As the force approached the anticipated battlefield Markus and his men were chosen to be in the lead of the army as they marched to the city. The scouts had reported no sightings of the enemy all the way to the outskirts of the city itself. they had received word threw envoys and emissaries sent to the Land of O'Donovan, named for the ruling family of the Lands, that an army was definitely gathering to mount a defense. They were reported to be a proud people and had refused the submit to the rule of the Impire as so many others had done. They were by all accounts determined to go down fighting. So the Impire had sent this army to oblige them.
Markus led his men all the way to the outskirts of the city. No longer was there abandoned farmhouses and small shops and inns along the road. They were finding organized roads with houses on each side. As they swept through the city they knew something was wrong. They were no reports of contact with the enemy by any unit. The whole of the army had come sweeping through the city from one side sweeping through like a wave. As they were approaching the center of the city they saw the first signs of the enemy. They saw what looked like a wall only slightly taller than a man's height. It appeared to be a large circle encompassing the center of the city and the tower that stood there. When the men saw the wall they broke into a charge and ran straight for the wall. When they reached it they quickly realized that it was not a supported wall at all but more of a large hastily constructed fence. As each man tried to reach over the wall and climb to see what was on the other side they would fall as the wall bowed inward. Markus gathered his men all together and had them push on the wall all at one point. They could feel the wall starting to give. Then suddenly it snapped, the wall was breached. Markus and his men poured through the gap. As soon as they pushed through the fight was on. The enemy had been waiting on the other side, waiting for the breaches so that they could attack the men as they came through the gaps. Markus immediately called for reinforcements in order to bring up the units behind his. There were enemy soldiers everywhere as they passed the breach. Markus men were organized and as soon as they were all through they formed so that their backs were against the wall and they stood shoulder to shoulder with each other. This prevented them from being attacked from all sides and instead just one side as they formed a crescent shape pushing out into the center of the wall. They were having to act mostly defensively just blocking attacks and keeping themselves from being overwhelmed. It was a matter of simply staying alive. Not winning or killing the enemy and attaining victory and glory in the name of the Impire, it was just a matter of survival. As the Markus' reinforcements came through they were not as organized. They went running right into the waiting enemy. Charging, going all out into the mass of the enemy force, they were just slowly trickling through the gap compared to the numbers of the enemy that were already waiting for them inside the wall. As more and more men poured through the gap that Markus and his men had made Markus looked out and noticed other breaches were starting to form in sections all over the wall. More and more of his men were starting to make it through. If they could start to form together and actually fight in a coordinated effort against the enemy, they might have a chance. However this was not to be. Even when groups of men gathered and began to fight together they would eventually collapse as they tried to push their way deeper into the horde. Why were they trying to attack so badly. Why were they throwing their lives away just to get a few feet deeper into the mass. If they would form with him and his unit some of them might be saved. As they day passed on, Markus continued to account for his losses, he had lost a few men, the other units that were coming through were not so lucky. Unit apon unit had come though and like smashing against a wall were destroyed to a man. Some level of casualties had been inflicted on the enemy but due to their strategy with the wall their losses were not significant compared to the losses suffered by the Impire. The streets and open marketplace that had been their battlefield was soaked with blood. Like a crimson stream had suddenly sprung up in the middle. The cobble that made of the streets were slick with the entrails and gore of men. Fighting men, mostly boys who had just recently become warriors themselves. These were the Impire's men, Markus' men that littered the ground. It was a sight that rivaled any story and who were there had ever heard as to the appearance of what the afterlife might look like. Both sides were tiring and a gap was forming between the lines where the two forces met, the sun was starting to set and both sides knew they couldn't fight in the dark and the day's battle was coming to an end. Markus gave the signal and his men pulled even further back from the conflict line and when the enemy saw it they too pulled back. Neither side turned their backs to the other as they both backed away from each others lines. All of the Impires men returned to their carts and the camp that was established with them at the edge of the city. Guard watches, patrols and watch-fires were set, as well as everything else that is needed to keep the camp from being surprised at night. Some officers were going from unit to unit to get a count of the army that remained after the day's battle, although slaughter was a more apt word. They moved about getting counts of the wounded killed and missing. Markus had lost 5 men, he was down to 45 that were in fighting shape, it was a heartfelt loss but nothing compared to the losses some of the other units had received. They had taken amazing losses compared to the army that had arisen to oppose them. The Imperial men had thought themselves invincible and that thought had let to their defeat. Markus marked that day in his mind and vowed he wouldn't make that mistake himself. "No one is beyond defeat." he told himself. When those in charge of the accounting returned to the command tent, Markus was called there to account for his lack of loss compared to comparable units. He was originally accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy, that was the only way they could explain why his losses had not been total like all the others to go in first. Once it was confirmed by reports of others that he had in fact charged in first and his men had been inside the wall the whole day that thought was quickly dismissed. He was brought in front of the Commander of the Forces, who was now personally curious about the story. He recounted the day to the Commander who