Falastin

3,705 years since initial death
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Everything turned from complete silence into utter chaos within a matter of seconds.

From the surrounding hills and mountains, volleys of arrows showered the sky and landed over the rearguard. It caught everyone by surprise, and already they began to suffer several casualties.

Saladin's army had sprung a trap. The sultan knew Guy would send his troops over to Tiberias. Therefore, they waited along the path, ready to start their attack. The back of the path was completely filled with Muslim soldiers, making a retreat impossible. The Templars continued to move forward, attempting to block the oncoming waves of arrows.

By now, the vanguard position had already made it far ahead, but Guy's group began to suffer from the attacks. Soon enough, the vanguard was signaled to stop. Muslim archers continued their assault, raining hundreds of arrows over the entire Christian army without showing signs of stopping. Horses began to fall, and the soldiers couldn't block everything.

Then, the Muslim cavalry arrived, taking the Crusaders and Templars head on with weapons drawn. The Christians couldn't find any cover to escape the combat as they were completely trapped in the center of an open field. Fights ensued, and it became apparent that the Muslims weren't going to stop.

The rearguard was completely under fire, and sword clashes had already escalated there. Maalik was ready for it, but he didn't want to fight at all. The Crusaders and Templars have been nothing but trouble for him, and even during times of conflict, he felt completely abandoned.

There was no sense of honor, it was every man for himself. They only fought like animals. No prisoners would be taken, and they attacked with pure savagery. All cautions were ignored and allies were left helpless as each and every soldier focused on themselves, abandoning all sense of notability and glory.

There would have been a time when he would have happily been an ally amongst them, but ever since panic and fear drove their minds to insanity, they've been nothing short of reckless. It was shameful to see how even the mighty have fallen to such a low level.

Maalik placed his hands around his helmet, removing it from his head and allowing it to drop to the ground. His mail coif was then pulled down, to finally reveal his uncombed hair. His sword was sheathed by his waist, as he chose to fight with his staff instead. He stood and watched the chaos unfold all around him. It was devastating to say the least, but he felt no emotions towards anyone. As he continued watching, he realized just in time that one of the Muslim soldiers was charging directly towards him.

Immediately, Maalik raised his staff and deflected the incoming attack. Although multiple opportunities arose for Maalik to take the offensive, he never fought back. He dodged each attack by sidestepping and using his staff to intervene until his opponent became visibly exhausted.

Finally, Maalik attacked, but not with aggression. He swung his staff upwards against the man's arm, causing him to drop his sword in the process. The Muslim soldier was left unarmed and was driven into a state of panic. But Maalik never struck him down. Instead, he lowered his staff and looked him in the eyes, saying only one word.

"Run." He spoke it in Arabic, well enough for the soldier to understand and pause in his tracks.

Thankfully, it seemed the soldier understood him. However, before he could run, he was impaled from behind. His murderer pulled his sword from the Muslim's back, tossing the corpse to the ground. Basking in the sunlight was a proud Crusader Knight, his face hidden by an enclosed steel helmet. 

"Damn you, skamelar!" Maalik yelled after him. His anger was beginning to accumulate once more. "He was unarmed! Have you no sense of chivalry?!"

Unlike the Spartans that always defended one another, or the Briton knights that always stayed by each other's side, and the Wuyue soldiers that fought brutally but also displayed honor; the Crusaders and Templars were ruthless in this battlefield. There was no chivalry or respect in these times, only blood and rage.

The knight stepped towards Maalik, his eyes barely visible behind his helmet. "What was that?" He spoke loudly, his voice standing out from the fires and battle cries surrounding them. 

"Swing your sword with honor, not in offense against the defenseless. You struck a fleeing man in the back, it's the act of a coward." Maalik now stood a few feet away from the Crusader.

The Crusader chuckled in his place, showing no sympathy whatsoever towards the man he slaughtered. He pointed towards the Immortal's head, obviously noting the lack of a helmet. "A deserter demands honor? Now that makes no sense at all." 

Suddenly, the Crusader swung his sword forward at unimaginable speeds. But Maalik was already faster, there isn't any mortal alive that could match his strength and agility. There was an immediate clash of steel against wood as Maalik's staff was chipped by the attack. 

The staff was ancient enough, it couldn't tolerate another heavy strike against it. But Maalik's anger was on the rise again. He could feel his sin resonating from within as it swam through his blood.

Using the sharpened end of his weapon, Maalik unleashed a flurry of stabs forward. It was a rapid attack that the crusader avoided by continuously stepping backwards. Then, the blunt end of the staff was swung forcefully. It was once again chipped at when the Crusader's sword met it mid-swing and stopped its momentum.

