Rising to Fall

Chapter 3-1

Better map quality this time!

Part 3

Fighting Back

The armourers of the Benjas are hard at work, as are the miners that scour the territory for precious metals that lie deep in the ground. They are after a specific ore that is most bountiful in the land bordering that of the Squids' territory. When the ore is freshly mined from the ground, it is called gold, but after it is specially heated and moulded into various shapes it is called butter due to the technique used to melt the metal until it is the consistency of the spread. Another thing the miners look for, which proves to be much trickier to find than the ore, is a dark purple rock which becomes a bright purple when polished. A small rounded piece of the rock is set in each of the crosspieces of each sword that was owned by the Sky Army.

Even though Adam never requested it from him, General Mitch instructed his armourers and weaponsmiths to fashion enough swords and armour for the small Sky Army so that each warrior has two swords and a set of armour. Although Adam had said that they couldn't fight and the army is 12 years out of practice, Mitch hopes that the familiarity that the weapons and armour bring will spur them to action. That, however, doesn't seem to be the case.

The Sky Army recruits train under the teaching of the Benja Commanders. Their movements are sloppy at first but there is an almost immediate improvement until they are getting better by the day. Despite this, it is clear to see that there is no hope in them, no fire to fill their body. They train because that's what they've always done, they are punctual and ready because that's what they've been told to do. They rarely smile but they do their best not to make the members of the other armies dispirited.

When Mitch presents the recruits with an option to patrol the walls of his city with his own warriors, quite a number volunteer. As the rest of the armies also train and prepare for war against the Squids, a routine spontaneously develops between the Sky Army and the Benjas as the small army take on more chores that the Benjas complete to free them up for training and preparing for battle.

Only a day or so after the last group of Sky Army recruits arrive at Nad'ij, patrols around 100 men strong start being sent out from the armies to make certain that no Squids are in the territory of the Benjas. At first, they find nothing, but Squids are soon being sighted in the following week or two.

"They'd be idiots if they haven't figured out that we've all left," Adam mutters quietly to Mitch as the two walk through the main streets of Nad'ij. "And if there's one thing that the Squids aren't, it's idiots."

"Shame," Mitch says. "It would make our job so much easier."

Adam almost smiles at this. Almost. A newly fashioned sword is in a sheath on his back and the polished purple stone lies dull and dark in the crosspiece. The presence of the sword reminds Mitch of something that he has meant to ask Adam.

"Hey, Lachlan and I are going out on a patrol that will probably take a day or two. Do you want to come?" he asks.

Adam looks at him, his face impassive. He then looks away at the training grounds that are coming up on their right and left, where two groups of 20 recruits each are training.

"I'm not needed here at the moment, so why not?" he says finally.

Mitch grins. "We're just about to head off, so let's go."

The two make their way to the far end of the training grounds, where a collection of roughly 50 Benja warriors are mounting their horses and tightening the straps of their shields and saddles. There is a spare horse already saddled and ready to go that is offered to Adam when he and Mitch reach the group. Adam gives Mitch a suspicious look which is ignored. As they ride out of the gates of the city, another group of 50 warriors canter up to meet them, Lachlan at their head. They also have a few pack horses that hold food and supplies for the night that they will spend in the great outdoors.

"I was thinking of starting in the west and working our way eastward," the Battle Craft General says to Mitch as the two groups merge.

"Sounds good."

They head out in a northwesterly direction, moving at a light canter. The morning sun shines down on them, reflecting off their shining chainmail shirts and swords. At midday they dismount, having some lunch and resting the horses before mounting up again and continuing the patrol. Only a few minutes after this, one of the men who is scouting ahead spins his horse around and canters back to the main group of warriors.

"There is a Squid post ahead, sir, just over the ridge," the man says to General Lachlan as the company comes to a halt. "There are about 30 men from what I could see, although more may be in the tents that they have set up."

"You know, I'm really wondering how many of these outposts have sprung up only because of me helping the Sky Army," Mitch mutters to Lachlan.

"You think that they were in your territory before all of this started?" Lachlan asks.

"I wouldn't put it past them."

Lachlan shrugs slightly and turns in his saddle. "There's a Squid post up ahead," he says clearly, "about 30 men strong. We're going to ride over the ridge ahead and attack. No fancy moves, just head-on attack in an arrow formation. With any luck, we'll catch them unawares. No battle cries either."

The men put their shields on their left arms and gather up their reins in their left hand while their right draws their swords from their sheaths. Adam doesn't have a shield but he doesn't plan on charging into the heart of the battle. In fact, he hadn't planned on fighting at all when he agreed to this trip, but it seems that he doesn't have a choice now. The weight that the sword adds to his hand when he draws it is familiar, but its weight also reminds him of the old days where he led his large and formidable army into battle.

At a signal from Mitch, the group fan out into an arrow formation and ride over the ridge, their horses quickly going from a trot to a fast gallop as they fly over the ground between the ridge and the Squid post. Shouts of alarm from the camp quickly become louder as the group of Benja and Battle Craft warriors bear down on the Squids.

With a loud cracking sound, the group crush the outer line of tents and their swords begin swinging, cutting the surprised Squids down. Most of them are unprepared and so are easy targets for the trained warriors, but several managed to arm themselves and form a coordinated attack, bringing down a few of the warriors before they are killed.

Adam's sword flashes in the sun as he flicks aside a clumsy thrust of a Squid warrior and pushes the blade into the chest of the warrior. The weak cry of the Squid as it dies is lost in the sounds of the battle: the yelling of the few remaining Squids, the sharp orders of Lachlan and the groans of the few wounded. But all these fade in the background as Adam spots something on the other side of the camp: A single Squid warrior swiftly mounting one of the horses that is tied to a stake on the opposite side and riding away. Adam's heart pounds faster as a detail of the Squid screams out at him and he instantly turns the head of his horse and follows in hot pursuit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mitch sees Adam's horse suddenly rear up and spin around before galloping across the half-destroyed camp, Adam leaning low over its neck. Mitch had also seen the Squid warrior mount up and ride away and he calls out to Adam.

"Adam! Leave him! Don't worry about it, it's not worth it!" he yells to be heard over the sounds of the battle. But Adam either doesn't hear or doesn't listen. A Squid's sword swings towards Mitch and he blocks it and knocks it from the warrior's hand before killing him. When he looks back up, Adam and the Squid are quickly decreasing objects on the horizon.