Brian looks around himself as he feels the horse’s muscles moving beneath him as they make their way slowly to the battlegrounds. He was surrounded by tall male elves wearing elfin armor quivers strapped to their backs, bows slung over their shoulders, swords by their sides, helmets on their heads, chainmail over their chests, and a look of determination in their eyes. He was in line with the elves on horseback towards the center of the procession. Three horses down was Lance and three horses down from him was Chris. He looks up trying to see over the many heads towards the front of the procession. He could see Kevin talking to Nick quietly as Nick nodded along as he spoke. AJ was next to Nick with Justin by his side as the two vampires helped lead the charge out. Josh was busy talking to Oleander to notice much of anything and his sword was clenched in his right hand. Those were the leaders. Hundreds upon hundreds of elves were making their way over the hills now. Some carried banners, some on horses and some on foot, all of them though marched as one. They were going to their battle now.
Nick looks up at the sky as they climb the final hill.
“After this there is nothing more for us o do,” Oleander says keeping his eyes on the horizon.
Nick looks over at him quickly before looking back at the ground. He looks over quickly as he sees AJ jump down from his horse in one swift motion and touching the ground. AJ bends down slightly and touches the earth with his right hand before picking some of the dirt up and rubbing it between his hands. He lets out a long breath before mounting his horse again and catching up with the rest of the leaders. Nick stares at him as AJ keeps his eyes forward mumbling something to himself in the language of Latin.
“He’s a stoic,” Kevin says as Nick turns his head to look at him quickly.
“What?”
“AJ is a stoic,” Kevin says turning his head to look at him, “Live according to nature,” Kevin says smiling at Nick, “Once a stoic always a stoic,” he sighs.
“Once a Roman always a Roman,” AJ adds not looking over at them.
Kevin nods at him, “Good luck Roman.”
“Good luck Greek,” AJ says nodding at him as Nick catches the first sight of the battle area.
“Sweet Jesus,”AJ mutters.
The land was smoking somewhat and the green grass was now a dark earthen color as the dirt took place of the grass. The darkness over their heads shut out the sunlight and the dark clouds were the color of smoke. No Pendragons.
“Where are they?” a soft voice asks and Nick looks past Oleander at Quest. Her small body was an odd mixture compared to the rows of elfin males behind her. Her hair was set a deep red color now and her black cape blew in the slight breeze.
“Shhh,” Justin says and looks at the hill on the other side.
Nick turns his eyes forward as the line of Pendragons finally comes over the far hill. No doubt their numbers matched the elves, “Oh God,” he mutters to himself.
“By the pricking of my thumbs,” AJ says quoting MacBeth, “Something wicked this way comes.”
“READY!” Oleander yells, “SET!” he yells out as Nick hears the sound of hundreds of bows being loaded and pulled back as well as hundreds of swords being drawing from sheaths, “CHARGE!” he yells pointing his sword out and his white horse rears up before taking off down the hill towards the enemies as the others follow.
AJ twirls his sword in his right hand as his horse races across the ground toward the charging line of Pendragons. He knew enough about combat. He had been through enough in Rome to know how to wield a sword the proper way. His blood was pumping through his veins like battery fluid and his heart was pumping as fast as he ever could remember.
Oleander was the first to strike knocking down three Pendragons with one swing of his sword. It took centuries to learn how to swing like that. Kevin and the rest of the front line followed his lead along with himself. There was no way to describe the way it felt to throw a sword into flesh and feeling it cutting. The Pendragon went down instantly as its throat was slit and AJ raced by to the next one.
Now he was back in Rome.
“Look out!” Brian hears someone yell as a Pendragon on horse back makes his way over to him holding out a long spear. Brian turns his horse towards him quickly and begins to charge toward the on coming invader. He sees an elfin arrow soar from the line of shooters perched on the hill striking the Pendragon in the chest knocking him off his horse. Brian continues to ride through the mess of elves and Pendragons swinging his sword at anything that came in his path the resembled a Pendragon.
