Undying Blood - Beta - Chapter 017 -

“This plan has all of us left defenseless! Surely you cannot expect us to trust this.. this..”

“Sage?” Stenson said, finishing the sentence for Priscilla.

She huffed, her blue eyes displaying no favor for the boy she glared at.  Shaking her head, the red hair looked like fire almost, dancing as she moved.

“Tell me Francis. Do you believe this plan you and Stenson have come up with is our best chance for survival?”

King Baxter was sitting on his throne and everything came to this moment.

Now I know why people say the king can sniff out a liar…

“I do. If there is to be any hope for our kingdom to live, this must be done and I need to ride with the calvary.  When the dust settles, I swear I am doing all this for the survival of us all.”

Nothing happened and everyone who was privy to this conversation stared, waiting to see how Baxter was going to respond.

“I can sense you truly believe this. While sometimes what we tell ourselves might not be right, we are backed against a wall and there is not enough time or manpower to solve our problem.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, those red eyes sweeping across everyone, almost daring someone to share their displeasure with the idea.

When silence had gone on for a few seconds, the king nodded.

“Make all the preparations for tomorrow.  Have the troops ready.  We move out when the light is enough the army will not injure themselves as we approach.  No horns, no noises until the moment comes and we are spotted.”

Each person bowed and when Stenson put a hand on Francis’s shoulder, he almost jumped.

“Stay here a moment. He wants a word.”

“How do you know?”

A grin came, and the general motioned to the king whose eyes were locked on them both.

“That gaze is one that says words I have learned to hear. Trust me, whatever happens, I will ride by your side.”

As the tent emptied and only the three of them remained, Baxter rose up from the throne and moved to where the other two were.

Both bent their heads as he approached.

“Stop that, now is not the time for such foolishness.  Tell me, can you ride a horse?”

“Apparently not,” Francis replied, motioning at the older man behind him with a thumb. “He says I’m probably going to get bucked off or carried off by a horse that ignores me.”

Chuckling, Baxter nodded and smiled.

“He is right.  You need to learn if at all possible and we only have so much time left before you must also retire.  Even with the aid of the spells set upon this place,  your body is not accustomed to them and twenty minutes into the battle, you might fall asleep, your bodies own natural needs taking over.”

“I was going to secure Ginge’s tent and try to teach the basics. The enchantment there should help with at least an understanding of how to stay in the saddle.”

“Or we will tie him to it?”

Both men grinned as Francis felt a joke had taken place, one that he missed.

Suddenly the king’s massive hand was before him.

“Thank you for what you are doing. I am grateful the gods have sent you, Sage Francis.”

Shaking it, feeling the power in the grip that could easily break every finger in his fingers, he nodded.

“I’m just glad you didn’t kill me.”

Both older men laughed again and Francis joined in.

Shooting the shit with the king… how crazy can all this really get?

***

“Woah! WOAH!”

The horse continued to move, ignoring the command as it walked the circle it had over fifty times already.

“It’s not about the noise. Use your legs and the straps. Just don’t–”

Once again, his ability to not over react caused the horse to rear up, sending him falling as the majestic stallion stood on two legs.

The sound of his body hitting the dirt was only outdone by the noise he made as Francis attempted to breathe.  Each breath failed him, having been knocked out from the fall, landing on his back.

“Slowly,” Stenson muttered as Ginge chuckled.

“He learned fast with me…”

“Riding and Horse handling are two different skills! Each one works together!” the general shouted again. “Now get up and pay attention to both.  Feel the movements of the horse.  It knows everything about you, even how to remove you from him whenever it wants.”

Another laugh came from the blond-haired man who had trained him in sword fighting.

“What is your skill at right now?”

[ Status ]

Francis Mudaburg

Age 17

Strength: 14

Endurance: 17

Agility: 13

Wisdom: 13

Perception: 11

Magic: 10

Skills

Swordsmanship - 19 Novice

Shield Use  - 17 Novice

Tracking - 11 Novice

Stealth - 8 Basic

Traps - 3 Basic

Rock Throwing - 5 Basic

Mental Resist - 18 Novice

Blood of the Undying - 100+ Sage

Berserker Rage - 11 Novice

Horseback Riding - 4 Novice

Horse Handling - 2 Novice

“I’m a four in riding and a two in handling.”

Both men shook their heads.

“After all this time and still so low,” Ginge stated. “I know the skill is hard, but… do you think its because all he is doing is riding in circles?”

Frowning, Stenson nodded.

“We could take him outside… let him ride in the open.  See if that helps?”

“What if I fall and break my neck?”

“He does have a point. Perhaps we are expecting too much from him General.”

“Stop using that title before I demote you, Knight Ginge.”