When both men locked their weapons against one another, there was an immediate struggle until the Crusader used his free hand to deliver a powerful punch in the Immortal's face. As Maalik staggered back, he was punched again until a kick in the stomach finally sent him crashing to the ground behind him.

Rather than going for the kill, the Crusader stood and twirled his sword to boast. Suddenly, he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Heretic!"

Maalik could barely lift his head to look up at the Crusader standing over him. But the man's figure wasn't all he could see. Beside the knight, a golden-furred lion was watching the Immortal. He must look pathetic to be on the ground, on the verge of losing a fight to one man. 

"Stand up." His own twisted voice invaded his thoughts. Just as he clenched his hands, he struggled to rise back up on his feet. "You've experienced two thousand Summers' worth of bloodshed and yet you cannot hold your ground against one mortal man."

Straightening his posture, Maalik glared back at the lion. He could feel the wind begin to grow in force, causing his black hair to dance and his white Christian clothes to ripple. He gripped his staff and struck its sharpened end into the dirt without warning. With his staff standing upright, his hand moved towards his waist as he felt the handle of his sword in his grasp.

"Will you let him live after humiliating you?" His own voice was tormenting him, which only worsened his mentality. He turned his gaze towards the Crusader that awaited his move. 

"No." Maalik replied out loud, taking a heavy step towards his adversary. His sword was ready, and he kept its blade pointed downward. Within the blink of an eye, his weapon was suddenly raised and swung down with enough force to penetrate the most durable armor. The Crusader's attempt at blocking this attack was formidable, but utterly powerless. Maalik's sword shoved the Crusader's weapon aside and slashed through his steel helmet.

Both men stood in silence. The Crusader nearly lost his balance as he stumbled momentarily. His hands reached for his head, feeling the damage that was dealt to him. Once his hands were removed, his figure was revealed. A portion of his helmet had shattered, causing light rays to shine upon his exposed face. Only the left side of his face was seen, and a fresh wound lining his cheek and up to his eyebrow.

"Prolong his suffering, kill him after he submits to your power."

"Tell me, scum," Maalik flourished his sword in the face of his wounded rival, "how does it feel?"

Rather than receiving a verbal response, the Crusader rushed forward and attacked with all his might. Swing after swing, every attack was deflected. As the world around them was set ablaze in fiery carnage, two Crusader Knights fought valiantly to the death. Horrors of war rang in their ears as they concentrated on each sequence that followed. 

The battle continued to escalate outside of their duel. Just as Maalik was about to slash at his enemy's arm, a neighing caught his attention. A few Muslim cavalry riders stormed the area, forcing him to duck and avoid getting beheaded or trampled by the horses. The stampede formed a spiraling dust storm that caused Maalik to cough and choke. Once the horses had crossed, the Crusader took the opportunity to charge and unleash another aggressive strike.

Maalik stopped coughing just in time to block his attack and shove him back as one Muslim soldier sprung at the Crusader from aside. It was to no avail as the soldier was disarmed and was stabbed in the neck by the experienced Christian. The Crusader swung his sword while it was still lodged in the Muslim's neck, causing the soldier to get dragged along as his head nearly fell from his shoulders.

Right when the Crusader turned around, Maalik rushed into him with his blade drawn. He swung his sword towards his attacker and aimed for his shoulder. However, the Crusader's plated armor was durable enough to deflect the sword. Just as the Crusader tried to stabilize himself, Maalik jabbed the hilt of his sword into his face. 

Before he could go for another hit, an arrow lodged itself into Maalik's left arm. He paused as he cried out, quickly enduring the pain before placing a hand around the arrow. Grunting, he yanked it out of his arm, causing him to stumble slightly and grit his teeth. Once he was in range, he immediately swung the arrow towards his adversary. The Crusader blocked him, but the Immortal was far more aggressive. Maalik grabbed the man's arm as his other hand attempted to jab the arrow into his unguarded armpit. 

The attack missed as the Crusader swatted the arrow away with his hand. Maalik attempted to retaliate with a parry, but the searing jolt from his left arm stopped him. His limb was far too wounded, forcing him to wrap his good arm around the Crusader's neck and keep him in a chokehold. They resisted one another, but their locked stance would soon break when Maalik suddenly released a war cry. He ran to the side, forcing the Crusader along before he shoved him forward. 

The Crusader fell to the ground, but not before suffering another hit along the way. His head came into contact with the blunt end of Maalik's staff that was still standing upright in the desert. 

Maalik walked over, gripping his blade tighter. He wanted to see if the Crusader will stand to continue the fight. But it appears everyone has a limit. The fallen knight remained on the ground, looking up at the mad Immortal with a little bit of life still left in his eyes. 

