Thunderous Fire

The silence before the battle "The Huldrath Empire’s 100,000 humans against my 500 fire valkyries and myself… shame there will be no fun for my girls, not that they'll have any fighting humans this weak…” 

A vastly green field of crops surrounded a fortress on its center, many small figures could be seen stomping the ungathered crops. Far from the fortress, atop a monstrous tortoise the size of a house, an palanquinn rested. its interior was too dark to make any figures from afar. But a creature of terrifying power waited inside. Cthodunet was named the commander who controlled this army of legends.

Cthodunet initially wasn't here for war, but for alliance, he found no meaning on ruling a pile of ashes, even if this Empire’s ruler was an annoying brat, he had no real reason to destroy his country. Until of course, this same brat imprisoned Mari, one of the newest recruits, she was just a human, not a doll like the real Valkyries so her power was vastly weaker. Either way, Cohen though he could steal from Cthodunet and get out unscathed.

Cthodunet had cornered the entire imperial capital, he could kill Cohen at anytime, he had many assassins waiting on his very shadow, but that wasn't enough. He had to show what happens when humans thought of themselves immortal and do what they please.

He did not wanted to think what had gone through Cohen’s mind when he captured Mari, for that would make him split the castle in two himself in a fit of rage and he didn't wanted that. Instead a show of power was required and will be delivered.

“That was enough time for their surrender to be delivered.”

The palanquin curtains swung open, revealing Cthodunet. More beast than man, Pale yet golden scales covered his body, thin arms and torso with disproportionate thick forearms and hands, four cristal like spikes for fingers, a long neck and a reptile head. His big feet did not touched the tortoise’s caparace while standing on it.

“Johanna!” Cthodunet shouted a name, and immediately the Valkyries made way for one of their sisters to walk towards their lord, they got back into position once the one their sister passed them.

 

The humans commanders watched the movement through a spyglass and could not believe it, a pale almost ghostly beauty in a blazing red heavy armor was walking towards the side of Cthodunet the beast. All the Valkyries looked the same, Johanna was the only one that did not had her helmet on by orders of her master.

Once at the side of the giant tortoise, she bowed deeply and Cthodunet slowly descended in front of her, he still did not touched the ground.

“Raise your Head” as Johanna obeyed answering with “Lord!” a spear appeared on his hand, no, a banner. The Lightning Serpent’s crest.

 

That Cthodunet was declaring victory right there and then, was what the humans commanders thought and were ready to advance, yet were stopped by the general.

 

“You know your mision, show these foolish humans that they are not to mess with us!”

“I Will, my Lord!”

She extended her arm sideways, not forward to grab the banner, not yet. In her hand an unusually long silver poleaxe materialized and she stabbed the ground with it. A small shockwave was felt by the humans, their horses got scared but quickly regained their composure.

Once the poleaxe was stuck in the ground. She bowed again, slightly this time when her master extended his arm to give her the banner with the same crest that she and all her sisters had on their tower shields. With the banner in her hands, all the other Valkyries stood aside to make way for Johanna.

“I Will Not Fail My Lord!” Johanna said to her master as as she prepared to charge.

 

“I Know.” and so Cthodunet floated back to the palanquinn.

 

With that, Johanna started charging forward, her alone, none of the other Valkyries moved an inch. Her Tower shield facing forward and the banner high behind herself.

 

The humans were baffled to the sight of this pale beauty running against 100,000 men, the general thought it was some kind of bait, so he sent the minotaur to intercept the far smaller than itself warrior.

 

At the sound of stomping the tension grew on the human side as the heavily armed 3m tall minotaur ran to clash with the Valkyrie.

 

Their speed increased and the stomping threw a few soldiers off their horses

 

*Clank*

 

The humans were dumbfounded, none of them reacted to the minotaur flying over their heads, almost crushing some infantryman. The blazing red armored woman was still charging at them. Her face was now visible to the frontlines, a world class beauty, yet no emotion at all on her.

 

She got ever closer to the humans, a lot of them fled to the sides, pushing away the other soldiers.

 

There was nothing of Johanna’s mind, other than to fulfill her master’s orders. The humans could do no damage to her, yet her mission was not to slaughter them.

