The Hybrid Fateful Sorrow

The battle for Masse

“You've been sleeping for too long. You start to forget who you are. Wake up beast. The spirit of Cú Chulainn is resting in you. The blessing of Scáthach lies within your soul,” a voice of a woman.

“Who are you? Where am I?” 

“I am a spirit of the wild. I'm here only to open a pathway, ” she said.

“What am I here for?”

“You are the only one who knows. Why are you here? What is right to you? You can decide for yourself, ” she answered.

“What is it!? What is right!?”

“You need to wake up. Start moving. Don't stop and do what you think is right. I welcome you back Guardian of the wild, ” she announced.

A sting in his eye as soon as he woke up. His head is heavy. His body is tired. But all that means nothing to him but what his eyes can see.

In the slightly lit basement on The Longrider house. With blood that spattered on the lantern dimming it.

Rollo abruptly vomited from the sight of his friends.

Bee and Bold heads were ruggedly chopped with an axe. With both of their heads placed between their legs as they were seated in a wooden chair. An image of terror remained as their eyes were still wide open.

A mix of disgust and infuriation is within Rollo's face. He stands tall on his feet as he extends his hands to the full length of the chain. He gritted his teeth as he easily pulled the chain, breaking it as it clangs to the ground. The same was done to the rest of his chains.

He arose from the dark basement with his bare body. He is now free from the dark cloud of judgment. Stepping his feet knowing where exactly to go.

——

Between The Masse village and The Vaxia towers is where the Longrider awaits.

Fahrer along with his nephew Bogen, Bran, and his five warriors, stands ready at the snowy hill. With Hoch quietly moving from their behind.

“Thanks for coming in here Bran even with all that's happened to you. You came,” Fahrer said.

“It happened or will happen to all of us. My father is still grieving. I'm afraid he's in no condition to come,” Bran replied.

“We will succeed Bran and everything will start to get better,” Fahrer said.

Hoch, upon arriving, quickly equipped himself with a spear on his left hand as he moved to his desired position.

“Are you done? You did what you need to do? As I want you to focus!” Fahrer asked Hoch.

“I'm not done yet. But I'm focused on this fight. Where is Amadeus?” Hoch said.

Fahrer points his hand at the nearby snowy forest on their backs.

“He 'senses' what he called it, that a group of people gathering in the woods, and he thinks it's one of the mercenaries,” Fahrer said.

“What about Magnus?” Hoch asked.

“He is gone, as well as Tingsfia,” Bran said.

“God damn it and damn this cold!” Hoch said irritatingly.

“Should be soon now, wear your helmets, it's getting colder,” Fahrer said as he proceeded to wear his helmet.

The Masse last defender, The Longrider family, and their trained warriors steadily wait as they endure the cold air.

Position at the top of the hill they have the advantage with their range weapons, specifically their recurving bow with a throwing spear nearby. They are ready for their enemies.

The snow continues to fall to the stillness land as if the world is just a big hourglass with snow instead of sand.

Every minute they wait the tension rises. Gripping their bow with a slight tremble. Thoroughly observing the road for any presence of their enemy.

A sound of echo quickly sends chills down to their spine. The winding sound in the air is coming from a blowing horn. That quickly followed by the great extent of hooves galloping on the road.

“Sh*t! Damn these mercenaries! They have horses! And they're riding fast!” Fahrer let out.

The mercenaries dress as bandits with some of them riding a horse in their fur armors while they swing their axes.

Chanting loudly as they send discomfort to anyone hearing them. 

The Longrider and the warriors remain in their position with their bow ready in their arms.

“I see a dozen in a horseback, we should fire at them now they haven't seen us yet!” Hoch let out.

Hoch quickly grabs his throwing spear with the rest following his cue.

“Ready!—” Hoch said only to be interrupted.

“Wait! Hold! I'll get their attention first,” Fahrer said as he quickly grabs a throwing spear.

“What are you doing?” Hoch said loudly.

“I'm baiting them to come to us! Just hide your bow and spear but have it ready,” Fahrer ordered.

The rest quickly followed as they crouched behind the hill with their bow ready to fire.

“Isn't it the plan was to ambush them? Attack them by surprise. Then why are you blowing us all out?” Hoch said.

Hoch continued to aim his spear as he ordered the rest of the team.

“We should fire at them now!”

“No! These are veterans. Experience warriors. Never underestimate them,” Fahrer loudly.

Fahrer stands tall to the rest of them.

“We can't fire from this far while they move that fast. I'm old. My brother is old with only one arm. The rest of you are inexperienced. I can see that from your trembling grips,” Fahrer added.

Turning back to face the enemy moving to Masse.

“Now we can't possibly let them pass, Masse will be massacred,” Fahrer said.

Positioning himself to throw his spear.

“Hide your bow and your body. I'll get them closer. Stand and fire when I say fire,” Fahrer ordered.

Throwing the spear as it whistled in the air, alerting the bandits in its wake. The tip quickly digs on the horse's body, dropping it along with its rider.

