The Rape of the Reach, or the Myth of Red Eagle, Chapter XIV: The Last Battle

Héstram called for Tulír, who made way to her camp. When he came in, he was greeted by the severed head of Orcí on the table. Héstram was seated on her provisional throne.
She said: "It seems one of our problems is solved, but not all. We are still left with Faolan and his men. Come, let us walk through the camp and discuss this matter."
They left the tent and walked through the camp. They inspected the troops, who were growing tired of the long campaign, and were afraid of the fierceness of Faolan. The Reachian allies were becoming increasingly stubborn and unruly, and some doubted Héstram's own might.
Héstram spoke: "Do you see the fear in their eyes, and the weakness in their scared flesh? This is what Faolan is doing to us right now. I am concerned myself, indeed. He proves to be more than simply a nuisance, and we need to deal with him at the first possibility. And we can only do that if we know who and what he is."
Tulír spoke: "The men of the Reach have discussed this greatly, and it seems what Orcí told earlier was correct. They have stories of these Bráircórs, and of their strengths. Faolan fits these tales. I am afraid I know of no way to defeat them, other than the help of the gods. We can only hope that his men loose fate in him."
Héstram replied: "I do no see them do that. He is giving them victory, and they have no cause for sorrow at this moment."
Tulír spoke: "That is not true, Héstram. The Reachmen are a proud people, who value the warrior code. Faolan had broken this with his Warp-Spasm, and his unfair treatment of Orcí. He is, to his men, a monster. And I share their perception of him. He is a spurn of evil, and is willing to even sacrifice his men without a second thought if he can fight you out, queen of the South. Not because of your conquest anymore, but because of your personal feud. He is a traitor to his own cause, and the lowest of lowest in the Reach."
Tulír's head was cracked open by a rock, thrown by Faolan, who was watching and listening to the camp from a near hilltop. Héstram looked at him, and Andoe, who stood next to the King, his back to the camp and his head low.
Héstram ordered the soldiers to give the body of Tulír a worthy burial, and that is how the priest ended. She went back to the camp, to gather her armour and arms, for she was about to meet Faolan for the final time.
By the next Dawn she set out to the ford where she first met the Eagle. She knew that Faolan would be there, for Kai told her. When she arrived, she saw Faolan hunting some deer. Before his javelin hit, Héstram shot the deer with her magicka-feat. Faolan stood upright and looked at her.
Héstram spoke: "Greetings King Faolan. I see you are hunting here. Under normal circumstances I would hunt you a deer, and share another. I would catch you a salmon, and shared another. I would give you to drink of the purest waters. Yet these aren't normal circumstances. I want you to know that I do not take kindly to the assassination (for this is what they were) of my generals and lieutenants. I am here to make sure such a thing does not happen anymore."
Faolan spoke: "Hail, 'queen'. Even if you would hunt and catch fish for me, I would not accept them (for it was an insult to deny these gifts). I do not negotiate with invaders and false pretenders to my and my brothers' position. Leave these lands now, or fight for it."
Héstram replied: "If that is what you want. Meet me here tomorrow at dawn. We will fight, and we will decide the fate of the Reach for ever. So it will be before by your Old Gods and Kai, who will be my protector."
Héstram turned around and spend the night at her camp. Faolan remained at the ford, and continued his Hunt.
When the Dawn broke both were at the ford. Faolan was wearing his loincloth, and the head of a deer, which was radiating rage and bloodlust. His skin was pale as if it had deceased. His hands shot uncontrollable bursts of fire and frost and lightning, and the cuts on his body, some of which he received in his earlier days, looked fresh, without bleeding. On his hips were two great scabbards, each holding a sword the size of a springling in the early summer. On his back were nine times nine javelins, each one the size of a tower. He held no shield nor armour, for his muscles had grown numb to pain.
Héstram wore her White-Gold armour. Two dragons, springing from the ruby on her stomach circled her breasts, each shouting fire, coming together on the Cim Aedáibh Baím, which was on her chest. Her legs were protected by shin guards which were as heavy as three mountains each, made of solid White-Gold. On her hip was a giant scabbard, which held her White-Gold sword, as heavy as a hundred year old oak, with a giant ruby as pommel. She had eight times eight javelins on her back, each the size of White-Gold. She held a shield, of solid White-Gold, with a giant boss big enough to hold a prize boar. On the shield were eight circles, each depicting a different item [Hourglass, Wheel, Anvil, Triangle, Chalice, Star, Flower, Dove]. The shield was big enough to shelter eight times eight men on a stormy day.
Héstram was the first to speak: "Normally, it would be you who is to choose the first means of combat, but it seems neither of us cares much for custom anymore. Since I am the rightful owner of these lands, I say we will fight with magicka first".
So they did. Héstram shot fire and frost and lightning at Faolan, but the Eagle dodged each shot. He returned, and every spell broke off on her armour. During the fight, Julach descended, and made Faolan's magicka unstable. His fireballs shot of target, and his lightning fried himself.
Faolan lamented: "Why do you do this, Julach? I haven't betrayed you!"
Julach spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her magicka-feats.