Each of them smirked at the other before the oldest one pointed at the horse.

“Get back on. We’ll keep going and I’ll plan on tying you to the saddle tomorrow.  We have two more hours before I need to put you to bed.”

“I’m not a child,” Francis replied, dusting himself off.

“No, you’re not, but you’re not a man either. Nor one who has acclimated to the spells.  King Baxter is right. You may pass out the moment the battle starts if we work all night. Trust me, it has happened before.”

Seeing the blond-headed warrior bobbing in agreement, he stopped complaining and moved to where the white stallion waited.

Those black eyes were set on him and for a moment, he would have swore it showed teeth as he drew close.

Whatever the hell I’m thinking… this was a stupid idea…

***

“It’s time to wake up.  Get dressed!”

Nehemiah slapped him again and the shock of it finally broke him from a dream he didn’t want to leave.

“What?”

“It’s time. The sun is up soon and you need to get ready for today. Now hurry.”

“Michael?” he asked, yawning afterward.

“He will stay here, safe.”

The soft mattress he was in was better than anything else he could ever remember sleeping on. It felt perfect, supporting every part of his body.  Sheets that felt smoother than any fabric he had encountered had touched his skin all night.  Throwing the cover and sheet back, he swung his legs over the edge and realized that the older man was glaring at him.

“What?”

“Clothes boy! Cover yourself! I don’t like looking at anyone elses but my own!”

A hint of warmth found his cheeks and yanking the sheet back over, he remembered that last night his clothes had been taken, replaced by new ones that he had decided not to wear until this morning.

“Uh… yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t appologize for sleeping without clothes! I do the same! Just remember that before flashing someone!”

Nehemiah turned, moving to where the flap was.

“Get dressed and hurry, I’ll be outside!”

Once the man was gone, he tossed the sheet off and quickly grabbed his new clothes, impressed again by how clean they were, a fresh scent of flowers on them, each feeling better than anything he had ever owned.

***

“You look like a real fighter,” Stenson said as he sat upon his horse. “I don’t want to tell you how hard it was to find armor that would actually fit your frame.”

The chain armor he wore felt light, having surprised him the moment he had been helped putting it on.

“Thank you again for all this.  Even this sword.”

“Just try to not stab yourself or me with it. Now hurry up and get on. Only about five minutes remain.”

They were the last few at the back of the camp where the Calvary had been. Two men came forward with a set of stairs, putting it next to a brown mare that didn’t look as spunky as the one last night.

“She’s a little tamer, better to have after learning the hard way.”

Once he was on the saddle, a leather strap was tossed over his legs, the buckle set on top of his legs and the men worked together to tighten it.

“Seriously?” Francis asked.

“I don’t have time to help you back on if you fall and that at least will keep you in the saddle.  You’ll need to make sure you stay close. That part I can’t manage.”

Tsking his teeth and giving the reins a gentle tug, the older man’s black stallion moved with ease, starting to walk in the direction the others were organizing. 

“Thank you,” Francis called out as the two men pulled the steps away and he did the same, pushing his knees carefully and giving the leather just a gentle tug.

Without too much complaining his horse began to move, seeming to speed up slightly until it fell in almost right next to the one Stenson was riding.

“Why did my horse stop here?”

A chuckle came from the older man.

“She shouldn’t pass my horse.  One day I’ll have a talk with you about how a strong man can keep a strong woman in line, but today isn’t that day.  Right now we see if our kingdom shall fall in just a little while.”

Riding down the slight incline, the shapes that were further ahead were almost motionless, each of the troops in place. They made almost no sound compared to the first battle he had been in.  

They fell into place along the last set horses on the right side, the two closest to the middle.

Some of the men nodded yet none said a word. Each horse stood there silently, only their breath in the cool morning showing they were alive and not a statue clad in metal.

Each second felt like forever and then as one everyone began to move forward.

Glancing to his left, Francis watched as the dozen or so mages moved with a group of warriors, nestled in the V formation at the back.

Let’s hope these people can actually do what I’m told they can.

While no horns sounded, the movement of an army made noise, men and beast trodding across dirt.

Almost two hundred yards had been made as they moved slowly and then a loud sound came from the enemies base and noise filled the area they had been fighting in for half a year.

When their presence was announced, horns came from behind and each man roared.

“Go forth and wipe out our enemy! Today is the day we take back our kingdom!”

There was no subtle wave of pressure in that message from King Baxter.  

He didn’t seem to add anything as all he did was announce what today was.

Either this works or I’ll find out what else is hidden by the enemy and we try this again.

Shouting again because this time he wanted to, Francis watched as the rising sun began to illuminate the shapes moving across the battlefield.

“For Reevotort!”

Over and over those words carried across the troops, each one acknowledging why they were here.