Future Knights: Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

A large explosion caught the attention of Hammond as he sliced open the throat of the Noir knight he held.

"Hawk!"

"I know!!" Hawk shouted as she slashed her halberd through several sets of black armor as she turned towards Hammond, "The Magiester must be close by. We need to get to it before it can wreck anymore damage upon our troops!"

"You make it sound easy," Hammond joked as he ducked under a black blade and side stepped another as a set of daggers flew from his cloak and into the skulls of his enemies.

Hawk's eyes narrowed as she looked at the crowd of Noir knights gathering before her, "I never said it would be. But if we don't do something now we will surely lose this battle. And I don't know what may go through your head Hammond, but I will not fail my lady or my country. Not until the last breathe in my body has left its' mortal corpse and traveled to way towards the ascended."

As Hawk finished her words, a black knight fell to her feet dead, dagger through its' helm. Hammond then calmly walked next to her as he continued flipping another dagger.

"Now now, no need to go all fatal on me. After all I have yet to see that beautiful body of yours unclothed. And I do intend to fulfill that desire before I leave this world myself."

Hawk grunted as she smirked, "Then you will sadly die in forever wonderment."

With that Hawk charged forward with her halberd as she let out a fierce battle cry. All the while Hammond watched before catching his dagger and sighing, "Just because I'm a married man doesn't mean I don't have feelings you know?"

With that Hammond followed his fellow soldier, daggers at the ready.

However despite their banter, both comrades felt unease. As if something has suddenly shifted in the air around them, and changed everything about the war.

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Anna winced in pain.

Was she dead? No, you wouldn't feel pain if you were dead, right?

If so, then she was somehow still alive.

Anna winced again as her eyes opened up to take in the sight. She was on the ground once more and could see the spot where she had been just a few seconds ago, as the cold soil had now turned to fresh hot ash, as the knight from before had seemingly been melted on the spot from the magic. The Magiester itself seemed to be occupied as it focused its' attention on several Enestar knights trying to attack it.

So she had survived after all. But although she was grateful that she was still alive, she couldn't understand how. Her enemy had held her firmly in place, and she was unable to pull away or escape despite using all her strength.

So h-

"M-My lady. Are you unharmed?"

Anna's eyes widened as she suddenly pushed herself from the ground and turned her head to the opposite direction.

Only for fear to fill her face.

"Berragot!!

There on the ground, was her fellow soldier. However the sight shook Anna to her soul. Berragot's once proud paladin armor was practically melted all across his right side and back. Blood seemed to be flowing out of what remained of his right arm and part of the right side of his body, which was now exposed to the open air. His sword was essentially gone, the blade completely melted in half and hilt having broken off, both of which were laying beside him on the cold dark ground. And worse still, the right side of his face looked as if it had suffered second-degree burns from his neck to the top of his head, as his once dark brown beard and mustache were partly burned off.  

Despite the sounds of battle and the cries of death around her, Anna heard them not as she stared at the broken form of her friend.

"Berragot!! By the Sacreds hold on!!"

Anna quickly knelled down as she looked at Berragot's body, trying to find some way, somehow, to stop the bleeding, to get him up. Something, anything!

"M-My lady-"

"Don't speak! J-Just let me think! I ca-

"My lady it's alright," Berragot smiled sadly as blood flowed from his lips.

"Like Glindor it's alright!! Just shut up for a second okay?!" Anna shouted as she tried to grab the melted pieces of armor to pull off, only to cry out from the heat they emitted.

"Lady Anna s-stop. It's t-

"DON'T SAY IT'S TOO LATE!!!"

Anna grasped the armor once more as she forced herself to ignore the heat. Crying out she pulled with all her might, but the armor was essentially glued onto Berragot's flesh and skin and she knew it. But she didn't care, she had to try! She had to do something!

Crying once more Anna forcibly let go as she panted heavily. Berragot simply watched silently, before taking note of Anna's face.

"Lady A-"

"Idiot," Anna whispered as she glared at him, "You idiot!! Why did you come and save me again!? Why did you have to put yourself in harms way!? I told you I could handle myself didn't I?!"

