The Foolhardies 212 Cavalry Charge

Garm sat back on his brown swifthart while he parried attacks from both sides with his greatsword. A spear thrust on the right, a claymore's swing on the left, neither could land a hit on him. 

"I always thought Garm was an instinctual type general like Grimthorn," I said out loud. "I didn't think he was even more extreme than that…"

"He's a strength-type general," Aura guessed. "One who overwhelms his opponents with absolute power…"

"They're crazy rare because everyone knows that tactics can trump strength any day," I added. "But it happens in sports too. Guys like M.J. or T.W. who show up and just destroy the compet.i.tion… when inconceivable strength demolishes any kind of strategy you set against it…"

This theory was being proven on the battlefield below as we spoke. 

Our cavalry had more than twice the number Garm's cavalry did, but it was our side that was losing riders despite Xanthor's leaders.h.i.+p. 

I guessed this was due to Garm's overwhelming strength, and the inspiration it gave his men to fight ever harder just like when Jordan plays his best and his teammates supplement his strength. 

Still, Luca and Azuma were keeping Garm in one spot. That was all I could ask for at the moment. 

I watched as Azuma launched a combination of spear thrusts aimed at critical points to Garm's right side. His head, his shoulder, his ribs, his thigh, and his s.h.i.+n — all were blown back by Garm's greatsword. 

Luca tried to take advantage of Garm's focus by aiming a swing at Garm's exposed neck, but the great general smacked the flat of Luca's blade upward with an uppercut from his gauntleted left fist. It was an incredibly display of martial prowess.

However, my brother wasn't deterred. After his claymore was sent upward, Luca just changed the angle of his attack with a twist of his wrist and sent his shadowblade cras.h.i.+ng down on Garm's head. 

That's when Garm's greastword came swinging from the right to parry Luca's attack which meant an opening for Azuma to strike. 

Azuma launched a spinning spear attack at Garm's side that should have had the piercing strength of a power drill but it was blown back by the force of garm's left fist swinging to the right. 

"He blocked that attack with just wind pressure…" I realized while wondering what it would feel like to get smacked by a fist like that. 

"Are you worried for Luca and Azuma?" Aura asked. 

I glanced down at the oasis below and saw that more than half of our troops had escaped into the gorge. "They just need to hold him off a bit longer…"

Luca and Azuma complied with my unheard request. They renewed their a.s.sault on Garm, keeping him in place while his cavalry and our cavalry continued to clash. 

Slowly but surely, the number of riders on both side was beginning to drop as the fighting only got fiercer. 

Unfortunately, the enemy's heavy infantry were moving quicker now that they'd drop the turtle formation and opted for the standard phalanx march. This might have had something to do with our archers already moving toward the rear with only a few left to provide covering fire for our cavalry. 

It was around this time when I watched Azuma get blown back by the heavy swing of Garm's greatsword. This was bad as Azuma had been the one to repel most of Garm's attacks which kept him and Luca relatively unscathed so far.

"Azuma's nearing his limit," Aura noted. 

"He'd be a perfect warrior if his stamina wasn't so d.a.m.n short," I scowled. "If only we could transfer energy to him like the Magesong clan did for him before." 

Aura smacked me in the shoulder. 

"Don't you even—" 

"—I was kidding," I said in a pacifying tone. "I was the one who stopped that evil practice, remember?" 

"Just as long as you remember," she reminded me. "I don't ever want to see children used that way ever again…"

"I know," I answered. 

Our focus returned to the fight where Luca was now in a one-on-one with Garm. 

"Come on, little bro," I said, glancing down below where I discovered that only the vanguard units were left in the oasis. "Just a little more time for Zarz and Ty to set things up…"

Luca and Garm exchanged sword blows. Their thick shadowblades screeched against each other. One, two, three, four, five exchanges in which Luca managed to hold on. 

It was an impressive sight to watch, my little brother holding his own against a great general in a fight so intense that Azuma — who had finally gained a bit of his breath back — couldn't even find an opening to join in. 

Luca slashed down. Garm blocked with the flat of his greatsword. Luca roared, and it was a roar so loud that even Aura and I heard it from our spot on the clifftop. 

