Again, rough draft!
Excerpt Chapter 4
The figure was a giant standing above the Kantoran troops on a small hillock, the mid afternoon sun setting behind him through a layer of dense pine trees. The effect made the man look like a giant of legend, wielding a two bladed axe. It was hard to judge the distance, but he could not be any farther than a hundred feet away, which made him truly a monster of a man. Hugely muscled, thick wasted with long arms he looked like a burly bear given human form. His cloak was thrown over his shoulder to show the embossed breastplate of the Argent Legion proudly shining in the light. A steel helm rested on his head, but there was no mistaking the brilliant blue eyes and dark hair of a northman. Resting in both hands was a massive two headed axe, held casually like a woodcutter might, its blue steel blades shining with deadly intent.
“It took you bastards long enough to find me!” Called the giant. His laughter echoing over the Kantoran troop.
Sentas squared his shoulders and called back. “Not enough to steal from the Royal Army eh?” Motioning to the embossed breastplate he added, “You have to steal from the dead as well?”
The giants eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice growled, the sound rolling down the. “Best watch that tongue of yours you whoreson!”
“Come try and cut it out slime!” Challenged Sentas.
“Not sure I will be able to find it when my axe finds your head!”
Wary of an ambush he motioned to the troop to maintain their defensive circle before motioning to the bowmen to take the giant. The four men nocked arrows and took aim at the massive figure up the hill. Right before their arrows loosed there was a loud thwack as the lead archer stumbled back with a long shafted feathered arrows jutting from his forehead. The arrows had come from up the hill as well, and it had its desired effect, the archers started again and their shots never found their mark, the giant was unharmed.
There was a mighty yell as the undergrowth exploded and men poured out rushing the defensive line. Sentas took quick stock of the situation. The men charging the line were poorly armed, wearing furs and armed with an assortment of weapons ranging from the occasional sword to maces and woodsman axes. They were just farmers and woodsmen throwing themselves against a wall of Kantoran steel.
“Hold the line!” Sentas bellowed as he drew his sword and hammered his shield into the face of one of the charging men. His nose and teeth shattered upon impact with a sickening crunch and the men was thrown backwards. Another man charged at him but Sentas forced him back with the a quick upward slash of his sword as it slid from its scabbard.
The first rush of men had slammed into the shield wall on all sides, but the Kantoran soldiers and met the charge with shields and swords. The archers drew string again to launch arrows at another wave of men emerging from the undergrowth. One more of the Kantoran bowmen was felled by another long shafted arrow which was followed by a small hail of smaller arrows. None of the men were seriously hurt from the smaller arrows, having been launched from crudely constructed hunting bows, their iron points couldn't pierce the mail and leather of the Kantoran soldiers.
“Archers, draw steel!” Called Sentas. While the hunting bows had little chance of killing his men, the one fine bow among them could pick his own bowmen off of they were not pressed in close to their allies. With the order the two remaining archers drew their longswords and joined the melee.
The attacking woodsman sent up a flurry of snow on the ground as they collided again with the defensive ring of soldiers. Even though it was difficult to tell in the swirling melee of steel, blood and snow Siestas estimated there was sixty of the woodsmen, and once his men made short work of them and forced them back they could divert their attention to the giant with the axe and the enemy archer.
“Blood and Death!” Announced the arrival of the giant. Three of his soldiers flew backwards, ones chest erupting into a spray of gore as the axe bit into flesh, and then the giant was among them inside their defensive circle.
“Bowmen, to me!” Sentas bellowed over the din of battle. He turned inward to face the new foe, calling upon his archers to assist because they did not have shields to fill the line. “Circle, fill the gap!”
As me moved inward to face the axeman the soldiers took three steps backwards filling in the hole before it could be exploited by any more of the attackers. Sentas moved past the three soldiers who were knocked back by the giant's charge. Two of them were shaking off the impact and getting to their feet to rejoin the line, the third was dead. Arias lay on the ground a look of shock and pain on his face, his chest a gory hole from the gruesome impact of the axe.
Sentas saw in shock horror as Gregor moved into attack, his sword leading the attack. The swing was aimed at chest height, which was just above the waist for the giant. It was a blow to strike at the ribs, but it never connected. The giant did not so much as parry as swat the sword aside with the axe, and in one fluid motion like a lumberjack splitting timber brought the axe up and with a glittering arc brought the axe had down with powerful force.
The steel helms of the Kantoran soldiers were designed to turn aside blows, deflecting the force of swords and axes, but it did little good against the monster and his axe. Sentas had seen many disturbing and gruesome deaths in his service in the army, but nothing quite as stomach wrenching as watching the giant's axe literally smash through Gregor's helm and split his head like a melon. Blood, bone and brain ruptured from the rend and face of the helm. Mercifully Gregor had died upon impact.
Twisting the axehead in the remains of Gregor's skull like a chopping block he pulled the blade free. Sentas and the other bowman rushed in to take advantage of the giant's momentary distraction to end him before he could cause more damage. As the giant pulled his axe free he took a step forward, turning his back to Sentas as he backhanded the charging bowman in the face, bending the nose guard of his helmet and catapulting him off his feet.
“For the Legion!” The giant bellowed, his booming voice thundering in the small hollow, the echoing shacking snow off nearby trees.
The giant's broad cloaked back rose above him as Sentas rushed in with the point of his sword, determined to run the huge man through to the hilt of his blade.
He was three steps away when a searing pain struck him in the back, all strength leaving him as he collapsed. The Archer! He cursed himself as he fell to the ground. The pain was intense, and he barely felt the impact as his face hit the snow... he was blinded, and he could barely hear the sounds of battle as his men fought for their lives.
The ringing of steel, the rending of flesh and the sound of the giant of a man bellowing his warcries as he hewed his way through his men. His vision faded to blackness, and Sentas wondered if he was dying
Enya...
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