Splinterlands Fantasy Story and Music Contest Week 23 // The Battlefield

Grom looked out at the plains. Fallen Animated Corpses and Undead Minotaurs were everywhere. It was clear that the death clan had been flighting this fo for a long time. They had been using their undead to hold them back but now it was time to attack.

“Are you comrades ready?” said Darth.

“Aye, they understand the mission,” Grom said.

Grom watched the Skeleton head back over to his team. The mission was simple. Once the battle started they would find a weak point in the enemy line. They would follow a rush of Serpentine Soldiers and Spindback Wolfs. They would land blows on the enemy and then push past the line. The mission was to find any summoners or healers of the blight and kill them.

A horn blew in the distance and then another. It was time. The battle was going to start. As Grom looked into the sky he saw them start to appear. Phoenix filled the air with Enchantress, Vampires, and the Giant Rocs. Grom could hear the explosions of the dwarfs. A few always seemed to rush into battle. Right behind them, he could see the haunted spirits. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was time.
They rushed forward into a spot that had been hit with a lot of magic fire. Vampires flew in close and helped them push through. Grom watched the skill of the skeleton assassins and knew why they were considered legends. His crew worked hard to keep up and landed a lot of blows. The monsters of the blight were strong but not smart. They had made it past the front lines easily and now had to find their targets.

Darth was surprised. He did expect all the kobolds to make it through the lines. They were stronger than they looked. Grom had kept them in line and they turned out to be helpful. He had never really thought of helping out his teammates. Assassins work alone yet these Kobolds showed up to swarm monsters. Allowing his team to strike and move and leave them to finish the job. The poison would have finished most of them but their attacks had kept any of their crew from falling.

“Split up in teams of two. One Kobold and one Assassin,” said Darth

Grom followed close as he could behind Darth. He agreed with the move they had to find the support classes fast. He could see the blights front line was pushing back the line. They had to stop the summoners fast. He saw Darth put up a fist. He had found someone. Looking down saw a dark figure carrying a staff that marked him as a summoner. He was casting over and over. Two guards stood near him. The plan was simple both strike the summoner and then engage the guards and escape to the wood to watch them all fall to poison.

Darth moved with such speed that Grom knew he might have to dodge an ax to land his blow. The guards were so excited by the battle in front of them and none of them looked back in time. Darth blade was so fast the summoner didn’t move until Grom had also stabbed him. He turned to engage the guard but saw both on the floor.

“They were weaker than I thought they would be,” said Darth. He motioned for them to continue the search.

Grom knew the stories of fighting the death clan. He knew forces had defeated them. Yet it was had to see who these assassins couldn’t kill. They kept moving through the lines. After they had killed a few more summoners and one healing team Grom looked out at the battlefield. It was shifting they were starting to win.

A whistle caught Grom ear. One of his men was calling for help. He looked at Darth. Then headed for the sound hoping the assassin would follow. As he came into a clearing he could see the battle. His man was facing 3 guards while the assassin with him was on the ground with 5 bodies around him. Grom was able to kill on the guard before he was seen. The other turn just in time to see the face of death as Darth stabbed them both.

Darth turn again and headed right into the woods. “Come with us now.” Commanded Grom as he followed as fast as he could.

“I told him there were too many. But he didn’t listen he charged in killing the summoner and as many as he could I tried to help but I was too slow,” said Hom.

“We all knew this mission might be out last Hom. Don’t hesitate again.” Grom told him.

Darth raised his hand again. Grom joined him and looked down at the group. It was ten men. But three summoners stood together in the middle. They looked to be working on a big summon. Grom knew they had to stop them. He looked a Hom and knew he had to charge first.

Darth watched as Grom dropped down before he could give the order. His soldier followed. Darth expected them to run so a smile crossed his lips as he fell from the sky and drove his blades into the last summoner. The three of them turned to battle guards left when a strange horn was head in the enemy line.

Grom had expected to die. But the guards heard that horn and backed away. It was a retreat. The army of the blight was retreating. Grom was so shocked he didn’t even hear the troops coming from behind them. As the undead and fire troops rushed past them he watched as the guards fell one by one. Their part of the battle was over. So he tapped Hom on the shoulder and they headed back to the meetup spot.

Grom waited as most of his men returned. He watched Darth as he waited but didn’t seem to notice who came back. The story from most of the teams was the same. After a few easy kills, they would run into a big group. The skeleton assassin would still run the key targets. Many of them died. When all they stopped waiting for anyone only 3 had returned while Grom sat with ten of his men.

He walked over to Darth. “I am sorry not many of your men made it back.

“There is no need to be sorry. We are not men anymore either. We live only to protect this land. Today was a good day for us. The blight was driven out of Mortis. Don’t worry we will have more ready for the next battle. Besides we knew it is harder to replace your men. This war isn’t over and the undead can return.”

Darth left with his other assassins. Grom understood now. They all have died once already. To them, death holds no fear. But to lose your home. That is a fear Grom understood. The next battle would be on his land. He looked at his men and wondered if they might fight a little harder there. Time would tell that is for sure. The blight wouldn’t just lay down. He knew that and he knew they needed to be ready.

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First Part