So, a little background: we had to write a story about a kingdom named Worthingtonia, which is really my hometown with "-ia" added to the end of it to make it sound like it's from the middle ages. I spent a week writing and revising this, and honestly, I don't like it. I've not been much of a history person, so I can guarantee many inaccuracies. But hey, enjoy it anyway.
The Fall of Worthingtonia
In the dead of night, an army of one hundred men crept up to the castle of Worthingtonia. This army was sent from Jacksonia to survey the land of Worthingtonia to help King Geesman take over. They surrounded the castle, getting within inches of the great stone walls. The Scout Arnold checked the walls of the castle for weak areas. The smell of limestone filled his nostrils as he knocked on the walls, searching for a hollow sound that would indicate a weakened spot in the wall through which they could penetrate. Scout Arnold, after hours of knocking on the walls of the castle, began to think that this venture had been in vain. Suddenly, as the sun began to rise over the eastern walls, Scout Arnold found his beloved hollow spot in the wall. He marked the area with the juice of berries, discoloring the wall. He rushed back to his horse and rode off back to Jacksonia.
The people residing in the castle of Worthingtonia awakened to an odd thumping noise off the northern side of the castle. Archers ran with their bows and quivers to the top of the northeastern tower and saw members of the Jacksonian army with a battering ram, repeatedly attacking the wall. The stunned archers sat and watched the attackers pound the wall, not believing they could do any damage. Suddenly, the Jacksonian attackers ceased, and one man walked up to the wall to inspect it, after which he leaped with joy, shouting, “We’ve got it! We’ve got it! We have cracked the wall!”
Immediately, the archers shot the shouting man. The arrow went right through his throat, and he collapsed. The archers then shot at the rest of the gathered men, wounding two, and killing another. The rest hopped onto their horses and rode off. The archers ran down from the tower and into the throne room where Lord Olsen had just been seated.
“My Lord,” said one of the archers as he knelt down, “we have just witnessed a terrible event. An army of nearly twenty men we believe to be from Jacksonia were attacking our northern wall. It explains the strange noise we had arisen to this morning. Sir, they have begun to breach the northern wall.”
“This cannot be possible,” said Lord Olsen. “It was believed that the walls of this castle were unbreakable. How are you sure the wall has been breached?”
“The wall is not completely breached,” stated another archer, who quickly knelt then rose again. “One of the attackers inspected the wall and made joyous claims of having cracked the wall. If we had not acted after these claims they would surely be attacking still. Fortunately, Archer Smith acted and shot and killed the exclaimer. We need to take up arms in order to defend this castle.”
Lord Olsen placed his head in his hands and heaved a great sigh. He stood up, and proclaimed, “Let it be known that Worthingtonia is at war with the Jacksonians. Have the knights take up arms and collect supplies from wherever possible. The peasants must give up supplies if a knight, archer, or other warrior requests it. Failure to do so will result in death. Let nothing deter you from victory, and may God continually bless your attributes and protect you from your weaknesses.” Lord Olsen called for the priest, who blessed the archers and was sent to pray over the parties involved in the impending battle.
The knights quickly began assembling and putting on their armor. They had their pages sharpen their swords, and their squires helped them into their armor. Other pages and stable attendants began preparing the horses, watering them, and dressing them in their respective colors. The knights climbed onto their horses and began to ride out of the castle to gather supplies. One knight traveled to a peasant slum in search of food to take on the journey to Jacksonia.
“Excuse me, kind people,” said the knight. “It has been decried by Lord Olsen that, because Worthingtonia is at war with Jacksonia, all peoples must be fully cooperative to any warrior who requests supplies from you. I am here in place of all knights who are preparing themselves for war, kindly requesting that you would donate as much food supply as you can, to allow the knights to be well fed and have the strength to fight and be victorious over the Jacksonians!”
The gathered peasants cheered and ran to their dwellings to gather a supply of food to donate. One peasant woman, however, refused to gather food, and instead, stayed standing in front of the knight.
“Kind woman,” said the knight, “why are you not gathering food?”
“Sod off, ya bugger!” shouted the woman.
“What did you say, woman?”
“You ‘eard me! I knew all knights were oppressive bastards, but I didn’t know they were idiots, too!”
The knight wanted to take his sword and cut off the peasant woman’s head, but he had to uphold his code of chivalry, so he remained polite to her.
“Kind woman,” he said through clenched teeth, “you will go to your dwelling and gather food for the journey. If you cannot supply food, please go to your dwelling and find something to supply, for Lord Olsen has decried that anyone who is uncooperative will be put to death!”
“So be it!” shouted the woman. She bent to the ground, gathered mud in her hands, and flung it at the knight, hitting him in the breastplate. The knight was taken aback, and the woman continued to fling mud at him.
“So be it!” shouted the knight, who charged the woman and killed her. The knight carried the corpse of the woman to the cart where the food was being gathered, and placed her on top. They would later put her on a spit, cook her, and eat her.
The knights gathered that evening to finish preparing for the journey that was to take place the next morning. Lord Olsen presided over the gathering and gave a speech:
“Knights, you are nearly prepared to travel to Jacksonia to vanquish the enemy. I have no doubt that you will be successful in your venture, and that God will be with you and protect you from the trials that you may encounter on your journey. I am confident that you will outwit these Jacksonian dogs, and you will make their blood run as deep and as swiftly as the groundwater that flows into the Lake of Okabena. You will surely be victorious, and we can expand our kingdom past the borders of Jacksonia.
“So as you mentally prepare yourselves for the impending battle, I will let you know that the subjects of Worthingtonia have complete faith in you. As soon as the official decry was announced, the Worthingtonians rushed to the cathedral and began praying for your safety and victory. And with the supplies you have gathered, surely you are well equipped for battle and victory. With the many prayers said throughout the day, surely God is on our side.
“And so, I have all the confidence in the world that you will be successful and victorious. Truly, the Jacksonians do not stand a chance against the powerful force that is Worthingtonia! So go, and defeat the enemy! Let their souls be released and damned to hellfire! For Worthingtonia has God on her side! And with God as an ally, nobody stands a chance!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Lord Olsen’s impassionate speech energized the knights, and after the blessing from the priest, they rushed to their horses and raced off in the direction of Jacksonia.
The knights of Worthingtonia met the knights of Jacksonia in an open field. They began to battle. The sounds of swords making contact with other swords and other knights filled the air. After the first day, several hundred men on either side succumbed to Death’s beckoning call. The battle raged on for many days, until the Jacksonian knights killed every Worthingtonian knight. The Jacksonian army traveled onward to Worthingtonia, where, after a long and arduous battle, they collapsed the castle of Worthingtonia.
With shouts of victory, the Jacksonian army rode back to Jacksonia, where they made much merry late into the midnight hours.
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