She spoke again: "Let's stop this battle of magic. Next, let us try our tactical skills"
Both stood on the opposite sides of the ford. They each sought the best way to attack, be it to climb the trees, to cross the ford, or to attack by range. Both, at times, dashed in and lashed at each other. Héstram's armour caught each blow, just as Faolan's flesh did. During the fight, Shtaerr descended, and made Faolan's reasoning soft. He misjudged his jump, slipped, and landed with his head on a rock in the stream. Blood and eight teeth dropped from the Stag Head.
Faolan whispered: "Why do you do this, Shtaerr? I haven't betrayed you!"
Shtaerr spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her tactical fight.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of tact. Next, let us try our knowledge of our arms."
Both took up their shields, bashing them with the strength of armies against each others. Sparks fell, lighting the forests around them, and making the water boil. During the fight, Zened descended and made Faolan misjudge the quality of his shield. He gave too much force, and his shield shattered against Héstram's. Pieces of broken iron flew through the air, each red hot, and ripping Faolan's flesh. He sank to his knees.
Faolan murmured: "Why do you do this, Zened? I haven't betrayed you!"
Zened spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her shield-feat.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of armour. Let us try our Javelin-feats now."
Both took up their javelins, and threw them at each other with great force. Some hit, but most that missed flew across the edges of Tamhréal, so great was the force behind them. During the fight, Marr descended and gave Faolan memory of his fallen children. Faolan became filled with sorrow, and his eyes teared up, so that he could not see his target or her javelins. Two javelins penetrated his chest, and he sank to his knees.
Faolan cried: "Why do you do this, Marr? I haven't betrayed you!"
Marr spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her javelin-feats.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of javelins. Let us try our bow-feats."
Both took up their bow and arrows, and continued to shoot at each other. Each shot was filled with the rage and strength of a thousand warriors, and the arrows that missed carved trees and mountains in half. During the battle, Debhallach descended and filled Héstram with female beauty. Faolan became captivated, and could not take his eye of the Queen. Héstram shot three arrows, dropping Faolan to the ground.
Faolan groaned: "Why do you do this, Debhallach? I haven't betrayed you!"
Debhallach spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her bow-feats.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of bows and arrows. Let us try our sky-feats."
Both jumped up with enough force to shake the Reach. They leaped from each other's blows and armour, and flew with the swiftness of the winds. During the fight, Cneréc descended and took the winds from Faolan's feet. He plummeted to the ground below, and landed with enough force to break the mountain on which he landed.
Faolan wheezed: "Why do you do this, Cneréc? I haven't betrayed you!"
Cneréc spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening and stopped her sky-feats.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of sky-feats. Let us try our swiftness-feats."
They took up their swords, and moved with the swiftness of time itself. They exchanged thousand-and-eight blows in the blink of an eye, which to them seemed like the life-time of Empires. There swiftness caused the Karth to relay its course, for the water in the ford was boiling until drought. During the fight, Kai descended and made Faolan's swiftness-feats slow. Before the Eagle saw what was happening, the Queen of the South had already plunched her sword into him a thousand fold. He fell to his back.
Faolan growled: "Why do you do this, Kai? I haven't betrayed you!"
Kai spoke: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram saw what was happening, and stopped her swiftness-feats.
She spoke: "Let's stop this battle of swiftness. Let us finish this."
She stood over Faolan's damaged and mutilated body. She plunched her sword into his Heart-Wound, severing the Briarheart from the body. Úrci descended and made the life leave Faolan's death.
Faolan wept: "Why do you do this Úrci? I haven't betrayed you!"
Úrci and Héstram spoke in unison: "You have betrayed the Reach."
Héstram spoke: "This was our final battle, Faolan. You are no king no more, and these are not your lands anymore. I will not take off your head, for that is not my custom, nor of the Reach now. I will also not give you this warrior's honour that you long for. I will remain, and not make the mistake Orcí made. I will see to it that you die."
From the woods came forth a man with a loincloth and a Stag Head over his. In his hand was a gigantic spear, horned and curved.
Faolan cried, blood spurting from his lungs and mouth: "Hirseinn! Great Hunter, hail! The other of my gods have betrayed me, and I need more help against this demon from the South! Help me in my hour of need!"
Hirseinn made way to the dying king, and kneeled before him.
The Prince spoke: "They haven't betrayed you, Faolan. They help those that are worthy of it. You have gone against every tradition of your people, in the hope of keeping what they want the most. This is a noble goal. In the process, however, you have forgotten what you wanted, and what your men wanted. You became hungry for battle, and wanted to gain vengeance against your enemies. You betrayed them, and you betrayed the Reach. For those that can not reach their own gods, me and my brothers remain. I wanted to help you, but I am more than your servant, former king. I am patron to the Hunter and the Hunted, and it seems you have become the latter on this day. I will not claim your soul, for you have proven to be bad sport. Farewell, Red Eagle, and may you find the peace you want."
The Prince of Hunters stood up, and walked back into the woods, only to appear back at the Bloodied Moon.
Faolan's eyes began to tear again. The pain from his already dead flesh began to reach him, and he succumbed to his wounds. This is how Faolan died.
Héstram, having waited for the dying breath stood up.
She raised her Voice, which means the Roar of the Dragon: "The Reach belongs to the Empire of Men and the Dragon. All Hail Kai, and all Hail the Eight!"
She left the dead king then.
Andoe, having watched the battle, descended from the mountain, collecting the dead king, and bringing him back to his camp.