06-08-2014, 06:46 AM
Yves growled under his breath as a fireball roared into his shield. The flames definitely felt hotter; either this mage was getting his second wind, or their protection was wearing off. He looked down just long enough to bash the woman with his shield and drive his lance through her heart, then raised his gaze to the rest of the bedlam that had consumed the fields outside the walls.
The rebels were in full rout, it seemed, bolting eastward as fast as they could. Yves nodded grimly. "At least they're smart enough to be running." Some of the others had no such intelligence. Yves was about to round on one such person - lightly armored, with a wicked-looking blade in his hand - when a cacophony of rushing wings and neighing sounded from the sides of the pursuing Lycian forces.
Yves' eyes widened. "PEGASI! ARCHERS, LOOK TO THE SKY!" he shouted, inwardly cursing their arrogance in thinking the ground forces would be all the resistance would muster. He just had time to look up and around him before a pegasus knight dive-bombed him, shattering her spear against his breastplate. Yves had the breath knocked out of him and toppled over, even his might borne to the ground by the force of the blow. "Oh, so that's how you want to play," he spat. The knight gripped his lance and stood, turning to face the pegasus, which was wheeling about for another pass.
The huge man dropped lower to the ground, spinning the oak haft of his spear about and bracing his shield in front of him. The pegasus flew in fast and low over the Lycian ranks, pointed straight for him in perfect jousting form. Yves narrowed his eyes, preparing for the blow. The seconds slowed to a crawl as the knight closed in.
The screech of steel on steel sounded behind him, and he whirled about, sidestepping to see what was happening. The boy from earlier, with the deadly sharp-looking sword, had tried to stab him in the back! His armor had protected him from the blow, something that obviously the boy had no clue would happen. The day's surprises were not over for him. The pegasus knight that had previously been aiming herself squarely at Yves' head swept by in a rush, the utter force of the blow driving the myrmidon boy halfway down her lance. Time stood nearly still. Shock and fear suffused his face.
Then, as if remembering its appointed schedule, the battle resumed its chaos. The pegasus' wing smashed into Yves' shield, knocking him down again and shattering the hollow bones. The great white beast screamed and toppled sideways, skidding along the trampled grass and dirt until it came to a stop, whinnying pitifully. Yves regained his feet for what felt like the eightieth time today and approached the pegasus rider. Her face was locked in an expression of shock, and her lower body was trapped beneath the winged horse. Yves frowned slightly, then planted his spear in the ground and pulled the creature off of her. For a split second, he considered killing her while he could. It would be the Lycian thing to do.
Yves shook his head violently and bent down, hauling the girl up by the shoulders, then looked around. The front had moved on without him, but some stragglers like himself were making their way back to the road. He hailed a cavalier and waved him over.
"You there. This one's a prisoner. Take her back to the fort, make sure she's put with the rest, you hear me?" he said, passing the girl and a small handful of coins up to the man.
"Huh. You sure? You know our orders are-"
"I know the orders. She's not dangerous, I killed her mount. Hell, I doubt she'll be so much as speaking for a while. Just take her, okay?"
Technically he couldn't order the rider, but it helped to be heavily armored and imposing. The cavalier nodded and wheeled his horse around, galloping back to the gates. Yves nodded and retrieved his spear, then started back to the rest of his unit. No doubt he'd hear about this later, but... "I'm a fool," he growled, and broke into a jog.
The rebels were in full rout, it seemed, bolting eastward as fast as they could. Yves nodded grimly. "At least they're smart enough to be running." Some of the others had no such intelligence. Yves was about to round on one such person - lightly armored, with a wicked-looking blade in his hand - when a cacophony of rushing wings and neighing sounded from the sides of the pursuing Lycian forces.
Yves' eyes widened. "PEGASI! ARCHERS, LOOK TO THE SKY!" he shouted, inwardly cursing their arrogance in thinking the ground forces would be all the resistance would muster. He just had time to look up and around him before a pegasus knight dive-bombed him, shattering her spear against his breastplate. Yves had the breath knocked out of him and toppled over, even his might borne to the ground by the force of the blow. "Oh, so that's how you want to play," he spat. The knight gripped his lance and stood, turning to face the pegasus, which was wheeling about for another pass.
The huge man dropped lower to the ground, spinning the oak haft of his spear about and bracing his shield in front of him. The pegasus flew in fast and low over the Lycian ranks, pointed straight for him in perfect jousting form. Yves narrowed his eyes, preparing for the blow. The seconds slowed to a crawl as the knight closed in.
The screech of steel on steel sounded behind him, and he whirled about, sidestepping to see what was happening. The boy from earlier, with the deadly sharp-looking sword, had tried to stab him in the back! His armor had protected him from the blow, something that obviously the boy had no clue would happen. The day's surprises were not over for him. The pegasus knight that had previously been aiming herself squarely at Yves' head swept by in a rush, the utter force of the blow driving the myrmidon boy halfway down her lance. Time stood nearly still. Shock and fear suffused his face.
Then, as if remembering its appointed schedule, the battle resumed its chaos. The pegasus' wing smashed into Yves' shield, knocking him down again and shattering the hollow bones. The great white beast screamed and toppled sideways, skidding along the trampled grass and dirt until it came to a stop, whinnying pitifully. Yves regained his feet for what felt like the eightieth time today and approached the pegasus rider. Her face was locked in an expression of shock, and her lower body was trapped beneath the winged horse. Yves frowned slightly, then planted his spear in the ground and pulled the creature off of her. For a split second, he considered killing her while he could. It would be the Lycian thing to do.
Yves shook his head violently and bent down, hauling the girl up by the shoulders, then looked around. The front had moved on without him, but some stragglers like himself were making their way back to the road. He hailed a cavalier and waved him over.
"You there. This one's a prisoner. Take her back to the fort, make sure she's put with the rest, you hear me?" he said, passing the girl and a small handful of coins up to the man.
"Huh. You sure? You know our orders are-"
"I know the orders. She's not dangerous, I killed her mount. Hell, I doubt she'll be so much as speaking for a while. Just take her, okay?"
Technically he couldn't order the rider, but it helped to be heavily armored and imposing. The cavalier nodded and wheeled his horse around, galloping back to the gates. Yves nodded and retrieved his spear, then started back to the rest of his unit. No doubt he'd hear about this later, but... "I'm a fool," he growled, and broke into a jog.