A/N – Thanks for reading!
Chapter 18
A slew of curse words left Sonny's mouth as he surveyed the damage. The fires had been put out, but there were many injuries to his front line. "Fucking Jason…" He knows all about the different kingdoms coming together but isn't aware that Jason is King.
He spat on the ground as his half-brother emerged from the crowd. It had taken many years for him to trust Ric, but he had proven himself faithful, so he was accepted and groomed.
"There are at least fifty men dead, maybe more."
They have a huge army, so that is not the problem.
Ric paused. "About double that were injured with mostly broken bones or arrow tips."
The issue is that the front lines were meant for men considered dispensable. The first on the line were always the first to die. You never allow the good fighters to lead.
"Jason thinks he is smart, but he just made everyone angrier. Spread the word so the blood thirst will rise."
For the last year, Ric noticed that his brother is obsessed with Jason, which will fit his plan nicely. When Sonny is defeated, Ric will be seen as a savior, for he has already set his plan in motion which will deliver Queen Elizabeth into their hands.
"Aye."
Ric happily went to give the message; it just wouldn't be entirely the one Sonny wanted; not exactly. His version of the message will make them doubt Sonny's leadership while he gleefully watches his brother's downfall. Finally, he will get revenge since Sonny murdered his father.
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Elizabeth was guided to a shelter on the roof where she would wait with the other archers until the battle drew closer. Chants reverberated throughout the valley as the barbarians pressed forward. It was meant to cause fear, but instead, it just made the people of Guildenhall want to silence them.
Francis sat next to her. "Everything is set. We will start the attack when they are visible. Traps have been laid and the men will gather in the rear so there is no escape."
Liz nodded. Thank God for the mountains and their protection.
"The big room will be used to house the injured. Supplies have been gathered. We are prepared."
"You think our strategy is enough?"
"I think it's a good one. It should give us an advantage; we just need to utilize it."
Stavros joined them. "He's right. I wasn't sure when we started this, but even though our numbers are less, we've planted enough seeds to take down theirs."
Liz took a deep breath and wondered what Jason was doing.
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Jason finished applying war paint. His helmet has horns on top and he looks scary.
"Damn," Johnny said. "I think you look better than normal, red devil."
The men around them grinned.
"Mental warfare is just as important."
The men shot each other looks.
"Your majesty, maybe we should confuse them and wear the paint too."
The slightest smirk graced Jason's face. "Do it."
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The barbarians pushed forward. The men on the mountains used instruments to project their voices which were a mix of snarling, maniacal laughing, and gibberish. The Salinians tried to ignore it, but it was annoying them.
Sonny was in deep thought. Instead of helping the injured men, he ordered Ric to have them slaughtered. While he could tell the other men weren't happy about it, they didn't have the time or resources to deal with it and needed to press forward. Their numbers gave them an advantage and they still had more than enough bodies to defeat the enemy. He had made sure that Jason's presence was hidden from the men. Unfortunately, since the bane of his existence strikes fear in most, hiding his involvement was necessary. Maybe it's because he fights like a barbarian. Anticipating what he will do is difficult because his strategies change, but Sonny feels he knows Jason well enough to guess what he will do based on the terrain. Even with the other kingdoms helping them, they are still no match for Sonny's massive army.
Ric glanced at his brother whom he had no love for. He was a teenager when Sonny lashed out at his dad and ended him. He never told Sonny he was under the bed and heard and saw everything. From that moment on, he had played the role of a loving brother but still plotted his brother's demise. Having him die, hopefully by Jason's hand, ended up being even better than doing it himself.
They have a few hours to go and then plan to fight through the night. Normally, they would consider waiting until the morning, but given what happened before, they don't want to take the chance. Neither night nor day makes a difference when the goal is the same.
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Jason strode toward Micah. "Where do we stand?"
"They should arrive at the first break point soon."
"Get word to those on the hill. We want to hammer them with fire and steel."
Micah hurried off. The Salinians are about to get a surprise they'll never forget.
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Sonny sat upon his horse, pointing his sword forward and the men ran forward with a mighty yell as Jason's arms held.
