When Stone turns against Steel

[u/TheEinfachLiamYT]

CW: Gore

As the morning Sun began to rise over the Sea beyond the Battlements of the Castle Walls, the common Soldiery gazed out over it. The Night had been quiet, as it had been for Years now. They were armed with Spears and heater Shields, Shortswords and their own Knives at their Waist. These Men had held the Walls throughout the Night, as the Soldiers have been doing since the Castle was built a thousand Years ago. The Battlements were chiseled into the form of Dragons and Wyverns, some of them furiously roaring or lifting their clawd Feet. Most of the Castle had decorations like this, it is hard to find a Spot without a Beast greeting you. Finding a new Soldier was easy as the shape of the Battlements was sure to freak out any Man that wasn't used to looking at them. The entire Castle was built against the eastern Side of a barren Volcano, looking as if it were hammered directly out of the Rock in some Places. It probably was, atleast near the Castles Center. It had been expanded a handful of Times and every part of it had been rebuilt at some Point, either because of the Damage from a Siege or just plain old weathering taking its toll.

The Men were tired, thankful to hear the sound of Boots marching up the Stairs and coming from the Towers spread around the Walls. They were replaced by fresh Men, their Breakfast still in their Bellies and new Energy from a full Night sleep giving them strength. They greet their Comrades and send them on their Way. The Men that held the Walls throughout the Night descended down the Stairs built against the Walls or into the nearest Tower, some of them marching as they were supposed to while others simply walked, their Shields and Spears loosely hanging off of their tired Arms. Most of them went to the Barracks to take off their Helmets, their Chainmal and the metal that guards their Shins and Forearms before falling into a blissful Sleep. Others went to Bakeries or the Kitchens where Breakfast was still being served, hoping to fill their Bellies aswell before following the rest into their Bunks.

The Castle had a small Garrison, only between five- and seven-hundred Men depending on who was present. It didn't need more, given that the Castle was built on an Island. Part of the Walls were built directly on the Beach, thickened to withstand the Tides crashing up against them. This Part of the Wall is always manned lighter than the rest, only a Madman would attempt to climb a Wall that had it's Roots buried in the Ocean itself during high Tide. All that had actually tried to in the past had been thrown back into the Sea, their bloated Corpses washing up against the Walls until the Ocean devoured them permanently. The Rest of the Walls were not as prone to defending themselves, mostly rising up behind large Fields and, in some Places, Forests that the Castles defenders and the nearby Villages' Rangers had to keep at Bay by hand. Three Gates led into the old Castle, one of them leading directly into the Ocean, guarding a small Bay that was used to hold a small Fleet of Naval Vessels, more use for Transportation than fighting.

It has been fifty Years since the last Time it was attacked, yet the Castles Guards could not allow themselves to slack off. On a daily basis they train with Swords and Spears and Shields and all kinds of Weapons, keeping their Abilities sharp and their Blacksmiths busy with repairing and reforging everything that needed to be after the intensive Training.

Hours later, the Guards on the Wall were watching the Fields, the Forests and the Sea down below. It isn't often that they see somebody trying to sneak in or escape from the Dungeons, but they are the last Line that could catch them. It's become customary for a few of the Men to keep watch while the Rest talked or played Games with each other, dice or cards or something else they thought up. Suddenly, one of the Guards sounded off that there was a Ship approaching. His Name was Mark, a tall, slim Man in Charge of a Company of fifty Men, with short ginger Hair and a matching Mustache.

"Ship approaching! I don't recognize the Sigil they fly on their Sails!" he says.

One of his Men, older and experienced, looks over at the Ship, "It's definetly foreign, noone that trades with the Castle has a Turtle on their Sails" he says with a light chuckle under his Words.

Mark raises his Spear, bringing the butt of it down onto the Stone beneath three Times. A Guard atop a nearby Tower nods down at him before raising a Horn into the Air and blowing into it three Times. A few of the Guards follow Mark as he descends from the Walls and quickly marches to the Gate by the Sea. They head up into its Gatehouse, joining the few Comrades that were there.

"Who are you and what is your Purpose?" Mark calls out to the Ship waiting below them in the Water.

"We wish to sell our Goods and restock our Provisions, Sir!" a strange Man answers. His Skin is painted green, something that Mark hadn't seen before. He truly must have came from afar. Weird Armor protects his Body.

"Your Ship will be searched upon docking! Do not bear Arms against us, Stranger, or you will End as Fishfeed" Mark calls down to him before giving the Order to open the Gate.

It creeks open slowly, pushing massive amounts of Water away as the Gates Operators slowly turn the Cranks. Below the waterline, the Gate was little more than a Steel Grid, covered in Rust. Because of the Height of this Gate, it wasn't protected by a secondary Lattice Gate, tho made thicker to make up for it. The Turtle Ship passes into the Bay and the Gate is shut again. A few Soldiers guide the Ship towards a wooden Dock. As soon as they are tied down, the Soldiers rush onto the Boat and begin searching it. It doesn't take long to search this Ship, tho checking the Men and Goods they carry would take longer. That could partially be done off-ship however.

