From Beyond The Sea

The Messenger said, "I'm sorry. Those knights were intercepted by Kralovians. The route was kept a secret. Someone must have given them away. Heart Stone has fallen. Osetrun Village has fallen. An unknown enemy from across the sea has invaded. They ride North. They will arrive in a few days. Your orders are to stay here and protect this fort. All are to remain. Orders are from General Macobu."

"What do you mean 'fallen'?" a knight asked

"The... barbarians took it over and murdered all the men and pillaged all of the houses." the messenger said

"When?" another asked

"Around three days ago." he said

I froze in place. Kyle and I looked at each other in fear.

We can't lose. We can't fall. That was a thought that remained in everyone's mind. I could see in everyone's eyes the determination they had to survive and get past this. The southern wall would be the point of assault. Commander Xavier Krieger took his best knights and stood in front of all, standing proudly and ready for whatever happens. I wanted to run back to my house. I wanted to leave this place. I wanted to be with Mom and Eve. Kyle walked up to me. He hugged me and reassured me that everything will be fine. Our final preparations continued while the thought of these invaders ran through our minds. A shadow covered the forest in front of us.

We waited for hours and there was still nothing but silence. Then, a drum could be heard in the distance. Then another and another, soon, a war song echoed, and drums became louder. Athena and Colonel Pole walked up to us.

"It's them, isn't it?" I asked

"It is. The Vikings." Colonel Pole said

"How many?" Athena asked

"More than what we can handle." Kyle said

Smoke could be seen from miles away. Houses, farms, and people were being burned. We all gathered in front of the fort and got into a defensive position. We had a couple thousand knights here. They had at least ten thousand men. There's a backup plan to run into the fort and hope for a better fight. A siege, Colonel Pole said, would be better for us.

"Live through this and we will all dine in Ostla. Send these barbarians back where they came from! We will put a stop to their madness and rampage. None shall suffer any longer. Ready your weapons! Knock your Arrows! Raise your shields! March with me, brothers! To victory! For Remus!" Captain Ezra yelled.

"For Remus!" we shouted back.

Captain Ezra and Colonel Pole rode ahead. I saw one man riding ahead from the other side. They rode back and said nothing. A wave of arrows crashed upon us. Only a few reached us. Most flew far over us and into the fort. A few seconds later a man's voice could be heard.

"FIRE!" and with that an even greater onslaught crashed upon us.

Screams of pain could be heard, but we shielded ourselves from the projectiles. We chanted for Remus and ran towards the oncoming horde. It was pure madness. The Vikings were barely wearing any type of protection. It was strange.

"STAND! RELOAD! FIRE!" Captain Ezra shouted

It was strange to get used to seeing body parts and guts fly through the air and be in the battle, but somehow I was getting used to it. Another wave of arrows graced us. And screams grew louder.

"Charge!" Captain Ezra yelled

There was blood splashed all over my body and sword. The noise was monstrous and deafening. Men were on the ground holding each other's bodies, and some were throwing up on the ground. I stood and fought next to Kyle and Athena. We hacked down some and continued without a second thought. Explosions could be heard from behind. I turned around and saw smoke rising from many different parts of the fort. They planned for us to use it as an escape. Athena and Kyle were determined. They fought so fluently and thoughtlessly.

I could smell the strong scent of blood all around me, all inside my mouth I could taste it, it was a horrendous sight. Dead bodies were falling in front of us like little gnats. Blood and guts were flying around. Then we saw him. There were three lines in front of us and five people behind the line, each carrying something in their hands. When the first line would get close enough, the first guy would throw his weapon, which was a giant iron ball on a chain. The man stood at least seven to eight feet tall and was extremely muscular. The giant iron mace-like ball had spikes all over it and was bigger than my head. The chain had a long range and he had complete control over it. Athena yelled for Nate, and he came running over. The Vikings respected the 1v2 and so did we. They formed a large circle around the three of them and didn't let anyone get close. Kyle grabbed my arm, and we ran over to a Viking standing on a hill watching the battle unfold. As we were running, we saw three other strong Vikings like the other one.

We reached the top of the hill and the man picked up his helm and removed it from his head. He looked familiar, yet I've never met him before. My blood boiled as I remembered the dream, no, the vision.

