The Foolhardies 214 Sword and Shield

"Reporting for Strategist Kitsune, Commander," Nike said as she gave me the fairy salute. 

"She's really sticking to Kitsune, huh," I noted. "Alright, Nike, give me the report."

"Dean, I can't believe you were right about this," Nike complained in Arah's voice.

"Right about what?" Aura asked. 

She was in her usual spot on my right and mounted on Starlight. 

"I predicted Garm might pull a fast one and send the bulk of his forces wherever I was because he would be under the assumption that you would be with me," I answered in one quick breath. 

"It's time for plan B," Nike said in Arah's voice. "Hold the line until Edo's forces arrive in time to flank the enemy. You'll be receiving reinforcements from the other units as planned… Message ends."

"Nike, I need you to send my reply," I said. "Message, Plan B is a go… Maneuver at your discretion."

I watched Nike zoom into the air before turning my eyes back on the three thousand enemy troops at the mouth of our path. 

"So… how do you want to do this?" Aura asked. 

"I'll go hold the line," I said. "You stay here and manage our forces. Send word to Azuma that he needs to take command of the cavalry." 

"You should be leading from here, Commander," she reminded me. 

"I can't," I replied. "These pilgrims won't trust a leader who hides behind them. They'll follow the guy willing to risk his life alongside them."

I dismounted from Myth Chaser and passed her reins to Jensen. Then I accepted the kite shield he offered me. 

"Tell Ty to join me upfront will you," I said. 

"Are you sure?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's about time the chosen one made use of his close-quarters training," I chuckled. 

Then I was off and moving past the lines of soldiers who made way for me, each of them looking back at their new commander with something I imagined was a mixture of expectation and worry. 

I didn't know most of these people, I thought. How am I supposed to lead them? 

While these worrisome thoughts crossed my mind, my feet had dragged me to our front where the heavy infantry were gathered. It was here where I heard a familiar voice call out to me. 

"You're late, Commander," said a tall blonde man with bright blue eyes and a full, shaggy beard on his face tanned face. 

I stared at him. "Ian Grimmjaw?" 

My eyes went past Ian to the gathered soldiers around him. 

"Armie Hammerfall, Tina Lovegood, Jasper Crank, Augie Lootmaister, Jill Valentino…" I whispered their names in surprise as I thought they'd gone with Edo's unit. "Miko Amada, Channel Crow, Link Albuquerque, Raffy Diaz, Dario Dunkirky… aren't you Ravagers a sight for sore eyes." 

The veteran viseres, pixies, and elves from Luca's squad from our days as a hundred-man unit were all gathered there and looking back at me with grins on their faces. 

"Our squad leader asked us to watch out for his big brother while he's off the line," Ian answered. 

Behind Ian, I could see even more familiar faces popped out at me. They were all of Luca's Ravagers who didn't sacrifice their lives to rescue Luca and Azuma. 

"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys… Look on them as your own beloved sons and they will stand by you even onto death," I recited, a grin growing on my face as renewed confidence flowed through me. 

I would have to thank Luca later on for sending me such reliable backup. 

"Sun Tzu?" Ian asked. 

"Who else?" I asked as I hefted my shield with my left hand while my other hand raised my falchion high. "Alright, you ravaging bastards, let's go to war!" 

They all raised their weapons high and cheered along with me. And it wasn't just the Ravagers, but the pilgrims around us. They too were caught up by my morale-boosting roar. Hopefully, it would help tide us for what was to come. 

We all felt the rumble beneath our feet, and I heard someone around me shout, "Earthquake!" 

But I just smiled and yelled in an even louder voice, "Battle formation!"

I made my way to the front of the line and saw that Garm's own heavy infantry had begun their march forward in what was the standard practice for this kind of warfare. 

"Just no imagination, this guy," I said right before I glanced behind me and roared, "I want a tight phalanx formation. No gaps!" 

The Ravagers around me quickly followed my instructions. This was repeated down the lines to my left and right, a total of five hundred heavy infantry from end to end. It was just about the right size from one half of the chasm wall to the other. 

"Here he comes," Ian pointed with his spear. 

A single, bulky form walked ahead of his soldiers. His greatsword was draped over his shoulders. His hair was being blown back by the wind. I had to admit, he cut an impressive figure, Great General Garm. 

It didn't even surprise me that he opted to walk among his men instead of on his mount like before because I knew his very presence ahead of them was filling his men with confidence. Why else would they continue to yell, "Garm, Garm, Garm!" 

