Hear de, Hear de. - Tale of The Week 41

[Hesus de bodemloze]

Be as a tower firmly set; Shakes not its top for any blast that blows.
- Dante Alighieri -

MarcelP winning PoTW 147 shot, A magnificent peace of art.


RULES :

1. Post a short text about this picture, with min. 200 max. 500 words, in a spoiler.

2. If you are a contestant you are honour bound to not read other contestants' writings until you have submitted yours.


3. The winner gets 1 point on the Leaderboard, if there are at least 4 contestants.

4. Deadline: last day of each week (Sunday).

[Nazgûl Killer]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Insanity
A loud bang slashed through the air as a lightning pierced the skies, one could only imagine it due to the intense rain, we could not even see the skies.
I looked around me, there was just enough light to see the two men to my sides, but not to my front or back, I looked behind me and aside from a muzzle from a torch, nothing was seen.
"McLaud, ye' hear that?"
"What?" I asked
"That!" My friend yelled as a horn was sound, and soon, hundreds of arrows behind us were loose, and the screams of pain coming from the enemy were silenced by the crack of lightning.
"Yes, I definitely heard that!" I yelled, smiling, and he smiled back... At least I think he did.
Another crack of lightning, and soon, a soldier bashed his spear's shaft onto his shield, two others joined him, I joined them as well, soon enough, the entire platoon bashed their spears into their shields in a corresponding rhythm, again, and again, soon enough the entire army responded.
The sound was terrifying, and for the first time, not even the crack of lightning could overcome the intense sound of our bashing.
Again and again, we repeated, I smiled and waited eagerly for combat... And a small flash of light was seen from afar.
"What the hell was that, McLaud?"
"How the heck should I --YAR" I screamed as a cannonball exploded right in front of me, dozens more hit our lines, and I could her the general screaming:
"Men! March!"
We advanced through the rain, continuing the bash of our shields, and our foolish enemy kept firing at our old position, couldn't even see we were gone.
"ADVANCE!"
The general screamed again and we starting running, neglecting the bashing for screams of battle and the engagement with the enemy.
"McLaud!"
"Over here!"
"Glad to see you, I was looking all over for ye'!"
"Well, keep up!" I smiled, he replied the smile. Even though he was my bodyguard, he was more than a friend to me.
The battle raged on, I lunged my spear, only to have it shot off, I drew my sword and slashed and bashed, dashed and gashed, many fell to my feet.
"McLaud! Five already!"
"Ha! Seven here!"
"What!? Son of a b----!" He was cut off by a strong crack of lightning, and I smiled and kept bashing.
"Mr. McLaud!"
Someone yelled
"Mr. McLaud!
MISTER MCLAUD!"
"What!? What!?"
"It's time for your medicine, sir" said the nurse.
"Where am I?"
"You had a bad dream. Just sit up and take your meds, sir"
"But... I was there, at the Americas... Right?"
"Yes sir. You are in Brooklyn"
"But no, I was in the..."
"Take your meds, sir" She said, and I dared not oppose her again.

[Ratbag]

Arghh.. Epic!

RESERVED!!

TO BE UPDATED!! bombombom

[webMaster412160]

reserved

[SonOfAlexander]

Amazing pic and reserved ... but who is that guy?

[webMaster412160]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Brave charge

My name is Donkomir I am a soldier in the army,I have grown up in a village far from where I am know,I have also leaved my wife behind to go to war.
I will do all that it takes to keep the enemy from sacking my village.
We where called to take up our duty to defend our land,we where assembling the army and at noon we where marching to go and face the enemy.
Most soldiers had never gone to war before,I could see there nervous faces there feet marching to a place they never had gone before.I had been fighting in a war before it was hard and many died that day,but know I can make a difference.
I told them :"soldiers we will fight for our grandchildren loved ones and family the will have to pass us to get to our land lets kill them leave none alive"
in the evening we could see the enemy we where preparing to charge but then out of nothing it begone to rain and harder and harder we could not see anymore the enemy.
we could hear the drops of rain splash on our Armour,the soil changed into mud,
some soldiers where panicking and scared.
The general told them don't fear this storm use it to our advantage,I took a spear and begone to march to the enemy it was hard I was hold back of the hard rain,I could olmost see nothing.
Soldiers that where scared now begone to march to eager fight the enemy and out of nothing the army was ready to fight.
I Donkomir was marching and getting closer to the enemy,now I could see them.
I hear from my back our army marching and shouting "dead to the enemy"
I know was eager and ready.
I didn't feel the rain anymore on my Armour the soil of mud where my feed where standing on was something I soon forgot.
I took my spear I hold it into the air ready to point it to trow it to the enemy soldier
the heavy rain makes it hard to maneuver from the arrows,
I was charging into the enemy lines I took the spear took a fast position to trow it and the spear went right trow the enemy general.
I know took position with my shield and blade our army charged into the enemy lines,
I site by site was fighting with my brothers,the enemy army was getting kilt piece by piece.
The enemy was beaten,the prisoners where kilt.
Our land was ones save again,I was looking forward to go back to my wife and village.

