Ch - 16 My sword technique? Slice first, make up silly name later.
Lewis shut the book as the door creaked open. Sickwid and Dell entered, breaking his solitude. It had been almost a week since their arrival at Witton Fortress. While Lewis dedicated his time to fulfilling his responsibilities as a lord, his friends had already explored the surroundings and soaked in the sights.
"What's the deal with this book? Is it a diary or some kind of story? Does it have a beginning or what?" Lewis inquired, captivated by the mysterious tome he had picked up a few moments ago to while away the time.
"Oh, I have no idea. Every time I attempt to read it, I doze off after the first few lines. I thought someone might have cast a spell on it. Is there something intriguing in there?" Sickwid questioned.
"Nothing much. It begins in the middle of nowhere with characters that were never introduced before. One of the characters is named Lord Galloguard Ramsdell, and I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any Galloguard in the Ramsdell family for nearly five hundred years. However, the timeline of this story is around thirty years ago when the empire still existed, which makes it too incorrect to be a diary," Lewis explained.
"Then why do you think it's a diary?" Dell inquired, sitting alongside Sickwid on the chairs.
"Because there are just many things in the book that are hard to understand, I don't know why but I am getting the feeling that what written here really happened," said Lewis.
"You must read it then. Anyway, Dell and I were thinking of going for a hunt in the woods in the northwest. Do you want to come?" Sickwid asked while showing him his sword.
"I'd love to come along for the hunt once I take care of a few important things," Lewis replied cheerfully.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, and the shadows of dusk stretched across the land, Lewis headed to the chambers where the former Lord of Witton, Silverfield, was being held. Despite being under house arrest for suspicions of disloyalty, Silverfield looked just as plump and well-fed as when Lewis first saw him upon their arrival.
"Good evening, Lord Silverfield. I've come to discuss the transition of nobility in Witton," Lewis stated.
Silverfield's face reddened with anger, and his plump jowls quivered. "So, you're the royal lackey sent to snatch my title away! What charges does the king's cowardly decree bring against me? I allowed you to share my roof out of respect for your father, and this is how he repays me?"
Unyielding, Lewis retorted, "There's no specific treason, only an assurance that loyalty prevails within Witton's walls. As a servant of the kingdom, you should harbor no resentment toward the king's decisions."
The deposed lord snorted disdainfully, his numerous chins quivering. "You come to take everything I own and anticipate my cheerful surrender! The king has gone far beyond his limits!"
Lewis endeavored to reason with Silverfield patiently. "In these uncertain times before the war, the king requires loyal men. I have been entrusted with the governance of Witton, regardless of your discontent, my lord."
Observing Silverfield remaining unmoved, Lewis altered his approach, stating, "I must also request you to surrender the keys to the castle's lower vaults and armory immediately, as an official matter."
Upon this, Silverfield chortled bitterly through wheezing breath. "The kingdom can pry the keys out of my cold dead hands! I shall never yield them willingly to you, usurper!"
Witnessing the former lord's unwavering resistance, Lewis took his leave without further comment, troubled by Silverfield's reaction.
Lewis, along with his friends Dell and Sickwid, ventured into the woods for a hunting expedition the next day. Accompanying them were thirty of Lewis's personal guards and Ser Green. While the original five hundred soldiers were part of Lewis's contingent, the majority remained hidden within the fortress walls. Only Lewis, his family members, and the captain of the guards were privy to the actual number of fighters present.
They explored the northwest forestlands of the stronghold. A gentle fog enveloped the underbrush, gradually dissipating as the sun climbed higher. Lewis wielded his favored longsword, while his friends were armed with bows and swords. Their aim was to hunt deer, wild boars, and pheasants to replenish the castle's provisions as well as to have fun.
While navigating the woods with caution, Lewis found his thoughts circling back to the disgruntled former Lord Silverfield, confined under house arrest in the castle. Lewis harbored a hope that the man could be persuaded to cooperate rather than continuously lamenting his altered fate.
