Mounted on Dawn chaser, Coop rode out of town and into the wilderness, towards the battle front that had become the Portal over the past few years. The past winter had been bloody and many valiant defenders of the portal had left, either with injuries too great to continue the fight, or they had succumbed to injury. Those that were left seemed not to have enough fight in them to repel the seemingly relentless invasion forces.

Glad to feel the wind rush through his hair once more, Coop leaned forward in the saddle and urged Dawn chaser on. The town disappeared in the distance and the grassland gave way to more barren looking plains, almost completely devoid of life. A few hours later, dusty and tired, Coop allowed Dawn Chaser to rest as they stopped for water at a stream. The occasional corpse of a fallen submission littered the fields around here, but these days, there was little that could be done to prevent that. The war had raged for over a decade now and with knights and soldiers patrolling the field in dwindling numbers, the peasants had been forced to relocate further afield. Coop remained buoyed by the fact that the decaying corpses would benefit the land once the farmers returned here, though he knew that he must play his part to ensure peace returned to the portal at some stage.

Leaving Dawn Chaser to drink her fill from the stream, Coop wandered a little up the bank, looking at a rocky outcrop, next to a small waterfall, he scrambled up, to get a view over the plains, scouting for skirmishes.

In the distance, the telltale rumble of combat was evident, though none could be seen. Over a days ride from the front, Coop decided that the time to take a short while off had presented itself. He sat down and took out a cloth from his pouch, wiping the dust from his shield and his armour. In the sunlight, the shield shone once more and suitably impressed, he shook the cloth off and replaced it in the pouch at his belt.

After a brief nap by the waterside, he was awoken by the sound of Dawn Chaser pacing over the nearby rocks, the clacking of her iron shoes on the hard surface snapping him out of his dreamless slumber. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, before stretching. Another quick glance to the horizon and no discernable change meant that this could still be taken. He turned and walked down the path around some of the larger boulders, back towards his faithful steed and stopped, as sunlight reflected off something and caught his eye.

Stepping over towards the large boulder, he glanced around it and was rather surprised to see a bow, seemingly cast of pure gold lying on the floor, unguarded and with no-one else in sight. He walked around the rock, checking to see if there was anyone else, but he saw neither hide nor hair of anyone. Stooping down by the bow, he grasped the surprisingly heavy bow and picked it up, seeing the strand of golden filament that made the string so fine and tough. Almost unwilling to pull it, he feared the bow might break if he tried to pull the string. The metal felt solid enough, yet it flexed when he grasped the string and pulled back gently.

"No arrows... that is careless of the owner to drop something so valuable here." He mused, as he put his weight into the frame and drew the string back properly, checking it for balance. As he did so, sparkles of golden light coalesced into his hand and started to resemble an arrow. Slightly confused by the goings on here, he pointed the bow skyward and loosed the arrow towards his destination. As he did so, the shot was accompanied by a crack of thunder and he rocked back on his heels, regaining his balance and rushing to his vantage point.

He looked up at the sky and saw darkening clouds, rushing overhead, obscuring the sunlight. Turning his gaze to the horizon, he saw them start to gather - creatures, shrouded in the darkness making a mad dash towards him. Their pace was frantic and Coop knew that they would be upon him within the hour. Dropping down from his rocky vantage point, he scrambled down the path to the waiting Dawn Chaser. Grabbing her reins, he walked her close, the bond between rider and mount very close after their many travels together.

"They are coming for us, Chaser. We would not outrun them together. Return to the town and fetch help. Reverend, Haggard, Auz, even Bahamut, if our luck holds. I will stand here and divert their progress. They will know you." Letting go of her bridle, Coop stood there, waiting for Dawn Chaser to gallop away. Slowly, she regarded her master, then she nodded, seemingly in agreement, before wheeling around and trotting slowly away. As she reached the dusty trail, she started to extend her stride and eventually galloped off.

Alone, Coop returned to the summit of the boulder, across the stream. His vantage point was well chosen, being surrounded on one side by the stream, steep sided boulder on two more and the fourth side where he had approached from was easily defendable by one man in a pinch.

The light was fading as he gazed into the distance and the rumbles of thunder continued, as did the advance of the masses of bodies, misshapen and twisted. Coop drew his sword and drove the tip into the soil next to the boulder, carefully balancing his shield against it, ready to grab them in a last-ditch melee defence. Quietly and with great care, he stepped back to the top of the boulder, just as the first few spots of rain started to darken the dusty surface of the landscape.

The many creatures of the swarm seemed to make up a writing mass, rolling, interspersing and constantly changing as it moved, the excited chatter of rabid mouths, controlled by addled brains. They had their eyes set upon a target - the lone Knight, standing atop the rock, with his cape billowing out behind him, rain streaming across his face.

Patiently, Coop waited out the first hour, as the creatures of darkness approached him.

"Back to sniper duty. What fun! I shall be a burning light in this hour of darkness." He declared to himself and drew back the string of the bow. The arrow flew with purpose and another clap of thunder rang out across the land.

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