[Ozy]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Diary.

Day 133.

All I can think of is being back in dry land. Arriving to the port, and finally seeing them again. That motivates me to move on in this ship, surrounded by the blue, unexplored regions of the ocean…

Day 141.

A storm found us. We have lost our route and have not seen land for days. Dense fog covers the stars and all around us. The captain seems optimistic, telling us we should soon find our way.
I have been in bad situations before, made it every time. Surely when all is over this will be a good story to tell the kids when I get back.

Day 143.

We have found a man in the mist. A sailor saw him floating on the water over a piece of wood. We took him in the ship, hoping he could help us find our way. He was unconscious, but breathing. Hopefully he will wake up soon…

Day 145.

The man woke up today. However, most of our hopes died when we realized the man was crazy. He told a story about monsters that hunted the Ocean, taking ships, confusing them to sail to the end of the World. Just a lunatic…isn’t it?

Day 153.

Good news! A seagull was spotted in the sky. It should be heading to land not far away. I feel more confident about seeing them again. If only the man we found would shut up! He began yelling when he heard about the seagull. “it’s a trap, they did it to us!” he yelled, over and over again. “They will take you all too!” he said, finally, as we grabbed him and locked him in a storeroom. He will see soon…

Day 158.

Five days. No signs of more seagulls. The captain says we should move ahead, that land should be just a few days away. I hesitate. What if the man is right and this is all the work of evil powers that plot to take our souls?
I see them in my dreams. A storm, a new ocean falling on us drop by drop from the clouds, and dark feathered men that take us to the water, dragging us to the abyss. I beg the gods to let me survive to be home again.

Day 160.

This night we heard thunders. Probably a storm is coming. We see more seagulls ahead. We will reach land soon! The man in the storeroom began to yell again, demanding that we let him out. We ignored him, and only later we found he had hung himself. The thunders are getting louder.

Day 161.

They are here. Came from the clouds. Have dark, red feathers on their heads, and make terrible noises. Many men jumped into the water, drawn mad by their screams. The brave ones fell to claws and steel, and were dragged to the water. Then we saw the fall in front of us, the end of the World. We tried to turn around, but it was too late. The few of us that remain have hidden in the lower levels of the ship.

I will never see home again. I'll take my sword and face them in the rain. The ship will soon go in an eternal fall to the nothingness, I better hurry...

[Kátz]

reserv3d

[Junius]

I'll jump on this one. Reserved.

[SonOfAlexander]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The figure without a face

Arminius turned fitfully in his sleep. The sky was dark outside and dust scattered noisily on the stone floor. A bolt of lightening split the sky in two, ripping a jagged path through the heavens, before disappearing in an instant. Arminius rolled and tossed like a ship in heaving seas as his mind played on his fears.

He was walking in a robe across the black chamber. The night was just as heavy as when he had left it, and it’s total inky blackness blocked his vision. Arminius blinked and stared, his eyes now seeing through the invisible murk. He saw a figure lying in his bed, indistinguishable in the dark. The phantom slept peacefully, but there was something supernatural about it, thought Arminius: somehow, it didn’t breathe.

With a rush of wind the wooden door swung open with an echoing creek and slammed into the wall with an eerie and final shudder. It stayed there, pinned by the force of the weather outside as Arminius slowly moved towards the portal, one side dry, the other sodden and saturated. His feet made a slow pattern on the hard surface, highlighting his movements as he stared blankly through the opening.

