Legacy: A Father's Tale

By Roger Laird

Over a thousand years has passed since The Great Disaster changed the geography of our world forever. Technology has fallen away from the world and feudal society has emerged again. New warriors have taken up the weapons of older times. General Tao Blight has risen to meet his fate and fight alongside them as the leader of Aodhan's First Royal Army. His fellow soldiers and countrymen have freely given him their respect, but they might start to question where his loyalties lay if they found out his true heritage.
Tao has not always belonged to the country he now serves. His childhood home was located in the disputed territories, far closer to the Naichian Empire’s border than the border of the Aodhan Kingdom. There had been a time when his father kept a strong stance of neutrality when it came to matters regarding the feuding countries, but his ideal of neutrality could not persevere when his homeland was the subject of dispute.
Tao's mother was murdered after his father enlisted in the Imperial Military. Her death served as the catalyst that drove Tao and his father to opposite sides of an extreme conflict. Now, Tao is on the brink of ending the war once and for all. But how will he cope when he is forced to face the memories of his complex past?
Join Tao in LEGACY: A FATHER’S TALE as he attempts to create a new legacy and fights for the peace his world so greatly desires.

About 83000 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roger Laird
• Release date: Sep 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465721945

Roger Laird

Roger Laird is a first time novel writer. He is a husband and a father to four wonderful children. He has been writing poetry and short stories for many years. The basis of his first novel series stems from his high school writing years,but was mostly worked on in the creative stage over time. He began writing his first novel,Legacy: Beginnings on a regular basis in January of 2011 and just finished writing it in July of 2011. Roger was a Machinist who programmed and setup CNC Lathes and Mills for a living. He had 11 years of experience with machining,but lost his career when the economy crashed in December of 2008. Instead of trying to find work in a suffering field,he decided to return to school to study Psychology. He earned his AA in Social Sciences from College of the Sequoias in Visalia,CA in May of 2011. He is currently attending California State University,Fresno in pursuit of a BA in Psychology. He loves spending time with his family. They enjoy trips to the beach,camping,attending amusement parks,and hiking outdoors. Roger and his wife also enjoy taking artistic photographs for fun. They have been happily married for five years and are looking forward to the future. If you wish to contact the author please write him at [e-mail]

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Acknowledgments

A special thank you to my wife, Heather, for listening to me ramble on about things she had no interest in while I was going through the creative process.

To Kevin and Jennifer for inspiring the foundations of the story.

To my mother-in-law, Linda, for helping with creative criticism and typographical editing.

To my family, friends, and professors who expressed an interest in the genre of book I was writing. Your support gave me the validation needed to justify finishing the story.

And finally to Saul Villegas, your artistry truly captured the vision of my book.

Preface

Not long after the beginning of the twenty first century, a natural disaster occurred that was driven by the actions of men. The scientific rules that had governed the world were stretched to their limits. As these rules could not be broken, the world snapped back to correct its position in the universe. This event later became known as The Great Disaster. At the time of The Great Disaster, there were over ten billion humans living on Earth. Nearly all perished in The Great Disaster. Many more died in the chaos that followed.

The only portions of the known world inhabitable by humans after the Great Disaster sat on the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. The world bulged out beneath the Eastern hemisphere, raising the elevations of the major tectonic plates in that portion of the world. The African plate slammed into the Eurasian plate, forming the highest mountain ranges ever known and merging the two continents into one. The other plates were mostly covered by water when the polar ice caps broke apart and melted, causing ocean levels to rise.  Any survivors in the mountainous regions still above water were evacuated to the sole surviving continent.

In the chaos, survivors sought to explain what had caused this event. Much of the blame fell on the scientific community, and, as unlikely as it may seem, all traces technology and most sciences were removed from the Earth in a process lasting hundreds of years. Society fell apart, and crumbled again resulting in a vicious cycle. Eventually, people banned together, forming two new countries, the Aodhan Kingdom and the Naichian Empire. These countries were modeled after the ideals that ancient cultures lived by long before The Great Disaster.

