The Foolhardies 88 Cavalry Charge

Around me, the surrounding landscape and soldiers in their blue gear were like blurs that were quickly replaced by the oncoming rush of gray-clad fairies and their sharp shadowblades. Still, I urged Myth Chaser forward in the hopes that we would reach our targets before they were prepared.

"We've got this, buddy... Just keep running forward. I'll get rid of anything that comes your way," I whispered assuredly to my mount.

I couldn't see them as I was leading the charge, but the sound of hooves stomping through the wet, blood-soaked earth behind me was comforting. Partly because I was about to engage an enemy unit that was brazen enough to call themselves immortals, but mostly because I was racing through a blood-soaked field. One could only imagine the kind of horrors that made the verdant greens soaked in crimson.

As we crossed into the vanguard's forward positions, the sounds of clashing steel grated on my nerves. And as if that wasn't enough to make my muscles tense, there was also the scent of blood that got much stronger as we passed through piles of dead bodies.

"Man, it stinks so bad," I whispered to no one in particular. 

"Focus, Dean," Aura replied from my left. She and Starlight kept pace with me and Myth Chaser. "We have company!"

From the corner of my eye, I watched Aura raise her Hearthwood staff forward with one hand while the other held tight on Starlight's reins. A firebolt shot out of the red orb on the tip of the staff and struck the unsuspecting swifthart-riding elf who'd crossed our paths too early.

His companion, the hobgoblin whose eyes widened at the sight of his ally getting blasted off his swifthart, had only a second to react before my falchion's shadowblade slid neatly into his neck.

I didn't wait for his body to drop. I urged Myth Chaser to ride on. We were in the thick of it now, and the enemies had begun to surround us on our left and right.

"Weapons ready!" I yelled.

There was the soft buzzing sound that accompanied the awakening of shadowblades. It was quickly followed by Xanthor's encouraging words of, "Go fast! Go furious!"

While I thought about my centaur companion referencing a Mudgardian movie franchise, the rest of the centaur cavalry went to work skewering any Magesong soldier foolish enough to try and stop our charge. And there were more than a few people got run over like roadkill on asphalt.

We were unstoppable. Although Aura and I had little to do but guide the cavalry through the weakest points in the enemy's line.

Wait, how was I able to achieve this in all the chaos surrounding us, you ask? I thought it would be obvious by now.

You see, just as the centaurs drew their weapons, I did something one should never do while riding on top of a moving vehicle. I closed my eyes.

No, I wasn't being too scared to keep my eyes forward. And yes, I was shaking in my boots at the thought of fighting Azuma again, but that's beside the point. No, I was just awakening the fairy gift inside me. After all, I'd kept it on reserve tonight just for this eventual clash.

"Oh, great fool, let me see the unseen that I might know the unknowable," I whispered, and immediately afterward, felt the rush of power flow into my eyes.

When my eyes opened again, I was inwardly grateful that I hadn't accidentally activated a strange new power like Eagle Vision—yes, I knew I still had much to learn about using that. Luckily, it was just Fool's Insight version one I switched on. For with its power to see even the tiniest movements, I hoped to speed run this seemingly endless spawn point in the battlefield and lead my cavalry right into the backside of an unsuspecting self-styled samurai warrior.

But even with the aid of my fairy gift, by the time we were within range of Azuma's Immortals, my sword arm was tired from all the hacking and slashing I had to go through. I'd gutted at least half a dozen elves and beheaded around three hobgoblins by then.

Azuma's infantry was parked around their boss in a circle formation that was reminiscent of the one the Foolhardies used just the other day when we attempted to break out of the enemy lines. Still, they were nowhere near as good as Ashley's guys. So I didn't think we'd have a problem breaking through. Not with the horsepower we were packing.

At the center of their circle stood Azuma riding on top of a gray swifthart that looked just as menacing as its rider. His twenty or so cavalry stood close by. And by some stroke of luck, all of them, even Azuma, had their sights to the right of the battlefield and away from me and my troops.

Seconds later, I realized why they weren't paying me any attention. It was because they were watching Luca's forces get swarmed by soldiers more than double their size. Even for Ashley's Shield squad would have trouble with those odds.

I spared another second just watching my brother hack away at an elven warrior's sword-arm. But even after his opponent fell two more just took his place. It became very clear that Luca and his guys were running out of time. 

"Shit," I hissed. Then I glanced over to Aura. "Bless me. I'm going in!"

I didn't even wait to hear Aura start her spell casting. At that moment, I was Jon Snow rushing through the field in the hopes of saving his younger brother from the insane Ramsey Bolton's arrows. I was Superman zooming through the air after Lex Luthor throws Lois Lane off the rooftop of his skyscraper. I was — well, you get the picture.

My body grew incredibly hot. It was like I'd just spent an hour in the sauna while dressed in a thick sweater and jeans. My face glistened with sweat. My heart seemed to double in both size and beats per second. Basically, all the symptoms that came whenever I was wrapped in Aura's Fiery Blessing had arrived.

I was jacked and ready. But I didn't get to try out that war cry I wanted to do. Nope, my spotlight had been stolen in that instant just before Azuma's soldiers would turn their focus on me. They were stolen by Xanthor and the centaur cavalry who rode after me. 

See, I wasn't Jon Snow . My guys didn't wait for me to lose my brother before they too charged forward. My guys were crazy enough to charge in with me. And I was grateful. Why? Because as soon as I heard their yell of, "Ride or die!" the fear that seeped into me as my eyes locked onto Azuma's dark stare disappeared immediately. All I could think to do was repeat the phrase, "Ride! Die!"

Chapter end