Krintine, The Mighty

Krintine, The Mighty

A slight breeze ushered in the arrival of a relatively large force at the crest of a hill overlooking a vast plain. The force was led by a tall, dark, and strong general named Krintine. Krintine was dressed in full battle armor consisting of an open ebony helm that was lined with gold, along with a golden cuirass that covered him from his chest to his waist with a inch of solid protection. From the golden cuirass flowed a crimson aegis that was embroidered with his name is large golden letters. The aegis concealed his ebony greeves and boots. Strapped to the general’s back was a golden sheath studded with dia-monds. The sheath housed his ebony long sword whose blade had tasted of the blood of thousands of his enemies. He stood on the top of the hill with his troops behind him and looked down onto the plain. There, in the middle of the plain, awaiting his arrival, was the force of his enemy.

Krintine and his force hailed from the vast province of Turnailia in the North. His province had been ruled by a lineage of mighty emperors for hundreds of years. Currently the emperor Tinelious ruled of the land, his reign had been peaceful for the first few years, then the country of Alintious in the South moved on the lands of Turnailia meaning to overthrow the emperor and take control of the vast province. Alintious first attempt to invade was thwarted by Krintine and his armies. Alintious’ remaining forces went home to lick their wounds, but now they were back, trying yet again to overthrow the reign of Tinelious. Krintine would make sure that did not happen.

And so, Krintine now stood on the crest of the hill overlooking the plain that housed his enemies. The Alintious’ force was considerably larger than his, it look to Krintine as though there were 50000 Alintiouans in the plain. Seeing this did not stir him in the least. For he had faith in his strong, mighty, and well-trained army of 30000. He turned to his men and addressed them with stirring words that always seemed to invoke a fighting spirit in his men.

“Men-at-arms! Followers of the mighty Tinelious! My Brothers! Today is a day of great suffering! But not for us! Today, we will bathe in the blood of our enemies and display their heads to their leader! We have fought them before, and you know they can not stand up to the might of the Mighty Krintine, wearer of the flowing aegis! Remember what you have been taught! And we will be victorious!”

Krintine pulled forth his ebony long sword from its glistening sheath and held it aloft above his head and continued his stirring speech to his troops.

“Now! Let us take our spears, swords, and daggers and thrust them straight into the hearts of our enemies! To arms!”

As he said this, his men drew their weapons and raised them into the air and a mighty, earth-shaking roar erupted from his army. Krintine turned toward the plain below and looked to the enemy forces whom; by now, had also readied themselves for the battle ahead and stood ready with weapons drawn. He turned back to his army and yelled his fabled war cry, “For Blood!” then turned and charged down the slope toward the enemy. His army followed and repeated the same cry as they charged down the hill with Krintine. The Alintiouans, seeing the charge and hearing the fear enduing war cry, were at first shaken, but soon regained their composure and heeded the call of their general to charge. The Alintiouans charged through the plain toward Krintine’s army. The gap between the two forces quickly closed.

Krintine himself was the first to draw Alintious blood, a spearman thrust his wooden spear with its golden tip at Krintine’s chest. Krintine stepped to the right and struck the spear head with his sword and it swung out and away from his chest, he then quickly moved inward and thrust his ebony sword into the unprotected neck of the spearman in the spot where the cuirass and helm leave open a patch of skin. His ebony blade severed the windpipe and exited through the back of the neck and darkness covered the eyes of the spearman. Blood gushed forth as Krintine pulled out his blade and the spearman crashed to the grass below. Krintine closed with another spearman who swung his spear down toward Krintine’s helm. Krintine lifted his blade high and parried the blow. He then reached up and grasped the wooden portion of the spear and pulled it to him he then swung his long, sharp ebony sword down on the arm of the spearman that was also holding the spear. The blade severed through the bone and flesh as if it were butter and the man’s severed arm fell to the ground below. The spearman screamed a ter-rible cry and groped at his severed arm. Krintine swiveled the spear, which he now con-trolled, around and thrust the bronze tip into the chest of the man who was grasping his severed arm and screaming in pain. The tip came out through the back of the spearman and he now fell on his back to his death. Krintine put his foot on the fallen man and pulled the spear from his chest. Krintine then aimed, and cast the spear with great speed at a swordsman in the distance. Krintine laughed as it struck his enemy in the center of the face, severed the nose went downward and sliced through the pallet and severed the tongue and exited through the back of the man’s neck. The swordsman fell to the ground gurgling blood as night covered his eyes. Krintine continued to slash and hack his way through the enemy ranks. Krintine called out to his well-trained men

“Brothers, they are weak! Continue forward! Soon Victory will be ours!”

