Come and vote for your Champion - Tale of The Week 49

[Hesus de bodemloze]

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Submission 1

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Following orders

The enemy was large in numbers, we where surrounded by Romans. We are Frankish Nobles, with our long blades we cut our enemy to pieces.

General Hutz: Frankish soldiers we will defeat the Romans here and now, their empire is on the edge of collapse, the are weakened.
Follow me and listen to my orders and we will win. Men shooting, Hutz, Hutz ...

The Romans stood ready and waited on the enemy to come, the Frankish didn't wait but marched to the place where the enemy would be.

General flavinus Brodus: Men defenders of Rome and the our emperor! We will keep those barbarians at bay we will stop them here on this day! Roma Victoria!! "Men felt eager and shoot Brodus, Brodus, we fight for Brodus!!!!"

The clouds kept the sun away, it was raining and it was cold dark weather. But we where warmed by our brothers our graves and gauntlets
and leather kept the cold wind at bay.

General Hutz: Frankish Nobles I want you to direct attack them at the front of their battle line, make sure their legion are death. And now attack! Yes general, "our captain told him with a serious face."

Our unit soldiers armed with long swords charge down on the enemy without fear and doubt.

General flavinus Brodus: What do they do, stop them archers fire, fire now, legions form a double line! Don't let them come trough.

Battle had begone, and it took a complete day before it was over, no one could say who won. Because of both sites all men had died or where bleeding to death. The leaders of both armies: Hutz and Brodus run in shame for the rest of their life.

Submission 2

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Expendable
Standing at the front, listening to the arrows flying...
Standing at the front, seeing men crying...
Standing at the front, where cowards are not welcome...
Standing at the front, where we will not return from...
Shields and spears, facing the enemy.
Fear fading from me.
Here I come, dear foe
Here I come, steady and slow.
Marching down the hill,
I felt ill...
I fell as an arrow hit me,
My foe, I will find thee.
Sent at the front
I felt like a grunt...
Expendable in nature...
Imminent danger...
Here he comes, to fight me I wager.
I stood up and grabbed my sword,
It felt as I was holding a glacier...
I looked back at the man I adored,
On horseback,
It's his steps I wanted to track...
I charged forth, fighting in his name...
It is my will he learned to tame.
He sent me ahead, expendable in nature...
He held the answer...
The axe, where it came from?
I may never know...
I fell to the ground, felt so calm...
I felt the ground as it hit my torso...
The muddy ground, drenched with blood, dirtied my face...
My heart beat at a steady pace...
I look at him, the man I adore...
Here he was, the man I abhor...
Sent me to my death...
Sent me to my doom...
Here I was, here was my path...
I wanted to bloom...
I was too young to die...
Yet, my end was nigh.
Expendable, I was.
Expendable, I remain.
A wild animal gnaws...
My flesh rotten, was I insane?
No... That pleasure would not be given...
Not to me...
As my eyes darken...
I hold the key...
To my own misery...

Submission 3

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Viking Blood

My feet sunk deep into the mud at the beach of Scarborough,
still I was glad to feel the ground after the long sea journey we took from my home country of Norway.
We had come to challenge to English on their own grounds for our King demanded this of us.
The gods were not working with us though, dark clouds were gathering above us and it was clear a storm was closing in.
But no storm strong as it may become would stop us.

After a few hours scouts came back with the report that an army was marching our way. The English knew of our invasion plans already.
Our general ordered us to set up rank on a nearby hill. We would wait for them and use the terrain to our benefit.
It took 3 more hours of waiting under the dark clouds before the English army could finally be seen arriving at the horizon.

They were numerous and well armed, a professional army of which we had heard stories of as a child by the fire before going to sleep.
But no army, no matter how well trained would stand up to the fierceness of our Scandinavian blood, the blood of Vikings that ran through our veins.
Today would be the day of our greatest victory, the beginning of the Norwegian dominance over England and the first step to the conquering of the world.

So it had begun, storming towards the lines of our enemy, FOR NORWAY!!

Submission 4

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Charge - a Soldier's Account Conflict. War. Victory. Casualties. Words often bandied around by those who have no intimacy with them. No concept of their meaning. Because, my friends, you cannot understand, envision or even hope to conceive the experience. The battlefield is a terrible place - your very soul is ripped apart by what you witness.
The shouting, the clang of metal on metal, the screams of the dying and the sapid, metallic tang of blood on your lips.