applauded him for his grace under pressure and was promoted. He was installed as a sub-commander under the Commander of the Forces himself. He was tasked with assembling what was left of the broken units and combining them and organizing them as he saw fit so that on the third day he could be sent in if the need arose, where the units who had not engaged that day would go in tomorrow. Markus was given the set of armor and swords that were appropriate and denoted his new station and was returned to his men. He gathered all the units all together that he was put in charge of and began to talk to them, informing them of the Commanders decision and his new command, and the plan for the coming days. They would have one day to organize and rest and get bandaged as needed then on the 3rd day the would be the ones attacking again. He went around from campfire to campfire making sure all the wounded were helped and that all the units had been reorganized and unit leaders decided. Once this was done he returned to his bedroll to sleep. When he woke in the morning the troops that were going to be in the engagement today had already begun to muster and march toward the city center. It was about to be a long day for some of those men, and a markedly short day for many others. Markus couldn't become focused on what was happening on the field only on the men he had been given charge of. Once he had them assembled he had them counted . They stood only 3,000 strong left from what was once 12,000 that composed the first half of the invasion force. The second 12,000 were now engaged in battle themselves, and no one was sure how many of them would return. He gathered his unit commanders together and walked them through exactly what he had seen the day before. They had all seen it themselves but each had seen it in their own way. Once he had reconciled the stories from the day before he sent each command to drill their unit on how to work as a team not as bunches of individuals. Yes of course they had been taught that in their basic warrior schools but in the battle itself most had lost that training and just ran in as groups of individuals instead of waiting for more men so that they could work together. The men were all veterans now having seen combat themselves. Even for Markus that had been his first taste of live combat of real steel passing through living flesh. The feeling of a slimy wetness and resistance when the blade bit into the chest or arm of a man. Those were moments not easily forgotten just as hard were the faces he saw or his own men when they were wounded or killed. Men he had trained for that time, albeit short time. Many of which he had met before as he had walked the streets and in the drinking establishments of New Pomeii. Friends from back home that were now gone forever. He took the remnants of his 45 men and distributed them amongst all the units that he had been given. They were to pass on what they could during the day. Off in the distance they could hear the sound of battle, the ring of steel and the screams of men. These sounds only reminded them how important their work was that day. They were all aware that they couldn't afford to suffer the same losses they had the day before. They had been reduced from such a great force to a mere 3,000. By the end of the second day Markus command was working together well, not excellent by any means but they had no more time.
Markus awaited the return of the other half of the Army that had been the attacking force that day, the second day. Only a few units returned and those that did were almost completely decimated. The unit commanders that did make it back to their lines were brought before the commander of the Forces to be questioned. Markus was called to the command tents to discuss the strategy for the next day. It was as Markus had feared the losses were near complete. The days loss had been due to a new strategy used by the Army of O'Donovan. As the battle had originally begun just as it had the day before with one major exception. As the day had gone on the opposing forces had been switching out the more exhausted soldiers on the fron line with fresher ones from the back, and in doing so they had fresh troops coming up against Imperial troops that were already tired from the fight. When this happen the Tired Imperial troops were decimated. The Impire refused to be routed and had stayed and fought even when they knew they needed a strategy themselves to compete. O'donovan's men had continued switching out every hour or so so that exhausted Imperial men were being slowly ground down to the point of oblivion.
The remnants of the Imperial now stood outnumbered nearly 2 to 1. Markus set his mind to how they were going to overcome that disparity. The next morning Markus awoke and set out with the men for the center of the city. The fence/wall that had once been long and continuous was now breached every 10 or 15 feet and each individual section still stood, but men could now pass easily between the gaps. Instead of continuing with the previous days idiocy Markus had his men focused on one small swatch of wall section only about 1/8th of the total way around. He lined them up on his side of the wall, and they began pushing the broken wall sections back into the circle toward the center. The enemy on the other side was waiting for them to pass threw the holes in the wall and when the wall itself started moving toward them they just let it move backing away from the wall in the area where Markus was working. They could see the gaps in the wall getting smaller as the wall sections started getting closer to the center and getting closer together. At this point the entire shape was no longer round but had a flat section on one side of the circle. Another hour of steady pushing they had started to buldge out into the center of the circle itself. Even still the army of Odonovan did not attack they were aware that whenever the Imperial men did start coming through the wall sections that they would now have them from both sides. Markus was surprised that they had not moved against him, they had not yet seen through his strategy. Once he had pushed his luck just far enough he gave the command and all at once only those who were at the point in the bulge that were closest to the center pushed open like a set of hinged doors and Markus led his men straight into the hear of the enemy focusing on the center. Like a sword point they cut cleanly through, he had his men hold the sides of the spear shaped formation that allowed more and more of his men to pour trough toward the center of the city, through the gap to the point of conflict. Markus with him men stormed into the tower, a three story tall stone and wood building that served as the throne room and housing for the Odonovans.