So the Turnaliaians, being fueled by Krintine, met the Alintiouans with better skill and courage, and the Alintiouans fell left and right to the swords and spears of the Turna-liaians.

Reslinta, the general of the Alintiouans, who was dressed in shinning golden ar-mor that was splattered with the blood of his enemies, was faring better than the rest of his army. He swung his golden spear left and right and slaughtered many Turnaliaians before he had a moment of pause in the fighting. He took this time to look out over the field of battle. What he saw shocked him; his men were being bested by the bloodthirsty Turnaliaians. This angered Reslinta greatly. He knew that if he did not quickly change this he and his army would soon be wiped out. After a moment of thought he knew what he would do. He would challenge the general of the Turnaliaians to mortal combat. He quickly called out to his army and the army of the Turnaliaians.

“Friends, Enemies! Hear me! I, Reslinta of the shining armor, challenge your general, Krintine to combat! Armies! Pause your bloody fighting, that we may put a swift end to this fight!”

The armies, hearing this call, slowly stopped their fighting and Reslinta ushered his force to back off and stand behind him. They complied and lowered their arms and sat behind Reslinta. Krintine, always eager for a fight, told his army to do the same. They listened and lowered their arms and sat behind him, wanting to see their general in action. Reslinta now continued,

“I decree that if I overcome Krintine and am victorious I will declare a truce with your army and retract to my home and take with me the armor and sword of Krintine, but I will leave his body to be buried as his family sees fit. If you, Krintine, win my army will agree to the same truce and you may have my armor, but please leave my body to be buried properly. If either side violates this treaty after the affair is finished, may they burn forever in the depths of hell and be tormented by legions of demons until he dies. Do you accept my challenge? If so meet me in void between the two armies and may our fight begin!”

With that Reslinta turned to his army, who seemed to be skeptical of this idea. Men in Reslinta’s army soon called out to him, “How can you kill him?” and “This is foolish!” Reslinta replied to his men.

“Have no fear, for I have a plan. Tedian! Where is Tedian? Fetch me Tedian” He called.

“Here, I am here Reslinta!” called a man rising from the ground, who was wear-ing bronze and silver armor and was armed with a bow and quiver.

Tedian was famed as the best archer in the land and now his aim was going to se-cure a victory for Reslinta. Reslinta called Tedian to him and instructed that he was to go back through the ranks of the army and find a good vantage point from which he could let fly a special arrow whose head would separate from the shaft in mid flight so that the head would be buried in the flesh of Krintine and Reslinta could slay him with his sword and the Turnaliaians would be none the wiser to the trickery. Reslinta said that after a few blows were exchanged he would raise his sword into the air and when he lowered Tedian would let fly his arrow and slay the mighty aegis wearing Krintine. Tedian obeyed and hurried off to get into position. Reslinta turned and walked toward the center of the void between the forces, and the Fates, who were aware of his trickery, were at work finding a way the thwart it.

A swordsman named Dainon, who followed Krintine, now sat and awaited what promised to be a great battle between his general, Krintine, and the Alintiouans general, Reslinta. He listened to Reslinta as he laid out the stipulations of the fight, and he looked to Krintine who listened to the terms and nodded approvingly. Dainon then watched Res-linta speak to one of his men who then ran off further back into the ranks. Dainon felt a feeling of cold suspicion arise in him, as if the fates were telling him to be weary of the man who now crouched on one knee and looked on to Reslinta as if he were waiting for something. Dainon squinted and tried to see what the man was doing and continued to watch him, the feeling of black despair climbing into his heart.

Krintine listened as Reslinta laid out the terms of the challenge. He liked the idea that he was about to slay one man and in return his army would be able to return home. He watched Reslinta turn to his troops and address them. Reslinta was probably saying that he would make quick work of me, thought Krintine, as he adjusted his ebony helm. He waited for Reslinta to turn and begin to walk toward the void between the armies. Krintine then sheathed his long sword and walked toward the same void. He and Reslinta met and stood ready to begin the duel. Reslinta said,

“Now, Krintine, ready yourself for the afterlife, for here I will take you life with my blade.”