Lost in contemplation, Lewis inadvertently snapped a dry branch above on tree, producing a sharp crack that startled a group of finches into a fluttering rush. Ser Green cast a glance at him, recognizing that Lewis's focus wasn't entirely on the hunt.
"Should we fall back and come back later? The hunting is more dangerous if you are not focusing enough," Ser Green said.
"Oh, sorry. I was just distracted a bit, but isn't it weird that even after so much time travelling we haven't found any animals?" Lewis inquired, stopping his horse and circling around suspiciously. "Is it always this sparse, Ser Green?"
"No, my lord, there's usually more game about," Ser Green replied, scanning the seemingly empty woods with a furrowed brow. "The birdsong has also died down, now that I'm paying heed. An ill omen surrounds these parts."
"You don't suppose some creatures have scared everything off, do you?" Sickwid posited.
"Let us hope not, but ready your blades just in case," Lewis said, readying his crossbow and nodding at Dell who had pulled her longbow taut with arrow. "We press on carefully."
They continued their cautious sweep of the area, blankets of fog now rolling through the trees, further obscuring vision. Ser Green felt the small hairs on his neck prickle - dangerous unknowns lurked nearby.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, the air became thick with an unsettling tension. The eerie silence was broken only by the hushed whispers of the breeze and the rustling of leaves underfoot. Lewis sensed an unusual stillness, as if the very essence of the forest held its breath in anticipation.
Suddenly, a low growl reverberated through the stillness, sending shivers down their spines. Out of the mist emerged a colossal beast, the size of a large house, revealed itself – a chimera. The chimera stood imposingly, a fearsome creature with a lion's body covered in coarse, mottled fur. It's wings, resembling a dragon's were folded against it's back, and a serpentine tail lashed behind. The lion's head bore a menacing expression, it's eyes glinting with a predatory gleam. On it's back, the goat's head stared stoically, while the serpent's head hissed menacingly from its tail. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and its growl echoed through the forest, creating an eerie and foreboding atmosphere.
In a moment of terror, Lewis couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh god!" The chimera's eyes locked onto the group, and with alarming speed, it swung its massive paw. The powerful attack splintered every tree in its path and instantly claimed the lives of five of Lewis's guards, who didn't even have a chance to draw their weapons against the mythical creature.
"Defensive positions!" Lewis urgently yelled as he swiftly reloaded his horse. Despite Dell and Sickwid rapidly loosing arrows at the chimera, the shafts bounced off its lion-like body. Ser Green and the remaining men scrambled to form a perimeter with shields and swords. The dire situation unfolded with an air of desperation.
"This is no natural beast, my lord!" shouted Ser Green over the chaos. "Chimeras are said to be invulnerable to mortal weapons!" The raging creature tore a shield away with its goat head, raking massive claws across a guard's chest. Another man was snatched in the snake-headed tail, strangled lifeless. The serpent's head struck out, swallowing a guard whole.
"Fall back! Protect the young master!" yelled the captain of the guards. He let his deputy lead the remaining men in forming a defensive formation around Lewis and his friends as they retreated. The desperate retreat unfolded amidst the chaos of the chimera's relentless assault.
The captain remained behind with Ser Green. "Ser, I will try to distract it while you finish it off," he said boldly. Lewis galloped away as fast as his horse could carry him, the captain's last words still ringing in his ears.
They raced through the fog, leaving the two warriors behind to combat the beast. The sounds of their battle echoed eerily through the mist-filled forest. After what felt like an eternity of hard riding, a body suddenly hurtled past Lewis, smashing violently into a tree. Though desperate to keep moving, Lewis glimpsed the victim's face - it was his captain of guards. The sight fueled his urgency to escape the relentless danger that pursued them.
"Faster! Faster!" Lewis yelled, spurring the others towards the safety of Witton's high stone walls. The thundering of paws behind them indicated the nightmarish chimera was in pursuit. Lewis said a silent prayer for the valiant men who had given their lives to buy time for his escape. They rode like the devil itself licked at their heels.