Over a thousand years passed. Humanity became a mere shadow of its former self. Feudalism won out as a way of life and was practiced with far greater success than ever before. A great peace was won, and it lasted many years. A neutral territory had been allowed to exist as a buffer between the two countries. The territory’s leader, in his greed, caused a new war between the last two civilizations on the Earth. Now, a new generation of warriors must rise up to meet their fate and leave their legacy on the world.

Legacy

A Father’s Tale

Chapter I

The Final Battle

Voices whispered in the early morning air. The Royal Aodhan Army sat ready to raid the camp of the Great Imperial Army. The thick trees on the west side of the Imperial encampment made it an unlikely area from which any large force could attack. Under normal circumstances, it would take a force as large as theirs weeks to travel through the forest. Even then, they would not have gone unnoticed. However, the force had managed to sneak almost seven thousand men and two and a half thousand horses within a quarter mile of the camp through a deep ravine that had been overlooked in the thick forest by the Imperial forces. It had taken The First Royal Army under five days to traverse the distance from the western edge of the forest, through the barren terrain at the bottom of the ravine, and to the brink of the Great Imperial Army’s camp.

 Now, just before dawn, the soldiers sat in silence. A scout rode down the line of soldiers at break neck speed. The General had been waiting at the northern end of the Aodhan lines for the return of this scout, but due to a dispute between two officers, he was now at the southern end.

General Tao, we must act now before the enemy awakens. It is imperative that our raid be a surprise or we will stand no chance against the enemy, argued one of the officers.

 You must trust General Tao’s judgment. If he says we should wait for the return of the scout then we must wait, even if it takes all day. Do you not trust him? replied Gavin, the other officer.

Tao if you will not order the attack, then I will! the officer threatened.

You would commit such treason against your country? The Queen has placed me in command over this entire army. That includes your unit. You are simply a leader for your unit. If you do not wish to follow my orders I give you permission to leave, and I will appoint a new officer. Here comes my messenger now. Stay here and await the signal! We will attack within the hour. Tao pulled on the reins of his horse and kicked its flanks to ride to meet the messenger.

General, General I bring news from the Queen’s Second and Third Royal Armies. Maverick, in command of the Second Royal Army, is already on the move and as we speak, is approaching the battlefield from the south. He estimates that he will arrive at eight o’clock. The Third Royal Army has finished its conquest in the north and should be en route. They plan to arrive here no later than ten o’clock.

You have been faithful good man. You must be tired from riding through the night. The camp is seven miles to the west. Return there and rest. You deserve it, said Tao.

No, I will go to battle with the rest of the men sir. It is my duty to serve the Queen.

Very well, join Gavin’s unit, but be sure to guard yourself. It would be an ill fate to die because you were weary. Tao pulled the reins of his horse, turned, and rode away.

Tao reached his cavalry unit in a short time. When he arrived, he stopped, facing them. He was proud to see the faces of the same seventy men who had fought beside him for half a decade. He began to speak, We have been together since the beginning of this war. Now, we face the battle that will surely end the war, no matter who wins. You have fought valiantly and have earned the blessing of the goddess of war herself. It is as if she has granted us immortality in battle. We haven’t lost a single warrior on the battlefield. There is no doubt that we will face the unit of the Commander of the Imperial Army today. The Third Royal Army has finished the Imperial troops in the north. Both the Second and Third Royal Armies will be joining us here. Before today, we fought to protect the honor of our Mother Queen, our Mother Country, and our families. Today our reasons carry a new importance. We fight with the hope of ending this war and traveling home to our families that have long awaited our return. Your wives await you. Every day they watch the road for your horses. Your children run and play in the gardens. They will run to you with tears of joy pouring down their faces as you return with news of our victory. Your children will embrace you and beg to hear the stories of your travels. His voice trailed off as his mind wandered to his own family. He could see his wife, working in her personal garden at their estate. He imagined his sons running all over the grounds, pursuing each other as they laughed and played games. He imagined the boys running and playing in the forest with their caregivers. Even the two girls who cared for the boys were like his daughters now. His boys were nearly three years old when the border conflicts had escalated to full scale war. He caught himself and then proclaimed, We must not fail! Light the arrow and signal the attack!

