King Artorias 40

Full Title: The Real, True and Totally Did Happen Chronicles of King Artorias

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King Galeholt could admit that she definitely poked the lion with King Artoria.

The thunderstorm took a long while to dispel for Galeholt's mages. By that point, the enchanted ballistae were almost all thoroughly damaged. There were some injuries, but the thunderstorm seemed mostly to target horses, supplies and heavy equipment.

Galeholt wanted to curse, even if she was impressed. Artoria turned nature into a strategic asset. Who could even consider that?

"Regroup! Make sure to prepare, this can not possibly be the end of it!" Galeholt ordered. Their casualties were actually that many, which was a good thing, but that also meant that couldn't be the end of Artoria's attack. Unless her plan was to delay them for as long as possible. 

 "Your majesty," King Malaguine called as he came toward Galeholt. 

"Anything to report?" Galeholt asked with haste. 

"None thus far. It seems things calmed after the storm, although..." Malagunie paused as he considered whether that piece of information was important or not. "There are some odd bird migrations heading in our direction. We think the magical storm may have caused disruptions to all bird's minds, thus blocking our attempt at using a non-magic means of communication. Which would be ingenious given that Pendragon targeted our mystic farsight communications."

Galeholt narrowed her eyes, before gesturing for her vassal to give her a telescope. She looked toward the "flock" sensing that they looked odd. The way they were flying, was almost like solely gliding. And then there was that oddly long claw at the tip of one of their wings...

Her eyes widened, realization running through her like lightning. 

"Those aren't 'birds', commander!" Galeholt shouted, pushing the telescope back into Malaguine's hands. "I don't know how she did it, but prepare for enemy attack! Ready the remaining ballistae and archers!" 

The troops quickly gathered as they had little time to comprehend, or prepare for a flying army, only to follow orders with panic almost breaking their discipline.  

"Aim!" Glaeholt shouted, as the 'birds' where on top of them and beginning to 'dive', now visible as armored knights, with cloaks attached to their limbs like they were squirrels. "FIRE!"

The arrows fired with a loud ripple of the wind, as they were enchanted to move faster than normal arrows, pierce further, and hit harder. The ballistae fired a giant javelins that glowed with a magical aura. 

Artoria's men reacted before the arrows were fire, grabbing large kite shields from their back, and placing them in front of them. 

The mana covered javelins, didn't make it half way in flight, before two golden magic beams engulfed them, and targeted the ballistae specifically.

Smoke was left from the clash of magical energy, and on the ground Galeholt could see the destruction of Artoria's weapons, and there was a moment of stillness, as low clouds covered the sky. 

Then from within the clouds and smoke, the shield bearing flying soldiers came crashing down, slamming into the ground, or Galeholt's men and quickly rolling or jumping back up to move into action. 

The battle started in full. 

"WHERE ARE YOUR KINGS!?" 

Artoria crash with a loud boom, that threw Galeholt and Malaguine's knight away, as the Pendragon searched for her target, Excalibur and Caliburn in each hand, and Marmyadose on her back. 

Artoria barely had time to slash a knight, and send three flying away from a normal swing of Excalibur without the magic beam, when she had to spin and block and overhead strike by Galeholt wielding the shining Ascalon. 

"Right here, your majesty!" Galeholt called out mockingly, just couldn't stop her grin, or how excited she was. 

It seemed like Artoria had the same thought as her, if she could take out the enemy king, then this war was as good as won. 

"Good. Looking for you would have taken an annoying few seconds." Artoria replied. 

Galeholt noticed that Artoria had stopped her dragon slaying blade with Excalibur, leaving her other hand free. Of course, Artoria was about to swing Caliburn, which Galeholt couldn't get out of the way of, or push Excalibur with her sword into its way, as Artoria's arm seemed as unbending as steel. 

However Malaguine was next to them, slashing at Artoria to aid his king, forcing Artoria to redirect her swing into blocking Malaguine's sword. 

Clack!

"Now what will you do?" Galeholt gloated, as she and Malaguine pushed their weight onto Artoria with their blades. 

"Now it seems more fair." Artoria grinned. 

But she wasn't budging. Artoria held the two kings in a blade-lock, the strength in her form, seemingly unrelenting. 

She pushed her Od into the magic swords just precisely to make them let out a pulse of magic aura, and with a push threw the two kings back. The two warrior kings, quickly regaining their balance attacked once more. 