He heard a tapping splash and a footstep, but they were gone even before he could register them. The other buildings of the small village were barely visible in the pounding rain as he continued to stand there, gazing raptly at the silence and emptiness… he felt like it was watching him. Arminius heard a creaking of timber and swivelled where he stood, turning to stare at his bed.

His now empty bed.

He saw the figure standing there. It was silhouetted by a candle, with no light but that which clung to the edges of his shadowy form. Arminius took a single step forward but arrested his motion as he touched the ground - what was wrong? He slowly gazed down, purely on instinct, and there he saw the sword rudely protruding from his belly. He had no reaction, being too startled for mortal words, but he felt no pain; he felt lighter than the softest silk. Then he felt himself being pulled backwards, and everything lost it’s colour before disappearing.

Arminius’ form was catapulted upright as he awoke, feeling the cold air scorch his hot throat and dripping face. He exhaled heavily numerous times, swallowing vigorously as he recalled his recent nightmare. But as he lay back down, he heard a noise… that same small innocuous footstep… gone before it could be heard properly… and was within seconds out of bed. The same grey slate slanted downwards in iron streaks towards the cratered earth as he opened the door.

The vision before him was unreal. There were many figures protected by the darkness, but the one in front of him shone out. The man carried a long, glistening sword that somehow glistened in the absence of any light and although as intangible as a ghoul he had white hair that somehow carried with it the same pure iridescence.
Who…

[Selifator]

I'll try and write something. Thus reserved?

[Astaroth]

Here's my submission:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

For Allah

My heart is beating quickly, hammering in the depth of my chest. Heavy drops of water are dripping off my sword and clothes, my skin is cold and wet. The fighting has been going on for many hours now but there's no end in sight. The soil is saturated with blood, the most valuable of all liquids, and corpses lie everywhere. The bodies of my comrades, my friends, covered in mud. They've fought and died, all of them gave their life. For Allah.

Screams can be heard, men are shouting, crying, begging for mercy. They're dying, feeding the sateless earth with their blood. The rainfall is becoming stronger now, the heavy patter is drowning out everything else. The water is washing away our sins, cleaning our souls. For a moment, I feel free, as if a heavy burden had been taken from my shoulders. Free like a bird.

Then I see the dark figure in front of me, blurred and covered in shadows. Without hesitation, I raise my sword and strike out. Cold steel cutting through warm flesh. Through the rain I can hear him screaming, crying with pain. Slowly, my enemy is sinking to the ground. Within seconds, he has disappeared, vanished into nothingness. For Allah.

My arms are heavy now, tiredness is filling my body. It's cold. I'm thinking about my family, my wife, my little son. He will be five soon. Five years old already. I don't know if I'll ever see him again.

The rain is lashing against my back but I barely notice the pain. It feels as if it has been raining for hours but I have lost track of time an eternity ago. Suddenly, I notice something in the dark. It's approaching quickly, fast as lightning.

I'm too tired to react to the arrow which is piercing the rain, aiming for my heart. Before I realize what has happened, I fall to my knees. My sword is slipping from my hand and death is reaching for me. The pain is overwhelming, I can't keep my eyes open any longer. Then everything becomes dark. For Allah.

[Viking Prince]

Due to some remarks regarding Macky’s mastery of chess in the Symposium, I thought to do something different for the Tale of the Week. If you play chess, see if you can follow the passage with the Italian Game, Evans Gambit from Paris 1864: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1080481

Code (using archaic chess terms):
white pawn = peasant
black pawn = pikeman
white queen = minister
black queen = hetman
rook = chariot
bishop = archer


Dueling Knights

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Opposing armies move symmetrically --
The Kings' men march to the battlefield’s center; followed by knights from right flanks attacking the same.
Each positions archers -- providing covering fire behind the enemy front.

Symmetry is broken! Peasants threaten the archers, but are struck down by arrow volleys.

More peasants threaten the archers.
The archers withdraw, but still threaten the center.

Peasants move to the battlefield’s center only to be struck down by the threatened pikemen.

The good king moves out of danger by chariot.
Pikemen move cautiously toward the battlefield’s center.

Peasants strike back at pikemen holding the center.
The skirmishing archers withdraw slightly, again.