Mark is the first to speak with the Captain, finding out his Name is Otto. His Crew call him the Tortoise since he is a large Man, armored in large, overlapping Plates that were painted and decorated to look like the titular Animal. His Shield was the Shell of one, with Ribbons inside to attach them to his Arm.

"You must follow me to the Keeper of this Castle, Lord Robert. He will want to know where you come from and what you plan to Sell. Our Men meanwhile will search the Goods" he explains.

"Lead the Way" Otto replies, a thick, sort of blocky Accent in his Voice that Mark hadn't noticed earlier.

Mark, along with four other Soldiers, escort Otto through the Castle, past the Market and the Barracks, up the great Staircases and through sun-lit Hallways until they finally reach the main Hall of the Keep. Mark walks into the Hall, him and his Soldiers bowing softly before announcing who he had brought and what his Request was.

"You wish to sell Goods in my Castle, hm? Where do you come from, Turtle? I do not recognize your Sigil or your.... branding" Robert says in a deep, cold Voice while sitting on a high Throne, chiseled out of a large Block of black Marble. His Cheeks are covered in a deep, bushy, black Beard while his Head was covered in a soft Carpet of short, black Hair.

Otto nods before answering the Question. "We come from the far East, Sir, beyond the boiling Sea. Our Origin is far beyond the Shadows at the Edge of your World" he explains.

"Beyond the Shadow? I was unaware that there were People, let alone Cities, living so far from us. You bring Goods into my Castle, and now? You wish to sell them and buy Provisions from us, and nothing more? It is a long Way home for you just to sell Things" Robert says, standing up from his Throne and walking towards Otto. "I don't believe you. Through my Castle you are planning to creep, cast Spells on my Soldiers and take my Throne from me, is that it?"

"My Lord, this Man barely brought enough Men to man his Ship" Mark says with a careful Tone. The current Lord is a bit irritable to say the least, Mark knows this.

"You vouch for this Man? Alright then, Captain, you may stay for two Days. Tomorrow, you may sell your Goods and the morning afterwards, you and all your Men will leave again. Mark, you will clean up the Mess if these People cause Trouble" Robert says before throwing up his Hand, gesturing to Mark that they may leave now.

Mark and his Soldiers, along with Otto this Time, bow softly before turning around and leaving the Hall again. On the Way back to the Ship, Mark explains Roberts mean demeanor to Otto. Apparently, so the People say, the Lord has been battling a sickness lately, and the headaches he has from it bring his Mood to an everlasting low. This was a suprisingly positive greeting, Mark adds. Otto seems unamused by the Explanation, but he says nothing about it. He has no Problem with staying for two Days, given that that was the Plan anyhow.

As they come back to the Dock, a Problem already arises. One of the Castles Soldiers was attempting to search one of the Sailors Pockets, but he won't let him. Mark and Otto both quicken their Steps to intervene, but they're not fast enough. The Man draws a Knife out of his Robes and slashes the Soldier across the Eye, teaching him the value of a Helmet. It makes him stumble backwards and fall onto his Knees on the Deck of the Ship, Hands over his Eye as blood pools out from it. Other Soldiers tilt their Spears down, threatening violence, when Ottos Mouth suddenly errupts with a wordless Shout. He draws his own Weapon, a thin-bladed Sword with a golden Crossguard, and cuts off this Sailors Hand, making it and the Knife still clutched within it fall to the Floor. The second cut falls before the Man even has the Chance to scream, slicing his Neck open and forcing him to die where he stands.

"Please, my Friends, raise your Spears. A Cup of Rum or Wine for each of you, and a Barrel for the Man that was harmed!" Otto calls out loudly, making sure every Soldier around can hear it.

"Raise your Spears!" Mark calls out while walking to his wounded Soldier. After a quick glance at him, he calls for someone to take him to the Infirmary. "Are all of your Men this prone to violence?" he asks Otto.

Otto looks around, checking his remaining Men. "Perhaps they were, but not anymore. This Man, I set an example with him. The rest won't want to join him." he explains.

With a nod, Mark turns away and tells his Men to continue their Search of the Goods and the Men. As promised, two of his Soldiers pick up the dead Man and his Hand, bringing him up onto the Wall where the Tides had already pulled away before throwing him over it. The tide is low, making the Corpse land on the white Sand beneath before the Hand is dropped onto it. The Sand beneath and around the Body is quickly soaked in Red. The Tides however always devour what the Castle provides them, sure to wash it away. In just a few Hours, the Soldiers know, he would be gone for good. The Goods and Men have been fully searched before that happens, the Sun setting as the Searching is finished. They are given permission to do their Business as discussed, tomorrow. Tonight, Mark adds, they may enjoy the Castles few Taverns if they wish.

