Steven R. Burke

The Fallen Guardian

The Siege

As Kana flew toward the southern edge of the Black Forest, she could see a massive group of orcs below her. They were bustling about, making preparations for their impending assault on their woodland neighbors. She could feel the hate and animosity growing within the ranks as they prepared for their attack. They would be her most faithful servants; she did not doubt this. As she continued to fly toward her quarry, the shadow that her winged beast cast grew larger as they descended. She was now riding an enormous dragon with fiery-red eyes and black-as-night scales that appeared to be tougher than the finest plated armor. The beast glimmered oddly in the first rays of morning, which put fear into the hearts of the soldiers as they caught sight of it. As the guardian looked down again at her minions, she could see that they were ready to move out. She smiled savagely at the sight and yearned to begin the first open battle on Tuwa since the days of the Eldar.

She knew that this day would mark the end of the elves’ reign in the land. She guided her beast toward an opening at the head of the armies and landed with a commanding thud. She quickly dismounted the black dragon that had carefully tucked its wings against his body and sat there like an obedient pet. Kana called the five generals of the different armies to come forward. She needed to divide up the army and then devise a strategy for the attacks they would make on the elves and the dwarves who lived in Mount Adem. The orcs knew nothing of this plan to divide the armies, but they would trust her reasoning once they had heard it. General Akuji Tadok K’K arrived first and stood silently as they waited for the others to show up. Generals Maurizio G’Dang, Nero Oggoamak, Synan Thrudak, and Tomo Bruguk Tak appeared from the crowd of orcs at the same time. Kana motioned for them to follow her to one side of the dragon so that they could speak in private.

“Generals, thank you for preparing your armies so quickly and thoroughly. It appears that you are ready to go, so let us get our plans in order without further delay. We will implement our designs right after we are done here,” she explained intently to the mute generals. Anyone who knew an orc general would have known that this stony silence was unheard of. They had a healthy respect for the witch’s powers and knew that she would provide them with an opportunity to exact their revenge on their immortal enemies.

“We are ready,” replied General Akuji with a slight nod. The other four generals bowed slightly to indicate they were ready to listen. This was exactly what she was hoping for.

“General Tadok K’K and General G’Dang, you will lead your armies to lay siege to King Kasim in his red mountain,” began Kana. They will do what I want, or I will make examples of these two!

“What? Why are we attacking those stunted hole dwellers? I thought we were going to wipe out the elves?” asked General G’Dang incredulously.

“Because, my good general, we need to capture the entire southland for a reason that will become apparent as we continue our discussion. As we speak, the goblins and rock trolls are attacking King Jarvis at Mount Carrick. If you attack the other southern dwarves, we would have control of the majority of the dwarven nations. King Edric will not leave his island fortress, so we will really have full control over one of the most powerful races. While you are securing the hole dwellers, the elves will be under attack by the remaining orc armies from the south while the high elves attack from the north. We would then have control over the two most troublesome races in Tuwa. Men will fall much easier than the rest. Remember, the high elves are laying siege already to the men of Nairi, so we would only have two kingdoms of men to contend with. By that time, we will have a combined army of high elves, orcs, goblins, rock trolls, and several creatures under my command. They will not be able to stand against us,” Kana declared boldly.

“Your explanation makes sense,” General Tadok K’K said with a look of disgust at General G’Dang.

“Thank you, General Akuji. As I was saying, we will need to divide the armies and lay siege to the elves and dwarves so that they do not have time to unite against us,” began the guardian. “Generals Akuji and Maurizio, you will need to leave immediately to make your march on Mount Adem. Beware of dwarven traps, and be prepared for a long siege. Those bearded folk will dig in and try to outlast you. Be persistent and do not let any of them live. I leave the tactics of your assault to you two. I trust in your abilities and know that you will succeed.”

“We will rain down on them like fire from above!” General Akuji said with a hurried bow. He and General Maurizio did an about-face and ran to their respective armies. Within minutes, their armies were marching in a southwestern course toward the red mountain.

“Generals Nero, Synan, and Tomo, we will attack the elves within the hour. We need a much more strategic battle plan than what Akuji and Maurizio will use on the dwarves. We must try to use the cover of the trees to our advantage. Does anyone have a suggestion about how this could be accomplished?” Kana asked coolly.

“My witch, we could try setting ambushes using the trees as cover,” offered Tomo.

“We could do that, but they would probably hear us waiting for them. Those pointed-eared freaks can hear a fly breathing a mile away,” countered Synan aggressively.

“Burn it down!” exclaimed General Nero. He had a look of great distain on his face as he said this.

“Why should we burn it down, General?” asked Kana patiently.

“It would get the attention of those wicked elves and would rid us of the accursed Seda at the same time,” Nero explained. He did not like to mince words and got to the point right away. Kana appreciated this in her lead general.

“That is why you are my first in command, General Nero. We will burn the forest, and we will avoid the Seda altogether. They are too dangerous to trifle with and cannot be killed by any means you have at your disposal,” Kana explained smoothly.

“Won’t the fire attract the Seda to our presence?” asked General Tomo.

“Not if we set the fire northeast of their home. They will think that the elves are trying to push them out of the forest,” explained the Elemental.

“How will we accomplish this?” asked General Synan.

“I will take care of the burning while you approach from your positions here. I will fly to where the Seda are purported to reside and set the fire. Then, I will head north over the elven capital, Tarisdell. I will try to get their attention and lead them to the high elves, which are waiting for the signal to attack. As soon as I leave here, you will begin your march into the forest. Take a northeastern approach so that the size of your armies remains hidden for the time being. When you reach the capital city, you should find the elves in disarray. They should be relatively easy to capture at that point. Be careful. They do possess formidable magic and could fight against us with great efficiency if you are not cautious. Surprise will be your greatest weapon,” Kana said pointedly.

“How exactly should we conceal our approach? Surely our massive armies will not be able to hide from their farseeing eyes,” said Tomo doubtfully.

“I will cause the winds to move a mist into your path making it impossible to see. I will have my bats accompany you with instructions to guide you to where the elven outposts are positioned. You can take out the sentry units before they could report back to the king that you are coming,” explained the guardian.

“How big is the army of the elves? ” asked General Nero.

“The elves do not have a standing army. They have about twenty-five thousand soldiers that comprise the home guard and another ten thousand that make up the king’s guard. However, there are nearly five hundred thousand elves in the capital city alone. They could assemble an army of considerable size quickly if your approach is detected,” she said sternly.

“What about the high elves?” asked General Nero undeterred.

“They have about forty thousand troops. They are being led by a powerful warlock who could easily make up for the smaller numbers by himself. I believe that three hundred and forty thousand against the pitiful defenses of the elves should be sufficient. Make sure to keep a vigilant rear guard to protect against an attack from the men of Aran. I do not believe that they will get involved, but it is better to be prepared for anything,” explained Kana.

“What is our main objective then in this assault?” asked General Tomo.

“Once you have attacked the capital, take it. I want you to secure Tarisdell and hold it. Let the high elves hunt down their brethren,” replied Kana. She really appreciated how the orcs did not waste their breath on pointless queries. They were all about business and getting the job done.

“We will return to our armies and begin our northeastern march as soon as you depart then,” said General Nero with a bow.

“If you have need of me, send one of the bats with your message. I will be observing from above. I will provide assistance to the areas that need it the most. However, my eyes cannot see everything all at once, so use the bats or the ravens to communicate with me,” she said decisively.

“As you command,” the generals said in unison. They turned about and marched back to their waiting armies.

Kana walked slowly to the head of her winged beast and bent close to one of his ears. She whispered for some time and then mounted the foul creature. The wings of the dragon spread wide as it lurched into the air. Within moments, the pair was nothing more than a black dot in the sky. The soldiers stood watching the odd pair fly northwest over the sea of trees. They were so caught up in watching the departure that they were not prepared for the surprise attack from the elves of the forest. A sharp whistling sound could be heard in the air about the ranks of General Tomo’s army. Several orcs went down in the first volley of arrows. Tomo wasted no time in rallying the troops; he ordered a counter attack. A sea of orcs began to rush toward their assailants with great ferocity. As Tomo’s army marched into the forest, an owl shot up into the sky and turned northward toward the capital city. The command was given to shoot the bird down, but it was too late. The messenger owl belonged to Anlon Marowael, the legendary elven warrior. The bird had out-distanced herself from the darts of the orcs within moments of flight. The beast would raise the alarm, so they had to act swiftly and take a more direct course of action.

The other two armies caught on pretty quickly to what was happening and hastened to their comrades’ aid. Within minutes, the three armies of the orcs were engaged with the outer defenses of the elven home guard. As the foot soldiers neared the hiding place of the elven archers, they were blindsided with a mixture of different magical attacks. One side was hit with a cold blast that froze several orcs instantly while the other side was hit by bolts of lightning. Chaos ensued among the ranks, and blood curdling screams echoed through the canopy of trees. General Nero reached the front of the assault with his troops and immediately took command of all three armies. He had them spread out so that they could move in from the south, east, and west. He was going to force their attackers to flee or die where they were!

***

Kana could sense the presence of the Seda just below her after only a few minutes of flying over the southwestern part of the forest. She urged her dragon to dive down from his high course, and as he did so, he unleashed a long uninterrupted stream of fire upon the forest below. Within moments, the forest was ablaze and they were off at once to Tarisdell. While Kana and her dragon were starting the fire, a messenger owl was flying past them toward the capital city with the alert of the southern assault by the orcs. Kana did not know of the ambush yet, so she took her time in her flight to the elves’ central city. The messenger of Anlon was considerably slower than the dragon, but she was able to fly through the trees and alert some of the king’s guard as she flew. The guard was able to pass the word along of the attack and also warned about a dragon heading their way. There had not been one of those fell beasts in Tuwa since the days of the Eldar. All the dragons were thought to have been killed or banished to the icy wastes of the north lands.

As the capital city of Tarisdell came into sight, Kana was met with a storm of arrows that appeared to have been poisoned in some way. The elves believed that the only way to kill a dragon was to poison it, so their archers were employing that line of thinking when they attacked. The missiles snapped or were deflected as they came into contact with the impenetrable scales of this black dragon. The legends said the black dragons were the most fierce and unstoppable breed. It was very unusual for one to appear in the first place, but it was even more disconcerting to have a black one assailing them.

As the arrows continued uninterrupted, Kana chided her fierce beast to unleash his fiery breath on the assailants. Kana also called upon the clouds to gather together, and in moments there were flashes of lightning everywhere. Huge fireballs rained down from the skies and smashed into the southern part of the outer wall. As the battle grew in intensity, the dragon soared high into the air as if it were leaving. Just as the beast became a black dot in the sky, a series of red fire balls were heading right for the elven defenders. They smashed with great force into the wall, sending debris flying fifty feet into the air.

As the hail of fire continued from Kana’s storm, a deafening roar ripped through the air that sent chills downs the spines of everyone in the city. The barrage of arrows halted suddenly as the archers ran for better cover. The furious guardian created a wall of fire along a portion of the defensive wall instantly consuming the elves that had been firing on her. She landed her dragon atop the wall and dismounted elegantly. She immediately sent out a strong gale of wind that drove any would-be attackers flying through the air. The dragon leaned over the wall and began snatching up helpless elves. The entire southern part of the city was ablaze now, and the king’s guard was now making their way toward the fray. They hesitated once they saw who and what it was that was attacking them. Verandos Tenowernal appeared out of nowhere to urge the soldiers on. The druid then changed into an enormous white bear and ran to the front of the guard. He stood up on his hind legs and roared ferociously into the air. Heartened by this display of leadership and courage, the guard joined the attack.

Kana caught sight of the king’s guard and the venerable druid Verandos and decided that she had their attention. She returned to her steed and mounted him right away. As the dragon took off into the air, he ripped chucks on the wall off with his powerful talons. He dropped them into the approaching troops as they departed in haste. Several of the king’s guard were unable to avoid the massive blocks and were smashed into the cobble stone pavement. The dragon roared again as it gained altitude, sending a renewed shudder down the collective spines of the elves. The capital was in complete disarray after this vicious attack. Many could not believe that there was a dragon on the loose after all these years. They were troubled by the invincible person that appeared to be controlling the beast. No one knew what or who she was. Terror gripped their hearts as they stood there surrounded by fire and scattered debris. The messenger owl had warned them about the orcs and the dragon, but the bird failed to mention anything about the mysterious rider.

As Kana made her way swiftly to where the high elves were waiting for the signal to attack, she wondered what went wrong with their plans. She did not worry about what had happened for too long because she totally trusted in General Nero to handle the situation. She knew that he was capable of employing several different battle tactics and his command over his troops was built on mutual trust. She turned her wondering thoughts to the high elves that were waiting just minutes away. She was flying much faster now because of the early warning that the elves received about her approach. If they knew she was coming, then they must already know about the orc army. They probably do not know about their brethren waiting for them on their northern border. This thought brought a satisfied smile to her face. She knew that their approach would go unnoticed until it was too late. She knew that she could count on their stealth capabilities, whereas the orcs could be relied upon for the brute strength and fierce loyalty to their generals.

As she climbed a bit higher over a series of hills, the high elven army came into view. They were standing silently just out of the reach of the shadows cast by the tall trees of the Black Forest. Kana closed her eyes as she reached out with her mental power to ascertain their true status. The high elves were adept at hiding their emotions on the surface, but she could delve into their psyche to find out the truth of the matter. She saw flashes of events that recently occurred. The high elves had eliminated all outposts and spies already. They were merely waiting for the signal to move into the interior of the forest. She sent out her web further to find Lord Dukker. She wanted to know how things went with the giants. She could not find him anywhere. By this time, she had arrived at the waiting army, and she descended slowly toward the ground and landed. She immediately dismounted her fell beast and looked around expectantly.

“Looking for me, malady?” said a sly voice from behind her.

“Dukker, how in the name of Kedem did you hide from me?” she asked fiercely. She did not like the fact that he could keep her out of his mind and even conceal his whereabouts from her.

“Years of practice,” replied the warlock. “I sense that you wish to talk to me about the giants. Follow me.” He beckoned her to follow him to tree line where they would not be overheard by the army.

“The giants that camped near Mount Quang were merely interested in the noises they heard. I eliminated the ignorant brutes as a precaution.” He made it sound as if it were no more difficult than killing an insect.

“You were able to kill a small group of giants?” She did not bother to hide her disbelief as she said this.

“Yes…but that is not important right now. I believe that they will not interfere, but we should be vigilant. They are a most curious breed and could cause us some serious trouble if we are caught off guard.”

“Excellent thinking, Lord Dukker. Let me update you on what has happened thus far in the south.” She then explained the events that led up to her arrival. Lord Dukker’s face became darker as she told the tales of her recruiting efforts and especially of her confrontation with the elves at Tarisdell.

“I believe that the other guardians may be involved somehow. That would account for the foreknowledge of our plans. The only group that appears to have been caught off guard completely was the people of Nairi. At least that is what the message was from Queen Kishi.”

“I agree. I have been thinking for some time now that the guardians have been keeping a close eye on things. I know that Lord Keb has not reported anything, but I do not know about the others. I will look into this matter after we begin the attack on the elven capital.”

They both stood there for a few moments without saying anything to one another and not moving from the spot. They were both thinking things through and trying to come up with the best plan of attack now that the elves were alerted to the southern army of orcs. Dukker had an uneasy feeling about the Seda even though he agreed with how Kana handled them. He believed that the fire would keep them at bay, but if they decided to help the elves, who had coexisted with them for a thousand years, they would be in serious trouble. He did not know how even he could contend with one of them let alone their entire population. The guardian was more concerned with the apparent interference of the other guardians. They had not gotten involved in the affairs of the peoples of Tuwa for centuries. She did not like the idea one bit because she was not yet powerful enough to resist the entire council, and she could not destroy them. No one could as far as she knew.

“We must move swiftly against the capital. Leave a rear guard to protect against the possible threat of attack from behind. Make sure the soldiers you place there can wield magic and are skilled in taking down our curious neighbors. I must go now and take care of some other pressing matters that could decide the outcome of our efforts.” She had a faraway look in her eyes as she continued to think about what she must do next.

“I will take care of the elves; you go and see what you can find out about the guardians and their meddling,” replied Dukker. He did not bow at all as he turned walked away. He felt emboldened by the fact that Kana could not protect her mind from him and that he could protect his from her. He was also feeling very powerful after his meeting with the giants. No one had ever taken down five giants by themselves.

As Kana flew off to the north, Dukker returned to talk with his captains. No one noticed the brown bear that had been sitting in some bushes near where Dukker and Kana had been speaking. The bear moved slowly toward the forest as if it were foraging for some berries. After the furry animal had journeyed deep into the forest, the bear looked back at the army. No one had noticed her departure, and no could see her now through the dense undergrowth. She turned around and took off at an amazing pace in the direction of Tarisdell. The druid Nita had not been seen since the merger of the high elves, and now she was returning to the elves with news of the impending attack from the north. She had not agreed with the politics of the high elves and had decided some time ago to return to Renshaw Forest. Now seemed like the perfect time for her to reunite with her true brethren. She did not want the elves to fall prey to the wicked and corrupt high elves or the twisted Elemental, Kana.

***

As the army of the high elves moved into the central part of Renshaw, they began to notice the absence of forest life. There were no birds chirping or chipmunks darting back and forth through the canopy overhead. There was not even an insect buzzing around them as they continued to move toward the capital. They had encountered several small ambushes along the way that had delayed the resolute army, but they had been eliminated almost as quickly as they had attacked. Lord Dukker called a halt to their advance and sent forward several of his spider’s kin to find any other possible traps. As he sat atop the massive spider, he could sense that something was terribly wrong. He sent out his own magic web to try to find any signs of life. As he did so, there was a strange popping and crackling noise that seemed to be increasing in volume. He looked up at the tops of the trees and saw a series of fireballs falling from the sky. The balls smashed into several troops and burned them to a crisp as they shrieked in pain and surprise. Dukker knew that they had come across the biggest ambush yet. How do they know that we were coming?

“Attack!” yelled Dukker in a villainous commanding voice. He spurred his steed forward, and the high elves rushed their hidden attackers. Fire and smoke blurred everyone’s vision as the battle commenced. They were within fifty yards of the northwestern outer wall of Tarisdell, but the chaos that had erupted blinded them to this fact.

Coming of the Giants

The giants sat around the campfire watching the flames with rapt attention. They had come to the plains west of Mount Quang to find out why the weather around the mountain was behaving in such a peculiar manner. They had felt quakes that were so strong that they could not be caused naturally. Chief Angus Vokias had sent this detachment to ascertain the cause and determine if there was any threat to his tribe. He was the leader of the most prominent tribes of the giants. They were not under one banner as a people because of their inability to cohabitate peacefully. As a result, they were divided into five major tribes. Vokias was chief of the Tribe of the Wolf, which had the largest number of giants and was the most well known for their participation in the liberation of Tuwa a thousand years ago.

Gerodi was the leader of the Tribe of the Eagle. Lang was the head of the Tribe of the Bear. Boaz was the chief of the Tribe of the Elk. Marcello was the chieftain of the Tribe of Mystics. The five groups had never been united under a common cause, but that time appeared to be drawing to a close. Four of the clans lived in the far western parts of the Land of Burien in the west lands. Angus, who lived on the extreme eastern border, was much more concerned about the new neighbors. The others were not concerned one bit about the unusual happenings at Mount Quang because of the considerable distance they had between them and the tall mountains. They believed in not getting involved with the other tribes, let alone the other races, so they stayed away from the strange activities in the north. The only giants that had any dealings with any of the other peoples in Tuwa were Angus’s tribe. He had made a pack with the elven King Ciel Tiranidrol many years ago to come to the aid of the other if ever they were in need.

The giants who were circled around the bonfire were silent as they ate their evening meal. The fire rose some twenty feet into the air and burned a brilliant crimson color. The shadows cast by the flickering flames made the ominous giants look even fiercer as they sat there. Anyone walking by this site would have turned tail and fled, but Lord Aellenas was not just anyone. He crept up silently on the mute brutes as his spider set traps with his kin along the border between the Burien Lands and the Black Forest. Dukker wanted to find out for himself exactly what was going on with the curious bunch. He did not trust anyone else to get the information he was looking for and knew that he was the only one who could defend against an attack from multiple giants.

“Who do you think is living up in the mountains?” asked one giant in the circle.

“You remember what Angus said, don’t you?” asked another. “He said it was some type of elf.”

“Then why are we bothering with them? Aren’t they on our side?” asked a third giant.

“No. The chief thinks that they broke off from the woodland elves. They are not to be trusted,” said the second giant in reply.

“You said you would tell us the plan once we got here, so what is it?” asked yet another giant from the circle.

“We are going to visit these deserters and determine whether or not they are a danger to us. If they pose a threat, we wipe them all out. We cannot risk them living so close to us when they may have evil intentions. We do not want another war like the one that destroyed our homes when the Eldar were wiped out. We must circumvent another such possibility. Besides, our pack is with the elven king and not these traitors,” explained the second giant.

Dukker had heard quite enough of this talk and decided to act. Had he put more thought into his actions, he probably would have done things differently, but his close proximity to five giants blinded his mind to any other option. He conjured up a staff out of thin air and pointed it dramatically at the bonfire, and the flames turned a purple color right before it exploded into the unsuspecting brutes. The giants were unaffected by this attack and were on their feet in a blink of an eye. They are much more agile than I would have thought possible. This split-second of thought by Lord Aellenas cost him dearly. As he stood there in temporary shock, he was hit with a rock the size of his head. He tried to dodge the projectile, but it caught him in the right shoulder. He went flying backwards some twenty feet before landing on the rocky field and skidding to a halt. Dukker realized that he was not going to be able to regain his feet before they were on him, so he summoned his staff to his left hand and put up an energy field that deflected several rocks that had been thrown at him.

As Dukker stood up straight, he felt sharp pains throughout his entire body. The rock had shattered several bones and would require extensive healing for a normal person. This warlock was no ordinary creature, so he pointed the staff’s tip, which had a purple crystal placed at the top of the staff, and his shoulder glowed purple like the fire. Several trees in the distance wilted as though their life force had been drained. His wound seemed to mend itself, and he moved his whole arm to make sure that he had all of his functionality back. After making sure he was completely healed, he turned his fiery gaze on his attackers. He removed the protective shield quickly and sent black smoke from the end of his staff at the five giants. The vapor obscured their faces for a few moments, and then it was gone. The massive brutes stood there coughing and gagging as if they had been poisoned or were being choked. After a few more minutes, they had stopped their struggle with the invisible attacker and turned their attention toward the elven warlock.

“You are one of those evil elves!” bellowed one of the giants.

“You will die little one!” yelled another.

“I am afraid that I cannot allow that to happen,” Dukker said with an evil grin.

“What do you-” began one of the giants. They all went silent, and they began to look at one another.

They did not notice Dukker muttering something under his breath while they stood looking at one another. His speech was so low that it was rather difficult to tell what he was saying. It had a rhythm like a chant or incantation. As he continued to mumble to himself, the giants’ countenance fell, and they began ripping each other to shreds. The giant who had done most of the talking survived the sudden attack from his companions by knocking off their heads with his massive club. He turned his attention to Lord Dukker and started making threatening movements toward him.

“I do not know how you did that, but you will pay for it with your own blood!” the giant raged. He swung down his club just as Dukker threw up his protective shield. The giant’s blow was deflected, but the warlock was sent reeling from the effort of keeping the magic shield up.

“You are a powerful brute for sure, but I am much stronger than you,” replied the warlock savagely.

Fire burst from the end of his staff and sent the giant flying through the air. He landed some fifty feet away and was on his feet within seconds of landing. He came bounding back at the wizard with a look of pure loathing in his eyes. As his attacker approached, Dukker had decided to try a different tactic. He summoned a bow and arrow into his hands out of thin air. The arrow was dripping with some kind of poison as he let it fly. The arrow flew with great speed and struck the brute right between the eyes and imbedded itself in his skull. The only part of the arrow that did not penetrate the giant’s head was the feathers. The poison immediately dropped the massive soldier to the ground. Within a few moments, he lay completely still bereft of life.

Lord Dukker smiled savagely at his handiwork and looked about him to make sure that he was alone in the desolate plain. He could see no one around him, so he decided to leave so that he could return in time for the assault on the elves. He looked forward to this momentous occasion. He had longed to teach his lesser brethren the true meaning of power. He would make them suffer horrific deaths and take their place as the dominant race of Tuwa. The high elves would replace the elves just like the elves replaced the Eldar in days of old. He knew that the circumstances were drastically different but the principle was the same. When the dominant nation fell, then a more powerful one took its place. The only difference, in his mind, was that they were forcing the elven race down from their throne.

As Dukker began to make his way back to the border where his faithful spiders were busy setting traps, an unseen giant moved for the first time since the appearance of the wicked high elf. He had sat in stony silence watching the horrific events unfold before his eyes. He had been sent by the chief to make sure that if something should happen to the others that he would at least be able to report back what happened. He wondered if the little warlock guessed right or if he knew that the giants were susceptible to mind control. Only the great guardian knew of this weakness, and he would never share that information with anyone else. The enormous creature sat stalk still until the little villain was well out of sight and ear shot. After he could no longer see Aellenas, he stood up and stared at the remains of his poor fellow tribesmen. They had all been good friends and had been relatively young. He turned about slowly and headed toward his home to report what happened to Chief Angus.

As he set his sights on home, he began to run at such a vigorous pace that he crossed the many miles from their campsite to his destination within minutes. He struggled to push out the dark images of death and destruction brought on by that little elf. The very thought made him so angry that he began smashing objects that he passed by. The giant continued his fervent pace until one of the sentries of the Wolf tribe caught sight of him.

“Galen!” shouted the sentry. “Galen!” The guard was trying to get the attention of the fast-approaching giant.

“Get Chief Angus; must speak to him right away,” said Galen as he panted for breath. His prolonged sprint had winded him terribly, and his lungs were burning from the effort.

“I will get him at once. Take a seat and catch your breath, Galen,” said the sentry soothingly. As soon as his massive friend had taken his seat, the guard had turned about and began to make his way into the camp.

As the guard ran toward the central tent in the camp, two unbelievably huge giants stepped into his path, blocking the entrance to the chief’s tent. They pushed him backwards gruffly and stared down at him imperiously. The sentry had forgotten that he was supposed to give a secret password to gain entry to the chief’s residence. His brain was racing so fast that he was having difficulty remembering what the word was. The entry guards began to laugh and point at his apparent dilemma. They were going to be no help to him, so he had to think of the secret word, and he must do it quickly. These idiots have no idea the urgency of my visit!

“You still can’t think of the password?” asked one of the chief’s guards, laughing raucously.

“Look at him; his little brain is trying so hard to remember what it is,” said the other guard while pointing at sentry. He was laughing so hard that the ground shook slightly around them.

“What is the meaning of this?” boomed a voice from behind the two pillar-like guards. The smiles disappeared, and the laughter died at once. The chief was right behind them.

“This sentry came running up here without bothering to stop and give us the password, Chief,” explained the guard who had been laughing hardest.

“Did you even bother to ask him what business he had with me?” asked Angus pointedly. His eyes were boring holes into his jovial guard.

“No, sir. I…I… He said nothing about why he was here and…” stammered the guard.