"Who are you?" I shouted

Kyle and I both unsheathed our swords.

His expression became cold. There was no warmth in his eyes. They were emotionless, blank. They almost looked dead.

"My name is Roman Salazar. I have come from a frozen land beyond the sea to claim this one." he said, unsheathing his sword, "Your eyes feel familiar. Perhaps we met in a past life. What is your name?"

"My name is Rowan Niron and this is Kyle Landon." I said

"A shame... Your name is not familiar. Nonetheless, this hill shall be your grave." he said.

He slowly put back on his helm and picked up his sword. His face was still emotionless. Kyle and I got ready for the fight. An arm swung by me, which was countered by Kyle. Roman and I were going at it. It was two against one, but it felt like a hundred against me. I was blocking or dodging so many attacks, it was overwhelming. I kept looking over to make sure Kyle was okay. I couldn't watch Kyle get injured while I distracted Roman. Roman knew what I was doing and began swinging even harder. Blow after blow he was getting faster and stronger. His guard was nearly impenetrable. Kyle came from behind, but it didn't matter. Roman was a skilled fighter and the best I've ever seen. We stood no chance against him. Kyle yelped out in pain as his chest was cut. His eyes were filled with pain as he pushed on. Roman's eyes were still blank, there was no enjoyment in this at all. Both of us were now in sync. We fought as one person. Thoughts were shared, emotions were felt. We were the same, for a brief moment. Kyle went in for another swing, Roman blocked and I was able to strike him. For a moment, it felt real. It felt different, the way our sword impacted his armor was satisfying. I felt his rage, I felt his uncertainty and his anxiety, but soon enough, it all faded away.

Kyle swung around the opposite way I did and struck with amazing accuracy. I had no more doubts. I was almost satisfied, being able to hurt the man that showed me so much terror in my dreams. Kyle and I fought even better together. He read my thoughts and understood what I was trying to do. Somehow, he was unharmed. His armor was thick leather, our swords should've pierced that. He pushed both of us back. Kyle began swinging his blade. He moved quickly towards me and connected his elbow to my cheek. I fell back and stumbled a few steps back. Roman then thrust his sword forward at Kyle. He dodged and kicked the barbarian in the shin, then to the face. I attacked from the side and was sent over him with ease. His sword swept across the ground and slid across the field. His hand-to-hand combat was amazing. His reflexes were incredible. Even without a sword, he was able to perfectly defend himself. Roman rolled back and picked up his sword.

"It's time I take you two seriously. I apologize for underestimating you." he said.

In an instant, an overwhelming amount of energy filled my entire body. My adrenaline rushed all at once and everything stood still. My eyes began to burn. I became hyper-focused. Kyle easily matched my speed, and so did Roman. We all rose above and surpassed our limits. We fought with every ounce of strength in our bodies. I managed to maneuver behind him and strike him. A small amount of blood escaped from underneath his armor. There was a huge crack, and the blood almost went flying. He faced me and swung. I dodged it, barely, and countered his strike by sweeping him off his feet.

"Your strength and speed are admirable." he said, quickly standing up.

I couldn't respond. I was worried Roman's blows may be too powerful. I couldn't risk any chances. All the pain and the injuries we took so far disappeared. He then focused on Kyle. I tried to jump in, but they were too fast. I would've gotten in the way. They clashed and clashed. Roman was pushing him back a few steps, even though they fought as equals. As he raised his sword, Kyle swung sideways at his chest. Blood spilled out of both their bodies. Kyle fell to his knees. Roman cringed in pain and stumbled back. He sheathed his sword and began limping down the mountain, in fear.

"Kyle!" I shouted.

I laid him down on the grass.

"You bastard! Come back here! I'm not finished! I'll find you and kill you! No matter where you go! I will kill you!!!" I shouted, tears falling out of my eyes.

I saw the Vikings leave the battle and the guy Athena and Colonel Pole were fighting helped Roman onto his horse. Athena came running up the hill with Colonel Pole. The remaining knights, under five hundred left, helped burn the corpses and helped the wounded.

"Kyle, don't leave me!" I cried hugging him.

"Rowan... I... love... you..." Kyle said with his final breath.