A Jaded Life

The second week of the Road to Purgatory-Beta is over. Let's look at the highlights.

An endless, blue sky, dotted with cirrus-clouds and the sun just creeping over the eastern horizon.

The rolling green fields, stretching in the distance, yet untouched by violence.

On a small hill is an encampment, small tents surrounding a larger, decorated tent in the middle, just stirring with activity. Out of the central tent comes a tall man, clad in an ornate chain-mail hauberk, wearing a sabre at his side and his helm in his hands. A horn calls for the men to assemble.

The view focuses on the leader as he speaks to address his man.

“Soldiers of Highever, today is the day to become heroes. The Duke of Baretonian has unleashed the dogs of war, his soldiers razed the peaceful hamlets on our borders, just to send a message. No man will stand for his cruel deeds. We will stop him. Just hold the line until the end and we will give them hell! For our people! For Honour! To VICTORY!”

The crowd cheers and the camera pans to one of the soldiers who's cheering with his comrades, banging his speer against his shield. The soldiers are clad in simple chain-mail and on their shields and tabards is the coat of arms of Highever, a white castle on grey hill, surrounded by a field of green. About half of the soldiers are equipped with a long spear and a shield plus a short sword, a quarter with one-handed swords and a shield and the rest are carrying bows.

When the sergeant orders it, the soldiers move out, the camera follows the soldiers seen before, marching in order until they reach a flat spot with a gentle slope at their right side. Just as they reach it, another group of soldiers comes into view, those wearing the coat of arms of Baretonian, a golden lion on a red field.

The sergeant shouts out orders, bringing the previously stretched out lines into something resembling a battle-formation, archers up front, with the spears right behind them, with open lanes so the archers can swiftly move behind them shortly before the enemies charge. The sword-wielder are concentrated at the left flank.

The other group seems larger and they have a couple of man on horseback.

“Ready bows!”

“Aim!”

“Fire!”

With the shouted orders of the archery-sergeant, a volley is loosened, raining death onto the soldiers of the Duke of Baretonian. Twice more, a volley is loosened, then the archers are ordered to take cover for the enemies cavalry has lined up and is charging.

The lines close and on the order “Set spears!” the line transforms into a hedgehog of spears as the front-line goes to a knee, setting the butt of their spears into the ground and the men behind them stabilize their spears on the shields of the soldier in front of them, while covering them against arrows with their own shield.

Then, it's time for the showdown, the sergeant of Highever shouts for his men to hold, the leader of the Baretonian cavalry whips them into their charge, with their infantry hot on their heels, thirsting for battle, thirsting for glory and their share of the spoils of victory. The smaller army seems easy prey, ripe for the picking.

The camera pans out, up the slope on the right side, looking back at the field. Down on the field, one can see the impact of the charge, the complete line looks to be pushed back but the line holds and moments later, the sound of the collision reaches up the hill, sounding like distant thunder.

Then the camera reaches the crest of the slope and soldiers on horseback come into view, centred on the leader, now wearing his helmet and sabre in hand.

“They held the line. Now it is on us, to close the deal. Charge!”

With that, the riders start down the slope, quickly reaching an insane pace. Down on the field of battle, an observer sees the cavalry and reports to his sergeant who orders the swordsmen to advance on the left flank, playing the anvil to the cavalry charge coming down the hill.

Again, an ear-splitting crash thunders across the landscape when the charge barrels into the chaotic melee that had broken out. The camera rapidly moves through the battle, not giving the viewer enough time to focus on the gory details of soldiers dying.

Then a short cut. The camera pans from above, showing the sun almost setting and the previously green field has turned into a bog of mud and blood. The soldier seen in the beginning starts to check for wounded on both sides, until he gets to one downed Baretonian. All of a sudden, the downed man comes to life, turning on his would-be helper. The camera looks over the shoulder of the Highever-Soldier and follows his vision as he looks down, to see the handle of a dagger stick out of his belly. Then he falls on his back, the camera pans to the sky and turns black.

