The Battle For Rathkin.

Jumping down from the broken gate you immediately thrust your short sword in upwards arch to block the incoming **** of a Rathkin warrior, pushing his blade away from your body, quickly shoving your dagger straight into his chest, catching him off guard completely. Another Rathkin warrior is right behind his ally, his sword and buckler ready to attack, just staring back at you, a growl in his voice. "Die Scum!" he shouts at you as he takes a step forward.

"Ahhhhh!!!" you see a Syndicate warrior with a huge axe coming from his side. With his mighty upper arms the axe immediately decapitates the warrior, his head flying off his body and rolling into the dirt below. His now headless body falling to his knees before plummeting to the ground in front of you, staining the soil with dark red blood.

"Felix. Thanks!" you give him a sly grin, even though you know he won't be able to make it out under your hood.

"Anytime, Darien!" He replies, turning back around and running off towards another recognizable warrior.

"Where there's Felix you can count on Sylvius being close by..." you mumble to yourself as you see the carbon body of Felix wielding the same giant axe swinging it around at the handful of Rathkin warriors.

Your moment is cut short when you see another couple warriors marching your direction, their weapons at the ready. With a quick change in your stance, you bring your short sword across your body, your dagger held back, your knees bend down allowing you to be more mobile, allowing you to evade any attacks. Quick like a tiger...

The first one swings in with his sword, you leap to the side, he missed but you have no time to recover as the second one stabs into you with his sword. You're able to easily parry it, slicing your sword up his, causing him to back away. The third one goes to jab into you, which once more, you shuffle backwards away from him. Again, you have no time to do much as the first warrior is readying his next attack, charging into you once more. You once more, shuffle your body, dodging his attack while your right hand swings towards him, your dagger connecting through his throat, blood spewing off to the distance.

As his body falls to his knees, him clawing at his throat trying to hold it together, the second one lunges at you again. Block, dodge, parry, slash at his wrist, it connects. He drops his weapon, leaving him with just a shield. He quickly drops to his knee to grab the sword from his fallen comrade but he isn't quick enough as you stab into him hard with your sword, piercing him through the chest.

Your head tilts up, looking at the final warrior, he's holding his ground, his body just looking at yours. "You're...you're a fucking monster." his voice is shaky. You can only bare your teeth from under your hood at the Rathkin warrior and let out a low key growl. You figure you may as well play the part, the sabre toothed tiger, growling, ready to attack it's prey.

"Yeah, well, fuck this!" he shouts and takes a step forward "FOR RATHK...AHhhhh...." your red haired High Commander forces her sword straight through his upper back shoulder blade. Moments later the warrior is face down in the dirt, life draining from his body.

"Nice work, Ashe." you say from under your hood. "Although, something is off..." you look around, seeing your Sunrider's rushing all around the inner city, killing handfuls of Rathkin warriors and searching inside buildings.

"What do you mean?" Ashe replies as she pulls his short sword out of the back of the Rathkin warrior, a splurge of blood pulsing up into the air.

"Where are they all?" your head looks around the battlefield "This gate was their best line of defense. No way they would move the majority of their army just into the castle itself. This is...it's too easy."

"Maybe they are setting up a trap...Or they could be in the castle. Knowing they were going to fail, so do a last stand there?" Ashe questions.

"It doesn't even look like twenty percent of the army is even here? Last time, when I rescued you and Claire there was so many more here. But now..." you pause, thinking briefly "Take a group of warriors and patrol the outer city again, Ashe. Check the borders of the Kingdom, make sure they aren't setting up a flank somewhere." you nod at her "Afterwards, meet me in the castle." you point towards the castle where the King most likely should be "In a few moments I will storm it. Rathkin will be ours."

"You should wait until I get back, what if..."

"Ashe. If they are setting up a flank, or a trap, or whatever, I need you to be there and see it with your own eyes. Trust me. You'll only be gone for a little while to patrol the outskirts of the city, then you can come back. I may not even be in the castle by then. Got it?"

"Yes, Darien." Ashe accepts your order. She then turns around, making her way back towards the Inner Gate, grabbing a few other Sunrider's in the process to start to scout around the outskirts of Rathkin, just to be sure nothing is afoot.

Turning back towards the battle, you start to make your way over towards the castle. A handful of guards are standing outside the door, their weapons ready, just watching the bloodbath from afar. You continue your march towards the castle, your armor coated with splotches of blood, your weapons stained red. You hold them out on your sides, your short sword pointed out to the left, your dagger to the right as you take step after step in the direction of the castle.

Two guards leap towards you, dodging the first you stab him through his stomach with your short sword, his body falling on yours, you push him off, falling to the ground as his hands go to his stomach, holding the now gaping hole. The second tries to slash in almost immediately afterwards but he follows the same fate. Pivot and stab. Pulling out the sword from his gut you once more, push his body backwards and continue your march to the castle doors. Four more warriors stand outside the door, just watching you, watching this tiger completely obliterate every single warrior that attacks into you.

"For Rathkin!!!" one of the four charges out, his spear being held in both hands. He gets close to you, thrusting in, miss, again, miss, again, miss. "Ahhhhh!" he's burning through so much adrenaline, so much rage. Dodging his illustrated attacks was easy and before long, your sword slashed his legs and your dagger pierced his throat.

The second and third guards charge you next, just as anxious to die as the first. It's not long before they drop like flies, standing no chance what so ever against your quickness, agility and skill in battle. It only leaves one final guard, holding his shield and sword standing in your way from entering the castle.

You stay still, looking at him, you can see his eyes go from you, to his friends on the ground, to the people behind you getting slaughtered by your warriors. His body begins to shake as he loses grip of his sword, it falling to the ground. He quickly throws his shield down as well before falling to his knees. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please!" he begins begging.

Well, one less Rathkin warrior to kill. You step up to him, keeping a little bit of distance "Is the castle well defended?" you ask.

"I don't know, sir." he weeps.

"Where is the rest of the Rathkin army?"

"I don't know, sir. Gone!"

"Gone? Gone where?" you seem shocked "Don't you dare lie to me, soldier."

"I...I don't know, sir." he's still staring at the ground, pleading for his life. "I...I just don't. I'm sorry!"

"Where is Rixx? Is he inside?"

"I.." he weeps "I don't know, sir!!" he voice cracking in fear.

"Is he protecting the King inside?!"

"I...please, sir. I don't know!!!" his pitiful voice rings out "Please...I don't know!"

He's either lying to you and you're about to get ambushed to high hell when you open this castle door or he truly has no clue where the rest of the Rathkin army is. "Move off to the side. Do not touch another weapon and you will be safe. Understand?" you command.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much!" he falls to the side, pushing his body out of the way before he curls up next to the outdoor walls of the castle, his knees up to his chest, his head down and his arms wrapped around his legs.

You can only hope Ashe is safe. If the Rathkin army is setting up some type of flank or even getting additional help from another kingdom, it could spell trouble for the time being. It is really weird that they would give up their inner city and castle though...it's almost like they don't care if the Syndicate takes it over.

With another step forward, you place your hand on the entrance to the castle. "It ends now..." you close your eyes and tilt your head to the ground, still feeling the castle door "Give me strength." you whisper to yourself "Soon this city will be ours and soon I will get my ****..."