Artinious

Part I

Artinious
Kalmar and his army of 1000 men continued through the lands to reach King Hacer’s his castle. They have been summoned by Hacer’s bravest and closest knight Sir Landon. King Hacer was assassinated seven days previous and Sir Landon after encountering a sorcerer in the forest has incentive to believe there will be a great battle fought in the up coming nights. King Hacer had several enemies the most feared being the Westland Tribe. They have taken three cities at a time, have immense transportation roots and it is all believed to be controlled and monitored by a sorcerer by the name of Artinus. Some say that he is not even human, and his eyes glow blue at night. Word says that he is the greatest sorcerer to walk the land. I was a child when his tribe killed everyone in my village including my parents. He saw me hiding in a ditch and when his dark blue glowing eyes met mine I crouched further down. He let me live, I wish he hadn’t. For all he had left me was the pain of my dead family and friends. All I can do is continue on fighting wishing for a brave death or the glory of killing him. I Artinious ride along side king Kalmar as a mercenary to protect. I have fought in countless battles alongside him and many others. Without me he would Parrish just like the rest of them. Tomorrow we will be arriving at Sandan the city of light.
In the distant sun rise the morning was disturbed when King Kalmar and his army awoke to a disturbance outside the tents. I walked out to only see the discovery of Sir Landon, with an arrow pierced through his helmet into his skull. I pulled the arrow out to only see a serrated iron tip. The serrated iron was a trademark of two tribes, the Guru Tribe led by Kalmar or the Westland Tribe, but according to the red feathers it was the defiant mark of the Westland Tribe. Six years ago I had blacksmith make something special for me. I had him make a set of iron tipped arrows just from a thought. I had not used them till one night when I was in a confrontation with a few robbers in the forest. They jumped out of the trees and surrounded me. Thrusting my sword through two of them, I tested my new arrows on the fleeing man. I was astonished when it completely tore through his chest and burst out the front instantly dropping him to the ground. The first time I went to battle with King Kalmar and he saw how well my arrows worked he asked what my secret was. I responded with I’ll teach your blacksmith later. After I had made these arrows for them they had not lost another war.
After I scouted the area for any sign of attack, Kalmar’s army road on to Sandan. “Artinious I greatly fear that the nights ahead of us may be filled with defeat. Not a single tribe has ever defeated the Westland’s.” King Kalmar said to me, fidgeting with his sword on his side. “I can not tell you how much I fear these nights ahead.”
“My lord I have prevailing friends that owe me favors. If you will I will ride off to them and ask for their assistance. I will ride off as we speak if you give me the word.” I reassured the king.
“If you ride off tonight and come back with myriads of men I will give you what ever you wish.”
“I wish for your daughter, my lord.” I requested with a grin.
“Don’t you be so stupid” he replied with an annoyed look and laugh.
“Good day my lord.” I said as I rode off into the morning sun.
As night fell I cautiously roamed deep into the Kevlar forest to reach Gatum the king of the Northern Waters Tribe. As the forest grew thicker I was met by a group of night watchers.
“What is your business here” a deep voice asked,
“I am Artinious, I’m here Looking—“
“I’ll take you back to the king. Return to your posts.” He demanded to the others.
I entered the castle amazed by the new surroundings that encompassed the castle. As I walked down the halls I noticed the worrier in front of me was twirling a serrated iron tipped arrow in his hand just like mine. The ones on his back were ordinary flint tip.
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
“I found it in a tree, where a deceased man laid, only a few footsteps away, on one of the trails I was on. What is it to you?”
Glancing at him, amused I said nothing walking into a large room. There were eight gigantic pillars on the inner edges of the walls. The chandelier in the middle of the ceiling healed seven large oil lamps. There was a bed in the furthest corner with three women laying on it, same as the dinner table where there be sitting the king eating.
“What did I do to deserve the honor of the last great worrier of mine, which I have heard countless rumors about over the years?” he asked
“King” I said bowing on one knee, “I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What do you need old friend?”
“I need your army.”
“For what may I ask?”
“I am now working for King Kalmar, and his friend king Hacer was assassinated by the Westland Tribe.”
“The Westland Tribe! My army! No!”
“King I understand your concern, but I have many allies along the way that I will be requesting help from.”
“Well go ask them leave us out of it.”
“King, I have led your army in the past, and warred against armies twice the size, and I did not loose one single soul of it. Now did I give your men to me and I will return them in greater shape than they exist.”
“You are a good worrier but you are not as good as the West Landers, but I will grant you my army under one condition. If you loose my men I will have your head if it’s not taken already.”
“Accepted”
“You now have control of my 3000 men,
We began in that hour to the others. By the end of the second day we arrived at Sandan with over 15000 men. I watched my kings face in delight as I marched to the gates.
“I have friends for you my lord.”
“I see I see and with great joy I do, bring them in for rest.”
The next two nights were two of the most agonizing days that any of the men had imagined. I trained a thousand men for as long as they could stand. Then the next thousand would be brought in. I had taught them everything I had known about battle.