Knights of Vocaldom

They seemed an endless horde across that morning field. Soulless soldiers of metal, animated by greed, stood row by row as fog filled the narrow valley. The endless ranks of automatons had long assaulted their realm, and yet today they would be held. The enemy bore no banners, for there was no cause nor honor to them.

“How many rallied to our cause?” the General asked his young Squire as he surveyed their foe. He hated them–the antithesis of all the General fought for, worked for, lived for.

“By my count this morning sir, four thousand and fifty-five,” the Squire said at attention.

Four thousand. A number once upon a time he could only have dreamed about.

“Too few against such a fearsome horde,” the General said somberly.

“They will come,” the Squire said sternly. It brought joy to the General that even in the face of such a foe, there was still hope. his Squire was worth a hundred thousand of the automatons, if not more.

“Either way…we will–”

A piercing war horn drowned out the dread silence marking the coming battle. As the morning sun shattered the wall of fog, the streaming brilliance illuminated a gold Unicorn banner encircled by a silver rising sun. Behind, marched an army twenty-thousand strong.

“Is that who I think it is?”

“Gods above…it’s King Stewart himself…” the General said, disbelieving the miracle before him.

‘Then that means…”

“Yes!” the General yelled, renewed by the appearance of such esteemed friends unsought, “there, leading the van, look! The dread knights of Sir Wiggins and Sir Roddewig.”

“That banner there on the left, that’s Sir Read’s, is it not?”

“An honored position, worthy placement for such a noble.” A smile breached the General’s lips. With such allies upon the field, their enemy's dread power abated.

Then from the south, another orchestra broke the morning. “Look, sir. They’ve heeded our call!”

Another venerable host broke the haze, led by the duel queens of Lady Moore and Lady Holmes, adorned with more honors combined than their his own host could hardly dream to earn.

More gathered as the hours passed. From the southern marches came Sir Crandell. From the depths of the eternal wood rode the Ladies Clarey and Starks with the most elegant warriors the world had yet seen.

Sir Taylor, Sir Stockton, and Sir Penn approached to bolster their flanks, while Sir Addison and Lady Hubler strengthened the center.

Finally, the noblest hosts sworn to the Houses Shepard, Schäfer, Reddall, Calder, and Kalchik arrived. Even as they gathered, the braves of House Defoe sauntered forward and thumbed their noses towards the Automatons. As the General admired this great army, he spurred his horse up and down the ranks as the Automatons stood frozen, awaiting their insidious commands.

“My friends, today is the day! Outnumbered though we may be, the enemy has no heart to match our strength. Lest we fall, do so with stout heart that our sacrifice here will be sung for ages to come. When the seals are broken and Armageddon threatens, know our resistance shall be remembered. And may victory come, know that it is our struggle that paves the way for that glorious day! Come my friends! Ride on! Ride to Victory! Ride to Ruin! Ride in Glory against this horde that has none! Ride!”

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A/N:

Yeah so I breached the 4000 read mark and thought some thanks were in order. I could have chosen a few different times to celebrate crossing proverbial rivers, but 4000 seemed right. If history has taught me anything, 1000 is a rabble, 2000 an annoyance, 3000 doomed to failure, but if you get 4000 you've got yourself a right proper rebellion. Then when you get to 5000, you've moved from a large rebellion to small army and you have to start counting all over again. Thank you all for the support! I'm sure I missed some folks; know any omission is not a slight, but a lack of caffeine.

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