Alpha Centuri: The Discovery Ch.17

VERY violent! Little cildren should not read this Chapter!!

Chapter 17

Rogancus’s side began to tip over. “Jump!” Ethan yelled and outstretched his hand over the edge of the cracked platform. Rogancus leaped and grabbed his hand just as the platform gave way and tumbled down below. “Thank you. I am in your debt. But first we must find a way down to the lower levels before another volley arrives.” Rogancus said.
“There!” Ethan said, pointing to a fallen bridge. It was only split in the middle, and both side reached the ground. “We can climb down by the bridges rope handles.” Together they climbed down and found themselves not far from the stairs to the top of the walls. They ran up and found their companions.
“I was afraid that you two were dead! Look.” He said, pointing to the Gutak. “It’s bomb time.” The Gutak were in a box formation, holding their shields like Roman Legionnaires and protecting all of their flanks, making it impossible for Thorian to shoot them down. The box crawled its way all the way to the gate. The ones in front planted four large bombs on the gate. “Tell your people to get away from the gate. Hurry!” Paul said to Rogancus. He hurried off, yelling for everyone to get off the gate. Meanwhile, the Gutak dropped their box formation and scattered in all different directions.
The bomb blew up.
Debris scattered in every direction. Flames fumed up from where the gate used to be. The explosion knocked everyone off his or her feet. Rogancus returned. “Pull back!” He screamed in his own language to the guards. “Pull back down to the gates! Hurry! We must stop them there. This fight is over for the walls.” Everyone filed down the stairs and met at the gate. The monstrous flames roared up in the sky. Rogancus placed all spear and shield bearers up front, along with spearmen. Next came gunmen, then swordsmen like he. Setenet walked up along Rogancus. He wore heavy brown armor, with a flowing cape. His sword was drawn: A marvelous sword…Shining purple with a silver colored hilt. “Let them come! This is not the first time they tried to take my city…Let them fail again! Let them come!” He yelled out to his fellow Thorians. Then the Gutak leapt through the flames, blasting away and hacking with their axes and tridents. The Thorians counter attacked swiftly. The swordsmen charged in to protect the shield bearers. Setenet and Rogancus battled fiercely side by side. Many Gutak lay at their feet as they battled the onslaught of Gutak. The humans fired away with their guns.
Soon though, the Gutak began to overwhelm the spearmen and swordsmen. “Father! We must pull back! We will never make it this way!” Setenet said to Rogancus.
“We don’t have time! They will spear us in the back as we flee!” Rogancus answered, parrying a Gutak axe then killing the wielder.
“Then I will hold them off. I’ve lived my life.”
“No!”
“Do as I say! Lead the others! I can hold them off!” Rogancus looked into his fathers’ eyes for the last time, and then ran to the spear bearers. “Retreat! Retreat! Pull back into pincer formation!” He yelled. The army advanced backwards slowly, splitting into different directions. Setenet was the only one at the gate. He was twirling his sword, killing the on rushers as they leapt through the fire. But he would not last long. As the army finished its retreat, Setenet was overwhelmed. Gutak leapt on his body, stabbing ferociously. Ethan looked on with horror. Just outside the flames was Vladimir, yelling, “Kill him! Kill him!” With a might roar Setenet fell to the ground. And thus passed Setenet, King of Tusirus.

