The battlefield lay before him. The luscious, green grass had been torn up, revealing the soft mud underneath. The dark sky hung heavy over the land, as ominous black clouds dropped their steady flood of rain. The armor he wore was heavy and restraining, although it protected his body well, allowing him to see the battle to its end. He adjusted the helmet covering his head, trying to find a comfortable position atop the mess of hair that dripped of sweat from his forehead. The battle could be over soon, if this small company was successful in their task. Or, it could drag on longer.
The leader of the group of soldiers just shy of a dozen, was a tall muscular veteran, whose strong right arm served him well in delivering crushing blows to the enemy. He received his orders from the Field Commander who sat comfortably protected some distance from the battle itself. He was an intelligent Commander, worn from the years of fighting and commanding. He never asked his men to do more than he knew them capable of, and even now he knew that this squad was his best attack force.
The plan for the new thrust, devised by their commander, relied upon his raw speed and enduring strength. Their leader reminded him of the importance of this mission and he nodded in acknowledgement. Once the orders where relayed, they let out the familiar battle cry, and moved into formation, prepared to meet the enemy. The two lighter, quicker warriors lined up to the right flank of the main formation, prepared to maneuver their foe into a position where their mighty war horse could do his damage best. The main body of the group formed a spear-like formation, hoping to thrust forward past the defensive formation.
With a sharp, expected command, their captain sent the point of the arrow formation against the main defensive front of their opponent. Forcing them backward into a retreating movement, the defenders vainly attempted to stop the intruders. The captain gave him the signal and he moved ahead to add to the attack as the leader dropped back to cover the formation’s rear against a counterattack.
He sprang forward with the expectation of the thrill of the battle that lay ahead. As he approached the point of attack, the enemy suddenly drove ahead, breaking through seams of the formation in an attempt to stop the heart of the offensive thrust. Effortlessly, he threw attackers off of himself, flinging them behind like rag dolls. Wasting no time in his single minded effort, he quickly shot forward with a renewed burst of speed, moving beyond the arrow formation.
From each side two short, stocky defenders converged upon him. He turned to take on the soldier to his right, for the moment ignoring the one to the left. Powerfully, he thrust his gloved hand into the armor less belly of his opponent, lifting under the armor and then depositing him in the midst of the wake behind him. He managed to evade the champion to his left, who was effectively taken out of the picture by one of his own companions.
One more line of defense, he thought to himself. He could see in the open field, the three defenders converging in upon him. Even though these fighters were quick and light weight, he stood very little chance of defeating all of them at once. He needed help from his fellow attackers, who were behind him by now.
Just then the two fleet-footed strikers burst through the shadows from his right, mow down two of the last defensive line and blocked the third from reaching him. It was only a race now, and his feet dug into the ground as if the devil himself were at his heels. This was to be the end. The battle was over and the victory theirs, he thought as he crossed the goal line, scoring the touchdown!
Aaron D. Hunt