“Youbig,bckbrute!Youactuallyescapedfromundermyarrow.Nowtryaawayfrommymagicsword!”Sayingso,hesshedhisswordatJamaz.Jamazhelduphisownswordreflexivelytobatthemove,fettingthathisoppoheldKingDimitri’smagicsword,astatetreasureoftheKingdomofDreamswithlegendarypowersandwassosharpthatitcouldeasilytometalsandrocks.Jamaz’sswordbrokeintwoandfelluselesstotheground.AtsthenssheddownwardsandbeforeJamazovetoavoidtheonsught,hisheadwassshedintwo.RichardwasedwithgriefandrageonseeinghisfriendandpartnerdiesicallyinthehandsofAtsandwasabouttorushoverandfight,buthewassurroundedbyseveralbarbariansoldiersandwasnotabletobreakaway.Atthesametime,thebckhorsehadturnedaroundaoberushingover.Mr.KaffeesawthatcrisiswasinthebuildingandsaidhurriedlytoWhiteFairy,
“Richardisintrouble.Isthereanywayyoustoptheleaderonthebckhorsefromgoiohim?Ifhegetsthere,Richardwillbedonefor,too.”Beforehefinishedspeaking,WhiteFairywasalreadyonthemove,saying,
“I’lltry…IamnotsureIwouldbeabletostopthatferoan…”Mr.Kaffeebentdoickedupalongspearsaying,
“Ifallmybrothersdie,whywouldIwanttotinuelivingalone?Iwillleavetheseoldbonesofmiogetherwiththeirsonthispied…”OldDavid,whowasstandingbesideMr.Kaffee,alsopickedupacurvedknifefromthegrouraightenedhisslight,bentoldbody.Fullofprideandasenseofheroism,heughedaloudandsaid,
“Good!Idonotwanttoliveonwithoutmyfrieher.Goon,whatarewewaitingfor?Worseestotheworse,Iwillleavethisbodyofmihismysteriouspiedwithyouall.IfIlosemyhead,it’sonlyaneckwound,right?”Andso,holdingtheironsfirmlyintheirhands,thetwoofthemrantowardsthebattlefield.
SwiftasthewhirlwindAtsrushedoveronhismajesticbckwarhorse,whirlinghismagicswordintheair.Richard’sheadwouldbeseveredfromhisbodythemomenttheswordssheddownwards.Justatthatcritient,Atssuddesomethingchiseyes.Allbecameablurofwhiteasifhewassurroundedbyathickwhitefogandhecouldhing.Heimmediatelytuggedonthereinsandtightlyreinedinhishorsethatneighedloudlyinprotest;itsfrontlegsrosehalfintheairandthenpranpceferociouslyseveraltimesbeforeitcouldstopitsonwardsurge.SittingonhishorseAts’bodyswayedandbouncedviolently.Heimmediatelyspurredhishorsetoraceawaywildlyinwhicheverdireitchose.Ashiseyeshadbeencoveredbythewhitefog,hehadtogetawayfromthebattlefieldimmediatelyorbeevulnerabletoattacksofenemy’sspearsorkniveswhichhecouldayingwherehewaswouldbetoodangerous.ThebckhorseracedaroundwildlyswiftasthewindandafterawhileAtsfoundthathehadfinallyshakenoffthewhitesubstancechiseyes.Lookingbacktowardsthebattlefield,hefoundthatthewhitefogwasWhiteFairyofKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams.Herememberedshootingatherwithhismagicbowandarrow,butsomehowshehadnotevenbeeedbyit.WhiteFairytioflyabovehisheadlookingforacetoplungedownagaihatshewasonlyapuffofsmoke,Atsthoughtshecouldbeeasilydealtwith.ghisthighsagainsthishorse,hecameatherwithhisswordraisedandssheddownear.ButWhiteFairywasonlyaflimsy,unsubstantialpuffofsmoke,whichbrokeapartwhentheswordslicedthrough,buttheogetheragainasawholesoonafter.Esusedhisswordtosshatthepuffofsmokesevetimes.Thepuffofsmokebrokeapartandcametogetheragain,brokeapartandcametogetheragain.IntheendshewasnottheslightestbitaffectedbytheattadtiofloatlightlyintheairaboveAts’head.Theindomitablerazorsharpmagicswordthatcouldcutthroughrodsteelwasnomatchforthesoft,flimsy,unsubstantialpuffofsmokeandhewasnotabletoharmherintheleast.Seeingthatsheregoallhismagicons,Atsdecidedtoignoreher.Afterall,ossibleharmcouldapuffofsmokedotohim?TurninghishorsehedecidedtoletherbeandgobacktothebattlefieldtodispatchallthenativewarriorsoftheKingdom,whichwashismaingoal.SeeingthatAtsinteogobacktothekillingfield,WhiteFairyplungeddownandcoveredtheeyesofhismagnifitbcksteedwithherhands.Thewarhorsereactedwithviolebeingsuddenlyblindedbysomewhitesubstastoodonitstwohindlegsneighingloudlyinprotestandthehegroundviolentlyjumpingupanddown,tryingtothrowoffanddislodgeitsattacker,neighingloudlyallthewhile.WhiteFairyquicklyloosenedherhandsandfloatedtoonesideandAtstiorushtowardsthebattlefield.WhiteFairyagainfleardstowardsAtsandcoveredhiseyeswithherhands.Atsshookhisbodyfromsidetoside,tryingtodislodgeherahhishandstoclutchatherasiftryingtothrowofftheentaofthepuffofwhitesmoke.Thehorseneighedandagainstoodupstraightonitstwohindlegs,almostthrowingoffitsrider.WhiteFairyquicklyloosenedherhandsandfloatedtooneside.Shekherewasaweaknessiicssheusedandcouldnotbliherthehorseorriderfortoolongwithherhands.SuddenlyshecaughtsightofasheepskinsathebackofthehorseAtswasridingahoughtsflewtothetimeshewastrickedandcapturedbyEileenusingasack.IfAtsusedthesacktocaptureher,shewouldneverbeabletofightbackagain.Withthat,WhiteFairydecidedtokeepherdistantheman.Thus,themanandhishorseandthepuffofsmokeintheairremaiastandoff,hersideabletohurttheotherbutnoneabletocimvictory.ButWhiteFairydidsuccessfullycutoffAts’routebacktothebattlefield.
AburstofappusecamefromthesideofthenativewarriorsoftheKingdomwhentheysawWhiteFairybravelytahAtsandsuccessfullypreventedhimfromingbacktothebattlefield.Thesuccessofthefragilepuffofsmokeoverthebruteofafighteronamagnifitbcksteedwasaboosttotheirdroopingspirits.ButtheappusewasnotasloudandstrongasbeforeandMr.Kaffeewasnotasoptimistic.Hesawthatthebravewarriorsaroundhimhadbeendecimatedtolessthanahundred,whilethenumbersoftheenemiesmorethandoubledtheirown.Bothsideshadsacrificedthelivesandlivelyyoungmenwhowerenowlyingonthegroundalloverthebattlefieldascorpseswhosebodytemperaturehadcooled.Someofthosebodieswerestillseepingblood.Mr.KaffeereanizedhistroopsintoanaggressivearrowheadshapeheadedbythebraveandceousRichard,sayinginaloudvoice,
“Wewillnowmakeourfinaldashagainsttheenemyandwewillnotbackdownuntiltheverystofushadgivenupourlivesforourbelovedhomend.For,ifweotdestroytheeheywillkilleveryoneofusandnotleaveonesinglepersonalive.Soletuschargeandkillthebarbarianinvaders.Letusgiveourlivesforthissacredpiedwelovesomudwhichwearewillingtodietoprotect!”Upoheaationofthenativewarriors,thebarbariansoldiersknewatlewasabouttobegin.Theyshiveredinapprehensionknowingthiswastheultimatebattle.Whenfagdeath,menalwaysgtolifeandfeardeath.Thatisnormalhumanbehavior.Butthebattlefieldisastrangepcepcedthere,thebrainsofthesoldiersseemtosolidifyandbeenumb.Theonlythingtheycouldthinkofwastokilltheenemyorbekilledthemselves.Seeingtheirleaderentahapuffofsmoke,thebarbariansoldiersdidnotknowwhattodo.Sinoorderhadbeeoretreat,noonedaredtomoveafoot.Theystayedputandbothsidesremaiastalemate.Wheivewarriorsreformedtheirranksaoattack,thebarbariantroopscouldohemhead-on…
