Tocacity: Lightless days Part 4

 Bent was shocked by that he had never ridden horses besides for some old nag that they used to transport a few things before he could ask questions he was sent to another room were he was given a Flinish sword which was basically shorter than a normal sword but longer than a short sword they were common among the cavalry he was then given leather armor and strange bag he was then led to the back were there was a strange man who had a white cloak and strange breastplate that stretched down a little farther white designs on it Jurgen this is your new apprentice said the man the man said nothing and simply walked over to Bent and said what is your name a gruff tone Bent sir the man stared for a few seconds then walked away saying we have a long ride ahead of us he motioned for Bent to mount an old horse while he mounted a medium sized battle horse and they ride off together Bent is very confused as light cavalrymen do not get apprenticed out but the man doesn't answer any questions and they simply ride.                                                                       Sir Carek is very pleased at being in charge of such a large army he looks at the column of soldiers marching forward four hundred rankmen two hundred archers and seventy five cavalry in all close to seven hundred troops march in his column that he is the sole commander a younger corproal rode up and said that several scouts that he had sent out earlier were back good send them over said Carek sir the scouts saluted we rode all the way to the village it was comletely destroyed we found no survivors we found footprints of at least two hundred soldiers good sir said the second scout yes said Carek we found no body's no body's said Carek? yessir we rode all around the area as well we found no bodys or freshly dug dirt Carek dismissed them confused.                                                                                                                                       Tocacity watched Careks army march towards Lakeside he motioned his second hand man to him Sirk! yessir said Sirk! Take the men and ambush that bunch at the place we discussed Sirk grinned you want prisoners no! said Tocacity yessir the Arrikidian army moved off                                                                                          Captain don't you think that place ahead could be a good ambush spot? No they aren't that smart! But they have Tocacity? that is not yet proven keep the men moving we must make the village before dark                                                                                                                                                                        Sirk motioned some archers to him while the rest of the arrikidians mainly armed with large swords and axes positioned themselves around the road that Careks men were marching on he smiled and told his men to nock arrows there bows creaked                                                                                                                        Matthew marched at the head of the column he carried his spear on one hand and shield in the other he like all the rankmen had a bowl shaped helmet and breatplate along with a little protection of leather legginges all of the sudden a guttural sound came from woods that turned into screams arrows suddenly came out of nowhere and slammed into man marching next to Matthew all of the sudden beings started screaming at them and runnig at them they were large all of them over six feet tall hairier than normal people there muscles bulged there were none were skinny he immediately lifted his shield and prepared to fight yelling out to me! to me! to several men around him he was a experienced fighter having fought on several campaigns in the western territorys                                                                                                                         Carek watched in horror as several of his men were killed by huge arrows he then watched as the front of his column was hit by the first waves of Arrikidians Carek drew his sword and shrugged his shield in place he screamed at his archer commander get your men to the rear! Yessir! Cavalry to me! he spurred his horse forward as terrified archers ran around him the rankmen were fighting one on one with arrikidians and getting slaughtered he had already lost twenty men he also noticed that a group were fighting them on the front quite effectively                                                                                                                                         

    Matthew had about seventeen soldiers around him spears thrusting shields blocking there reatreating tactfully and in an ordered mannered the Beasts hurled themselves at them expecting a terrified group of soldiers but Matthew kept them toegther shouting out orders there weren't doing all that much damage but were woudning a few at a time suddenly a bigger than normal appeared in the tree line a large bow in hand and arrow stuck in the ground at his feet he suddenly shout an arrow taking out a man in his line close up he yelled they quickly did another arrow was launched and another man brought down he realized that they were the only orderly group the rest were to retreat or fight back and getting killed doing so. He suddenly did something surprising forward thrust in unison the men thrust forward killing a arrikidian the charge was surprising the arikkidians took a tep back which gave Matthews men a breather 

    Carek launched his cavalry at surging line of arikidians his cavalry pushed the arikidian line but several of his men were killed and most pulled from there horses and know were fighting hand to hand he charge at them again a huge Arikidian lunged at him hurling a javelin! he deflected the Javelin and slew the arikidian with a blow from his sword this time they didn't get through the line the cavalry men fought for their lives 