“Galen is back, isn’t he?” the chief spoke to the sentry solemnly.

“Yes, Chief, he came running faster than I have seen anyone run before, and he was tearing up the path as he ran. Something must have gone horribly wrong,” explained the sentry with great concern in his voice.

“You imbeciles go and retrieve Galen. Bring him here at once. If I hear so much as a giggle from either of you again, your heads will be placed on my wall!” Angus was so infuriated by the childish behavior of his guards. They were supposed to be the most fierce and powerful of his guard. These two morons had to be the dumbest among the ranks. Stay calm; if there is a war brewing, I will need these idiots to fill my ranks. If there is no war, rip their heads off then.

“What do you think happened to the scouts?” asked the sentry.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good. Go back and inform all the sentries to be vigilant. We need to be prepared for anything,” ordered the chief. The soldier nodded affirmatively and took off at once.

The chief turned around and entered his tent. He would wait for Galen to arrive and report what happened. As he walked toward his massive throne, he could not shake the sense of foreboding that had come over him. He knew that something was wrong and that he would have to be decisive. This must have something to do with those wicked elves that left the Black Forest. If a war breaks out, we are going to need more troops. That means combining the strength of the five tribes. Has it really come to that? He shook his head to clear his thoughts so that he could be alert for his visitor. He could hear his two guards approaching his tent with the silent messenger in tow. The tent door parted, and Galen entered with a bow.

“Please take a seat, Galen. Idiot number one, fetch us some ale! Idiot number two, go and get us some meat. This poor fellow has been through quite an ordeal. Go!” he blasted at his intellectually challenged guards.

“Chief…they are dead. All of them,” stammered Galen. He was shaking violently from the rage that was still coursing through him.

“It is okay, Galen. It is not your fault,” began Chief Angus.

“No, it is not all right. I just watched them kill each other,” he replied quietly.

“What? Who killed each other?” queried the chief angrily. “Tell me exactly what happened back there.”

“A wicked elf came out of the darkness and caused the fire to explode into the group of giants you sent to find out what the deserters were up to. They attacked the little warlock right away, and at first it looked like they had killed him, but he survived a direct blow from a rock the size of his own head. As your soldiers continued to assault the intruder, it became clear that this fellow had powerful magic. All of their weapons were deflected somehow, and he did something that I cannot quite explain,” Galen explained calmly.

“What did he do to my soldiers?” asked Angus with suppressed rage.

“He used his mind, I think, to force them to attack one another. Only one survived the attack, and it appeared that he had shaken off the elf’s control over his mind because he rushed the wizard. The warlock sent a fireball into him that sent him flying through the air. As he approached again, the little elf shot a poisoned arrow right between his eyes. He was dead before he hit the ground. Then, that wicked creature smiled and left in the direction of the border between Renshaw and Burien,” finished the spy dejectedly.

“Take heart, my good fellow. These crimes will not go unpunished. I need you to help prepare for war. It is clear that the elves are fighting amongst each other at the very least. I hereby promote you to the rank of captain, and your first set of orders is to organize the troops and explain what has happened. Then, take the army to the borderlands and wait for me there. I am going to go and recruit the other tribes; we have been divided for too long. We are going to require their numbers if we are to put an end to our wicked neighbors,” the chief explained determinedly.

“Thank you, sir!” snapped the new captain. “We will be ready and in position by noon three days from now.”

“I will be back in no time at all. I sense that the time has come for the giants to rise to the occasion as one nation and not as five tribes. Be ready. We will push our enemy until they break or are wiped from the face of Tuwa! Go!” ordered the chief.

“May the gods be with you, Chief!” saluted Captain Galen.

The army under the command of Captain Galen stood like statues along the border between the Black Forest and the Burien Lands. There were banners waving in the gentle breeze some thirty feet in the air. The average height of a soldier in Chief Angus’s army was thirteen feet. The wall of fully armored soldiers was an impressive sight to behold. The sun glinted and shimmered off of their helms, chest plates, and weapons. There was nothing more frightening than a giant with a sword the size of a man. As the minutes passed, the ground beneath the stoic soldiers began to shake slightly. Galen pushed through the lines to get a look at what was making the noise behind him. There appeared to be a dust storm kicking up behind them. He strained his eyes to get a better look and noticed that what he mistook for a storm were the combined armies of the other four tribes. They were not marching in their direction; they were running.

Within minutes the sea of giants, were right in front of him, standing still like the soldiers under his command. Not one of them looked at the captain, and no one said anything at all. Silence had come over this awe-inspiring gathering of these towering creatures. The captain was so consumed in his shock and disbelief that he had not noticed that the five chiefs were standing at the front of the combined armies. It looked as though they were about to make a speech.

“You are gathered here on this historic day to witness the birth of a unified giant nation. After serious discussion, I have been appointed to be the first king of the giants,” boomed King Angus. Cheers and shouts of approval rang through the clear sky.

“We have retained the division of the tribes for the purposes of organizing the army. I have been appointed to be the general of the army of Angus,” explained General Lang. More shouts of approval echoed through the air as he made this declaration.

“I am the commander of the warriors and will lead them into battle,” explained Commander Gerodi.

“And I am the commander of the artillery division,” piped up Commander Boaz.

“I have appointed Lord Marcello to be the head of my guard and to lead the siege warriors,” said the king with a booming voice. A collective chill went down the spines of everyone gathered around. Lord Marcello was the only giant who had the command of magic. He stepped into view at this introduction, gripping a staff that was the size of a small sapling.

“Look!” shouted Captain Galen as he pointed to the southern part of the Black Forest. Smoke began to fill the air, and flames shot so high into the air that they could see clearly that the forest had caught fire.

King Angus took this opportunity to explain in detail what had happened thus far, and he also explained what they had found out about what was going on in the forest. They knew that there was a large army of wicked elves preparing to attack in the north and an enormous army of orcs were attacking in the south. They did not know the reason for this evil alliance, but they knew that these two armies were heading for the capital city at the heart of the forest. As the king explained the battle plan, he was interrupted again by shouts from the ranks and everyone pointing in the direction of Tarisdell. Explosions could be heard and seen from their vantage point while dark clouds had gathered unexpectedly over the fair city. Fire was raining down from above as though it were rain. A deafening roar could be heard over the vast number of miles between the giant army and the city at the center of the woods.

“A dragon…here?” thought the king out loud incredulously.

As the collective eyes of the army looked at the fray taking place, a small black dot could be seen leaving the capital and making its way north. After a few more minutes, the dot disappeared. The soldiers began to mutter and talk to one another about the strange events they had just witnessed. General Lang called for quiet as he walked up to the king to discuss in whispered tones about the strange events. They were trying to figure out what course of action they could take when they were interrupted again by shouts from the troops. The black dot had reappeared in the sky and was heading north between Mount Quang and Konane.

“Let’s keep it together,” began General Lang before he was interrupted with sounds of a heated battle breaking out from the spot the dragon had disappeared from a short time ago.

“That’s it! We move out in five minutes!” boomed King Angus decisively. He had had enough of this mystery and did not wait another moment to act. “We must go to the aid of the elves so that we do not lose them like the Eldar of old.” Shouts of agreement filled the air as well as threats of terrible fates for those perpetrating this siege.

The army began their march into the forest after they had begun their war chants. The army of seventy-five thousand strong giants made their way into the dense woodlands, still chanting and spouting horrible threats and oaths. Meeting a giant was never a safe thing for anyone in the land of Tuwa, with the exception of a rock troll, but it was fatal to meet one enraged. The high elves did not know what they were in for when the two armies met, but they would learn firsthand what it is like to meet an army of angry giants.

King Angus stood at the very front of the rumbling army along with his general, his two commanders, and the deadly magician, Marcello. The king had dispatched a handful of soldiers to act as scouts, and when they returned after a few minutes to report that the wicked elves had engaged the good elves just outside the northern outer wall, he knew he had to act immediately.

“Commander Boaz!” barked General Lang. “Take your artillery unit to the south and attack from the west. Commander Gerodi! Take your warriors to the north, and get behind the vile attackers. We do not want anyone to escape.”

“Yes, sir!” snapped Commander Boaz and Gerodi in unison.

“Lord Marcello, we need you to enhance our armor and weapons with your magic. We would also like a protective shield if possible,” said the general reverently.

“I will make it so,” replied the wizard in a low, soothing voice.

“After you are done with those tasks, return here to direct the king’s guard. We do not want anyone to get near our position. Once you have returned, would you be so kind as to announce our arrival?” asked the general with a wry smile.

“It would be my pleasure,” replied Lord Marcello with a twinkle in his eye.

After a couple hours of positioning, the wizard had returned to his king’s guard for the final preparations. After everyone was in position, Lord Marcello raised his staff in the air and muttered some unintelligible words. A blue shield appeared slowly in front of the artillery units and the warriors. The siege warriors and king’s guard remained behind with Lord Marcello, King Angus, and General Lang. After a few minutes, the staff of Marcello lowered to the ground again as if the effort of creating the shields cost him dearly. He stood in the same spot for minutes while he appeared to be recovering from the extreme use of magic. His head snapped up abruptly and stared into the darkened skies overhead and raised his staff once more.

“And so it begins,” said King Angus in hushed tones.

Again the wizard muttered something under his breath, and an eerie blue light went up into the clouds. The hail of fire turned to a deluge of rain. Lightning ripped through the sky as if the storm was only beginning, and booms of thunder tore through the air so loudly that no one could hear anything at all. The rain put out the fires at the southern part of the city and the several fires in the forest north of Tarisdell. The high elves were bewildered by the change in the weather and the ear-splitting thunder. As they looked around to see what was causing these strange events, massive blue objects began hitting the ground. The chunks of ice were fifty feet in diameter and were hitting the ground with such velocity that the ground shook uncontrollably. After a few minutes of this, the ice stopped and the rain came down fiercer than before.

“Fire!” order Commander Boaz. A volley of arrows flew through the air at the western flank of the high elves. Several of the wicked elves went down. The battle that had been between the elves and high elves had now taken on a new dimension. The giants had arrived, and the tide of the battle turned in the favor of the woodland elves. A portion of the high elves turned their attention to the newcomers and a bloody confrontation ensued.

Lord Keb

As Kana made her way deep into the icy northern regions on her dragon, she continued to mull over the glitches in her plans. Each strategy she had devised seemed to have been discovered in part before its execution. The reports from her network of spies had told her that the dwarves at Mount Carrick had been ready for the attack. The elves in the southern part of the forest had been made aware of the impending assault before her orcs could surprise them. She just found out that the high elves had been ambushed numerous times before arriving outside the outer wall of Tarisdell. The giants had appeared out of nowhere and had the unsuspecting Lord Dukker surrounded. She could not believe her misfortune and did not think that these incidents were merely coincidences. She was going to get some answers one way or another.

The country below her turned to snow as she continued to fly high in the sky. She was going to have a little chat with her old friend about what exactly was going on. He would help her or suffer excruciating pain and endless torment. She could not kill him, of course, but she could make his existence miserable at the very least. She just knew that he had something to do with the leakage of information about her plans, and he was going to answer to her for his meddling. After dealing with Lord Keb, she would be free to pursue her war with the people of Tuwa. She still needed to recruit some other allies and get them involved as soon as possible. Even though her army was considerably larger than the organized armies of the dwarves and man, she knew that her ranks were susceptible to superior battle tactics.

After she had flown for what seemed to be hours, she came upon a mysterious dark mountain that reached so high that it pierced the sky. It was completely covered in snow, and yet it did not look white to the naked eye. The snow was discolored somehow to look gray and dirty. As she approached her destination in the far north, she took deep steadying breaths as she took in her gloomy surroundings. The dragon tried to turn away as it neared the mountainside. He instinctively knew what the place was and what lay beneath it. He did not want to have anything to do with landing anywhere near the cursed place. Kana was momentarily taken aback by her steed’s refusal to follow her command to land. She spurred him hard and tried to use her psychic control over him to reestablish dominance. He resisted the mental attack for some time before he finally succumbed to his master’s will. He swung back around and landed on the southern slope. Kana jumped down and glared at the dragon with such a steely look that he turned away.

“You may leave now, you coward! Come back periodically to see if I am ready to depart. Make sure that no one approaches and that we are not disturbed,” she commanded pointedly. The simpleton does not realize that he cannot be hurt by this cursed mountain while I am with him. She knew that this was the birthplace of evil and that traces of it still existed within the mountain’s bowels. She also knew that her power was greater than anything she would encounter here, so she was truthfully unafraid.

The dragon shot back up into the sky and flew a short distance to a mountain top directly south of the wicked place. There was something more to that strange location than the evil it emits. Somewhere below the jagged slopes lived a creature that could do horrific things to the inhabitants of Tuwa. The beast did not merely kill; it would steal your soul. It was said to feed off of the fears and hatred of the living even though it was not truly alive itself. The overzealous guardian was playing with fire by taking care of her business in a locale that was home to what most referred to as the demon lord. There were stories in the northern lands of his spawn killing whole villages for no other reason than to kill. Many who had witnessed these attacks said that the demons were wraiths and could not be killed by any conventional or magical means. If she falls prey to what lies beneath, it will be on her own head.

Kana entered a small opening on the slope and continued down a narrow passageway that led her to where her fellow Elemental had been bound. As she made her way down the tunnel, she could sense the presence of several ethereal creatures that were watching her from somewhere in the shadows. She could smell their dank and foul breath as she passed the invisible watchers. The walls were smooth as plated glass, which made it difficult for anyone to follow her on foot. She had to glide because every side of the vertical tunnel was slick. They had been magically polished in order to deter potential intruders from sneaking in. Kana did not believe that anyone would be crazy enough to enter such an evil place, but she knew that she would have done the same thing just to be on the safe side. As she continued her journey into the bowels of the mountain, the air became even more fetid and rank. She called up a stiff wind to blow the stench away from her, which also propelled her toward her captive guest.

After a few intense twists and turns, the tunnel opened up to a vast cavern that appeared to have been constructed by some rudimentary means. The bottom of the massive underground cave was covered in slimy water that was filled with bones and rotting flesh of unfortunate visitors. The smell was absolutely putrid and would have caused anyone else to pass out. Kana, however, merely called up the wind again to swirl about her as a protective shield against the foul odors. She descended a little more slowly now until she hovered just above the bent figure of Lord Keb.

His eyes lifted to look at his fellow Elemental. He could not believe that any guardian would break their code of commanding an element or elements that they did not have stewardship over. It was clear that Kana’s power has progressed far beyond the command of fire and wind. She was now commanding all four elements with great proficiency. He knew that an Elemental could feasibly find a way to command the other elements, but he could not believe that one of them would actually choose to break their sacred laws.

“I see that you are still here, my old friend,” began Kana derisively. “You still do not understand why I have brought you here?”

“I simply cannot believe that you have bound me here. Of all the places in the world, why here?” asked a bewildered Lord Keb. His voice shook slightly with disbelief.

“So, you recognize your new home already? I thought you would,” she said with a nasty smile.

“Why bring me here and leave me alone for this long? I have done nothing to you and neither has the council,” Keb pled with her. He could sense the evil around him and that it was now more alive than when he had first arrived several weeks ago. He did not understand why Kana had brought him to this place, and, more to the point, how did she manage to do it? He was simply did not comprehend what was happening to him. None of it made sense.

“Well, at least you know where you are. I thought you would have figured out the reason I locked you away deep within this birthplace of evil.” She had a trace of real disappointment in her voice as she spoke. She believed Lord Keb was the most intelligent of the four basic Elementals. Perhaps he is merely in shock or he is still in denial.

“What have you been up to?” He was beginning to understand exactly what was going on. He could feel her hatred for him and the others. He was also aware of the wraiths that were appearing behind the wicked sorceress. They seemed to be feeding off of his fear and her loathing. They began to whirl around gleefully at the unexpected treat.

“I have decided that the council is far too limited in its scope. I have been branching out a bit. I feel that we should not shun the lesser races of Tuwa like we have done for centuries now. We do not have control over them as we once did-”

“We never controlled them! What you are referring to was different than what I believe you are doing now. We counseled them and taught them; we never ruled them.”

“I do not see the distinction. We taught them what we wanted them to know. Knowledge is power, and we used it to control what went on in Tuwa a thousand years ago. The result of our interference was millennia of peace and prosperity for the peoples of the middle land. However, in our absence, the races have evolved to a point where they pose a great threat to one another again and the land itself is in danger. Can you not feel it?”

“I do sense uneasiness within the earth and within the races of Tuwa. I fear that war is about to break out once again. But, I do not believe that it is our place to become involved unless the elements are in extreme danger.”

“An isolationist ’til the last. So be it.” Kana motioned with her left hand to someone or something behind Keb.

“What are you doing?” He did not like where this was going. Has she allied herself with the evil creatures that live within this wicked mountain? If so, what are they planning to do to me? They cannot kill me or do any lasting harm, so what is Kana playing at?

“I am planning on torturing you for information, my weak friend. Why else do you think I returned? I left you here so that you would not interfere any further with my plans, but it seems that you have continued to disrupt my plans even though you have not left this place. How have you done this?”

“What are you talking about? I have not left here. You made sure of that.”

“Then how have my enemies discovered my plans before they were fully implemented? Did you communicate with your old friend Neb somehow? Did you tell him about my plans?”

“I have no clue what is going on outside this accursed mountain. What are you up to really?”

“I told you…there is need for intervention like before and I am doing it again. However, our dear leader does not want to get involved in the affairs of lesser people, so I have taken it on myself to act for the council.” She looked at him skeptically as she hovered above him. I do not believe that he did not pass information to one of the council.

“How are you intervening?” Keb had a sense of dread coming over him as he looked up at his former friend.

“I am merely restoring the proper balance that existed before we got involved the last time.”

“But that would mean you are helping the orcs and goblins.”

“Do not forget the rock trolls. They were on the receiving end the last time as well. However, this time I have even persuaded a few of the elves to join my side so that they would be preserved. This time men and dwarves will perish just like the Eldar and other lesser races did a thousand years ago.” Her features turned rather ugly as she looked him straight in the eyes. She began to emit the same fowl stench as the wraiths swarming around them.

“Your ways have become evil; that much is clear. Like all things wicked, you too will end up all alone. Your undoing will be the treacherous friends you are making. They will not support you longer than what it will take to get what they want. What makes you think that the orcs, goblins, rock trolls, and elves will continue to follow you if you succeed in usurping power?” He smiled at the look of disgust on Kana’s face after he had said this.

“You know nothing of true power! You were always too weak because of your peace-loving attitude. Your undoing will be your faith in those divided races uniting to fight against my vast armies. You will find that your trust is sadly misplaced, and your folly will be revealed in due time.”

“Go ahead and do what you will to me because it will do you no good. I know nothing that will aid your cause against the peoples of Tuwa. Go; wage your unholy war and leave me be.” He was being rather recalcitrant toward his captor and did not seem to care what she did to him. After all, she cannot kill me. Can she? She knows that I cannot die. Only the guardian would know if that were even possible.

Kana stuck out both of her hands dramatically and said, “Erome!” Lord Keb turned into a pile of dirt. The wicked mistress laughed raucously at her captive as he obeyed her command. She had truly mastered the command of elements outside her stewardship. Keb could not believe that she was able to make him transform. What was even more disconcerting was the fact he could not change back. What evil magic is this?

“Woorgal!” bellowed Kana wickedly. Keb turned into a piece of wood and found that he could still not change to any other form. He was at her command now, and there appeared to be nothing he could do to fight it. He knew that he must now focus his efforts on protecting the secrets he kept for the guardian. If Kana found out some of them, the entire world would be in danger. He turned his entire attention inward while trying to mask his internal action from his vile captor.

“Flymare!” screamed Kana. Fire engulfed the beleaguered Lord Keb. It took everything he had to protect his thoughts from his captor. He knew that if he did not, thousands would suffer and die. The council would be irreparably broken if he was not successful.

“I am going to leave you now so that you can think about whether you help me willingly or if I have to become real nasty,” Kana said maniacally. “I will not be gone long. I leave you in the care of some of my new friends.”

Immediately the wraiths dove in and out of the burning wood that was Keb. He shrieked because of the pain and the horror that was building in him. He did not know how much longer he could take this form of torture. He again focused his energy on protecting the secrets that the guardian had given to him. He would not fail his leader by giving in to this vile apparition that was once a fair goddess.

Kana began to rise slowly from the orgy of wraiths and turned her head toward the exit. She knew that she had probably wasted her time with Keb, but now she knew that he did not know anything. He would also be unable to interfere with her plans, so now she was free to go and help her armies. She would lead them to decisive victories over men, dwarves, and elves. After she had eliminated the unworthy creatures, she would deal with the stupid giants. She did not know yet why they had joined the fray, and she would regret underestimating their importance. She was also gravely mistaken to not realize that the other guardians were about once again in the land of Tuwa. They would get involved at some point, and this would force her to stand and fight or she would have to leave those she had rallied to her cause. She would have to go into hiding for a long time if her plans failed.

The Refusal

King Edric Nognili sat quietly upon his gem-encrusted throne pondering the messages he had received from his scouts. He did not know if it was a wise decision to side with General Yukio and the people of Nairi so quickly. He had also received information that an innumerable goblin army had combined with rock trolls and were laying siege to Mount Carrick in the south. There seemed to be war all around him, but he did not know if it would be prudent to get involved. His first obligation was to his people, and they had become very prosperous over the years under his rule because he did not involve them in other nations’ affairs. His beautiful crown glinted from the sunlight that was allowed in through a class dome at the top of the throne room. There were gems of all colors encased in silver and gold in the king’s circlet. At the very front of it was a depiction of his mountain fortress situated on the north slope of Mount Ennis. The mountain itself was an island in the middle of a vast lake that had unknown depths and dangers in it. The king felt safe behind this watery deterrent and did not think it was beneficial to venture out of his stronghold to help others. Many would die in the effort, and his kingdom’s defenses would be weakened.

“Fetch General Chad,” ordered the king to one of his hidden guard. He knew that he needed the advice of his faithful leader of his massive army. As the guard left, he continued to ponder the options before him. After a few moments, a stout dwarf entered the throne room with a gruff look on his face. He had long red hair along with an even longer red beard. As he approached the king, he bowed to one knee and waited for the command to rise.

“You may stand, my old friend,” ordered the king warmly.

“What may I do for you, my lord?” asked General Chad. He did not like to waste time and knew that the king admired him for his direct approach. What he did not understand was why the king needed to counsel with him when he was busy shoring up the defenses against a possible attack.

“I find myself in a difficult situation, my good friend. I have learned that King Jarvis is under attack and that the battle for Nairi is growing in intensity. I have made a pack with Queen Daria’s general to send aid to them when the need arose; however, I do not want to weaken our defenses by sending valuable troops to their deaths in a cause that is not ours.”

“I can understand your hesitation with regards to the people of Nairi, but what about dwarves at Mount Carrick? Shouldn’t we at least dispatch some help for our brethren?”

“I sympathize with your sentiment about the plight of King Jarvis, but that is exactly where my dilemma lies. If we send a detachment down there, we will be left vulnerable. What if the high elves succeed in taking Nairi? What would stop them from attacking us next? I cannot afford to lessen our ranks needlessly when there is a very real threat to our island kingdom.”

“My lord!” interjected a voice directly behind where the general was standing.

“What is it?” bellowed King Edric. He did not like to be interrupted, especially with the subject matter they were discussing.

“I apologize for the interruption, my lord, but I have news from several of the scouts,” replied the messenger bashfully.

“There is no need to apologize; please tell us what they have learned,” the king said with a more sincere tone this time.

“King Jarvis is completely surrounded by a vast goblin and rock troll army, but he has managed to fend them off thus far. We have just found out that the elves are under attack by the high elves in the north while a massive orc army approaches from the south. Even more troubling is the fact that there is another orc army heading for Mount Adem as we speak. It appears that the peoples of Landen and Aran have been left alone for the time being. This is our report, my lord,” said the messenger with a very low bow.

“What in the name of the gods is going on? The whole land of Tuwa is engulfed in a war that does not make any sense,” said the king in utter disbelief. “You may leave us!” The messenger stood up at once and departed.

He was surprised by how his king took the news. He thought that there would have been a call to action.

“General, what do you make of this news?” the king asked while regaining his composure.

“I think it is a clear sign that we are to send aid to our brethren in the south. We need not worry ourselves about men or elves. They are good people, but they cannot be trusted. For all we know, this whole series of confrontations is their doing,” replied the general.

“I agree with you that these tragic events that are unfolding are likely the doing of men and elves, but I still do not see why we should weaken our defenses to send aid to those who would not do the same if the roles were reversed. I believe that we can hold this island if we retain all of our troops for our defenses.”

“King Edric, you and I have been friends for a long time. I know that you are genuinely concerned for the welfare of our people, but entrenching ourselves will not keep the armies of orcs, high elves, goblins, and rock trolls from converging on us. They will leave us be until they have defeated the others and attack us last because of our apparent complacency. They will crash on our island fortress like the violent waves of the eastern sea. We will not be able to fend off such a massive assault for long and will die just the same.” He had a strained look on his face as he pled with his king to see reason.

“I simply do not share your appraisal of the situation. If we send out our army now, their armies will attack us and we would be finished. I truly believe that we would live longer if we stay out of these horrific affairs of middle Tuwa. By staying isolated from the politics and bloodshed, their armies will leave us alone.” He truly felt that he was right and that over time his point would be proven.

“I think that we do agree on one point, and that is we have different ideas about what the best course of action is. However, you are the king, and your wish is my command. What is your final word?”

“General, I order your soldiers to strengthen our island defenses. We will outlast this war that has been brought upon our brethren by the folly of men and elves.”

“What word would you send to King Jarvis and King Kasim? What should we tell them when they ask for help?”

“Well, we have heard nothing from King Kasim yet, so we need to reply to King Jarvis right now and then copy that reply in the way of a preemptive letter to King Kasim.”

“What exactly do you want to say to them?”

“Tell them that we too have an army on our doorstep and that we will have to be prepared for an attack. We will not be able to spare any of our troops because of the need to be ready for the impending assault. Wish them luck, and let them knows that we are still their brethren.”

“It will be done according to your command. I take leave of you so that I can carry out your orders. I will send the messages immediately and then prepare the defenses for an attack.”

The general saluted the king and did an about-face. The king watched him skulk away as if he had been scolded for misbehavior. Edric knew that his friend would understand in time that his plan of defense was the best possible course of action. He really believed that his people would rally behind this decision. He felt very strongly that public opinion would turn on him if he sent the army into distant lands to die for a cause that was not altogether clear. The issue that will be tricky would be the option to send supplies to aid those fighting to defend their homes in the south. At first, the king thought he would send supplies to the people of Nairi, but then he found out about Mount Carrick being attacked. He then decided that if the war spread to other allies he would have to send them aid as well. This generosity would cost his people in the end. They would need all of the troops that he could muster and the supplies to support the army while defending their homes. He simply did not see the benefit of aiding others at the cost of his own peoples’ welfare.

