The Darkshan War Chapter 1: The Basin Battle

Jarune and Frayrum were elite warriors in the Shran army. Jarune was a teenager, one of the best warriors in the Shran army for his age, and well accepted with the older, stronger warriors. Frayrum is Jarune's teacher. for many years they went on quests fighting against, whatever enemies they could. They loved each other like brothers, always battling together, back-to-back. But now their king Shraymum, had declared war on the Darkshas, a neighboring kingdom, stronger in defense and had many faster, horses and excellent archers. Half of the Shran army were marching to the north border, getting ready to attack the Darksha's south fortress of Bursha.

They were about 150 miles out of Bursha, and were going to make camp in the Great Basin, surrounded by two huge hills. If only they knew the Darksha's were planning for it.

~

General Raycarta of the Darksha Army was waiting for the scouts to return. If the Shran army was camping in the Great Basin, they were dead.

"General Raycarta, the scouts have returned," Barmun, Raycarta's man-of-arms, told him.

"Good bring them in right away," Raycarta commanded, walking over to his chair. Not the most comfortable but still something to sit on.

The scout walked into the tent whispering amongst themselves, Raycarta was known to have a bad mood, if a scout brought in a bad report. "So what's the news?" Raycarta asked in a deadly way.

"We have goos news, those fools have camped in the Basin, we have already told Captain Rashan to set up on the other hill. If we move out right away we should be able to take them by surprise."

"Good job, now prepare the army to move out, we need to attack before dawn," Raycarta commanded in a half-cheery half-deadly tone.

"Yes, lord."

~

Wisps of smoke curled up into the sky. Embers of small fires, lay smoldering on the dry places of dirt. The guards that were supposed to be awake lay, sleeping peacfully on the grass.

On the sides of the hills hundreds of archers stood ready to fire on Raycarta's command. Raycarta wanted to see the terror-stricken faces of the Shran army as hundreds of arrows rained down on them. He gave the signal, arrows whistled down the hill, heading straight for their targets.

The guards were killed instantly, arrows embedded in their bodies, hitting every fatal part.

~

Jarune thought he had heard something, and smelled something like blood. He walked out of his tent, astonished to see the scene before him, hundreds of Darksha archers on the hills surrounding them.

"Were under attack!" he shouted, running back in the tent to get his sword. Frayrum was wide awake already in his battle armor. "Hurry, we might be the only hope for the Shran kingdom!" he yelled.

Jarune got on his armor in a minute or two. They walked outside interviewing, the scene before them. Huge flames spiralled into the sky, licking the canvas' of the tents, changing them slowly into smoldering ash. About five hundred warriors were outside trying to figure out how to overpower the Darksha army. Jarune and Fraymum were the first to do anything, they got out their bows and started firing into the Darksha ranks. Then Fraymum saw General Raycarta. Raycarta was smirking, dressed in his purple armor, he was holding up his jeweled sword, reflecting the new sun rays, onto the remainder of the Shran army.

"Charge, and slaughter them, leave no one standing!" Raycarta roared to the cavalry, grouped behind him.

The cavalry charged down the hill, brandishing their weapons, swords, spears, and bow and arrows. Fraymum, and Jarune knew exactly what to do, unlike the other Shran warriors. Their solo quests had tought them something, pikemen on cavalry, archers on infantry, and cavalry on archers.

"What are you doing standing around idlely? Get the pikeman facing the cavalry, we must kill their horses or they'll kill us all as swift as a guillitone to a human. Group to me!" Fraymum and Jarune shouted.

Unfortunetly there weren't many pikeman alive. There was only one small line of defense against the vast Darksha cavalry. It was like a huge tidal wave crashing against a small boat. Sunlight glanced off of the Darksha swords, as they came crashing down on the Shran heads below them. The Shran army was driven back to the other side of the basin, where archers rained down arrows among the Shran ranks. bodies covered the bottom of the basin. Flies were starting to gather among the rotting bodies. No Shran soldier was left standing, or that's what the Darksha army thought.

~

"How long do we have to lay among these bodies?" Jarune whispered to Fraymum.

"As long as the Darksha soldiers are here. We have to get back to Shramus to tell the king that our raid failed," Fraymum answered.

"Ah, Fraymum, Jarune how glad of you to join us," Raycarta, said pulling the bodies off of them."

"Well see what Daruma will do about you. Shrama, bind these two, hard," Raycarta commanded walking off to mount his horse.

A large man walked up to them tieing their hands together. He grabbed the other end of the rope, mounting his horse, he tugged on the ropes, making them fall down.

"You should try to stand, or you'll have a very painful, trip."

"This can't be good," Jarune whispered to Fraymum.

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Author's Note: I would like to know what you thought of this [hmmm Joseph, Boe, James]. Hope you liked it!