    Captain Forger yelled a corproal of the archer company what do we do? Forger was not a well experienced captain he was the son of nobleman wasn't ready for active battle retreat he said quietly what? said the corproal reatreat he said run RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! archers started to turn and run with Forger at their head the Corproal turned and said come on those who aren't cowards lets go only three followed the corproal while hundred ninety six men ran for it 

    Matthew had a plan devised in his head they were going to try go forward because backward men facing the Arrikidian hord that had already killed almost a hundred men thrust forward! thrust! yelled Matthew as his men started to follow him forward the killed another arrikidian but lost a man to Arrikidian and another to the bowman forward forward! continued Matthew the bowman looked confused at there plan then smiled an evil smile and drew a long sword and let loose a terrifying yell and charged them Matthew yelled together! the remaining men immeidately tightened up prepared for the onslaught the Arrikidian almost seven feet tall knocked aside the spears that were thrust at him with several other arrikidians at his back broke Matthews line and killed six of his men outright Matthew dropped his spear and drew his flintish sword and parried a arrikidian thrust and killed him he then dropped another with some escellent sword strokes the huge arrikidian turned to face him and said your men are dead and soon you will be as well said Matthew are you sure about that Sirk as that was the arrikidian parried and slew on of Matthews men as he tried to thrust his spear into him your whole army is destroyed why stand up and fight I will just kill you surrender and ill kill painlessly Matthew leveled his sword held his shield up higher and with a battle cry charge Sirk!]

    Carek was no fighting amongst the last remaing knot of survivors spear leveled the used Matthews previous strategy moving forward trying to escape that way but there where to many in the middle he met with several officers who had survived so far whats the plan said a captain I don't know said Carek where are the archers said another captain? the cowards must've run off said the first captain the rankmen left were getting steamrolled as Carek noticed we fight to the last man but someone must survived to let Lord Feldor know of what has happened there was a few horseman still left on horses they were using sropped rankmen spears and hurling them into the thick of the Arrikidians the battle is over said the second captain and I think I know who won he said just as the Rankmen line broke and arrikidians streamed in.

To be continued...

Tocacity: Lightless days Part 3

     Lord Feldor was discussing some ideas with some architects when a thundering roar filled the air and he saw around a hundred horsemen race into view its Captain Balilal's command said one of the buidler working nearby the men in the area quickly gathered around the group my lord said Balilal I bring grave news the town of LakeCrown was attacked yesterday early in the morning the entire town and Garrison were killed except for this man here the cavalrymen exhausted was sucking up water and wolfing down food he had ridden hard for a few days straight what happened yelled Feldor obiviously very angry the cavalryman swallowed and said it was early in the morning when the warning bells started going off people started rushing around the garrison couldn't get to the barricades in time and then we saw them saw who yelled Feldor! Who! Arrakidians What! Its not possible? Its is my lord they killed everyone they spared noone the garrison couldn't take they were outnumbered I am the sole survivor how many were there said Feldor at least two hundred and one other I saw him for only a second he was very large at least seven feet his body looked half burned his armor was black and red his sword was huge! It couldn't said Feldor again for the first probably ever Feldor turned white and looked scared did have no hair and no helmet? yes I belie- were his eyes red? Yes I saw tha- BALILAL yelled Feldor gather together the fastest scouts send them to Morbia tell King Henry that Tocacity is not dead! Sir Carek yessir! gather together your best knights and four hundred of our best Rankmen as well as two hundred archers and any one else who feels like going with you yessir! he quickly ran off shouting instructions.                                                                                        Bent walked away from the caravan of soldiers and prisoners he watched as several officers ran around and groups of soldiers started arming up he was led a long house full of bunks he given a sack and a large trunk that contained his weaponry he also assigned a bunk you have an hour lad to gear up and get to the green wher- one hour my lad as the sergeant walked away he turned and realized all the recruits in the building were new people there was also the friendly man he had talked to on the ride from his village to here he stowed his things and opened his sack up he was shocked to see his dirk and his father trinkets it also contained some shirts and pants he stowed them as well and walked out with others none of them new were the green was luckily a friendly soldiers showed them where it was and they made it barely on time they were then ran through brutal excercises he didn't know that this was to test whether he would become a Rankmen or a cavalry men or a archer he relized what they were doing all this for when he was told to get on a horse he had never rode a battle horse like this before tried his best but since he shorter than most he almost didn't make it but he did get on tip of it next! yelled a officer Next! a bow and one arrow were shoved in his hands and he was told to shooot at a target he had never shot a bow before but had seen several hunters around his village do it he fired away missing the target badly next a spear was thrust in his hands and he went through a bunch of moves before he started doing a agonizing amount of pushups and running.                                                                                                                                                                  Later in his bunk groaning from the pain of all the physical labor he had just been doing an officer came in yelling get off those bunks to Beetle Butts Poltroons Dirty Maggots and several other things he groaned when he got up not a good thing he was knocked to the floor by a punch from the officer he got back up alright men said another officer when I call your name come to me he started reading of names of the men taken when there name was called they went up and took a small piece of paper that said what they would become when he went up he quickly read what it said report to cavalrymen stable twelve at the sixth hour tommorow morning confused on what he got he was about to ask a question when the officers finished and left besides for one other man they were all to go to Rankmen barrack three that one man was a becoming an archer Bent was slightly confused the next morning he arrived a few minutes late trying to figure out where the stables were when he arrived he had to do a bunch of pushup's and other not nice things but then he was allowed in were there were obiviously a bunch of horses and a officer came up to him and asked his business he showed him the paper ahhh your the new recruit come this way not knowing what new recruit ment he followed him into a dimly lit corridor were a few men sat around and an officer sitting at his desk was taking the mens papers when it was Bents turn he handed his paper in and the officer said welcome to the cavalry son what do you mean? said bent you've been selected to join the cavalry said the officer.

