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Arrows flew into the ranks of both sides, but Wintroq proudly
noted that Vernok's side was doing worse then the Laxcornian defenders. Even so,
he was not sure how long they could hold out against an all out onslaught. The
cries of war sounded across his ears, and Wintroq ran across the battlements shouting
out orders as arrows flew past his head.
"They have ladders!" a solder cried out as several
ladders began to be lifted up to the wall with creatures hanging upon the ends.
"Stop them from getting into our ranks!" Wintroq
yelled as he heard Corinth say something close to the same not too far away.
Some pets kicked the ladders down as the reached the top, and others flung things
at the creatures upon them, but even so, several of Vernok's creatures managed
to penetrate Laxcorna's defences, and wreak some havoc before they were done
away with.
"They have fliers!" Corinth yelled pointing
up into the night sky where winged Neopets were flying over the walls carrying
weapons. "All you with wings get up there and stop them!" Almost immediately,
many winged pets on the defending side jumped up to take on the winged forces
of Gerake.
The battle raged on for hours, and Vernok's
troops were slowly pushing back the Laxcornian defenders. The sun was just starting
to shine over the hope forsaken defenders as Wintroq looked over across the
wall, and what he saw made a deep smile spread across him face.
There marching towards Laxcorna was an army
made up of the combined forces of some of the sister cities. He could make out
banners of purple, red, blue and white. The colors of four of the eight cities
that Laxcorna had asked for help from. "Corinth!" he yelled, "Look over there!
Help has come at last!"
"Thank the stars! You're right!" shouted Corinth
as the approaching help blared their trumpets. "Get your weapons together, we
shall march out against Vernok too. We cannot let the other cities do all our
work for us." And as he yelled that, the shuffles of pet's feet became loud
as they all tried to ready themselves.
Vernok looked up at Laxcorna's defenders as
they wildly ran about. "What has gotten into them?" He whispered to himself,
but as he heard the blare of a trumpet, he knew why. "Reinforcements! They have
help! Troops, watch our tail!"
His army shuffled to face the opposite direction,
and meet the incoming forces of the other cities, but as they did so, Laxcorna's
main gates burst open, and the Laxcornian army came out. Vernok cursed, he had
become trapped between two forces.
Wintroq's battle lust took over him as he swung
his sword at the various pets that were on Vernok's side with a single goal.
He knew that if he could get to Vernok, and destroy the insidious brown Zafara,
that the Gerake army would start to break apart, leaderless.
He tried to push his way foreword, but each
step became harder, for Vernok knew enough to surround himself with many creatures.
Almost there! He thought as he had Vernok in his view. He could no longer let
that Zafara who was once his father to go on and have his evil spread. Vernok's
evil would end that day.
Corinth looked across the battlefields at where
Wintroq was making his way towards Vernok. What is he doing! Vernok will murder
him! Corinth thought as he saw his friend approach the brown Zafara. He would
not watch as Vernok outmatched Wintroq, and so Corinth ran as fast as he could
to try and get to the fire Zafara's aid.
Vernok turned as Wintroq walked up to him. "Prepare
to meet your end." Wintroq said as he slowly walked up to face Vernok.
Vernok laughed as he swung his tail back and
forth. "Go ahead and try. You will not last ten minutes." He swung his tail
at Wintroq who barely managed to evade the spikes. "Just let them hit you,"
Vernok said laughing, "Each one is coated with a deadly poison, so even a scratch
from one would be fatal!" And he swung his tail again at Wintroq as he unsheathed
his sword.
"I doubt that you will get me," Wintroq said
as he moved into position to fight. Vernok lunged, and Wintroq barely had time
to avoid his attack as he turned to the side. He prepared for another attack
from Vernok, but before that came he saw Corinth running up.
"Wintroq!"
He watched as his friend ran up, and Vernok
begun to swing his tail towards the running form of Corinth. "Watch out!" Wintroq
yelled as he jumped into the Zafara warrior general so instead of Vernok's poisoned
spikes pushing full force into Corinth's side, it grazed Wintroq's ear.
Wintroq fell to his knees as he felt his ear
go numb. 'Even a scratch from one would be fatal.' He remembered what Vernok
had said. He could not go before he had stopped Vernok, and so he lifted his
sword to his ear, and sliced. Wintroq yelled with pain, but at least the poison
could not spread across him. He stood up just in time to parry a volley of blows
from Vernok, who in return had to avoid both Wintroq and Corinth's attacks.
Vernok pushed up against Wintroq, his weight
pushing the younger Zafara down. He quickly moved to the side, and then brought
his blade down at Wintroq who managed to jump to the side, but still get a fine
graze upon his left shoulder. Wintroq's shield arm hung limp at his side, but
even so, his sword arm was still good, so he kept fighting.
