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Lunamaria Hawke
Guardian Angel Haruki
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Lurking Krog
MoleMichael de Shade - Knight of the Veil
1291, May 17
Acre, The Holy Land.
The place smelled of piss, shit, and sweat. At least once you got passed the smell of the dead. The heat made a dead man putrefy before nightfall, by morning his gut would split and the stench would get worse.
This wasn’t his first time here, probably wouldn’t be his last either. They’d been fighting for a fortnight, but today the enemy was resting. They didn’t work on this day, so the knights were using it as a chance to tend their wounded, and reinforce barricades.
I only they knew the truth.
Kneeling in the Temple, silently in prayer for guidance, he turned his head slightly at the footsteps behind him. “Sir Mikhail?”
“No, Lord Janus, I’m Sir Matthew of Clermont. Sir Mikhail was my father. Passed he did before my third summer. Mother mine says I look much alike him in his youth.”
“Aye, that you do lad. That you do.” Sir Janus replied his eyes stil looking over the son of a man he’d fought alongside many a years. “Even thine voice is alike.”
“Mother mine cannot bear my likeness or mine voice. Like a dagger in her heart she says. She took the loss of my father hard.” He hated these interactions, pretending to be his own son, telling stories of a mother that had been dead before the Living God walked the Earth.
“But enough of that, what news do you bring?” He asked Sir Janus.
“We are to retreat to the City of Tartus, or the Island of Ruad,” the Knight replied. “Intelligence report that Siraj al-Din Dhabyan is preparing a major attack this evening, everything they have will besiege the walls. Thirty-thousand men, plus horse and catapult. They’ll take the city before sunrise.”
“Very well, begin the withdrawal by sea, load every man, woman, and child that seeks passage. I need a hundred Knights for the defense as everyone else escapes.”
“You’re staying then?” Janus asked, incredulously.
“Aye,” Sir Matthew replied. “I’m staying. Give my thanks to King Henry, It’s been an honor serving under him, and winning at dice against him.” he finished with a slight curve to his lips as he smiled.
****
The attack had come at midnight, when many had been trying to sleep as more ships sailed. There were so many coming that it was impossible to stop them all. It was akin to fighting a raging river.
At least he’d managed to take out three hellspawn across the city before he’d been overwhelmed and hadd taken a sword through his chest.
If he hadn’t managed to kill the hellspawn he’d have finally died that night. But Yahweh had other plans for him.
****
Crawling from the dirt he rested a moment. Perhaps it was longer. He’d fallen asleep from pain and exhaustion. When he finally got moving again his body hurt like Shaitain himself had chewed his bones and spit him out.
One stolen horse later and he was free of Acre. Heading north to Tartus and then across the sea to Ruad. The last week of Acre had seen the deaths of over 10,000 Knights and soldiers. Plus unknown numbers of civilians and enemy combatants.
1291, May 17
Acre, The Holy Land.
The place smelled of piss, shit, and sweat. At least once you got passed the smell of the dead. The heat made a dead man putrefy before nightfall, by morning his gut would split and the stench would get worse.
This wasn’t his first time here, probably wouldn’t be his last either. They’d been fighting for a fortnight, but today the enemy was resting. They didn’t work on this day, so the knights were using it as a chance to tend their wounded, and reinforce barricades.
I only they knew the truth.
Kneeling in the Temple, silently in prayer for guidance, he turned his head slightly at the footsteps behind him. “Sir Mikhail?”
“No, Lord Janus, I’m Sir Matthew of Clermont. Sir Mikhail was my father. Passed he did before my third summer. Mother mine says I look much alike him in his youth.”
“Aye, that you do lad. That you do.” Sir Janus replied his eyes stil looking over the son of a man he’d fought alongside many a years. “Even thine voice is alike.”
“Mother mine cannot bear my likeness or mine voice. Like a dagger in her heart she says. She took the loss of my father hard.” He hated these interactions, pretending to be his own son, telling stories of a mother that had been dead before the Living God walked the Earth.
“But enough of that, what news do you bring?” He asked Sir Janus.
“We are to retreat to the City of Tartus, or the Island of Ruad,” the Knight replied. “Intelligence report that Siraj al-Din Dhabyan is preparing a major attack this evening, everything they have will besiege the walls. Thirty-thousand men, plus horse and catapult. They’ll take the city before sunrise.”
“Very well, begin the withdrawal by sea, load every man, woman, and child that seeks passage. I need a hundred Knights for the defense as everyone else escapes.”
“You’re staying then?” Janus asked, incredulously.
“Aye,” Sir Matthew replied. “I’m staying. Give my thanks to King Henry, It’s been an honor serving under him, and winning at dice against him.” he finished with a slight curve to his lips as he smiled.
****
The attack had come at midnight, when many had been trying to sleep as more ships sailed. There were so many coming that it was impossible to stop them all. It was akin to fighting a raging river.
At least he’d managed to take out three hellspawn across the city before he’d been overwhelmed and hadd taken a sword through his chest.
If he hadn’t managed to kill the hellspawn he’d have finally died that night. But Yahweh had other plans for him.
****
Crawling from the dirt he rested a moment. Perhaps it was longer. He’d fallen asleep from pain and exhaustion. When he finally got moving again his body hurt like Shaitain himself had chewed his bones and spit him out.
One stolen horse later and he was free of Acre. Heading north to Tartus and then across the sea to Ruad. The last week of Acre had seen the deaths of over 10,000 Knights and soldiers. Plus unknown numbers of civilians and enemy combatants.