The throw wasn't a miss, but he needs to make the enemy feel confident. Let them feel they have the upper hand and strike only when they show their weakness.

Missing it completely would be a waste, but hitting a horse would be a miss and a worthy shot. One less bandit on a horseback.

The horse quickly thuds on the ground, as well its rider. The rest of the riders caught his attention as they traverse up to the hill for him.

“You miss, fool!” the bandit who fell said.

“Is this the Ex-knight, who Kolben fears? What a woman!” one of the bandits said as he rode towards them.

The rest of the mercenaries guise as bandits on foot, trot up into the hill.

The horseback riders gallop heavily to the top of the snowy hill, slowing their movement as they get closer.

“They are getting closer! Don't fear! Get ready!” Fahrer said.

They intensely hide and wait, with a trembling hand they grip tighter.

The bandits were eagerly trotting up the hill on a horseback, raising their axes in the air to ready for a swing.

“Are you scared yet!” the bandit yelled.

Seeing a shape in the darkness. Silhouettes of a man.

“Sh*t! They are hiding!” The bandits quickly yelled to his companion.

“We are too close, just get on with it!”

“Fire at will! Aim with your life depends on it! Fire!” Fahrer ordered quickly.

Fahrer grabs himself a bow quickly, while the rest of his warriors aim at each of their targets, firing their arrows. 

Fahrer, Hoch, Bran, Zismo, and Isabel successfully hit their targets. While Bogen Longrider crouched and hides away from the fight.

Hitting them closely was a very good advantage for them, but with some surrendering to their fear misses the shot. They quickly paid the price. 

The bandits with their horses safe from the arrows reached some of the Longrider warriors.

The bandit's axe is raised as he charges on Doris with the panic ahead of her. She tried to block the attack with her wooden bow.

“No! Stop!” she said as she shrieked.

Only to result in her neck being chopped cleanly, and her bow was cut in half as it hurled away.

Frank fired his arrow only to be wisely blocked by the bandit from raising his horse to a stand. 

“Crap! The horse was on the way!” he said as he quickly rearmed.

The veteran bandit jumps to his side hastily followed by hurling his axe at Frank. 

The heavy axe pierced to his leather armor wounding his chest incapacitating him as he falls to the ground with his chest bleeding.

Ferdi quickly runs to his brother's aid only to be trampled by the horse's sturdy legs along with his brother Frank. Breaking his legs and knocking him out cold.

The five bandits on a horseback and one on his feet against five of the Longrider warrior. With an exception to Bogen who gave up fighting as he prostrated himself on the snowy plains.

Seeing the upcoming dozen more bandits on foot, they are now more determined to fight before they get outnumbered.

“Fight men, right now! Don't fear we are Grisian warriors! We will fight even with our fist!” Fahrer yelled as he grabbed another spear.

“Target the horses first, hit them when they fall!” Hoch ordered.

Hoch quickly throws the spear to one of the horseback riders. Hoch sprints towards the bandit with a spear in his left hand. 

He kicked the outbalance bandit down before impaling him with a spear.

“We are done for! It's too late they are coming…” Bran uttered.

A bandit was charging on Bran while he was distracted by the dozen more upcoming bandits. Heaving his axe from above to strike Bran, only to be speared down as he plunges to the ground.

“Don't wander! Fight Bran! You still have a mission!” Fahrer said.

Remembering what he promised to himself he gathers himself back, and returns to fight!

Fahrer moves closer to Bogen. Kicking him to his senses.

“Don't be a disgrace young man! Fight!” Fahrer said.

Another bandit got his eyes on Fahrer. An experienced warrior clutching on his axe above his shoulder. He hurled the axe into the air aiming at Fahrer.

Seeing the axe in the air. It was too late for him to do anything. Fahrer instinctively moves away as he closes his eyes.

Clangs! The axe quickly shifted its way as it plummeted to the dense snow.

There he was, the hunter. The bloodied Ex-knight came out of nowhere. 

“Amadeus!” Fahrer uttered.

They didn't hear his footsteps or his sprint but there he was. He stands with his longsword raised on his side that repels the axe that was thrown at Fahrer.

The sound of clash still echoes as it slowly fades away.

Amadeus with an almost unseen movement. He dashes to finish the enemy. Cutting them down horribly one by one with ease. 

The marveling speed causes a second-long phantom of where he once was followed by the gushes of the blood of his enemies. Creating a smog of snow from his wake that slowly fades.

In less than a minute they were killed by Amadeus. 

Amadeus slowly walks back to them, gazing with his vermillion red eyes. His heated steel longsword is melting the snow as he heaves it to the ground.

'This is what Lady Munzen saw! The eye of the beast! It's really him!' Bran thought as he gritted his teeth.

The rest of the bandits are coming in close, being led by the man who fell from the horse at the beginning. A redhead with a belt bandana, Jerald Tigersong.

Amadeus was bloodied as he stood tall to them, he spoke with his heavy and deep voice.

“Let's end this.”