FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pest control

=====

The small band of cavalry advanced slowly towards their targets in the quiet moments before dawn. They were careful to stay downwind and off the road - not wanting to alert their quarry too early to their presence. The Knight Commander clenched his teeth and gripped the reins tighter, not enjoying the requirement for such an uncouth and sneaky approach. His mount did not enjoy the slower pace of their ride either. He could feel his stallion aching for a full sprint, testing the reins gently. But this group of bandits lacked any semblance of honour. There would be no formal declaration of battle and meeting in the fields; there would be an ambush to stop the rats fleeing for their hiding-holes again.

The knights followed the edge of the dense woodland, skirting the thick trees until they came within an arrow's range of the makeshift encampment. The Commander raised his hand to bring his men to a halt. They quietly formed a line and unsheathed their weapons. Then, with a single bellow from a riding horn, the knights pushed their mounts to a gallop and collapsed down on the unprepared bandits.

Shouts of surprise and panic spread through the camp as the knights came charging, their weapons cutting down and killing several bandits before they could grab their own weapons. Even the trained horses were responsible for the demise of several vermin - their hooves kicking out and crashing down on those who got too close. As one of the lizardfolk brought up his shield to try and defend himself, the Knight Commander's sword swung around in a low arc - the hard steel easily slipping past the panicked bandit's defence and cleaving the man's body through his boiled-leather armour. The weight of the blow threw the bandit off his feet, blood rushing out of the gaping slash in his torso. His shield fell from his grip before he hit the hard-packed ground, his body falling prone to the ground. As the Commander wheeled around on his mount, the hooves of the beast crashed down on the writhing body - legs and hips crunching under the weight.

He looked over the camp to see three of his men encircle a swordsman. He planned to move to help, but the bandit's sword was knocked from his hand before the Commander could bring his mount around. He watched as each of his men delivered a killing blow - three deep blows to the head and neck of the surrounded vagabond. The skull was destroyed, the head barely attached to the body from the weight of the blows. But now was not the time to revel in slaughter. Now was the time to wipe out this highwaymen menace.

=====

The lizard's chainmail jangled as his powerful legs carried him away from the disastrous skirmish. His bandit crew had been ambushed at dawn - caught unaware and unprepared by a handful of mounted knights. Despite the bandit's larger numbers, they could not cope with the organised cavalry and superior armour. Lewis managed to rally some of his better fighters into a defensive position and push back, but they barely cut down a single horse before their cluster was sundered by the long swords and crushing maces of the knights.

Knowing the battle was lost, Lewis decided to flee - trying to keep himself alive at least, no longer caring about his dead and dying companions. But it was futile. Already he could hear the clopping of hooves behind him, getting closer. Two knights pushed their mounts in front of him - flanking well outside of the lizard's reach - cutting off his escape. He drew his sword, snarling as he turned to see the 5 knights that circled him on their mounts. One pushed his horse towards the lizard, raising his sword for an arcing strike - but then pulled away before Lewis had even raised his own blade in parry. The feign was a success, as a heavy blow from a mace landed into Lewis's back, sending him to his knees in the hard ground as his breath was pushed from his lung. Stunned, but still running on adrenalin, Lewis struggled to regain his feet. Another knight rode in, his mount heading at speed for the crouched lizard before the reins were tugged. The horse reared, the momentum from its charge driving the heavy shoed hooves into lizard's face. A horrific crunch filled Lewis's ears as he was thrown backwards, partly from his instincts to avoid the attack but mostly from the impact to his head. His helmet flew free as he landed awkwardly on his back, his snout bending disturbingly as the broken bones shifted around.

Before he could roll away, the knight that executed the feint rode up again, slowing down over the stunned lizard to allow his mount's legs to stomp down onto the lizard's chest, letting his horse stomp the downed bandit to death. Ribs and bones cracked beneath the iron-shod feet of the large beast as a brief cry of agony gave way to a rush of air from the bandit's chest, gurgling with the mixture of blood and bile that was squeezed into his mouth as the horse trod on the lizard's lungs.

The trauma was too much for his body and mind to take. The agony in Lewis's head gave way to a thunderous rushing sound, his arms going limp and his tail thrashing slightly as his consciousness faded away. The sunny sky faded from blinding bright to darkest black as the lizard's eyes staying open. He could feel his blood, and piss, running down his ruined body and armour - the last thing he noticed before everything melted away.

=====

The Knight Commander called his fellows to a halt before dismounting his own steed. Approaching the sprawled body of the bandit, he kicked the lizard's sword away and placed his booted foot on the exposed neck. The body underneath him did not respond. Smiling inside his helmet, the Commander called out for some rope as he pulled the lizard's brown leather boots off. Soon, the Commander was on his horse, with the lizard's legs lashed to the saddle with enough rope that the body would drag behind the horse.

By the time the knights arrived back in the most recently burgled village, the lizard's body was a mess of mud and blood from the long hours of dragging behind the powerful stallion. One arm had been torn almost free - only the boiled leather armour held it onto the lizard's broken body. It didn't discourage the villagers, who took their time to spit on the corpse or throw stones at it, cheering on the victorious knights as they did so, drowning out the heavy clopping of shoed hooves on hard cobblestone.

The bandit leader's body was taken to the village square where it was placed in a stockade - mostly for show. A brief trial was arranged, and then the "proper" execution was conducted. The body was bundled up in a linen sack (mostly to disguise the extensive damage already done) and manhandled into a gibbet.