And now more good knights threaten the center.
And more archers skirmish and threaten the first good knights.

The minister views the battlefield from the flank.
The second skirmishing archer group threatens the minister shielded by knights.

The minister tactically withdraws while the shielding knights move against the minister.

The good archers now strike down pikemen and directly threaten to fire upon the king.
The king chooses to move aside and avoids the archery fire.

The minister makes a tactical withdrawal, again.
The king now captures the good archers.

Peasants take even more of the center.
Pikemen move a bit on the left flank.

Additional peasants take more of the center.
The second skirmishing archer group returns to threaten the same knights.

Peasants now move even deeper into the enemy ranks and directly threaten the king.
The archers sacrifice themselves for the king's safety and the king captures the remaining peasants deep in his ranks.

The minister aggressively moves deep, threatening the king.
The hetman responds, shielding his king from threats.

The good chariot now threatens the king, but the king can easily step aside.

The minister follows up with yet another threat, but the king withdraws nearly off the battlefield.

The good knights on the left flank threaten the hetman who must withdraw slightly to prevent injury.

The remaining good archers threaten firing upon the king, but they’re lost to the pikemen on the far left flank.

The other good knights charge the center threatening the hetman.
The hetman responds moving to the left flank threatening all good knights as well as the minister.

Undeterred, the good knights continue their charge and threaten the king himself.
The king meets the challenge by marching and attempting to melee the charging knights.

The knights continue charging against the king, this time deep into the enemy ranks.
The king has no choice but to march and attempt to melee the other good knights in the center of the field, but this group of knights also continues harassment of the king.

The king must now move even closer to the good ranks, attempting melee with the knights. With all of the good knights harassing the king, the duel may be to the death.

A final attempt is made preserving the king’s life.

Left flank lowly peasants strike the critical blow.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

[Kallum]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Tragedy of War

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I hate thunderstorms. They come with rain and a lot of noise. Rain that makes my hand loosen it’s grip on my cold blade. Noise that distracts me from my goal, as the finest wine it distracts me, disabling me in seeing what is important.

We stand here, on the brink of civilization. Everything will be decided tonight. Whether we live or die as a civilization or as slaves. I wish Allah had chosen another night for this battle, I can’t see anything, everything is a blur, am I still in my own formation? Or have I walked to the other side?

I can’t see anything, only the reflection of the thunder in my blade. It lights up, revealing my position to the enemy. Where am I? Who’s that!? a shadow sent by Allah to grab me and bring me home? Or a messenger of the god of the enemy?

The shadowy figure raises his hand “Qui est-tu?” sounds through the loud rain and thunder. The sky lights up for a brief moment. Clearly revealing the blue coat of the man in front of me.

A Frank! You will not see the new day light again! One quick move with his right arm and the blade reaches the neck of shadowy silhouette, the sky is lit once again and tears of blood lit up in a cruel way. The tears splatter everywhere and with the sounds of battle and the thunderstorm surrounding us it is like the Christian God crying for the death of one of his followers.

I can die with a smoothened heart. I made sure that at least one Frank can’t kill one of my friends, my comrades, men I would trust my life. Another lightning enlightens the sky, revealing that the man is shivering on the cold watery ground, fighting a losing battle against dead.

[Juvenal]

Well here it is, another crazy idea...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Go For Broke

I cannot lose!

My plan is simple. I will humble that bastard, he will never be able to fight again. Nothing less
will serve to balance the hurt he has done me.

Once I had prospects, a coveted position at a prestigious Dojo, on the fast-track to national
recognition. But then he arrived, his silver tongue tricking me into a contest, convincing me
he was bluster without ability. He led me to the very cusp of victory before revealing his secret,
not merely winning, but making me look like a novice. I lost my post, and soon I lost my fiancé
also, his hypnotic guile proving equally effective with women.

With nothing left to lose, I approached a back-street cybernetician. I gladly gave up my savings
in return for the means of my revenge. The implant now sits beneath a flap of false skin,
intimately connected to my brain.

I entered the annual competition, as was my right, knowing we would eventually meet. The
authorities lack imagination, they look for drugs and for strength-enhancing devices. My kind of
desperation is alien to them.

Finally we are matched! We fight as one of eight pairs in a driving rainstorm. We salute with our
Katanas and begin the graceful ballet of combat.