The fighting inside the tower was the most intense Markus had seen up to this point he was loosing men but he was also destroying the tower's elite guards little by little. He jumped into the fight himself standing in the center of the large open bottom floor. The tower guards were good but Markus had trained for a very long time for a situation just like this. He dodged and parried every attack and smiled to himself as he remembered the night that he had fought Jullianna and how simple these men's attacks seemed compared to hers. Man after man was falling to his swords. He laughed aloud now as he was showered in the blood from a freshly cut throat. His dripping red face and helmet and armor was a site beheld uneasily by all who saw it. A ring of guards lay dead or dying at his feet. Their lifesblood covering the marble floor pooling in all directions as more men struggled to climb over these bodies to get to Markus as he stood in the middle of them. As they did reach them they were cut down easily. The steady stream of blood on the marble floor became a wave almost like the rising tide, the blood has begun to pool in the center in between all the bodies the dead acting as a levy to hold the flow in. The men were stacked a couple deep and several high at this point, and they were so many the blood was no longer leaving the center for no gap could be found. More men now focused their attention on the blood drenched warrior who was laughing like a crazy man in the center of the ring of bodies the blood now pooling so high that it reached over the tops of his toes in his sandals. As quickly as they would come at him they would fall. Markus knew in time his limbs would weaken and he might tire and be defeated. He did the only thing he had left to do and he called upon Mars himself to bring strength to his limbs that he might be able to send souls to the underworld in Mars name.
It was mid day now the light that came in through the open sky light opening in the center of the tower streamed down to were Markus was standing. The guards themselves were starting to question if this man could be defeated if he wasn't himself some creature loosed from the underworld. He stood there covered in their blood drenched from head to toe in it. His dark hair now matted with congealing blood. He would wipe his eyes occasionally to keep them from stinging with the crimson tide dripping into them. With every stroke a new mist of this red dye would coat his armor and helmet and legs. His laughing had turned into a war cry and then back into a laugh again so many times through the hours. The gore at his feet now pooled to above his ankles, he had started using it to his advantage,he would splash it up with his blade or foot into the faces of the enemy before his killing blows allowing their own contents to refill any that he had removed. Regular enemy soldiers had started ot pour in from the far side of the tower as the guards had begun to dwindle. Markus's men held the door so he could exit at any time if he had been so inclined. He was not. As midday passed and the light from the open skylight began to shift Markus knew the time had come. He moved from the center of his ring of death stepping up the side farthest from where is men were at. Climbing over the now 3 foot tall wall of humans and pieces of humans . As if a man climbing out of a bath. Both swords held at his sides with their points toward the enemy. The soldiers now coming in from the outside were struck motionless and quiet at the sight of the 6 foot tall man covered in bloody stained armor atop a pile of their own rising out of a puddle of several inches of blood. A ridiculous grin across his face. Lifting one blade to eye level pointing it at them with an outstretched arm as a challenge. None of them moved. They all just stood there staring at this figure before them. He just stared at them with his sword in that manner, his men took it as a signal and moved around the ring of bodies and toward the enemy on the other side. The enemy reacted and bean fighting again to hold back the wave of Imperial men coming at them. With the flow of men stopped Markus found his way to the stairs and left footprints and drops of blood as he ascended. On the second floor he found no one left so he proceeded to the third floor by himself. his men called out for him to wait for them to be able to send some to help him. He continued on by himself on the third floor he saw a set of ornate double doors carved with figures of mythic creatures and battlefields. Markus recognized its description as the throne room. He kicked the door intending to alert those on the other side of the large carved doors that he was there but instead it swung open. It had not been barred at all but instead had been left unlocked.
There stood a line of six men and behind them a man an a large wooden throne chair and behind him were dozens of young women and children all cowering behind one another at the sight of the blood covered warrior. They looked at him intently in an attempt to discover that if under all that blood stood a warrior of the Impire or one of the O'donovan's clan or maybe something else. Markus lifted his swords as he had done before and pointed both at the throne.
"I have come for your surrender or your head good king." Markus announced
"You would threaten my life without as much as knowing my name or me the name of my would be killer." the king said boldly as if Markus had genuinely insulted him by what he had said.
"My apologies good king, we cannot forget ourselves even at moments such as these."
"Good to hear"
"My name is Markus Verotis, a subcommander in the Army that is now at your doorstep."
The king stood, threw his cape behind him and took a single step down from the throne. " I am Cian James Larry O'Donovan, as you have guessed I am the kinf of this Land. These are the most elite of my guard, held back to protect me and my family."
"My men are coming soon and these mere six will not hold off the hundreds and thousands I have with me."