The general called an impromptu meeting of his commanders and captains. He wanted to fill in the leadership about what the king had decided and his reasoning for his choice to defend the island. General Chad had begun to devise a plan in his mind while waiting for the leaders to show up to their secret meeting. He had determined that the king was clouded in his judgment at the moment, which meant that he needed to have a backup plan that could be put into action quickly. The difficulty with this line of thinking was the fact that he would have to hide what they were doing. The king could not get wind of what they were planning because he would make them undo whatever they had decided to do. The general sat on his balcony that overlooked the northern part of the lake, mulling over possible scenarios in which he could successfully place his troops so that when he finally convinced the king he was right, they would be able to spring into action right away.

He was so lost in his own thoughts he did not hear the approach of his captains and commanders. None of them thought it was wise to disturb the general, so they merely stood at attention awaiting his command. Several minutes passed before General Chad came out of his introspection and took notice of his military leaders. He stood up at once and welcomed the small group to the meeting. He expressed his gratitude for showing up on such short notice and assured them that what he had to say was more important than anything they may have been working on. He asked them to follow him to his private office and bade them to take a seat so that he could explain what had happened.

“As some of you may know, there have been rumors of conflicts outside our borders. I want to reassure you that we are not in harm’s way-yet. I will tell you that we have confirmed that the new nation going by the name of high elves have attacked the people of Nairi and the main body of elves. We have also found out that the elven kingdom is under attack from the south by a massive army of orcs. Even more disturbing is the fact that there is a large army of orcs heading toward Mount Adem as we speak,” the general said meaningfully. “Our greatest concern is that Mount Carrick is under siege by a combined army of goblins and rock trolls.”

“When do we head out?” asked one of the captains. The other captains and the commanders nodded their agreement with this direct question. In their minds, there was no debate about what they were supposed to do at this point. They must go to the aid of their brethren at once.

“Ah…that is the catch, isn’t it?” replied their general knowingly. “Our orders are to shore up our defenses and to wait for an attack.” There was an immediate uproar of disapproval, and vulgarities spewed from the disbelieving dwarves surrounding the general.

“That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!” barked one of the commanders in utter disbelief.

“I agree, but it is not our place to disagree with our king. We must do as he asks or suffer the penalty. However, he did not say that we could not prepare ourselves for a time when we would be called on to send forth our army in support of our brethren,” explained the general slyly. Many of the leaders caught on quickly and shook their heads in agreement.

They spent the next hour planning exactly how they would be able to mobilize the army within an hour. They felt that the home guard should be given the most strategic positions because those were usually the ones that were difficult to get out of in a hurry. They also determined that it was crucial that they did not discuss their plans outside this room until the time for action was called for. They did not want the soldiers or the guard to know about their plans. It was not exactly treason, but the king may misconstrue their intentions and call them traitors. The general made it clear that this was the best plan allowed under the constraints put in place by King Edric. He also made it known that he disagreed point blank with their ruler’s logic and his plan of defense.

After the planning session, the captains and commanders jumped into action. Anyone watching them would not have noticed anything suspicious about their movements, and their troops did not question the change in the strategy. They figured that this plan came from the king, and none of them dared to disagree with him. They all respected his wisdom and his concern for the welfare of the people. However, they also knew that his logic was sometimes flawed or marred by external forces. Despite his weakness, he was still the best ruler they had had in the past few hundred years. They had prospered greatly under his peaceful reign, and that, more than anything else, was the reason they kept their plan secret. They did not want him to know that they were questioning his orders. By being extremely prepared, their king would not know that his orders had been altered.

Giants and Elves

The black clouds that hung over the city of Tarisdell did not seem to show any signs of breaking up. They had been there since the surprise attack by the black dragon and its unidentified rider. The rain that had started after the hail of fire had continued uninterrupted every day since then. Three days had passed, and the battle for the capital city of the elves raged hotter than ever before. The giants had arrived at a crucial point for the elven guard who had been defending the northern wall. Commander Yves Silinadiel had organized his archers into a formation that provided his foot soldiers with maximum protection while still being able to inflict serious damage on the high elves. Despite this brilliant strategy, they were outnumbered and were falling fast before their attackers. The coming of the giants had turned the tide of the bloody struggle at the northern outer wall and saved many lives.

While Commander Yves held off the assailants in the north, King Ciel had called a meeting of the high council and invited the two druids who lived with the elves to attend the special session. Everyone who had showed up for the king’s impromptu meeting fidgeted nervously while the storm overhead raged on with such ferocity that it was almost possible to not hear the sounds of battle taking place in the south and the north. The two druids stood stoically in the open while the rain soaked them all the way through their cloaks. They seemed to be lost in thought as they waited for the king’s guard to screen everyone who was planning on entering the Earane Minyatur. The crowd outside the main entrance could see the king approaching from the backside of the building surrounded by his guard, who were acting as his shield against an attack.

After a few minutes of standing in the deluge, everyone entered the hall and stood by their seats waiting for the king to signal for them to sit down. One of the druids, Verandos Tenowernal, flicked his hand at the cauldron in the middle of the room, and a nice, warm fire burst into life. Immediately the room became much more comfortable, and the atmosphere eased slightly at the welcomed warmth. The king smiled slightly at his impatient druid friend and winked his approval. Chairman Aerasrril then motioned for everyone to take their seats. He then promptly took his seat, and the council turned their attention to the king. They were waiting to hear from their leader and were becoming anxious once again as the sounds of battle became clearer over the booming thunder and pounding rain.

“We are under attack by the treacherous villains who seceded from the body of our great nation several months ago. They have laid siege to the northern outer wall and have a force that numbers some forty-five thousand strong,” explained the king dejectedly. He was not even standing as he said this because he had not slept since the attack by the orcs at the southern gates.

“King Ciel, are you all right?” asked Lady Bernadine Trylendorbri, the other druid sitting next to Verandos.

“I am just tired; that is all,” replied the king. “As I was saying, the force in the north is large and well organized. They would have taken the wall already if it were not for my friend, Chief Angus of the giants. They have surrounded the high elves, as they like to be called now, and have drawn them back a short distance from the northern gates.” There was a collective sigh heard around the table at this news.

“What of the attack at the southern gates? Who was that on the dragon, and what is going on now down there?” asked one of the council members anxiously.

“Excellent questions. We do not know who was riding the dragon, but it was clear that she was trying to get our attention. She wanted our eyes turned toward the north where the high elves were preparing to assault us. We obliged them and did not notice the enormous army of orcs in the south. There are about three hundred to three hundred and fifty thousand orcs either attacking or getting into position at the southern end of Tarisdell,” explained the king with a hint of disgust. “We need an army, and we need one now.”

“I will lead them, King Ciel,” said Verandos in reply to this last statement. “I will round up all those who can and are willing to fight.”

“Thank you, my friend. Will you lead the army you gather to defend the southern walls?” asked the king without much enthusiasm. He was looking worse with each passing moment, like his health was declining right before their eyes.

“I want Anlon Marowael to be my first commander,” said the new general. “Do you accept?” He turned toward the sturdy elf as he spoke to the proven warrior.

“Of course, General Verandos,” replied Anlon with a salute to his new superior. “What are your orders?”

“Gather up a considerable force, and head to the north to help the beleaguered Commander Yven’s archers,” ordered the general.

Without another word being said, Commander Anlon did an about-face and left the council chambers. “I would ask that Lady Bernadine come with me to the southern gates.”

“No problem, Verandos,” replied the quiet druid. She viewed the general as an equal, so she did not use his new title when she spoke to him.

“King Ciel!” shouted as voice from the double door entryway. The person had thrown the doors open and stood there covered in mud and blood trying to catch his breath. Before he could say anything, five unbelievably tall creatures entered the council room. They had to bend over quite a ways to enter the low-slung entryway. The five giant leaders then stood tall and looked imperiously down at the little elves sitting around a small fire burning in a cauldron. Lord Marcello raised his staff into the air and sent a blue flame crashing into the little fire. Violent flames erupted high into the air and burned a bright blue color. Every bit of moisture in the room evaporated instantly.

“We are here to assist you in your time of need,” said King Angus in a booming voice that drowned the sounds of war and weather out completely.

“Welcome, my old friend,” answered the elven king as he stood up from his throne and bowed low to their larger than life guests. “What assistance can you offer us?”

“We have noticed that you are under attack in the south by an innumerable army of orcs. We can send three-fifths of our forces down there to help with the defenses,” offered General Lang in a gruff voice.

“I almost forgot to introduce ourselves,” began King Angus. “I am King Angus Vokias, ruler of the combined tribes of the giants.”

“I am Lord Marcello Zomiria,” said the massive magician in a deep rumbling voice. “I am the commander of the king’s guard and our siege warriors.”

“I am Commander Boaz Drelius, leader of the artillery forces,” said the gargantuan warrior with a slight bow.

“I am Commander Gerodi Ramunus, leader of our warriors,” said the giant plainly.

“And I am General Lang Emasar, leader of King Angus’s armies,” said the general imperiously as he folded his massive arms over his overly large chest.

“We are overjoyed to have you with us,” replied King Ciel with a little more color in his cheeks. The appearance of the giants seemed to give him back a measure of his health.

“As I was saying, we will send Lord Marcello and his siege warriors to the south to strengthen your defenses at the southern walls,” continued King Angus. “We will send Commander Boaz and his artillery units to the eastern wall to ensure the orcs do not try to enter from that direction. Commander Gerodi will protect the western wall and the central part of the city. I will remain here while General Lang returns to the northern wall to continue building up defenses while launching periodic offensive attacks.”

“Excellent, we have a plan now, so let us put it into action right away,” said the elven king decisively. “General Lang, this is General Verandos. He will be commanding the southern troops while you command the northern. Do either of you have any questions?”

“No,” replied General Verandos with a smile.

“I have no questions either. I will say that you have chosen wisely, King Ciel. General Verandos is an old friend and a brilliant military strategist,” said General Lang with a humble bow.

“It is good to see you again, Lang. Keep safe and remember, through patience comes true victory,” the druid said with a satisfied smile.

“We will use my messenger owl to carry messages to the various leaders who will be engaged in battle. She will be able to fly undetected by our enemies and can use different methods of making her presence known to you. Got it?” asked King Ciel. The entire room nodded to show the king that they understood.

The council members were dismissed, and everyone who had orders or needed to get to the battle areas departed immediately. The king was the only one who stayed behind sitting in his chair. He countenance seemed to fall again as dread and fear gripped his heart. He simply did not understand why his daughter was attacking him. What was even more troubling was the idea that Kishi had allied herself with the vile orcs of Mount Tarin. Why are you working with the very beasts that helped destroy the Eldar? He looked down at his hands and stared at nothing in particular for nearly an hour. He felt as though his soul was being ripped in two, and there was simply nothing he could do about it. War was never the answer, and it would not mend his broken heart or his shattered nation. This could very well be the end of the elves…just like the Eldar of old.

***

As Lord Marcello approached the southern outer wall, his eyes were met with a sea of orcs swarming toward the city. He immediately sprang into action by taking off into a dead run toward the gates. He skipped the entryway and jumped up on the wall above the doors. He stretched his arms out with his staff in his hands high above his head. He muttered a series of spells under his breath, which caused several things to happen all at once. The clouds overhead turned an ominous purple color as they began to swirl. Twisters sprang up at various locations and began to sweep would-be attackers into the air. Hail the size of a giant’s head began to pound those that did not get swept away. Unnatural lightning strikes began to occur with increasing frequency. Instead of white and purple flashes of discharge, the color was golden. None of the orcs were hit, and they seemed to take heart because of this fact.

As the orcs regrouped and pressed forward, they were taken by complete surprise by Marcello’s true purpose of his lightning strikes. Snakes had sprung up from the scorched holes in the ground. These reptiles were not like any other in the lands and appeared to be an extinct breed. These were the same creatures that poisoned thousands of orcs during the battle they fought with the peoples of Tuwa a thousand years ago. The Eldar had created the slithering beasts and had used them to drive the orcs back from their forest. The snakes had a camouflage pattern on their scales that made it impossible to see them until you had accidentally stepped on one. They were able to mimic their changing environment like chameleons. They averaged sixteen feet in length and could deliver their poison in one of two ways. First, they had enormous fangs that carried enough venom in one bite to kill five full-grown orcs. Second, they could spit their venom at their prey, which would eat through their skin or hide within seconds while poisoning them at the same time. There was another secret to these vile apparitions, and that was their eyes caused a person to go temporarily insane if they should meet its hypnotic gaze.

Several howls of anguish and fear ripped through the already noise-filled air. Chaos erupted as a result of this deadly attack by the giant wizard. Marcello used the extra time created by his attack to position his siege warriors for an offensive. They were so well positioned that they would be able to utilize the same spots for defensive purposes. It was clear to the magician that they would need these protected areas in the very near future. His assaults had been nothing more than an irritant and a delay tactic. However, his actions were very effective and provided the giants time to integrate with the battered home guard that was still trying to defend the outer wall against an army whose numbers were unfathomable. Spears the size of trees were released into the sea of orcs by the giant defenders. These attacks eliminated several dozen orcs with each throw. The orc armies were becoming highly agitated because they were still out of their archers’ range and their siege weapons were still en route.

Lord Marcello focused his attention on setting up a magical barrier as far out from the outer wall as possible so that the armies’ approach would be even further delayed. After he had finished with this task, he used his powers to enhance the integrity of the walls and all entryways. He then jumped down from the bulwark that was barely taller than he was and made his way back into the heart of the city. He had used a great deal of magic within a relatively short space of time once again and needed to rest. I hope that my efforts will be enough to delay those vile beasts from attacking long enough for me to regain my strength. He sat down in the king’s courtyard and leaned back against the fountain and began to sleep. It was an amazing sight to behold…a massive giant asleep in the midst of a full on battle. He had done his part; now it was up to the home guard and his siege warriors to fend off the seething mass of orcs while he regained his strength. He knew that doing so many complex spells so close together could kill him, so he was truly spent after his valiant efforts.

While the giant leader slept, his siege warriors killed thousands of orcs and injured numerous others. Dead bodies lay everywhere a short distance from the outer wall. Even with the persistent rain, the smell of the deceased was rank and fetid. After a few hours, the protective barrier that Marcello had created gave way and the huge ballistae moved into place. Even after suffering staggering losses, the orc armies continued to push so that they were close enough to begin using their siege weapons. Massive arrows the size of a small black oak began to whirl through the air. The outer wall was hit repeatedly with these flying battering rams, and cracks began to appear. The magical shielding was beginning to erode, and the bulwarks were beginning to crumble as a result of this weakening. Large numbers of orcs rushed forward at the site of the failing magic with their huge ladders in hand. They were going to scale the now-unprotected walls, and they were going to make the pointed-eared fairies pay for their losses. They had not been confident because of the unexpected use of magic by one of the giants, so they were ecstatic with the opportunity before them.

The southern wall was engulfed in a war of attrition over the next several days resulting in large numbers of orcs being killed or injured. The home guard was reduced to half their original numbers before their defenses gave way. The giants had suffered very few deaths and were the only reason why the southern part of the city was not yet overrun with the ugly brutes. Lord Marcello finally awoke from his slumber after four days and rejoined the battle. His return helped to push back the tide of orcs, and the wall was again enchanted with his protective magic, which prevented another breach for a time. The rains finally subsided, and the sky was blackened by the smoke from the forest burning in the southwestern part of the forest.

It was at this point that General Verandos appeared out of nowhere. He had been missing since arriving at the southern gates. He had been scouting in his bear form and had learned just how big this army was that was attacking them. He also learned of the source of the fire away in the south. He had returned on the fourth day when Lord Marcello had awakened from his rest. As he approached the wizard, he had a look on his face that did not hide the severity of their situation. Any news that this druid had was not good. The giant warlock looked down at his co-commander with a look of distress on his face. Marcello was not like other giants because of his magic capabilities and his inability to hide his emotions. He attributed the lack of control to his use of magic.

“What have you learned?” asked Marcello at once.

“There are three orc armies out there. I would have never thought that unity like this was possible with their kind. You have managed to put a dent in their numbers, but they are still over three hundred thousand strong,” reported the druid darkly.

“How have they managed to put that large of a force together?” asked the giant rhetorically. “They were supposed to be limited in size as punishment from the last war. What about the forest?”

“It appears that someone has set fire to it on purpose. They were trying to create a buffer between the armies of orcs and the Seda. At least, that is what I have deduced.”

“Is that all you were able to accomplish on your trek?” Marcello was a little perturbed about the current situation and immediately regretted his insinuation.

“I attacked several different areas of the rear, which helped slow their approach. I must say that your attack did more good than any of my efforts or the home guard for that matter. I salute you, master.” General Verandos snapped to and saluted Lord Marcello. The giant’s features eased, and a smile came across his face. It pleases me greatly that a druid recognizes my powers and respects them. We are going to get along just fine.

“Please go to your troops and reposition them. They have taken heavy losses and are a bit dejected. I think that the archers are crucial at this point because they can protect my siege warriors from attacks while they continue their aerial assault.”

“I will station my archers in a protective pattern around your soldiers. I will also try to inspire them to greater heights and encourage them to not give up hope.” General Verandos smiled warmly at Lord Marcello and hurried off to his carry out his various tasks.

As the druid made his way to the troops, he stopped on the main thoroughfare momentarily to see a massive number of elven troops heading his way. Once the people had heard that the warrior druid was leading their army, a large number of people volunteered for service. They all respected him and knew that the situation must be dire when a peaceful elf would lead an army. Verandos smiled inwardly at that shear number that had joined up. Lord Marcello would not question his friend’s use of time anymore. Before he went on his mission outside the walls, he had recruited several people to join his army. He had instructed them to be ready in three to five days and to meet him at the southern gates when they had gathered together everyone that they could muster. There were one hundred thousand elves in the army marching toward the orc armies. General Verandos looked over at his stunned counterpart and winked.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were recruiting?” boomed the giant’s voice, half irritated and half relieved. He always knew that the general would be the one to save the day, and this massive elven army was just what they needed.

Mistress Khalida

A beautiful guardian flew through the air with the grace and ease of an angel atop what looked like an eagle. She was on the guardian’s errand and would not fail to complete the tasks given to her. She was heading toward the north face of Mount Lamont to meet with someone very important. She knew that her master had already met with her quarry, but she was there to give special instructions to him. She was to inform this formidable ally to wait to intervene in the war, which was all but inevitable by now, until the very end. The guardian would call for him and his kind to get involved in a more direct way when the time was right. Khalida knew that the others had already spread out amongst the land because she had been receiving reports from them for weeks now. She knew that Mount Carrick was under attack as well as the Black Forest. She also knew that the battle for the Nairi Canyons was hot and getting worse with each passing moment. She even knew that there were two orc armies heading for Mount Adem. She was impressed that her spies had not become involved and had limited themselves to merely observing these events. She was especially impressed that the fire in the southwestern part of Renshaw had not goaded them into action.

She had arrived at the north face before she knew it and immediately began her search for Master Mahdi. She did not have the same abilities of her master, but she could sense the presence of the dormant being by her connection with the earth. She relayed to the guardian’s most trusted ally precisely what would be required of him in much greater detail than Mahdi had heard previously. They reached an understanding, and she left the mountain by taking off into the air and circling around the snowcapped peak of Lamont, and then she made for the cliffs of the High Plains of Landen. I will walk in so I do not cause them alarm. I am sure that they have heard of Kana’s flying demon and would not take kindly to an aerial approach.

Khalida alighted on the ground and walked resolutely toward the cliffs on the northwestern corner of Landen as the sun began to set on another clear day. The eagle like creature she had been on disappeared. It was crazy that the weather was so clear here while unnatural storms were blanketing the rest of Tuwa. Everywhere there was a conflict there were black clouds. She could also sense the traces of magic in the air from its heightened use over the past few weeks. The elements will be unavoidably altered by this war; that much is certain. I must work swiftly now if I am to save any part of the lands.

She saw the sentry guards at their posts stiffen as she approached. The guards were trying to figure out who or what she was as she continued to walk toward them. She could sense their fear and trepidation, so she sent out a soothing magical web to calm their heightened senses. She did not want them to act rashly and do something they would regret. Just because she was visiting King Leroy Ishrafle to discuss the alliance of the races of men, elves, dwarves, and giants did not mean that she particularly cared for the people of Landen. They had always abused their position in Tuwa and had not done their part to prevent this war and would most likely blame the guardians as they always did.

“Hail guards of Landen; it is I, Mistress Khalida.” She introduced herself to the sentries. She bowed as she uttered her pleasant greeting.

“Halt! Stay where you are!” ordered one of the guards timidly. He was shaking in spite of himself.

“You have no need to fear me. I am not the one you were told to watch for. Do you really believe that she would just walk right up to you? She would probably swoop down out of the sky on her winged beast and let it eat you both for merely being at your posts,” replied Khalida pointedly. She did not have the patience to placate these fools, and time was of the utmost importance.

“What are you saying?” stammered the other guard.

“I am saying that I am on your side. Now, please do not waste any more of my time. Inform your king that I am here to speak with him. I am representing the guardian council,” she said with an icy edge to her voice.

“We will notify him at once!” shouted one of the guards out of fright. He had not meant to yell, but his nerves were on edge, and he could not control his volume.

“Thank you,” replied the powerful guardian smoothly. She walked toward a chair by the sentry post and took a seat. She stared off into the distance and pondered exactly how she should approach King Leroy about what would be required of him. These high plains are the perfect natural defense against the hordes of Kana. The king must let us use his land as a defensive shield for the besieged peoples of Tuwa.

After a few minutes of silence, the guard who had shouted returned from sending the message from Khalida to the king. He had sent the message with a rider and instructed them to make haste. He wanted the situation to sound urgent because he wanted desperately to be out of the presence of this mysterious lady. The guard had heard tales of the guardians before, and they all depicted them as violent creatures that did not care one bit for the races of Tuwa. His view was not the popular perception of the Elementals, but it did represent a segment of people who would not help a guardian in their cause. She simply ignored the sentry as he resumed his post with his back to her. She laughed softly at his childish mannerisms and turned her attention away from the brooding guard to the other sentry who had managed to keep himself composed in her presence.

“What news has reached your ears regarding the events taking place outside your country?” she asked him quietly.

“The word is that demons from the north have begun to take over the lands. They say that devils have attacked our neighbors in Nairi,” the guard replied in hushed tones. He had a much higher opinion of the powerful guardian than his counterpart.

“Devils indeed…,”replied Khalida thoughtfully. The aggressors in these attacks are definitely displaying devilish traits. I wonder if the demons in the north have ventured outside their realm and decided to try and take over the lands again.

“Malady, could you tell me what is going on out there?” he asked hesitantly. “I do not share my friend’s view of you, and I would like to hear what you have to say on the matter.”

“I will tell you this much. You need to be prepared for anything. War is brewing again in Tuwa, and once again your country will need to be the stronghold for the races of good. I do not believe you need to worry yourself about demons or wraiths of the north. Beware the exiled races,” she said ominously. She gave the sentry a very meaningful look that told him very plainly that difficult times were on their doorstep.

A mounted messenger returned the following day with the request for an audience with Khalida immediately. The graceful guardian stood up and smiled at the messenger turned escort. Another horse had been brought back with the king’s messenger so that the guest could ride in haste to the meeting. King Leroy had sent his own steed to carry Khalida back to his court. The stallion was lord of all the white stallions in Tuwa. He was a beautiful beast that espoused grace and power. She was impressed by this gracious gesture. Her feelings about meeting with the king became much warmer and more positive in light of this token. This king surprises me with his generosity and his acceptance of the magnitude of the current situation. He is much more intelligent than I would have thought for a man.

As she rode toward the heart of Landen, they passed several villages and towns that were bustling around as though everything was normal. They had no real idea what horrors awaited them. They did not know that all of the races of Tuwa were drawing closer to an all-out war. She pitied them because their simplistic lives were about to be altered at her request. The fair plains of Landen were going to be full of refugees and armies from other countries. If the raging battles developed into war, the High Plains would be the place where the future would be decided. That was why she had to come now instead of later. In order for the outcome to be in her favor, and in favor of the good peoples of Tuwa, she would need to have the country of Landen prepared for all-out war before any army even drew near its borders.

After traveling for some miles, a huge city rose high on the horizon. A massive castle that looked more like a citadel gleamed in the sunlight as it sat imperiously in the very center of Brel. That was the name of the capital city of King Leroy’s domain. Before too long Khalida and her escort passed its outer wall and entered the main thoroughfare. There were little shops lining both sides of the street, and merchants were calling out the specials for the day. Little groups of children were running back and forth across the road and in between the stores. The sight of such normalcy and youthful joy caused the guardian to feel more hesitant about the information that she was going to impart to their king. Their lives would be irrevocably changed from this war, and those that lived to see the end of it would never be the same again. I will make sure Kana pays for what I am about to do. She will be made to suffer for destroying the lives of the good peoples of Tuwa. They will never have the same peace they have known their entire lives.

The sun burned brightly overhead, and there were birds flying high above in the air. In the west, dark clouds covered the Black Forest and smoke was rising into the sky in the region where the Seda were purported to be. None of the citizens of Brel took notice of the strange weather or burning forest. Everyone that Khalida passed smiled genuinely and waved as she passed. The eastern gate to the castle was the only part of the city that seemed to be heavily guarded. They were stopped by a small group of soldiers armed to the teeth and were asked to wait while they confirmed that their presence had been requested. Many of the king’s guard eyed the beautiful lady wearily. She knew right away from the looks on their faces that they believed her to be the rogue Elemental that had been rumored to be about the lands. She could see it in their eyes that they believed her to be that witch and that she had come here to bewitch their good king into taking up her wicked cause.

Only a few minutes passed before one of the king’s servants came running at top speed toward the castle’s gate. He skidded to a halt and bowed deeply while trying to catch his breath. The servant stood up and offered his hand to the elegant lady. She took his hand and dismounted the gorgeous white stallion with a smooth, swift motion. She nodded to the bewildered guards with a slight smile as she followed her new escort into the king’s court. She took heart at the protection the king had employed to protect his household, but she wondered why he had not imposed such strict protection throughout his kingdom. As she walked toward the main entrance to the court, she noticed that the people had tense looks on their faces. It was as though they were collectively holding their breath, waiting to see what she would do. She smiled warmly to try and ease the tension in the air about her.

The double doors burst open before they had even touched the doorstep. The king himself stood before her in a deep bow. As he stood up, it was clear that he was anxious to speak with her. He took Khalida’s hand in his and led her into the throne room. He did not take his kingly seat but sat at a table to the side of the throne. He seemed to recognize his place in her presence, and this, more than anything else, really put her at ease. She knew that her meeting with King Leroy would be very productive. She eased gracefully into her seat across the table from the king and waited patiently for her gracious host to begin their private meeting. All of the king’s guard left the room, and all of the doors were sealed. They were all alone in the king’s throne room to discuss the matters of war. There was intensity in the air as she waited on the king to break the silence.

“Mistress Khalida, I have been expecting you,” started the king suddenly.

“How is it that you have been expecting me, King Ishrafle?” queried the Elemental kindly.

“I have received news from Arnaud of your coming. He tells me that you are representing the guardian and that it is Kana who is causing all of the strife in the lands,” explained King Leroy.

“I did not think that you spoke to the eagles. I thought that you and your people let them make their homes on the cliffs as long as they did not make their presence known to your subjects. Has that changed in the past few years?” she asked sincerely.

