Chapter 148 Captain Handsome
The great tower of the castle.
Captain Pedro of the Royal Guard observed the fifteen men, some dead and others dying. Five more had fled down the main corridor, past the royal chambers. He also looked at the nine Blue Knights. Four were wounded, but all nodded, indicating they could fight.
From the east and west wings, groups of royal guards were approaching. Nearly forty, if the captain was not mistaken. They wore leather armor and carried round shields of wood and iron. Their only weapons were swords and daggers.
The knights of Queen Olivia wore chainmail armor over thick leather vests. Their helmets were made of steel, and they were armed with spears, maces, axes, and great swords. Except for the captain, who carried two elegant steel swords and wielded them with hands as agile as serpents.
The gaze of Pedro fell on something else in the corridor, beyond the formation of guards. The man known as Captain Handsome had seen four people in his life who could fight like him. Three of them were servants of the queen. The fourth was Victorino. The tall, powerful man entered the main corridor with the traitorous king and several armed servants.
Pedro: Men, four of you with me. The other five show those guards in the west wing why they are not knights of the realm. The traitorous king is behind these guards. He will die, or we will. Queen Olivia.
Nine voices: Queen Olivia.
In the west wing, the bravery of the guards lasted until they killed one knight of the queen. Another knight lost the use of his left arm for the rest of his life, and yet another would walk with a limp after that day. Eleven of the guards would never see a dawn again. Seven suffered permanent injuries, and four showed their cowardice early in the fight. The four knights who remained held their position in the tower.
In the east corridor, the guard formation was slightly larger. And two strong warriors and a few armed servants were coming to reinforce them. The four knights shattered shields and bodies with their weapons. Captain Pedro sliced through the guards as if he were cutting bread. When he emerged on the other side, his swords were covered in the blood of six men. The servants decided to attack the knights instead of the captain. The king and his son approached him and began to fight like true warriors.
Pedro blocked a powerful sword strike from the count with his swords crossed in a large X and spun around to avoid a blow from the axe of the king. Victorino pushed him with his large shield and the captain crashed into the wall. Pedro let his left knee buckle quickly and leaned his body to that side. The sword of his enemy struck the wall with such force that it could have severed his head. The king moved more slowly and to strike another blow at him but missed by less than the length of a finger. The captain leaped to his feet and slashed at the air with his swords, nearly striking them in the eyes and forcing them back slightly. As they separated, he regained his composure and adjusted to the situation.
The mind of Captain Guapo was trained for combat. His body held the memories of thousands of days of practice. He could win a sword duel against ten common soldiers. Against five skilled knights, he had a chance of success. He knew every attack and defense against all types of weapons. His hand and body speed were a gift from the God of the Greenwood and the Goddess of the Air. His heart was so strong that fear never entered his mind while he was in battle. Pedro knew everything a man could know about combat and killing. He also knew that Victorino was a better fighter than he was.
If they had fought alone, the count would win. But every warrior has a weakness in mind, body, or heart. Pedro knew his weakness was his right hand. That hand was a little slower, a little less strong. Victorino had perfect balance. He fought with shield and sword because he knew his left arm was better suited for defense than for using another weapon. His eyes, like those of Pedro, captured every movement, every intention, and every opportunity. The count had no physical weaknesses, and his courage was that of a man who would rather die than show fear. Amid the attacks, the missed blows, and the adjustments between the three men, Captain Handsome found what he needed.
Pedro made a deliberate mistake in his defense. The man dropped his left sword slightly. The king raised his battle-axe to slash the shoulder of the young knight. If the mistake was real, the young knight would have died. But he reacted quickly to the attack of the old warrior. His body spun around the count, and his sword pierced under the arm of the king. Pedro swiftly plunged his sword into the opening, tearing a hole in flesh and the lung of Valero. The king fell to his knees, the axe clanging against the ground. Blood filled his lungs with every breath. Nothing could save him. His son saw it, as he saw everything else in combat.
Pedro looked Victorino in the eyes as anger, sadness, and hatred filled them. The following attacks were too powerful and less precise. He began using his shield to attack more than to defend. Pedro waited and blocked the attacks. After the fifth attack, he found an opening in the defenses of the count. His right sword struck the shield with such force that the man lost his balance. Pedro dropped this sword and, with both hands, plunged his left hand sword into the kidney of his enemy. A lesser fighter would never have struck such a small gap in his armor. Only the distraction of his dying father caused Victorino to fail.
As both men lay dying on the ground, the captain took the axe of the king and hacked off their heads. He cleaned his swords and sheathed them. He lifted the two heads and walked over to the last four standing knights who were killing the last of the guards and servants.
Pedro spoke in a low voice: We need to find Esteban. I have gifts for the count.