"Before you take away my life, I must know something." The Crusader coughed as he reached for his helmet, slowly removing it in the process. His face was revealed, highlighting his light-brown mustache and beard. His hair was barely visible underneath the mail coif he wore over his head. Once the helmet fell to the ground, he gasped for breath until his calmness returned to him. "Was there any honor present throughout our duel?"

Maalik pondered for a second, deciding his fate. He wanted to hear him beg for his life and squeal like a pig, but this wasn't the case. It didn't satisfy him, and it further angered him. "You know nothing of the word's definition."

"Oh but I do. It was honor that guided my hands and valor that stoked my heart. I've taken countless lives for the Holy Land, and now I give my own."

Before Maalik could respond, he was once more interrupted by a Muslim soldier. Tackling the assailant away, he was able to survey the battlefield for a moment as he caught his breath. They were in the center of the onslaught. No matter which direction he turned towards, death plagued the scenery. When he looked back at the wounded Crusader, he felt an anger within him about to erupt. 

"We had peace! We had solace! All of this bloodshed, just for a plot of land that God gave for all men and women alike to enjoy. Look around you and watch as gore is riddled across the very land you worship! Where is that honor you speak of?!" 

Rather than feeding his rage, he felt his temper slowly calm and his senses return. Observing the wandering lion seemed to have that effect. The beast walked around them before stopping behind the Crusader and staring deep into the Immortal's eyes.

The Crusader was struggling to stand back up. He had tilted to the side, attempting to get one leg up. Maalik watched him, still gripping his sword and keeping it by his side.

Once they were both standing and facing one another, they were met with a moment of solitude. The lion had already turned away and wandered off, leaving the two soldiers alone to settle their feud. 

"Though you deserve death," Maalik started, keeping his tone lowered, "I cannot be the one to deliver your fate. A Christian would leave it in God's hands, and that is what I choose to do."

The Christian shrugged his arms in response. "For what reason do I deserve to die? I serve alongside the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ and I follow my sworn duties. You claim me worthy of death for defending my brothers?"

Maalik wanted to respond, but he couldn't find the right words for it. Does the Crusader deserve to die for simply following orders as a soldier? His enemies are the Muslims, and he attacked them just as they did him.

The Crusader readied his sword, but not in offense. "I'm unsure if you've experienced warfare before, but we kill, and if the Lord deems it so, we die."

"I'm tired of killing." Maalik sheathed his blade in front of his adversary, pausing for a moment as the terror of war continued to plague his ears. "And God knows I'm tired of dying." 

"You're lost, brother." The Crusader kneeled to pick up his helmet. He wore it, and his face could still be partially seen through the shattered side. 

Maalik stepped towards his staff, retrieving it from the ground. "I'm finished here. I hope you understand that attacking me again would be unwise, and will result in your death. But should you value your survival, then I'd recommend you quickly evade to your right."

There was a short second of hesitation from the Crusader. Maalik hoped he would get the message, and it seemed he did when he suddenly turned his head and leapt towards his right. He was mere inches away from getting impaled by a Muslim's sword as he was charged. 

The Muslim soldier stumbled forward upon missing his attack. He was then shoved backwards after having a wooden staff thrown to his face. Maalik caught his staff midair and swung its blunt end, incapacitating his foe.

He stood and watched the crippled Muslim slowly crawl away in agony. The Crusader had simply observed everything in the background. 

Nobody spoke, as it appeared there was nothing left to be said. Maalik walked away, turning his back towards the Crusader. Despite being vulnerable now, he was never attacked. He just continued to walk deeper into the battlefield. His fight was finished.

For hours, the Christians attempted to continue down the path while resisting the constant harassment from Saladin's army. Sword clashes stopped momentarily, but the Crusaders and Templars had already taken a heavy loss. 

Despite their best efforts to push through, they were unable to march any further. The Christian army was out of stamina, and nightfall was soon approaching.

What was truly horrifying was that the real battle hadn't even begun yet. This was just a taste. A massive Ayyubid infantry garrison was spotted suddenly approaching from the east, completely blocking the main road.

Leading the garrison was the sultan, Saladin himself.

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Historical Notes:

Skamelar is a medieval insult used to call someone a parasite. It can be combined with another common insult, that being "Cox-Comb". It means someone that is foolish. Damn you cox-combed skamelar!

The most common helmet many people are familiar with for crusaders was the Great Helm. However, that wasn't developed until the 13th century. Instead, early crusaders wore coifs and wide brimmed hats similar to the Muslims. The year 1180 saw the development of the nasal helmet, before the first enclosed helmet was invented soon after that offered far more protection than its predecessors.

Crusader Nasal Helmet in the late 12th century

One of the earliest illustrations showcasing the first enclosed helmet in 1215

The Cross that the Crusaders brought during the battle is believed to be the true cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on.

The Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ was an alternate name belonging to the Knights Templar.

Saladin could speak four languages. Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish and Persian.

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