“It has changed within the past few weeks actually. Arnaud felt that we would need each other considering the increasing number of confrontations that were breaking out all over the land of Tuwa. I agree with him whole-heartedly. What I would like to know from you is exactly what is going on?” He did not want to mince words. He felt that time was a commodity that was too precious to waste on pleasantries.

“You certainly do not waste any time in getting to the point. I appreciate that, Leroy. The Elemental you know as Kana has indeed broken from the guardian council and has made it her ambition to rule Tuwa and the peoples who inhabit the lands. She has gathered together the banished races plus a splinter group of elves to assist her in gaining control.”

“You mean to tell me that she has recruited the orcs, goblins, and rock trolls? She has also managed to convince the peaceful elves, or at least a part of them, to join her in her quest for dominion over the free peoples of Tuwa. Why has she done this? I thought that the guardians only cared about the elements and not the peoples of Tuwa.” He was totally put out by the thought that one of the powerful guardians had decided to try and take over the free peoples.

“I share your concerns about our fallen friend. I believe that she has become hungry for more power and will stop at nothing to get, what she perceives, to be ultimate power. If she can conquer the people and control them in addition to the elements she commands, she probably believes that she would be invincible.”

“So, what do we need to do? I already see that there is a confrontation in Nairi and the Black Forest. I have received word that a massive army has attacked Mount Carrick as well. Do we need to send our army to our friends’ aid?” He knew that action was required, and he also knew that Khalida would give him the best advice.

“I ask you to prepare your defenses for an all-out assault. Prepare to receive the besieged peoples of Tuwa and provide them with shelter and food. Their armies, or what is left of them, will help fortify your defensive positions. I foresee that the final battles will be fought here…in your country. If you act now and do as I have asked, your enemies will not set foot on your plains.”

“Is there anyone else who can help us?” There was a pleading tone in his voice as he spoke to Khalida.

“I will ask the eagles to join the cause in a more direct way. I will also recruit other creatures that will provide you with considerable support. The guardian council will fight alongside you mortals. We will not allow one of our own to destroy the people of Tuwa.

The Fall

Queen Kishi’s assault on Nairi had gone on much longer than she had anticipated. She thought that these men would bow before the awesome power of the high elves. These people are just as stubborn as dwarves in their mountain homes. After a few weeks of fighting, the queen’s army had taken the southwestern part of the canyons. Smoke filled the air from the barrage of magical attacks combined with fire arrows. The queen had elevated the usage of her powers and had not suffered any strain or drain on her physical body. In the past, using magic on a frequent basis left her exhausted for hours or even days. She had learned a way of compensating for the price exacted from overuse and that was to replace what was lost from taking from the earth. She had somehow discovered the secret of rock trolls who regained their strength or healed themselves by taking power from the land. She did not fully realize that by doing this she was heading down a path, which leads to enslavement to the darkest kind of magic.

As the sun rose on another day of fighting, she could not help but to think that this day would be significant or special in some way. As she stared at nothing in particular, the beautiful colors made by the different kinds of smoke caught her attention. There were purples, reds, blues, oranges, and green wisps of smoke that twisted about one another like they were locked in a forbidden dance. They curled and swirled about lazily as the silence of the morning deepened. There was an expectant feeling in the air and after a few more minutes of quiet, a strong northerly wind rolled through and the haze dissipated. The sky was beginning to clear of the incessant vapor, and the air was beginning to smell less and less like the dead. After so many weeks of rain, fire, explosions, death, and suffering, this new day had the promise of something more.

“General Jaali, today is the day,” Queen Kishi said with a great deal of optimism. “We will end this overly long siege and deliver the ultimate payback.”

“What did you have in mind, my queen?” asked the general gruffly. The long battle combined with heavy losses to his ranks had left him bitter and desensitized. He tried to put on a smile but gave it up as a lost cause. He was too close to the queen to waste any energy on hiding his feelings about the situation. I simply cannot believe that General Yukio has been able to hold us off for so long! How in the name of everything sacred and holy are we supposed to finish this battle that has raged on for longer than anyone anticipated?

“What is the strongest point of any group or organization? In other words, where does the true power lie in the people before us?” she asked slyly.

“Like an archway, there is one stone that holds it together and in this case the keystone is the queen,” replied the general thoughtfully.

“I am impressed. I thought you would have said that it was their insane general. You hit the mark spot on. We need to remove the queen so that the rest will lose their nerve and flee.”

“So, you want us to direct our assault on the queen for the next few days?”

“No, I want you to take the army and hem in their troops. I want them to think we are tightening the noose around their necks. This diversion will draw their attention away of their center long enough for an assassination attempt. Since I will be the one taking on the assassin’s role, the attempt will be successful.” She had a wicked gleam in her eye as she said this, and her good friend took notice. He knew that his queen was changing and liked his new, more confident friend.

“Then let us make haste and put an end to this fight today!” He snapped to attention and saluted his queen. She reached out and gave him a warm hug and then kissed him firmly on the lips. The general was taken aback by this show of affection. After a few brief moments, he regained his composure and headed off to deliver the new orders for the day. As the queen watched him leave, she began to plan out her assassination attempt in her mind.

She determined that it would be best to make her approach as undetectable as possible. She decided that mimicking her environment would do the trick. She knew that any soldier she came across would have to die. It was while she was thinking this that the memory of her departed sister burst into her mind. Kira would not approve of this course of action; she would try to find a way to spare every life she could on a mission like this. Why am I so different from her? The queen looked around guiltily as though someone may have somehow heard her thoughts. She did not care for the feeling of guilt she experienced when thinking of her sister. She knew that her plan would be successful and that if she allowed those who came into her path to live she would pay with her own life.

After an hour of preparation, the army had finished dividing up and began to move out. A small number of forces remained behind to feign guarding their queen. Kishi waited for the army to engage General Yukio’s entrenched soldiers before easing her way down to the underground castle of Queen Daria. She only had to wait for a few minutes before the first signs of resistance presented itself. The battered army began to swarm the dilapidated ranks of Yukio’s army while Queen Kishi disguised herself and headed toward her target. Smoke began to rise from the battles that had erupted along the eastern and western sides of the canyon. The assassin made her way silently down a long, winding rock staircase. She used her magic to conceal her secret movements as she hugged the canyon walls during her descent. She reached the bottom after another hour had passed. It had taken her so long because she had to move slowly because there were sentries posted along the path at every turn.

At the end of the winding trail was a small encampment where the sentries that she had passed along the way slept. She crept quietly through the camp so that she would not alert anyone to her presence. As she made her way through the tents, she came upon two soldiers sitting around a burned out campfire. They were talking conspiratorially about the events surrounding the unprovoked attack by the elves who called themselves by a different name for some superfluous reason. They laughed at one another’s comments and views on the subject as they eyed the fighting that had sprung up along the canyon walls. They were glad not to be in the fighting because the pointed-eared freaks were using magic, which clearly gave them a distinctly unfair advantage. They believed the high elves to be nothing more than a bunch of race haters who believed they were the enlightened ones. The conversation was beginning to have an adverse effect on the queen as she tried to slip by. Her shadow appeared on a tent that was in the line of sight of gossiping soldiers who knew at once that someone was behind them. They stood abruptly and whirled about to face whoever it was that was eavesdropping on them.

A hand was in each of their bewildered faces, and before they could swipe away the assassin’s hands, they saw a flash of red light, and then they saw nothing at all. Kishi lowered her hands slowly with a look of fierce determination and pure loathing. She had used her fiery magic to vaporize the unsuspecting soldiers’ heads, which helped the queen relieve her built-up tension. Her attack, however, was not silent. Several of the sentries that she had passed either saw or heard the commotion. She wheeled about to face a dozen guards rushing toward her, and she did not move as they rushed at her. She gracefully moved her hands and arms about as if she were weaving something in the air. A staff appeared, and she quickly turned the weapon in their direction. A green, ethereal dart shot from the end of the staff and into the middle of her attackers. It exploded into a greenish brown cloud and every single sentry was engulfed in the toxic haze. The poison worked instantly, and all twelve of her pursuers fell to the ground like a sack of rocks, dead before they landed.

The queen was lucky that none of the sentries thought to send up the alarm and instead rushed her. No one had been alerted to her presence yet, and she quickly resumed her course toward the castle’s main gate. She did not reveal herself the rest of her journey until she reached the entry to the castle. At this point she could tell that it would be impossible to conceal her presence because of the position of the sun. As soon as she reached the gates, the queen’s guard noticed an unusual shadow being cast by an invisible object. They immediately shouted for the gate to be closed and the doors to the castle to be sealed. The small wall surrounding the entrance to the underground palace came alive with archers who released their arrows at will. Kishi reacted swiftly by throwing up a defensive shield that deflected the missiles. She retaliated by shooting forth lightning from her staff into the bowman atop the wall. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air at once, and shrieks of terror and frustration burst from soldiers behind the bulwarks.

Kishi raised her staff high above her head and lowered it with both hands. A gust of wind blasted the gate that had just been shut but did no real damage. She wanted the queen’s guard to give into their fears and make a mistake. She could hear yelling on the other side of the wall, but the voices did not have the same edge to them. The captains were obviously rallying the troops and calming them down. The high elven queen was infuriated by the success they were having and began to twirl her staff in elegant motions around her body. Her eyes turned an icy blue color as a cool mist began to form around her. After a few more revolutions of the staff, she was completely engulfed in the magical mist. The cloud around her began to crystallize, and then she aimed her staff with both hands gripping tight at the main entry. A bluish orb shot out from the end with extreme velocity.

The gate exploded into tiny shards of wood, leaving the entrance wide open as if it had never even been there. The ball of ice had hit the castle doors as well and turned them into sheets of ice. The guards were temporarily stunned by the attack, and that infinitesimal delay cost them their lives. Kishi began whirling her staff again over her head this time, and she rose into the air some ten feet above the ground. She appeared to turn a dark purple color as unnatural lightning gathered about her. She sent several wicked bolts slamming into the bewildered guards, and they were all immediately vaporized. She then lowered herself to the ground again and made a sweeping gesture at the frozen doors. They blew apart as a gust of wind hammered into them and left the entryway empty with the exception of the queen’s guard, who were waiting in the foyer beyond.

Arrows flew from every direction at the high elven queen. Kishi reacted just in time to deflect most of the arrows with a magical shield. She had to dodge the others using her agility and speed to avoid all but one arrow while she called up her magic. An arrow had pierced her thigh near the right hip and sent her tumbling backwards. As she lay on the ground, she could feel pain spreading throughout her entire body as if it were some kind of poison. She instantly realized that the arrow must have had a poisoned tip. She reached down and gently pulled out the arrow that was covered in her blood. She shook the dart to see if there had been something on the arrowhead, and it became clear that it had been doctored with some foreign substance. As she gripped the arrow firmly, it burst in flames and vanished. She would have to take care of the poison after she dealt with the queen. She stood up and closed her eyes for a moment while her body shook tremendously from the effects of the poison. She quickly sealed the wound and steadied herself for an attack.

The arrows stopped flying at her while the guards watched closely waiting for the vile high elf to drop dead. They were sadly disappointed as she became still and opened her eyes. She had isolated the poison and surrounded it with her magic. In essence, she had locked away the poison so that she could later remove it. Now she turned her attention to the unlucky soldiers that would now feel the full, unadulterated wrath of the most powerful sorceress in Tuwa. Her staff disappeared into thin air, and she cupped her hands together in front of her. A conglomeration of different colors and substances began to form into an orb shape in the air slightly above her hands. The ball seemed to have colors that represented the four different elements in nature which had a sickly hue to it. The small ball grew to the size of a person’s head and then solidified into an ugly looking ball. It began to rotate slowly and continued to pick up speed. The guards were mesmerized or were in some kind of trance because they did not react at all when the ominous sphere emitted a black hand that reached out at its prey.

The ethereal hand went to each guard and wrapped its black fingers around their necks. The hand would then squeeze hard, and the person’s eyes would go blank. Their souls were literally ripped from their physical bodies, and their spirits were forced into the netherworld. Their physical bodies were left intact as though they were still alive. In fact, they were still alive, but they no longer were capable of doing anything aside from standing there. Such magic had not been used in Tuwa since the days of its formation. This act of manipulating the elements to perform such dark magic left a mark upon the place where the spell was cast. After Kishi had demonstratively destroyed the queen’s guard, she proceeded into the throne room where Daria sat upon her throne. As the assassin approached the doors to the chamber, she noticed that there were no guards there. She opened the doors slowly and slipped in quietly to the ornate room. The queen of Nairi sat there with a look of resignation and expectancy on her face.

“So, you knew I was coming,” stated Kishi bluntly. It was not a question, and Queen Daria nodded her agreement with what the high elven queen said. The assassin could see that her prey was waiting for her to finish the job. It was a pitiful sight to see one of the most powerful and influential leaders in the land of Tuwa sitting upon her throne resigned to the fact that she was going to die.

“Let us not mince words. Finish what you have come here to do,” said Queen Daria bitterly. “Seal your wicked fate by killing your only ally. Know this. I curse you and all those who carry the name of high elf. May you die viciously painful deaths, and may your souls be racked with eternal torment for your sins.” Daria had a stern and meaningful look on her face as she spoke. After she had pronounced her curse, the look of resignation returned.

Kishi, who still held the death orb, sent out the black hand once more, and it reached out to Queen Daria and ripped her soul from her body. The queen’s eyes slid out of focus, and she remained seated on her throne with a faraway look. Having done what she had set out to do, she turned about and exited the soulless halls of Nairi castle. As Kishi entered the light of day once more, she could see that the battles on the sides of the canyons were intensifying. She needed to relay to General Jaali that she had been successful and to put an end to the wicked men once and for all. She started to run at a very fast pace back down the path she had taken to enter the castle. There was no one along the way that tried to stop her because they were all dead. As she ran, she wondered how long it would take General Yukio to find out what she had done. She had her answer immediately after thinking this. Yukio’s voice could be heard above the sounds of battle and caused an eerie silence to fall. The only sound was that of an enraged general who had somehow discovered the loss of their queen. Threats, blood oaths, and extremely vile language rang through the air while everyone and everything listened to his ranting and raving. Queen Kishi stopped running and smiled. I guess I do not need to hurry anymore; the whole world knows what happened now. General Jaali knows what to do.

“Kill them! Kill them all!” shouted General Yukio as he finished his vulgar tirade. The ground shook momentarily after he shouted his order.

The Nairi army redoubled their efforts as they renewed their attack on the advancing high elves. They were so enraged by the loss of their queen that they unwisely left their defensive positions to attack the approaching army in hand-to-hand combat. General Jaali acted at once to take advantage of this slip in judgment. He sent the archers up to higher ground and ordered them to rain arrows down on the soldiers in the rear of Yukio’s army. After an hour of intense battle, the ranks of the army of men began to lose their resolve. General Yukio, though still enraged by what had happened and what was happening now, called for the retreat. Jaali let them go so that he could reunite his divided army and take an inventory of his troops. Plus, he wanted to speak with the queen before deciding what to do next. After a few hours the entire high elven army that had come to Nairi was gathered together outside the castle gate on the canyon floor.

“My queen,” said General Jaali, finally finding Kishi. They hugged each other and looked one another over to see what damage had been done to them. Jaali had a nasty cut that started just below his left eye and went down past his jawbone slightly. Aside from that, he was unharmed. He noticed that Kishi’s hip was bloody and had a sickly greenish look to it. “What happened here?” He bent down beside her to get a better look at her sickly wound.

As the general touched her hip gently, she said, “Nothing that cannot be fixed.” As he stood up, she gave him a wry smile, and they both laughed warmly. She reached up and gave him another tight embrace. He always liked the feeling of holding her and under different circumstances would have acted on the feelings that he had for her. Now was not the time, however. As they stood there holding one another, the general wheeled her about while still holding onto her. They both saw the army of General Yukio leaving the canyons; they appeared to be heading southeast.

“Leave a small detachment here with me and pursue those traitors,” ordered Kishi as she let go of her beloved friend. “Do not let them reach their destination no matter what the cost. If they should reach the High Plains before you overtake them, encamp the army at a safe distance from the cliffs and send me word. No one has ever taken Landen, and I do not believe we could do it on our own. However, maybe we could get some allies together and change that record. I will communicate with Lord Aellenas while you make your pursuit. He should have some allies for us by now.”

“It shall be as you wish, malady,” said the general with a bow. She stood him up once more and kissed him hard on the mouth before turning away to enter the castle gates. Jaali went into action at once and ordered a small regiment of soldiers to remain behind with their queen. He then turned his attention to the matters at hand. “All right, you can see that our unworthy foes have turned tail and fled. Let’s hunt them down!” Shouts of agreement rose from the ranks. The air was also full of vulgar language as they began their pursuit of Yukio’s army. Never before had a group of elves used such unbecoming language.

As General Yukio rode ahead, he was consumed in dangerous thoughts and was in a rather vile mood. First he lost the love of his life, and now he had been unable to keep his queen from being murdered. He had been so successful in defending her against assassination attempts in the past and could not understand why he had failed this time. Why was she sitting in the throne room? I told her to hide in the secret cavern until I came for her. What possessed her to do such a rash thing? He was perplexed by Daria’s actions and knew that she must have been coerced somehow to allow herself to become such easy prey.

After the army behind him was completely clear of the canyons, he called a halt to their retreat. He had to explain to the troops what happened and what they needed to do now in order to survive. Yukio did not like the idea of retreating, but he would much rather run than get his entire army killed needlessly. He had lost a significant number of soldiers in defending their homeland and did not think it was wise to defend a place where they had experienced a great tragedy. The general knew that it was time to leave when his men left their defensive positions to attack the high elves in a wildly unorganized assault. He also knew that they would be able to find protection in the High Plains of Landen. Allies would save them from utter annihilation and would help them recapture their beloved homeland.

“Men, we need to regroup after the tragedy we just experienced with the loss of our beloved Queen Daria Thejar,” began the general evenly. “We must retake our lands, but first we need help to accomplish this. We will go to our brethren in Landen and seek their protection and aid. We will be reunited with our families who left us weeks ago. We might even be able to garner the support from the men of Aran as well.”

No one said anything or made any sudden movements. It was as though they were in shock or stunned somehow. The death of their queen did not seem real or final until General Yukio uttered those earth-shattering words. The soldiers took a moment to reflect on what just happened to them, and for the first time fear entered into their hearts. They had much better defensive positions, and they had held the high elves off for weeks. Murmurings and whisperings began to fill the air as they stood there trying to make sense of what had happened. They had not listened to another word of Yukio’s after making it clear that their beloved queen was dead.

“Quiet! We do not have time to mourn or to place blame. We must move forward if we are all to survive another day. See!” said Yukio, pointing at the high elven army cresting the lip of the canyon. Shouts of terror and dismay erupted amongst the ranks. The general had to do something and do it quick or they would surely lose an open plain battle.

“General Yukio, maybe we should surrender,” stammered one of the soldiers from the middle front of the army nearest to him.

Yukio, who was not a very patient man to begin with, snapped. He used his psychic powers to convince several key soldiers to agree with him so that the rest of the army would agree to move out. Voices began to shout approvals to what the general had said, and many of the captains barked orders to stand at attention and to prepare to move out. The discontent and fear evaporated in the air around the army. Every soldier stood stalk still while waiting for the command to move out. The downcast looks and shifting eyes were replaced with stern looks of determination. The general was pleased with his easy manipulation of his troops.

“Move out!” bellowed General Yukio.

The reduced army of Nairi began to march at a quick pace toward the cliffs of Landen. They bent their course directly east once they were within the shadow of the cliffs. General Yukio rode ahead to make sure that there were no obstacles or traps that lay ahead of them and then turned his steed about to check the rear of the army. He wanted to see just how close the wicked fiends were. He needed to know if they were coming at him with their full strength or if General Jaali had sent only a portion of his army. He also wanted to ascertain whether or not his evil sister-in-law was among them. He wanted to rend her limb from limb more than anyone else. He smiled wistfully at the very thought of exacting his revenge on the little witch. Beware, Kishi. I will have my revenge! You and your high elves will follow in the tragic footsteps of the Eldar!

***

General Jaali could see in the distance, probably some ten miles away, the army of Nairi hugging the cliffs of Landen. They are heading for King Leroy’s kingdom just like we suspected. I must motivate the troops to move faster. “Let’s pick up the pace! We must engage them before they reach the High Plains!” barked the general. The army picked up the pace so much so that they were traveling at top speed. The distance between the two armies began to shrink as they ran full out. It was as though an invisible whip was snapping at their heels. The general was amazed at their ability to maintain such a feverish pace. He ordered the archers to the front and sent them on ahead to see if they could get Yukio’s attention. They ran full out for a few hundred yards and then stopped to release a volley of arrows. The first barrage hit a couple of the stragglers and did exactly what General Jaali had hoped would happen. General Yukio turned about on his steed to face his attackers, and then he bore down on them.

The archers were surprised that the general would rush them all by himself when there were a couple hundred of them. The moment this thought crept into their heads, it was replaced by another terrible thought. The troops began to hallucinate and see things that were not there. Before they had released one arrow in the direction of the charging mad man, they turned on each other and began to shoot one another. General Jaali roared in frustration and ordered the rest of the army to go to the aid of the archers. The soldiers complied with the command, but they did so with trepidation in their hearts. As they narrowed the gap, they saw the crazed Yukio reach the confused bowmen. Within a few moments, every single archer was dead. They died at the hand of one another in most cases, but General Yukio had killed some thirty plus with his sword.

The army came to halt in spite of themselves and stood there transfixed, gazing at the blood-soaked general. Yukio gave them a wicked smile and jumped on his horse in one fluid motion. He spurred his beast hard, and they bolted back toward the Nairi army that was still marching at top speed along the cliff. General Jaali snapped out of the trance and ordered the bewildered soldiers to resume their march. They did not react at once, and the general could tell by the look in their eyes that they were all spellbound in some way. Jaali decided to wait patiently for at least some of them to come around because yelling at them had no effect.

“General, what just happened?” asked one of the soldiers nearest the gruesome scene.

“Son, can you tell me what you remember?” the general asked congenially. He put his arm around the trembling soldier to try and help calm his nerves.

“I remember running toward the archers who had stopped to shoot that wicked general from his steed,” began the soldier weakly. He was comforted a little by the fatherly gesture by General Jaali. “Then it was as though the whole world was frozen or in slow motion. I saw the bowmen turn on one another and watched them destroy one another. Then I saw that vile general jump down off his steed and walk toward those that had not died and began to cut them to pieces. That was when he looked at me…”

“What happened when he looked at you, son?” prodded Jaali kindly. “It is important that I know exactly what happened so we can make sure it does not happen to you or anyone else.”

“Then…I…saw…him…in…my…head,” replied the guard, shaking violently at the mere thought.

“What was he doing in your head?” asked the general urgently. He was getting more and more concerned by what he was hearing. Does this wicked fiend have psychic powers?

The soldier did not reply vocally this time but merely shook his head from side to side. It was clear that the poor fellow had no way of telling his commanding officer exactly what Yukio had been doing in his mind. It was clear enough that he was torturing the soldiers in their minds somehow. General Jaali gave the poor fellow a squeeze of reassurance and then walked around the soldiers to see just how many were affected. It appeared that only the first five lines of troops had been under the control of Yukio. However, Jaali did not believe that it was Yukio who had conjured the images. Who has such powerful magic as to affect the minds of so many? And why would they be helping this vile betrayer? He stood there for a moment perplexed by the situation. He would need to do something to snap the spell and get his army moving again. If they did not move soon, Yukio’s army would reach the other side of the cliffs and then they would have the advantage.

As Yukio galloped up to the front of the sprinting army covered in his enemies’ blood, his troops shouted praises to their valiant leader. Chants and war cries filled the air as they picked up the pace now that their general was in the lead once more. Within a few days, they had reached the sentry posts at the northeastern end of the cliffs. Narrow passages between the cliff wall and a massive body of water to the east were natural defenses that the people of Landen had relied upon for centuries for protection. No one had ever scaled the cliffs or crossed the icy blue lake that was big enough to be an inland sea. General Yukio looked at the entry wall with a smile of triumph on his face. General Jaali will not dare to follow me with such strong natural defenses. I wonder why we were not attacked. How did the soldiers of Landen know we were coming?

A sentry came forward to talk with the general but stopped short when he noticed that he was covered in blood. He did not know what to think of his appearance and simply stared for a moment. At first, he thought to call for a healer but was in too much shock to do anything. Finally he snapped out of his stupor and welcomed the general politely. “Welcome to Landen. King Ishrafle requests a meeting with you at once. He asks that your army stay at the northern end of the country to help fortify our defenses. We will provide supplies and lodging for your beleaguered men. Please hurry; the high elves are right behind you.”

“Thank you for your hospitality. I will go with you straight away, but first I must pass on your instructions. I will have my troop’s station themselves along the cliff wall so we can surprise the cursed high elves and hopefully drive them back for a time,” replied General Yukio. The sentry bowed and waited patiently for the general to return. After a few minutes, a blood covered horse came back into view with Yukio on his back. The sentry mounted his steed, and they took off at once toward Ishrafle Castle. The army they left behind moved into action at once.

After the army of Nairi had positioned themselves along the cliff wall and at the entrance to Landen, they waited for their quarry to come into view. They did not need to wait long for the high elves to appear. It was clear that the army below the cliffs had no idea that they were walking directly into harm’s way. As the head of the army passed the first defensive position, tension filled the air. The army continued forward until they had passed three more posts without anything happening. When they arrived at the fifth defensive station, the previous four stations opened fire. They sent arrows, rocks, and boiling oil, followed by fire arrows, down into the unsuspecting ranks of Jaali’s army. Shrieks of terror and absolute pain reached the ears of their attackers. The captains took courage at these sounds and ordered the troops to fire at will.

The base of the cliffs were ablaze now, and the soldiers below began to run in every direction as though they had no idea which way was out. Several thousand high elves lay dead within the first few minutes of the assault from above. The portions of the army below that had not reached the first defensive position halted their march eastward and turned due north. They positioned themselves directly north of the besieged part of their army and were out of range of the attacks from above. It appeared that they were attempting to set up a defensive perimeter around the survivors. After a few minutes, the troops who had not perished in the surprise attack settled down and rejoined their army. The remains of the high elves that died burned brightly until the fires had burned themselves out. The charred remains smoldered for days after their fiery deaths.

General Jaali looked up at the tiny dots that were their attackers and cursed loudly in a fit of rage. After ranting and raving for a few minutes, he regained his composure and surveyed the extent of the damage. They had lost a little over six thousands soldiers in the surprise attack. Their numbers had been reduced to less than one hundred thousand strong. While this infuriated the general greatly, he knew that his forces were still formidable and that with reinforcements that he could capture the Nairi army and the foolish people of Landen. He would merely have to wait for a report back from Queen Kishi on exactly who their allies would be. He decided that he had better send her a report and address his battered soldiers. This is only a temporary setback. Those foolish men will curse the day they betrayed us!