Reslinta drew his blade and readied himself for the fight he thought was going to be an easy one.

Krintine chuckled slightly and said,

“You are wrong, fool! For it is your blood that will cover the ground here, you will taste the bite of my blade and you shall fall to the Mighty Krintine!” He said drawing his ebony sword from its glittering sheath.

Reslinta was the first to attack, he lunged forward and slashed his blade high and low again and again. Krintine stepped back with each volley and blocked Reslinta’s sword each time he swung it. The blades embraced and left each other and a loud clang echoed through the plain each time the edges met. With the fourth block Krintine moved forward with his left leg and pressed his blade against Reslinta’s. The blades met between the two generals and each pushed their swords toward the others head causing the blades to hang in mid air, as if the edges were entwined with each other. Krintine took his opening and pushed mightily into Reslinta who was thrown off balance and stepped back. Reslinta’s blade left Krintine’s and Krintine raised his leg and thrust his foot into the chest of Reslinta’s while he was off balance.

Reslinta was sent crashing backwards but caught his balance and stood upright, griping his chest and breathing heavily. He coughed and spat out blood. Krintine stood a few feet away glaring down on him.

“You are nothing compared to me, you were a fool to sign away your life like this!” Krintine said as Reslinta stood.

“No… it is you who are the fool!” Reslinta said raising his sword into the air and standing upright. “Now, taste death Krintine!” finished Reslinta. Krintine glared and roared, “For blood!” and prepared to charge.

Dainon watched as Krintine went to the middle of the void to meet Reslinta. He watched as they exchanged words and drew their weapons, as Reslinta wildly threw him-self at Krintine, he felt that feeling of being unsure and he looked back to the man that had run off into the ranks of the Alintiouans. What he saw shocked him. The Alintiouan was crouching on one knee and he now pulled forth a bow and set an arrow on it and pulled taught the string and aimed at Krintine. Dainon was stunned, he looked to Krintine, who kicked Reslinta in the chest and Reslinta slid back. Dainon heard the gen-erals exchange words and then the realization of what he must do hit him with full force. He stood from the ground and left his sword behind. He ran through the ranks of the men toward Krintine, He kept thinking <I must save him> over and over as he neared the gen-erals.

Tedian watched the fight begin and smiled as Reslinta drew his sword and en-gaged Krintine with a flurry of attacks. He reached into his quiver and pulled forth the special arrow whose head separated from the shaft in mid flight and strung it on his bow. He looked back to the fight and frowned when Krintine kicked Reslinta in the chest and sent him backward. He pulled the string back taught. He aimed the arrow at the neck of Krintine and waited for the command to fire from Reslinta. He chuckled to himself. He had never missed, and this would not be an exception. He watched as Reslinta said something to Krintine and raised his sword. Krintine then yelled his war cry. And Res-linta lowered his blade. Tedian left fly his wretched arrow and it cut through the air with great speed and flew on toward its target.

Reslinta lowered his blade and smiled inwardly. It was only a matter of seconds before the arrow would slice into the neck of Krintine. Reslinta raised his blade and pre-pared to slice off the head of Krintine as soon as the arrow entered his neck. But then he saw something that both frightened and angered him. A lone Turnaliaian was running as fast as he could toward Krintine with his arms outstretched.

Krintine raised his glorious ebony long sword and began to charge forward. As Reslinta started to lower his sword out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his men, one he knew as Dainon, closing on him. Reslinta’s sword was now lowered. Krintine turned his head to see Dainon, but before he could react, Dainon shoved Krintine with all his might. Krintine lost his balance and he fell toward his right. Just as he was beginning to fall he felt the sharp fiery bite of an arrow enter his left shoulder. The arrowhead bit deep and lodged in his bone and blood ran from the wound and down the arm of Krintine. Krintine let out as loud cry of pain as he hit the ground and Dainon landed beside him on his face. The entire affair lasted only 3 seconds. Krintine let go of his ebony sword with his right hand and reached out and grasped his shoulder and closed his eyes and cried out in pain once more. Dainon rolled over onto his back. Reslinta saw this and grew out-raged. He drew his sword and moved toward the unsuspecting Dainon, who was the clos-est to him. Dainon started to sit up and say Reslinta thrust his blade down on him. Dainon tried to move but, was caught in the stomach by the blade and cried out in agony and fell back down to the ground. Krintine opened his eyes and looked to Dainon when he heard his cry.

