Desterios the Barbarian

Deflecting a blow from his right side and stabbing his piked Kamari shield to the Anok holding a shield of bronze with the markings of two red dragons attached head to head, facing away from one another, with swords in their clawed hands; the marking of the Anok race. Desterios could see the horsemen trying to crush their way towards the middle of the Barbarians fighting circle.

The barbarians had attacked in groups of fifty. The warriors formed in circles with inner rings of men. When the battle raged the barbarians were careful to complete their circle drawing Anok’s into the center for slaughter. The barbarians would continuously change positions from inner to outer circle formation, but never allowing a man to pass their point of entry except by death. Thus, the man closest to the fallen Barbarian would quickly replace the Barbarian who fell in the gap. The barbarian saw it not as a threat for their fighting circle to be cleaved into but only an advantage to fight multiple attackers. To either perish against great odds or have the circle again close sucking the Anok’s in to certain death, as the barbarians continued to adapt to their shrinking circle of men about them. The barbarians would not yield mere territory that their feet held even if pressed by three times as many men out of stubborn pride. This tactic caused the barbarians to seem more in number than they actually were. For after the battles, slaughtered bodies would surround barbarians and their circle of fifty men could be dwindled down to a mere fifteen to twenty men. The groups of barbarians who had the least men out of their initial circle of fifty, were attained the greatest respect and pride for surviving and fighting the most ferocious.

Desterios could feel his circle shrinking and his determination grew. He advanced beyond the circle into a swarm of Anok. Desterios made a point to kill quickly and move to another target but always slashing his sword backward to deter a flank on his rear. Men killed to his front were quickly grabbed by the back of the head and pushed behind him. Desterios was surrounded only by Anok. His Arkanian sword, dark with blood, has a spiked guard protecting the leather two-handed grip. The hilt has a ten-inch spike balancing the sword for throwing and providing rear defense thrusts. The blade itself had been wrapped two hundred and eighty six times, the Arkanian code, protruding from seven inch spiked guards the blade thickened as it reached the tip, spanning four inches across at the tip for adding power as one chopped. The ancient metal was passed onto Desterios from his Father, and his Father’s Father. Desterios knew not the blades roots, but the elders beheld the blade in respect and looked upon Desterios with pride and seriousness. As he grew and his successes in battle grew Desterios could feel not only the pride but the life and respect he gave unto his clan. Each passing battle brought more stability and confidence to the warriors about him. That there circle would entail mighty legends and fierce battles and they would be spoken of in the clan for generations.

With plunder Desterios attacked the wounded beast chopping the horse’s hind leg from it’s body. The horse released a shriek as it went down smashing men as it rolled about. Desterios wiping blood from his eyes parried a chop deflecting the blow with a spark.