Thetwosidescshedliketwbutopposingwaves,resultinginargewhirlpoolwhichtersubdividedintosmallerwhirlpoolsalroulefield.Somewhirlingclockwise,someterclockwise.Amidstthesewhirlpools,headandlimbsseveredinbloodlustwerescatteredeverywhere.OldMr.KaffeeaandcrookedDavidwerethefirstoodieiialcshofthetwosides.Mr.KaffeeiercedbyalohroughthechestandDavidwasbeheadedbyabarbarianktlecriesandshoutsroseeverywhere.Corpsesmultipliedandpiledup.Mankilledeachotherlikeblood-thirstyanimals.Butwhirlpoolsbroaden,widenandfinallydostop.ThestpersoandingwastheindomitableandceousRichardwhowasthemostskilledfighterofthemall.Buthewasbadlywoundedandhisbodycoveredwithbrownish,reddishblood.Hewashandclutgontoalongspearwithhisrighthand,whileholdingabloodyknifeinhisrighthand.Eyesdazed,helookedaroulefieldthinking,“WhydidIkillsomanypeople?Whydidallthesethousandsofpeopledieonthekillingfield?”Lookihebattlefield,hegncedoveratWhiteFairy.
Atslookedatthewhitepuffofsmokecirgoverheadandwasfastthinkingofawaytocaptureher.Ahideousgrinmarredhisyounghandsomefaceashereturnedhisswordtoitssheath.Hetookasheep-skinsathebackofhishorse,opewideandwaveditthreateninglyatWhiteFairyasifhewasgoingtocaptureherwiththesack.Atshadlongheardofthefamoushundred-flowerwinemadeintheKingdomofDreamsandloasteit.Butitwasmadeonlyonrareoccasionsanditwassaidthatoed,iterieobefotten.KingZeusoeditandneverlikedanyotherwierthat.AtshadthesheepskinbagmadeespeciallyforthehundredflowerwinehemeanttogetfromtheKingdomofDreams.Remindedofherformerexperience,WhiteFairybhthethoughtthatthemanhadthoughtofawaytodealwithher.Justthen,fromtheerofhiseye,Atscaughtsightoftheonlymaanding.ItwasRichardwhohadescapedfromhismagicshiteFairycoveredhiseyes.Heturnedhishorsearoundanddashedtowardsthebattlefield,asnothingakehimleaveasinglepersonalivefromthisbattle.Richardwassoexhaustedhecouldhardlyholduphisswordandsowasinnopositionforanht.Hecouldonlywaittobesughtered.Seeingthat,WhiteFairyflewoverwithfullspeedandwithardforherownpersonalsafetyplungeddowntowardsAtsagainchishead.ShecouldhimkillKingDimitri’sonlysurvivingfriend.Atsgriohimselfashethought,“Aha!Youarenotascleverasyouthink.I’vegotya!I’lltakecareofyoutrouble-makerfirstandthendealwiththisstsurvivor.EvenifIhavetoputmyheadinthebagfirst,it’sokay.Iknowhowtoextricatemyself.”Takingouthissheepskinbag,hewasabouttothrowitoverthepuffofwhitesmoke,whensuddenlyastronggustofwifromnowhereandtossedWhiteFairyintotheair,whereshestruggledhelplesslytonoavaindhadtofloatwiththewind.Ah!Thewindwashernemeses,butitwasalsothisnaturalehatsavedherfromthehazardofcapture.Whenthewindstopped,WhiteFairyhadbeenblownquiteadistanceaway,sowhenshelookeddownfromonhighandsawAtsjustasheraisedhisswordandssheddownwards,severingRichard’shead,shewasincapableofdoinganythingtostophim.Atsughedheartilyanddashedawaytowardsthegateofthegoldpaotevensparingaghefieldofdeadbodieshehadleftbehindasiftheyweren’tthereatall.WhiteFairyfollowedcloselybehind.AtssatonthegoldthrostheeriengwhatitwasliketobeakingwhileWhiteFairyfloatedontoapilrbytheeaves.Manandsmokewereatastandoff,herpartyg,whiletheywaitedforthearrivalofKingDimitri.
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