Tedian watched in horror as the Turnaliaian swordsman pushed Krintine out of the way just in time, and the arrow struck Krintine’s shoulder. Tedian lowered his bow, still shocked. What had he done? Not only had he attempted to kill Krintine, he had bro-ken an agreement between the two armies, if he had killed Krintine, the Turnaliaians would have charged, angered by the loss, and surely slaughtered him and the rest of his army. He sank to the ground and held him head in his hands, ashamed of what he had done.

Krintine looked and saw the heartless Reslinta pull his sword from Dainon’s gut and say, “Foolish man.” Reslinta began to walk toward Krintine. Krintine had little time to react. He quickly reached down a retrieved his ebony long sword from the ground and rose to one knee and raised his sword just in time to block a slash from Reslinta’s blade. He rose to his feet, his left arm was dangling down useless. Reslinta slashed once more and Krintine parried with his sword. Krintine was beginning to grow weak from the blood loss. As Reslinta charged ahead Krintine wished for a miracle. He blocked blow after blow from Reslinta with each one he felt his knees being lowered toward the ground. Reslinta began to strike harder and Krintine had to use more energy to block them. Krintine was now on the ground kneeling on one knee, his arm soaked in blood, the wound still running, and breathing heavily. Krintine lowered his blade to the ground and leaned his weight on it. Reslinta, seeing this, halted his assault and looked down on Krintine and laughed loudly.

“Look now! The once mighty aegis wearing Krintine is now looking death in the face! You will now bite the dust! Now… die at my hand!” yelled Reslinta looking to his army and raising his sword.

Krintine looked up to Reslinta and accepted the fact that he was about to die. He watched as Reslinta raised his blade. Krintine was puzzled when he saw Reslinta gasp sharply, and cough. Reslinta’s mouth hung open and blood poured from it like a fountain. Reslinta wobbled on his feet then crashed to the ground on his face, a golden dagger stuck in the back on his neck. Krintine looked up to Dainon, who was gripping his stom-ach where Reslinta’s blade tore into his flesh and from where blood now gushed. Dainon smiled at Krintine and toppled over onto his back. Krintine dropped his ebony sword and crawled over to the man who had saved his life on two occasions this day.

Dainon looked up to Krintine and said, “Make sure my family knows…I…I…died…saving a great man…”

Krintine nodded and said, “You are far greater than I Dainon, thank you, your name will be forever remembered.”

Dainon smiled, then coughed deeply and night crept into his eyes and he went to the great beyond. Krintine, his left arm still covered in blood and his shoulder crying out in pain, reached down to his crimson aegis and unclasped in from his cuirass and laid it over the body of the comrade that had saved his life. He then stood and addressed the two armies,

“Turnaliaians! Alintiouans! The duel is done! I, Krintine, general of the mighty Turnaliaians, have defeated Reslinta of the wretched and defiled Alintiouans! He tried to kill me by trickery, but the gallant Dainon saved me from this evil. Now, Alintiouans! Return at once to your country never to return here again, take with you the body and ar-mor or Reslinta, for I will honor that part of the agreement, but I do not want to armor and sword of a liar and the filth of the land. May the fates have mercy on your souls for following such a foolish leader. But, may the soul that shot that cursed arrow, the arrow that is now lodged in my shoulder may his soul be forever tormented for what he did. Now, Go! And tell your emperor that you were defeated by Krintine the mighty aegis bearing warrior and Dainon the most courageous of them all!”

After Krintine addressed the armies, The Alintiouans, being without a leader, complied with the words of Krintine and went back to Alintious in the South. Krintine and his men went back to the capitol of Turnailia; Guilid, and told the emperor Tinelious all that had happened. Krintine had surgeons remove the arrowhead from his shoulder and, after a few weeks of recuperation, was completely healed. Dainon’s body was taken back to Guilid and was given an emperors funeral, and a statue for him and for Krintine was erected. After that battle, there was never anymore conflict between Turnailia and Alintious and the nations became allies after a few hundred years. Krintine, the mighty aegis-bearing general soon became em-peror of Turnailia and tales of his battle were told throughout the land.



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