This is the first of many stories about the places beyond the maps (specifically beyond Dang). This is my first Fan-Fic of any series, not just the WFS. It’s kind of fast paced which can be annoying to read. Sorry about that.
Also, notify me of grammar and spelling mistakes if you happen to notice them. I didn’t proofread this very thoroughly.
Several hundred Trubban foot soldiers guarded the Plennon Bridge. The Fangs, after months of fierce and woeful fighting, had finally overtaken the country of Belintha. Trubbland was their next target.
“Fangs sighted in the north! Bows at the ready!”
Kodan Hodoback sighed. He and his brother Jek had spent the last two years defending Belintha. All for nothing. Their sister Yenni had been killed during a battle in the city of Bekka, and they hadn’t seen their parents since the beginning of the war. They knew that if the Plennon fell, it would only be a matter of time before the fangs overthrew Trubbland.
As if to punctuate their thoughts, the soldier next to them, their good friend Lenn, gave a cry and crumpled to the ground. Kodan found an arrow buried in the space between the breastplate and the shoulder guard. He felt no pulse.
Kodan and Jek had no time to grieve. The first wave of Fangs collided into the Trubban front lines. Several men gave cries of surprise as fangs clambered over the edges of the bridge directly into the ranks.
As he fought, Kodan dimly noted that Jek and a few others were being driven back from the main fighting force. After dusting his first enemy, he engaged himself with a second fang. He couldn’t tell what animal it was, and had no time to figure it out before it too crumbled into dust. He sprinted down the bridge to help Jek.
Kodan slid under the legs of a scorpion fang, ducked under the grasping fingers of a bat fang, and stabbed his sword straight through the back of a green fang that was attacking his brother.
“Thanks, Ko!”
“No time for that! We need to regroup!”
After clearing out the rest of the fang squad, Kodan and Jek, along with a few other troops, headed back to the main force, who had driven the first wave into retreat. The archers had their hands full keeping small fang bands from climbing over the walls.
“Second wave coming in!”
This time Kodan and Jek kept together, but were once again driven away from the main fighting force. Kodan hewed off the head of a green fang as Jek drove his sword into the belly of another. After killing several others, the green blood-splattered brothers headed back to their captain who was gathering his troops.
“The second wave has been driven off, but the third will be close behind! Laela, Allia, Druke, climb into that watchtower and keep the blasted fangs off our backs. The rest of you, try to stay together, and fight like Gnag himself is after you!”
Kodan and Jek cleaned off their blades and got into a defensive formation.
“Maker be with you all!” Allia called out as she and the other archers ran towards the tower.
“You as wel-” Kodan began to say, but was cut short when Allia gave a cry, lurched, and fell off the steps, having been shot by a fang archer. She landed hard on the bridge. Several other archers met the same fate before one of the scouts yelled, “Third wave!”
Kodan chopped off a fang’s head, sliced off another on the backswing, stabbed one in the chest, and kicked one off the bridge before falling into the mindless and unmemorable fury of battle. He lost count of how many fangs he killed that day, but he later guessed it was well over fifty. He was wrenched back into a regular mindset when he received his first real wound of that battle. A gray fang bit him, its teeth burying itself in his upper arm. Jek finished off his current opponent and chopped the gray fang clean in half.
“Thanks Jek”
“Like you said, no time for that. Looks like we got separated from the rest of the troops again-”
He paused to kill another gray fang.
“-so we better fight our way back!”
No sooner as Jek said that than the main force fought their way to them. Or to the south side of the bridge. Their captain saw the two of them and called out, “Kodan, Jek! Glad to see you’re still standing! Now git to the back and protect our retreat!”
“Retreat!?’
“There are too many of ‘em! We’re getting overrun. Kodan, I see yer arm isn’t in good condition. Disregard what I said. As for you Jek, GET TO THE REAR!”
“I’m staying with Jek,” Kodan yelled back.
“Fine, now GO!”
Kodan was on the defensive for the rest of the battle. His arm prevented him from doing anything but staying just ahead of the jabs and slashes of the fangs. After what felt like days (but was in reality just minutes) of useless dodging, the blunt end of a spear found the back of his head, and he remembered no more.
Wow! I am really excited to read what comes next!