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It began to pour down rain. The army pulled back into the shadows of the city. Gunners were positioned in street side shop windows and spearmen and swordsmen took position in the streets. The Gutak charged and a mighty battle was fought in the very alley Ethan was in. The squad fought bravely and beat the Gutak back. They charged again. This time Vladimir was with them. He wore Gutak armor and had a long spear and triangular shield. “Stop you crazed human! Go back to your holes!” Cried a voice from behind the battle. It was Falakirk. Ethan had forgotten about him. “Stop you!” He yelled and butted Vladimir with his walking staff. “Stop Falakirk, no!” Ethan cried.
“You old oaf!” Vladimir cried. He raised the butt of his spear and smacked the old Thorian in the head. Falakirk crippled to the ground.
“Nooo!” Paul yelled. He jumped from his cover and picked up a swordsman’s sword. It was golden brown, stained with Gutak blood. He leapt at Vladimir and hacked down with his sword. Vladimir raised his shield just in time to deflect his blow. Then he swiftly knocked the sword out of Paul’s hand with the spear. Paul leapt and kicked Vladimir in the stomach. He fell over with an “oof” Paul jumped on him and locked his hands around Vladimir’s throat in a death lock. Vladimir however, had his hands free. He tore Paul’s hands away and tried to jab upward with his spear. But Paul was too quick. He grabbed the spear and turned it around. Vladimir fruitlessly tried to push the spear back. For the first time in his life, Vladimir Sandov was afraid. Paul brought the spear down into Vladimir’s heart. He died instantly. Paul ran over to Falakirk and heaved him on his back. The battle in the alley was over. The Gutak were not smart enough without their leader and instantly began to argue on the battlefield and eventually all were scattered or killed.
Paul laid Falakirk’s body on to the ground. “Dead.” He said to Ethan with no expression on his face. Ethan touched Falakirk’s chest. Dead. Tears swelled up in both of their eyes. Rogancus joined them. He picked up Falakirk’s body. “We must not grieve the dead now. We have a battle to fight. Falakirk and Setenet would not want their city to fall.” He gently brought Falakirk over to the pile of the dead and the wounded. “Let us go.” He said. He motioned for the small army to follow. “Up ahead by the stadium, our soldiers are pinned down. We must provide reinforcements.” Rogancus said to them. Everyone ran to the stadium. Inside the stadium, Ethan knew, were the women, children and old men. The Gutak were sieging the place with a battering ram. Thorian soldiers lay dead and forgotten around the area. “For Falakirk!” Rogancus yelled and charged into battle. Everyone else followed in a mad charge.
They had taken the Gutak by surprise, for most of them had their backs turned. But the Thorians were heavily out numbered. But the Thorians fought with the courage of one thousand men. They dispersed of the entire Gutak population in the area. Shortly after, another troop of Thorians arrived from down the road, followed by another. Rogancus spoke to them in his own language. Turning to Ethan he said, “The Gutak are many strong by the gate. We must keep them there and push them back. But we will need more of our troops. Squads of our army are scattered throughout the city from our unorganized retreat. Ethan, run around the city finding as many troops as you can. We will go to hold them off.” Ethan nodded and ran down the street. Rogancus organized his army and marched them down to the gates. The Gutak charged immediately. But the Thorians beat them back. This time Rogancus ordered a formation. Gunners were to be surrounded by boxes of Thorian spear bearers. Using this technique again and again he beat back the Gutak by the gate pouring in from the gate. But he could not hold out much longer. After the fifth charge by the Gutak, Ethan arrived. Behind him was the other half of the army. He had found them gathered in a central marketplace, waiting for orders. Some even managed to get some keela to ride from the pens. Now the tide had turned. Using his new soldiers, Rogancus charged the Gutak. They pushed them back and back and back. Soon they were already outside the gate. This is when the Gutak ordered a full retreat. Using keela riders, the Thorians dashed out and separated the retreating Gutak army scattering the platoons around the outside of the city. Without their leader, the Gutak were highly unorganized. The pouring rain didn’t help either. There was no question about it. The Thorians had beaten the Gutak once again.

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Tusirus had suffered many losses in the battle. The gate and many other structures were destroyed. Many Thorians had lost their lives as well. The rain subsided and a rainbow formed over the city as morning light started to peak over the horizon. The Gutak surrendered and were allowed to pack up their camps and move away. Rogancus ordered the citizens to stay in the stadium until many of the houses and bridges could be rebuilt. Large pieces of wood and stone from the buildings above littered the streets.
The next day the dead were to be burned and spread their ashes spread through out the land, as was the Thorian custom. Ethan attended the cerimonie along with Paul and the other humans. The bodies were burned in the field outside the gate. It was a sad place to be. The families and friends of the fallen ones came and mourned the deaths of their loved ones. Ethan stood beside Falakirk and Setenets’ burning bodies with tears in his eyes. Paul stood next to him along with Rogancus. The Thorians tossed inscence on the burnimng bodies, making the fire glow different colors and emit vibrant smoke.
Ethan thought of how much Falakirk and Setenet had helped him and the rest of the humans. Without them, the humans would have been nothing. He looked at Rogancus. The Thorian had just lost his father. He was now the king {or mayor} of Tusirus. Rogancus’s face was solemn.
They all watched as the burning stopped and the bodies’ ashes were spread though out the fields and forest. Then everyone proceeded back to the town.
“Send a message to Waterfall City saying that the battle is won and everyone is okay. Oh, and also tell them I will be staying here a while longer.” Ethan told Rogancus inside the city.
“I’ve already got a soldier on it.” Answered Rogancus. Paul approached them with the other humans. “We will be leaving. I hear you are going to stay Ethan?” He said.
“Yes.” Ethan replied.
“How long?
“A week or two. I need to help Rogancus rebuild the city and fortify his new position as King.”
“Well, I will them that. Bye!” And with that Paul and the others jumped on keelas and road off to Waterfall city.