to be continued...                                                                   

Tocacity: Lightless days Part 2

 Lord Feldor gazed over his troops as a Lord he had many resposnibilitys one of them was to make sure that he had precisely a thousand troops a mix of cavalry archers and spearmen ready for the king at all times he sighed as he watched his new recruits he recently and convicted struggle through some spear excercises sir said his right hand man who goes by Sir Carek I have another batch of men who claim to be acquainted with bow Lord Feldor sighed he knew that when he convicted men they attempted everything to stay out of the ranks where licing conditions were not good and those were the ones that charged archers and were slamed by cavalry they were known as birdfood run them through the usuaual procedure then send'em to the ranks aye sir and he rode off again directing the new batch to a pile of bows and quivers of arrows he watched another large group of horse men ride off to gather more "recruits" the province that Lord Feldor controlled was not a peaceful one he bordered wildless territor filled with thousands of thiefs convicts and roving tribes that were not peaceful he tried to keep two to three thousand men on hand at all times to keep the raiders at bay                                                                                                                                                                           Captain Balilal was proud of what he had become he had started at the ranks and worked his way up to Captain and know had fifty men at his command the group that Lord Feldor had just seen ride out was his group he didn't enjoy gathering people who didn't want to join the army but it was his orders and he never disobeyed orders he had several towns to get to and did not enjoy the rides to get to them the privince of Hartle was the one Lord Feldor commanded and was the second largest which ment he and his men would be riding for several days to get to where there going the two towns he was set out to gather men in were Lakeside and Lakeview (they were big on non-original names in Hartle)                                                              In Lakeside lived a teenage boy he lived with his mother as his father had been taken when he was barely a month old to serve in hartle's ranks he didn't know what had happended to him he guessed he had died in the ranks during a raid the only things he had of his father was his Dirk that he had left for him some clothes and few trinkets and his name Benton or Bent for short                                                                              Captain Balilal and his men rode into Lakeside at night he ad his men split up into groups of three that way they could surround the houses and get the man of household to come out and get chained to a post and then they did that to a few houses then stopped his men started there attack as he watched from afar                    Bent got into bed quite late at night he worked as stone mason during the day and at night helped his mother with some weaving he got into his corn husk bed listening to his mother breath while she slept his hand enclosed in his father dirk since he was young he had trained with it there was an old man in the village who had showed him the ways of fighting with a long knife like that all the sudden he heard shouting from next door a crash and then crying and screaming again all the sudden fear gripped his heart he knew what was happening Benton come here quick! Yelled his mother as she rushed to the small window that was in the next room getting up he tossed his shirt on and buckled his dirk on he rushed to the next room and realized it was to late the three soldiers had already grabbed his mother and knocked her over the head this one wouldn't stop fighting the men laughed cruely as one picked up his club he noticed it was a little bloody and realized they had used it on his mother he was speechless he immediately drew his dirk and ran back to were he slept trying to get to the door the men seeing that he had weapon drew there swords and rushed after him Bent realized that he was going to get caught so he turned the men stoped and said c'mon lad drop the knife you can't take three of us! But bent didn't drop his knife he hurled himself at the door and then next thing he knew he was on an old nag riding through the forrest his head hurt badly. Water please said Bent no water the soldier said and he continued on here someone slipped him a squash filled with a little bit of water it tasted terrible but it was water what are we doing here? He asked already knowing the answer you know what were doing we've been conscripted to serve in the ranks be birdfood live and die the other men nodded in agreement but then he stopped and realized there were around twenty women walking behind the column of soldiers who are they he asked? Them those are the ones who didn't have a male of fighting age in the household they are going to be put work somewhere in the camp for a full year then they are sent back most of the time they end marrying someone from the army and usualy never go back and what of us asked Bent were the Ranks said the man were bird food there no going back for us.                                                               Captain Balial looked at the group his men had captured it was a large group of about thrity men and twenty women recently he had been forced to take women as well as men as he was only getting about ten men a time and needed something for his time sir rode up one of the corprals of his group what is it soldier said Balilal we received hundred and forty two denmarks in bribes sir recently the richer upper class not much better off than the class below them had begun bribing the soldiers to go away to another house good we can pay the men for the trip when we get bac- all the sudden another man rode up obiviously not part of the group his uniform was ripped and dirty there was blood on it as well not knowing the mans rank Captain Balilal who are you soldier! Cavalrymen 15th regiment of Hartle I bring grave news the town of Lakecrown was attacked just this morning he said in a tired voice what happened he asked a massacre.