He could see Nick rushing across the land in the opposite direction picking up a spear stuck in the ground and throwing it at a Pendragon hitting him in the neck. This was war…it was an all out war now. Bodies littered the ground only minutes into the crusade both elfin and Pendragon. He looks over to his left quickly as he sees Quest screaming out as she picks up another sword holding each in one hand now and taking off towards an elf that needed assistance. He could hear Oleander yelling out commands in elfish and the arrows raining down onto the Pendragons from the elves behind them. This was it. This would decide if the elves ruled or fell.
He kicks his horse in the side quickly as he races over towards lance that needed help and throws his sword down across the collarbone of a Pendragon. Speckles of blood littered his face mixed with dirt now and his face was emotionless as he made his way towards Lance. The same face that had spent years in Kentucky going to church and sitting in school for hours upon hours. The same face that if it ever made it out of here alive would never look at the world the same way again. He thought he had problems when they shut off his heat before…no now this was a problem. Mass destruction of the world…yeah that was on the top of the list.
“FIRE!” Kevin yells as his horse rears back as an elfin arrow lit on fire strikes a Pendragon. The elves were using fire now…thank God, “STAND TOGETHER” Kevin yells out at the troops hopping to keep them from getting separated too much.
“What the hell is that!” Nick yells and Kevin looks up in the sky quickly.
A large black shape had come into the sky now. No more then one large black shape about a dozen of them now.
“Griffin!” Oleander yells.
“It’s a fucking griffin,” Nick yells amazement filling his voice.
Half lion half bird the thing soars over the battle gazing down on it before letting out a shriek and plunging to the ground sweeping up two elves and taking them into the air. The elves try to escape up within a minute they are dropped from the air and their bodies hit the ground with a disgusting thud.
“Archers!” Oleander yells up at them and points to the griffins with his sword as the archers begin to take their aims at the griffins.
The elves were losing their ground now. They were losing it fast.
AJ feels the ground rush to his body as he is thrown from the horse and the dirt covers his clear skin. He jumps to his feet quickly and picks up his fallen sword as a Pendragon begins to charge at him. He knocks the sword from the Pendragon’s hands along with losing his own. He lets out a loud hiss before grabbing the Pendragon’s head between his hands and twisting the neck with a sickening crack. The Pendragon sinks to the ground instantly from the broken neck as AJ races over to his fallen sword picking it up. He was on foot now.
AJ lets out a cry as he races over the ground on foot trying to find Kevin. The griffins were still circling overhead and they continue to pick and drop elves. The fire arrows were hitting them now and they let out shrieks as the fire burned their hard skin. AJ loses his footing and falls to the ground once more as he lands beside a dead elf body. His eyes get large before scrambling to his feet again and running once more.
He sees Justin fitting hand to hand on his feet as well with a Pendragon. His fangs were flashing and he was hissing with each swing of the sword he took. AJ runs up behind the Pendragon grabbing his head and snapping his neck as well. Justin stares at him from a dirt and blood covered face thankfully.
“That,” AJ says, “Is how a vampire fights.”
Brian looks around again as the elves begin to shrink back towards the direction they came from. Everything was going wrong. No they weren’t supposed to go back now. Brian was on his feet walking through the mess now. He looks over as AJ and Justin begin to fight back to back with their swords against the Pendragons. Kevin was still on his horse yelling out orders while trying to fight of the Pendragons. Nick was on his feet covered in blood trying to fight off an attacker. Josh was trying his best to fight off two Pendragons as Lance quickly tried to rush to his aid. Brian looks over in a daze as a Pendragon hits Quest across the stomach with his sword and she sinks to her knees. He could see Oleander screaming out as he rushed over on horseback to help her. Everything was so blurry now. So confusing. He feels his head grow lighter as he falls to his knees. He looks down at his hands and sees them covered in blood before falling forward onto the earth.
