The tides of war

The first day

Onyx's POV
       I woke up to a beam of sunlight destroying my eyes as I groaned, I rolled over before sighing as I sat up. I felt a chill as my chest turned to goosebumps, I stood and tightened my tunic before lifting my heavy bronze armor and slowly latching it on. Once I got it on I started putting on my belt that held the dual layered leather strips and two silver chains before I put on my greaves fastening them tightly to my calf followed closely by putting on my bracers and tightening them, I looked in the mirror seeing the scars that scattered my neck and face along with my new wound from Apollyon. I picked up my helmet and double checked the plume before I headed out the door making my way towards where I believe the blacksmith was located, along the way I smelt a mouthwatering smell, pig being roasted, it was almost enough to make me detour but I steeled my nerves and continued on to the blacksmith.
      When I finally finished my march and stood infront of his stand he nodded before I even said anything and disappeared into the back. I slid my helmet on and waited until he came back with everything I'd requested, I nodded my appreciation before asking "How many coins do I owe you?" He waved me off "The first set of guild armor is always free, now next time you come to me I'll charge you" I looked to my right as I heard laughter "I'll make sure to not have to come back" he joked with me "Ah you're a stingy one" I nodded joining in on the joke "As stingy as they come, my friend" he laughed as I turned and started to walk away.
      I heard him behind me "Oh Holden was looking for you" I waved as I walked away "Chaire" i slung my Shield onto my back using the small hooks to hold it as I walked through the fortress and towards the smell of food. I stopped at the foot of yet another flight of stairs only to sigh "Fuck" as I started up the steps. When I finally reached the next level I saw the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, a pig was getting rotated over an open flame, my mouth watered at the sight. I walked forward and threatened my way to the front of the line and received my piece of Elysium I sat down and had just taken the first bite when I heard a man next to me "Sire, Apollyon requests your presence immediately" I slammed my fist into the table as I yelled "Damn it all!" Everyone around me tensed at my anger before I sighed and spoke to the messenger "Tell her I'll be there" he nodded and turned sprinting away from me.
      I grabbed my plate and walked through the fortress eating as I moved, receiving many looks of confusion. I realized where apollyon would be, "Of course she's at the top" I muttered as I looked up at the tallest spire, I sighed as I resolved myself to climb the stairs. When I finally reached the beginning of the final flight of stairs 3 minutes later I looked at the nearly endless amount of stairs and thought, maybe it wouldn't be that bad to pretend I never got told she wanted me, I started jogging up the stairs figuring that if I ran it wouldn't be so grueling.
     By the halfway mark I gave up and just started walking, a minute later I reached the top, sighing in relief as I stretched and let my muscles relax before I walked forward and saw the Officers standing next to the doors they both looked at me as I spoke "Apollyon's requested my presence" they inspected me as I walked forward until one opened the door and I walked in seeing Apollyon and the other leaders sitting at the table. They all regarded me differently until I saw the man sitting in my chair, I glared at him as I asked "Mary, what do you need of me?" One of her lapdogs yelled "Disrespect her again and I'll cut your tongue out!" I shifted my predatory eyes onto him "Speak to me like that and I will rip out your eyes and shove them down your throat just so you can watch me rip it out!" He went to stand only to receive the tip of my new black and yellow spear at his throat.
     Apollyon spoke firmly "enough, Onyx, you're to accompany Holden on a mission" I slid my spear into it place under my shield as I asked "He made his escape, didn't he?" She nodded as Holden asked "So you knew? And you did nothing?" I sighed as I lazily turned my head to him "I did, and I did nothing because Mary didn't let me. I offered to kill him" Holden looked at Apollyon "So why is he coming with me?" She replied knowingly while leaning back in her chair "Because Daubeny has hired a mercenary, and I believe the ongoing challenge between you two will provide for accelerated improvement" he looked at me with a glint of acknowledgement in his eyes as one of the other Officers asked "Why does he call you Mary? Is that your name?" She shook her head no with a sigh.