An archer uncovered a small lantern and lit the tip of his arrow. He aimed up and loosed the bolt. Archers poised in the brush near the edge of the encampment used bows to kill the sentries in the watchtowers so that the attack bells could not be sounded.

A moment later the army charged from the forest into the camp. The men avoided yelling as they advanced to keep from alerting their enemies. As they advanced, men ran into the tents of the enemy. The men on horses used torches to light the tents on fire as they rode down the aisles. Enemy soldiers ran from the tents unarmed, wearing their sleeping clothes. Many of the enemy soldiers were killed in the confusion. Tao regretted the necessity of killing the unarmed men. He wished that they could take them prisoner. The nature of their attack prevented this possibility. If they did not press the attack, it would give the enemy time to respond and his men would be overwhelmed. He knew his forces were greatly outnumbered until reinforcements arrived. Surprise was their only advantage.

 As Tao and his men rode through the camp, they witnessed the battle heating up. Men came from the tents holding weapons in their hands. He swung his sword down over and over, killing many men. Soon his unit encountered Imperial soldiers running from their tents in full armor and carrying their weapons. They ran towards the battle, still worn from sleep. Tao’s men pressed forward, towards the middle of the camp. The enemy soldiers were now organizing into battalions before attacking.

A man in heavy black armor ran from his tent and drew his sword against them. Tao jumped from his stallion. He raised his sword in the air, and when it gleamed in the early light of dawn, the man turned to run. As Tao gained on the man, he swung, cutting the man’s head clean from his shoulders. The blood splattered on the ground, and the man’s body fell to be trampled by the other soldiers. Tao remounted his steed and pressed on.

As they moved deeper into the camp, they encountered men running into battle who were no longer weary from sleep. Soon, the horses could no longer run, but had to walk through the enemy soldiers pouring into the aisles between the tents. The cavalry soldiers struck down as many enemies as they could, but too many enemy soldiers had stopped to fight them. They dismounted and pulled their shields from behind their saddles. Tao began to shout orders to the men. They formed a half circle in front of the horses as several of the younger soldiers began to lead the horses back out of the battle. Only a few horses were kept nearby. Tao’s was among them. As he watched the other horses leave, he saw a sea of smoke and dead bodies that lay to the west, where the advance had started.

A man on a black stallion, wearing armor that was as black as the night, rode into the battle at a full gallop. His horse was so large that the horse and rider trampled the Imperial soldiers with ease. The man’s sword cut five or more men to the ground with each swing, and a path was cut through the enemy ranks. Tao ordered his fastest rider to follow the man and lead him back to Tao. The rider mounted his horse and sped off after the black Knight. Tao watched until they were both gone from sight. Then he returned his focus to the battle at hand.

Tao climbed back onto his horse to survey the other areas of the battlefield. He continued to shout orders to his men. After another hour, Tao heard a blast from a battle horn. He turned to the south to see units from the Second Royal Army appear on a hill to the south. They charged into the battle without hesitation and began fighting their way towards the middle of the enemy encampment. The First Royal Army soldiers around Tao cheered. The Imperial soldiers were overcome with a look of despair. Many enemies turned and ran into the encampment toward the east.

After a few more hours passed, the horns of the Third Royal Army could be heard from the north. Tao and his unit continued to push toward the east. The men in the Royal Cavalry had been fighting hard, without any sign that the enemy ranks were being depleted.

Soon, men started coming from the south and were helping the cavalry to advance their ground. Tao could tell by the armor that they were men from the Second Royal Army. One of the men came to the General and told him that General Maverick had sent them to relieve Tao and his men. The man also told them that Tao’s unit needed to go back to a small encampment that the Second Royal Army had set up to the south as a command center.

