Godwine, Celina, and Tasha stand outside the village talking to one another when a small group of ragged troops approach them. One of them stands out wearing armor that is more pristine than the others given not by much though. "I take it you three are who our lord hired," the soldier speaks as the others slowly follow behind. "We gathered fifteen of the soldiers from the garrison; the rest either refused to go or were in too poor of condition."
Godwine looks through the gathered soldiers before looking at the more pristine one. "You are the leader of the garrison correct?" the soldier nods. "I see."
Tasha looks at them, noting how each soldier has a crest embedded in their armor. "Celina is going ahead, Godwine. I am ready whenever you and the others are," the leader of the garrison troops gives a nod and Godwine turns to head out the garrison soldiers following him.
As they walk the garrison soldiers talk amongst themselves some laughing and others bantering. Godwine looks at the leader as they walk. "Where'd you get your armor from son? Yours is much better than all the others."
"Our last attempt to trade with another country ended in us being attacked by a noble party. He gave sloppy orders and was simply overconfident so I made a plan to take advantage of that leading to our victory," the leader says as he leans down picking a berry from a bush and tossing it back at the other soldiers who quickly toss it away. "Was kinda hoping y'all weren't paying attention."
As the leader laughs Godwine looks at the leader's armor. "So you took some of your opponent's armor for yourself?"
"If that was the case I would be wearing even better armor. We have to give any battle spoils to the warehouse back home. Our lord simply decided that I deserved this armor because of how I managed to control the battle and saved many lives," the leader says as he looks at the crest on his armor.
As they get close to the border of Osmon and Folga the ground grows greener and bugs can be heard. The soldiers quiet down and begin to look at the grass and listen to the bugs. "Must be weird coming through here after being used to your homeland," Tasha remarks as she watches the soldiers.
"Yeah it is weird visiting other countries. But Osmon just got the bad end of the stick I guess and now Folga will do whatever they can to keep us away from the green," the leader's voice grows with sadness as they begin to get surrounded by trees.
Celina stands waiting for the group. When they reach her she quickly signals for them to stop. "Don't talk," Celina peaks out of a bush. After a minute that felt like five she pulls back. "There are several noble parties on the border. Each of them are led by notable nobles based on their attire."
"Shit. How are we getting past?" the leader questions his face filled with frustration.
"We take one on at a time and maybe get past through brute force," Tasha gives out a suggestion but no one seems on board.
"Fighting them means they will declare war on Osmon," the leader says, not even looking at Tasha.
"Well could we get past by saying we are mercs looking for work in villages?" Tasha gives another suggestion.
"Wouldn't work, they'll know us members of the garrison are from Osmon due to our crests," the leader now looks at Tasha as he talks. "I have a bit of a drastic measure that could work. How strong are the three of you?"
Godwine takes a step forward standing beside the garrison leader. "But you said to engage in battle with these lords would mean they declare war on Osmon. Why are you suddenly willing to fight them or am I wrong?"
The garrison leader looks at Godwine. "Well as you know every country is built of something that is kept secret from the others, something powerful. For Osmon it is a psychic link between the kings and nobles and the common people, a one way link but still a link," the garrison leader turns to the rest of the garrison. "As of today Osmon has declared a surprise war on Folga this is a message from king Mihel."
Godwine and Tasha watch the garrison soldiers' reactions, some scared with a few standing ready to fight. Celina watches the nobles of Folga watching their moves carefully. "Celina it was a surprise war they won't know till the first village is raided and castles and towns begin to be besieged," Godwine tells Celina as he looks at the leader. "But I guess they'll also know when we engage in combat."
The leader turns to the garrison and raises his sword. "I understand that the few of us who stand here are neither very experienced nor are we well equipped but this is what will allow our wives, our husbands and our children to live. So I ask that you all fight for a greater Osmon future," the leader turns, looking at the three mercs. "Those of you who wish to return home may those who will stay and fight follow the mercs lead."
Godwine signals to Celina. "That one he's separated from the other nobles his party should be easy. Celina takes out as many of his archers as you can Tasha you lead the five archers from the garrison. Keep them away from danger. I will lead the twelve infantry soldiers and try to keep their footmen away from you Tasha. We must be swift for once we engage it will only be a matter of time until the other nobles notice us," with a nod Celina begins a dead sprint towards the dis organized and laughing nobles party.
Celina quickly identifies the archers, some of them noticing her charge fumbling as they try to grab their bows. As she gets closer and closer five arrows rain from behind Celina followed by a vine impaling an infantryman. The arrows land only two hitting their target but not killing them. "Soldiers we are under attack!" the noble shouts as he pulls on his horse's rein. The noble glances around watching as Celina reaches his small party. Folgian cavalrymen disperse and retrieve help from the nearby nobles. We will hold the line as best we can till you return! Go now and do not look back!" as he shouts more arrows land, all missing as Celina is forced back due to being outnumbered. "Shit twelve archers lost from one woman," he mutters under his breath. "Infantry encircle the archers! Archers hold your fire and prepare for melee combat! Hold your ground men!" the noble sheathes his sword pulling out a javelin, throwing it towards Tasha and the archers as he begins to charge towards them on horseback.
Celina watches as the noble charges quickly changing targets and running towards him. "Encase us brambles!" Tasha shouts as thick vines begin to surround her and archers. As Celina sees this she reaches the noble jumping at him knocking him off his horse.
The noble glances back at his troops' formation before looking at Celina and then glancing at his horse behind her. "To charge an archer formation on your own even when you have an advantage is brave, very, very, brave," Celina claps as she walks closer.
