The path was dark. Rocks jumbled the ground, and made the many dead bodies hard to walk across. I was told once those rocks shined a brilliant green, now all they do is glistened a crimson red.
This battle had not happened long ago, no flies or birds had crept onto the battle ground yet, no buzzing or ripping on the corpses.
Clang!
The sound of swords locking together rang through out the field. It came from the forest on the outskirts of this red graveyard. Maybe there was still battle to be had.
I prepared to draw my sword as a charged through the corpse covered ground, careful to not trip, but not so careful as to leave a comrade in danger.
The pale lifeless body flew past me as a rushed through the thick, each seemed to stare at nothing, and everything.
I neared the tree line as I caught sight of several of my comrades holding off over a dozen enemy soldiers. They would need my help or soon the only hope I could give them is prayers at their memorial stones. I pulled the sword from my sheath and a powerful battle cry escape me as I charged.
fhht Stupid. I should have waited. The arrow to my left shoulder hits me hard, the fat arrow head pushes me away from battle with it's sheer force. I nearly spin around once before landing on my side. The lords flag is crushed under me as I put pressure on my wound.
The body lying next to me I recognize, but almost as if from a dream. The blood is pouring from my wound. I reach up and grab the shaft as I try to focus on the pale cold face the sits in front of me.
Brother!
It was me brother. We had joined this bloody battle over a lifetime ago. We had promised to protect each other. We promised as long as we were together our side would never lose. We boasted to all who would listen our great skills with a sword and spear. We had been there to protect each other until...

"Were are you going?" I said quietly to him. He wore no amour, only his sword hung at his waist. The look on his face seemed almost as if he was staring at his own executioner.
"I... I know the reasons behind this war. I can no longer fight for it. We are being thrown away for a petty dispute that shouldn't cost us our lives"
"We made an oath to serve our Lord. We cannot break that now." I told him as I put my hand on his shoulder. He pushed my hand away and took a step back.
"I am not opposing him, I just won't allow my sword to be bloodied by this senseless squabble. In fact you shouldn't either. Father could use his sons home, far more that an extra 50 gold a month." he said as he started to turn away.
"I will not break my oath, you know that. Father taught us that before he taught us to hunt and fish. The most important thing is a mans oath"
"Some things are not worth dieing for"
"Good luck then... I will see you when the war is over. I will not rep"
"A deserted is it? You know we don't tolerate deserters in our army, right!" The Commander bellowed as he walked down the path toward us. I bowed my head as my brother turned holding his sword at the ready.
"I am departing this army and returning home. This war is over for me. Your squabble will not cost me my life. If my brother wasn't so thick headed, it wouldn't cost him his either"
"Your current action is costing your life right now. Return to the camp now and you will not be punished"
"I cannot do that"
"Then the executioners block for you." the Commander pulled the ten foot spear from his back. He was proud of his weapon and always said with his strong thrust not even the strongest amour would hold him off.
"Soldier! You are to be executed immediately for desertion, how to you plead"
"Guilty, I will not lie"
The Command took a step forward that shattered the stone under his foot as his spear stuck forward. The blade lanced forward almost to fast to follow. My brother stepped to the side and pushed the long spear off to the other side. Pushing against the spears shaft, he rushed forward.
The Commander still had all his weight forward so he couldn't dodge back well, instead he turned the base of his spear and the shaft came apart revealing chains on the inside holding it together. My brother nearly stumbled as his weight no longer had anything to push on. The Commander flicked the now four part spear so it started to arc back towards him. Brother used his falling momentum to roll under the spears swing. Commander used another twist to swing the handle over his head to make sure he didn't get hit. Commander twisted the base back together and brought it down strait at my brother. He used his roll to come up with a trust. It looked like the spear would land first though. As the spear crossed my Brother's Blade, Brother switched the angle of his sword and jumped at a cross. The Commander's Spear fell to pieces as it hit the ground. Commander was stunned as my brother skidded to a halt and brought his sword up ready for a thrust.
"I'm leaving now, with or without your permission"
"No one... ever... desserts my army!" Commander bellowed as he pulled the collapsible spear from his sleeve. The Commander gave a strong forward thrust to unlock the six foot shaft and foot long blade.
"Now my son, you will die!" he bellowed as he charged out. My Brother charged and jumped right before his sword crossed the spear. For a moment in time he almost seemed to walk along the spear as his thrust found the Commanders throat...

"I guess we are going to die together before the end of the war. We were wrong; theses battles didn't bring us prestige, only me. It was thanks to you anyway. Now I am dying because of you"
The blood has already pooled enough to over fill my armor. Soon my armor will no longer be worth anything, just like our land, and our home...