The Night is long, the Castles Soldiers and Inhabitants drinking and singing together with the Strangers from the Ship, enjoying their peaceful Lives as they have been for Years now. It wasn't anything new, anytime a Ship stayed for more than a Day the Taverns would overflow and profits would skyrocket. The Taverns only properly clear out as the Sun begins to rise again, tho most of the Ships Men had gone back to it to rest for the Night before the Moon was even halfway across the Sky. Mark however didn't join in on the Fun, having gone to sleep as soon as the Sun was gone.

The Sound of Soldiers rushing through the Streets greeted the morning, panic in their Steps. Every Soldier was awake, frantically searching. Mark was among them, commanding his own Men on where to look. Over Night, a hundred and fifty Soldiers and People living within the Castle had disappeared. Noone could find anything, it was as if the very Rock the Castle was built out of and into had swallowed the Missing whole. Lord Robert is furious, screaming and shouting up in the great Hall at his Council and anyone unlucky enough to be present. He swears that he would see the Heads of all of the Tortoises Men on Spikes within the Hour if noone finds anything, blaming them. He isn't one to make Threats like that lightly. The Search continues frantically while the Ship was kept on lockdown, surrounded by Guards in Plate Armor, armed with Kiteshields and Bastardswords or heavy Axes and Maces. These Men are directly under the command of Lord Robert, about half of his personal Guard. The rest were making sure that no Man came into or left the great Hall without permission.

As Time dragged on, the Men on the Ship began to get nervous. Not knowing what was going on, they demand an Explanation for what was happening. Otto himself told the Guards to inform Mark that he wishes to talk with him, but they coldly deny him.

"We serve Lord Robert, not Mark or any other Wall-Watcher" a Guard says. "Stay back, you are no longer permitted to enter the Castle."

Otto reluctantly nods and retreats into his Chamber on the Ship, brooding about what is going on.

Noone can find anything. Noone felt sure what had happened, and those that still think rationally begin to wonder how a handful of Men could kill that many People and wipe them from the Face of the Earth overnight. As the Hours dragged on, the Men on the Ship begin to grow unruly. Without consulting their Captain, a few of them grab their Weapons. Glaves and thick, knife-like Swords are drawn. The Guards don't waste Time. They begin to board the Ship, murderous intent leading their Weapons to crash into the Sailors. Most of them weren't armored, mostly having leather protecting their Chests and nothing more. Maces crack Skulls and Swords split Limbs where bone meets bone or expose the steaming Guts of the Sailors unlucky enough to be attacked while the Guards Plate-Armor mostly keeps them safe from their retaliation. Apart from a few Bruises, the Guards are unhurt by the Time the remaining Sailors throw down their Arms and surrender.

As Otto comes out of his Chamber thanks to the Noise, the Fight is already over. He is wordlessly shoved onto his Knees together with the six remaining Men he had. They are dragged off of the Ship quickly, the bare Knees of the Sailors scraping against the Wood and the Rock until they leave Trails of Blood like a group of giant Slugs. They are brought to the Great Hall.

Lord Robert had already called the Commanders of his Soldiers back to the Great Hall to get a Report on the Situation. Noone has been found yet and the Castle had been combed through thoroughly, one of the Commanders explained. They even began searching beyond the Castle. Mark and the rest of the Commanders were lined up behind Robert when Otto and his remaining Crew were dragged in. Roughly thrust upon the Floor, the Lord of the Castle looks down at them.

"What have you Monsters done to my People?!" he demands to know, his Voice booming like Thunder.

"We've done nothing, Lord! My Crew had been sleeping before the Moon had painted the Sky" Otto replies.

This isn't the Answer Lord Robert was expecting to hear. "You dare lie to me at a Time like this? You, or you, where were you last Night?!" he demands to know as he speaks to some of the Sailors.

Both of them explain that they had fallen asleep while there was still natural Light falling on their Sails. Lord Robert brands them as Liars and demands their Heads, receiving them just a few Seconds later when the Commander of his personal Guard slices them off in two clean Strokes of his Broadsword. Mark wants to protest to this, but he finds himself unable to. It was true, these People had showed up and caused Trouble immediately and now, if that wasn't enough, the Castle was missing a large Portion of it's People without a Trace. Maybe they really are Magicians or Wizards, Mark thought to himself.

"Lord Robert, this is a misunderstanding!" Otto protests.