Tao ordered his men to find their horses and meet him at the command post. He rode through the battlefield toward the south, meeting little resistance along the way. The ground began to slope upwards as he grew closer to his destination. When Tao looked back at the battlefield, he saw thousands of bodies. A wake of destruction began in the west and became progressively worse as it moved east. He could see where his men had been joined by the soldiers from the Second Royal Army. They had only advanced through half of the enemy encampment. When he neared the military outpost, he was greeted by four men on horses.

Chapter II

The Blood on his Hands

Nice to see you have returned from battle untouched once again dear friend, said Maverick as Tao reached the group of men.

Not true, I have received a scratch on my arm from dismounting my horse. My arm was entangled in the reins. See. Tao lifted his sleeve to show a scratch that was only about two inches in length.

Still the same pessimistic bastard that I have always known. Both men laughed.

When they reached the outpost, Tao and Maverick dismounted and went into a large tent. In the middle of the room, there was a large circular table with five men around it. There was a map of the area spread in the middle and staked open at each corner with a dagger. One of the men greeted Tao. Then the man began to explain the map.

The fort that was in the middle of the enemy camp was also in the center of the map. The advancement of the First Royal Army from where they had begun the attack in the west was also marked. It also showed where the Second Army had advanced from the south and how they had sent units in and surrounded the fort in the middle. There was also a small area circled in orange. The man explained that it was the area that Tao and his men had been fighting in before they were relieved by the other soldiers. Finally, there was a small area at the east end of the camp that had been circled in green.

What is this area in Green? Tao asked the man.

That was the reason we called for you and your men. Most of the eastern part of the camp has been abandoned. The soldiers have either deserted to the eastern forest and fled back to their country, or moved to the west to join the battle. We sent a company of over five hundred men into the east part of the camp. They were attacked by a group of ninety or so soldiers. Only one of our soldiers was able to escape and make it back here. Furthermore, the soldier reported that they were unable to kill a single soldier from the enemy unit. For such a small group to kill so many without suffering casualty must mean they have prodigious skill. We need your unit to attack these men in hopes of avoiding massive casualties on our side.

Tao agreed and walked out of the tent. Maverick followed. Tao’s men had located their horses and were waiting outside. Tao and Maverick mounted their horses and the group began to ride toward the area. Is there any news of the location of the Imperial Commander?

No, but he must be there. Warriors of that skill must be protecting someone of great importance. Do you truly intend to kill him? Tao nodded and Maverick continued, They say he is immortal and can grant invulnerability to those around him, but then again I have heard the same of you. If you intend to kill him, then I will fight beside you.

Tao, Maverick, and Tao’s men rode through the devastated Imperial camp. As they came close to the area, Tao and his men dismounted their horses and continued on foot. The tents were all circled around the outside, with a clearing in the middle. There were empty weapon racks outside each tent and there were no enemies in sight.

A boisterous voice boomed from one of the tents, We have been waiting for you, Tao. We will enjoy killing you.

Tao spun around to see a man walk from a tent. He was six and a half feet tall and about three hundred pounds of muscle and bone. His sole pieces of armor were two vambraces. He wore a thin pair of pants and a sleeveless shirt. His appearance was that of a peasant, but Tao did not let this affect his judgment of the man. Each vambrace was marked with gouges where the man had blocked blows from swords and other weapons. He held the handle of a two handed, double edged axe positioned over his right shoulder.

Tao saw more men step from the tents to surround them. The man said, We have you outnumbered ninety-six against seventy. The Commander would have loved to watch you die like the dog that you are, but he said he couldn’t stand to see the face of a man who killed his own mother and still walks around claiming the chivalry of Knighthood. He reached down and took a dagger from his belt with his left hand, smiled, and threw it at Tao.

Leaning slightly to the left, to avoid injury if he missed, Tao reached up with lightning reflexes and caught the dagger by the handle. He threw it aside. Try to catch this one, bellowed the man. In one motion, he swung the double bladed axe from his shoulder and threw it at Tao.