"My-"

"You always do this to me! I tell you I don't need your help!! I tell you I can protect and defend myself just fine!! I keep telling you over, and over, and over, and over!! But you never listen!! You never listen to anything I say!! You just....you..."

Anna felt her voice die as her body shook. She knew, she had known what he had done the second she saw him. She knew what had happened and just what it had cost, but that didn't stop her from screaming at him. Out of anger, hate, fear, sorrow, she didn't know. She just kept screaming as she hoped, prayed, that somehow it could make things right.

But it wouldn't.

Berragot smiled weakly as he reached with his left hand to Anna's face, as his finger stretched out and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Forgive me my lady. I made you cry again."

"Idiot," Anna grasped his hand in her own as she held it to her face.

"You're right, I never did listen. But it's only because I wanted to be there with you. I've been there since you were born, and I knew, I always knew you would be special. So I wanted to see you become special. I wanted to watch as you grew and become strong. To be the queen your country deserves. To watch as you brought your own happiness and joy towards the people you loved. And to find the person you love most, and be able to bring eternal happiness to your life. But I was always scared. Scared that one day you would fade from this world without living out those dreams. I didn't want to see such a future die prematurely so I," Berragot paused as he coughed up more blood.

"Berragot!"

"I...I interfered. I protected you, because I wished to ensure you would live to see those dreams fulfilled. I guarded you, in order to make sure you would never fall to anyone, ally or enemy. Because I didn't want to live in a world knowing you had left it before this old man. That your life had faded into the ascended without marking this world with your strength. And now.."

"Don't speak! Please Berragot stop talking! Just save your strength!"

Berragot smiled weakly as his eyes began to close, "It seems....I won't be able to watch that dream with you...."

"Stop!! Stop it!! Don't die!! Don't you dare die on me!!," Anna shouted as tears fell from her face and she clutched his hand tightly, feeling his grip begin to loosen.

"Annabell....keep living....no matter what....for this old man....for yourself....for your home and loved ones...keep...."

Anna froze. His hand has suddenly gone limp.

"B-Berragot?"

No response. Anna looked at Berragot's face, as she saw his eyes had closed shut.

And he was no longer breathing.

"BERRAGOT!!!!!"

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Hawk's eyes widened as she removed her halberd from the corpse of an enemy knight. That voice.

"Hammond!!!"

"I heard!" Hammond shouted as he grabbed a Noir soldiers wrist and flipped the soldier over his body before plunging a knife into the helm, "Go!!"

Hawk nodded and ran forward. However several Noir knights appeared before her and charged. Her eye's narrowed angrily as she raised her halberd and charged.

"Get out of my WAY!!!!"

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Anna sat there on the cold ground. She just sat as she held Berragot's cold hand and stared at his body.

The memories of their times together raced through her head. How he had trained her in the art of swordsmanship, how he had played with her when she was little, how he had guarded her constantly and refused to leave her side. The good, the bad, she remembered it all despite the battle playing around her.

She knew she should focus on the fight, but right now she didn't care.

He was gone.

One of the people she loved was gone.

Taken by this war with Noir and their armies.

Anna's grip on Berragot's hand tightened as she silently placed his hand on his chestplate right above his griffon crest. As she did this a pair of Noir knights walked up behind her. The one closest drew its' sword and raised it upwards before swinging at her exposed back.

Only to pause as a blue blade ripped through the knights helm. Anna retracted Crystal Rose silently as the knight fell, only for his partner to charge forward with another blade. Anna however calmly stepped to the side of the attack as her arm moved rapidly in several thrusting motions.

The second knight seemed to pause briefly before falling down, its' armor full of holes.

Anna however didn't care. Her grip tightened on Crystal Rose's handle as her eyes focused forward, the tears dried up and gone, and instead replaced with an uncontrolled rage.

She would kill them.

She would kill all of Noir. She would make them pay! For the lives they had taken! For the life of Berragot!! She will hunt them all down and take their lives upon her blade!!

She would kill all of them!!

A large green explosion not far caught her sight, as Anna's eyes narrowed as she charged towards the explosion.

And the first one that would taste her new found rage, would be the one that took Berragot from her!!!