The Final Feast

Sato 

From the look of the place, you would have never believed they were at war. Women were dancing, musicians were playing, men were chanting, and children were playing. It was a peaceful sight. The festival grounds had been set up below the Hilltown beside the Chaff Sea. There were long tables stretched as far as the eye could see.

At the end of it, facing hillwards, was the horizontal long table housing the royal court. The Duke at the centre, clad in his regalia and wide-brimmed hat, and attended by his hounds. He was drinking so much wine and feeding his hounds pieces of bread. To his left, the Queen, still as ice and even more expressionless. To the right was Leo, the prince, and Sato's sparring partner. The princesses Sam and Jo were on either side of Leo and the Queen, respectively. Bruno and Earl were next on either end. Sato, Rebe, and Daniel were offered seats of honour, but preferred to avoid the Duke and Queen and sat at the far end of the table nearest Sam, Bruno, and Leo. Frenchie, Luci, and Sensei sat to the far right.

Guards posted at either end of the table closed their ranks. Captain Whitley, the newly knighted Sire Macs, and all the other off-duty knights sat with the townsfolk and off-duty guards instead. 

They were all partaking in the harvest feast of gourds, potatoes, carrots, breads and honey and butter, hare and fish, wine and beer, and fruits of autumn. Luci alone seemed to have lost her appetite. Sato ate a little more than Luci. His stomach couldn't bear it. Daniel was drunk on company and telling all who could hear him about some technology from their world that no one could comprehend. The cell phone, to be specific. Luci did not seem to have lost appetite for his stories. She was wide-eyed, listening intently to Daniel's ramblings and ravings from halfway across the table. How she could hear him, Sato had no idea. Rebe was quietly feasting next to him, supposedly replenishing her depleted Wicc stores. Sato didn't really understand the science of it. If it was a science at all. He wasn't about to interrupt. She had quite a week. Sensei was laughing with Earl about some old war story. Frenchie was nervously picking at some bread. 

Frenchie had insisted that they should not have their back to the Sea. They had arranged it to be such until the Duke saw the arrangement and said he wished to view his castle on the hill, not the wilting fields, and had them turned round. It seemed like it somewhat defeated the purpose of the festival. Frenchie was still not happy about it. He had posted extra guards and patrols about the Sea and beyond, but this did not settle him. It was impossible to guard an entire Sea.

There had been no word of an attack by the Undien for weeks. The Duke's men had even reclaimed a few small villages. The optimistic amongst them thought the war was already nearing the end. The wiser knew better. The Undien were preparing an attack. The question was where and when. 

Sato was more concerned about the Wolves. Rebe had warned him, and Bruno had told the rest.  If they knew of the festival, it was a great opportunity. The Duke, Queen, and Crowned Prince were all outside of the castle walls, exposed in a clearing. The Princesses, too. Everyone had their weapons about them. Kintsugi was right at Sato's side. He could hear it call to him, asking to be drawn.

It all happened in an instant. There was a slight rustle of wind and grain, and then there he was like a spectre emergent from the night itself, Grimm. Sato jumped to his feet, but it was already too late. The spectre stood directly behind the Duke. Reaper ran along and ripped the Duke's neck open from end to end. The Duke stood up and struggled, first attempting to speak, then simply to breathe. Blood gushed from where his throat once had been, and he keeled over, either dead or dying. 

The guards and knights drew their swords as the townsfolk began to scream and panic, rushing for the town gates.  Earl hurriedly helped the Icy Queen and the Princesses away from the table. He was flanked by a great number of guards. He guided them towards the town gates within a defensive phalanx formation of shields and spears around the royals. They had been prepared for a fast retreat.

Leo was already engaging Grimm in close combat with Wyrm against Reaper. He had jumped up on and run across the table to engage the towering man below. Wine and bread went flying everywhere. The first contact erupted in glowing sparks and sounded like the blades were singing. Bruno joined Leo in attacking the invader. He came around the flank of the Spectre, thrusting his massive serpentine spear from up his head and deep down into the table. Grimm was gone. As fast as the wind itself, he was on the table with Leo. It was as if thunder and lightning themselves were warring on the table. Bruno struggled his spear free and began to jab at Grimm's legs. His spear split into two with the wooden point affixed to a traditional wooden shaft as the serpent came alive, uncoiled itself, and lashed out in an additional attack. It was two to one, but Grimm was still faster. The Spectre danced over Bruno's bifurcated blows and repelled Leo's rapier repartees. Grimm flawlessly matched and blocked each of both Leo's and Bruno's blows. It was a stalemate. Leo and Bruno were beginning to slow, and Grimm was only getting faster.

