Daniel Ottalini - Brass Legionnaire

His men continued to push against the solitary figureguarding the walkway. While they had managed to relieve the pressure on thesmall knot of surviving legionnaires, they had been unable to move past therebel Amazon. Behind her, Constantine could see that Centurion Caesar hadreestablished command and was moving to intercept the airship.

Constantine pushed through the ranks of his men. They werehanging back, having seen the damage the woman’s double-ended spear could do,even to an armored man. Constantine’s feet slipped in blood and gore. At onepoint he was fairly certain that he had stepped upon a dead soldier, his armsliced off. As he stepped into the front ranks, he lurched as his foot foundanother slick spot on the causeway. The stumble saved his life-the twirling figure’ssteel sliced right over his helmet, chopping off his officer’s plume, the forceof the glancing blow snapping the chinstrap on his helmet to rip it right offhis head.

Constantine sucked in a shaky breath, and exhaled in a gaspas he pulled his shield up in time to deflect another blow. I need tomaneuver more! His memories of private dueling and combat instructionclamored to be used. Yet he was shoulder to shoulder with his men, unable totruly maneuver other than forward or backward. Forward it was. There was nogoing back.

The ranks pressed forward under his shouted orders. The openspace of the landing platform was less than ten yards away now. Taking a quickpeek over his shield, Constantine saw that most of the enemy had boarded. A fewmen appeared to be watching the conflict with extreme interest. As thelegionnaires advanced, two of the men grasped a third and began hauling himback to the ship, as crewmembers on the ship fired crossbows, dealing lightdamage as they harried the Imperial attack.

The woman’s spear shattered the metal-wood composite shieldof the man beside Constantine and thrust into his organs, killing him horriblyin a split second. Seeing an opening, Constantine took it, stabbing out withhis spatha and cutting her leg. A solid hit; Duel Master Vusentiuswould be proud, he thought as his sword came back with blood on the blade.

Screaming in pain, the woman backed off a few steps torecover from the obviously painful wound. The startled legionnaires followedcautiously. As they chased her, the fire from the dirigible became moreaccurate. One legionnaire’s startled yell was quickly silenced as anothercrossbow bolt ripped out part of his neck.

Straining, the airship lifted off, unwilling to allow theImperials to get too close. Centurion Caesar ’s detachment peppered them withplumbata, even though the light missiles had little chance of harming such avessel. The plain warheads sounded like rain on a tin roof as they bounced offthe iron deck plating.

The devilish woman finally turned in the middle of thelanding platform to face her pursuers. Hatred burned in her eyes as she stareddown the dozens of men surrounding her.

Constantine looked around. “Julos! Get some men on thoseanti-airship weapons! I want that ship taken down, now! ” he ordered. Asquad peeled off and ran toward the large anti-air scorpions and ballistae.

Shrieking her defiance, the woman charged at him. Guessthat order upset her, his mind observed as he raised his shield and leaptforward to attack.

His men formed a circle around the pair, shields facing in.They knew that Constantine was a solid warrior, but could he compare to thisqueen of death? They began to bang the flat of their blades against theirscuta, inching closer, tightening the ring around Constantine and theiropponent. Trapped, the Amazon grasped her spear tightly, and launched a rapidassault.

Constantine felt his reflexes speed up; he saw herattacks coming. His blade moved almost before he commanded it to as he parriedhigh, then low, then slammed his shield forward, knocking her off balance. Sheskipped back out of range again, her scythe-like speartip pushing back theencroaching ranks of legionnaires as it cracked shields and sliced open arms.

She’s stalling for time. That airship, or someone on it,must be critical to her, for her to make a last stand defense. He paused inhis attack, and heard no heavy artillery being fired. With a sinking feeling,he raised his voice. “Centurion! Why is there no artillery firing?”

Centurion Caesar pushed to the edge of the circle. His armorwas heavily banged up and he had several superficial wounds. “Sir!” he croaked.“All the artillery pieces have been sabotaged or destroyed. There’s no way forus to shoot it down from here. Klotus evidently managed to contact the Scioparto via the tower line, and it’s already moving to intercept.”

The woman cast a look of such venom at Julius that he took astep back. She spoke for the first time. “I am Brimmas Amalia, Chieftess of thewarrior tribes of the Teutonberg. My ancestors fought yours and killed many aRoman weakling. It is my pleasure to bring you all into the afterlife with me,Tribune.” Her mouth stretched in an evil smile as she prepared herself.

Constantine considered her words. “After you,” he replied.

Closing the space between them in an instant, they clashedagain. Constantine got inside her guard, breaking her spear with a well-timedsmash of his heavy scuta. Yes! his mind cried as he heard it snap, thenher brief cry of despair. But the woman was crafty. She quickly disarmedConstantine with a sharp blow to his sword hand, using the broken haft of herweapon as a club.

His hand stung and he was fairly certain that he had feltsomething go pop . A tendon perhaps, or maybe a bone was broken. Heturned in time to catch the next attack on his shield. Amalia now wielded onepiece of her broken weapon like a short stabbing spear, thrusting it out atConstantine as they circled each other, no doubt hoping the hooked end wouldcatch the lip of his shield and yank it from his possession.

From far overhead came the thrum of airship engines. TheRomans cheered as the H.M.A.S. Scioparto shifted to engage theslow-moving Midgard Flyer.

“Looks like your friends won’t be getting away after all.You’ve sacrificed yourself for nothing,” Constantine jeered in his mostarrogant, imperial tone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Julius haddrawn his sword and had nudged his neighbors farther away from him.

“You’ll make good company in Hades, foolish Imperial.Prepare to die.” With that, Amalia threw herself forward again. Her first blowknocked Constantine’s shield aside and he felt it torn from his arm as herolled to the left.

“Centurion! Sword!” he shouted.

Julius tossed him his sword, the deadly spatha turning inthe air; Constantine caught its haft with his left hand and turned to face thechieftess, who was disentangling her weapon from the scuta.

She smiled coldly, no doubt thinking that he was weakened,now that he was forced to use his left hand. She rushed in and knocked at hissword with less effort than he expected. Her mistake-but then, how could sheknow that Master Vusentius required all his pupils to learn to fight with bothhands? He easily turned the blow away and dropped into a neat centralslice.

He looked up from one knee to see his handiwork. Amaliastumbled, looked down at the deep red gash that cut across her stomach, thenfell backward.

Constantine rose. As his men rushed in to congratulate him,he held up his hand to stop their inquiries and exultations, and kicked awayher weapons. Then he knelt by her side.

Her bloodstained lips twisted in a grimace. Then she workedher mouth for a moment and spat bloodied spittle in his face. “See you soon,”she croaked.

He stood and looked around. “What could that mean?” hewondered aloud.

Then he felt a gentle tremor, which grew to a shake, andthen a roar as the wall beneath his feet lifted him off the ground.Farther to the south, parts of the wall were being launched into the city andthe bay by a powerful blast. Huge columns of dirty gray water erupted from thewall and rushed to fill the city. Thick smoke rose into the sky, followingrocketing debris.