 

She was a couple of meters away from the first human, it was then when she jumped far above the human ranks, the banner never once tilted, not even a little. and just before falling on top of the soldiers, she stopped mid air, like there was a ceiling on top of the empire’s army and she was standing on top of it. She resumed her charge toward a wall of the fortress.

 

“(Master said not to use the gate...)”

 

“STOP HER!” could be heard among the chaos. and some movement was made, a volley of arrows aimed at her just mere meters above them. None of the arrows did any damage, even some of the archers swore they had hit her right in the eyes. Yet she still did not slow down.

 

“(How annoying...)” Johanna casts a spell that made all proyectiles thrown curve away from her. The banner was still intact, the arrows bounced off from the cloth like it was some sort of thick metal. More than halfway to the walls, Johanna sped up several times. The cavalry could not keep up with her.

 

Finally there wasn’t any human below her feet, so she let her weight fall, on contact with the ground, the shockwave made most of the humans that were pursuing her trip and fall. The first running step she took sent a chunk of dirt fling towards the ones that were still standing.

 

Mere meters away from the wall, the arrows continued to curve away from her, magical explosions and rocks did nothing to her, not even slow her down.

 

“Why is she not running at the gate?” the general thought to himself and got an answer right away. Johanna struck the outer wall of the fortress with her whole body, the surrounding part of the wall started to crumble until only a mountain of rubble remained, but she did not stopped.

 

She came in to a corridor, the main gate to one side and another one on the opposite side. A 90º turn, a couple of steps, another turn and she was directly in front of the gate that did lead directly into the fortress of Huldrath.

 

Even easier than the rock wall, she burst through it, leaving a hole with her silhouette on it. here eyes set on the castle at the very center and quite some distance away. The guards there were quickly pushed aside and the ones charging at her were jumped over.

 

On the battlefield, the other Valkyries did not move, yet the humans were in total chaos.

 

On the path to the castle, was another wall and cannons pointed directly at her. They shoot her, a smoke cloud appeared where she stood. The humans thought they had stopped her, of course. they did not. Mere seconds after the could sprouted, the wooden gate leading to royal grounds was sent flying and the Blazing Red beauty still ran through them.

 

Reaching a long set of stone stairs that were right in front of the castle, she jumped every section. Zyden, Cohen’s personal guard was waiting for Johanna at the top of the stairs, fearless and prepared he stood there with sword in hand. And Johanna simply jumped over him, he could not reach her, and all he got from her was a glance as she flew over him as if saying “You're different, but still not worth.” Once she touched solid ground Zyden took a swing at her, only to be repelled by a pair of wings coming from Johanna’s back.

 

The wings almost cut Zyden’s hand clean off, if it wasn't because they were going away from him, they might have done it. The pair of Silver, almost pure white wings whose feather looked like steel plumes soared through the air, aimed at the very top of the castle where the biggest Huldrath Empire’s Flag stood.

 

The crest of a Lion eating a Shark from the water was slowly falling to the ground. Johanna stood where the flag’s pole was, swung the Lightning Serpent banner she had with her the whole time and stabbed it so it was now in place of the empire’s. Extended her wings sideways and brought her hand she wasn’t holding the banner with to her chest. her massive shield disappeared.

 

Cthodunet golden eyes shone and from inside the palanquinn made a signal “Forward” with his arm. None of the Valkyries or the tortoise should have seen him, yet they did exactly that.

 

The Valkyries started advancing slowly and without pulling up their shields.

 

“Humans! This lands are mine now! You can either leave or surrender! any other choice taken will be met with death!” Ctodunet’s voice sounded throughout the entire city and the battlefield.

 

A human Commander charged alone, whether it was for madness, righteousness or anything else, his head dropped to the ground mere steps after starting, the Valkyries were still far away.

 

The rest of the humans either ran or curled themselves into a ball in surrender. None of them were killed, except those that took a swing at them, those were cut down swiftly.

 

--Hello and thansk for reading. if by any chance you are reading this you are also a fan of Leech of the world: know that well... yall know what happened and with the fact that i had decided to rewrite it almost from the ground (as in there is a prologue now) it hasnt got easier. with that out of the way, id like to know what yall think of this one. i think ive improved in making short ones a bit. if possible i want to know what you think of Cthodunet and the Valkyries even though i dont say much of them here and thats intentional. thats all and i hope you continue to read my work.

 

-Charioth