A CHRISTMAS WISH

Chapter 14: Mayhem

Ok dear readers, here it is, chapter 14, it is a long chapter and it took a lot of work. I pray it is as action packed as I could possibly make it. I hope you can feel the fireworks. If u think I have failed in any way, plz don't hesitate to tell me and I will do my best to fix it. And remember long comments plz, they motivate me to write so it is in every ones interests to dish 'em out lol J

Once again thank you for reading, and plz support "A Christmas Wish" with your VOTES and COMMENTS. It really means a lot.

CHAPTER 14:

MAYHEM:

The field rumbled under the onslaught of a thousand hooves, it shook so hard that even the tiny specks of grit on the ground hopped frantically in the air like droplets of water on a searing hot skillet.

The Estor had begun and hundreds of men riding their mighty Destriers charged across the field amid deafening cheers from the crowd, drowning out their own individual war cries. They were headed straight for a deadly collision. The sky filled with numerous arrows streaking through the air, zipping unerringly towards their targets.

Strangely enough this whole scene had a wild splendor, a macabre beauty, like watching a volcano erupt. It was the same feeling which forced someone to stand still in the path of approaching headlights. The wierd sensation of unreality, which made a person want to watch something and look away at the same time.

And it was exactly that feeling which forced Sarah to watch with fascinated horror as the teams of horses raced over the field, charging ever closer to one another. They almost flew over the scenery, with men crouched on their backs, lances leveled and kite shaped shields held over their heads to guard against the shower of arrows. These two armies of knights rode towards each other determinably, bearing inexplicably closer, heading for a final, inevitable showdown.

Sarah couldn't do it; she was forced to shut her eyes for just an instant before the final moment of impact. There was no way she could stomach watching the whole thing unfold before her very eyes.

Ironically the epic collision took place right in front of the Berfois; the grandstand was ideally located for the best views of the action. And Sarah sat slap bang in the middle of the front row; she could smell the sweat and blood. They mingled in the air to form a sickly aroma which assaulted her nostrils and made her want to retch.  

But even with eyes shut tight Sarah couldn't escape the sounds bombarding her ears, no they were impossible to ignore, the clang of metal against metal, the whoosh of countless arrows zipping through the air, the cries of the fighting men. These were all sounds that were impossible to drown out.

Even above all the cheers, even above all the hysteria, Sarah heard them clearly. She clutched the armrests of her chair until her knuckles went white. She was afraid to open her eyes, scared to see what was happening but she had to look, she just had to.

Sarah nervously opened her eyes, fearing the very worst.

At first all she saw was bedlam. There was a haze of dust rising from the trampled earth, enveloping the men on the field. As it slowly cleared Sarah was finally able to really see what was going on in all its gory detail.

There were scores of men on the ground, lying prone and lifeless. Some lay crushed under the weight of their own horses while others lay broken and still with lances and arrows protruding from their battered bodies. She could see the debris of the collision every where, pieces of armor were flung haphazardly about the place; the grass was splattered with blood and covered with a sea of arrows sticking out like pins on a green pin cushion.