3 The raid

Four days had passed since that night and the whole village had experienced a shift in the atmosphere. The brawls which had occurred almost every day had come to an end... well almost.

*Thud* thud* the ringing sound continued to resound in his ears as he hammered away. Standing before the inferno that was the forge Arthor focused on the metal before himself, sweat continued to pour out from his forehead snaking down the rest of his upper body that resembled a teenager more than a child of seven name days.

After another half an hour of working on his axe, Arthor brought it closer for inspection and spotted a wide grin, satisfied with his work. "Let's have a look" a sudden voice appeared from behind him startling him for a second.

"I said let's have a look" The voice spoke once more causing Arthor to turn around and hand the axe to Barth the blacksmith who was even bigger than Harwood standing at a staggering 6ft10. "hmm" was the first thing he said after staring at the axe for a good minute before shifting his gaze back to Arthor.

"Oi you sure ya just seven name days. I know some lads at eight ten name days who don't even compare to you ya know". "None of them are Arthor son of Harwood" Arthor simply responded with confidence, he had learnt some time ago that being humble was not a good thing on Skagos.

"Aye, that they are not", Barth returned the axe to Arthor "Now get out of me smithy the raids will begin in but a few days and the men need weapons so out, I said out with ya" Arthor gave a simple nod putting his shirt back on and leaving with his axe tied to his side.

Taking a look at the busy village, Arthor thought to himself 'what should I do next'. The thought lasted for a full minute before settling for archery, unlike the others here who only trained in one and two weapons at most. Arthor had taken it upon himself to train in everything he could lay his hands on.

And although he had been unable to improve as quickly as his peers by combining his knowledge from this world as well as his last, he was able to come up with his own fighting style that overwhelmed all his opponents.

Arthor had arrived at his home to grab his bow, walking over the rag made from Unicorn hair. He was quick to notice the silence, "you're back early" his mother quirked a brow at his appearance. He was almost among the first to awake performing all his chores before heading out to train only returning around home around supper which was why his understood his mother's question.

"I am here for my bow. What about Lothor and Ronell I can't seem to hear the two little terrors" His mother let out a snort at his joke, "they are out with the other children playing warriors I b-" His mother was cut of by the sound of a deafening horn.

That was the first ever time Arthor had heard that sound but he knew what it meant how could he not, his mother and father had drilled into him the meaning since before he could remember.

His mother was first to run out with Arthor quickly running to grab his bow alongside a quiver of arrows with a weapon at hand Arthor run out in time to see the army of Skagossi riding to his village on unicorns the sound of the hooves of the goats as they made contact with the earth resounded like a war drum growing in intensity with each passing second.

The men of the village grab their own weapons charging to meet their enemies, no exchange of words no strategy just a straightforward battle of strength, the Skagossi way.

The two sides soon made contact, Arthor watched as one the village men was impaled by the horn of a unicorn, straight through the chest. His killer did not get to live long as a spear found a way into the eyes of the rider, the battle field was a brutal one with blood skin and guts spilling everywhere, dying the grey earth a bright red.

Snapping out of the shock of the brutal scene, Arthor turned around and began sprinting towards where he knew the children liked to play.

The streets of the village were pure chaos as some of the invaders had managed to make it in. Arthor nimbly avoided a wild swing of a battle axe that came seemingly out of nowhere, turning around Arthor quickly nocked and let loose an arrow sending it through the throat of the invader.

The invader choked out on his blood and fell backwards but before his body could hit the ground, Arthor rushed him snatching the battle axe before moving to the roof of a building in one quick movement enabling him to avoid a mad charge from two invaders.

The invaders looked up at him which enabled for another villager to rush up from behind a chop into one the guys. The force behind that swing was strong enough to send the invader to the ground where he continued to chop into the invader bathing in his blood as he screamed bloody murder.

The other invader attempted to join in the battle but was put to a stop by an arrow into the brain through the eye which originated from none other than Arthor. Arthor continued his journey through the rooftops letting an arrow fly every now and then as he hurried praying to any god who would listen to let his siblings be okay.

He soon arrived at clearing where bodies littered the ground, three women stood their ground fighting with kitchen knives which they did not hesitate to send into the invaders. Amongst this group of women Arthor laid eye on his mother who was now drenched in blood, tightening his grip on his battle axe he hurled it towards his mother who was now up against three men on her own.

"Mother!!" his shout alerted her to the battle axe which she grabbed before proceeding to behead the three men with a single slice from her battle axe. "AAAAAAArrrrggh!!!!!" She let out a war cry before charging the Invaders, her axe never ceasing to move.