So it began. Rino and Briar, the local appointed guards of the village, stood on the lookout tower with their bows and arrows. Chief Umbra was positioned on his horse ahead of us, and our army stood behind him. Because the lookout tower was too small, we could only keep 2 people on watch. The rest stood as foot soldiers in front of the gate, with weapons of varying degree. Our only hope of survival was Chief Umbra's judgement.
The ground rumbled. The sound the horses striking the ground grew louder and louder. A trumpet blew in the distance. Sweating profusely as adrenaline coursed through my veins, I took a deep breath to calm myself of this monstrosity. However, contrary to what I had imagined, instead of a halt, a wait, a compromise, or a negotiation, they rushed towards us.
By number they were far too many. From their view, I guess we weren't important enough to waste time on. As they closed in, Chief Umbra spoke, "Brace yourselves! Shields up! Fire the arrows!"
A swift breeze slowed time down around me. I could hear my heart beat. I held my wooden shield high, with my short sword in my right hand, tightening my grip as much as I could. With a few arrows in the sky, we managed to steer off a few of the cavalry before the impact. A horse fell before us, tripping a few more cavalrymen behind them. Suddenly, with the sound of a neigh, a horse pounced on my shield. Struggling to carry the weight, my arm snapped under the pressure as I fell to the ground.
As I rolled away, the stampede of horses pummeled my organs. As blood escaped through my body of broken bones, I looked back at the fallen gate. The Northerners had managed to break past our defenses in the very second they had attacked. "My wife... my child..." Pale-faced and covered in blood; the pain was unbearable.
Then, a searing pain through my head. The ground rumbled once more, and I was back on my feet?? How could this possibly make sense? A vision of what was to come? Maybe a subconscious thought out of fear? "What was this?", I thought to myself, as I pressed my head with my fingers. Brushing off the feeling, Chief Umbra unsheathed his sword on his white horse, Pegasus. "Brace yourselves! Shields up! Fire the arrows!"
The same words as what I heard before! Could it be? A second chance from the gods? But even then, why me? As these thoughts clouded my mind, I was distracted from the situation ahead. The same arrows passed by, killing the same enemies. As the Northerners had drawn too close, I was unable to draw my shield. This time, as a horse was about to place its fore legs on my body, I bent down holding my sword high. The horse landed on my sword and neighed as it was impaled. While it struggled, I twisted my sword, making a deeper cut.
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A horde of the cavalry passed around me. I could hear the swift sound of arrows cutting through their armies. Unlike before, I was able to view my surroundings. Using all the strength I could muster, I grunted, "GRAAAAHHH!!!", pushing the horse to the side. The cavalryman atop the horse was crushed by the weight of the struggling creature. Covered in blood, just as I took a moment to catch my breath, the spear of another cavalryman pierced through my right lung, stuck to my ribs. The speed of the horse compounded the damage, as I fell to the ground on impact. Blood gushed through my mouth, but a single thought passed through my mind as I lied on the battlefield, "I MUST LIVE."
Bleeding out slowly with the spear still attached to my body, I tried to run away, instinctively trying to survive. 'What use was I to anyone dead? Isn't it better if I just run away?' Running frantically through any gaps I could find, before I could even comprehend what had happened, a spear passed through my head.
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[Failure]
[The 3rd Cycle Commences.]
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The sound of a neutral voice filled the void of death. Once again, as I opened my eyes, a headache, and another battle to come. 'What was it this time? Why did I get to live again?' In all honesty, I thought that was it, a second chance to glory on the battlefield; but now, I was back to the same point; the same battle. "Is this purgatory?", I wondered.
"Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!!" Holding my head with my right hand, I finally began to grasp the reality of it all. Tears flowed through my eyes as I yelled, "WE'RE ALL GOING TO FUCKING DIE!! ALL OF US!!" Toning down into a murmur, I knelt to the inevitable, tossing my sword to the side, "They're just... too many..." With my head held down, nothing mattered to me anymore. I knew there was no way to escape this, no way to win. Everything fell silent. Suddenly, the head of a horse rammed in my body, sending my tumbling through the gate. I died the same way as the first time, with my organs squished.
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[Failure]
[The 4th Cycle Commences.]
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Mentally, it was almost unbearable. To have lived beyond your death, to have witnessed it, and still be alive, was something that was mentally taking over me. Reminded of the pain, I held my head and sighed, "Haaaah." If I am to die again and again, I might as well die fighting. The cavalrymen in black advanced; the battle began again.