I am a soldier, a warrior, a defender of my country and a hero. I have taken the lives of more men than i care to count, but i have seen things. Children murdered, young women violated, men using their own limbs as clubs in last desperate attempts to surivive... all of these give me horrific nightmares. But i am not evil, though i have done evil. Achilles favours the strong, and i do only what i must. I risk death, but He protects me and while i have his blessing i am immortal in battle.

For though i have seen the worst sights that ever human eyes have looked upon, i go back into the arena, the sanguinary domain of the sword and spear and javelin, with pleasure. Why? Because, my friends, i am drawn to it. It delights me and fills me with a thrill, an electrifying urge. The charge is the apex. As i raise my sword, and join the rising battlecry, and sprint forward at the enemy, i feel alive.

Submission 5

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bloody Evening
A warriors story Dirt, blood, sweat, crap. It was all on me. My comrades roared to keep moving as I ran. It was no real organized charge. We simply ran. The Romans stood close enough, we...we knew that it would not be an easy fight. Hell we did not expect to even make it to their damned square shields. I kept moving, my legs felt like branches under the weight of a tree. I was tired, wet, weak. I could'nt stop. I would be stabbed or trampled. So I ran. It must have been a few more minuets before the Romans through their javelins. Pili...pilii...ah, I can't remember what the heck it was called. They through the bastards and they pierced our shields. Not mine luckily. But old Taratorix was not so lucky. Got a...whatever...right in his eye. He called my name. He asked for my help. But I did'nt listen...why not? He was trampled no doubt. Dead by his friend's foot. Oh well. Nothing I could do. I kept moving.

Gods this his felt like forever. As I ran the Romans began to materialize. They shouted in their strange language and threw another volley of javelins. Another paltry dea...AGH! I was hit. One of those....ah screw it....one of those javelin thingies got me right in the chest. The army kept charging, if you could call it an army. And me...I just sat still. I just sat in the dirt, the blood, the sweat and the crap. It was remarkable I wasn't stepped on. But soon the battle began. Screams, death, murder. It all happened so fast. I just lie still. Clutching my side. I knew the Romans had one when I saw one walk up to me. I raised my hand in peace. "Please Roman!" I said, "Please have mery!" The Roman took his Gladius and raised it he brought it down har...AGH! He didn't kill me though. I survived. I survived and guess what...I am a slave. Why oh why was I present on that bloody evening.

[webMaster412160]

Sorry for posting my story in the dutch tread, just wanted to ask them if the find it nice to read, if it is not good you can put it away, took me 30 min. to write it so it's ok.

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

No.1 story author is improving every week. Still not enough for my vote, but on a good way

No.2...hmmm, same style every week, were you really inspired this time?

No.3 , better than the above two, but it just announces, announces, and ...

No.4 , won my vote. Simple, told in measured manner, and I think could align easily with men that took part in war could say. At least the soldier's of fortune. (read Tides of War, for a clearer picture of this, or Anabassis.)

No.5 , Almost got my vote. Very very humoristic 1st person account of a charge, at least where it references to the lack of knowledge about Roman language
For some reason, I felt dissapointed with the ending quarter.

o7

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

We're missing voters here...

[webMaster412160]

Yeah, where are they ?

[Nazgûl Killer]

Sunbird, not to sound too blunt, and this is directed to all of you, can you please hold back on your reviews, if you feel the urge to do them, until like Friday-Saturday? To not affect votes?
I think everyone would appreciate it.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but let's put it this way, subconsciously or not, people LOVE to follow, so if you present your opinion in a convincing enough fashion, if you meant it or not, people will be affected and will vote accordingly.

Don't start bringing proof, because this isn't an argument, this is a request, abide by it or not, that's your choice, but I request that you do.

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

My apologies to you Nazgul.
As the OP says: "Share your comments". So I did. Sometimes, I am a bit blunt, so to speak.
If everyone tried to comment on their choices, it would actually help the ToTW. not just random voters that come in and vote for their favorite, sometimes even without reading, don't you agree?

Again, sorry if I offended you.

[Nazgûl Killer]

Oh, no no no, Sunbird
I enjoy criticism, it helps me improve.
What I ask, is PLEASE show your criticism, but at around Friday/Saturday, so others won't be affected by it.

Sunbird, by all means, continue your reviews, I like to hear what others want to see in my tales, just it is a matter of opinion, and human opinions are easily altered by others'

[Sunbird Alkibijad]

Ok cool

Will do from now on, I guess it is more fair. Sometimes, on the first read, some stories leave such an amazing impression on me, I'd go and click the vote for them off the bat. On second read, when I do that(usually when I get in difficulty over choosing), stories seem to tear into small parts and if those parts connect all together in the way I like it, they get my vote.

Again, sorry for inconvenience I might have caused.

o7