Chapter 2: The Fall of Man
A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the scene in the castle through the remains of the tall, shattered, stained glass windows.
The heavy rouge color of blood lacquered the floor amid the bodies of fallen soldiers, both of those already dead, and those still desperately trying to cling to the last fleeting moments of life before the lights went out entirely.
The once dull, now shiny cobblestones reflected the flash eerily, highlighting the grizzly scene. The clash of steel had began to lessen, with more and more time between the sounds as the night continued.
Wails of pain and final curses echoed from the lips of fallen soldiers around the mostly now empty entry hall as the battle for the castle continued towards it’s climax.
A panther knight, clad in silver armor with a velvety red cloak soaked completely by the lifeblood of his victims and the relentless downpour over the last two days, pulled his sword from the ribs of the most latest victim to meet his steel with a heavy grunt. He took a short step back followed by a deep breath inwards before whispering to himself as he exhaled,
"Just a bit longer, Felicity. Just hang on a bit longer for me." His attention was quickly drawn back to the battle at hand as he noticed a younger soldier charging at him from a few paces away.
The experienced cat first noticed his age. He was a young boy, barely able to be called a man, maybe only on his 15th year. The second thing, was the clear lack of discipline or training the boy had.
Honestly, he wasn’t even so sure the boy had ever held a sword before, likely just a farmers son who was roped into the wars of kings... but that didn’t matter in a battle, less so considering the task at hand, and so the panther easily sidestepped his charge, and plunged his steel into the boys gut, catching him for a moment as he fell against his own body, one of his final breaths hitching in his throat for just a moment in shock as he gazed into the eyes of his killer.
With a mild grunt, and without breaking eye contact, the knight drove his sword deeper into the boy, forcing a sputter of blood from his lips along side a cough.