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Inside the Gates
Annhyicus hesitated. His two companions found themselves dumbfounded at their commander’s heals. Annhyicus thought to himself frantically. He tried to stay cool, to stay calm. His rational mind immediately began to think, to analyze the situation. He observed the area around him. He saw the main palace complex just 20 meters down a pebble road from the main gate at which he now stood. The walls surrounded this modest palace at a fairly constant 20-meter space. Annhyicus heard commotion on the wall, but he could see nothing. In this split-second of time since he entered the walls, he and his men all saw the gate mechanism on the side of the gate, and a crew of four uniformed men operating it. The Lieutenant, the Captain, and the Imperator charged the four men, who had already readied their weapons against the attackers of this compound. Their short swords were useless, however, against the superior reach of the mounted soldiers. The four gatemen were cut down swiftly. Annhyicus could hear the commotion outside the gate and from on top of the walls, as the guards on the walls battled the cavalry force still outside.
Annhyicus commanded the two officers to dismount, and to open the gate. As the men followed their order, a dozen wall guards began descending the walls via stairs about 50 meters distant on both sides of the gate. Annhyicus figured they must have noticed the struggle beneath them and were now coming to stop the intruders. As they bottomed the stairs, the palace doors just 20 meters away began to open, and out came 4 spearmen. Annhyicus knew he had to buy his officers time. The two men were doing a four-man job, and struggling with it. The biggest threat was the spearmen. They were closest and their spears, if they were well trained with them, could easily defeat a mounted soldier, as Annhyicus presently was. The half-dozen men moving in from the right, and the other half-dozen moving in from the left would have to wait.
Annhyicus dismounted Arch, taking on four spearmen while mounted was an impossible task… taking them on foot would merely be extremely difficult. Now a veteran swordsman, master with his glorious sword and shield and most confident in his powerful armor, Annhyicus fearlessly charged the assailants. The first spearman thrust his spear at the charging man, while the second, third, and fourth fanned out to attempt to flank Annhyicus. Annhyicus was quick however, and caught the spear in his shield, swiftly slashed down with his sword to behead the spear, and then continued forward against the spearman. He then backhanded his sword and slashed the man across the neck. At this moment he had two spearmen on his left (one moving to get behind him) and another on his right. Annhyicus jumped and spun 180 degrees to avoid two spear thrusts and then to face his attackers that had gotten behind him.
The spearmen decided that a direct confrontation, as their comrade had tried, would not work on this masterful swordsman. They decided to employ standoff tactics, where they would attempt to slowly circle and gain position on the lone fighter, and then go in for the kill. Annhyicus realized this himself and now saw that he was indeed in trouble. If the spearmen weren’t enough, the wall guards were on the brink of joining the fight and subduing the Lieutenant and Captain. They, at this point, had managed to get the gate cracked open just enough for dismounted soldiers to attempt to squeeze through. Within moments, four Navalonian horsemen had dismounted and squeezed through the crack in the gates. They were just in time to meet the dozen swordsmen from the walls who had just arrived. It was now the Navalonians who were using standoff tactics. They only attempted to hold the guardsmen back with their shields and parrying with their swords, just long enough to allow the other horsemen to get through. As Navalonians were feeding through, Captain Montius and Lieutenant Pilos ran off to help their Imperator.
Annhyicus was able to maneuver to get his back against the palace wall. This did not remedy his situation, but meant that he now only had three flanks, ones that he could see relatively well, to worry about. He had parried multiple thrusts and was really beginning to worry when he noticed his two comrades, Pilos and Montius, were upon his attackers. With the spearmen distracted by the newcomers to this skirmish, Annhyicus took advantage of the situation and charged the spearman on his right. Performing a similar maneuver as he did on the intitial spearman, he blocked a thrust, severed the spear, and then moved in for the kill. He then turned to see the Lieutenant and Captain finishing similar attacks on the remaining two spearmen.
Turning once more, Annhyicus surveyed the battle near the gates. He noticed the number of men in his squadron of horsemen (which was originally a dozen) was now minus three. However only a couple of wall guards remained.
Annhyicus shouted to his men, “Once those guards are subdued, open the gates fully to allow our troops to enter freely when they arrive! Then mount your horses that are outside the gates and wreak havoc to distract and confuse the guards that remain in the compound!”