"I was not told they were to hold off hundreds, I was told they were to be here to hold off one."
"There is no way you could have known I would make it this far by myself."
"Yet you are here as I was told a single man bathed in crimson would walk through those doors, Bathed in the souls of my men. I did not know until this moment the name of the man that would come through that door nor that the bathed in crimson would be so literal."
"It matters not what someone has told you, I am here now and even these six will not stop me"
"I was told six was all I needed, if they were not enough than we were meant to fall"
"Than you will surrender if I kill these six?"
"It would appear that is to be my fate"
"Very well then," he turned to the six men, "Is it to be all at once or one at a time?"
They all six glared at the single man in front of them and one began to laugh. They were all powerful looking in their own right large powerful men most easily outweighed Markus by at least 30 pounds. the first moved from Markus' left and took a step forward.
"One at a time then" Markus quipped. The large man hefted his axe above his head and came charging at Markus. Markus took two steps back then leaped forward sinking both blades into the man one at the navel and one in the chest. The man looked down and dropped the axe behind him, as the life drained from his eyes. Markus withdrew the swords and stood waiting for the next. The line of men stood seven or so paces away from him still at the entrance to the throne room. The next lowered his spear to the chest level and ran at Markus. As Markus shifted to his left he saw the point of the spear follow him then again as he shifted right. The tip now only a few feet from its target the man lunged and sent the tip of the spear towards Markus' chest. Markus turned to the left so that his right side faced the opponent and the tip and shaft passed in front of him. As he turned he had raided one arm and brought the blade down on top of both of the spearman's arms. The man fell and his momentum carried him past Markus. As the man attempted to stand Markus quickly slashed across the back of his calves and the man collapsed to his knees holding his bleeding arms in front of him and screaming. A loud gasp was heard from all the woman standing behind the throne. The woman's eyes and gasped tugged at Markus' heart but he knew hesitation here would mean death. Maybe if he made enough show of this the others would back down. He sheathed his left hand sword and grabbed the wounded man by the hair and brow in a clean slice a the neck then another then another. On the third stoke the head spit clear of the body and the body fell to the ground with a heavy thud. As the body landed he took the head and lobed it over the remaining 4 men and it landed just in front of the throne and rolled just slightly pas it into the crowd of women. A few screamed as they clamored behind each other.
"Who is next? There is a stack of men at the bottom floor who couldn't best me, save your lives and surrender." Markus stated hoping they would back down and end the bloodshed.
Instead the next man stepped forward. Markus drew his second sword forth again, shook his head and settled back in for the next round. This one carried a shield and sword, He was a large man even by Markus' standards. He charged with the shield held before him as a great ram in an attempt to smash Markus into the wall. Markus saw his opening, backed up right to the wall. The man was convinced he had succeeded in scaring Markus into backing up so he pressed his advantage and came at him even faster. As the man threw his arm with the shield forward Markus shrunk down and let the shield hit the stone wall. He felt the reverberation as the metal cap of the shield knocked small shards in every direction. Markus had crumpled himself into a ball against the wall and pushed off the wall and rolled under the shield arm and came up behind the man. The man stunned by both the force of hitting the wall at a full run as well as thinking that he had crushed his opponent was not moving. A sharp cut under the shield arm near the armpit and the arm went limp. Markus had hit something important for blood started pouring from the wound. A small girl from the crowd behind the king cried out " Ddddaaaadddddddyyyy" her voice quickly stifled by the child's mother. The man spun and swung his sword wildly. There were tears in his eyes as he went. These were not the well aimed strikes of a warrior, they were wild swings fueled by emotion easily dodged. The man knew he was beat but something inside him drove him to keep fighting, he wouldn't give up. The man's left arm flopped around limply as he swung, blow after blow each easily blocked or dodged simply by the east grace that had settled apon Markus. He knew they were not gonna give up, he would have to kill them to a man in order to end this. On the next stroke the man overextended and Markus easily cut the man's throat. Blood spurted from the wound with each beat of the man's heart. There were only a few of them. The subtle crying of the little girl and her mother filled the hall. The room was quiet save those two and Markus' deep breathing.
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"This is taking too long and men are dieing down there." Markus said very matter-of-factly. With that the remaining three men looked at each other then charged him all at once. Markus ran to one side so that they were all in line with each other. Flipping the blade in his left hand so it was blade down. He came at the men in succession. Each blocking their strike with one blade and cutting at their midsection with the other as we went. He passed through them, the first he passed on the man's right then on the next one his left and so on. All three doubled over holding their wounds and grunting in pain. Markus now behind them turned around to face them, before the last one in line could even spin around to face his attacker Markus' blade pierced his neck with a thrust that caused the blade to enter from the back and come out the front of the man's neck. Markus moved up and a hack severed the next man's spine. By now the man in back was using his hand to try to keep his blood inside him, he was gurgling and spitting up a small river. with the strike landing on the second man his body went limp, with the severing of the spine. The first man turned around and raised his sword-arm just as Markus reached him and cut deep into that arm nearly severing it clean. The sword clattered to the ground and Markus bent down and crossed the blades of his swords under the man's chin and looked over at the king.
