Battlefield

Fiction Fragment Friday

This weeks story came from a few random ideas that popped into my head. The first was to write a story in second person perspective. Then I looked at a pair of swords I have in my kitchen and thought about how I would describe a sword fight in second person. The final inspiration came from a sense of repeating the same destructive patterns without learning from them. How you know the right things to eat, do, and work towards but still manage to fall into the same ruts. Thus was born this story. I’m not happy with the title, but I am very pleased with the story itself.

My NaNoWriMo update for this week is that I haven’t updated. I have not written on my project in over a week. My chances of succeeding this year are not looking good, but I have not yet given up hope. If I can get back on the wagon and use some time off coming up I can make up what I have missed. I had a passion for this project and I just need to get back to that. Like my main character in this weeks story though knowing and doing are not the same thing.

                Your eyes slowly struggle to open as you become aware of the world around you.  They feel heavy and the light seeping through them is blinding.  It feels like the first time you have ever used them before as they adjust to the new light levels.  You can hear a faint music in the background that sounds like it is coming from everywhere at once.  There are no odors at all, but this does not seem odd.  You are not sure who you are, but you feel anger.

                Once your eyes have adjusted you look over yourself.  You are wearing a heavy scale mail armor with some sort of horned helmet on it.  As you look closer a piece of knowledge enters your mind.  This is dragon scale armor.  It is tougher than iron, more flexible than leather, and completely immune to fire.  You do not know where this knowledge comes from, but something tells you that it is correct. 

 In your right hand is a large sword that is so heavy you know you will need both hands to swing it with any level of control.  It has a glowing red gem in the hilt that catches your eye for a moment.  This is your sword, and you will use it to strike down your enemy.  As you grip the sword with both hands and raise it to a fighting stance the blade ignites.  You imagine how terrifying you must look in your dragon scale armor holding a flaming sword and it brings a smile to you face.

You finally take in your surroundings.  You are on the edges of a battlefield.  You look out at the dead bodies of waves of your men littering the ground.  There are only five opponents, but they have killed hundreds.  As your soldiers fall these intruders rob the fallen of all valuables and to your horror the bodies disappear from the field.  Your people mean nothing more to them than a source of items.  The seething anger grows.

Finally, you can take no more.  You hold your sword high and rush onto the field.  You don’t know who these invaders are, but this atrocity cannot be allowed to continue.  Your flaming sword comes down on a large shield and sends rings of flame out across the field.  The shield barer seems to absorb the fire and protects his companions from it.  He is driven back though, and you hear him gasp, “Boss.”

You bring down blow after blow on the shield.   Something is forcing you to focus on this man even though you know it is not the wisest course of action.  Your soldiers are being killed and there are far more targets that do not have the protection of a shield.  One of them is even wearing cloth robes that would burn if your sword even got close to them.  Why is it then that I am only attacking the one more suited to defending himself you wonder?

It is time, you are ready.  With a step back you stab your sword straight down into the ground in front of you.  The ground rumbles and a visible shockwave of dirt ripples outward like waves from a rock hitting a pond.  The shielded intruder is knocked from his feet as are two of his companions.  This is your chance.  Pulling the sword free you leap through the air and bring it down on your enemy.  He lets out a scream of pain as the fire washes over him.  Your soldiers manage to get a few hits in on the other downed opponents.  Now is when this battle will turn around. 

The robed figure from the back of the intruders group steps forward raising a long white staff.  Light fills the battlefield radiating in circles from the tip.  Each enemy glows for a moment.  You watch as wounds heal instantly, and armor knits itself closed.  They even seem to look cleaner than they did moments ago.  It is some sort of powerful healing magic.  As you survey the field not attacking you realize that you are now all alone against the five. 

For the first time you wonder if this battle will be your last and it is in that moment that you are struck by a shield.  You fly through the air and land prone on your back.  The invaders do not hesitate.  They strike with swords, arrows, and bolts of magical energy while you struggle to rise to your feet.  You lash out but there are too many of them and they are too strong.  This is the end you think as you fall to the field.   Above you in the sky you see the words “Quest Completed”.

All around you the battlefield resets.  The invaders have faded away into nothing and your soldiers have reappeared.  You are floating in a state of limbo watching what happens until everything goes dark.  It is not your time yet.  New adventurers have arrived.  You cannot take the field until 200 of your men have been slain.  Then you will appear back at the edge of the battlefield.  This time will be different you tell yourself.  This time I will remember, and I will fight smarter.  You wonder how many times you have had this thought.    

Your eyes slowly struggle to open as you become aware of the world around you…