The Storm (Sully)

Sully

Sully stared at the grotesque flesh mask that made for the Messiah's face. They had taken nearly half of the farming towns in Kelton. Once they were done here, they would move to Pax and then Orre. By avoiding the cities and large castles, they had avoided the fiercest resistance. They always aimed not to harm the locals, but inevitably they would rise up and fight back, and be subdued. It was dirty work. None of them took pleasure in it, not even the Green Witch. She was off gathering Wicked creatures from this wood or that. Sully held his stare on Grimm. He did not flinch or yield.

"You want to take Castle Hill?" Sully asked again, hoping for a different response.

"The Chaff Sea is the largest single crop in all of Kelton. How can we feed everyone without it? How can we take back our isle without food? Our people are starving. Armour and proper arms would do our men well. And the Duke and his boy are there. We cannot free our home while we either draw breath. It is them or us," the Messiah muttered.

"Our men are just farmers. They use and live off what they have," Sully objected.

"Wrong, they have nothing. They are not just farmers. They are farmers, true, brave, and strong. But they have survived only because they are also warriors. Warriors for our people. They take what is rightfully theirs. It would do you well to remember that knight. Not many amongst us share your titles. Fewer still held land of their own. I have not forgotten that you had a ride of your very own. You were one of them, until they cast you out with the lot of us common monsters," the Messiah muttered.

"You wound me unjustly, sire. I fought with them, aye. Many amongst us did. We believed in their cause and saw hope for our people. Alright, I've made compromises. I fought bravely and slayed our prior slavers and was granted land and title. It's all true. But I never submitted to the banishings. I spoke to the Duke. I petitioned for the welfare of our people. For the boldness, he stripped my lands. I was the first lord to rise against our new slavers. When I heard the tale of the farmer with the weapon that would free us from our starvation, it was I who wandered to find you. I raised you and introduced you to our warriors and knights. My loyalty shall not be questioned," Sully shouted. 

"You are right Sier. Forgive me. My goals are great. Sometimes I cannot see past my own face," the Messiah muttered.

"I will draft plans, but there will be fierce defense. The Duke is not one to be underestimated," Sully relented.

The strategy was crude, and they would lose hundreds if not more, but it would work. They could not lose. The Duke was dead. They simply need his Queen and heirs. Lord Evermonte was dead. The Kelton lord who joined up with the Undien. No matter. He was of little consequence. Though his horse had served its role nicely. 

The Countess of Castle Hill had funneled their forces through the Darkwood so as to evade detection by the Paxan outriders and scouts. They had been caught completely off guard. No one had seen them coming. They immediately took out the watchtowers and their watchers to avoid early detection. The plan would have been perfect if Grimm hadn't had to go and kill the Duke, and reveal themselves early. 

It was Sully's job to make sure they didn't muck up his perfect plans. For a Messiah, Grimm sure was messy. The bit about killing the Duke early had been risky. They could have taken them all today, or better yet, taken them all at the feast. Unknowingly of how deep their forces were, and by surprise. Oh well. Too late to change things now. 

Grimm was off reaping knights again. The habit might get him killed one day. Today was not that day. He was strengthening their frail forces in a force of nature. That was their greatest strength. With Grimm Reaping, they were unbeatable. That and their number. They had thousands in reserve. And there element of surprise had they maintained it. Oh well. No use beating that particular dead horse.

Sully had to work with what he was given. The horse did not seem to like its new bony master, but Sully kept it compliant. The komodon should begin to hibernate any minute now. Like clockwork, all the komodon came to rest. 

General Bruno's final charge was halted halfway. The brave fool. Sully would kill him himself if he thought he could. Sully had never been exceptional with a sword as Bruno was with his spear. But with his shillelagh? Still, he wasn't sure who would win. If he were sure he would win, he would hunt Bruno to the end of the battle. But it was a fool who fought a losing battle and called himself brave.

That man was a beast. His strength was inhuman. His endurance even moreso. He was the Green Serpent, the Warden of Deepwood. After Grimm, he was the most dangerous man on this battlefield. Sully shuddered to think how strong Bruno would be with a relic. 

The Green Witch was off to sow chaos elsewhere on his battlefield. She would waste him. And so she did. Bruno rode behind his Van's lances with only shortswords and shields, and clashed with Sully's foot. 

A knight on horseback emerged from the smoke and charged Sully. His horse took the chance to buck him and flee into the battle. Such a wise beast. Sully dropped his sword and drew his favored shillelagh. He would spare the beast, if he could. The knight grew closer, longsword drawn, and sliced Sully's shillelagh, almost straight through until it caught on a knot of steel. The knight was ripped from his horse, who stopped patiently awaiting its master. Sully had the knight where he wanted him. He drew his dirk in one hand and bashed the sword broken with his shillelagh, now adorned with a nice new spike. He came down on the dazed knight and slipped his dirk right under his gorget, slitting his throat. He watched the shiny armor fill with red and the man gargle his last. 

Sully had no interest in ransoming hostages. He mounted the knight's horse. It had a much better temperament than his. He gazed out upon his battlefield. A son of his brotherhood, a Knight of Undien, approached.

"Two divisions marching on the hill. Their outriders will be here within the hour," the Brother informed.

"Take any horses you can find and meet them and slow them down. We can't have any distractions. There should be one horse somewhere around here. Bad temper on it," Sully stated.

The Green Witch and her Wicked Women clashed with Bruno himself. He dehorsed the Witch and slew two of her coven. Then the Catamounts surrounded him, and he was forced back into the Sea of blood and fire. The rain was lancing, but the smoke from the fire and the newly dark sky made visibly quite horrible. The Witch would catch the Serpent. Of that, Sully had no doubt.

A fat old woman stood against her. Her fingers were stained... green. Greenthumb faced her. The nerve. Wasn't she a former Green Grower? Why was she fighting against them? Did she not know what they were here to do? Percia was furious. She got reckless when she was furious.

He would have to wait another day to face Bruno, that is, if the man survived. Sully had a war to win. He followed after his Brother.