"I do this to save the lives of so many of mine, there on the field and so many of yours as well, that all men might live in peace." A flick of both wrists and the head of the man rolled free of the rest of him across the floor. Markus raised his sword toward Cian. Its over now lets end all this death. The king grabbed a horn from the wall and let out a few short blasts. Markus backed up out the door just as the figthing at the bottom of the stairs stopped. Markus stood there as his men rushed up the stairs past him and started to fill the throne room. Markus moved in and started at the scene before him.The king stood before his throne, a dozen men pointing their swords at him and dozens more pointing at the women and children behind him. His men parted as Markus stepped through them toward the throne.
"Let me kill the king." one man said. " I always wanted to kill a king."
"No one is killing him." Markus bellowed. "So what is your move king," he said directly at Cian.
"I did tell you if those men fell it was destined that way." Cian said as he hung his head. "We will submit to the rule of the Impire the exact terms of which will be discussed with the envoys I assume."
"You are most likely correct in that. As long as the killing is stopped I am content." Markus said.
"While I submit my kingdom to the rule of the Impire, I as a king surrender to you alone."
"The Commander will come and formally accept your surrender."
"No" Cian insisted " Only to you, you led these men, you bested these six."
"I am not sure how the commander will take that but I will let him know your wishes"
With that a shout went up from Markus men, first just the ones in the throne room then the ones downstairs soon it could be heard from outside a shout of jubilation, a shout of victory. All the men began sheathing their weapons. An Imperial man reached out and grabbed a young woman from the crowd , and yelled out, "This one is mine." The young woman appeared to be about 19 years or so and was dressed plainly in a simple white dress. She struggled against him but this young woman was no match for a full grown warrior. He wrapped his arms around her smearing her white dress with mud and blood from the battlefield. He leaned in as if to kiss her. She put both her hands up and pushed his face away. With that several other men grabbed their "prizes" from the group. The women were screaming and struggling and holding onto each other to keep from being pulled into the flock of men. The woman in the white dress was still trying to push her attacker away. She pulled her fingers across his face and scratched him, he threw her down and raided his hand as if to build up strength to strike her.
" THAT WILL BE QUITE ENOUGH"
Markus screamed pulling one of his bloody swords form its sheathe. " None of these are to be harmed. Any who would do anything to the against the will of these women will answer to me. Is that understood?" Markus bellowed.
The men grumbled and let the women go as they found it best not to argue with a vice-commander who was literally covered head to toe in the blood of men they had just seen him killing.
"Not many men would stand up to their own warriors in defense of defeated prisoners." The king O'Donovan said candidly.
"You are not prisoners. You and your family will likely retain power in this land, I will do my best to see to that. You will just have to answer to the Impire for your actions. And pay your taxes of course, everyone has to pay taxes," Markus said to the king trying to break up the tension in the air with a bit of brevity.
The king stepped forward and reached his hand out to shake Markus' and said " I would like to invite you to dinner tonight with me..." he was interrupted by a shout from the bottom floor the accent in the man's speech mad him out to be one of O'Donovan's men, "Sit it's Mohalley again."
The king sighed in recognition of the name and began to head toward the stairs. "I would ask you to come along Markus, some of yours might need controlling as well" the king said regretfully.
Markus followed the man down the stairs and out the tower. None of the Imperial men raised a finger when they saw Markus with the king. It was apparent from their stares that rumors about what had occurred inside the tower were already spreading. Markus could see the commotion not too far from where they had left the tower. As Markus and Cian got closer it became clearer what was going on, there was a ring of Imperial warriors and in the middle was one of O'Donovan's. The man stood a head shorter than Markus himself. The man looked as if he had spent his whole life doing some form of hard labor or perhaps spent it just trying to see what was the heaviest thing he could pick up. Markus considered himself well put together. But this one had biceps so large a full grown man couldn't wrap his hands around and get his fingers to touch, all with a chest and legs to match. A bull of a man, if he had been a head taller might have been unstoppable in any right. He was swinging a large double bladed battle axe at the men around him, not so much at any one of them but at all of them in general. He didn't seem at the moment to be trying to kill any of them just keep them all at bay. If he hadn't been completely surrounded no telling what kind of damage he may have caused. From the blood on the weapon and on the furs the man wore it was evident he had been already involved in some of the days battle. His screaming was mostly indecipherable until they were just outside the circle. It seemed as if the Imerial men were toying with him. He was yelling what were likely horrible curses in his culture. Telling the men how he was going to kill them and disembowel them. Markus was also pretty sure he heard some references to fornification with the dead bodies at least he thought that is what the man had said. These were meant to frighten his attackers Markus guessed.
