The Crusade | Teen Ink

The Crusade

November 5, 2010
By ParkerE BRONZE, Darboy, Wisconsin
ParkerE BRONZE, Darboy, Wisconsin
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

A young man with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes dressed in armor shining red, yellow and black sat on a small cot inside of a cramped tent. He was staring at a large piece of black metal with yellow decals cut perfectly to fit his head; this would be used as his helmet. This young man was trained from before he could remember to rid the world of demons. Though he was different than the other crusaders who were also trained with him, he had a gift. He had the ability to manipulate and control pure light into attacks that would devastate demons and revert undead to ash. As soon as others learned about this power others who also have received the same gift called paladins had trained him in the ways of the light. Advancing quickly in the training the paladins could see that this young boy could very well be the start of something big and could possibly protect the world from evil. For this they gave him the name of Enzeru, which meant the guardian angel.

“Stop daydreaming boy! You must prepare!” An older voice boomed. The sudden noise made Enzeru jump; he looked up to see his master, the last paladin not including himself.

“I’m terribly sorry master I will be right out.” bowing his head as he apologized while the paladin walked out of the tent.

Enzeru peered into the face of the mask one final time and placed it on his face feeling the cold metal against his skin; he then pulled a large black and blood red chain mail hood over his head finally concealing every inch of his body in bright heavy armor. He jumped up to his feet, the chain mail crashed against the metal plate and made Enzeru smirk, he loved that sound, the sound of metal clashing with metal. Enzeru reached his large metal gauntlet through the small cloth opening of his tent and pushed it aside ducking and inching his way outside. The young paladin looked up at the sky noticing it being strange and unnaturally dark with an ominous feeling to it. He looked down to see crusaders leaving the tents to sharpen their weapons and make repairs to their armor, they were preparing, just as he was. Enzeru then started his way towards the end of the cliff where his master’s tent was located. Upon arriving Enzeru could see his master waiting at the end of the cliff looking down with a large hammer resting on his back. He approached his master slowly; he could hear the small pebbles and dirt scrape and clang against his armor. The older paladin heard this sound and turned to see his apprentice.

“Come” the paladin said “come and see the plague that we must stop from spreading.”
Enzeru walked up to the edge of the cliff to see hundreds maybe even thousands of undead off in the horizon marching towards the cliff. He couldn’t help but smirk behind his expressionless helmet, this will be fun he thought. The young paladin glanced down to see a blue shield with golden decals and a large golden lion on the face. Sleeping next the bright shield was a large sword with a golden hilt that had a blade that shined and reflected light even in the darkness.

“What are those?” Enzeru thought out loud. The older paladin looked down near his metal greaves and picked up the resting sword and shield.

“This sword and shield were special crafted; the sword was imbued with light to cut undead without effort, and the shield was crafted with the hardest metal available to protect what we stand for” his master stated “these here, are yours.” The pair hovered in front of him, begging him to wield them. Enzeru reached out slow but eager hands and rapped his fingers around the sword and shield. They pair glowed fusing with his glowing aura of light, approving their new master and becoming one with him, an extension of his own body. Enzeru then panned his vision behind him to see a few hundred crusaders lined up in shining armor and weapons of all kinds in hand.

“Today!” the paladin boomed, “today we stop this plague that infests our lands! We will destroy these abominations and have them begging for their undead lives! Today the light will triumph over darkness! Charge my brothers and show these monstrosities no mercy!”

The army raised their weapons and roared, their moral was through the roof, there was no way they would lose. Enzeru turned slowly while the crusaders blurred past him sliding down the cliff into the fray. Sword and shield in hand he jumped and slid down into the cluster of allies and enemies, the sound of swords clashing with bone and steel echoed in his helmet. He then raised his shield just in time to block an axe aimed for his head; Enzeru peered over the shield to see a rotting undead with glowing blue eyes. Seeing the bones of the enemies arm started to make him sick, he quickly pushed the axe away throwing it off guard and lunged into the rotting undead, the sword sliced through the flesh of the stomach with ease. Just then the undead grabbed Enzeru’s hand causing his sword to stay inside it.

Enzeru smirked “you should have just gone down,” his sword then burst with light causing the monster to disintegrate instantly. He then raised his hand creating a cone of light in front of him reverting everything but his allies to ash. What was everyone so worried about? My chores are harder than this! He thought to himself almost laughing. Enzeru then raised his sword to set up for a vertical slash to an unsuspecting opponent. Just then a burst of light came from his right destroying all undead it touched, panning to the right his master came into view with an aura almost blinding facing a strange ominous figure. This figure was different than the others; he wore black and blue armor shaped like skulls that seemed to secrete darkness itself. The paladin charged in with his mace in hand striking at the dark man. The attack connected with his shoulder, he looked at it and burst out in a laugh that sent a chill down Enzeru’s spine. The figure then pushed the older paladin backwards and lunged a large jagged sword into him. The paladin fell to the ground and Enzeru stood in place, stunned, did I just witness master’s death? His head dropped, No, he couldn’t be dead. An aura of light started to form around Enzeru, growing, festering, bursting with rage; he then turned and charged towards the man with great speed. Just as the young paladin got near he threw his shield hitting the man in the face and having his sword follow piercing his stomach and throwing him to the ground. He then rushed over to his master who was lying on the ground; his eyes seemed distant, staring into nothingness. Enzeru rubbed his armored hand slowly and gently across his master’s face, closing his eyes. Just as Enzeru got up and turned around the dark armored man too was getting up, still with his holy sword impaled in his stomach. “My my, aren't we being a bit hasty, well allow me to be the gentlemen and introduce myself, my name is Morganis.” he said with a bow. “Well, this sword is quite a pain,” he slowly retracted the sword from his body and snapped the holy blade with his dark armored hand. “Pardon me, I neglected to ask for your name little paladin.”

“Never mind the names, they don't matter to someone that is soon to be dead” Enzeru snapped.

“Well, there's one problem with that statement, I'M ALREADY DEAD!” He roared as he exploded with unholy energy that blighted the land underneath him. Enzeru then released a mass amount of holy energy conflicting with the unholy blight of Morganis. His holy power started to manifest itself into wings of light. “Wings? That will do you no good without a weapon paladin!” Morganis screamed while charging him. Just as Morganis got near about to downwards stroke into the paladin's skull Enzeru raised his hand and caught the dark blade. He then kicked the unholy knight sending him flying backwards leaving his sword behind. Enzeru then engulfed his hands in holy light manipulating it into two swords. In a flash he jumped and glided near the ground approaching Morganis kneeling off in the distant. Enzeru began to spin into a holy tornado, “Now Morganis,” he began, “now you shall truly know death! Face my holy wrath!”

“So this is the end,” Morganis bowed his head and grinned, “then so be it.” Enzeru ran through the defenseless knight turning him to ash, he then skidded to a stop as all the undead in the field crumbled. They have no will, when they have no one to command them, they fall. Enzeru then fell backwards colliding with the ground, all his power had been drained and his aura of light had faded. He looked up and saw a small patch of blue sky, today, is going to be a beautiful day, he thought as he closed his eyes.



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