Blades of Death

Chapter 17

Khizo knew he could just stay back at the camp but when Triston shouted, “Krimighans, Charge!”, there was something about his voice that made Khizo unsheathe his sword and gallop towards the Petukian army standing outside the city gates. When he looked back, he found Cloris behind him too.

The entire world slowed down for Khizo as the Petukian army came nearer to him. This wasn’t the first time he was charging into battle but this time he knew he was fighting in it rather than running away. 

As soon as the first soldier was close enough to him, Khizo swung his sword, knocking the soldier with it and then advanced forward, killing more on his way. 

Within a few minutes, Khizo’s reflexes had taken over him. He found himself deflecting attacks by soldiers and striking them without even thinking about it. At one part, he turned into a killing machine, stabbing the soldiers effortlessly. Anybody who got closer to him got a taste of his sword. 

The more he killed, the more confidence he got. Very soon, he was going after soldiers all alone. Without even giving it a thought, he went after a group of eight Petukian soldiers who had drifted away from the main battle. 

Unfortunately, his heroic moment was short-lived because as he charged at the soldiers, one of them shot him with an arrow on his chest, knocking Khizo off his horse. 

Mustering all his strength, Khizo stabbed the nearest soldier to him and rolled away from a brute carrying an axe. 

The axeman charged again but Khizo dodged him once more. He then tried to kick the axeman but the axeman grabbed his leg and slammed at it with his fists, causing Khizo to scream with agony. 

The axeman brought his axe close to Khizo one more time and was about to deliver a final blow when an arrow was nocked at him followed my more arrows. Khizo turned back to find Cloris riding towards him as fast as he could. He took two more shots and took down another soldier, leaving only five remaining. 

As soon as Cloris was close enough to the group of five soldiers, he took out his dagger and stabbed another soldier with it. He then blocked the attack by other soldiers with his shield as he waited for Khizo to get up. 

Once Khizo had managed to stand up again, Cloris wasted no time in pulling him on his horseback and then spurring Cal to go as fast as it could with Aron behind him. 

Cal kicked all the soldiers around him but before he could run ahead, the soldiers got up and attacked the horse, sending him down to the ground. 

“You bastards!” Cloris dragged out his dagger and stabbed the nearest soldier to him repeatedly. Khizo joined the fight too, disarming another soldier and then killing him, leaving only two remaining. Both the soldiers charged together at Khizo but he was prepared for it. He brought his shield to the face of the first soldier, throwing him towards Cloris and then quickly deflected the attack by the remaining one soldier. 

The soldier attacked Khizo again but once again his attack was deflected. When the soldier brought his sword at Khizo the third time, Khizo dodged the attack and then brought his leg between the legs of the soldier, causing him to fall down. 

“Good job.” Cloris came towards Khizo, wiping the blood from his dagger. 

“We need to go back to the army,” Khizo said as he ended the misery of the soldier. “Is Cal okay?”

Cal was lying injured on the ground with blood pooling out from his body. He let out a low nicker before turning lifeless.

“Goodbye, my old friend. You’ll be missed.” Cloris stroked Cal’s smooth body one last time. 

“I am so sorry about your horse,” Khizo said. 

“It’s okay.” Cloris said with a straight, “We need to go back to the main battle.”

Triston was not having a good time. Despite the odds being equal, Krimighan soldiers were still getting crushed beneath the might of the Petukian army. He tried his best to turn the tide of the war by letting out all his skills and experience in his sword as he slayed the Petukian soldiers. 

“You need help?” Khizo and Cloris made their way past an entire line of Petukian soldier, killing them as they came towards Triston. 

“Where have you been?” Triston asked, “And where’s your horse, Cloris.”

“He’s gone. But how’s the battle going?” Cloris asked as he nocked an arrow at another soldier. 

“I am so sorry about your loss. As for the battle, we are still losing.” Triston answered. 

“Well then, it’s time to change the tide of the war. Let’s go, Aron.” 

Khizo killed more Petukian soldier as he made his way to the Krimighan army camp with Cloris sitting behind him on the horse. He kept on asking questions. 

“Can you tell me what you are going to do?” Cloris asked when they arrived at the camp.

“Just remain quiet please,” Khizo said as he got out of the horse and walked to a patrol guard. 

“I need two swords and a rope,” Khizo demanded. 

“Why?” The guard asked. 

“For a weapon,” Khizo replied. 

“You can find swords in the armoury. I’ll arrange a rope.” The guard replied. 

The camp was almost empty. The only people inside the camp were those injured in the battle. 

“Can you please tell me what you are doing?” Cloris asked again. 

“Just wait,” Khizo shouted as he looked around until he found the tent storing all the weapons. 

The armoury was nothing like they thought it will be. Most of the weapons it stored were already taken away. There were only five swords remaining in a box.

“They’ll do,” Khizo stated as he grabbed two swords from the box.

He then went back to the entrance of the camp where the guard was waiting for them. He had managed to arrange a rope.

“I hope whatever you plan to do will be successful. We are losing the battle.” The guard said as he handed the rope to Khizo.

“We will win.” Cloris declared. 

When Cloris turned back to Khizo, he found him tying the two swords to Aron with the help of the rope.

“Oh, that’s what you planned to do? That’s clever!” Cloris exclaimed.

“It’s done,” Keizo said at last. He had attached two swords to Aron with the help of a rope. “You ready for a ride, Cloris?”