"Damn you Mohalley, I sounded the horn that means its over put the axe down."
"I am gonna kill em all, just wait and see" the hulking mass of a man rambled.
"You are doing it again, when I tell you to do something you need to do it." The king said as if he was speaking to a child not a fully grown, or rather a fully overgrown man.
"Just watch me I will smash that one into little bits, then that one I will cut in half then..."
"MOHALLEY" the king roared
The bull was still intent on charging even if the king had silenced his rant. He kept swinging the large axe at anyone who dared to make even a small step toward him.
"Someone is going to get hurt if I let this go on" Markus stated matter of factly and marched toward the madman wielding the axe.
As expected as Markus stepped forward the axe swung toward him. Markus leaned forward and sucked in his midsection and let the blade pass under his shoulders. just as soon as it passed Markus wrapped his arms around the arms of the large man trapping the axe under his armit and behind him. With that the beast of a man began to swing his arms wildly taking Markus with him. After a couple back and forth motions that failed to shake Markus loose he began to squirm and struggle to get his arms free, Markus move had given the men all the time they needed to close the gap and before he could free himself they were on him. Once there was 10 or so Imperial men holding him down was Markus confident enough in their control to release his grip.
"Now that that is under control, what was it you were trying to say before we were interrupted." Markus said nonchalantly as if it had been some minor interruption in the conversation.
"I was trying to invite you to dinner with me and my family.” Cian said in a worried tone. " That was dangerous, He would have killed you, Moholley is quite mad, He doesn't care that the battle was over."
"No more dangerous than anything else I have done today." Markus responded. " It saved lives so it was worth risking mine." With that Markus went back to the tower to make sure things were going as planned. The envoy was being brought up and the king was arranging the meal from the city stores. Markus saw to his men and the wounded and dead.
When the time came for the meal Markus had found a basin and washed his armor and himself as best he could. His skin and hair still tinted red from the gore that had covered him. He felt odd dining with people who he had killed their kin earlier that day. But according to the reports that was how they were, battle was separate from their social lives. Some cases had been reported of men from opposing clans drinking together at the same establishment one night and fighting to the death the next day only to all go drinking the next night with the same men that remained. He knew that the people he was dining with had been disarmed but it felt weird for him to wear his armor and no swords, so he decided to keep them. As he walked back from his tent to the tower men were still dismantling portions of the wall. The men that were working would stop and stare at him as he walked by. This disconcerted him, however he did not question them as to who they acted so. As he was about to enter the tower which now had his men flanking the entrance he pulled free one of his swords in an attempt to check his reflection in the blade. He made sure had no obvious spots of blood showing on him. Finding none he sheathed it and proceeded inside. He was escorted to a seat beside the king and began to enjoy the large array of foods he had never seen before. He talked with the kind and his family which was quite extensive. From the far side of the table he could see several young women eyeing him. Their faces seemed to be a mix of glares for loved ones he had taken and various forms of flirtation. He was confused but tried to show as little of his uneasiness as possible. Once the meal was concluded the king invited Markus into a side room to talk more in private. "I would offer you a room here in the tower, but I fear you would be allowed no sleep." the king said in jest.
"Do you really think any of your men would try to kill me in my sleep?" Markus asked.
"It is not my men you have to worry about," the king snickered.
"then who?" Markus asked
"the wives of the men you killed and the ladies that you saved in the throne room today."
"What would I have to fear from them, I saved them from a horrible fate, and as for the women who's husbands I killed, Men die in war surely they must understand this." Markus said confused.
"fear? I wouldn't say fear, Just worry about, their thanks and the collection of dues is what you should worry about." The king said obviously holding something back.
"You don't wish to tell me do you?" Markus said
"I will tell you only this, Fear not for your life for they don't want to kill you. Instead They want to take your life with them," the king laughed warmly at his own attempt at being cryptic. " I think I will have to write that down , that was great." being quite pleased with himself.
"I don't understand." Markus questioned.
"Of course you wouldn't you don't know my people well enough. Stay the night in my tower and you will come to know my people and their ways better," He said being intentionally cryptic again.
"My only option is to accept your offer if I want to find out what you are being so secretive about" Markus exclaimed obviously now at the end of his rope. "Am I right?"
"You are." the king said rather matter of factly.
Cian called for a servant and after what sounded like a few seconds of people stuggling with each other a young woman appeared. She walked up and bowed to the king and asked what he wished.
"It would be you Cathliene, ha ha very well. Show Markus to the best guest room we have that he may see the grandeur these "Savages" can create." the King overemphasized the savages part. It was an insult used by people of the Impire for anyone who refused to fall under the Imperial system.