to be continued...

Tocacity: Lightless Days Part 1

 Tocacity stood on a hill overlooking a hill watching his men sack and burn a small town commander said a soldier running up to Tocacity we have captured the village leader he said in a gruff voice he kept his head down as who wouldn't be scared in the presence of Tocacity Maker of Widows! Tocacity walked down the hill into the village his men and younger man than he thought was on his knees kneeling in front of the soldiers as he walked towards the man he shivered in trembled in terror his men started bowing and kneeling as down walked Tocacity drew is sword longer than normal but just as sharp with a large hilt that looked like it was missing something the man kept his bowed Raise your head you beggar yelled Tocacity shivering uncontrollably he raised his head yes sir said the man Tocacity then smiled and said where is Hark Feather's house? d-d-do-down the street a little ways sir really then said Tocacity he then said let him go said Tocacity his men obliged him as the man hurried Tocacity hurled his sword hard and fast at the man it nearly split him in half and he was killed a man retrieved Tocacity's sword they then made there way down to the house in question inside were several dead bodys one of an old man who held a sword and shield was brought outside as Tocacity walked up he then ordered his men to set it down and go a pace away he then knelt down and said Hark old friend he spat chose the wrong side again didya well this time you didn't escape he then entered the house bowing a little bit because of his huge frame he then started tearing the house apart he eventually opened a chest a pulled out a large Ruby that fit perfectly into his sword!

To be continued...

Third century crisis

 In the third century Rome was going though a rough time emeperor after emperor was killed civil wars assisnations and everything else that killed emeprors was happening as soon as someone won a  battle on the frontier the General was made an emperor almost instantly then they marched to Rome and deposed the former emperor there also was a lack of people working most were sent of to be soldiers but people also stopped working as the money system in Rome was worth almost nothing. 

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 I am honored to present this trophy to my good friend Joel. Joel, you demonstrated to us teamwork, dedication, and the ability to fit 56 jellybeans in your mouth.  I am honored to give you this trophy for the most valuable player on this pickleball team.  The way you hurled yourself around the court in reckless abandon, it was terrific, and you only injured yourself 27 times in those 21 games.  Even though we only placed 28th out of 30 and won 2 games, next year we will do better.  Anyway, let’s hope this trophy represents everything you learned and accomplished this summer, and may it bring many fond memories.  Congratulations, Joel!