Unfortunately, Garm's swagger had the opposite effect on my soldiers who weren't Foolhardies. These pilgrims who'd never gone to war before were all starting to look very nervous. 

"Those of you who don't know the drill yet," I said as I stepped forward and out of the line. "This is where we hold the line!"

I actually drew a line in the sand behind me with my falchion for emphasis. 

"This is where our fight begins!" I said, raising my voice while at the same time pointing toward Garm with the tip of my sword. "And this is where they end!" 

The Ravagers were the first to yell in unison. "Foolhardies!" 

This was followed by the raising of a thousand spears in the air from the first, second, and third line. 

Garm's soldiers were quickly bridging the gap between us. But our morale held steady.

"Let's earn our shields, brothers!" a pilgrim on my right yelled. 

"We will be baptized through the blood of our foes!" a pilgrim on my left yelled. 

"We'll kill em' all!" someone behind me roared. 

"Death to the fay!" another answered.

Less than forty yards separated us from our enemy now, and the anticipation was reaching boiling point. 

"Damn, these pilgrims are intense," I chuckled just as Ian passed me a spare spear. "I like it." 

Garm was close enough now that I could see his pearly white teeth grinning maniacally at me. 

"Vengeance for Luca," I said. 

"For Lira and Lawrence," Ian added. 

"For Marco, Paulo, and all the rest," I agreed. 

Garm raised his greatsword high with one hand, and for that single moment, it felt like the whole world went silent, almost as if time had suddenly stopped. Then he lowered his greatsword in our direction, and his men began to charge. 

"Hold!" I yelled. 

The enemy was around twenty feet away now running at full speed toward us, their weapons raised and ready to cause some damage. 

"No matter what, we hold this line!" I yelled again. 

The enemy was fifteen feet away now, and their faces were a mixture of rage and contempt for me and mine.

I closed my eyes then and searched for the power hidden inside me. When I opened my eyes once again, the great cluster of soldiers in front of me — these runners who were barely ten feet away now — all of them had suddenly stopped moving. 

Yeah, I'd just cast Basilisk's Eye on all of them, which, with my recent growth could now affect all enemies within a wide cone of ten feet in front of me. But this move was definitely going to cost me. 

"Step forward!" I yelled despite the sudden surge of pain shooting up my eyes. 

We all moved as one, and as one, we stepped forward and sent our spears straight into the chest of the immobile enemies, killing them instantly.

Their comrades didn't like that one bit. Those who avoided my gaze continued their charge and rammed their shields against ours. 

"Brace for impact!" I yelled.

Wham!

I felt a heavy weight slam against my shield, then another, and then another. It was like bracing against a great wave, and I could almost feel myself give way to it. But then I heard the grunting from the men beside me, and saw that they hadn't given in. So how could I?

I gritted my teeth, pressed against my back foot, and pushed my shoulder forward — and this time, I felt the wave waver in front of me. 

Without looking over my shield, I thrust my spear forward and felt the shadowblade sink deep into someone's flesh. Unfortunately, the weapon had embedded itself too securely on my opponent, and I lost my grip on it as I was pushed back once more. 

"Enough of this," I hissed. "Ian! I'm going to go wild! Plug the hole!"

"Roger, Commander!" Ian answered. "Give them hell."

I reactivated Fool's Insight a second time, and felt that surge of pain rise up my irises once more. Still, combat mode was the least straining of my gift's abilities and it was exactly what I needed in close quarters combat. 

I slammed my shield forward one last time just before I let it go and pushed kicked it onto whoever was bracing against me. Then, as my left hand was finally free, I punched the first face that popped out at me right before I drove my falchion into his chest. 

"Commander Dapper's on the move!" Ian yelled. "Someone plug the hole!" 

I pushed past our line and slice into one, two, and then three soldiers, and was already moving forward before their bodies dropped to the floor. 

My intention was to carve a bloody path that would ease the pressure on my men and then flow back into the shield wall. Fine a new weak spot in our line and strike out again. 

Sadly, Garm just wouldn't accommodate me. 

He'd appeared from above, a giant shadow blocking out Idunn's light momentarily just before he touched down right in front of me with his greatsword slashing down at my head. 

Instead of leaping out of the way — which still would have gotten me hurt — I stepped even closer to him instead and sent my falchion crashing up to the spot right above his greatsword's hilt. This effectively stopped his attack midway. 

Our shadowblades locked. He glared at me. I glared back at him.

"Fancy meeting you here, Great General!" I said.

Chapter end