As the axe spun sideways through the air, a giant man leapt into the circle halfway between Tao and the enemy soldier. He reached out with both his hands and grabbed the handle of the axe as it flew. He spun twice with the motion of the weapon and released it back toward its owner.

The large man was too slow in his reaction. He raised his hands to deflect the missile. The blade passed just above the vambraces and cut the man’s hands off at the wrist, rotated half a turn more, and cut the man’s head from his shoulders with a shower of blood. His head struck the ground an instant before his body. As if it had been the signal they were all waiting for, the soldiers on both sides bellowed and ran forward.

Tao drew his sword and ran towards the enemy. He stabbed the first soldier in the chest. His sword passed through the man’s mail and out his back. He pulled his sword free, advancing on the next man slicing through the man’s wooden shield and severing his arm. The man fell to his knees and grasped the bleeding stump of his arm screaming. Tao removed the man’s head with a flick of his wrist and moved on. The next man swung a mace down at Tao’s head. Tao raised his shield to block the blow and slipped the tip of his sword between the man’s ribs and twisted the blade breaking them. Then he thrust it further until the man went limp. He pulled the blade back, and as the man fell, another enemy ran at Tao from directly behind the fallen soldier. Tao thrust the sword into the man’s throat and he fell dead at Tao’s feet. Tao swung at the next man’s waist and rend him in two. He swung his sword down on the next man’s head. The sword peeled as it struck the man’s helm and cut into his skull. A look of horror was still in the soldier’s eyes as he hit his knees. Tao put his foot on the man’s shoulder and pulled the sword out of the man’s head. He struck down the next three men in a similar manner. After Tao struck down his last enemy, he turned to see how his men had handled the battle. Most of the men had already gone to search for goods in the tents of the enemy. He yelled, Remember, that if any of you find the Commander, bring him to me alive. Then he noticed a small group of soldiers in a circle.

When he finally pushed through the circle into the middle, he saw his friend, Maverick, lying on the ground. Maverick’s daughter, Misty, was kneeling next to him crying. Tao had not noticed that she accompanied them when they had left the command tent, though it did not surprise him. She turned to Tao and said, My father is dead. With his last words he told me that he wanted me to follow you and watch over you. He told me he loved you as a son and he was honored to die in battle beside you. He said that he wished he could have done more to take care of you. She kept the words that her father had intended only for her private.

Tao wiped the tears from his eyes. As his vision came back into focus, his eyes fell on the giant that had saved him from the axe. He pushed down the emotions he felt for the loss of his friend and addressed the man, Malcolm, thank you for joining us, I take it that my man was able to find you and give you word to meet me.

Yes, I caught the man when I moved behind a tent, he is lucky he has a quick tongue too. If he hadn’t spit out his feeble sentence about you sending him as soon as I grabbed him it would have been too late.

I will have to be more careful if I have someone follow you in the future.

It would be wiser to not have someone follow me in the future.

This is not the time to discuss this. Will you please carry Maverick for me? I want to give him a proper burial?

Malcolm picked Maverick up off the ground and began walking toward the forest. Both Tao and Misty, along with a few other soldiers, followed Malcolm into the woods. They found a clearing about fifty yards past the edge of the forest. They worked to dig a shallow grave. After it was done Malcolm lay Maverick down into it. Then they covered him with the dirt. Tao made a grave marker with some stones, and then said his blessing over his dear friend. Misty knelt down before her father’s grave and said a few words through her tears.

Then Malcolm came forward and gave his parting words, You were a great leader to your men, and even, a friend to me. It was a great honor to fight alongside you. I am proud to see that there are still great men in this world. You truly deserved your title as a Knight of the Queen of Aodhan. You possessed all the true qualities of a Knight, in a time which they have been forgotten. Your story of victory will not be forgotten in our hearts or in the hearts of the people whom you died for. Malcolm picked some white flowers from the earth. He took the pedals and spread them over the grave. Then he turned to Misty and said, "You are your father’s daughter. He wished you to go with Tao when this war ended to watch after him. I will go too, so that I may watch over you. I have never held an allegiance to a country. I served your father loyally for many years