The king stepped back as he received a blow from the enemy's sword. He took the defensive stance his training required, bringing his shield high with his weak left arm and shoulder. Using his right hand, he thrust his sword downward in a sweeping move to cut the legs of the approaching Nprudian warrior. The Nprudi were excellent swordsmen but were careless in their close-order attacks. Their aggression was uncontrolled. They often would move into the opponent's killing zone too soon or too quickly. This Nprudian was in a hurry to finish off the king, perhaps a reward being his motive.
The king's sword sliced into the left thigh of the rushing enemy, blood quickly spurting from the wound, spilling onto the Nprudi's cuisse. The Nprudian armor had weak plating, especially on the legs. Speed was a Nprudian trait, leg armor was designed to allow quick and decisive moves. The king knew this, of course, and thus the attack to the lower body. The Nprudi hit the ground hard, falling on his left side. The king raised his sword and took a downward blow toward his opponent's right shoulder, finding a soft spot just above the pauldron. The Nprudian's neck was exposed, just enough to end his life.
The Nprudi have yet to improve their armor, the king thought.
Ghelfunn ran to the king and stood beside him just as the Nprudi slumped over dead. "Is your Greatness okay?" Ghelfunn asked. The comment was inappropriate, but the king liked Ghelfunn, so he let it pass.
"I'm fine," the king said. "Don't worry about me. I was fighting the Nprudi while you were still sucking your mother's teat."
"I apologize sir," Ghelfunn said. "I meant no offense. You know my solemn oath is to protect you."
"Kings are nursed by those who look out for him," the king said. "I find it irritating. I accept your apology but remind you I've killed my share of Nprudi."
The king looked eastward over the battlefield before him and smiled. Ghelfunn knew at that moment they had won the day, the Nprudi were finished. The sun was sinking beyond the horizon, the golden glow that was common for that time of day began to enlighten the battlefield. The trees and all the surround plants were shining with that golden hue as blood and pieces of body parts settled into the fertile soil of the plateau. The king was happy. Ghelfunn grinned and said to the king, "I do love to fight."
