The Crusaders II The Players Calls 9.8

1.          Back In Asgard

The forward scout of Lord Seth's ran to the cover that would give it a vantage view of the Hall. It can see the two guards standing over the entrance; alert but feeling the cold. There was a fire burning in the brazen at the side of the doorway but its was not much of a respite in this cold wind. They scout adjust his head cover which resemble the head of the deer to get a better view all around the entrance. It trailed its view to the roofing and saw the hanging amulet over it. The amulet was supposed to avert the dead from coming into the hall. It was his target to remove the amulet.

The scout crawled back and removed the white cloak it had over its dark shaded uniform of a wraparound on the waist and the metal chest piece over it right shoulder to the cover the chest and back. In its hand was the half length of staff and the other half was the longer cleaver blade with a serrated edge that curved like a crescent moon. At the waist, it had a dagger tucked into its back of the wraparound. It crawled back till its come to up with its squad of four more warriors. They crouched down to discuss the strategy.

"The guards ..." The scout starts to speak but his voice was trailed to silence by the arrow shaft in the back of his neck and out through the front. He fell forward on the ground while another warrior also fell with an arrow in the back of the chest. The other three got up and faced outwards to be greeted by more arrows in their chest before they dropped dead.

From out of the nearby tree lines, a group of women warriors stepped out. They were led by Geraldine who also had a re-curved bow in her right hand.

"Secure the bodies and we would track their trail to their main camp. We would show them that the realm have many more surprised for them." The fifty odd warriors which formed the squad under Geraldine all nodded their heads. They are named the Avenging Valkyrie by their leader, Lady Sif and loaned to Geraldine to check on the whereabouts of the enemy. "Loki can sleep well tonight."

Inside the Hall, Loki the trickster was indeed holding an audience of over thirty warriors; they are the leaders of the renegade warriors. One of them, Hagrin stepped up and defied the leader of this pact.

"Loki, we marched with you on the war against Thor. But never against Odin or the realm. Now you tell us that we are to be invaded by the arch enemy of ours, Lord Seth." Hagrin; a young leader who just inherited his father's position and would not take lightly to be told his first ruling was a mistake.

"Hagrin, your war is still with the arrogance Thor. His insult on you would never be repaid unless in shame by him." Loki played up to these warriors who at one time or another being insulted or demean by the arrogant Thor. "It was Thor's arrogance that incite Lord Seth to attack this realm again. He is marching with his army of dead on our land."

"This is all Thor's fault!" Loki raised up his voice to convince the warriors. They all roared to his accusations.

A short time later, Geraldine and her warriors came upon the advance company of Lord Seth's warriors. They numbered about two hundred waiting for their order. These lightly dressed warriors were not affected by the cold as they stood there. Geraldine worked out the strategy as the ladies warriors deployed according to her plan.

"Ahoy there, you men~!" Geraldine shouted out to the warriors. She was standing alone there, and the leader of Lord Seth's warriors motioned a detachment of ten warriors to capture her. Geraldine ran back to the tree lines and then ducked down. A volley of arrows went past her head and bolted into the Seth warriors. They fell like ten pins and Geraldine slowly got up. She saw the downed warriors did not get missed by their leader who called on more warriors to do the task. The leader may had not seen the archers earlier but it did not missed the second time his warriors went down.

"Asgard warriors, charged them." The leader called on his other warriors to run forth. The earlier two attacks had cost the Seth warriors thirty warriors but now a hundred over is charging Geraldine. She ran to the tree line and fetched her bow. She notched in the arrow and released it on the charging enemies. At the same time half her squad had assembled on the right side and they let loose their arrows. That caused the charging Seth warriors paused in their attack as more of their numbers fall. By the time they decided to split the warrior, they have lost half their numbers.

"Half goes there," the leader called on the warriors. As the warriors try to mobilize, they lost more of their number. Just as they thought they were to recharged the Asgardian warriors; the Valkyrie warrior dropped their bows and reached for their swords.

"Avenging Valkyrie, do your wrath on those who insult us." Geraldine called on her warriors. They rushed in facing an equal number but the ladies are more ferocious. Lady Sif deflect the charging serrated blade while turning her body to swing in on the Seth's warrior exposed left side and cut in deep.

Lady Helga holding the battle axe with one side a sharp blade and the other side a hammer face. She swung the hammer into the enemy warrior face and a downward thrust with the sharp blade on the crouched warrior. She then kicked the dead warrior away before she thundered her way into two more warriors. Her bulk frame was enough to topple the two warrior on the charge.

There was another; Lady Wendy; a lanky one with a flair for acrobats. She was armed with a set of short daggers and charged at the three approaching warriors. She leap up and did a somersault with a half twist to kick on the left warrior. She used that kick to propel herself into the middle warrior with both daggers into the chest. The both fell together but Lady Wendy was quick to roll away before getting up. She did not stopped then but rushed back at the two surviving warriors. She stopped short to avoid the swinging blade from the warrior and she strike upwards with the daggers cutting in the underside of the left forearm and ribs. Then she rolled away to kick out with her legs at the last warrior. The warrior lunged at the lady with the blade but Lady Wendy used her right leg to kick out at the blade wooden staff and using her left leg to kick at the right knee of the warrior. The warrior fell down on the cracked knee while Lady Wendy grabbed the staff from the warrior's hands. She hand swing the weapon and thrust the serrated blade into the warrior's chest.