Kenri wasn’t quite sure if he was sane.
While the angels had given him the mission of spreading the word and had taught him how to use one of their communication machines, it was entirely his idea to join in on this ambush.
An ambush on a convoy to the capital that was being guarded by a mass of men-at-arms. That they’d have to assault with a group of fellow rebels armed and armoured with equipment that were no match to the trained and well-equipped troops in front of them.
They did have one thing up their sleeves. One of the angels was with them carrying one of their black weapons.
Apparently, he wasn’t one of their soldiers but instead one of their spies, who had been keeping an eye on their kingdom for quite a while. A few of the people here had seen them shopping at their stall or helping them out with errands before he turned up with their weapon.
He didn’t like to be called an Angel however, simply saying he was one of them.
It seems like the priest from all those years ago might have been right about his theological theories. When he was burnt, the village managed to hide his writings, but, well, nobody else in the village they could trust could read. That had therefore left those sacred texts in one of their lofts, covered in oil skins and kept safe in an old wooden chest.
But now they didn’t have to read it given that he could just ask them all of the questions once this all dies down. After all, you don’t need to interpret signs with theology when you have the sender of the signs right there.
But that was all things to think about in the future, right now, they had a battle to win.
Their forces were drawn up in a boggy area that surrounded the road, which was filled with thick bushes and scattered Fanir, the grey mushroom trees.
Not an idea place for an ambush but apparently it was the best spot for miles around according to the angel- No, woman on the other end of the communication device.
So they were in the bushes that covered each bank of the road with a few behind the thickest Fanir. On the few good roads Kenri had been on, these sorts of bushes would have been removed to stop this sort of ambush. But this was not a good road.
All they were waiting for now was for the enemy to get close enough to ambush them and to keep quiet. The signal would be just the simple crack of the gun. Then they’d just have to hope the enemy had been surprised enough that they would win.
Off in the distance they could hear it. The low drone of feet and horses’ hooves pounding against the gravel road.
The thud, thud, thudding as they moved ever closer and closer to their little ambush.
It was hard to see out of the bush to see their numbers, but they only have thirty-seven people in total for this. But the agent could fight like ten with his weapon.
Still the pounding grew closer, his heart beating in equal measure to the sound rising, the grip on his spear starting to grow shaky.
The sounds of the soldiers talking started to mix in with the sound of their marching, the wait making everyone else hiding in the bushes with Kenri sick to their stomachs.
The crack of the handgun threw them out of it however as a horse screamed, followed by the sounds of two others dying.
That is when they struck, all of them rising up with spears and billhooks in hand as they charged.
The convoy in front of them was guarded by twelve men at arms, ten on foot, and two on horseback. There were two carriages, one pulled by two horses and the other by one with all of those dead, their drivers drawing their daggers as they looked around with frantic eyes. So, in total fourteen, with most of them armed with spears and every one of the men-at-arms having backup short swords.
The first strike was landed by one of the ambushers, their spear puncturing the throat of a horse, the beast rearing up as it let out a few gargled screams. But instead of the simple fate of being thrown from the horse, the mailed armsman was crushed as the horse fell backwards, the tumbling man trapped beneath the half ton of muscle.
Several more strikes were levied at the guards, and Kenri tried to keep down his lunch as he watched one go down with a spear through their arm and leg, leaving them both spread out as the two peasants held their spears tight. Another, further behind, was left clutching at the ruins of his throat as Rudolf sliced forwards with a billhook before wrenching it back. The fellow villager looking down at his work with quivering eyes.
Kenri’s strike was aimed at alarmed guard at the front of the convoy, aimed squarely at is enemy’s gut.
His spear cut through the yellow surcoat of the man, but then stopped, sliding against the mail shirt under it.
Many more strikes against the enemy ended like that, blunted by the enemy’s armour that surrounded their torsos and would be impossible to penetrate with the weapons they had.
His mind started to race as the man started to turn around, levelling their spear to face Kenri, the two men locking eyes as they tried to guess who would be next. Kenri would be dead mostly likely given his lack of armour, but he was sure he could take the bastard down before he lost consciousness.
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Kenri struck, but as his spear sailed towards the man-at-arms, it was simply slapped aside by the opposing spear, the soldier about to thrust in a counterattack before another crack filled the air.
The soldier froze as the cart driver behind them was about to join the fray fell, Kenri seizing the opportunity to put a spear through the man’s eye. They wailed in pain, dropping their spear in the panic as Kenri twisted it further before pulling it out. The man stumbled backwards, clutching his eye before a billhook wielded by one of Kenri’s comrades ripped their thigh muscles out of their legs.
The man then fell to the ground, blood gushing from him as his body was no longer able to support himself.
Kenri and the other nodded, before charging up the tiny wagon train.
At the end of it the fight was ferocious. While one of the riders had been delt with the other armsman was expertly kiting the ambushers while their comrades held the line around the rear cart as best as they could. And from inside of that cart could be heard chanting from a priest...?
That could be ignored for now however as Kenri needed to help his allies.
Another crack filled the air as gravel sprayed up from a spot just besides the feet of the mounted guard’s horse. The beast skittering a little but otherwise holding its ground as its rider turned to charge. The man levelling his spear and heading right to Rudolf who was locked in combat with a guard who had resorted to their sword.