The Sacred Language

Lord Keb shrieked in utter frustration as the wraiths swarmed all about him. They seemed to be feeding off of his anger and anxiety. He was not necessarily afraid of the vile creatures; he was terrified of what Kana was doing. He knew that he had to warn the others of exactly what she was planning to do. His mind ached from the effort of thinking while his essence was racked with pain from Kana’s fire. He calmed his thoughts and drove out all feelings and emotions from his body. He locked his mind from his external foes and emptied all thought. His body finally relaxed, which enabled him to block out the effects of Kana’s magic. The specters stopped their siphoning and floated motionless around the wooden figure that was still ablaze. The anger and anxiety had dissipated all at once, and they could not understand where it went or how Keb had accomplished this feat.

As the battered Elemental sat there consumed by flames, his mind was blissfully at ease. He focused his efforts on blocking out everything around him. After a few hours or days, he could not tell, he had enough strength to do what he needed to be free of Kana’s spells. As the word formed in his mind, he knew that his friend Lord Neb would forgive his command of water. The word that formed in his mind was from the sacred language of the guardians. Their language was one of power, and when a word was uttered aloud, it commanded one of the elements to obey. The power was only effective if it was used singularly. When the Elementals spoke to one another verbally, their words did not command because they were used in plurality. It was forbidden for a guardian to speak a command word of an element they did not have stewardship over. Kana was the first to break this commandment since the first war of Tuwa. They all knew how to use all the command words, but only the rightful guardian should command the element, or elements.

“Watnese!” bellowed Keb. The wraiths pulled back from him in shock. Power emanated from him after he said this command word.

Water rose up from the stagnant pool and dowsed Kana’s flame. Lord Keb was free of the painful flames, which gave him even more strength and resolve to continue his attempts to free himself. He calmed himself again to the same point he was at before he uttered the command word for water. As he settled his mind, he knew that his actions had altered something within the earth. He had broken the commandment just like Kana, and he would have to pay for his trespass. He knew that the guardian would forgive him, but he would have to make amends to Lord Neb and Mistress Khalida for his trespass. They too would understand that circumstances did not allow for anything else and that it was for the greater good. Though, a law that was violated required punishment and retribution. He knew that in his case the payback would be considerably lighter because of the mitigating circumstances.

“Frumacia!” yelled Lord Keb. His wooden-shaped body transformed into his human form once more. He had freed himself of Kana’s traps. He did not look into the depthless faces of the demons floating all around him as he took in his surroundings.

As he scrutinized the cavern, he could sense the presence of another creature that did not belong. It was not like the others because it had a discernible form. The being was powerful and was possibly created by dark magic. Evil emanated from it, and its fowl stench filled the air around him. The wraiths began to move higher toward the ceiling as if making way for this new threat. It was clear that they did not want to leave, but this new demon, or whatever it was, posed a greater threat than the whole of the specters. Finally they turned toward one of the walls in the cavern and disappeared. Keb was all alone now with this invisible beast, and in that instant he knew was trapped. He simply could not find his foe even though he knew that it had a body. An unnatural mist began to spring up from the dank pool of water.

“Watnese!” bellowed Keb once again. Once he had uttered the command for water, he forced the pool to freeze. He made every drop of water turn to ice in that dank green pool. He thought that this was where the beast was coming from. He was sorely mistaken.

Keb felt a tall figure rising behind him, and he knew that he had been mistaken in his hasty assumption. He turned around to see a creature that appeared to be three times his height and appeared to be coiled like a snake. The beast had red eyes that had slits for pupils. A forked tongue flicked in and out of its massive mouth tasting the air around it. There were two enormous fangs that were three feet long and that were being displayed warningly to Lord Keb. The scales were a blackish green color with no distinct patterns. This snake was obviously a creation of dark magic that was used ages ago. It was once an average poisonous snake, but it had been altered by magic to its current size. The vile creature stared at his prey ominously as if waiting to see what Keb would do. The unnatural beast was some sixty feet long and was three times as wide as the guardian who stood transfixed in front of the demonic creation.

Lord Keb immediately tried to communicate with the creature by using telepathy, but he could not penetrate the snake’s thick skull. “Erome!” commanded Keb. Huge chunks of the ceiling above the beast came crashing down on its head, smashing it to the earth. For a few tense moments, dust engulfed the room and nothing moved. As time passed, Keb became convinced that he had not killed the creature because if he had truly hurt it there would have been some sort of sound from the dying beast.

Rocks flew into the air as the snake burst from its earthen prison and raised its head high into the air. Keb was quick enough to throw up a protective shield around him so that the first attack of his adversary was thwarted. However, his magic shield had holes in it from where the creature’s fangs had hit. Somehow the venom had dissolved the shield where it had come into contact with the protective barrier. The vile creature rose up into the air again to position itself for the next attack. Keb decided to use basic magic to see if it had any effect on it. He sent fireballs and ice bolts into the underside of the worm with extreme force. The magical assaults merely glanced off his scales and were deflected into the cavern walls. This beast is just like a dragon; magic cannot penetrate its scales. The guardian hesitated for a moment while he tried to figure out what to try next.

This time his hesitation worked in his behalf. The snake struck with unbelievable speed and accuracy. It did not try to poison his prey this time and simply swallowed him whole. This was an erroneous move on the serpent’s part. Once inside the vile creature, Keb used every basic spell he knew to wreak havoc on the defenseless inner walls. The beast thrashed about violently from trying to dislodge the Elemental he had consumed. Then he tried to vomit Keb up so that he would stop inflicting such horrible damage to his innards. As the beast heaved repeatedly, the earthen lord clung to the sides using metal claws he conjured up. This caused even more pain and discomfort for the wretched snake.

“Zege!” screamed Keb defiantly. Unquenchable fire burst into life along with a rush of water heading in the opposite direction of the fire. Wind ripped through the belly of the beast as massive boulders appeared out of thin air and began to roll both directions. Keb dislodged his claws from the sides of the snake and transformed the claws into hands again. He clapped his hands together is one swift motion, and all of the elements converged together at a point in front of the Elemental. An explosion of the four elements ripped the snake in two and consumed it entirely after the collision.

Lord Keb stood in the now silent cavern covered in slime and other nasty pieces of the deceased reptile. He waited a moment to see if the wraiths would return after the demise of the snake. As he pondered on this thought, he began to wonder why the specters were afraid of this beast. It could not have harmed them. They have very little substance and could easily avoid the creature. Bewildered by this he turned his attention to escaping the cursed mountain. He tried to use his psychic powers to see if he could send a message through the earth to one of the other Elementals. It was then that he realized that Kana’s magic was not blocking him. There was a much more evil form of magic being used to deny him the ability to communicate to the outside world. He then realized that the walls also had a magical barrier that would not allow him to leave the cavern. The wraiths were allowed to exit because they served the power that was holding him captive. I am trapped!

***

Lord Neb was warned by Mistress Khalida that the southwestern part of the Black Forest was ablaze and that there were several fires burning in Tarisdell. She had asked him to put out the fire that was threatening the Seda’s home because she did not want them to venture outside their domain. It would not bode well for either side to have them on the loose and unchecked. They were powerful beings that had helped the guardians in their fight against evil many years ago, but they had isolated themselves because of their mistrust for every living thing. They did not take sides anymore, and anyone who was unlucky enough to cross into their realm either died or was not right in the head ever again. Khalida believed that if the fire that was burning their home was put out at once that they would not become involved in the battle for Renshaw.

Lord Neb caused dark rain clouds to appear over the area that was burning out of control in the southwestern part of the Black Forest. He caused an unrelenting downpour to be unleashed, and the blaze was put out within a few hours. Neb stayed for a while in the rain clouds to make sure that the Seda stayed put and did not venture out. He watched them for a few days with no visible signs of them leaving their home. Once he was satisfied with the result, he reported back to Khalida that his mission was successful. She was very pleased with his work and told him to move on to Tarisdell and put out the fires there.

The massive storm cloud moved slowly toward the melee that had engulfed the elven capital. As he reached the southern end of the city, he unleashed such a fierce downpour that the elves, giants, and orcs ran for cover. The fires were put out instantly, and the raging battle ceased for the moment. As the clouds made their way over the rest of the city, the inhabitants and the soldiers headed for cover. When the storm reached the northern outer wall, the high elves, elves, and giants ran for it. The rain was coming down so hard that it would literally hit the soldiers from the different armies as hard as an arrow shot from close range. The city of Tarisdell was covered in darkness by the black clouds while rain continued to pour down for several days. Lord Neb communicated telepathically with King Ciel in the midst of the torrential downpour. He told the king that he was to take his people and depart at once for the High Plains of Landen. He was also ordered to take the giants with them. The elven king was told to ask King Angus to protect the rear while both groups retreat.

After he had effectively communicated with the elves, he reported back once again to Khalida. She was pleased with his efficiency and timing. She then informed him that he was needed in Nairi to deal with a situation that had spiraled out of control. The people of Nairi had been driven from their homes and had been pursued all the way to the country of Landen. General Yukio’s army had successfully driven back the high elven army once they had taken defensive positions along the cliff walls in the north, but their homeland was still in the hands of their enemy. Neb instantly knew what was needed, and it would take some preparation before he could accomplish his next mission. He would need the help of Lady Hilzarie to carry out Khalida’s orders. He was told to seek her in the south. She was on a mission in the lands south of Tuwa to make sure that there were no more orcs, goblins, or rock trolls gathering down there. She was also supposed to look for signs of any other people or group of animals that may join in the fray.

As Lord Neb left the scene at Tarisdell, he contemplated the plight of the good peoples of Tuwa. He wondered whether they would triumph over the evil designs of the axis powers like the last time. The first war of Tuwa was still fresh in his memory because the concept of time was foreign to an immortal being such as him. He knew that this time the situation was slightly different because the evil armies had an ally that they did not have before. Last time they had the dark lord, but he did not help them in the end. This time they had an Elemental on their side, and she would not quit until she had achieved her designs. Kana wanted control over everything and everyone. He had learned of this plan from the whisperings from the peoples of Tuwa and the creatures that would speak with him. I wonder where my dear friend Keb is. I have heard nothing concerning his whereabouts. I hope that our fallen sister has done nothing to him.

After traveling at an unbelievable rate of speed, he had reached the lands south of Tuwa via an underground waterway. These remote areas were unknown to the races of Tuwa, which is why they had never been mapped out. The peoples who lived in the south were uncouth and wild. They bore little resemblance to men, elves, or dwarves. There was a different breed of orcs and goblins living there, though scattered and unorganized. There were all manner of trolls that roamed the lands in small tribes. There were no governments or civilizations among any of these primitive peoples. The animals were just as wild and ferocious as the people. Lord Neb could see that the inhabitants had no interest in the north lands and were unaffected by its current unrest.

It did not take long for him to find Lady Hilzarie because she was floating over a large group of creatures that Neb did not immediately recognize. He had seen them in the beginning, but they had been altered or had evolved into a form that he did not readily identify. His fellow Elemental turned to face him as he approached. She had a bored look on her beautiful face as she looked around at her comrade. She did not need to say anything because he had already seen for himself that these vast lands posed no threat to the situation in Tuwa. Neb smiled understandably at Hilzarie to show that he understood her disposition.

“You need not say anything, little sister. I know that these primitive creatures pose no threat. Have you completed the task that was given to you?” he asked smoothly.

“Yes, I have verified that these southlanders are not interested in the war in Tuwa and the beasts are only interested in killing one another or finding a suitable meal. None of the inhabitants have even approached the north land during my visit,” she replied.

“Well, let us leave this dismal place and report back to Khalida. She will be expecting us.” He knew that Hilzarie’s task was needed, but that did not mitigate the fact that it was a dubious one.

“I agree with your assessment of my assignment.” Hilzarie gave Neb a quick and infectious smile. She could always tell what Neb was thinking. He had always trusted her and treated her like a sister. As a result of this, he did not protect his thoughts or feelings from her when they were alone together.

Neb did not say anything in return; he merely smiled at her. As they began their journey back to the north land, clouds surrounded them and a strong wind blew from the south, driving them at an incredible speed. They had to meet with Mistress Khalida that evening in Landen and report their findings. They looked forward to the meeting and knew that Lady Necia would probably be there to report on her visit to the icy north lands. They both hoped that the guardian would surprise them by being present, but they knew that their great leader had many places to go and many allies to procure. He had a daunting yet vital task. His success alone would likely save them all.

Retreat

General Verandos had already changed into his bear form and was helping the giants defend the rear as the armies of elves and giants made a full retreat. They were heading due east toward the Blaine River where some of the soldiers had already arrived at one of the bridges. They had crossed the river and set up defensive positions to cover those who had not crossed the bridge yet. The people would then continue along the southern end of the cliffs to eventually gain entry into Landen. Some of the giant soldiers had joined the elves in their positioning on the eastern bank in order to provide some serious artillery support. The armies moved at a steady pace and did not show any signs of panic. Lord Neb had made it clear that this was a strategic move and that they could have fended off the orcs and high elves if they had stayed where they were. However, the only way to save all of the good races in Tuwa was to unify their armies in a strong defensive posture. Landen was the perfect place to do just that.

The druid general had placed a magical barrier between their defensive positions and the approaching orcs and high elves. Lord Marcello had reinforced this shield and was posturing himself for a massive attack on their pursuers. He was waiting for the command from General Verandos and General Lang to begin the offensive. The army of elves had made it to the river by this point, and the elven citizens had already crossed the blustering Blaine River. They were heading for the southeastern entrance to Landen surrounded by the entire elven army. The giants that were left to aid the crossing of the elves took complete control of the defenses. The elves that had been helping them joined their army on their trek to the southern gate. The bridge that had been used was no more because the giants could wade across the river with little difficulty, so the giants had destroyed it as they waded across the Blaine. This would make it slow going for the orcs and high elves in the attempt to cross the river.

“Lord Marcello, please welcome our uninvited guests,” ordered General Lang sardonically.

“Be sure to give the high elves the warmest of greetings,” added General Verandos snidely.

Lord Marcello raised the massive oak tree staff high into the air and began to twirl it around over his head. He muttered under his breath, and the staff began to glow an icy blue color with a hint of green color to it. A mist of the same colors appeared as he continued to twirl the staff faster and faster. Finally Marcello pointed his staff at his foes, and the bluish green mist shot like a bolt of lightning at the orcs and high elves. The mist froze everything in its path, and the greenish mist poisoned the troops affected by the freezing spell. About one-third of their front lines were affected by this ingenious attack. The poison killed about half of those that were infected. Those who did not die from the attack ended up making slow, painful recoveries. This surprise attack stopped the axis armies in their tracks and gave the giants the chance to retreat back to the other side of the river before the orcs and high elves resumed their march.

Once on the other side of the Blaine River the giants entrenched themselves into even stronger defensive positions. They rummaged for all sorts of projectiles while they waited for the massive armies to approach. Lord Marcello took a position in the back to regain his strength. He knew that if he kept on using magic at such a powerful level that there would be a hefty price to pay. Like any magic wielder, there was a cost associated with any use of magic. It felt like losing blood with each use and would prove much more severe the greater the prolonged usage. However, Marcello was also a giant, so his own blood fought the effects of his magic. This drained the venerable wizard to deadly levels and required much longer recovery times. He had killed several thousand orcs and high elves in his attack, so he felt the sacrifice was worth the pain.

The armies of the orcs and high elves did not approach the river for several hours, which allowed Lord Marcello time to fully recover. Once the armies finally came into view through the trees, the giant wizard sprang into action again. He began to twirl his staff all around his body in fluid motions that caught everyone’s attention. The axis armies stopped in their tracks to watch what the enormous giant was doing. They thought that they were comfortably out of range, so they stood there casually waiting for something to happen. As the motions of the staff intensified, a dense silver mist appeared above the waters and over the ruined bridge. Within a few minutes, the river was covered in the thick fog for miles in either direction. The cost for this bit of magic was not that high because of the simplicity of the spell. The silvery mist transformed anything that came in contact with it into stone. The giants were encouraged by this ingenious use of magic by their leader. They left their posts and marched at top speed toward the southeastern gate to Landen.

The elves reached the southeastern gate without incident or any signs of their enemies giving chase. As they entered Landen, they received a warm welcome from the sentries that were stationed there. They had orders from King Leroy to welcome the armies of the giants and elves as if they were expected. The soldiers did not know how the king knew about their arrival, but they did not question his insight. They could tell that the elves had experienced some pretty difficult times just from their attire and the looks on their faces. The elven army was shown the defensive positions at once so that they could ready themselves to use them. The elves explained that it was likely that the giant army would be closely followed by an innumerable orc army and a high elven army. They had to explain what high elves were at first because that information had not been explained to the ranks of the Landen home guard.

The general population of elves went to designated homesteads that had been vacated for their occupation while the threat of war lasted. As the non-military people made their way to their new homes, the elven army prepared the defenses for immediate use. The entire southern cliff’s defenses were filled by their soldiers. This enabled the knights of Landen to bolster their cavalry ranks. This brought the number of horse riders to one hundred fifty thousand strong. The size alone would enable them to take on the entire orc armies by themselves, especially after Lord Marcello’s magical attacks that had seriously reduced their ranks. A few hours after arriving at their new posts, the elven army spotted the giants retreating along the base of the cliff at top speed. It appeared to the defenders that they were being chased. After a few minutes, it was clear that no one was giving pursuit just yet.

It did not take long for the giants to traverse the desolate plain below the southern cliffs. They barely stopped at the gate to give a greeting and explanation of where they were going. They wanted to take up their posts along the western cliff. They were still running because they felt that they might be able to catch the orcs and high elves at the crossing. They thought they might be able to take advantage of the stone mist by throwing projectiles through the magical haze. Their missiles would turn into stone and bludgeon their unsuspecting foes. The giants were almost giddy at this thought and picked up the pace even more so because they believed they would be able to catch their quarry unawares. General Lang was outpacing everyone as his mind raced over the possibilities. If we could get to that bluff in time to find those fools still trapped behind the wall of Marcello’s mist, we could give them several reasons to turn back!

As the giant army reached the bluff of the western cliff and began to take their defensive positions, there was a collective intake of breath. The armies below were no longer shrouded in the silvery mist, and they were not nursing wounds. They were building siege works. There was one figure who was standing at the edge of the water who appeared to be staring right back at them. General Lang began to shout orders and encouraged them to stick to their plan. After a few more minutes of preparation, the giants were ready for the assault. The soldiers waited patiently to begin the aerial attack on the little orcs and wicked elves. After a few more tense moments, General Lang barked, “Fire!” Missiles of every kind flew through the air toward the defenseless armies below. When the deadly objects reached the river, they literally stopped in midair. It was as though they had hit an invisible barrier. The giants’ missiles smashed into nothing as they continued to hit this apparent magical wall.

“Lord Marcello!” boomed General Lang’s voice. “Come here at once!”

The massive magician moved swiftly to stand beside the enraged general. “What is it, Lang?” he queried calmly.

“Kill that little wicked elf that has created this magical barrier,” he ordered, pointing at the now-infamous Lord Dukker.

“I will see what I can do,” replied Marcello simply. He had a look of intense concentration on his face as he sized up his opponent. This is a formidable foe if he could have removed my silver mist so easily. This invisible barrier is difficult to create and even more laborious to maintain. How has he managed this?

“Are you going to attack him or just stand there thinking?” blasted the impatient general. Lord Marcello did not pay him the slightest bit of attention as he raised his arms to the sky. He began to mutter a series of spells under his breath as he arched his staff toward a point in the sky high above them. Clouds did not form, but the sky became full of lightning as though a massive storm was about to be unleashed. Marcello knew that his first attack would do very little, but he wanted to get the warlock’s attention.

Lord Marcello closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them abruptly. They had turned bright yellow and were making odd crackling noises. He angled his staff toward the high elf below him, and several bolts of yellow lightning struck him where he stood. The blackened figure staggered slightly at the repeated attacks on his person. Then he seemed to right himself and threw up a personal protective barrier. This was exactly what Marcello was hoping for. He knew that the little warlock could not keep a massive barrier up at the same time protecting himself with a smaller more intense version for himself. The gigantic magical wall dissipated with a faint pop. Marcello slammed his staff down to the ground and bellowed, “Fire at will!” Missiles filled the air once more, and this time they struck several of their targets. The wicked elves did not have time to finish their additional siege weapons, so they began to move the ones they had toward a makeshift bridge.

When several of the giants turned their attention toward the bridge that had been crudely made by the orcs, they came under attack from the dark elf below them. He sent up balls of fire that ripped through their defensive weapons like kindling. Marcello rushed to their aid by throwing up walls of ice for the flames to hit. As the giant wizard reached the troops who were being attacked, he heard screams of pain from behind him somewhere. He wheeled about to see that the wicked warlock was now systematically destroying all of the defensive weapons that he had just saved. Several giants were sent tumbling over the hundred-foot cliff to their deaths. Some actually survived the fall, and it was their screams that ripped through the air. General Lang sprang into action.

“Commander Boaz, take your artillery units and station yourselves a few paces back from the edge of the cliff. Boaz, have runners coordinate your attacks for you,” ordered the general decisively. The commander and his soldiers fell back to a more secure distance from the attacks of the warlock. Runners appeared at once, and the artillery of the giants began to rip through the air in a more definitive pattern.

“Commander Gerodi, have your troops fall back behind the artillery units. We will have need of you and your soldiers if those vile betrayers and filthy orcs enter this land. Leave a few thousand here to defend Commander Boaz’s ranks, and take the rest to fortify the southeastern gate,” Lang ordered. The commander saluted and carried out the orders he had just been given.

“Lord Marcello, I need your ranks to divide up now,” Lang began. “I want your catapults to line up just behind Boaz’s artillery. I want them to use a magical fire so that it cannot be quenched. I want your trebuchets along the southern wall to hammer any orc or high elf that attempts to take the southern route. I have received word that the cliff to the north of us is being defended by General Yukio and his army. The army of Landen is defending the portion of the western cliff that we are not. I have also heard that there are over one hundred fifty thousand horse riders, so our job is to delay and kill as many as you can. The horsemen will do the rest,” explained Lang to his good friend Marcello.

“Your strategy sounds like the best possible plan. I will divide up my siege ranks as you have commanded. What of the king’s guard?” asked the giant wizard.

“Ask them to accompany King Angus to the capital city of Landen. King Leroy is awaiting him there. They may be used to help shore up the northern defense, or they may be asked to watch the eastern sea,” replied General Lang.

“I will send them straight away then. We should not delay the king’s departure for the capital,” agreed Marcello. “What would you have me do?”

“I want you to get back up on that bluff and pound them into the ground. If you get the chance, kill that wicked warlock if you can,” Lang said with great disgust.

“I will try to make you proud,” the magician replied.

***

Lord Dukker was in the throes of a full on tantrum once he realized that the giants had pulled back from the edge of the cliff. He cursed them with every vile and hateful thing he could think of. He had successfully driven them back from the wall and had destroyed many of the defensive weapons that the people of Landen had created. That was why the troops nearest to the enraged Dukker did not understand his outbursts. They thought he had accomplished exactly what he was hoping to do. They did not understand that he was frustrated because he let the elves and giants escape. He was also infuriated by the fact that the giants had a wizard that was not only powerful, but he was intelligent as well. He had not planned on this and did not know exactly what to do. The brute will be impossible to bring down because of his resistance to magic!

The troops around the downcast warlock began to inch away slowly. They all knew that he was probably the most powerful warlock in Tuwa, and they did not want to be around when he lost his cool completely. Lord Aellenas stopped ranting and raving after a few more moments. He then seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and did not recognize the people around him backing away in fear. His brow furrowed as he concentrated on what course of action to take. I must do something dramatic to send the appropriate message to these giants. I should probably send the orc siege warriors back into the forest to continue their building of catapults and siege towers. I should probably send some of my archers to protect their southern flank from a surprise attack by the army of Aran.

“Commander Nolan, I want you to take your archers back into the forest to protect the soldiers who are building the siege works,” ordered Aellenas. “Make sure that you are out of the giants’ range before you begin working. I will also be sending a small number of our archers to watch your southern flank in case the people of Aran decide to come up for a look.” His expression was cold and dark as he gave his orders. His eyes were filled with such great anger that he could not hide it from those he was addressing.

“Whatever you want,” replied the orc commander gruffly. He did not like the fact that the warlock felt his archers were superior to his own.

“Commander Regulas, send two detachments of archers to assist our stout friends,” Dukker said to his commander over the high elven archers.

“Yes, sir!” snapped the commander in reply as he saluted the dark elf. He did an about-face and trotted over to where his archers were stationed.

As the orc siege warriors and two detachments of high elven archers made their way into the shadowy portents of the Black Forest, Dukker turned his attention to the cliff wall that rose high before him. He had decided to do two things as he had watched the troops leave. First, instead of using the makeshift bridges of the orcs, he would create a magical passage that would allow the armies to walk on the waters as though they were earth. He did not believe that it was wise to be caught on this side of the river by the army of Aran who would get involved in this conflict sooner or later. Second, he would order the armies to gather in the southern plains just out of reach of the defensive weapons of Landen. Once he was there, he would work on a strategy that would limit their losses and inflict the maximum amount of damage.

Dukker beckoned for Generals Nero, Synan, and Tomo to join him for a vital discussion. They stood in a small circle just inside the eaves of the Black Forest. They talked about his plans for moving the armies to the other side of the river. He further explained that the orc archers would be asked to follow the armies once they had either built their siege weapons and towers. It was very important that they reach the other side of the river and regroup in the rock trolls’ homeland. He had to reassure the orc generals that the rock trolls were not actually there at the moment as they were engaged in an intense battle with King Jarvis. They did not take the news too well because there had never been an orc who entered those desolate, wind-ravaged lands and returned to tell the tale.

“Do not worry, my friends. The rock trolls are in league with us, so even if by some happenstance they are there, they would assist us and not grind us into oblivion,” Dukker said soothingly. The orc generals nodded their agreement with this explanation.

“I will create the magical passageway now, so you can begin moving your troops. I will then create a distraction that should give us all time to cross without incident.”

“What exactly are you going to do?” asked General Tomo.

“You will see,” replied Dukker with a wicked look on his dark face.

Dukker dismissed the generals, and he turned around to face the cliff wall just beyond the Blaine River. He directed his stare at the water in front of him, and as he continued to look at the waters, a staff magically appeared in his left hand. He quickly raised it up and pointed it at the rushing waters. In an instant, the waters ceased to flow and became still like a lake. He smiled at his own ingenuity and quickly turned his focus toward the cliff wall. He held his staff out to one side as he began to levitate above the ground. He appeared to be doing the same thing Queen Kishi had done when they left Mount Konane. The high elves held their breath in anticipation of what would come next. The warlock began to rise higher and higher into the sky above the river. He reached a point that was several feet above the cliff’s edge and hovered there.

A blackish purple ball consumed him momentarily and then burst out from him in the direction of the giant defenders. The ray that he sent at the massive soldiers would have caused instant death to any other creature or being in Tuwa, but they did not suffer any deaths from this attack. Dukker laughed aloud at the looks of triumph on the silly brutes’ faces. They did not realize that everything around them had died. Their wooden siege weapons and missiles became so brittle that a small wind would turn them to dust. Some of the giants were affected by the magic, and the effects were immediately apparent. Those who had not closed their unprotected eyes or closed their mouths were the ones who displayed the results of their inaction. Those who did not close their eyes had empty sockets where their eyes used to be. Those who had left their mouths open in awe began to vomit uncontrollably.