Artoria clashed with Galeholt's blade, as she reached her first, only to dodge a swing by Malaguine, then spin to attack his wide open back. The sound of blades rang out, as Galeholt blocked that attack, but couldn't pivot to throw Artoria off, or counter. 

When Malaguine came at Artoria with another swing, Artoria felt Galeholt trying to force her to stay in place, by putting her weight into this new blade-lock. Artoria made Galeholt stumble, by moving aside, letting the two blades slide away from each other, as Galeholt couldn't stop her momentum. 

Then with a spin she kicked Malaguine in the head, sending the knight falling back, before he rolled to his feet again. 

This time, Artoria didn't let Galeholt attack first, but dashed and was upon her, like a lion on it's prey, as she slashed with both swords at once, slamming into Ascalon over and over again, as Galeholt blocked. 

Yet with each hit blocked head-on she found her hands shaking and aching from the sheer forced behind them. 

And she's only using one hand for each? And isn't that larger sword a two-handed one? What a monster. Galeholt grimaced, clenching her teeth as she didn't even have a moment to use her trump-card. 

She smiled as she Malaguine dashing toward them, blade aimed at Artoria's back. 

Yet at that moment, a knight in white armor, dashed in-between them, his blade slamming into Malaguine forcing the King with a Hundred Knights, to jump back and focus on him. 

"You dare impend the path of the Hundred Knights King, nameless knight." Malaguine shouted, anger getting to him. 

While, unlike the rumors, he didn't rule over a hundred knights due to having the strength worth a hundred knights, but due to his leadership skills, and his pampering of them, he was still a deadly foe to face in battle. 

Being casually handled by King Artoria was grating enough, but then some nameless knight managing to stop his attack, and block his way? Unacceptable.  

"I am Lancelot du Lac," Lancelot said holding his against his chest, as he made his declaration, before switching it to the side, and pointing it's edge at his enemy. "And you shall not pass." 

"Ha! Good line! And thanks for the assistance, Lancelot." Artoria called out with cheerful laugh. 

"With pleasure, your majesty!" Never taking his eyes off the opponent, Lancelot declared with a smile, as he dashed to clash with the King with a Hundred Knights. 

"Now then, let's see if that dragon sword really helps you." Artoria said toward Galeholt, but the King of the Distant Isles and Sorelois was grinning, as she hand enough time to bring up a talisman that looked like a necklace. It was a Mystic Code, that was made to be Artoria's downfall. 

"Oh, I think it will help plenty." She said the medallion in her hand, slowly glowing. 

"Odd sudden confidence." Artoria noted. 

"I simply think it's funny that you would be hasty, when the one you're hurrying for won't accept you regardless of what you do." Galeholt said with assuredness.

"Are you gonna explain that, or do you enjoy saying ominous warning out of your ass?" Artoria rolled her eyes, as she got into her stance once more. 

"Simply put, King Arguel sends his regards, as he had done to your precious sister." Galeholt held up the talisman, and it light up, showing a vision of Morgan dead on her throne, her chest bloodied and open from a sword impaling her. 

It was a false vision. An illusion. 

Artoria instinctively knew and understood that, yet it still stunned her. 

It was only for a moment, as her Mystic Eyes glowed and showed her the falsehood of it all. 

Yet it was one moment too long. 

Galeholt moved slashing at Artoria to slay her. 

Maybe it was luck, maybe it was instinct of years of combat against Heroes of humanity's past, or maybe it was the curse left upon Ascalon. 

All Galeholt knew was that Artoria moved to dodge, yet the bite of the dragon slaying sword still reached her. 

It didn't end her, yet her arm holding Exaclibur went flying. 

"YES!" Galeholt shouted as she moved away from the stunted Artoria, grabbing the Holy Sword, throwing the arm holding it away, and facing the Pendragon King, victory in her hands--

Galeholt's head flew back, as a sudden blow came out of nowhere and threw her helmet off from the force, letting her hair fly about. 

"Wha..." She coughed as her nose was broken, and looked up to see what hit her. 

It was an arm. 

Artoria had used her severed arm as a club, and bashed her in the face with it. There was no longer any mirth or a smile upon the True King's face. Only cold fury shined in her green eyes. 

It took Galeholt a moment to realize something. 

That helmet was enchanted. For it to fly off my head? It would have needed to be a decapitating strike to achieve that. 

"Funny joke." Artoria tone chilled Galeholt from how different it sounded to her usual voice. She brought the arm back to her stump and held it there. "Now let me repay you for it."