"Brace," Jason said as they donned shields to block the arrows.
As their enemy moved forward, part of Jason's army assembled behind the barbarians to cut off their escape route. The roar of battle echoed off the mountains and then suddenly, the barbarians were screaming in pain as they stepped on caltrops they didn't see (small, spiked metal devices scattered on the ground to injure horses and men). Horses fled, sometimes dragging their rider, as arrows lit up the sky and found their target. The fire also spread to the tar spattered on the ground, setting whoever was near and the grass on fire.
Huge steel balls were launched, to add insult to injuring which were filled with shrapnel so they'd explode wherever they landed and harm many.
Sonny is livid as he abandons his horse. "We must push forward, he yelled."
His men stepped on the fallen as they used them to shield themselves from injury.
The onslaught was relentless, and Sonny had no idea they were being overtaken in the rear.
Jason fist thrust into the air and the first wave ran forward to engage. Quickly, they engaged, and the second wave was activated.
Those who breached their last line of defense were met with arrows and projectiles from the roof.
Elizabeth is taken aback as the valley fills to the brim hoping they can hold back the Salinians. She uses a horn to signal to the men on the last remaining hill, and they too rained hell down on their enemies.
Horses whined in panic making them useless and they were abandoned.
Jaggar and the men fought fiercely, getting help from the catapults they used to attack the camp. They are stretched thin but making good progress. Realizing that death was certain, some of the barbarians fled towards home.
Jason entered the fray, taking out several men with war hammers and his sword. The barbarians were stunned when the line of red devils appeared, unable to tell which was the man they truly feared.
Due to his skill, it eventually became apparent, and Sonny was advised. After letting Jason battle for over an hour, he decided that it was time to take Jason's life.
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Jason, who is worried that they are losing ground, crosses his arms above his head to signal some of his men to dump caldrons of tar near the outskirts of the mountains and light them afire. He had seen men fleeing and wanted to force them back into the middle. Arrows hissed through the smoke-filled air as men clashed in desperate melees.
The barbarians were caught off guard and were weakening due to the narrow confines of the valley. It had become a killing field.
Jaggar made progress, pushing the barbarians toward the middle to be besieged with more flaming pitch which allowed for more injuries since they were bunched together. The catapults began raining heavy stones toward the same area, smashing heads and shattering bones.
Realizing they were starting to lose; Sonny urged the men to fight harder and was upset when the response was to flee. After heading toward Jason, who he figured would be tired by now, a sinister thought made him smile. Once he was dead, his army would hopefully fold and victory would await.
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Realizing that the Salinians were scattering and Guildenhall was now winning, a signal sounded, prompting the men to fight even harder.
Due to the chaos in the middle, Micah lost sight of Jason as he tried to stay alive. He yelled, "Mayvn," a signal to everyone that Jason may be in trouble which Jaggar heard since he was closer.
Jason heard it too, but then saw Sonny and honed in.
"It will be a pleasure to kill you," Sonny said.
Jason didn't flinch. He looked like a demon and his attitude reflected it as well, making Sonny take a deep breath.
When Jason killed a man without even looking, Sonny started having second thoughts. With a yell, he charged Jason, and they began to battle. Both wounded each other as they tried to kill one another.
On a smaller hill, three hooded people watch them with interest. Wondering who will win but only praying for one.
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The barbarians had sent some men in another direction, and now they were close to the castle. Those on the ground and roof fought heroically to minimize the damage.
Stavros nodded to Francis who went to Elizabeth's side.
She bit her lip as she realized what it meant. Her kingdom may be compromised soon. "Okay."
They went toward the edge and were given cover by the archers.
"You can do this," Stavros said. "I will be right behind you." He had wanted to go first to clear the way, but Elizabeth wanted him to fight until the last minute.
"Okay."
Once secured, Francis dropped over the edge and then turned Liz until she was on the inside. She covered his back with a shield to protect him.
After swinging into the room, Elizabeth is stunned when Francis is struck, and she comes face to face with betrayal.