Dukker did not wait for any retaliation and went on the offensive again. He twirled his staff quickly, and a wave of unquenchable flames shot out repeatedly as he continued to twirl his staff. Fire erupted along parts of the western and southern cliff edges. The flames reached some twenty feet high and blinded anyone atop the cliff from anything that may be going on below. The warlock then flew over to the southwestern edge of the cliff and beckoned to the armies below to begin their crossing. It took several hours for the three orc armies and the high elven army to walk across the water that did not move. Everyone that made it to the other side had an eerie feeling from the magic that Aellenas had used on the river. After a couple more hours, they had all gathered together just inside the northern border of Nodin. They were all immensely relieved that no rock trolls were present.

Lord Dukker had not joined the armies like he said he would, and the generals began to worry. They hoped that their fearless leader had not been hurt or killed, but they knew that there must be a very good reason for his delay. While they waited patiently for their leader to appear, they made camp and began to discuss the events of the past few days. The orcs were in awe of the power and courage displayed by the warlock Aellenas. They were in high spirits despite the fact that the elves and giants had eluded them. They did not seem fazed by the absence of their leader either. They all agreed that he was probably sticking it to those wretched giants. Their boasting and revelry continued into the night as they sat around their campfires. The only ones who seemed remotely concerned about the absence of Dukker, Commander Nolan and the orc archers were the orc generals. They kept their uneasy thoughts to themselves and discussed strategies they could employ if the worst should happen.

The Alliance of Men

As Lord Dukker watched the armies finish their crossing, he turned his attention to the troops who were still in the woods. He had the sudden feeling come over him that something was horribly wrong. He descended rapidly to the ground of the eastern side on the river and made his way swiftly into the forest. He could hear the sounds of arrows whirring through the air as he approached the orcs’ siege works. There were no sounds of battle aside from the continual sound of flying projectiles through the air. He finally heard noises that made his heart sink…thudding. The missiles were making contact with their targets from the sound of it. He quickened his pace to the clearing that the orcs had made, and he came to an abrupt halt just in the shadows of the trees on the eastern edge of the bloody scene. His eyes widened in shock as he surveyed the mass of bodies lying on the ground.

Every single orc had been killed by arrows. The whirring noise he was hearing was caused by a group of archers who were high in the trees firing down at the orcs that were writhing on the ground. Within a few minutes, silence consumed the clearing and none of the orcs moved from that time forward. Commander Nolan and his troops had been wiped out within a few minutes. They had been ambushed by archers of Aran. Dukker was sure of it. He watched a group of six soldiers walk into the open toward the middle. They reached a body that was full of no less than fifteen arrows and was surrounded by high elven archers who were just as riddled with arrows, all of them dead. There were awkward movements as they huddled together, and then they separated to search the dead for supplies. They had removed the commander’s head by force and had placed it on a tree stump in the center of the siege works that stood nearly ten feet high.

Dukker could take it no longer, and his staff magically appeared at his side once again. From the shadows of the trees, he sent out his blackish purple wave that hit the vile men. Their bodies liquefied and sloshed to the ground in a heap of mush. Arrows began to fly at him from every direction. He did not realize that he was standing right under a group of archers who were high in the trees. He turned around and made a break for it. He called up a protective shield around himself as he made his way toward the river. The archers continued to follow their quarry through the treetops. The arrows stopped so suddenly that Dukker looked around to see what had happened. He quickly realized that they were simply trying to circle around him from above and that they were waiting for others to join in the pursuit. He ducked his head down as a few arrows flew at him and he resumed his retreat to the river.

As soon as he reached the river, a barrage of arrows flew at him from the eaves of the forest. Several of the arrows hit in the same exact spot on his magical shield, which caused a slight opening. He was hit by no less than ten arrows through that small orifice. He went down hard and slid into the river. His limp body slid across the smooth surface he had created until he was in the middle of the river where he finally stopped. All at once the river sprang back into life and hit him with a series of waves that washed him down river. The protective shield around him remained intact, but the endless flame wall he had created dissipated as his bloodied body floated down the Blaine. The archers of Aran came down out of the trees to watch, what they took for a lifeless body, the intruder’s body be washed away. Satisfied that they had killed the only person who could report what had happened, they returned to the orc-made clearing.

Lord Dukker had rolled over onto his back as he floated downstream toward an unknown destination. He was acutely aware that he had a small grouping of ten arrows stuck in his lower back. He needed to remove those cursed arrows so he could magically seal the massive wound. He would not be able to heal himself by using his magic, so it would take him some time to recover completely. He would have to resort to conventional means to speed up the process. First thing first, I really need to get these arrows out of my back. How am I going to accomplish this? I can barely move, and I am using all of my energy just to stay afloat. The answer to his quandary was a painful one.

As he floated near to one of the banks, two of the arrows got caught on some rocks and were ripped from his body. Blood gushed from the wound as more arrows were caught in the shallows of the river and were torn free. After a few moments of excruciating pain, all ten arrows had been removed violently from Dukker’s back. He needed to stop the bleeding soon or else he would die. He gingerly reached out for some reeds to stop himself from continuing his uncontrolled journey down the Blaine. After several painful attempts at stopping himself, he grasped a handful of reeds and halted his progression. He pulled himself toward the low bank on the eastern side of the river until he had grounded himself in some shallow water. He lay there for several minutes before he mustered the strength to seal his wound with the magical shield he had used to protect his entire body. The bleeding stopped, but now he was completely vulnerable to attack now that his shield was being used to protect his gaping wound.

He remained where he was for several hours, waiting to get enough strength to move his battered body into the trees for the night. The sky began to darken when he finally crawled from the shallow pool he had been lying in. He made his way gingerly to the eaves of the forest, which was only twenty feet away from the bank of the river. This short distance took him a couple of hours to traverse. Once he made into the trees, the stars showed clearly overhead. He leaned up against a massive tree within the shadows of the Aran Forest. As he lay there panting from the effort, he tried to seal the wound magically so that he could begin the healing process. He closed his eyes and muttered a spell under his ragged breath. The gaping hole in the small of his back closed up and looked like there had never been ten arrows in it recently. The magical shield vanished, and he lay there exhausted from the use of his magic. His body was completely worn out from the effort it took to keep himself alive. He could steal energy from other living things, which process required strength he had not recovered yet from his prolonged use of magic.

As the moon appeared high in the sky above, Dukker used one last bit of magic to conceal his presence. He used a simple spell that made his body blend in with its surroundings. Once he had accomplished this task, he fell into a deep sleep and did not wake for several days. He used his healing powers from time to time while he slept in an effort to speed up the process. In all, he had laid there for seven days straight before he had healed completely. When he had enough courage to stand up, he winced from the lingering effects of his battle wound. I wonder what those orc generals have been up to while I have been otherwise engaged. He smiled at this thought and began to make his way through the tall trees of the Aran Forest toward the gathering place in Nodin on the other side of the river. Hopefully they were still there and in one piece.

***

Commander Fletcher Renar was in charge of the archers for General Sanjay’s army. They served King Derek who ruled the forest kingdom of Aran. Fletcher’s archers were some of the finest in all of Tuwa and were especially adept at finding high places to give themselves the advantage in a fight or an ambush. He was charged with protecting the borders of Aran from external foes. He had reported to General Sanjay several days ago that there was an orc army of immense size moving toward Tarisdell in the Black Forest. The general had relayed this vital information to the king, and they had been preparing to go to the aid of their elven brethren. While they were making their preparations, the commander returned to report another, more disturbing sighting.

“General Sanjay, I have seen the elven army being accompanied by a unified giant army hastening toward the crossing at the southwestern edge of the Landen cliffs,” reported the commander. “They were being pursued by that orc army we saw previously, and they were in company with what appeared to be elves.”

“What? Are you certain that there were elves with them?” asked the general, bewildered.

“Remember that we had received intelligence that there was a division among the elves some time ago, so this could be their army. I believe they refer to themselves as the high elves,” King Derek reminded them.

“That makes sense then. The elves must be retreating to Landen to take advantage of the superior natural defenses. How big would you say that orc army was? How many high elves were with them?” asked the general. His question was directed at Commander Fletcher, who immediately replied.

“I would estimate that there are three orc armies that are roughly one hundred thousand strong each. It appears that there are forty or fifty thousand high elves accompanying them. They are all led by a dark elf who commands a powerful brand of dark magic.” Fletcher had a distraught look on his face as he had said this. He could not help thinking that there was no way that their army could take on such massive numbers.

“Well, I am not too sure our hundred and fifty thousand troops would be able to handle such numbers. However, I do believe we could assist our friends in their fight against these treacherous forces. Commander Fletcher…” the king beckoned. “I want you to take your regiments of archers and cut off any retreat. If a group of orcs stays behind to build siege weapons, kill them all. Then report back to me.”

“How do you know that they would stay behind to make a siege works?” asked General Sanjay.

“Think of it this way: if you saw an orc army with massive amount of siege weapons and towers, wouldn’t you do whatever it took to destroy them?” the king asked wisely. “Of course you would. As a result of this, they would need to build a siege works to replenish and repair their siege weapons.”

“I see what you are getting at. So, Commander Fletcher, you will kill any orc that remains behind in the forest, but bring the high elves, if possible, to us. Do not harm any of them unless you have to. Maybe we could convert a few of them back to who they were before they left the elven kingdom,” ordered the general.

“I agree with the general. Please try to capture the high elves and bring them to me. I will deal with them personally. Maybe we could save a few of them. Those that do not change their ways will be put to death on the spot,” the king declared grimly.

“I will do as you have commanded,” Fletcher said with a bow to his king and a salute to his general. He did an abrupt about-face and marched off to his post on the northern border of the Aran Forest.

“So, what is your plan of action?” the king asked his general coolly.

“I will take our army north like we had planned previously. I will depart from the western most part of Aran before heading north so that I do not come across the orcs and give away our position. Hopefully they will be bent on pursuing the elves and giants into Landen,” replied the general.

“My guess is that they will go to Nodin to garner the support of the rock trolls. I do not believe that all of the rock trolls would have left their homes to fight against our friend King Jarvis.” The king had a thoughtful look in his eyes as he said this.

“You are probably right. I will take our army up to the city of Tarisdell and leave a small detachment there to defend the city. Then I will head east toward the middle of the western cliffs. I plan on using ladders to scale those sheer rock walls. I will send word to Landen beforehand to allow us entry into their country. I recommend having our archers remain behind in the forest until we have routed these fiends.” The general’s shaven head reflected the sun as it broke through the tops of the trees. He was stroking his long white goatee as he stood there conversing with his king.

The king nodded in agreement and said nothing more. General Sanjay knew Derek well enough to know that he was dismissed. He bowed low before his king and then left. He went directly to where the army was being assembled. He wanted to move out by nightfall. The king stood stalk still while he watched his general walk off. He was consumed with so many thoughts that he believed that his head was going to split in two. Finally he turned around and entered the jet-black gates that allowed entry into the capital city Agaroth. The entire city was surrounded by these thick black walls that were as smooth as glass. They had some strange magical properties to them that effectively dissuaded anyone from attempting to climb them or even touch them. No army had ever successfully compromised these stout bulwarks, and those that tried never made it home to tell the tale. Those who actually touched the enchanted barriers went mad and ended up killing themselves. Only the outward facing part of the wall was deadly, so the people of Aran felt very secure within their capital.

King Derek Udrugi was a stout man whose blues eyes could calm anyone who looked into them. He was a peace-loving person who was not afraid to use any means necessary to defend his people and his beloved forest. He was one of those rare monarchs that truly loved his people and served them rather than having them attending to his needs. As a result of this form of rule, there was not one person without a place to live or anyone who did not have something warm to eat. He had the uncanny ability to encourage people to be their best selves. King Derek was as good of a person as could be hoped for, but even he had moments where his faith in other people wavered.

As he walked the path that led to the people’s castle where he lived, his heart was full of foreboding. He felt like a black cloud was gathering around him as his thoughts became darker with each step he took. The king stopped after the darkness became too much to bear any longer. He shook his head violently to try and rid himself of the evil thoughts that were plaguing his mind. As he struggled to regain control, he felt a hand on his shoulder. The king whirled around to see a short, slight figure looking up at him. It was the renowned druid Zaide Ikofi who had brought the king back to his senses through his soft touch. King Derek smiled warmly, and all traces of the darkness left his body.

“What are you doing here, my old friend? Has King Leroy sent you?” the king asked urgently.

“I was asked by the good king to come and request your aid,” replied Zaide with a smooth edge to his warm voice. “I see that you are already planning on assisting us from the looks of it.” He gestured toward the army that had gathered outside the western gate of the city.

“You are correct. I am sending General Showia to Tarisdell to fortify that city, and then they will meet up with your troops who are guarding the western cliffs. We plan on sending in the entire army except the archers. We have asked Commander Fletcher to hide them in the Black Forest along the eastern edge to cut off any retreat into the woodlands,” explained the king.

“Yes, that sounds like an excellent plan. Your general will not need to worry about ladders or siege towers to climb the cliff. There is a secret passage that I will take them to that will allow them access to the High Plains,” replied the wistful druid.

“I thank you kindly for your offer to help us. Do you know if the elven capital has been deserted?” King Derek asked.

“I visited the city within the past few days, and I can assure you that it was empty at that time. The elves apparently did a full retreat to Landen and left their capital completely devoid of life. I believe that you are right to send some troops to the city so that it does not fall into enemy hands. Shall I join your general then?”

“Yes, please go with them right now. I feel at peace knowing that you will be helping General Showia. I am confident that nothing will go wrong with you two in charge. Thank you for your diligence, my old friend. Tell King Leroy that we will do our best to help defend Landen.”

The slight druid bowed low and then left to join the Aran army. The king watched his good friend go and felt a sense of purpose in his heart. He also had a calm come over him as he knew that his troops would arrive safely with the able druid directing them through safe paths. His thoughts then turned to the tasks that lay ahead. We must get supply routes established so that we can get foodstuffs to our archers who will remain behind in the Black Forest. I must also address the people and let them know exactly what is going on. The king never held back any facts or truths from the people. He believed that they would be more loyal to him if he were upfront with them. He believed that in a situation of war that honesty was the best policy. However, he was not foolish enough to believe that there would not be those who would try to spy on him during difficult times. So, he would share everything except tactical information about the armies’ movements.

The king stopped his musing and went into action. He called for a general assembly of the people the following day. He then called the council of the elders together to discuss the details of what the army would be doing. They would also determine whether or not recruiting would be necessary to add to their army’s strength. They would also need to send out spies and messengers so that they could know exactly what was going on around them. He knew that the dwarves in the south might need their assistance as well. His little mountain friends would not be able to break free from a siege, so aid would have to go to them. Kings Jarvis and Kasim were mighty rulers and would be able to fend off their foes, but they should not have to do it alone. What they needed at this point was an all-encompassing plan that would provide the needed support to the alliance of men and also provide assistance for the mountain dwellers. This will require careful planning and even more delicate implementation.

***

Commander Fletcher and his regiment of archers remained behind while the main body of the army pressed on to Tarisdell. They heard sounds of war machines being built in the distant forest toward the Blaine River. The men of Aran were very agile and light on their feet like their elven brethren. Their hearing was also exceptionally acute from living in the woods. The commander knew that the sounds they were hearing were from a group of filthy orcs. The plan was simple: send in scouts to find out where the main body of the army was and see if this group was different from the one they knew to be working on a siege works. The captains approached their commander, who had requested their presence so that they could discuss what they were about to do.

“Gentlemen, let’s get down to business,” welcomed Commander Fletcher. “We need to gather intelligence on our target before we do anything. Captain Jordan, do you have any soldiers that could retrieve the information that we seek?”

“Yes, sir! I can send two of my most trusted scouts to gather the necessary information,” replied the captain.

“Excellent. Send them right now. You are dismissed!” ordered the commander briskly.

“Sir!” saluted Captain Jordan as he did a quick about-face to carry out his orders.

The remaining captains huddled in closer to their commander as they continued their discussion. They talked about all of the various possibilities, including that fact that the orc and high elven armies may already be across the river. If that were the case, then they would merely set up a base camp and organize the archers into a net that would catch any retreating orc or high elf. Their meeting continued for several hours before the spies returned from their quest. They approached at a swift pace, which indicated that their information was not only vital but also urgent. Commander Fletcher raised his hand up to halt the two out-of-breath scouts and waited patiently for them to report their findings.

“Sir, the entire high elven army has crossed the river and is already skirting the southern cliffs of Landen. The main hosts of the three orc armies are crossing as we speak. However, there appears to be a group of siege warriors from one of the orc armies that is staying behind to build a siege works,” explained one of the scouts. He was still breathing very hard from the long run.

“We think that we could surround these orcs with relative ease because they are working in a clearing that they created and are making no effort to conceal their presence. The noise from their labors will drown out our approach and give us the element of surprise,” added the other scout in breathy tones.

“This is good news! We may be able to wipe out the entire group of orcs before they even knew that we were there. We will position ourselves in the trees and rain down arrows on them from above. We will then send in sweepers to make sure that no one survives our ambush,” said the commander confidently.

“Then let us not waste another moment to put our plans into action. I will take the troops who will not be involved in the ambush and set up a base camp,” offered Captain Jordan.

“Agreed. I will take the archers with me to set up the ambush while the rest of you join Captain Jordan in setting up the base camp. Move out!” ordered Commander Fletcher.

The group of leaders dispersed and went their separate ways. Within two hours, the archers that went with Commander Fletcher were already high in the trees around the artificial clearing looking down on their prey. The commander had elected himself to give the signal for attack. He would hoot twice like the black owl that was native to the Forest of Renshaw. The archers would count to ten after the second hoot and begin their volley. When the commander gave the signal, the orcs stopped what they were doing for a second or two and then went back to work. After a minute of nothing but a storm of arrows from above, every single orc lay dead or dying on the forest floor.

Giant Defiance

The giants who did not act fast enough to protect their eyes or close their mouths were writhing in pain hours after the wicked warlock had attacked them with the purple ray. Lord Marcello used his healing magic several times during those hours with little success. He had never seen such dark magic before and did not have a clue about reversing the effects of the attack. At least they knew that the high elven magician was dead or near death because his unquenchable fire wall had dissipated shortly after the last giant who was sick to his stomach finished throwing up. They could easily see that the axis armies had gathered together in Nodin to regroup and possibly join with the rock trolls. Lord Marcello and the other giant leaders knew that this was not the case because they had received messages from King Leroy that the entire wasteland had been emptied weeks before. The trolls had joined up with the wretched goblin armies and were currently laying siege to Mount Carrick.

King Angus remained at the capital city so that he could direct General Lang, Lord Marcello, and the other commanders in their defensive efforts. The king was surprised by the knowledge of the situation that King Leroy possessed. He was even more impressed by the fact that an elder Elemental would become so involved in the affairs of the people of Tuwa. Angus had heard tales told by many of the elven rulers of a time when the guardians were seen quite regularly about the lands of the middle Tuwa. Something happened during the last great war which involved all of the races that caused the Elementals to not only pull out of the lands in which they helped to make free, but they also stopped communicating entirely with lesser beings. It was clear that the demise of the Eldar was the catalyst for this drastic change in behavior. Sitting alone in the king’s court, the giant king thought over the many stories and legends about the guardians. I would give anything to meet one of the noble and all-powerful guardians.

“Be careful what you wish for, Angus Vokias,” said a silky voice from the shadows that filled the edges of the great hall.

“Who said that?” asked the king, who was shaken by the sudden break in the silence. What concerned him even more was the fact that this mysterious person could read his thoughts.

“You have nothing to fear from me, giant king,” replied the smooth voice. “I am Mistress Khalida, the very Elemental you have heard so much about from King Leroy. I have come to make a special request of you and your people.” As she spoke, she moved into the open so that Angus could finally see who it was that was speaking to him. His eyes widened at her appearance and his mouth hung open slightly at her great beauty.

“Whatever malady asks of me and my people will be done according to your command,” replied the king as he stood erect and then bowed low on one knee. The ground shook slightly as his knee slammed to the floor.

“I knew that you would be willing to help me. Angus, by assisting me in my request, you will probably save this land from our enemies. I need you and your army to take up all of the defensive positions around the country of Landen. North, west, south, and east alike will require your troops’ presence. I need the army of General Yukio to push back the high elven army in the north all the way back to the Nairi Canyons. The army under the command of General Lysander Ehagrukiel will need to prepare for a push against the orcs and high elves in the south. They will combine their strength with the army of General Sanjay from the forest of Aran, who will be arriving at the capital within a few days.”

“I will order the troops to fortify the defenses of the Landen. Do you wish me to pass along your orders to General Yukio and General Lysander for you?”

“Yes, please relay the orders of regrouping to those armies for me. Tell them to gather their troops together in the eastern plains.” The guardian thought it was a gracious offer from King Angus to assist her. “I have matters that need attending to, so I am leaving you in charge of the defense of this country. I will explain this to King Leroy before I leave. He will agree with me that your people are best suited for the defense of the High Plains.”

“Thank you for your confidence in my troops. We will defend this land while there is breath in our lungs.” The king said this confidently as he bowed deeply before the elegant guardian. His eyes were fixed on a crack in the floor that had just recently appeared. He did not dare to look at the angelic lady again out of fear and respect.

“I will take leave of you now, Angus. Good luck to the both of us.” She then vanished into thin air right before the king’s eyes. A fine mist swirled for a few moments and then there was nothing.

King Angus stood up quickly and left the great hall at once. He sent messengers to the leaders of his army. He requested their presence in the little village of Haden for an emergency meeting. The village lay in the heart of the High Plains and would be the fastest way for them to gather for such an urgent meeting. As Angus journeyed toward the center of the land of Landen, the gravity of the situation became more apparent as time slipped away. He had an uneasy feeling about his leisurely pace and immediately kicked it up a notch. He needed to get to the meeting as fast as possible. He could not identify the source of these feelings, but he knew that they were real and that they served a purpose.

As the village of Haden came into view, he could see that Lord Marcello, General Lang, and the commanders had already arrived. They all had a look that made it clear that they were all feeling the same thing. He broke into a run so he could join the throng of giant leaders gathered in the square in the heart of the little town. As he entered the circle, the feeling of uneasiness left him and everyone relaxed a bit. The king did not waste any time in getting down to business. Giants were blunt and straightforward as a people, and King Angus epitomized this trait more than any other.

“There has been a slight change in our plans. I have met with none other than Mistress Khalida,” began the king raggedly as he tried to catch his breath.

“You met one of the Elementals?” asked Commander Boaz in surprise.

“Yes, she is actually one of the elder guardians,” the king replied impressively. “She has joined our side of this deadly conflict. She is leading the allied armies against the axis armies in their vain attempt for domination. She has asked us to take up all of the defenses of Landen.”

“That is not a problem. What of the army of Yukio and the army of Landen?” General Lang asked impatiently.

“They will regroup just east of here to gather all of their available strength. General Yukio will lead a campaign against the high elves in the north. His mission will require him to drive back these wicked fiends into the canyons of Nairi. The army of Landen will join forces with the army of Aran, which will arrive in a couple of days. They will make a push against the armies of orcs and the high elven army in the south. We will solely be responsible for the defense of this country,” explained the king.

“So, what is the plan for the defenses?” asked Lord Marcello.

“Marcello, you will take your siege warriors to the north cliff and the northeastern entrance right away. Inform General Yukio of Mistress Khalida’s orders and send him to the eastern plain straight away,” ordered the king. Lord Marcello bowed low and departed at once.

“What of the rest of us?” the general asked impetuously.

“General Lang, you will take the main body of our army to the southern cliff and the southeastern entrance. Your troops will be responsible for defending that vital area,” replied the king. “Commander Boaz, you will move to the shores of Lake Lachlan. There is a possibility that some of the high elves will try to attack from that direction.”

“Yes, sir!” saluted the general and the commander. They both departed to begin their new tasks.

“Commander Gerodi, you will come with me to defend the western wall. Once the army of Yukio begins their push, the high elves may try to traverse the western wall. We must be ready for them,” ordered the king.

“Is it true that all of the defenses on the southwestern wall have been destroyed?” asked the commander.

“Yes, it is partially true. You will need to help General Lang rebuild and retool those defenses. Let’s move out; time is our greatest enemy now,” said the king wisely. His face darkened with a fierce look of determination.

Within hours, the border defenses of Landen were under the giants’ control. The army of General Yukio had retreated to the eastern plains to regroup. The army of General Lysander had already gathered their strength in that region. There were some one hundred and fifty thousand horse riders of Landen all ready for war. Foot soldiers and archers filled out the rest of the ranks. The entire army of Landen totaled some two hundred and fifty thousand strong. General Yukio’s army was considerably smaller in numbers, but they had done the most fighting thus far. There were only fifty thousand now instead of the one hundred thousand plus he had before his bloody campaign. The army of General Sanjay arrived two days after the two armies had gathered together. They all waited for more instructions before they moved out.

Lord Marcello and his siege warriors settled into their new defensive positions quickly after Yukio’s army dispatched. There were troops stationed at the northeastern gateway where improved siege weapons were being constructed in the town of Baden some two miles south of where Marcello made his camp. The people of Baden offered to not only host the giant soldiers while they build new weapons; they gave them the supplies they needed to make the new siege weapons. While all of these preparations were being made, the army of Queen Kishi was preparing for a fresh assault. She had rallied her troops to make a push on the northeastern gate. Her movements did not go without notice however. Several of the giants along the northern wall noticed the army moving to the east.

Several messengers were sent to Lord Marcello to make him aware of these movements. They were not surprised to learn that the formidable wizard already knew of the high elven armies positioning. He had sent out a magical web to sense any movements by the army in the plains below. He knew that this move would require him to position himself at the gates to provide a magical support to the troops already stationed there. General Yukio had told him that there was a witch at their lead. She was their queen, and she was a very powerful sorceress. The general had given details of just how mighty Queen Kishi was. Lord Marcello had been pondering ways of defending his soldiers and himself from sound magical attacks.

He departed immediately for the northeastern gate, which was called North Gate by the residents living just south of it. He continued his musing while he walked briskly toward the gate. He knew that he needed to at least place an invisible wall between the high elves and his troops. The problem with this was that the wall was limited in height. When he could solely focus on creating the wall, he could probably make it reach some thirty feet in the air. However, he was not going to be able to do that in this situation. He could probably manage a fifteen-foot wall which should protect the giants, for the most part, from enemy projectiles. He needed to do something spectacular to fend off the high elves and make them think twice about their destructive plans.

By the time the giant wizard reached the gate, the high elven army was already positioning itself just out of reach of the siege warriors stationed at the North Gate. They were making no attempts at hiding what they were doing or even what they were planning. However, Lord Marcello knew better than to dismiss these tactics as foolish or misguided. He knew that their sorceress was about to do something to put the favor of the impending conflict in their court. Marcello did not waste another minute. He quickly summoned his staff out of thin air and did several incantations all at once.

An icy blue wall formed suddenly between the high elven army and the giant soldiers at the gate. As the giant wizard twirled his staff faster, a green and purple cloud formed over the heads of the startled high elven army. Green and purple flashes of lightning began to fill the air over its prey. When the green lightning made contact with a person or the ground, a cloud of poison gas would fill the air with a small popping sound. The purple lightning would send out shock waves with every hit. If it made contact with a person, they were killed instantly and would continue to send out shock waves until their burnt corpses exploded. This ingenious attack killed a few hundred instantly and injured a little over a thousand. When there was no magical attack sent at the giants, Marcello realized that the witch queen must not be among the ranks. She must have remained in the Nairi Canyons. We might be able to send these fiends back to the canyon lands without the assistance of Yukio’s army.

