Chapter Five

                                    

                                          
With a loud cry, I sped towards the horde. I could hear Jean's faint cries from behind me, but i know he was too smart to follow me into the horde. The distance between me and the raiders was closing at an alarming rate. I gripped the horse tight with my hips and let go of its mane, aiming my pistols at the raiders. I unleashed seven bullets before one of the guns started clicking every time i pulled the trigger...But every bullet had hit what it was meant to. Before i was among them, i was able to drop seven of the raiders. They're horses scattered, getting in the way of the live raiders, even tripping two of the other horses. 
                          
I threw the empty pistol on the ground and continued to charge forward, firing at the raiders, each bullet hitting exactly where i wanted. 
                          
The space between the horde and i grew smaller and smaller as we charged at each other. From what i could see, none of them carried guns or other long-range weapons, which is why they couldn’t return any attack. 
                          
Swords and bullets clashed as I ran through them, being careful not to waste any bullets. One shot, one kill, every time. I was able to avoid most of their swipes from their swords, but one caught me on my left cheek. 
                          
I ignored the pain as the blood trickled down. My one priority was to take out all of these monsters before they take me out. I wheeled my horse around in a sharp pirouette just in time to see a black blade slash at my face. The tip of the blade caught under my chin and cut up to my eyebrow, cutting across my eye and cheek.
                          
I blindly shot towards the raider, opening my good eye just in time to see him drop from his horse. Despite the searing pain, I continued to fight… that is, until i ran out of bullets. 
                          
Every bullet i shot had hit its intended target, but there was still a good ten of them left. At least thirty were dead. I was cut everywhere, mostly minor cuts and maybe a few gashes… on my arms, my legs, my back and my stomach… The only truly disabling wound was the gash across my eye.
                          
The raiders circled me, all of their swords pointed in my direction. I dropped the emptied pistol and climbed down from my horse, dropping to my knees on the ground. The horse bolted the second i hit the ground, running to the middle of the field and out of sight. 
                          
I remained on my knees while one of the raiders got down from his dark horse and stomped over to me. He grabbed me by the hair and spat in my face before kicking me in my stomach. I groaned and fell to the ground, landing on my right side… my gashed eye getting plenty of dirt in it. 
                          
The other raiders stayed on their horses and watched… waited… waiting, for something. For something that i didn't know. I looked up from the ground to see Jean on a hill, also watching… waiting… But doing nothing to induce whatever he was waiting for. 
                          
“Mother...fuckers…” I groaned as i sat up and coughed up blood.
                          
The raider turned back around and kicked me again, before making me stand. I looked him dead in the eye, and then spat blood in his face and with all my strength, pushing him away. He stumbled back with a cry of surprise, and i bent over and picked up a sword from a dead raider. Although i have no experience with a sword at all, it was the only weapon i had. Actually, before today i had never shot a gun before… so it looks like i'm going to have to be a fast learner.
                          
I lunged forward with the sword, sinking the blade deep into the raider’s throat. He hung on the blade for a moment before his body weight pulled on him and he fell off of the blade with a thud. 
                          
“Come on and fight me, you cowards. All at once, run at me on your horses. Trample me, gang up on me… Kill me like you originally intended to!” I yelled, straightening and holding the sword out. 
                          
They seemed to have talked among themselves for a moment before charging at me again. I ran and jumped towards a horse, then kicked off of it’s side and jumped towards another raider, knocking both off of their horses. I climbed on top of a free horse and ducked behind it's head every time a sword was sent my way… which was every few seconds.
                          
“What's the matter? Can’t handle a nineteen year old girl?” I jeered.
                          
Don't get me wrong, my face had literally gone numb with pain if that's even possible, and my left arm didn't feel much better from swinging a heavy sword around. 
                          
“Get her!” One of the raiders yelled and raced towards me. 
                          
The whole fight was basically me pivoting in circles, slashing at anyone who got near me. Every once in awhile i would glance up to the hill to see Jean still there, waiting… watching.
                          
I slashed and slew, ducked and lunged, but their numbers weren’t decreasing as fast as i would like. In fact, i was wearing down...fast. The small cuts all over my body began to sting as i moved and reopened old scars. But i wasn't going to give up until i was dead… but it looks like the raiders are thinking the same thing. Eventually, one of the raiders took a jab at the horse, not me.
                          
The horse fell onto the ground, trapping me under it. I struggled to get up before a raider could take another jab at me, but my strength was low and the horse was heavy. I got one leg out from under the horse and took an armor plate from the horse’s body and i did the only thing i could do.
                          
I continued to fight, and fight, and fight until all of the raider’s were dead, the once golden field stained crimson.