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Sonny grimaced as he stumbled backward. He didn't understand how Jason was still standing after fighting for hours. The sun will be up soon, revealing the number of dead and the blood that soaked the ground.
"Tired?" Jason asked.
"Where is your brother, the King Consort?"
Jason smirked. "He isn't the King. I am."
For a second, Sonny is stunned but quickly snaps out of it when Jason charges sending them to the ground.
As Jason tried to get the upper hand, Sonny said, "Have you had her yet? I can't wait to try her later."
Not letting on that he heard him; Jason gets his forearm across Sonny's neck and presses. "You will not get near her. Prepare to die."
Sonny's eyes widened and just as the knife punctured his throat. Unfortunately, another man hits Jason on the back of the head and the King collapses as the onlookers gasped.
"Silas, we must help him."
Her companion sighed heavily. "We could be killed." They were the only ones left in their village and had only made their way to Guildenhall due to Jason. Finding war had unsettled them, but they pressed forward unseen.
"Malford will accompany you."
"He's a priest."
"I know how to fight," the older man said.
She touched his arm, "Please…"
"What's the plan then?" Silas said as he watched an arrow take out the man who had hit Jason. No one was around him, but the fire was not far.
"We need to drag him out of here. There are several horses over there," she said pointing to a tree. "The dawn will break soon. We'll go deep into the woods and then make our way to the castle when it's safe." The battle is still raging, but word will soon spread that Sonny is dead.
"Alright," Karen, go get the horses while Father and I will retrieve your friend.
"Thank you."
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Elizabeth's eyes darkened with rage as she pushed aside her fear. "What is the meaning of this?"
The man smirked. "I am here to finish what was previously started so none of your family sees the light of day. You have taunted and tormented me with your survival and it's time for you to join the rest of your clan."
"Manny…" His face haunted her nightmares. She will never forget his smile as he gleefully took the lives of her loved ones.
"So, you remember?"
She slowly nodded, wondering why Stavros was delayed, but he wasn't far. Since going out the window was compromised, he rushed inside, used the stairs to reach them, and stood near the doorway. He was dismayed to hear Manny's voice since everyone thought he was dead.
She reveals her anger. "Every last swing of your horrible sword."
He grinned as he pulled it out. "I fought for your father, risking my life, but he treated me very unfavorably. I deserved more respect and when it wasn't given, I showed him the respect that he showed me. I took his life just like he took my brother and father. It's time for you to pay so I can be at peace."
"You are trash. If you think you will get away with this—"
"Oh, I know I will," he said as he took a step forward and she took one backward.
"I would rather jump out that window than be touched by your filth."
"That can be arranged too."
And as he started to jump forward, Elizabeth grabbed the rope and swung outside.
He lashed at the rope just as Stavros sliced through his neck and his head rolled. Hearing a scream he ran toward the window as the rope began to come apart and he grabbed it before he could drop and hoisted her back up.
A distraught Elizabeth knocked him to the ground, and he momentarily tried to soothe her.
"He's dead. It's okay." He didn't even want to think how close he had come to failing to protect her.
Coming to her senses, she gasped, "Francis."
Quickly, she rolled and then eyed him before getting up. "Francis! Wake up!"
He groaned. "What happened?"
"They almost got her," Stavros said as he hauled himself to his feet.
Even though he said nothing harshly, the seriousness of his tone gave him pause.
"Are you alright?" he asked as his fingers pressed into his temple.
"Aye, and you?"
"I could use some willow bark."
Stavros helped him stand. "It was Manny."
The look of fear on Francis's face was palpable. "Tell me he's dead." They had looked for him, but always hit a dead end and thought he was taken out during battle.
Stavros pointed and Francis sighed with relief after seeing Manny's body and then turned his attention to Elizabeth as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"He's finally dead, Frannie."
He holds her as she cries.
"Now what?" Stavros said.
Georgie came into view. When she realized the castle could fall, her priority was to get to her friend. "Follow me."
Stavros assisted Francis as Georgie accessed a hidden staircase and they went down to the cellar.