After a few minutes of destruction, the cloud disappeared into the nothingness it was called from. No one move on either side of this impromptu battlefield. How could the reports about the presence of Queen Kishi been so wrong? Didn’t the information come from an Elemental? Lord Marcello was perplexed by the situation and reason seemed to be slipping from him as tension between the armies mounted. Then, all at once, the giant wizard’s quandaries were answered. A thin sheet of blue ice shot from the ranks of the high elven army. The icy sheet slipped through Marcello’s defensive shield and instantly froze a few dozen giant soldiers. It became clear at that moment that the little witch had disguised herself to blend into the ranks of the high elven army. Before anyone could react or do anything, a magically enhanced voice rang out through the now chilled air.

“Marcello, let the bloodshed begin!” called an eerie female voice.

“Who speaks thus?” queried the giant.

“I am Queen Kishi of the high elves, the future queen of Tuwa,” replied the sorceress queen darkly. An unnatural ease fell upon both sides of the line. It was as though evil was emanating from her.

“Queen Kishi, reveal your wicked self to me!” demanded Marcello in a loud, booming voice. His shout echoed through the silence that had settled over the two armies. His eyes narrowed as he searched out the vile witch.

A flash of light shot from the end of Marcello’s staff and illuminated a shocked soldier in the middle of the fifth row of archers. The magical light engulfed the now struggling high elf as he was lifted into the air. After a moment, the magical disguise Kishi had been using was undone, and she hung in midair revealed completely to everyone in both armies. Her stunned look did not stay long on her beautiful face. She quickly summoned her staff into her hands and swung it violently through the air. She burst the magical chains that had been holding her fast and screamed loudly in a fit of uncontrollable rage. She slammed to the ground hard and was up again without noticing her weakened appearance. Anger made her numb to the wounds she just incurred and her focus on the giant mage made her oblivious to her indecency.

“You will pay for that!” she blasted at the giant wizard. She pointed her staff at him and sent a powerful fireball at him. The fire quickly engulfed him, but there was no scream of pain or even discomfort. The giant snapped his fingers, and the flames went out at once.

“Is that the best you can do? Remember, I am a giant,” Marcello said smoothly. His calm demeanor did nothing to sooth his attacker. It had the opposite effect, which was exactly what he was hoping for. He could see that she was stomping her way toward the front of the army. She did not notice the looks her soldiers were giving her.

“So be it. There is more than one way to kill a giant. Even one as ugly as you!” retorted Kishi. She raised her staff high in the air, and a black cloud appeared out of nowhere. Panic began to appear on some of the giants’ faces. They had seen a cloud like this before. It was the one Marcello had used to send ice blocks crashing to the earth. They knew that this spell was not an easy one to defend against, so they braced for the worst.

Marcello reacted very quickly and gathered a strong wind behind him. When he saw the first signs of an ice block falling from the storm cloud, he shot forth a mighty gust of wind. The blocks were hurled away from the giants at the North Gate and landed on the back row of high elven foot soldiers, killing several of them instantly. Kishi sent bolts of blue lightning into the cloud, and icy darts shot down from the cloud instead of chunks of ice. Several giants were hit by these icy projectiles, but their thick skin deflected the weak attacks. The giants took heart by these feeble attempts by such a powerful sorceress. Feeling too frustrated to continue the fight, Kishi ordered General Jaali to call for the retreat. The high elven army turned tail and began to retreat. The departing army made rude gestures and shouted vile profanities at the defiant giants. They truly were not the gentle, dignified people they once were. Kishi’s personal downward spiral was bringing down her troops as well.

“Gentlemen, do not think that she will not return. Queen Kishi is much more powerful than I, so be prepared. She was caught off guard, which made her clumsy in her attacks. She will not make that mistake again,” Marcello warned the troops at the gate. “That being said, I am proud of the way you conducted yourselves.”

Forced Betrayal

As the air filled with a musty, dank smell once again, Lord Keb resigned himself to defeat. He was trapped inside this mountain of dark magic with no hope of escape. His brethren and sisters of the guardian council would be too busy by now to search for him. The evil creature that held him bound in this mountain prison seemed to grow stronger as the guardian’s despair grew. The small pool of murky water had steam rising from it as the ice melted. This created a greenish haze that not only blurred his vision, but it also caused the panic he was feeling to intensify. His thoughts became erratic and increasingly wild, like an animal that is cornered. Without realizing what he was allowing to happen, he began to lower his mental defenses to the secrets he had kept hidden from Kana. He felt weary from the confrontation with Kana and the giant serpent. He did not see any harm in allowing his defenses down for just a little bit.

Images began to call themselves forth in his mind as though someone was searching for something, some particular secret. Images of the other guardians flashed through his mind as he began to have a feeling of foreboding come over him. The image of the council of the guardians displayed itself for several minutes. Keb watched the meeting progress as he relived the events that took place during and immediately after the meeting. It was then that he finally realized that some foreign being had penetrated his defenses and was perusing his mind like it was an open book. He immediately tried to slam shut the door he had allowed to be opened. The intruder merely laughed at this vain attempt. The voice he heard did not come from a particular source and was not heard using his ears. The speaker spoke to him in his mind.

“Keb, how long has it been, old friend?” asked a gravelly deep voice.

“Who are you?” queried Keb sharply. He did not like this creature who apparently knew his name and who knew how to get past his defenses. The feeling of uneasiness welled up inside him once more.

“Come now…old friends like us should never forget one another. I certainly remember you. You are the puppet of that self-righteous-” began the gruff voice in chiding tones.

“You will not speak his name! I know who you are now; you are that filthy, good-for-nothing demon lord we banished centuries ago!” He realized with a sudden shock of horror that the dark lord was speaking to him. This was the very creature that the guardian council had banished after the last war for Tuwa for his crimes against all living creatures and more importantly for defiling all of the elements. They had imprisoned that old devil in the icy fortress located at the furthest northern point on the continent. How did he escape that heavily guarded prison?

“The particulars of my escape from that pitiful prison are of no consequence. The reason why I am here with you now is of the utmost importance. I want to know what it is that you are hiding from your friend Kana. You will tell me; you know you will. I do not believe that you will have forgotten my ability to persuade people…especially an element that is as weak as you are.”

“If I remember correctly, your overconfidence was what landed you in that cozy prison we put you in.” Keb knew that this would irritate him and would potentially throw him off his mental intrusion. He knew full well that he had better regain control of his mind soon because of the secrets that he kept hidden in there. One in particular was of the utmost importance to keep hidden from this beast. There were only three people that knew about it, and he was probably the weakest out of the fellowship.

“Taunt me all you like; I do not mind. I have all the time in the world to play games with you. Believe me when I tell you that you will never leave this mountain again. I already have full access to your weak mind, and you and I both know that you do not have the power to block me out now that I am in.”

“That may be true, but that does not mean that I know anything of value to you or your new master.” He could not control the fear that was threatening to destroy his resolve.

“I serve no one but myself!” This shout was not heard in his head but in the empty cavern around him. A dark mist began to swirl about a dozen paces in front of him. A large, horned figure rose up out of the eerie-looking cloud. The dark lord was twice the height of Lord Keb and had reddish-black hide that had the look of blood mixed with mud. He had two massive horns that came out of the sides of his head and wrapped around his head in a way that provided some measure of protection. He had a thick muscular figure that did not appear to have an ounce of fat on it anywhere. His eyes were bright red with dark black pupils. He had surprisingly white teeth as he displayed them nastily for Keb.

Lord Keb took advantage of this slight break in the dark one’s concentration to lock down the one secret that he knew he must keep secret. He did this so subtly that the wicked beast did not take notice. Keb looked up at the impressive devil standing in front of him and smiled back. “It’s nice to see that you have not let yourself go after all this time. What have you been doing all these years locked away in that icy fortress?”

“You will soon find that out for yourself, my old friend. You too will have a new eternal home just like I had for all those centuries. This mountain will be your icy fortress for as long as you live. Who knows…I might be able to find a way to end your misery. Of course, it would be easier if you just joined my side. You of all people should appreciate how precious life is. I know that you will do what is best for you. It is time to stop living for others.”

“You should know by now that your smooth talk and subtle coercion does not work on me. I thought you would remember that.”

“People change, Keb….especially right after they realize that they are trapped. So, what is it that you have locked away in your mind?” Keb shifted slightly from this declaration because it meant that his subtlety did not go unnoticed.

“What are you talking about?”

“When I was probing your simple mind, I thought I saw an image of some kind of object of great importance or power. Now, I can no longer see that image. What was it?” His deep voice had a soothing tone as he tried to pry to information from the earth elemental.

“You seem to be a bit touched in the head after all those years alone in that castle. I do not know what you are talking about.” He was trying his best to sound cool and unconcerned. If ever there were a time that I needed help, it would be right now.

“Believe me when I say that there will be no one coming to your rescue. Your friends are all a little busy at the moment. Kana has made sure of that.” A wicked grin flashed across the dark lord’s face as he spoke. He snorted derisively at his prisoner as he inched closer to Keb.

“That may be true, but I have other friends that you do not know of that will rescue me.”

The dark figure looked slightly apprehensive for the first time during their little chat. He did not like the tone in which he referred to these other friends. What is this little fool hiding from me?

“So, you have invisible friends that will break you out of this prison?”

“Yes, they will come to my aid when the time is right.”

“I think that you have the very dementia that you accused me of having earlier. Your arrogance will be your downfall. I see through your lies and deception, old friend.”

“You may believe whatever you want; that does not change the fact that they will come. Mark my words.” His tone took on a very serious edge to it as he said these words. His bold words were giving him confidence to stand firm against the devil in front of him.

“Considered your weak words marked. Now, you will tell me everything you know about that image I saw in your feeble mind.” His eyes began to burn bright red and looked as though flames were about to shoot out of them. His impatience was rising to the surface and his anticipation of discovering important information was causing him to lose control.

“Torture me all you like, Drogan; you know you cannot kill me.” Keb had a definite edge to his voice as he spat back at his dark tormentor. His confidence began to waver once more as the demon continue his deliberate approach.

“Well, well…you are not afraid to speak my name aloud anymore. Impressive.” He had a wicked gleam in his fiery eyes that told Keb that he had better prepare for the worst. He had seen that look before from his villainous captor. He braced for the physical and mental attacks that were about to be unleashed upon him with ferocity that he knew all too well.

“You must do what you feel is necessary, of course. Know this…friend, any information you find in my mind will not help you or your cause. Remember, limitations beset everything in this world; you should know this by now.”

“We shall see…” The dark one raised his hands above his head, which caused a blackish fire to ignite in his outstretched hands. He lowered his arms dramatically and sent balls of fire directly at the defenseless guardian. In an instant, he was engulfed in fiery blackness. His very substance burned painfully hot while the real threat of this attack bored into his mind. The blackness was a foreign spirit that penetrated most of his mental barriers within a few seconds.

Lord Keb dropped to his knees as he clasped his head, which was engulfed in flames. He was reeling from the power of the dark spirit Drogan was using on him to extract the information he desired. The spirit easily circumvented the magical barriers he had placed around a secret race he had knowledge of. However, the spirit quickly moved on because that was not what its master was looking for. There was a particular image that needed to be found and identified. Keb tried his best to fend off the relentless assault on his mental facilities to no avail. His walls seemed to melt away at the whim of the intruder. It was a very uncomfortable feeling having one’s mind read like an open book. The strain of trying to fend off the evil spirit was draining any remaining strength he had left after his encounters with Kana, the serpent, and most recently Drogan.

After only a few minutes of perusing, the spirit lurched suddenly while in Keb’s head. The image that he was sent to find was just behind a series of mental barriers. Keb tried desperately to conceal the secret that he knew he must not reveal. Drogan sensed the iron will of his captive increase in intensity and knew that he needed to do something immediately to distract the Elemental long enough to give his spirit creature the edge needed to gain access to the concealed information. He held aloft a jet-black staff that had appeared in his hands out of thin air. He pointed the tip of the staff at the burning guardian and sent a cloud of ferocious vampire bats swirling at him. The bats began to bite and generally torment the beleaguered Keb as he struggled to fend them off. They did not do much damage physically, but mentally he let his guard slip slightly.

During the split second that Keb was distracted, the demon spirit smashed through the magical barriers and captured the information that the guardian had tried so desperately to conceal. Once the creature had the information, it withdrew from the battered mind he had invaded and returned to its master. A broad smile crept across the demon lord’s face. This was a very unpleasant sight to behold and sent chills down the spine of the hunched figure of the broken Lord Keb. He knew that he had given his enemy a secret that would alter the fate of Tuwa and its people forever. He silently hoped that Drogan would not know what to do with the information that he had successfully retrieved for his new master. Kana would know what to do with this intelligence. Keb did not doubt that. He hoped that the dark lord would try to keep his findings a secret and not divulge it to the now twisted elder guardian. That was really the only hope he had for this horrific situation he found himself in.

“You are a weaker than I thought. That was not much of a defense, earth lord. I expected greater things from you.” He laughed raucously at the bent figure before him. He was enjoying the fact that he was able to so easily break a guardian. He really did believe that it would take days of torture instead of a few minutes.

“Leave me, dark one. You have what you were sent here for. Go back to your new master and report what you have found.”

“I serve no one!” He smacked the poor Elemental across his right temple with his black, gnarly staff. Everything went dark, and Keb knew no more for a space of time.

“Mistress Kana, I have the information that you were unable to find,” stated the dark lord wickedly.

“Very good; let’s hear what you have found out,” replied Kana coolly. She did not care for her dark companion, but she could not dismiss his results and his effectiveness. Sometimes a person is required to make a pact with the devil in order to achieve their designs. This was one of those situations. It was just too bad that this devil annoyed her.

“What is in it for me?” He felt that his bargaining position had improved since their first meeting. He was going to push his advantage while he still had it.

“Well, it seems to me that you feel you are in a position to change the deal. Why don’t you show me what you have found, and I will tell you if it is worth giving you an expanded area to rule.” The hint of a threat in her voice was unmistakable. After all, it was she that had undone Drogan’s attempt at world domination the last time. She was even more capable than before at controlling the dark beast, and she was simply making that clear to her fellow conspirator.

“As you wish, my witch.” He did a quick and unconvincing bow of submission.

“If you would like, I could return you to your beloved icy fortress instead.” She wanted to make it very clear that she was in charge of things.

“Once you hear what I have to say, you will not blame me for trying to better my situation.” Drogan said this with a little more humility this time. He was a master at manipulating most living things; however, he had had no affect whatsoever on the formidable witch.

“Very well, out with it then.” She did not like being linked to this dark creature, but it was the only way to communicate effectively over the vast distance that separated them. She had other matters to attend to that were more important than any information that the earth-loving lord possessed. She did not believe that anything stored in his mind would be of any value to her plans. She mentally sighed as she waited for the dark lord to spit out whatever information he had obtained.

“As you wish, Kana the ever so patient one. There was an image of some ball that appeared to have vast power. It was clear by virtue of the significant mental defenses that were employed that this magical ball was of the utmost importance.”

“The question is who this object belongs to and why it is important?”

“It seems to me that this ball is important to the guardian himself. That is what I think.”

“I will look into this matter further. If it proves to be of any worth, then you will be rewarded. For now, you will still be given reign over the north lands as we agreed before.”

“What do you want me to do with Keb?” At least I gave it a try; she is still underestimating my abilities, so that is something.

“Keep him where he is, and don’t allow him to send any messages. I will take care of the rest. You will not be needed again until the end,” Kana said this with a slight edge to her voice that made it clear that the conversation was over. Drogan said nothing in reply and broke the connection.

What is this ball, and why have I never heard of it before? Is this something the guardian created? Is it a secret weapon that he is planning on using against me? Answers are what I need right now. As she continued to muse over the barrage of questions, she reviewed the images that were captured by Drogan. The ball was in some sort of cave and did not appear to be protected by any visible means. It was probably protected by magic of some kind. The ball seemed to have every color in it and did not look particularly impressive when she first saw it. As Kana continued to scrutinize the image, it hit her. This ball contains all of the elements of this world! How is that possible? And, more importantly, why would someone put all four elements into an orb like this? What purpose would that serve?

Fall from Grace

The sky above was clear, and the stars shone brightly overhead as Mistress Khalida made her way through the dense underbrush. The moon cast awkward shadows through the trees and thick foliage. As she neared the border of the Seda’s realm, she could feel the presence of several of the spectral creatures. Why had he requested a meeting here of all places? This cannot be a good omen. As she continued to push her way through to the designated meeting place, she stumbled into a wide clearing of burnt trees and charred earth. She realized that she had just entered the burnt remains of the portion of the Seda’s home that was damaged during the siege of Tarisdell. This made the situation even more perplexing because the guardian did not care for these foul spirits. He was the one who had banished them to this secluded place all those centuries ago.

In the distance a white, furry object appeared to be making its way toward her. This was no ordinary fur ball; this was Osborn, the largest white bear in all of Tuwa. He was also the trusted steed of the guardian himself. As Khalida looked closer, she could see her beloved sitting atop the snow-colored beast. It was then that she noticed that there was another bear beside Osborn. This bear was not quite as large as the white bear, but its size was greater than almost every other bear on the continent. The creature had once been Khalida’s steed years ago. She had an uneasy feeling of deja vu come over her as she watched the pair of massive beasts approach her. They were as tall as the shortest giant when they stand on their hind legs and weighed many times more than one of the heaviest giants.

“I am glad to see that you are well,” welcomed the guardian with a warm smile. Osborn stopped and let his master slide off his back. Khalida and Adair embraced one another tightly for moment.

“What news do you bring?” she asked straight away. She did not like to waste time…especially when war was looming on the horizon. A feeling of apprehension swept through her as she looked at the guardian.

“I am afraid that Lord Keb has been imprisoned by your dear sister. She has entrapped him in Mount Mephistopheles in the farthest reaches of the north lands.”

“What? Why has she done this?” Khalida asked this a little more angrily than she had intended. Her nerves were on edge and her restraint was non-existent.

“I share your frustration with your sister, believe me. She has done some horrific things that defy all logic for someone with her knowledge. She not only entrapped our dear friend Keb, but she has also tortured him for information.”

“Oh no. Has she found out anything? Does she know about the orb?” She clasped her hands tightly over her mouth at this revelation.

“Well, she has recruited our old friend Drogan to help her retrieve any vital information from Keb. She knew that Keb was close to me and that I would have been likely to share secrets with him. She knows that you know the same secrets, but your power is equal to hers, so that is why she entrapped our friend instead.”

“So she knows about the orb then. What are we going to do now?”

“There is no need for panic. She does not fully understand yet what it is that she has learned. All she knows is that this object has great magical powers. I alone know the secrets of its power. My concern is what she is planning to do with the knowledge she now possesses.”

“So, are you saying that even if she could find it that she could not use it?” Her master had a way of calming her down even in the most dreadful of situations.

“Unfortunately she will be able to use most of its power if she should find it. However, she will not be able to unlock its most powerful secrets. She will be able to inflict serious harm on the races and creatures of Tuwa. That, I cannot allow.” Adair said this with an edge to his voice, which made it clear that the danger was very real.

“Will she be able to find this orb?”

“No, I have moved it once again to a new home. She should not be able to find it. I do worry that Keb may sense where I have moved it to and that Kana would be able to extract that information from him.”

“I too can sense the orb in its new location. Should we focus our efforts on securing the orb or on dealing with the war that is about to break out in Tuwa?” she asked with a look of urgency on her face.

“I believe that we need to direct our efforts toward preventing an all-out war. If this object should come into play, then we will deal with it. I sense that we are needed in the field of battle right now. If we cannot stem this tide of war, then we must turn it in our favor…for the benefit of the good peoples of Tuwa,” replied the guardian stoically.

“I shall return then to the peoples gathered together in Landen. They probably have the greatest need right now.”

“I have a special favor to ask of you before you return. I need you to visit our friend Lord Neb. It is time we got back the Nairi Canyons from those fallen elves. Have Neb cleanse it.” This last statement has an ominous feel and sent shivers through Khalida.

“Ah…you are right, of course. That course of action is probably long overdue. I will take care of it.”

“I leave you in charge of this affair for the time being. I have other matters to attend to.” Adair said this with a faraway look in his eye.

“You are going to visit him, aren’t you?” Khalida spoke in a reverent manner that was almost a whisper.

“Yes. He is the only one who can advise me in these matters. Plus, I must report that your beloved sister has fallen from her high station. He will not be pleased, but he will be able to give me the guidance that is sorely needed in this delicate situation. This bloody affair that is ravaging these free lands is the responsibility of the guardians. We shall be the ones who will rectify the wrongs. However, I sense that we are going to need help from my special children.”

“Please be careful while you travel. Kana may target you next. She knows that if you get involved that her plans will be thwarted in the end. I will attempt to track her movements, but I believe that she may be using powers that are not rightfully hers.”

Adair pulled Khalida into another warm embrace and held her for a few minutes. When he broke away from her, he smiled widely and winked at her. He jumped lightly onto Osborn’s back, and they were off. Khalida watched him go as the sun began to peak through the trees. After a few moments of watching the guardian ride off toward the sunrise, she realized that he had not explained why they had met in the Seda’s home. She had been too engrossed in their discussion to remember her initial query. It was at this point that she looked around the charred clearing and noticed the spirit creatures watching her. There were several hundred floating in the cool morning air. As she continued to look around, it was clear that they had surrounded them during their discussion. Why did they surround us? Were they trying to protect us?

Your god asked us to protect you while you met in our home.

“The guardian asked you to do that?” she asked in disbelief. She knew that he did not trust these treacherous spirits.

He has forgiven our past transgressions and has asked us to help you in your fight with the orcs and those wicked elves. We will protect the fair elven cities from capture and will lead any enemy of your god astray.

“What was offered to you in exchange for your help? Surely you do not expect me to believe that because he forgave you that you are now so willing to help us.” She did not like the fact that Adair had not told her about the deal he had made with the Seda. How do I know I can trust these shifty shades?

He bade us to give you a sign if your doubt should remain. He asked us to do one special task for him and that was to guard the path to the sacred object you just discussed with your god. One of the specters floated forward and transformed itself into the orb to show that they did know about the object they had been asked to protect.

“You could have simply overheard our discussion.”

We do not blame you for your distrust. You have every right to question our motives. As a further token of our sincerity, we will track your fallen sister for you. We will report her movements to you so that you will know where she is at all times.

“How will you be able to communicate to me the whereabouts of the guardian Kana?”

Time and space are nothing more than mere guidelines for us; they do not bind us or control us. When we have information for you, we will send a messenger to you. The shades began to pull back into the forest and disappeared after this declaration.

Khalida sighed softly as she looked around the empty clearing. Could this day get any more complex? She absentmindedly began to stroke Kuma as she stood there soaking in the rays of sunlight. She knew that she needed to get back to Landen, but she could not make herself move. She was still reeling from her awkward meeting with the Seda. She still did not believe a word that they had said. She had the feeling that these vile spirits would end up betraying them somehow. She did not know how or even why; she just had a feeling that this would be the case. Adair is too trusting of others. This was not a good decision on his part. She pushed that thought out of her mind and mounted her burly steed. As she slowly made her way toward the cover of the trees, clouds from the north began to make their way toward the Black Forest. These clouds were black and were hanging very low over the Nairi Canyons. So, that is my answer as to whether or not this day could get any more complicated.

***

Kana was flying high in the sky above the Nairi Canyons, which were now covered in darkness by a black storm cloud. She did not even take a second look at this mysterious cloud that appeared out of nowhere. She was too busy contemplating the orb she had been shown. Why would Keb, of all people, have information on a powerful magical object that she did not know of? What power did it possess, and where was it? I know that the fool had no idea of where to find it, but maybe I could force him to use his special connection to the earth to track it down for me. She smiled at this thought and spurred her steed to head north once more. She intended to visit her captive friend one more time. She had methods of getting what she wanted that even Drogan knew nothing about. He served his purpose and would continue to do so, but this task required her special talents.

After flying for quite some time, she arrived at the mountain that held the earth lord prisoner. Her dragon fought her once again on going anywhere near the accursed place. This time she merely set down on the plains leading up to the evil lair. As she slid off the back of her steed, she gave him a very stern look. She did not like the fact that her dragon was afraid of anything…even though he had very good reasons to be scared. She started to walk away toward her destination and did not look back when Ryo took flight. She casually turned into a ball of fire and shot across the desolate landscape.

As she entered the cavern where Lord Keb was being held captive, she noticed that her magic had been subverted somehow. She could sense the presence of Drogan before she saw him glowering over the prostrate form of her fellow guardian. She made a loud popping noise as she changed back into her human form, which got the attention of her accomplice. He had a look of surprise on his face at the unexpected visit. He quickly masked that look with a broad, devilish grin. Kana lowered herself to the ground and looked at him sternly. It was clear that she was waiting for an explanation as to why he had undone her magic. She did not try to hide the fact that she was furious with him about the subversion.

“You have nothing to fear, Kana. I replaced your enchantments with some more potent ones of my own,” he said smoothly.

“I know that I have nothing to fear from you!” she snapped indignantly. “I wonder if you realize that your ‘protections’ denied me access to my prisoner.” She made this a statement rather than a question.

“I could have sworn that I gave you access through my magical webs. I will fix that straight away.” He said this with a rather pathetic attempt at looking sheepish. He simply could not hide his evil grin.

“Leave us!” He looked at her sideways before retreating back into one of the walls of the cavern.

She watched him go with mounting disgust. The people I must align myself with! I will dispose of him and the others once I have control over the races and creatures of Tuwa. She turned her attention to Lord Keb and began to smile wickedly as she stood over his bent frame. She was not finished with him just yet. He knew more than he had let on; he simply did not know it yet.

The Flood

Khalida reached the Blaine River by the evening on the third day after she had met with her master. She had been watching the unnatural clouds that had formed over the Nairi Canyons all day as she made her way to meet with Lord Neb. As she reached her destination, she did not even notice Neb standing by the river to greet her. He followed her gaze toward the black clouds and nodded his understanding. He too had been mesmerized by the sudden appearance of these weird-looking clouds. What made him even more disturbed was the fact that he could sense no moisture in the storm clouds. They had the look and the feel, but they lacked the substance. He had pondered this matter while he waited patiently to meet with his lady.

“I see that you too are perplexed by those dark clouds,” supplied Lord Neb with a sly smile.

“So, they are not of your doing then?” she asked thoughtfully.

“No, and I do not believe they are what we think they are either,” he replied cryptically.

“What are you on about, Neb?”

“I do not think that those are clouds. They are wraiths. Our old enemy from the north must have sent them.” His crystal blue eyes squinted as he continued to stare at the mass of dark spirits. He did not care for their presence and was uncertain about the purpose of their sudden appearance. His dark hair ruffled in the breeze as they continued to stare at the unholy seen off in the distance.