It was worse than Sato could have ever imagined. Sato rushed for the Duke. He had to help him and fast. There wasn't much time. He had to reach the Duke. He army crawled under the table towards the Duke. Wine and chunks of bread, and blades came raining down upon him, but he pushed onwards. Bruno's spear narrowly missed his blade hand, and he used it to raise himself in front of the Duke. His hounds were lapping up the blood as it spurted out of his arteries. Loyal companions. Sato pushed them aside and inspected the wound. The Duke was blue in the face and red in the throat. He looked just like his clothes, and both were drowning in blood and a bit of wine. Sato steadied his shaking hands. He freed Kintsugi from his belt, and the blade took over him. He attempted to seal the tissue. He couldn't see anything through all the blood. His hands stopped shaking, and he managed to cut the Duke's throat shut. He had stopped the bleeding. But the Duke had already lost so much blood. The hounds moved back in and took turns licking his face and his blood. Sweet things. They licked away enough blood that the Duke's fancy new golden throat shone through. 

All Sato could hear from under the table was screaming and the clang of metal against metal. Where was Rebe? Where was Daniel? Were they safe? He emerged from under the table to find Leo on his back foot, struggling against Grimm. Bruno was carved up and out of the action. Sato quickly tended to his wounds. Daniel, seeing Sato emerge out from under the table, dove it it. 

Leo, finally, out of energy, fell off the back of the table. Surprisingly, an earthen chair came up to meet him, cushioning his fall. Sato looked back to see Rebe. Her eyes were glowing golden-orange, and her hair illuminated like it was on fire. It shot straight up and then spiraled in on itself like gravity paid it no mind. Somehow, she had done that. All the cutlery on the table flew up into the air and began jabbing the Spectre, stopping him from harming the unconscious Leo further. Even the unstoppable Grimm could not block all the forks and knives. Many became implanted in his skinless flesh and black robes. He let out a howl of pain. 

Then Luci entered the fray. She jumped onto the table and assumed a martial stance, sweeping her legs out wide and raising her closed fists high. She closed on the Spectre and launched deadly pugilist punches at Mach speeds. Still, the Spectre dodged most. The serpent from Bruno's spear reentered the fight, now completely disconnected from the staff. It slithered up Luci's leg, over her shoulder, and onto her fist like a spiraling boxing glove. It shot out like a sprig and held Grimm stead after Luci's missed another blow. The next blow finally connected right on his gut, knocking the wind out from the Spectre. Grimm shot up in the air like he was weightless, only for Luci to raise her foot high over her head and slam it down into him. The serpent coiled down her leg into the attack, increasing the surface area and biting down on the Spectre. Blood shot out of the serpent's mouth. He could bleed. 

Like it had a mind of its own, the Reaper scythe flew up into the air and grew a clump of soil around it, hardening into a hammer. It slammed Luci off the table, and then the hammer crumbled into soil, and the blade flew off with the serpent pressed between its blade and its staff. It only stopped when it collided with an apple tree, spilling its fruits. Grimm flew to his feet like a weightless phantom. But Sato now knew he could bleed. Sato finished treating Bruno and raised Kintsugi as a weapon against the Spectre. He stared deathly back as the Reaper flew back into his hand. A nearly bisected apple hung from the blade. Grimm broke it off and took a juicy bite.

That was when the other Reapers arrived, Grimm's elite warrior-farmers. They looked just like him, dressed in black robes that covered all. They drew scythes, sickles, pitchforks, and spades. The Reapers charged into the fray, creating chaos and allowing Grimm an exit. 

They clashed with the remaining guards and knights. With Sensei, Captain Whitley, young Sire Macs, Sire Armold, Sire Seph, Sire Erest, Sire Temet, Sire Dorin, Sire Elmon, and many, many more. The brave knights battle to protect the tired courtiers. Only then did Sato notice Frenchie was still seated at the table. He had not moved an inch. He was enjoying a nice glass of wine like nothing else was going on. Sato looked back up at Grimm, but the Spectre had vanished. Sato set about healing the other injured.

As soon as they had arrived, the Reapers were gone. Grimm was gone. They had accomplished their goal. It was quiet and suddenly dark. The knights escorted the townsfolk back into the town. Guards were posted everywhere. 

The Duke was carried into his chambers within the castle. Sato's work had been even sloppier than he'd realized. The Duke's neck was a gilded disaster. This would likely be the Duke's final feast.