Chapter 10:Hispanic

The Spartans were charging down the hill at full speed. Their spirits were high after recent successes over the barbarians. The death of Zroma and Heracles pleased them above all else. General Kratos, Mikel and Raphael led the vanguard on the attack of Hispania, the barbarians' final stand. Mikel raised his sword.

"FIRE!"

A flurry of arrows soared through the sky towards the main gate. The wooden gate erupted in flames when it came in contact with the inflamed arrows. As the main gate started to burn, several Spartans placed ladders along the outer walls of Hispania and began to climb. The barbarians, caught in total surprise, were screaming at each other, not knowing what to do.

Spartan archers took aim and fired another volley of fire arrows, this time into Hispania itself. Several houses caught fire and burned. Screams of panic filled the fortress. Several barbarians within Hispania had caught fire and burned to death. A third volley and the whole city became a sea of fiery red as think smoke rose from Hispania into the sky, blocking out the sun.

The barbarians somehow rcovered from their shock and were fighting back. From the top of the walls, they threw axes. Some unfortunate Spartans are hit and fall to the ground. Others simply blocked the axes with their shields. Some of the Spartans who were climbing on the ladders were already on the walls. Bodies were falling off the walls, barbarians and Spartans alike. Some of the barbarians pushed the ladders of the wall, sending a wave of Spartans crashing to their deaths.

The main gate had finally burned away and fell off like a rotting corpse. The full force of the Spartan army was unleashed. Cavalry and infantry stormed Hispania and started to slaughter the barbarians. General Kratos was the most devastating force. With his Blades of Chaos, he took out an entire horde of barbarians. Mikel and Raphael were slowly cutting a path towards what might have been the barbarians' palace.

Skulls decorated the length of the outer walls and the main door was heavily guarded.Mikel and Raphael made their way towards it. Blood flowed into a river at Hispania as many lives were lost. Severed limbs littered the ground like fallen leaves. What was strange however, was the lack of an enemy commander. Beowoulf himself was nowhere to be found on the battlefield.

"He must be hiding in the palace. GO!"

At last, Raphael and Mikel arrived at the gates of the palace. An elite guard, the same kind of unit Heracles used came to meet them. Raphael, having had the experience, quickly took care of him. Mikel broke down the door and the two friends entered.

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Prince Cycnus was sitting on the throne of his late father, getting used to the feeling of being in such a powerful position. Suddenly, a mystifying voice filled the room. Prince Cycnus quickly jerked from the throne.

"Did you really see the need to murder your mother?"

"WHO'S THERE?"

"IS THAT THE WAY TO SPEAK TO YOUR FATHER?"

Prince Cycnus froze.

"I...I'm sorry, father."

"Do you not realise that I loved your mother deeply?"

"Father, forgive me but had I let the woman live, she could have exposed my deeds and cost me the throne."

"Would she now?"

A tall, dark figure moved towards Prince Cycnus. It struck him in the face with such force that Prince Cycnus fell to the ground.

"I will let your infidelity escape this time, my son. However, you are to ensure that your plan succeeds, or there will be hell to pay!"

"Yes father, I will not fail me."

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The search for Beowoulf continued. Many severed limbs and dead bodies later, Raphael and Mikel came to the last remaining room in the palace: the throne room.

The friends nodded at each other and went in.

The room was huge but dull. There no windows nor decorations you would come to expect from a throne room. In place of statues were skulls. Hundreds of them, all piled unto one another to form a heap of them. The barbarians weren't kidding about collecting our skulls. At the very end of the room, upon the throne, sat a figure so still, it could have been a statue.

Raphael and Mikel approached the throne cautiously, fully aware of Beowoulf's skill in battle. Something wasn't right. The figure looked very thin and barely even lifted its head. Raphael ran forward, sword at the ready. When he got to the throne, he realised that the figure was in fact, a woman! Upon further inspection, Raphael felt his insides churn. The woman was a barbarian and judging by the jewelry she wore, she was the queen!Was Beowoulf so monstrous that he would kill his own wife? The very thought of it made Raphael feel repulsive.

"Mikel, we've been tricked."

"Yes, you have!"

Raphael and Mikel spun around to find themselves face to face with about 10 barbarian assasins.

"Not again!"

Raphael was getting sick of them. After a hard-fought battle in which both Raphael and Mikel were repeatedly cut and slashed, the last of the assasins dropped to the ground, dead.

"No point staying here, let's tell Kratos."

When Raphael and Mikel emerged unto the streets of Hispania, the fighting had already stopped. The barbarians in the fortress all laid on the ground, their lifeless bodies covered in blood. Suddenly, the heard one of the Spartans shouting.

"RETREAT!RETREAT!"

Puzzled, the two friends ran towards the source of the voice and were horrified by what they saw. The Spartans were fighting a new enemy. Many Spartans were already killed, the remaining few trying to get away from the fearsome foe, from......General Kratos.When he saw Raphael and Mikel, he stopped killing the Spartan soldiers and turned to them.

"Well, well, well, did you kill Beowoulf?No, don't answer. He wasn't there was he? Afterall, why would he? I had personally informed him earlier about our attack. He must have fled.That's right, Mikel, the man I killed the other night was not the traitor. I am."

"General Kratos....why?"

"Why? I have served in the Spartan army all my life and I have achieved nothing! Then this Axel shows up and after a few years is made Grand General!? I have had enough of Sparta!"

"But what has Beowoulf given you for betraying Sparta?"

"Look around you.Hispania is mine!"

"You killed his son!"

"Wrong. I killed his illegitimate son! Beowoulf's real son...IS ME!"

Kratos swung his left arm and the blade of chaos slams into a tree, completely shattering the trunk.

Raphael and Mikel readied themselves for battle.