On the Field of Battle - Part 2

On the Field of Battle = Part 2
A variety of short tales from the myriad battlefields past, present, future, factual or fanciful. Mankind doing what it seems to do so often, and oh, so very well.
__________________________________________________Ambushed
Figured I was a dead man. I had no idea that he was there. I stepped into the clearing and suddenly he was on me. I blocked his attack with one hand while pulling my knife with the other. He was a slasher. I hate slashers. I always try to avoid them and long for the chance to drive my weapon to the hilt in them - several times. He slashed at me repeatedly, cutting my hand and eventually slashing across my gut. It was not very deep, but the pain made me overly defensive. I got knocked off balance and landed on my hands and knees at his feet. I took a desperate stab at his legs as I tried to regain my footing but suddenly he was hit broadside by Drew as he came to my rescue. "Unhhhh!" he grunted as Drew pulled him by his waist and his shorts, pulling him to the ground, the two of them rolled, grunting and snarling, jumping to their feet to square off.
Drew never gave the bastard a chance. He drove his big blade into his gut three times before he dropped to his knees. Drew then jammed his knife into him, shoved it harder, and shoved again as the blade emerged from the guy's back, each thrust accompanied with a "Garrrggghhh!" "Unghhhh!" "Gaaahhhhh!"
Blood poured from him as Drew held him up, waiting for him to die. Finally Drew ripped his knife out of him and stabbed him right through the waistband of his trunks, still holding him up, he ripped his blade upward until he hit the guy's breastbone. I watched as his guts spilled out on the ground and Drew dropped him face down into his gutpile. He made a feeble effort to raise his head but collapsed for the last time and lay still.
Drew turned to me, His eyes lit up with excitement as he saw me standing. "You ok Ben?" Drew asked me, as he realized for the first time that I was alive. "I thought you were a goner."
"Me too," I admitted. "Thanks." He grabbed me with a bearhug that sent pain tearing through me. Slapping me on the back he said, "Lets get you back, you need some patching up there." he said. "Besides, we don't know if he was alone."
"Putting his arm around me, he started walking back to the base. I was really lucky he was there for me.

__________________________________________________
Last to Die

The battle raged on and on. Neither side was faring all that well. One by one they fell, and then their killers fell at the hands of another. Keith was wearing out but he was doing the best he could. Getting to his feet after the latest kill, he pulled his spear from the soldier's chest and turned to face the lone remaining opponent.
The kid looked too young to be in battle at all. Keith stood, waiting to see if he might run away but the soldier charged at him with a fury that took Keith by surprise. He realized that he should have attacked when he had the chance as he was driven backward by the ferocious rage of the onslaught. Tripping over the body of his latest victim, Keith stumbled backward. His attacker screamed with a renewed fury as Keith fell. He threw his spear. . .
"Guuhhhhgh!" The spear plunged deep in Keith's gut. Keith struggled to escape the penetrating steel but there was no escape to be had. He was suddenly aware of the pain that he had inflicted on so many others today. The weight of the spear handle twisted and pulled the spear point downward and forced Keith to hold the weapon up with one hand. The spear had been taken from one of his fallen comrades and now it would prove to be the instrument of death for him. The wild eyed soldier screamed again and ran toward Keith, planning to finish him off. Keith quickly grabbed his own spear and defensively pointed it at the charging soldier. "Aaaaaaaghhhh!"
The young soldier stopped dead, literally, the spear now planted in his heart, he looked down at his chest and toppled to the ground. Keith lay on the battle field, slowly dying, hearing the moans of other wounded and dying men from both sides all eventually go silent in a battle that neither side had won.
__________________________________________________
Swordsman's Death
My luck was running out. I had climbed down to the rowboat and managed to make it undiscovered to the shore. Armed with this beautiful sword, I was confident but still hoping to escape to the sanctuary of the woods before I was discovered. - No such luck.
"Stop where you are!" The booming voice ordered. I stopped.
"Throw down your weapon." The voice ordered. I turned to see who was speaking and to my relief I saw he was armed with a sword too. At least he wasn't going to shoot me.
"Take it from me - If you can. . ." I challenged.
He was not from the ship. He was dressed in jeans and barefoot. Not wearing a uniform like I was.
"Just let me pass and no one gets hurt." I offered. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I'm escaping from that ship." I pointed toward the "Vessage" with my sword. "I was kidnapped and made to serve on her."
"That's a military uniform you're wearing." He pointed out.
"That's the way they do it. They kidnap you and force you to serve on board. They kill deserters. I'm a dead man if I go back."
"You're a dead man if you stay." He demanded. "We don't like strangers here."
"Then you leave me no choice. If I go back I die, if I stay here I have to fight for my life." "At least here I have a fighting chance."
"If you kill me, others will hunt you down." he said as we started squaring off.
"I told you, if I go back to the ship, they will kill me. I don't need to stay here, let me pass through and I will not return."
"I cannot." he said, swinging at me. Our swords clashed loudly as he attacked.

The battle was furious, he was good. I knew that I could not give him any chance. I was just barely a match for him. Our different fighting styles put us both on the defensive, not sure what the other might do next.
He slashed with the curved blade and thrust toward me every chance he got. I was amazed at the speed he managed with his blade. I barely missed getting skewered and had very little opportunity to score any blood on him.

"You fight like a woman." I taunted. A sudden fire lit in his eyes.
That was it! He reacted to my taunt with anger.
"Pussy boy! Did your mommy teach you to fight?"
"Shut up!" He snarled.
"Why, are you going to sick your mommy on me?"
"You die!" He screamed as he raised his sword over his head as if to chop me in half. It was the chance I was looking for. Diving in under his raised sword, I drove my sword at him with both hands as I ducked and rolled to the side.
Looking up at him, he was frozen in place with his sword still raised. He looked down at his gut where my sword now protruded from his body. The blade had gone completely through and as much was sticking out his back as was showing in front.