Annhyicus then sprinted off toward the now open main door to the palace complex. Pilos and Montius followed closely behind…
Annhyicus hesitated. His two companions found themselves dumbfounded at their commander’s heals. Annhyicus thought to himself frantically. He tried to stay cool, to stay calm. His rational mind immediately began to think, to analyze the situation. He observed the area around him. He saw the main palace complex just 20 meters down a pebble road from the main gate at which he now stood. The walls surrounded this modest palace at a fairly constant 20-meter space. Annhyicus heard commotion on the wall, but he could see nothing. In this split-second of time since he entered the walls, he and his men all saw the gate mechanism on the side of the gate, and a crew of four uniformed men operating it. The Lieutenant, the Captain, and the Imperator charged the four men, who had already readied their weapons against the attackers of this compound. Their short swords were useless, however, against the superior reach of the mounted soldiers. The four gatemen were cut down swiftly. Annhyicus could hear the commotion outside the gate and from on top of the walls, as the guards on the walls battled the cavalry force still outside.
Annhyicus commanded the two officers to dismount, and to open the gate. As the men followed their order, a dozen wall guards began descending the walls via stairs about 50 meters distant on both sides of the gate. Annhyicus figured they must have noticed the struggle beneath them and were now coming to stop the intruders. As they bottomed the stairs, the palace doors just 20 meters away began to open, and out came 4 spearmen. Annhyicus knew he had to buy his officers time. The two men were doing a four-man job, and struggling with it. The biggest threat was the spearmen. They were closest and their spears, if they were well trained with them, could easily defeat a mounted soldier, as Annhyicus presently was. The half-dozen men moving in from the right, and the other half-dozen moving in from the left would have to wait.
Annhyicus dismounted Arch, taking on four spearmen while mounted was an impossible task… taking them on foot would merely be extremely difficult. Now a veteran swordsman, master with his glorious sword and shield and most confident in his powerful armor, Annhyicus fearlessly charged the assailants. The first spearman thrust his spear at the charging man, while the second, third, and fourth fanned out to attempt to flank Annhyicus. Annhyicus was quick however, and caught the spear in his shield, swiftly slashed down with his sword to behead the spear, and then continued forward against the spearman. He then backhanded his sword and slashed the man across the neck. At this moment he had two spearmen on his left (one moving to get behind him) and another on his right. Annhyicus jumped and spun 180 degrees to avoid two spear thrusts and then to face his attackers that had gotten behind him.
The spearmen decided that a direct confrontation, as their comrade had tried, would not work on this masterful swordsman. They decided to employ standoff tactics, where they would attempt to slowly circle and gain position on the lone fighter, and then go in for the kill. Annhyicus realized this himself and now saw that he was indeed in trouble. If the spearmen weren’t enough, the wall guards were on the brink of joining the fight and subduing the Lieutenant and Captain. They, at this point, had managed to get the gate cracked open just enough for dismounted soldiers to attempt to squeeze through. Within moments, four Navalonian horsemen had dismounted and squeezed through the crack in the gates. They were just in time to meet the dozen swordsmen from the walls who had just arrived. It was now the Navalonians who were using standoff tactics. They only attempted to hold the guardsmen back with their shields and parrying with their swords, just long enough to allow the other horsemen to get through. As Navalonians were feeding through, Captain Montius and Lieutenant Pilos ran off to help their Imperator.
Annhyicus was able to maneuver to get his back against the palace wall. This did not remedy his situation, but meant that he now only had three flanks, ones that he could see relatively well, to worry about. He had parried multiple thrusts and was really beginning to worry when he noticed his two comrades, Pilos and Montius, were upon his attackers. With the spearmen distracted by the newcomers to this skirmish, Annhyicus took advantage of the situation and charged the spearman on his right. Performing a similar maneuver as he did on the intitial spearman, he blocked a thrust, severed the spear, and then moved in for the kill. He then turned to see the Lieutenant and Captain finishing similar attacks on the remaining two spearmen.
Turning once more, Annhyicus surveyed the battle near the gates. He noticed the number of men in his squadron of horsemen (which was originally a dozen) was now minus three. However only a couple of wall guards remained.
Annhyicus shouted to his men, “Once those guards are subdued, open the gates fully to allow our troops to enter freely when they arrive! Then mount your horses that are outside the gates and wreak havoc to distract and confuse the guards that remain in the compound!”
Annhyicus then sprinted off toward the now open main door to the palace complex. Pilos and Montius followed closely behind…
), as it has been quite sometime since i have done any creative writting.
I'm a slow reader so this story better be good!! 
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