Boundora: The Beginning

ลำดับตอนที่ #1 : The Battle of Polytan

Victor Brown – 14^th March, 1034

The Battle of Polytan

            Lord Polytan's Fortress.  Nothing more seen in the brim of the sun.  From the distance, we knew the time had come.  I was only twenty one, too young to be in the Cavalry, but like I had a choice.  I lined up, the formation quickly formed.  My horse began to act strange.  The sound of steel swords soon hurt my ears.  In front of me massive rows of horsemen had formed, all of them had drawn their swords, and so did I.

            Our Lord did not say much.  Or if he did I could not hear.  It was only the galloping of the horse that I heard, from behind.  Within seconds we were ready.  The Lord looked upon the castle.  Its banner waving proudly.  Blue and white.  I looked.  The clouds seemed dark ahead, but above us it was only blue.  Hogan looked too.  And I looked at him, unsteadily on his horse, Keith.  My old Cliffy was acting queer, perhaps afraid.  I kept my gaze forward into the dusty haze of clouds.

            He only pointed.  Perhaps shouted too.  But when the front moved, Cliffy moved too.  I heard his galloping.  His galloping was firm and steady.  The sand underneath us flew behind.  We rode forward, in front of the forming dust storm.  The sound of us trotting blended into the shouting of men.  Perhaps they heard us now.  They must have, I thought.

            Though in the galloping none could think much.  In a cavalry charge the only thing we thought of a right spot to fall.  For when we crashed into the army in front of Lord Polytan's fortress, we were flying in hollers.

            At the crash I thought I had fallen onto the sand, but I held on to Cliffy, with my very last breath.  My hands felt weak.  The sword was slipping off my grip.  In front of Polytan's fortress an army quickly wiped out.  In the battle cry I only screamed wordless phrases of pain.  My eyes stared forward, in fact they saw nothing but war.

            Cliffy trotted.  His pace had already scared me.  Only that he would run directly into a spearman, or into a friendly arrow coming down from the towers, the day would suddenly be over.

            But it never happened.  In fear I rode on, rode on knowing that any second could be my last...

             "Victor!"  The sound came to my ears.  My eyes shot up, to see Hogan, his clear, young face underneath the warm sun.  In his hands he held his sword and helmet.

            "What's happened, Hogan?" I asked, "What's happened?"

            Sand caught my eyes quickly.  I wiped them slowly.

"We've won, Victor," he pulled me up on my feet, "Pronus's army's running back like chicken.  I think we'll hunt them down before the day is off.  Or we'll let them go.  They've learnt their lesson."

            "Where's Cliff, Hogan?  Where's Cliffy?"

            "He seems all right.  Just like you, he needs a rest."

            We hauled down the sandy floor towards where the fortress seemed to be.  There was smoke burning from crumpled siege towers, foundered battering rams.  Or perhaps Hogan was walking heavily in gallantry; I was staggering, a foot after another.  Through the gate, we came, and caught sight of our men, resting on soft, oasis grass.

            We sat by the rest of them, I removed my gloves and stopped my hands from bleeding.  They were bruised.

            "Fifteen minutes, men," a strong voice sped through the air.  General Rolland stood by where the corpse were gathered.  Men carried their friends.  Their dead friends.

            I looked down, where my shadow lay.  I felt no more of my legs.  I could not tell if they were bleeding.  But it did not matter.  It was over...