"With pleasure my king." She said as she looked up at Markus
Markus was in the chair facing the king. Cathliene stepped forward into the light of the fireplace. Fiery red hair cascaded to her shoulders in light curls. Taller than the women found in the Imperial cities she was just about as tall as Markus. She wore a low cut "barmaid" top that showed off her ample cleavage. A short brown leather skirt that hugged her shapely hips and thighs to just about her knees. Quite a woman Markus thought to himself, no wonder the king would keep such a beautiful woman as servants.
She outstretched her hand to Markus, he rose to follow her. As they left the room the two Imperial men who had been guarding the door followed Markus and the lady as they headed to the room on the second floor. Along the way Cathliene had made a point of stopping at several tapestries and carvings that depicted battles her family had been involved in or accomplishments attributed to her family name. She passed by several large carvings and would only describe them if Markus asked about them. Markus noticed this and was confused as to why his tour guide was trying to make her and her family sound so great. Just one of those cultural differences he guessed. They came to a single large wooden door with a large sword carved on it and battle standards carved in relief behind it. The guards posted on the door and Markus followed Cathliene inside. In the center of the room was a large bed covered in furs of every shape and color, the headboard was intricately carved in small whirls and loops the crossed over each other, Large antlers hung from mounts on the walls.
Cathliene walked around the room showing him the water pots and were wood for the fireplace was stored as well as a stand for his armor. He thanked her and she walked off to the doorway and he tossed another log into the coals in the fireplace. He took his helmet that he had been carrying under his arm and placed it on the stand. As he did he heard the latch on the door fall closed.
He let out a sigh, he could relax now, no more keeping on his best behavior or watching how he worded things as to not offend a nation. He the fresh log in the fireplace began to catch filling the room with its warmth and he felt himself start to unwind.
He heard someone else breathing in the room with him and realized he was not alone, he spun around and drew his swords on instinct. It was Cathliene standing there, he quickly sheathed his swords and apologized. "You startled me." I thought you had left", he said in relief that is was her.
"I would have what I am due" she said quietly half under her breath loud enough that Markus was sure to hear her but just barely.
"What? What do you mean?" Markus said worriedly.
"Today you took from me a husband and a brother, and for them I would have what I am due." She said again this time her tone was more defined, moving her hand to the waistband of her leather skirt.
"I don't know what you mean but the killing is done, by your kings own order, I also have no intention of ending more lives today." Markus said resting his hands on the gripps of his swords preparing to draw them at any sign of a weapon.
"The king didn't explain did he? of course he would have thought it more amusing this way." she said and let out a heavy sigh. "Very well then" with one hand she pulled at the latch on the waistband of the leather skirt and the skirt fell to the floor. With the other she pulled the tasseled strings on her shirt and it unlaced itself and fell off her shoulders and onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Markus was speechless at the sight that greeted him. The now naked Cathliene looking back at him. Her red hair glistened in the firelight, she rested her hands on her hips. Her breasts now freed from the cloth prison of the shirt now rested gently against each other. A muscled body and defined midsection led down to a small patch of red hair that showed he to be a woman even if just out of her teens. She stood there for a moment and let him drink her in.
" I am Cathliene daughter of the house of Shawtus. From me you have taken something in battle. A husband and also a brother. In accordance with our customs and laws I am here to claim my due. A chance to restore to my family what was lost and to give that family the strength of he who had defeated it. " she said very monotone as if reading it from a script in front of her.
" Let me get this straight, I killed members of your family and you want me to sleep with you to repay you?" Markus said still lost in confusion.
"Of course, I don't hold it against you that you killed them I simply ask for the chance to feel the strength of the one who has defeated them, and if the ancestors are willing bring forth the progeny of your strength."
"I can't marry you, I don't love you, I just met you."
She laughed softly "I never said marry, it is my right to claim a night or a few if possible, However with the number of men to fall to you today you are about to be a very busy man." she smiled a devious smile. "You can refuse of course, it is your right."
"I am a stranger in a conquered land how could i refuse such an offer from one such as you?"
With that she stepped out of the heap of clothes at her feet and walked up to Markus her ample breasts bouncing with each step. Until she stood just inches from his armored body. "Lets get these off" she said as she reached around his waste to the clips and buckles that kept the belt and breastplate on. As she did her breasts pressed against the cold metal and rough leather becoming erect and sensitive at the touch. As the clips came undone she pressed her mouth against his and kissed him deeply. He returned her kiss and pulled at the leather thongs that held his armor. He kept his lips pressed to hers as the armor began to fall piece by piece to the floor. She pressed herself against Markus and he felt the edge of the bed behind him, and he fell onto it, her body falling on top of his. The weight of her naked body resting on him. She kissed his neck and moved down to his chest as she peeled away the padding that had separated the rough armor from flesh. She reached down with one hand and caught ahold of his manhood. Gentle and firm she held it in her hand and began to stroke it up and down as she kissed his rippling abs. It grew hot at her touch and a smile grew across her face as it did. She crawled up and kissed him on the lips keeping her hand around his now hard erection. Markus pushed her on one shoulder and rolled over on top of her. This caught her by surprise. and her grip on him tightened in shock but only for a moment.