The noble quickly takes his defensive stand holding his shield firmly in one hand with his sword in the other. "You do not invoke the fear you think," the noble begins to run forward intending to ram Celina with his shield. "No Folgian fears a woman on the battlefield!" Celina easily sidesteps the attack as she stabs her sword toward the noble's side. As if it is nothing the noble turns parrying the attack as he reaches his horse quickly cracking it rein causing it to start to run. As he turns his horse around the vines covering Tasha and the archers return to the ground and Godwine and the infantry line have locked the noble's army into melee combat. Godwine stands in front of the rest of the soldiers swinging his two handed blade some before sheathing it on his back and switching to a one handed sword and a shield. "Collapse and surround their infantry men! We outnumber them quickly!" with the nobles order the infantry on the other side of the circle as Godwine begin to spread out around Godwine and the infantry slowly closing in.
"May the wind guide my sails!" Celina shouts as the noble charges past her towards the engaged infantry. A large gust of wind forms behind Celina and she jumps as the wind sends her flying catching up to the noble easily. The noble watches as she passes him.
Godwine slams his shield into the ground and a holy light encases the soldiers of the garrison and himself. "Their reinforcements will arrive soon," Godwine says as he watches the infantry surround the holy light that encases them waiting for it to drop. "We've taken out roughly thirty of them. Meaning eighty remain. Shit this is not how I anticipated this to unfold," Godwine speaks to himself until he notices some of the infantry are running towards Tasha and the archers. While at the same time hearing the earth tremble as a unit of Flogian cavalry begin to approach.
"Sir Godwine," even as the leader talks to Godwine he looks around running scenarios through in his mind as Celina switches her strategy to protect Tasha and the archers killing the infantry that try to run towards them. "Sir Godwine! This attack was out of our desperation to live. We are sorry that we dragged you into this." Godwine looks at him confused. "We will give you and your mercs the best opportunity to retreat that we can give," Godwine's eyes light up with anger and concern.
"My contract is that I will retrieve food for your castle town no matter what. What the contract says must be upheld by any means," Godwine smirks, grabbing his helmet from his side and putting it on. "Have the infantry form a shield wall. Protect each other," with that the holy wall falls and Godwine's shield returns to him. "Your lord will be paying me double for this though!" with that Godwine runs forward with his shield on his back his armor clanking. One clean downwards cut and one of the noble's infantry cleanly cut in half down the middle. "What the contract says," as he speaks he slams two soldiers head together crushing them both. "Must never be broken," a clean wide slice knocking a good five down to the ground bleeding. He lets his sword go and it blips out of existence with a bright holy light and a bright lance forms in his hand. He throws it forwards and watches it pierce through the noble's soldiers reaching the archers before it blips away just as his sword did.
Celina watches as the infantry quit trying to reach Tasha and the archers. "Well Tasha this is what I call his ability to always make sure a contract finishes and that we get paid as much as we can," Celina grins as she runs towards Godwine watching as the cavalry of Folga approaches. "Support him, we must get out of here before the cavalry arrives."
The earth's trembling's grow as the cavalry gets closer. Tasha sets her bag of alchemy vials down and begins to scavenge through them. Celina impales a soldier with her sword taking a second to catch her breath. Celina removes her sword from the soldier and kicks another backwards. Godwine continues to fight the soldiers from the front on his own as the rest of the garrison's soldiers stand behind dealing with the backside of the circle.
"Folga's cavalry will arrive within the next two minutes. If we were to face them head on we would stand a better chance then we would running. Even if we started running now we wouldn't be able to escape without losing everyone or most of the garrison," with each word Godwine slaughters another soldier.
Eventually the noble's party is reduced to ten plus himself. "Didn't expect this from some mercs and a ragtag garrison," the noble turns around seeing the cavalry continue to approach. "But it seems that your time is up. So please surrender now and at least you won't have to die here. Don't forget that those other nobles have foot soldiers too. Even if they don't arrive at the same time it'd be wave after wave," the noble smiles as he eyes the mercs, especially Tasha. "So save yourselves the exhaustion and your own lives and surrender."
Celina runs past Godwine charging directly towards the noble before impaling her sword in the ground and launching herself with a gust of wind. Godwine grits his teeth as he removes his helmet. "Rage! Bring terror and defeat to our enemies Chiasa!" Celina smiles at the noble as five tails extend behind her. "If this is what you wish to do Celina then so be it," a golden scythe forms in Godwine's hand which he throws up to Celina as fangs begin to protrude out from her lips. She catches the scythe as her body grows slightly.
"Shit. Archers! Fall back, get behind the cavalry!" Within a second Celina lands behind the line of archers. Quickly those who aren't shaking in fear begin to fire arrows at her.
"Truly pathetic attempting to attack One Thousand Mornings with mere toothpicks," her tails catch each arrow snapping them as Celina approaches the noble. One of the archers drops their bow and runs at her with their sword drawn. Without flinching Celina violently swings the scythe once and the archer completely disappears. "It is so wonderful to feast after not being freed in a while." Godwine looks at the cavalry, his face distraught. "How many nobles are among those coming?"
The noble shakes his grip loose barely holding onto his blade. "There are at least three other nobles patrolling the border, sometimes more," Celina turns around watching as she begins to hear the shouts of the cavalrymen.
"Interesting, well hopefully not many are your friends," she licks her lips as she begins to be surrounded by cherry blossoms that circle around her. Slowly she points her staff forward seconds later several of the cavalry fall off their horses. The noble's eyes widen as he quickly cracks the reins of his horse and attempts to gallop away yet before he can get anywhere Celina hooks the back of the scythe on he neck causing it to come clean off. "Noble kills always taste amazing," she licks her lips as the cavalry continue to fall until they stop and begin to run away. "It seems my job here is down. Thank you for the feast Godwine," she winks and then falls to the ground.