Kenri sprung forwards, running towards Rudolf with his spear forwards, moving to save the man.
Time seemed to slow as the adrenaline pumped through him, his legs moving as fast as he could as he saw the spear draw closer and closer to its unknowing victim. Rudolf turning his head around too late to see and react to the oncoming doom.
The spear then lanced through Rudolf’s side, the rider ripping the spear out as they passed by, running away from Rudolf’s friend who turned around to face them. That person was then in turn only saved by a round from the agent’s weapon blowing a guard’s brain out before they moved to strike.
The horse however was turning around for another run and Kenri was not letting one of his comrades die again, running in front of the horse’s path as it charged into the rear of their formation.
He breathed in and out, trying to stay calm as the horse bolted towards them.
But as he laid his spear forwards the horse tried to move out of the way of it, just as it was pushing through the foliage by the side of the road. The beast then stumbled, trying to regain its balance.
Leaving just enough time for a round to be blasted through the horse’s head. The animal kept stumbling for a little longer before dropping to the floor, its rider’s leg stuck beneath its body.
Kenri took no chances as he rushed forth, spearing the man’s throat with one simple jab.
He turned back around, the skirmish still going on as the guard backed closer and closer to the cart, their numbers dwindling as they shot glances to each other.
But they didn’t give up yet, giving one final go.
The remaining driver threw his dagger, scraping a pitchfork wielding peasant in their cheek.
They yelled, clutching their cheek as a man-at-arms followed up with a thrust that impaled them through their gut. Blood gurgled from the wound, then the spear was pulled out, leaving the man to fall.
But yet again that was counted as a swipe across the face from a hook sliced into the guard’s nose, followed up by the billhook cutting into their opponent’s leg.
That left three men left who all dropped their weapons, hands raising into the air. Leaving belts with swords still in their scabbards and bloodied spears covering the ground.
This small battle was now finally over.
Kenri spat on the floor, “It took you long enough you facking heretics!”
One of the prisoners swallowed, “Look, we just need to feed our families like you. So don’t hurt us please. You can take whatever you want, it’s not ours.”
“And who are you to give away our lord’s goods?!” A voice yelled from inside of the cart, a white and red robed priest stepping out of it.
He was tall, thin with his face almost gaunt with thin lips. On that face was a sneer, hateful eyes glaring at the rebels. “You have no right to do this and you’re endangering the safety of the cities of our grand kingdom with all of their inhabitants! All of you bandits should hang!”
The agent sighed, as he brough himself up onto the road, handgun slung over his shoulder. The ginger haired man covered in dirt. “We’re not bandits, we’re agents of the rightful government on this land.”
The priest turned, eyes widening, spotting the agent as his eyes then started to flick between the group of peasants surrounding them. “Y-You! You have all been lured into service of the great evil! All of you need to get out of the trance you have been trapped in!”
“We’re not entranced!” Kenri barked back, “We know about your lies and what the truth is! They are not daemons, they’re the citizens of the great nation of Ifcan! And they are here to depose your tyrannical regime of falsehoods!”
The priest’s face morphed into something else. It wasn’t fear from people realising a lie, it wasn’t disappointment from seeing the others follow wrong path.
It was despair withing which an anger still burned.
“Heretic! We thought we had all of your cult burned years ago, but it seems like the infection still remains… You should all consign yourself to the hell you are creating!”
At that, one of Kenri’s comrades seemed to lose control. The young boy was knelt by the body of his father but as the priest kept droning on his sadness turned to anger, picking his pitchfork up again and charging into the priest, skewering the man on all three prongs.
The priest coughed, blood staining his robes as he tried to push the fork out, slowly loosing life before all resistance stopped. The priest dead.
The agent looked on in horror as it all happened, his body and mind to slow in the moment to react. A small atrocity committed before he could point out the injustice. “Genrith, don’t fucking do that again. What you did there… That could land you in a deep dark hole for a long time-”
“And his lot facking murder my mother! And our priest! Two of the kindest people in the community over them knowing the truth! I had-“
“You did not have to do that. We take people prisoner like these lot and we try them for their crimes, not execute them on the spot! Do I make myself clear!?”
“Bu-“
“This is not something to argue about! Now, you lot, secure these three while me and Kenri will search the front wagon. Come on.”
The agent gritted his teeth and marched towards the front of the convoy, trying to ignore the sights at the rear of it.
Kenri followed, trying to ignore it too while also not looking down. Thoughts swirled in his mind about that battle every time he glimpsed one of the corpses, his breath quickening.
The agent climbed up and onto the cart, opening the tarpaulin to find a treasure trove of black barrels, all neatly arranged and covered with oilskins.
All the man then did was take off his backpack and grab a “handset” from inside of it, punching in a number before speaking. “Yes, hello? Vulture here, we’ve confirmed that it is gunpowder they’re sending… Yes, it looks good quality… Yeah, I’ll do that.”
He put the set down, before turning to Kenri, “Right, you’re going to be in charge while I do something on my own. Just make sure the prisoners are delt with correctly, okay?”