Cut

Darkness

A moonless, windy, killing night.

A few Valkyries clad in plate-armour march in formation, guarding two Valkyries wearing white cloth with a golden tree on it. The armoured knights are equipped with sword and shield and have a sword embossed on their shields and their chest plates. The leader of the armoured knights stops and addresses the priests.

“We are almost there. Be cautious, we cannot let you come to harm. Be calm, for the Paladins of Tyr watch over you. Now, let the light of the gods guide our way.”

With that, his men put out their torches and each grabs a small sword-medallion, similar to the symbol they are wearing. Each speaks a short moment under their breath and then their swords start to glow in a golden light, driving away the darkness around them.

Both the priests smile. “We trust in you, Paladin, as we trust in our lord Odin. We have to sanctify this place so the dead can rest in peace again.”

The paladins spread their formation, creating a wedge-shape to guard the priests as they move deeper into the graveyard. The golden light creates strange, shifting shadows due to the multitude of light-sources.

As they reach the centre of the graveyard, the first zombie appears but is swiftly dispatched by the Paladins. “Damnation, the dead are already restless. We need to hurry.” curses the leader of the Paladins.

With that, the two priests take out small spears from their bags of holding, placing them in a circle and then taking position in the middle. The Paladins take guard-positions around the circle and both priests start chanting, singing praises to the Gods and Odin, pleading them to grant them the boon of sanctuary, blessing the ground so the dead can rest in peace.

While the priests do that, more and more zombies appear, pushing the Paladins back until they are standing with their backs to the spear-circle. Then, a light from up high pierces the darkness, striking the circle and the Paladins start to glow with golden light, moving faster and their strikes cleave the undead with ease. After a short time, the light from up high vanishes but the circle continues to shine for a moment, then the glow spreads and seeps into the ground.

As the light spreads, the zombies melt away, like snow in the morning sun. The leader of the Paladins is seen smiling to the two exhausted priests, then the scene fades into white light.

Cut

An overcast sky, tinged in grey.

A large group of grey wolves runs through the snow with another group of wolves, those with black fur hot on their tails. Literally. Soon, the greys reach a rocky hillside with patches of snow everywhere and flee up the hill. The other side however is too steep to get down safely, forcing them to make their stand.

They spread guarding each other and a wild melee breaks out. Growls, barks and yowls are heard all over the hillside.

Suddenly, the camera pans out, down the hill, through a small valley and up the other side. Up there, two beings are seen. One giantess, clad in a bears pelt carrying a huge weapon. The other, smaller, figure is clad in a black fur-cloak with the hood down and has one hand raised, drawing symbols into the air. Then, a beautiful face is visible, slightly blue skin, glowing blue eyes and raven-black hair. After a moment, the seven drawn symbols are connected by a blue Heptagon and then it flashes. The camera takes flight, rising into the air, showing the scene from up high and then a huge heptagon materialises high up in the sky, above the hill-side. At first, only clouds billow from the heptagon, then it looks like hail, only instead of the normal small grains, what hails down are icicles some as large as an arm.

The camera pans down, onto the grey wolves that see the icicles strike into their enemies and their growls get louder, their attacks stronger, they feel hope. The hillside is already dotted with dead wolves, both grey and black but maybe they will get off this hill.

The black wolves on the other hand, they retreat out of the brutal hail, some try to get to the outsider that had attacked them without cause but when they get closer, they feel fear. There is no way that they can stand against such a monster. Still, they try but they are battered aside by a giantess with a huge axe. Then the hail stops but far too late for most of the black wolves. The smaller being joins the giantess against the black wolves and the feel hope for a short time. Then they hear the howl of their leader, calling the retreat.

The giantess and the smaller, blue-skinned person take each others hand and make their way towards the grey wolves. Then the screen fades out

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