       "This annoyance is one of his own creation, he wanted to know my past name and when I would not tell him he created one" they looked at me like I was insane while I leaned against her chair. I spoke "you're all terrified, it's adorable." They attempted to hide it as Holden asked "do we know where he went?" Apollyon tossed a coin on the map, I watched as it did circles before landing on the location of a castle "one of our old forts, he's hidden there with the stolen coins" I asked Holden "when do we leave?" His expression shifted to shock before he replied "As soon as my army amasses at the gate" I rolled my eyes as Apollyon spoke "Dismissed, go about your duties. Holden, Onyx, do not fail me. I want his head" I chuckled dangerously.
I stood in place as the rest of men and women walked past me and out the door, Holden stopped next to me "Meet me at the gate" I nodded "I'll be there shortly" watching as he walked through the door before I walked over and sat in my seat looking at Apollyon "So why are you sending me with him?" She glanced up, I couldn't see her eyes under her helmet but I felt them on me as she spoke "I've already told you the reason" I nodded before cocking my head to the right "I want the real reason" she sighed quietly before looking back at the map as she plucked the coin off of it "I fear Holden will show mercy on the man, Daubeny is a traitor we do not allow traitors to walk away alive" I nodded.
I stood and spoke "it'll be done, I'll bring you his head as a gift" she joked as I walked away "keep doing things like that and I might think you love me" I called as I reached the door "Don't tempt me now, I'll be back by dusk" she nodded as I pushed the door open and headed down to the main gate. I double checked my cloaks anchors before I looked up at the clear morning sky, the fresh coolness of it being a nice release from the typical heat.
      7 minutes later I reached the gate and saw the expanses of Holdens army, I also noticed a warden standing next to him, the yellow triangle going from the bridge of his nose to the bottom of his helmet looked stupid to me but I kept my comments to myself for once. I came to a stop next to him, my bronze armor shimmering in the morning light, as I spoke "Are we ready to leave?" The lieutenant leaned forward "The army is ready, the ram is already on its way." Holden nodded before yelling "Troops! Let's go!" I chuckled as they cheered and almost trampled each other in their attempt to be the first to leave the gate. Holden looked at me "You will listen to my orders" I looked back at him bored "I will cooperate, but you do not command me" he nodded in acceptance as we started walking.
Time skip 6 hours later
      I sighed as the catapult fired watching as one of the tower spires fell "This is why Walls are redundant, they feel safe but all it takes is a stone and they come crashing down" the Lieutenant spoke "you say You're from Sparta right?" I nodded as I watched another rock get launched and the Warden asked "why haven't I heard of it? Why do you hate walls?" I looked over as I replied "Because we've been nothing but traveling soldiers for years, we lived on the edge of Ashfield. We were the first the Vikings raided, we killed thousands but they always had another to fight. As to why I hate Walls, Sparta had no walls, we believed our soldiers were our walls" the lieutenant asked interested in the topic "how'd that work out?" I shrugged as I watched Holden take off his helmet and hand it to the lieutenant while speaking "Ademar, keep up the fire" the lieutenant nodded as I thought so thats his name.
      I stood with my arms crossed as Holden yelled "Daubeny! It doesn't have to be like this" I leaned over to Ademar "I'm taking Daubeny's head" he chuckled as Daubeny didn't respond. Holden turned as Ademar stepped forward and handed him his helmet "Break it down" only for Ademar to turn and yell "Break it down!" As the Ram got shoved forward. I stepped next to Holden "He will die" Holden looked at me "Tame your bloodlust, we're here to get our coin back" I looked at the walls "Master's orders, she wants his head" Holden shifted his weight nervously, he can't take the risk that I'm telling a lie and let Daubeny live only to enrage Apollyon.
       He sighed before looking down and to his right "Fine, kill him when we breach the wall. If you're lying I'll kill you" I chuckled "you can try" as Ademar laughed at the rivalry. I watched as one of the ladders was thrown from the wall causing two Blackstone soldiers to impact the ground, I sighed and grabbed an archer "Get more arrows on that section" he nodded and grabbed several other archers before moving to carry out the orders.