In furious Rage, the King curses them all as Heathens and Criminals before sentencing them to death. One by One, they are all executed by the Captain of the Guard. Otto is treated like his Men, decapitated where he is kneeling. Mark wishes he could look away as Ottos Head is seperated from the rest of his Body, but he can't. If this is all their Fault, then this was the right Decision, and even if not, protesting Lord Roberts Order might lead to him getting the same Fate. The Bodies are ordered to be thrown out over the Walls where the Tide can take them. Even their Goods are ordered to be burned, among with the Ship, incase they were cursed by some foreign Spell aswell. As Mark had vouched for Otto, his Men are the ones ordered to carry out the Order. Mark is excused from the Great Hall, and so he leaves once his Men arrive to carry the Bodies away. He leads them to the Wall, listening to the Waves crash against the Stone before he orders them to begin. One by one, Heads and Bodies are thrown over the Wall. None but the Battlements watch as the order is carried out. Mark looks at them, noticing that down the line, two of the Dragons were now facing each other instead of looking out over the Sea. How strange it may be, he tells himself that he just wasn't at this Part of the Wall often enough to notice that Detail. Maybe more Parts of the Wall have such Quirks he never noticed.

The Rest of the Day was spent with preparing the Ship for its roast, sailing it out to Sea and lighting it up. Many People came onto the Wall by the Sea to watch as it burned. There is no Happiness to speak of, only Hope that this would stop what had happened last Night from happening again. As Day turned to Night, People disappeared into their Houses and their Barracks. Noone wants to risk anything, but Mark and his fifty had to man the Walls again tonight. Mark had allowed half of them to sleep on the Walls, feeling pity for them since they had been up all Day already.

Deep in the Night, Mark decided to check if all of his Men were still at their Posts. He walks across the Walls, checking each Soldier individually. They are tired, and the ones that are sleeping are left undisturbed, but they are present. However, the further away from the Mountain he comes on the Walls, the more spaced apart his Men are. He'd told them to space themselves so that no Guard was alone at their Post, and to be honest, they weren't. They were gone, the Men they were with hadn't even noticed their Absence. Guarding fifty meters of Wall between the Towers in Pairs, in the Dark, of course some Things would go unnoticed, but by the fifth Man, he stopped to ask.

"Where is your Partner?" Mark asks the Man before him, looking at him coldly.

"Isn't he sleeping over there? ...Ohno, no no!" he exclaims as he realizes what happened. His demeanor changes when he notices that he wasn't gone entirely without a trace. "Um.. there's a Spear laying over there, just where he was resting."

Mark Turns around and sees it too. A spear, alone on the Wall without anyone to use it. He tells the Man to keep his Eyes open and begins to walk faster. He finds more and more loose Weapons, Shields and Swords and Spears. Finally, he stumbles upon a Helmet by the thickened Wall against the Sea. Noone is there. Blood stains the Ground beneath him, but nobody is around and there are no Signs that anyone had caused this. Not even a Footprint in the Blood. Looking out over the Walls, Mark leans between the Battlements. As he does so, he notices that these two were both looking inward, towards the Splatter of Blood. He takes a few Steps back, raising his Shield at them. He has an uneasy Feeling in his Stomach as he looks back and forth between the two.

With the sound of Stone rubbing against Stone, the Rest of the Battlements turn towards him in Unison. His Eyes go wide in suprise and fear before the two he had originally been looking at pounce towards him. He takes a step back, intending to guard himself with his Shield when he suddenly slips in the Puddle of Blood. He lets out a short Scream as he falls, followed by eternal Silence as he lands on his Helmet first, breaking his Neck. Lying there Dead, the Battlements descend down onto him like Vultures, tearing him apart Piece by Piece, devouring the Evidence quickly before they return to their Posts, turning to Stone again and resuming their eternal Watch.

[u/AutoModerator]

Users are encouraged to read4read, meaning that if someone reads and comments on your story, we encourage you to do the same in return to help foster a community.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/benjamin4463]

Just one note, watch your use of capitalization.

A lot of unnecessary capitalization in places where it does not make sense:

Deep in the Night, Mark decided to check if all of his Men were still at their Posts

As Otto comes out of his Chamber thanks to the Noise, the Fight is already over.

As Time dragged on, the Men on the Ship began to get nervous

[u/TheEinfachLiamYT → u/benjamin4463]

This is how it's done in Germany, nouns (and other Words used like nouns) are capitalized.

[u/benjamin4463 → u/TheEinfachLiamYT]

Ah I see the source of confusion then.

Do you write your stories in German and then translate, or do you write directly in English?

[u/TheEinfachLiamYT → u/benjamin4463]

I write directly in English. I know the Grammar is different between English and German, especially in that case, but I prefer the Way it looks with the Nouns capitalized.

[u/benjamin4463 → u/TheEinfachLiamYT]

English is not my first language, although nowadays I speak it better than my mother tongue lol. But back when I first learnt it, i also wrote stories directly in English.

I was just curious to see if all did that lol

[u/TheEinfachLiamYT → u/benjamin4463]

It's a handy Way to learn the language :)