Kevin looks over as he sees Oleander jump down from his horse and fall to the ground near Quest cradling hr in his arms. He looks over to his other side and sees Brian sink to the ground then.
“BRIAN!” he yells out racing over towards him. He reaches his fallen body before jumping off his horse and picking Brian’s body up, “JOSH!” he yells out in the confusion as he sees Josh rush over to Quest. He couldn’t hear him, “JOSH!” he yells again, “JOSH!”
“So I’m dead then,” Brian says as he faces Death from the spot where he stood by a smoothly flowing stream in her realm.
Death stares down at the water in reply.
“Am I dead!” he yells out.
“Yes,” she says softly.
Brian looks down at the water before looking up at her, “Send me back.”
“You don’t know what to do,” she says in reply.
“Send me back,” Brian says again.
“Brian perhaps our time has ended.”
“SEND ME BACK!” Brian yells at her as she turns to look at him.
“Do you know what you need to do?”
Brian nods.
“Very well,” she says and walks closer to him, “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she says to him covering his eyes with her right hand as his vision fades to darkness.
Brian’s eyes pop open and he takes in a large breath of air as Kevin stares down at him in amazement.
“You’re…you’re alive,” Kevin says to him letting him go.
Brian nods as he gets to his feet again quickly.
“You sure you’re ok?” Kevin asks him getting to his feet and once again pulling out his sword.
“I’m fine,” Brian says walking over and pulling a sword from the ground for his own.
“Where are you going?” Kevin asks following him.
“I need to do this alone,” Brian says as he walks quickly over the battlefield.
Kevin stops walking and stares at his back as he continues to walk swinging his sword at any Pendragons that would dare to come any closer to him.
Brian was determined now. He walked quicker and quicker before finally breaking into a run crossing over the battle ground quickly before reaching the end of the Pendragon lines. He knew what he had to do now. He had to find Memnoch.
“Help me,” Oleander cries to Josh cradling Quest in the middle of the battlefield.
Josh looks down at Quest in his arm and tries to hide the frown that crosses his face. Quest was bleeding heavily from her stomach now and he was struggling to get out breaths choking out the ones she manages to get. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her injured stomach and her hands were stained the color red from her blood. Josh bends down next to her moving her hands away from the wound before grimacing. It was deep too deep to be healed on the spot here. He needed to get her away from the battle to a place where she could rest.
“I can’t do it here,” he says shaking his head and looking at Oleander, “The wound is too deep.”
Oleander looks at him and nods shoving her into his arms, “Take her out of here,” he says to him whistling loudly as his horse runs over on command dodging its way through the maze of people, “Now,” he says to Josh.
Josh nods standing up with her in his arms as Oleander takes her away so Josh can mount to horse.
Oleander hands Josh to her quickly once Josh is settled, “Go fast,” he says to Josh as Josh nods and kicks the horse sending it racing across the battlefield back towards Lothlorien. Oleander watches them race off before picking his sword up again and turning around racing back into the battle crying out.
Brian makes his way to the end of the Pendragon lines before being surrounded by six of them. He takes his sword up pacing around in a circle trying to decide which one to attack first.
“He’s mine,” a voice says from behind the Pendragons and all six of them back away as a black-cloaked figure makes his way into the middle of the circle. He was taller then Brian close to 6’2 probably, “So we meet again Brian,” the voice says from underneath the cloak, “Tell me have you changed your mind?”
“I’m going to kill you,” Brian says to him.
“Kill me,” the voice says, “Brian, I never was alive,” he says as the cloak drops to reveal a young male in his mid to late twenties. He had jet-black hair, porcelain colored skin and bright blue eyes wearing all black.
Brian’s eyes grow wide as he finally recognizes him.
“Expecting someone more devilish looking?” Memnoch asks taking a sword from his side.
“You can say that,” Brian says as he takes in the humanly looking figure standing before him.
“I take it you met my brother then?” Memnoch says as he twirls his sword around, “Octavious was always the favorite. Now whose side do you choose Brian?” he asks.