Corinth ran at Vernok's back, but with a quick
twist, Vernok turned, and with a strong sweep of his blade, threw Corinth's
sword from his hands. Corinth jumped to the side as Vernok swung at him, and
was able to get out of the way when Wintroq brought up his sword to parry Vernok's
attack on Corinth.
Vernok brought up his knee into Wintroq's stomach,
and as Wintroq staggered back he charged. Wintroq was only saved by his quick
recovery, because as he stood back up and took a steep back, Vernok's attack
missed, and he stumbled foreword, giving Wintroq just enough time to slash his
sword down upon Vernok. "You poor excuse for a son…" Were Vernok's last words
as he fell into the grass, staining its green a red.
"As you were for a father…" Wintroq said, and
then he too collapsed in a faint.
***
Wintroq opened his eyes up to see an array of faces looking down at him. "Ugh…"
He said, and then as Corinth came into view he asked. "The war… did we win?
The last thing I remember was the fight, and then…"
"We won, because of you. Gerake gave up after
their leader was destroyed." Corinth said interrupting. "You almost got yourself
killed out there." He said. "All of your injuries made you black out. You have
been laying here for a couple of weeks. When we first got to you down on the
ground next to Vernok, we though that you were dead. You were close enough though,
but we have managed to revive you." Corinth smiled. "You are now officially
reckoned a Laxcornian hero." Wintroq started to turn, but winced as a pain shot
through him from his wounds.
"Get out of here, he needs his rest!" a Gelert
healer yelled at Corinth as she shoved him out the door.
"You had better heal up Wintroq. Laiondite wants
to see you, and if you're asleep, it won't work." Then Corinth walked out the
door with a laugh before the healer could give him a shove.
"Humph!" she grunted, and then handed Wintroq
a bottle of liquid. "Drink it up. It will help you get to sleep." Wintroq nodded,
and drank up the stuff, which smelt like morning roses. He was quickly asleep
once again.
He woke up the next day feeling none the worse
for wear. Having no one in the room, he stood up, and rested a hand on the bed
as his legs wobbled. His ear and shoulder will still sore, and he had a dozen
bruises, but he could live. So putting on a tunic that was hung over the wall,
he started to make his way out of the healing home before anyone caught him,
and send him back to his bed.
Before walking out, Wintroq put a hand up to
the spot where his ear used to be, and sighed. At least he was still alive,
but even so, he still wished that he did not have to loose an ear.
Wintroq was soon walking down the streets of
Laxcorna up towards the palace. If Queen Laiondite wanted to see him, he would
appear to her, and not let the healers make her wait. As he walked up to the
main gate, Corinth stopped him. "I didn't expect you out of the healers house
for another week at least Wintroq!"
"I didn't want to keep the queen waiting," Wintroq
said as he started to walk into the castle.
Corinth shook his head, and then made a motion
for Wintroq to follow. "This way. Queen Laiondite will be a bit surprised that
you're here already, but it is good nonetheless." Wintroq just nodded, and followed
him through the halls towards Laiondite.
"You are out of the healing house already!"
Laiondite exclaimed when she saw Wintroq. "I was sure that they would not allow
you out for another five days at least. She looked down at Wintroq, and then
laughed when she saw his expression. "They didn't let you out, did they?" she
laughed. "Well, at least you're here. I have to give you something for what
you did for Laxcorna." She looked a little sad. "I know how hard it must have
been… he was your father after all."
"I would prefer that that is never mentioned,"
Wintroq said with a bit of anger in his voice.
"Yes, and I can see why," Laiondite said, and
then she smiled. "Well, anyway the main reason that I called you here is this.
She placed a medallion over his head. "You hold the respect of the army, and
you are battle-wise, and yet fair. You are now second in charge of the army,
bested only by Corinth."
Wintroq smiled. "Thank you your majesty."
"Just Laiondite will be fine," the queen said
with a smile. "You have proved yourself worthy of my friendship Wintroq. I am
glad that you came here to Laxcorna." And then as an afterthought she turned
to face him. "Don't worry, your relation to Vernok and Zarrel Charmain will
be kept secret. That secret is safe with us, we will never tell." And then she
motioned Wintroq and Corinth outside.
"She really is kind…" Wintroq said to Corinth
as he fingered the medallion over his neck.
Corinth smiled, "She is how she must be. She
is the best leader Laxcorna has had since Tolohoma of two hundred years ago.
Come on, let's go and get you something to eat before the healers come looking
for you."
Wintroq looked at his friend. "How'd you know
that I snuck out of there?"
"It is plastered all over your face friend."
With a laugh, Corinth led Wintroq to the main marketplace. The battle was over,
and Laxcorna had prevailed.
The End
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