"He's activated Foolish Strength," Aura commented. "Do you think it'll be enough?"

I shrugged. "We're about to find out…"

Luca pushed down on his claymore, increasing the force of his attack. Surprisingly enough, this forced Garm to raised his left hand over the flat of his shadowblade to brace against Luca's a.s.sault. 

"All this time he's been holding that ridiculously huge sword in one hand," I said, sounding hopeful now. 

As Luca continued to push his claymore down on Garm's greatsword the very ground underneath their mounts began to crack from the pressure of their struggle. 

And yet still Garm would not fall. In fact, even from afar, I could see that he was slowly raising his sword inch by inch. This meant Luca was losing their contest of strength. 

Wham! 

I imagined that was the sound Azuma's spear made as he slammed its pole down on Luca's claymore. Like a hammer, it drove Luca's shadowblade down, which finally helped it to break their sword lock. 

Luca's claymore dove into Garm's right shoulder, penetrating the armor and into the flesh underneath — and it looked to be a pretty deep cut. 

I pumped my fist in the air in triumph, and that's when all h.e.l.l broke loose.

Garm's scream which was like a lion's roar exploded outward and stunned those around him including Luca and Azuma. 

It was only for a moment, but a moment was all the great general needed to pull out Luca's claymore from his right shoulder with his left hand while simultaneously unleas.h.i.+ng a flurry of blows directed at his two opponents with his right sword arm. 

"Noo~o!" I yelled for it was all I could do given the distance between me and them. 

The sight of my brother's blood flying out as each cut Garm landed on his body from his quick blows was a horror to my eyes. 

Azuma faired a little better as he managed to block maybe half of Garm's attacks with his spear. Still, he too was bleeding from too many wounds. 

In fact, it was a miracle that their swifharts weren't included in what I could only describe as Garm's version of an Omni-slash. 

At the same time, a flare had been launched in the sky, signaling our cavalry that it was time to pack up and leave. But how could Luca or Azuma escape when they were both so heavily wounded?

Luca nearly toppled out of his seat but Azuma reached out and grabbed him to keep him on Jade Shadow. 

I could see Azuma screaming something into Luca's ear, probably telling him to hold on. 

In front of them, Garm had raised his greatsword a second time. He was about to swing it down. 

Azuma raised his spear to block the attack but even I could see his right arm was shaking. He was too hurt. 

Garm swung down — and it was right then that half-dozen shadowblades appeared to block his attack. 

A dozen riders had ridden to Azuma's and Luca's rescue, and I recognized them as viseres from Luca's Ravagers. They were men who had been with the Foolhardies since its inception. 

While six of them tried to hold Garm back, the other six helped to escort Azuma and Luca out of Garm's reach and back to the rest of our cavalry that was in the midst of escape. 

Marco, Paulo, Julies, Daryl, Esteban, and Todou — these were the names of the six men who stayed behind to face off against Garm knowing fully well that they were going to die. 

"d.a.m.n…" Tears pooled beneath my eyes as I watched them go down one by one. "Mudd.a.m.nit…" 

Luca and Azuma had been picked up by the rest of the cavalry and moved to the center where they could be protected by Garm's cavalry who chased after our riders.

Garm, after he'd killed my six men, was charging forward as well. And while Xanthor's formation could hold back the enemy cavalry, I doubt they could stop Garm if he rampaged right through them. 

It was then that I saw the remaining six viseres from the dozen who'd rescue Luca turn back to charge at Garm. 

Lira, Lawrence, Migo, Kyle, Betty, and Ronnie were their names. Two of them fell to the enemy riders they had to run past to get to Garm. The other four met their deaths with the help of Garm's greatsword. 

However, their sacrifice allowed the remainder of our cavalry to escape back into the oasis and into the gorge beyond. 

Those of Garm's cavalry who were right behind them triggered the black powder Zarz had left there to greet them. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

My ears rang from the sound of the explosions and I could barely hear Aura screaming that it was time to go. But it was the pain in my palms that kept me focused. Sticky liquid pooled underneath my fingers, the ones that had cut into my palm when I'd balled my hands into fists. 

"You will be avenged," I whispered.