      2 minutes later I was sitting on the ram's frame tapping a tune as it hit the gate until suddenly the gate gave way, I hopped off the thing as the soldiers streamed in through the dust filled opening as Holden and Ademar joined me by the opening. I motioned Holden in as I pulled my spear and shield off my back and walked in next to Ademar, I rested the rear of my spear in the dirt while the tip went over my shoulder as I clapped at the slaughter of three soldiers "Impressive!" Only for Holden to yell "Stop!" At the next group of rushing enemies, I sighed "well that's no fun" Ademar shook his head at the comment besides me as we walked up next to Holden as he continued yelling "Daubeny! Daubeny! Show yourself!"
Just then a man in bronze armor walked forward, the wings on the side of his helm told me he's my target, I tightened my grip on my spear as Holden spoke "These warriors don't have to die, trial by combat, right now" the man spoke sounding like a child "what? Fight you? That's not a trial, that's an execution." I chuckled to myself as I leaned over to Ademar "If only he knew" Ragnar shook his head as Holden motioned to Ademar with his pole axe "Then fight my second" I shifted my spear so it rested over my shoulder as Daubeny looked around frantically "You! You will be my second!" The warden recoiled before she gripped her sword and walked forward with a depressed head shake. I leaned on my spear with anticipation as the duel began, Holden backed up so he was standing with me "how're you doing this?" I glanced over as if ignoring him.
As I returned my attention to the duel Ademar was losing I spoke "I figure I'll stab him in the throat while you pick up Ademar's corpse" he looked at me shocked "You'd really let him die?" I glanced over "I barely know any of you, your deaths don't effect me. Now if I could, I'd save him but you knights have your honor code" he nodded before offering a solution "But you Spartans don't follow our honor code, you have your own code" I shrugged as I spoke "what do you want from me Holden?" He sighed looking at his feet before he looked at me "Save Ademar and I'll get off your ass about training" I picked up my spear "I'm holding you to that" as I saw the Warden rest her blade on his shoulder.
I jogged forward as she lifted her blade by the blade and swung down, I slid my shield between Ademar and the hilt spinning and leveling my spear at the woman as I spoke with a dangerous undertone "It would not be wise for you to continue your actions" she nodded and slumped as the exhaustion from the duel. Just then Daubeny came rushing forward "You cannot interfe-" only for him to be reduce from words to a slight wheeze as he grasped at my spear trying to remove it from his throat. I thrust my spear deeper as I spun and sweeped his legs out from under him, I stood and took a couple steps forward before I planted my spear in his chest as I turned to Holden "You're up" he stepped towards the exhausted Warden who looked up at the towering man helplessly "You, kneel" she collapsed to her knees and bowed her head obviously expecting to be executed as Holden called "Onyx! Hand me that sword" I rolled my eyes as I picked it up from the clutches of the dead man and tossed it at him.
He caught it before his helmet tilted down, i could tell he was annoyed as I pulled out my father's sword and ran my finger along the cutting edge before I flourished the blade down and felt the momentary resistance of Daubeny's spine before it gave way and the rest of his neck was erased. I removed his helmet and gripped his hair before dropping his head into a sack and tying it onto my belt as Holden finished knighting the Warden. I turned as Holden helped her up and I asked "Can we head back now? Mary's gotta be missing me" Ademar looked up while holding his wounded shoulder "you keep saying things like that and Master's gonna kill you" I shrugged with a sad sigh "Maybe, but at least I'll have some fun before it's over. Not like this, this was boring as Hades" Holden looked at the warden "What's your name?" She looked back at the soldiers as she spoke "Juliet" I spoke to the nearest soldier "take your group, grab our coins. We're leaving" he nodded and went to find his team.
We stood in the destroyed courtyard for another 10 minutes before all of our coin chests were infront of us, Daubeny's men shifted nervously as I turned and spoke to Holden "Let's get these loaded up and back to the fortress. I miss my chair" his head cocked as his pole axe almost slipped out of his hand before he gripped it and chuckled. 5 minutes later, everything was loaded and the army started the march back to our Fortress as I turned and looked at the destroyed castle with a chuckle "Fuckin walls, never worth a grain of salt." I tapped Ademar's shoulder plate "Give me your sword" his body language conveyed his unease and confusion "Why?" I replied tiresomely "because you're wounded, it's a difficult walk. Make it easier on yourself" he sighed before hissing as his hand snapped to his shoulder as I gripped the gilt of his sword before I rested the flat of the blade on my shoulder and continued to march back.