Demonic Assault (part one of two)

It was over.

The demons had swept through the county of Derbyshire destroying everything in their path. With their forceful grasp, they captured the women and brought their unlawful deeds upon them. All who'd stood their ground were eaten or worse.

The demons seemed to have conquered most of the English counties but what they didn’t know had been kept in the dark for long enough.

The county of Dorset was building an army. Never before in the 17th century had the world seen such an army. For it was filled with blood-thirsty, demon-murderers who had protected the county for so long. The demons didn't see it coming.

*

'We have seven-hundred strong, my lord. Also Norfolk is marching for us. They have another five-hundred. They should be here within forty-eight hours.'

The Captain was informing the King of the battle formations and numbers.

'Very well, if the demons are nesting at Stamford Bridge, it will be easy to surround them.'
 
'Yes, but what of the archers? The demons will certainly have a group of them at the bridge. Where do we place ours?'
 
'The hills. They will have a good vantage point and the demons will not spot them easily.'
 
'That sounds like it could work. I will inform the lead archer of it,' and with that the Captain left the tent and set off in search of the archers.

'This is madness,' said the King, staring blankly at the soft candlelight.
 
He fell back onto his bed and held his face in his hands. He was suddenly aware of the rich tears filling his eyes. He couldn't hold it back any longer. Death was a certainty for his men, he couldn't deny it. The demons were vicious, blood-hungry and cruel. They came in numbers far greater than the King's army.

The King stood up. The demons had the stronger army but it was an army the King would meet none the less. A sudden thought hit him. Norfolk would cross the demons path. They would be cut down and skewered against the bridge (for this was what the demons did). He hurried outside.
 
‘Captain!’ he barked at the blonde-haired man walking past, accompanied by the lead archer.
 
‘Yes, sir?’ he said inquisitively.
 
‘We must ride to Stamford Bridge now. Norfolk is walking into a trap!’
 
The Captain’s eyes protruded from their sockets.
 
‘Dear God,’ he gasped. ‘They shall be slaughtered.’

The archer put his hand over his mouth in shock.
 
‘Round up the Infantry. Take them through the eastern route. Archer, take your men through the western route and climb the hill.’
 
‘Yes, sir,’ said the Captain and Archer in unison and they departed in their separates ways.
 
‘And I shall take the rest,’ said the King but only darkness could hear him.

*

Three demons stood at the same watching post, surveying the distance and any signs of movement. Two of them were twins, with only half a nose each and moss-coloured, scabby flesh. The other was more human-like. Besides his eight-metre long wingspan and great talons he could have passed as a human whenever he wanted.

‘Want anymore horse blood, Geminis,’ asked a twin (who was also named Geminis).

‘No, leave it. We have had enough for now and the rations are decreasing at alarming rates as much as it is,’ said the other.

‘I’ll finish that off, Geminis. I haven’t had any drink all day,’ growled Hawkel, the demon with bat wings.

He swigged the horse blood greedily and sighed.

‘That feels great!’ moaned he with a sudden feeling of ecstasy surging through his bones. ‘Gemini hammer my armour. I want it to be ready for the next county.’

The two demons started to land blows into Hawkel’s stomach, causing a tremendous deal of noise among the camp.

‘What is the noise? Gemini? Hawkel?’ Ishiv, who was a mutilated elf and leader of the demon army, was hurrying towards them, his eyes ablaze with menace. ‘Humans are heading this way from the East.’

He pointed a scaly finger towards the horizon revealing a cloud of dust and smoke rising high in the atmosphere. Dark figures lurked amidst the cloud, moving at an incredible speed.

‘Archers!’ Ishiv barked at the towering bridge from which three-thousand demon archers were peering over, smiles of hate creeping onto their faces. ‘Fire!’

Cruel laughter rose from the bridge. The archers spun on their heels and ceased laughing  immediately. They tilted the bows away from the sun.

The demonic archer bow was made of elephant tusks and a thin, unbreakable nylon rope which gave the arrows speed and power.

Ishiv gave the signal and almost at once six-thousand arrows (for the demons had been trained to fire two arrows at once) blocked out the light and travelled at lightening pace towards the Norfolk army.

As quick as they had departed, the arrows came crashing down on the tiny battalion of men who had not expected an attack for another three days. The dark figures collapsed to the ground as they were pierced and stabbed by the weapons. Death came quickly.