The reply though is a loud scream from Brian as he runs at Memnoch and the swords connect. The two begin to encircle each other striking their swords together. Brian twirls the sword around striking up high as Memnoch blocks it smiling at him. Brian went low. Memnoch went low. Brian went high. Memnoch went high. Brian went to the side. Memnoch went to the side
“Give up Brian,” Memnoch says as the two swords connect again and both of them go inward towards each other, “Just make it easy and give up.”
“Fuck you,” Brian snaps throwing him off and backing away as he regains control of his sword.
Memnoch runs at Brian again as the swords meet each other with a loud clang and the two begin to fight again. Pacing around mirroring each other the two travel within the small clearing made for them by the Pendragons.
“We’ll never stop coming,” Memnoch says as he swings at Brian again and Brian ducks, “Never.”
Brian locks eyes with Memnoch before sneering, “Go back to hell,” he says as he runs at Memnoch clanging sword against sword once more before spinning around him. Memnoch goes to turn around quickly running towards Brian as Brian twirls the sword in his right hand. Brian looks at him hard as the sword comes closer towards him and he produces a smaller sword from underneath his cloak hitting Memnoch in the chest as he runs towards him.
Memnoch looks down at the sword before looking up at Brian, “Damn you,” he mutters as he rams his own sword into Brian’s chest before collapsing to the ground.
AJ looks up as a griffin falls to the ground and twenty elves jump on it stabbing away. The elves begin to push back towards the Pendragons and AJ looks up at the sky as the darkness begins to recede. The sun begins to break free finally and sunshine pours down onto the land as the darkness creeps away from them. AJ looks down at the ground as the shadow recedes and moves past himself as he feels the sun pour down on him. He looks over at Kevin who is staring up at the sky with Oleander. The Pendragons look up and see the sun before screeching as one as they slow begin to disappear into dust. A strong wind blows across the field wiping away the dust and carrying it off into the direction the darkness is going. AJ looks over as Oleander lets a big smile cover his face.
“Victory!” Oleander yells raising his sword into the air as all the elves begin to cheer at once.
AJ smiles brightly as he races over towards Kevin, “We did it,” AJ says to him, “We did it,” he yells hugging Kevin as Justin, Lance, Chris and Nick run up.
“Where’s Brian?” Nick asks Kevin.
“Back there somewhere,” Kevin says looking back towards the other hill.
“Josh?” Lance asks.
“Left with Quest,” Kevin says.
AJ nods letting out a long sigh as he sees the faces around him smile from underneath the dirt and blood.
It was over. It was all over.
Brian opens his eyes and stares up the sky as the sound of a stream fills his ears, “Shit,” he mutters sitting up quickly as he sees Death sitting next to him wearing a long blue dress with a blue jeweled necklace across her forehead again smiling, “I’m dead again aren’t I?”
Death nods smiling.
“What?” Brian asks.
“You did it,” Death smiles, “You saved us.”
Brian smiles widely.
“You did it,” she says again smiling.
“But…but I’m dead,” Brian says.
Death shakes her head no smiling, “Death is only the beginning Brian…only the beginning,” she says.
“I don’t understand,” Brian says.
“Brian…Brian you’re one of us,” Death says, “You completed it. The cycle is done you are a Libera. You are one of us.”
“I’m hope,” he says softly.
She nods smiling.
“I’m hope,” he smiles before lying back down and stretching out in the sunlight.
Now he could sleep.
“May it be an evening star. Shines down upon you. May it be when darkness falls. Your heart will be true. You walk a lonely road. Oh! How far you are from home. Mornie utulie. Believe and you will find your way. Mornie alantie. A promise lives within you now. May it be the shadow's call. Will fly away. May it be your journey on. To light the day. When the night is overcome. You may rise to find the sun. Mornie utulie. Believe and you will find your way. Mornie alantie. A promise lives within you now. A promise lives within you now.” – Enya “May It Be”