"I thought you said you wouldn't turn your blade on us! You said you would just return home!" I cried out as I found him in battle. He had joined our enemy, and because of his knowledge we had lost nearly half our forces.
"To keep this war going they leveled the surrounding forests. Now there demolishing home to feed the fires for the black smiths. When I got home there was nothing left! Our animals will slaughtered to feed the King and Commanders bellies"
"That is only because you deserted!" I started to draw my sword as the clashes of swords rang around us. The morning was foggy, and the fog itself already felt as though it was made from blood.
"No, they did that a while ago. When they came to punish us for my leave they threw pounds of salt through our fields. There wasn't anything there since they harvested it for the soldiers already, but now we only have a wasted piece of land!" His sword was already out. he had cut a path through the growing madness as I did just so we could speak. It hadn't take long, since he deserted us, the new Commander had put me in the Charger position. That gave me allot of power, second only to his, but I had to lead every charge into battle. I was the most likely to die.
"Because of you, the war is taking longer now"
"No, because of me the people might have a chance to live out there lives as they should, not as slaves to a Lord"
"I am sorry, but now I must send you to meet Mom. You are only showing that this war needs to end now..."

I can't remember that fight anymore. It was only a blur of blood and blades. Both of us left without getting hurt, but dozens were killed in our wake. Now he is lying next to me. No longer can he fight, no longer can he threaten our lord, no longer can he point out how much of a thick headed person I am.
"I wish I had asked you what that squabble was over. It would have been nice to know what I'm dying for." The pain is gone now. I can no longer feel the blood running down my shoulder. I can no longer feel my sword in my hand. It's almost like a small piece of heaven.
I can't stop now though. I can't die with out ending this war. The last comrades of my whole army are over in that forest. The last people fighting this war are over there. I can't die yet.
I pull the arrow from my arm. I feel no pain. I pick up my brothers sword with my hurt arm. I am not sure if I'm holding it as I charge once again at the tree line. I let out no bellow. No sound escapes me that I can hear. This war must end.
I charge the opposing dozen soldiers. I saw arrows fly at me. I think they might have hit me. I'm not sure anymore as I jump up and come down slashing as two of them. They try to block but I can see my blade cut through there steel as well as there bodies. I see the red mist again. After so long that red mist gives me comfort. With nothing else left in my world, no home, no life, no family, I at least still have my sword. I dance through them, slicing through there swords and amour. One produces a bow and quickly unleashes several arrows at me. I'm not sure if he missed or not as my blade finds purchase on his shoulder. My Brothers blade sliced through him diagonally. His blood added to the mist. I turned, my vision was changing from normal to red. Was it from the battle, or was it my own? I could see a young boy was left. He looked like he was having trouble holding up his sword. He stared at me as if I was death, but still held a look of confidence, and strength.
The four remaining members of my army surrounded me as our victory was set. The boy yelled out his battle cry as he charged us...

My Brother yelled as he charged me. Just as we were taught I brought my sword up to block. I delivered a kick and brought my sword down on him. Grandpa caught my wooden blade.
"Strike strait! Never waver or your brother will always get the better of you. By age fourteen I had already mastered the sword! You two have allot more training to go. Now do it again"
We did the dance he taught us late into the night. We finally mastered it perfectly as the sun rose. We half carried each other to our room after Grandpa dismissed us. Grandpa always believed we were going to be called out to war the next day, and he believed that if we followed his training we were guaranteed to return. We had laughed at the idea. War would never come.
We were woke up again around noon to do our chores and practice again. Our new dance we master quickly and finished a few hours before sunset. We finally had free time.
A trip to the pond fit in perfectly.
"Remember what Grandpa said, fishing is just like sword fighting; patience, and blood"
We both laughed at the thought. We would never get into a life or death battle with real blades.
"I think it's more about patience then anything. Fish are so stupid, but there smart enough to not take our bait." I said as I cast out my line.
"If grandpa is right, then we'll get great honors for winning there war. After all who do you think will have trained as hard as us"
"They won't have a chance. Could you believe going out and fight for our Lord, how he would honor us for taking a nation for him"
"Remember grandpa says 'When you win the day, be humble for your Lord will always say it was his victory, never yours"
"Yeah well, when we win, we'll make sure our friends and family get hugely rewarded. After all, with out us who is he ruling? We have to get some respect..." I said My line tugged and we started to jump up and down...

I stepped forward and parried off the sword the young boy carried. His sword flew from his hands as he stared at death. I could almost see my brother standing there, strong and full of life as we were years ago, before the burden of blades and blood. I feel my other comrades move in for the kill "I'm sorry brother"
I turned and slice through the neck amour of my remaining comrades. All four fall decapitate as I finish my turn. The boy stares at me in shock.
"Go,... return and tell them your battle is won... Our lord will...will remember his people..." The boy shakes his head as he takes a few step’s back. He picks up his fallen sword as he turned and runs into the red mist. My sight doesn't clear as he has after every battle. I look down at myself and see at least six arrows in my body. I feel no pain. I look at my hands and there are as pale as those who litter the ground around me.
"Brother..., I wish I ...could of helped soon..." the darkness closed up around me as death held me in her eternal embrace.