He smiled " If I am required to repay a debt I intent to repay it fully."
She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. With his right hand he grabbed her breast and kneaded it gently as he kissed her neck and the lobe of her ear. Her nipples grew harder under his touch. He pinched one gently between two fingers and pulled it gently upward then released it watching the mound of flesh as it returned to its perfect shape. He moved down and kissed one breast deeply keeping the other in his caressing hand. He could feel the heat coming from her body growing. He kissed down her stomach and hip to her thigh. She looked down at him from between her two large breasts with a look of slight confusion on on her face. He gave her an evil grin as he placed his lips against her wet mound. She shuttered for a second at the force of his movement. He began to lick and kiss at the whole of her mound. Her flesh became hot to the touch as blood filled the flesh of her young sex. She let out a soft moan as his lips and tongue continued their work. Her juices began to form damp spots in her fire red patch and the smell of passion began to fill the room. He tongued his way between her lops to find her small clit resting amongst the flesh of her mound. As his tongue brushed against it she began to buck and tighten her body. Her hands grabbed at her own breasts and she groped them as he continued. Her whole body suddenly became taunt and she held her breath. Her legs shook slightly on either side of Markus' head. Markus began to lick up the sweet juices that had begun to drip from her. As she released her muscles and collapsed onto the bed, he crawled up till he was face to face with her. He smiled quite proud of himself.
"By the ancestors, what was that?" she said still half out of breath.
He laughed, "Nothing special, Don't pretend you haven't had this before." he sneered, "After all you did tell me you were married.
"I was, but no one in these lands does such things, Even my sisters and I talk and the same for me and my sister-in-laws. None among them has ever mentioned something as that. Who taught you such wonders?"
"Not wonders, it is perfectly normal to those of the Impire." With that she rolled on top of him and began to kiss him. He could feel the softness of her breasts against his skin and the warmth and wetness of her mound against his body. She positioned herself by sliding up a little till her breasts were resting in front of his face which he felt obliged to kiss and nibble on. She lined up his now solid member with the entrance to her waiting warmth. She slid the mound against his cock and let her wetness coat it till she could easily slide her body down its length. Then pulling herself up one last time lined the tip of him up with her waiting hole. She exhaled sharply as the tip entered her. She rose to a near seated position on his hips and held just the tip of him inside her. Then all at once she released her weight and with a grunt he was filling her completely. She sat there for a second her mind in a blur of pleasure. He has been surprised at the swiftness of her movement but it hadn't detracted from the feeling. Her warmth and wetness now enveloped all of him. She slowly lifted herself off a little then released once more ramming his length into her once again.
"By the ancestors what I wouldn't give to keep you for my own." she said in a hot breath. She began a rythm of pulling herself up and falling back down on him. He reached up and played gently with her breasts as she fucked him. She began to move faster and faster. Each stroke getting longer and longer until all but the very tip of him was inside before her mound would swallow him entirely once more. She kept this up for some time before she felt Markus begin to tighten under her. It had been several months by cart to the city so Markus was definitely in need of a woman's comfort. He knew his own limits had been reached by the journey and knew he would soon release into her. As she noticed him begin to tighten she slammed her hips down on his and began to grind her hips against his keeping the rhythm going yet keeping him always inside her. She could feel her own body begin to reach it's peak in the anticipation of his release. He moved his hands to her hips and pressed them to him as he shot string after string of his seed inside her, the moment the hot spray met her inside she orgasmed. Her muscles tightened around his shaft and her legs began to shake again. He looked up at the glorious sight. Her face contorted with pleasure the fire that almost leapt from her eye as she looked down at him. As her body finished twitching she collapsed on top of him, her breasts smothering him for a second until she rolled off of him and lay next to him for a second. Before anything could be said she got up and gathered her clothes put them on and turned to him.
"Your debt to my family is paid. I have been given that which is due. I thank you for it and wish you health and long life." She said once more as if reading that script again. She turned to the door. As she grabbed the handle she turned back to him. " I would have enjoyed more time with you but it is quite impossible. They will all be quite jealous when they hear what I have experienced. It paid to be the first in line." with that she slipped through the door and closed it behind her. Markus shook his head a bit confused at her words as always. He took his armor and put it on the rack where it belonged. Putting another log on the fire he found his way back to the bed and sat on the edge of it..
Tap Tap Tap
There was a knock at the door before he could even stand two blond headed figures entered.
"I am Mary and I am Samantha we are daughters of the house of O'donovan and we have come for our due"