Chapter 51: Chapter 44 – Taking Lives to Protect Lives

"Some people like to rationalize their killing of others with pompous words, at times claiming justice was on their sides, or that it was for a worthy cause, or even that their god demanded it, but in the very end, the ugly truth is that murder is just murder,

 

All the self-aggrandizing and rationalization does is help others, or maybe even themselves, see the act in a better light. I much prefer those who are honest to their nature, who honestly admit that they kill for money, or maybe because it was to kill or be killed, or even for pleasure, to the ones who indulge in self-rationalization." - Emir ibn Khalif Elam El-Ehr, recently enthroned ruler of the Assadun Emirate, circa 47 VA.

When the final barrage of javelins came, they were different. The javelins had conical spear tips set atop long, thin metal rods that often bent on impact, making it useless as a weapon and dead, unwieldy weight to any shield it pierced through.

 

They also came harder, faster, and with far more precision than the previous long distance throws, and apparently some of the elves had noticed Aideen as she found herself on the receiving end of no less than seven such javelins.

 

She deflected three, and avoided another three, but ended up having to take one to the shoulder. The javelin pierced flesh but failed to punch through bone, and bent itself from the impact. It was painful, sure, debilitating even had she still be alive, but as she was now… she didn't care much for it.

 

Just as one of the members of the death guards capable of healing magic approached her with concern, she tore the javelin out with her other hand, and sealed the wound with her own magic near instantly, to the surprised looks of all the soldiers near her.

 

"I don't blame you since this is our first time fighting together, but should there be any injury, never prioritize me for treatment," she said to the baffled Death Guard. The woman lokked as if she wanted to protest. "You've probably heard the stories. They were true. I am already dead."

 

"And they cannot kill what is already dead, so save your healing for those who still need it."

 

They had no time for further words as by then the first of the elven raiders reached the makeshift fort. Some attempted to sneak through the gap between wagons only to find long spears awaiting them there. Those that leapt atop the wagon had more luck, as while a few got themselves skewered by spears, most defended themselves from the spears and leapt to firm ground on the other side.

 

The Death Guards didn't need her command to spread out and engage those elves that already made it within the fortifications immediately. Their two handed weapons clashed with the lighter weapons wielded by the nimble raiders, who favored two weapons since most of them were born ambidextrous, and often came out on top. When most of the first wave that made it through were slaughtered, the rest tried to avoid them, but the Death Guards gave chase persistently.

 

One on one, the average elven raider would have slaughtered a militiaman with ease, but when the latter was in formation with prepared defenses, the fight became more even. On the other hand, the raiders had not expected to run straight into elites like the Death Guards in this small town, and pair for it as unsuspecting elves were cut down by elite soldiers, most of them were mages as well.

 

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Aideen crouched down and healed an injured militiaman, focusing her efforts on saving the lives of those injured in the initial barrage, as the presence of the Death Guards had stabilized the frontline so far. Those that had already died, she sadly could not do anything about, but the living, no matter how grevious their injury, regained their health under her ministrations.

 

She had just healed a young soldier from a horrible chest wound when she found herself staring eye to eye with two elves who had broken through the lines. There had just been too many of them for the Death Guards to stop all of them, so she handed the injured soldier to another and stood up. Her staff held in her hand as she moved to confront the raiders coming for them.

 

The two elves looked young - probably just as old as Kestera - but the look on their faces and eyes promised nothing but savagery and murder, and so Aideen hardened her heart to do what she must. She had killed thralls before, but it was a different thing to kill mindless puppets to another living, thinking person. Though the salicious looks on one of the elves' faces definitely made it a bit easier.

 

One of them had a pair of saber and swung them at her in tandem from the side. She parried both and caused the elf to nearly lose his balance as her heavier weapon clashed against the blades, brought them together, and shoved the aside with force.

 

The other elf - a young woman - had a pair of long daggers instead, and pressed close to her. Aideen blocked and parried the young elf's assault, and they ended up with their weapons locked together, the elven woman's daggers pressed hard against her staff. The elf had a savage smile when she saw her partner return to the fight with his sabers at that time.

 

A smile that died along with her as Aideen twisted her staff and disassembled it into its three-sectioned form, two of which kept the elf's weapons locked, while she bashed her opponent's head hard with the third section.

 

Her blow did not shatter the elf's skull, but was still forceful enough to cave a section of her head in. The elf's eyes rolled upwards, while blood trickled out of her nose and ears, before she collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, to the angry - and anguished - cry of her saber wielding partner.

 

Aideen met said partner head on, with whirling blows of heavy steel that quickly pushed his blades out of position. She had not let the opening go to waste, as she thrusted the two ends of her weapons at the elf's chest hard enough to shatter some of his ribs, and while he was incapacitated from the pain she whirled and landed another swinging blow straight to the side of his slender neck.

 

That last blow snapped the elf's spine and ended his life on the spot, while Aideen headed to the frontlines, to see if she could aid the developing brawl there.

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