He tests me, I am content to block. He tries a more aggressive move and I riposte, scoring a
touch against the safety-mesh on his shoulder as he twists aside. He is angry now, showing more
of his skill and I am hard put to defend. I activate the implant, the world jumps as it takes effect.
We dance in slow motion my enhanced reactions racing ahead of the muscles they control.

He is still winning! How can this be? I am faster, but his every move makes multiple threats and
I cannot assess them all, I increase the power further.

We punch holes of dryness through the shimmering veil of rain. The implant is at its limit now,
burning my scalp in its eagerness to dump waste heat. But it is insufficient, I use the override
and the world jumps again.

Now I can calculate the path of each individual rain drop. I see every possible outcome of his
next sweep and I glimpse the way to victory! I need only sway, dip, reach, feint left then bring
my blade back and down to sever his foot.

Everyone will believe it a tragic accident, the dress-rules will be changed extending the mesh
over the ankle. I will drop out of the competition and disappear from public view.

I reach forward, a thousand glistening drops bounce from his blade, my implant screeches as it
assesses the trajectory of each one. My blade begins its final arc.

It is too much! With a final ripping howl the device explodes from my head in a shower of blood
and components. My spasming body slowly topples toward the ground. A single thought fills my
consciousness, a timeless scream of frustration...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

BUGGER!

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

There's gonna be a ton of submissions it seems!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

PRAY FOR RAIN

"Just another swing, please!"..."Just...another...one..."

Swing...Blood spurt...Swing, a hacked limb...
I can feel the cold sweat slowly flowing down my cuirass, and dampening the skin of my back...Who would have thought, that a single thought like:
"God Almighty, give us rain today, flush this damned heat away!" would actually reach the heavenly ear of Allah...

Patiently, hiding just as we were thought from the day we learned to stand, my Hashashin brethren watched the Infidel crusader column moving in the morning heat, clad in that wretched steel armor...It would start soon, the slaughter is nigh...A single cloud in distance gives me hope, ever so slight
but still hope.

I slowly speak to my brethren: "Now we do what we're bred for, for Allah and our beloved Sultan. Death to Infidel Prince, the white skinned slayer of children and women..."

Clouds now come ever closer, as if stalking the column, just like we are doing, Allah-u-Akhbar...Sun finally seems to fade behind the darkness of the clouds and the air comes into my chest without scorching my soul as intensely as it did this morning.

Sallah-din should be commencing the assault with his cavalry any moment, just as we agreed...Buying us time to do our holy duty, the one we were brought into this world for. And just as the thought went past in my mind, the familiar sound of Sultan's brave bodyguard, comes charging into our eardrums. It has begun...

The dust cloud becomes ever larger as the cavalry charge nears the quick forming line of Infidel armored infantry. And the carriage that holds our precious target gets left with but a few guards..."Now is the time! Thread fast, and slide like the "rih al khamsin" does in Sahara..."

Just as we're about to enter the arrow range from the carriage, one of men trips and draws attention from bodyguards. "Damned fool! Our cower is blown, CHARGE NOW!". The cursed charge into the midst of the Infidel's best bodyguard begins, and hopes are high we can reach the wretch in the carriage before we're completely overpowered. And at last...

The heavens open up in a furious bursts of water drops, deafening in noise, and suffocating the screams of the bodyguards for reinforcements! The sweat on our backs is replaced with bucket-worth amounts of water in mere seconds, but now even visibility is minimal as well. There's our chance! "Allah-u-Akhbar!" I utter one more time, while sending yet another bodyguard to hell.

Only 2 of them stand between me and my prized target now, "I must endure...".
My blade moves ever slower now, and my swings become heavy as the weight of water the heavens have unleashed upon this field today.
First guard of the two is down, and the last one charges towards me..."DIE YOU BROWN-SKINNED COWARD!" I can hear him screaming something, "Is he cursing me?"...

As I propel my body with last bits of my strength, my saber cuts into the neck of the last bodyguard...
The swing...the blood spurt...Time has all but stopped as I watch the huge water drops exploding on the blade and my armor...Turning slowly around, I see the shadow jumping out of the carriage and dissapearing in the flurry of water, as another wave of bodyguard's shades grows ever larger upon me...

"Who would have thought..."