He stepped backwards, loosing strength as he lowered his sword from over his head, he fell back, sitting down hard at the water's edge. The pain of falling with the sword through him sapped his strength quickly. He dropped his sword across is lap and stared down at the blade in him. A small wave splashed over him, wetting him down and carrying a bright red stain back down the beach and out to sea.
"I really didn't want to kill anyone." I told him. "I just wanted to escape."
"I couldn't let you pass." He said quietly. "Others will come. They will kill you. They will avenge my death."
"If they do, they do." I said, reaching for the handle of my sword.
"But you will never know." I said. Pulling the blade free from his body, he gasped, braced himself as the blood poured from the wounds into the surf. Taking a deep breath, he let out with a loud, scream. "Eeeyyyyyyaaaaaaggggggggggghhhhh!" He then toppled back and lay still. The shriek echoed back into my ears. I was sure that someone had to hear him so I turned toward the tree line and left his dead body to the will of the sea.
Hope his friends are lousy swordsmen...

---

Sacrifice
"Hurry! They're coming, Get out quick! I'll try to hold them back, go NOW!"
Vin,'s voice was strained with the urgency of the moment. I looked up at the window and his naked form was silhouetted in the bright light streaming into the cellar where we were hiding.
"Come down here with us, don't let them see you!" I called back.
"They've already seen me, go now. Don't make me die in vain."
The words hit me like an arrow in the heart. I couldn't think of him dying. He was so strong, so good looking, so smart. He had been my companion and lover for months now and he always kept us one step ahead of the hunters that were sweeping the cities, cleaning out the stragglers that refused to join with the new order. Kill on sight, no mercy for anybody. If they found us, we would die.
"Peter! Go!... I love you. Use what I've taught you - Go!"
Before I could protest, Vin let out a muted groan as he struggled to hold on to the window frame as an unseen soldier drove his spear through Vin's back and out through his navel. His awesome body arched against the thrust and strained to hold on just a little longer. I started to scream his name but one of our people, Robert, cupped his hand over my mouth as he dragged me into the tunnel opening. "Come on, It's too late to save him." Robert whispered, "He did this for us - - Come on. Move."
The last thing I saw was Vin falling face down to the floor with a sickening thud, followed by another spear thrown down into his back, between his shoulders, splitting his spine. He didn't have time to suffer long, the suffering was to be mine, every time I thought of him and the last thing I ever saw of him in that cold cellar.
"I miss you, Vin. I still love you."

"I will always love you."
__________________________________________________
Swordsman's Death 2
As I had feared, the horrendous shriek had been heard by someone. Before I got very far in the forest, I heard the next swordsman coming my way.
"Stop where you are! You cannot pass."
"What is it with you people? I don't want to hurt anyone, I just need to move on."
"You cannot come this way. I will kill you."
"I can't go that way, those on that ship out there will kill me if they catch me."
He kept coming toward me, I started backing away, hoping to be able to talk some reason to him. He was not having it.
We were at the treeline now and he could see the ship anchored offshore.
"Tell them to leave or they die too." he challenged.
"You're not listening." I said. "They will kill me if they catch me. I have no choice."
"Then you die here at my hand." He said, changing his stance, ready to attack.
I backed out onto the beach where I at least had only him and the sand to deal with. He followed me, eagerly slashing and stabbing at me with his sword. He was confident, and quick.
"Did your mother teach you to fight?" I asked. "You fight like a woman."
"Better than you," he replied "You fight like a little girl."
- Well, that didn't work.
He became more aggressive. Slashing and driving me back as he tried to send me to my great reward. I was getting tired fast.
Suddenly his eyes widened. Looking past me he became agitated over something he saw, giving me a renewed hope for my survival.
"Arno! Arno! Noooo! You've killed Arno!
Turning his attention to me he started is attack with renewed rage.
I backed away, not daring to turn and run, he kept hacking at me, now using overhead, two handed chopping and slashing attacks. I soon stumbled and sat on my ass in the sand as he continued to drive into me.
I rolled to the side just as his blade chuffed into the sand where I had been sitting. As he pulled his sword back I rolled again, this time toward him, driving my blade upward into his waiting gut.
"Aaaaagggghhhh!" He groaned as my blade tore through him. "Unh! Uhh, Arno! Arno, I join you."
He was now laying on the sand, panting as his life slowly fled away. He was aroused and pumping his last as the waves of pleasure and agony rocked his strong, young body.
"It didn't need to happen this way," I said, "I just need to get away from the ship, that's all." "I never wanted to kill you or Arno. You left me no choice."
"Arno." He whispered. "I love you."
"Then it's time to join him." I said, standing to my feet. Picking up his sword I positioned it over his heart. He looked up into my eyes and smiled. "Thank you. You make me stronger."
"Not from my point of view." I answered. "Good bye."
I shoved the blade into his chest. I was amazed at how easily it slipped through him. It was almost as if he was not even there. A renewed fountain of thick white fluid erupted from his shorts, spreading on his leg and the sand He lay back on the sand and relaxed in his death sleep. He passed so peacefully at the end. I marveled at the incredible blade he had used. I pulled my sword from his gut, having to plant my foot on him to pull it free. Then I removed the sword from his heart. It came free with an incredible ease.
Again, another shot of white fluid erupted from his manhood, landing on my foot.
Enough time wasted here, I thought, and headed off toward the treeline again.

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On the field of Battle - Part 1
On the field of Battle - Part 2
On the field of Battle - Part 3
On the Field of Battle - Part 4