. " The Centaurs have already attacked the Tigris village."

Kintaro's eyes immediately widened on the information. " I must go!"

" No Kintaro, we must barricade the entrances to the canyons, Karakas and the rest are ready." father said.

" My family is in trouble, " Kintaro said angirly.

" If you leave now, you won't be able to reenter the Kuaton kanyons! " father warned.

" Then so be it! " Kintaro growled.

Father and Kintaro stared at each other for a few minutes. Finally father ordered a squadren of Shokans to assist Kintaro. Kintaro's face became less angry.

" Good luck, " father said to Kintaro.

Kintaro patted father on his shoulder with his huge paw. He then gave the signal for the Shokan to follow him and left. Father looked at him leave. Karakas looked at father with a puzzled look.

" Push the boulders, " father said lowly.

" Push the boulders! " Karakas repeated to the soldiers.

Suddenly boulders,rubble,and rocks were pushed down into every

canyon leading into Kuaton al lat once . The boulders crashed and piled on top of each other as dirt and dust from the bottom flew up into the air. Shokan shielded their eyes from it all. After that there was no leaving.

I was allowed to stay out for a while untill the Centaurs arrived.

Most Shokan were posted at the top of the canyon to wait and throw spears down upon the Centaurs when they arrived.

Others were behind the barricades as a second line of defense. A group of Shokan set up catapults behind the barricades to launch rocks over them. " Faster, faster, they will soon be here. "

Shokan passed boulders down a line to load the catapults with rocks.

" Father, what about Kintaro? " I asked.

Father was silent and ignored me.

Then, before the last two catapults could be loaded, " The Centaurs," Baros screamed, " They are here. "

The ground beneath me shook. I began to climb up on top of the canyon to see.
A faint noise was heard. The noise slowly began to become clear as I heard it was a battle cry. An army of Centaurs poored through the canyon screaming, some already bloody from seizing the Tigris village.

" Fire the catapults! " Karakas ordered.

Rocks flung from the wooden catapults , four rocks flew in the air when Karakas ordered to hold the rest.

The rocks flew over the wall and crushed some centaurs on the far right creating a bloody smear on the ground.

There wern't enough boulders and catapults to get them. We soon ran out of boulders, even when the Centaurs looked just as crowded as before.

" Throw your spears!" Karakas shouted.

The Shokan threw their spears, with our incredible might I saw them launch the spears and send them through the chest of the Centaurs and out through their back, making a display of much blood and gore. One Shokan got ready to throw a spear but a bombardment of arrows were sent at him. Several got him in the unprotected side and he vomited up blood and fell over the side of the canyons.

Soon some Centaur came from the back and brought in a catapult of their own. They launched and hit the edge near the Shokans on the right side. The edge crumbled and many fell over the side only to have their bones broken by the stampeding Centaurs that ran through the canyon.

When we ran out of spears Karakas ordered for the Shokans to jump down into the canyon which would be a mistake.

The Centaurs were much faster and easily ran down the Shokan, they sent their lances into our hearts. I watched Karakas make his way through them all. One Centaur charged at him with his lance point outward. Karakas used the knives from his upper arms to deflect the attack and knelt and used the lower arms to chop off all of it's legs. The Centaur stumbled into the dirt face first, where his face was then stabbed through by Karakas. Karakas moved on proceeding to kill. Unfortuneatly not all Shokan fought as well as he did and were trampled and impaled.

Karakas ordered for more spear support on the edge and took soldiers from the second defense and

placed them up there. The line of Centaurs with arrows had already been formed too well by then, however, and shot down the Shokan spearmen before they got a chance. Karakas finally placed more and more Shokan from the second defense to give spear support. Eventually we got the chance we needed to move a catapult on top of the canyon. We quickly loaded the catapult and launched it at the canyon wall. It crumbled and rocks came down and buried in the full canyon , squashing the Centaur, and many Shokan too unfortuneatly.

As the dust cleared no living creature was alive in the canyon.

A long cheer was let out by the Shokan. " No you idiots! There are still more!" Karakas screamed as he climbed back into the main part of Kuaton. " Turn the catapults around! "

" We are out of all supplies and weapons! " Verox screamed, " We need more spears!"

" Zurak, go to the other villages and transport some weapons over here. " father orded.

" Yes m'lord, " Zurak said as he gathered some troops and left.

We waited.

" Hey Goro we are supposed to be in the palace, " Morrow informed me.

" Go in and wait Morrow. I am taking part in the battle out here. " I replied.

We waited and waited for the transport to come, it was taking to long.

Father pointed to another group of general's. " You two, go find out what's taking the transport so long, and escort it if neccasary. "

We waited.

" What's taking the damn transport so long, they must've been hit by the centaurs!" Karakas complained. " They have been taking so long that there are barely any more troops here to ...defend...,"

" Prince Goro! " A palace guard approached me, " your father ordered you to stay in th..," he stopped to scream as an arrow went through his head.

I turned around to see an army of centaurs leaping over the lava stream.

" FIRE THE CATAPULT! " Karakas screamed.

They fired but missed, most centaurs were already across. The catapult's rock did, however, land in the lava

shooting it in all directions, the molten magma burned the flesh from a few centaurs skin's. Unfortunately not enough. They charged us. Slaughtering us. The stampede rushed towards the few of us that was left.

" King Gorbak, " Karakas screamed.

" Duck for cover your highness! " Baros advised.

Than before father got behind the rock wall with Baros,Verox,and Karakas, he suddenly spotted me across the stampeding centaurs. His eyes pierced my soul. I knew what I did wrong. I would get back in the palace and defend it, even if it meant my life. I dodged the centaurs. I ran between them in a zig-zaging pattern. One lunged his sword after me but I ducked it. Then a charging centaur struck me and I flew face first into the dirt. I didn't give up then though, as I rolled out of the way before being trampled. I ran and for what seemed like forever I finally got through the palace archway. I heard swords clanging up ahead. I ran ahead to see Morrow and other young Shokan parrying blows with a group of centaurs. One's sword was parried and knocked into the lava where the Centaur beheaded the young Shokan. Then I saw my mother backing into a corner, near the thrones with a Centaur approaching her. This Centaur looking like the leader of the group.

" Goodbye Queen Mai! " The Centaur laughed.

I ran towards him to stop him but another centaur rammed me into the ground. I looked over to see my mother with all four arms outstrecthed in defense but the Centaur laughed even more as he impaled his sword through her stomach for a painful death.

" And who is this? " the Centaur pointed towards me as he extracted his sword.

" I don't know but he seems insane " the Centaur laughed as he watched me struggle.

The more and more I struggled the more they would strike me across the face, all of them.

Then a familiar feline face drove his claws through the centaur holding me down.

The other Centaur got into a fighting stance preparing to do battle with Kintaro.

" King Motaro, we must go now! The Shokan have returned from the villages with the

weapons transport. " A Centaur soldier yelled.

" Very well, men, take all your loot and let's go, I am sure the Shokan have learned their lesson, " Motaro said as he smiled at my mother's dead body.

Kintaro tried to get at him but too many Centaur were in the way. I watched the Centaurs retreat untill

I passed out with exhaustion.