Khalida stood there for some time looking at the writhing mass that was clearly not the cloud formation she once thought it was. I wonder if Master Adair knew of their involvement. No matter. We will deal with them at the same time as the high elves. She looked back at Neb who was waiting patiently for her to tell him what was required of him. The sky overhead began to darken. There was a feeling of apprehension in the very air they breathed. The two Elementals looked at one another in such a way as to make it clear that they both knew what was happening and what needed to be done.

“Shall I then?”

“Neb, you were always the most astute fellow. Please, flood the canyon and eradicate those vicious devils from the sky. Send them back to their prison where they belong.”

“I will banish those fiends into oblivion if I can manage it,” he said with a wink.

Neb raised his hands high above his head and uttered the command word for water, “Watnese.” The Blaine River stopped flowing at once as if waiting for his command. Fill the Nairi Canyons until the water is level with the plains above. A very dark storm cloud filled the sky above the spot they were standing. The moisture in it could be felt as they watched the cloud moved toward the canyons. Freeze the wraiths, and then teleport them back to their frozen dungeon. The cloud picked up speed, and the air around them began to have a bite in it as though winter had suddenly sprung upon them.

As Neb’s storm cloud approached the swirling wraiths, bluish silver lightning began to shoot out horizontally at the unsuspecting intruders. With each strike, one of the devils was frozen solid and teleported back to the distant prison in the ice castle of the north. It was oddly satisfying to watch the spectacular display of power for the two Elementals. The underside of the cloud began to take on the same color as the lightning as it neared its target. Thunderous booms ripped through the sky as the lightning picked up its frequency. The booming noise became so loud that any creature or person within twenty miles of the aerial attack had to cover their ears. A sly smile crept slowly across the water god’s face as he watched his handiwork.

“There is nothing like a good thunder and lightning storm.”

“I did not think that you were one for theatrics, Neb. I thought you would have simply raised water from under the canyon floor. This tactic sends a clear message to those wicked elves.” She gave the water guardian a slight nod to show her appreciation for his creativity.

Lord Neb merely smiled at the compliment and continued to focus on the eminent destruction of the high elves that remained behind in the Nairi Canyons. The guardians still believed that Queen Kishi was still in there and had not received the word from Lord Marcello that the queen was with her troops in the field of battle. Khalida smiled as the cloud settled over the canyons and waited patiently for the downpour. He gave Khalida a side-glance and flashed a mischievous smile as he lowered his hands. All at once rain came down in sheets. There was so much rain that it looked like one giant waterfall. Within minutes, the water reached the tips of the canyon walls. No living thing survived the sudden flood caused by the water Elemental. Mistress Khalida was pleased with the quick results.

“I task you to keep the canyons flooded until I tell you to allow the waters to recede. I must go to the armies in Landen to give them word of our first real victory. I will send any news I receive from them in the usual way. Keep me informed of anything you learn while patrolling the river.” She reached out and touched him gently on the arm and then turned about on Kuma and headed south to find a crossing.

“I will keep you informed of anything vital to our cause,” he replied as Khalida sauntered away on her giant bear.

The storm clouds cleared slowly over the newly formed Nairi Lake. As the sun began to peak through the sudden stillness, the water reflected the rays of light like shimmering stars on a clear night. The water was still except for various objects breaking through the otherwise still surface. As the minutes passed, more and more disturbances occurred across the newly formed body of water. Dead bodies and remnants of their armor and weapons began to bob up and down. The water had a filthy brownish-red color to it from the clay canyon walls and floor. The products of the mass destruction could only be seen when the sun caught them just right. The stench that filled the air caused a natural barrier around the former home of the Nairi people. No one was able to come within five miles of it without being overcome by the foul smell. As Neb turned away from his handiwork, the Blaine River sprang back into life.

***

Queen Kishi was enraged by their inability to penetrate the giants’ defenses. She was even more upset with herself that she was out dueled by a giant mage. How in the name of the gods did that brute learn to fight like that? In all my years, I have never before heard of or met a giant who could do magic, let alone defy me. What is this devilry? Perplexed by her encounter with Lord Marcello, she had called for a retreat so that they could rethink their approach. As they marched north and east to their newly set up camp at the base of Mount Lamont, soldiers began to murmur amongst themselves. At first Kishi thought they were questioning her abilities until she noticed what they were looking at. There was an ethereal black cloud hanging over the Nairi Canyons. Though they were still at a considerable distance, their sharp elven eyes clearly saw that they were not clouds at all; they were moving as if they were a conglomerate of individual things.

“General Jaali! Come here at once!” she bellowed.

“What is it, my queen?” The general had not noticed the unnatural cloud that had settled over the conquered canyon lands. He had been busy verbally abusing several of the soldiers who had prematurely retreated. When a reply did not come at once, he looked up to see the strange formation of what appeared to be black thunderclouds…except that they were swirling in unusual patterns and they were too thin to be rain clouds.

“What do you suppose those things are?” she said, pointing at the object of everyone’s attention.

“It looks like the demons from the north. How can this be? I thought they were imprisoned in that ice fortress.” Jaali stroked his long white goatee thoughtfully. He remembered the stories told by the elders about the spirit creatures that they fought during the first war for Tuwa. He had a feeling of foreboding come over him as he watched the orgy of wraiths.

I wonder if the guardian council has unleashed those unholy terrors on us. They are the only ones with the power to do so since it was they who imprisoned the foul creatures in that castle. “General, let us not dally here watching this unnatural display. We do not want to get caught unawares by the giants. Let us quicken our pace and get back to camp as soon as possible.”

“You are right. Let’s move out!” barked the general to the troops as they stood in awe of what they were seeing. They did not understand what was going on, but they did not dare ignore an order from their fierce general. He had the reputation of making examples of those who did not carry out his commands promptly. He was unusually gruff for an elf, which made him the perfect general for extreme battle conditions.

As Kishi’s army picked up their march once again, another dark object appeared in the sky to the south of Nairi. This one was a storm cloud for sure, but it looked unusually dense and had an odd hue to it. As it neared the wraiths, it began to shoot lightning into them at an alarming rate. There were flashes of light, and as they increased in frequency, it was clear that the demons were disappearing as a result of this strike. The spectacular display did not slow their march one bit as the troops looked sideways at the awesome air show. Within a few minutes, all of the specters were gone as though they were frozen and then teleported somewhere. The high elven army increased their cadence as if to prove to their general that they were not distracted by the freakish display.

As the soldiers picked up the pace even more, their new base came into view. They continued to ignore the large storm cloud that was now moving toward Nairi. Queen Kishi stopped to watch the storm cloud approach the rim of the southern end of the canyons. She was perplexed by the change in color that was taking place on the underside of the cloud formation. After a few more minutes, the cloud stopped and thinned itself out so that it covered the entire canyon land of Nairi. Fear gripped her heart as she understood what was going to happen. Some powerful being had created that cloud, and they were about to flood the nearly deserted occupied land. They are all going to die!

“You there, come here at once!” One of the soldiers came running and halted at the side of his queen with a ridiculous bow that almost threw him head over heels.

“What is wanted, my queen?” stuttered the scout.

“I want you to take this message to-” Before she could finish her order, the storm clouds unleashed upon the canyon land. It was like watching a pitcher of cool ale fill a tankard to the rim within a few seconds. The queen and the scout stood there with their mouths opened slightly in awe of what had just happened. She felt a pain in her heart as she quickly realized the magnitude of what went down.

“Malady, do you think that they are all dead?” asked the scout tentatively.

“Yes, they are. Get back into formation,” she said sorrowfully. With a slight bow, the scout returned to the ranks and started to tell everyone around him what had just happened. Shock and dismay at what had happened to their friends and kin spread quickly through the ranks.

After hearing what had occurred, General Jaali ordered the troops to begin preparations for a meal. He left his captains in charge while he went outside the camp to visit with a clearly distraught Kishi. They had been friends for years, and he knew that she needed someone to talk to. She did not look at him when he approached and looked oddly frail standing there looking at the clouds dissipating after their destructive rampage. He put one of his massive arms around his slender friend and embraced her in a side hug.

“What happened over there, Kishi?”

“Some very powerful magic is what happened!” she snapped. “Sorry. This is not your fault. It just happened so fast, and I did not sense it. Usually I can sense a danger like that.” She became suddenly rigid as she stood there fuming over the demise of the good people she had ordered to stay behind and occupy Nairi. At least there were not that many people there. Still, that does not mitigate the loss!

“What shall we do now?”

“We avenge our fallen brethren! I know that these allied countries have had something to do with this tragedy. So, they will all pay for this unforgivable act of aggression with their own worthless lives!”

Wolves

General Showia marched north through the enchanted Black Forest with the bulk of his army at a feverish pace. He wanted to reach the secret entrance to the cliffs of Landen by nightfall. Before they turned east to head to that hidden place, he had to send some of his troops west to secure Tarisdell as his king had promised the druid Zaide. He felt that a couple hundred soldiers would be sufficient to accomplish this task. However, he did feel that he should send his best remaining commander to lead them. Commander Fletcher was with his archers in the south setting up traps for any retreating orcs or high elves, so he asked one of his messengers to fetch Commander Brugon, who was in charge of the frontline soldiers. He may be a bit mad, but there is no equal in his tactical skills…no matter how ruthless they may be. I am just glad that he is on our side.

“General Showia, Commander Brugon reporting!” He snapped to attention and saluted his superior officer. He had a gruff, distorted face that did not hide the years he had fought on the front lines. He had seen many bloody battles with goblins and one rare encounter with orcs. He knew better than anyone else under General Sanjay’s command what it took to win wars. He may lose some of his battles, but he always came out on top in the end because of his stubborn determination and his ability to adjust his tactics on the fly. The general could think of no one else that would be able to handle a surprise attack in this enchanted forest.

“Commander Brugon, I have a special request that I trust to no one other than you.”

“I am yours to command, General.” He nodded slightly to acknowledge the gracious compliment. This must be important if he wants me to abandon the front line. I hope that I at least get to see some action on this new assignment.

“I need you to take two hundred of your frontline troops and secure the elven capital. I have a feeling that there may be a trap there, which is why I called upon you. There is no one else I would trust to handle a potentially lethal situation like this. You are my best soldier, and I know that you will not let me down.” He gave the commander a stern look of approval while a wry smile crept across his face.

“I appreciate your confidence in my abilities. I will select the troops that will go with me immediately so that you can continue on to the secret entrance. I will report back to you once we are ready to leave.”

“Excellent. I will let the other commanders and captains know of this assignment so that they can compensate for the slight reduction in numbers. I appreciate your willingness to take on this assignment. I have a feeling that all will not go as smoothly as the good druid would have us believe. Be alert at all times; this forest is full of powerful magic, and I do not believe that it would be wise to tarry longer than is needed. Gather your team, and return at once.”

The battle-hardened commander saluted stiffly and took off at a run to carry out his charge. It was a rather impressive sight to see such a powerfully built man running at such a fast pace. He was slightly tall for a man and was much more muscular than any other soldier in Sanjay’s army. Many stories of his brute strength were told around camp fires at night, and songs were sung about his heroic battles. He was a living legend among the troops and the young people of Aran. There were many maids that tried to court him, but he would never settle down and take a wife. He lived for the next fight or confrontation. He was the consummate battle strategist. I wish I did not have to send him away from me. I just cannot shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen and it involves that fair elven city. I hope that I am not sending him to his doom. No one would be able to replace him.

After only fourty five minutes, the commander reappeared with two hundred soldiers in tow. If only all my soldiers were so obedient. General Sanjay looked at the group with satisfaction. Many of the troops had served with Commander Brugon since his promotion to commander of the front line brigade. The general hid his emotions so that the men would take their mission seriously. He did not want any of them to become careless because they believed their leader felt their task was easy. Besides, a soft hand will make ladies out of men! He laughed darkly to himself as the group came to attention before him.

“Gentlemen, you have a very important mission to carry out. You have been carefully selected by Commander Brugon to secure the elven capital of Tarisdell. I feel that I should warn you right now that it is likely that the orcs or those wicked high elves left some kind of trap behind for anyone who might attempt to recapture the city. I also caution you against running up to the gates even though everything may appear to be deserted. The elves may have protections around the walls or the exterior that may not be detected by normal means. I expect to see all of you alive in that city once we annihilate this axis of evil.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” barked the soldiers in unison. This was music to the general’s ears. He liked nothing more than obedient men who did exactly what they were instructed to do. He could tell that this group would not let him down. How could they possibly let me down? They have Commander Brugon leading them. Still, I wonder why I have this feeling of foreboding. What could possibly happen that they had not prepared for?

“Move out!” barked the commander. The troops began one of their favorite marching songs as they quickly stepped into action. There were a series of grunts and foul language as they echoed from the front to the back of the formation while they marched west toward Tarisdell.

The general laughed out loud this time as he listened to the soldiers’ vulgar tales of Brugon’s sorted adventures put to song. He blocked out the uneasy feeling that kept bombarding him as he watched the men go. They will be fine; it is the wretched forest that is making me feel uneasy. I simply do not understand why the Black Forest contains so much dark magic while Aran contains only good. It probably has something to do with those wicked high elves and their treachery. Well, we will pay them back soon enough.

***

Ulric approached the deserted city wearily. He knew that the pointed-eared freaks probably left some sort of spell around its borders to protect against invasion if they should be forced to leave. His cold, black eyes scanned the destruction that had taken place and was pleased to see that they would be able to clean up the battlefield. His pack had been very patient up to this point, so it was very difficult to hold them back when the wind blew the sweet smell of rotting flesh at them. What lay before them was a buffet that any sane wolf would not be able to pass up. He looked at Ulf, Zev, Zwi, and Tala with a look that clearly indicated to them to indulge him a little while longer.

It was an unusual sight to see black, gray, red, and white wolves hunting together. These different packs had never gotten along, but Mistress Kana had made sure that they would. She did not have to use her power to control them because she had convinced Ulric, lord of the wolves that he would benefit from her rule. The only wolf that would not submit to Ulric’s leadership was Rolon. That did not mean that he was not on their side; it just meant that he would not fight alongside the other wolves. He had consented to help Queen Kishi with her battle while Ulric consolidated power among the different breeds of wolves.

These wolves were not like ordinary wolves that are seen in the forest or even in the mountains. They were roughly the size of a horse in weight and height. Ulric had a black, shiny coat of coarse hair that had a purplish tint to it when light reflected off of it. He was faster than any horse that ever lived in Tuwa and was the most ferocious killer in the land. However, no one had ever been able to detail his features or even recall his exact size because anyone who was unfortunate enough to see him died. They did not merely snuff it; they were torn to pieces. The only sign of his attack would be the blood. Nothing else was ever left behind. He was rumored to prowl the Tansanee Forest in the far west, but sometimes signs of his kills were found around Mount Adem. The dwarves called him the devil and placed a bounty of one thousand gold pieces for his head on a platter. Many tried to hunt the beast. None ever returned.

The pack members were primarily from the southern lands and had not been to Tuwa before. Ulf was the leader of the black wolves and was just as foul as Ulric. He was slightly smaller and slower than his master, but he was still just as big as a horse. His speed was only marginally slower than Ulric’s top speed, however. He was the easiest of the wolves to convince to join him in Kana’s cause. It was probably due to the similarities between them that made the alliance easy. Zev, on the other hand, took quite a bit of cajoling. He was the leader of the gray wolves of the southeastern lands. He was bigger than Ulf and could not run as fast, but his strength was far superior. After a tussle with Ulric, Zev realized that it would be wise to follow the powerful brute. He knew that there would be plenty of victims for the eating and that his clan would praise him for the opportunity to kill northerners.

Zwi, the leader of the red wolves, was the smallest and also the fastest of all the wolves. His clan was known throughout the deep south as the fastest creatures on four legs. They also have the reputation of being the most ferocious beasts to roam the continent. Ulric had a very difficult time convincing them to join him in his quest. After many days of bloody negotiations, they conceded defeat and joined the ranks. They would prove to be the most valuable asset for the wolf army. The only female leader was the white wolf, Tala. She was enormous, bigger than even Ulric. She did not require a strong hand to convince her to join the cause. The only thing that she needed was to know that the female guardian Kana was taking over Tuwa. After she was told this, she eagerly joined the ranks of the wolf army. Her followers were from the deepest part of the southwestern lands where snow was on the ground year round.

While the different packs had united under Ulric, they did not mingle with one another. It was an uneasy truce that held them together. The bounteous feast before the wolf army would provide the needed glue to keep the wolves together and unified in their cause. A rumbling of growls began to fill the air as they waited impatiently for the go ahead to dig in. Ulric silenced them with a particularly deep growl that caused most of the wolves to whimper in fright. The jet-black leader sauntered up to a small round rock the size of one of his front paws. He flicked it surreptitiously at the outer wall of Tarisdell to see if there were any magical barriers. The rock did not explode like he expected, but it vanished in midair. Silence filled the small clearing outside the wall as the wolves considered what to do next.

“Make sure you do not get too close to the barrier. Enjoy your feast!” growled Ulric slowly. He made his way to the nearest orc and began tearing at its flesh. Within minutes, a foul smell punctured the air as well as grunts of delight from the ravenous wolves.

***

The troops led by Commander Brugon continued in their boisterous singing until they were almost at the clearing leading up to the eastern wall of Tarisdell. A putrid smell filled their nostrils and made many of the hardened soldiers vomit from the strong odor. Brugon silently called for a halt just within the shadows of the trees. Several beastly eyes looked up as the men came to a halt and stopped making noise. The wolves did not move one inch as they sized up the intruders. The men waited anxiously for their commander to give an order. The only sound that could be heard was that of bones and cartilage crunching in the massive maws of the unnaturally large wolves.

With a wave of his hand, Brugon ordered the troops to spread out and string their bows. The men silently obeyed and quickly strung their bows and fitted their arrows. Commander Brugon knew that waiting any longer would eliminate the element of surprise that their appearance had on the gigantic beasts. “Fire!” ordered the commander in his deep, gruff voice.

Arrows soared through the air, and the sickening thudding sound followed the whooshing of the projectiles as they connected with their furry targets. Yelps and howls of rage rang through the still air. The red wolves were on their attackers within seconds, even though they were the furthest north from the men of Aran. They tore into the soldiers with great ferocity. Cries of pain ripped through the air as the men tried to fend off the massive wolves.

“To the trees!” ordered Brugon in a frustrated yell. The men immediately leapt to the nearest tree and began climbing at a frantic pace. Fifteen men lay on the ground dead while thirty others were bleeding from bites and scratches from the furry monstrosities.

“Fire at will!” ordered the commander once his troops were safely in the trees. Several of the wolves fell from multiple arrow shots to the heart. It took no less than three arrows directly to the heart to kill just one of the wild beasts. Only five wolves appeared to be dead below them at the base of the trees.

“Raz zu loc ne!” growled Ulric in the wolven tongue. His back arched as he surveyed their unwelcomed guests.

Tala came bursting into view, taking massive bounds toward the nearest tree that was refuge for three soldiers. She came to a sudden halt and swiped at the tree with her massive left front paw. There was a sharp crack, and the tree began to fall to the ground as though a dwarf had just cut it down. She hit the base of the tree so hard that it broke in two at the impact point, which caused the tree to glide to toward the ground. Once the men were on the ground, they were grabbed by no less than seven different wolves that began fighting over their prey. Commander Brugon knew that he had to do something and he had to be quick about it.

“Draw your swords, men! Follow me!” He leapt down from where he was perched in a tree and caught two of the nearest black wolves by surprise. Before they knew what was going on, he had severed two of their sleek heads from their bodies. He then roared as he charged at the massive group of almost three hundred wolves. Several of the beasts moved out of his way because the crazed man was swinging his sword with great efficiency. He killed four more idle wolves before breaking through the barrier they had created between themselves and the elven capital. His troops were right behind him swinging their blades with great success as they all too broke through the ranks. Only about one hundred and fifty soldiers made it through the line, but that did not slow their mad rush toward the eastern gate.

“Couzja!” ordered Ulric loudly. Let them kill themselves. His laugh was a particularly nasty growl, which was duplicated by the rest of the small army of wolves.

As the maddened men reached the point where the rock vanished before the wolves’ eyes, Commander Brugon uttered an elvish phrase. “Edhil nur! Edr!” The men continued through where the magical barrier was and did not disappear. Once through the magical shield, they continued through the gates and immediately took up defensive positions atop the bulwarks. Enraged by this trickery, several of the wolves rushed after the men of Aran, ignoring the commands from Ulric to stop where they were. Once they reached the barrier, they were stopped abruptly. They did not vanish like the rock, but they were immediately turned into stone. Thirty wolves appeared to be frozen midstride and moved no more. They retained their color and looked as though they were merely frozen in time. Howls of rage and indignation rose from the wolves as they backed away into the forest. After a few moments of backing away, the men could no longer see them.

“What are those things, Commander?” asked one of the soldiers nervously. He had blood dripping down his forehead from a bite he had received while running past the packs of wolves.

“Those are the legendary giant wolves of the south lands. Do not worry. They will not be able to penetrate this magical barrier left by the elves.”

“How did you know what to say?” asked the same bloodied soldier in awe of his commander.

“King Tiranidrol is a personal friend of mine. He named me elf friend many years ago, which gave me special access to any elven city.” He smiled darkly as he considered the luck that had befallen them. I will have to serve King Ciel to the end of my days to pay back this special favor. We were dead!

As he dwelled on this unsettling thought, bright beastly eyes appeared in the shadows of the trees. The moon and the stars began to make their appearance in the night sky above them, which made the wolves’ eyes shine. There were thousands of eyes looking at them this time. It appeared that there were more of them in the wilderness that they had not seen. As they inched nearer the edge of the trees, Commander Brugon ordered one of his men to shoot a warning shot at the foul creatures. The arrow whizzed through the air and was unaffected by the barrier as it continued to its apex. Then it started down toward the ground and hit a patch of dirt making a small thudding noise. It was some twenty feet shy of the eaves. Emboldened, the wolves inched their way into the clearing. There were about four rows of wolves, that they could see, and there appeared to be about one thousand of those furry demons in each row.

“What do we do now?” blurted a soldier on the left of Commander Brugon.

“We wait.” Let them stare…as long as we stay here we are safe.

Druids

Lord Nariko looked over his shoulder at the battle for Mount Carrick with apprehension. The mountainsides looked like they were on fire from the intensity of the fighting that was ravaging both sides of the conflict. I hope that this does not take long. I need to return to the battle. As the druid stood on the east bank of the Blaine River, he shifted restlessly while waiting for his fellow members of the druid council to appear. They needed to determine what their role would be in this conflict and what lengths they should go to in order to defend their respective races. While the councils that the druids held were informal and infrequent, they still served a very real purpose. I wish that we could form a proper council and separate ourselves from the people so that we could once again be independent from the politics that plague the peoples of Tuwa. I think that I am lucky to have a king who is above petty bureaucracy and does what is best for the people.

“Always lost in thought, Nariko? You have not changed one bit,” chided Nita. She was a tall, slender elf with beautiful, short brown hair that gave her a rather boyish look. Her dark brown eyes stared fixedly at the much shorter dwarf that stood before her. Her elegant features hid her actual age better than most elves.

“I thought that an elf would appreciate the importance of taking time to ponder weighty matters,” replied the burley warrior druid. He was stroking his long, braided brown beard as he looked to the west over the river. His body seemed to be made of nothing but muscle. His wisdom was such that many sought his council.

Why are we speaking out loud? queried Lady Bernadine smoothly with her mind. The other two flinched at the mental intrusion. They both disliked her disregard for the sanctity of one’s own mind.

“Lady Bernadine, I am glad that you could make it. Where are you?” asked the dwarf gruffly.

“Here,” she replied audibly this time. A black horned owl flew down from its perch and landed on the ground right next to Nariko. She transformed into her elven form and looked down at the stout fellow next to her. She looked very similar to Nita in her appearance except her hair and eyes, which were jet black. She too looked a great deal younger than her actual age.

“You always have to play things up, don’t you?” snipped Nita briskly. She did not care for Bernadine’s dramatic flair. What a waste of time and talent. If she would only put that much effort into her charges, then this current situation might be more manageable.

“Now, now, Nita, it is not nice to think such things.” Bernadine smirked. She loved torturing her fellow elf whenever she got the chance. Though they were the same race, they could not be more different in personality.

“Ladies, that is quite enough of that. We have serious issues to discuss. Where are Thanos and Zaide? I know that Verandos has taken command of the elven army, so he is excused, but the others are not,” complained the powerful dwarf. He did not care at all for elven banter or what they consider to be wit.

“You really should work on patience with others Master Nariko,” replied Thanos gruffly from behind a tree. He was the same height as his dwarf brother but was not quite as thick like the other. He was still very stocky for his height.

“Where is Zaide then?” barked Nariko even more impatiently. “Just like a man to be late!” While he cared little for elves, he truly did detest men. They were so unreliable.

“Master Nariko, he has taken the army of Aran to the secret entrance to the High Plains. He asked me to tell you that he is sorry for missing the council meeting and would like a report of what is discussed and decided.” Thanos spoke calmly and with a silky edge to his voice that did not match his rough dwarven exterior. There were some who mistook this manner of soft speech for weakness.

“Always sticking up for that man. Oh well, I guess it cannot be helped with all that is going on,” replied Nariko grudgingly. His long brown hair moved gracefully as a breeze rushed along the shores of the Blaine River. He went silent for a moment while he stroked his beard again. Four out of six is not bad, but it is not a lucky number. We are going to need all the luck and good fortune that can be had.

“Why don’t we begin this council so that we can return to our charges?” suggested Nita calmly. She was notorious for mediating disputes between groups, and this one was no exception.

“Of course, you are right, Nita. Let us begin,” replied a subdued Nariko. They all pulled their hoods over their heads and bowed their faces to the ground as they formed a tight circle on the bank of the river.

Druids were an ancient religion that assumed responsibility for the care of sentient beings. Over a thousand years ago they formed their first council and built a castle fortress. This sanctuary was home to representatives of very race in Tuwa. They came together as a sign of treaty and to work together for peace for all. They trained in arcane arts as well as in every battle method known. They built weapons that we magically enhanced as well as special armor. They acted as a balance to the power of the guardian council. In the beginning they were at peace with the Elementals, however, war has a way of changing views.

As the druids stood side by side in their brown robes with black sashes, they began to chant softly in a common tongue created by the original druidic council. The ground in the center of their circle began to move in swirling patterns as their rhythmic chanting continued uninterrupted. A mist began to rise up from the unsettled ground and hovered at the waist level of the elves. The misty cloud had a bluish hue to it as it hung there suspended in time. The druids stopped their utterances and stood there stalk still. Life around them ceased to move or make a sound. It was like the entire world had stopped completely and time itself froze. After a few more silent moments, the council raised their covered heads to look into the magical mist. Lord Nariko was the first to speak, and he did so as the high druid of Tuwa, the rightful protector of the peoples of the land.

“Show us the pain of the peoples of Tuwa.” His commanding voice was not rough or even low when he said this. His tone was even and crystal clear. The mist obeyed by first showing the dwarves at Mount Adem who were surrounded by two massive orc armies. They were outnumbered two to one.

“Noble Thanos, your assistance will be required by General Magnar if King Kasim is to fend off this vicious assault on his kingdom.”

“What shall I do to ensure their safety, Lord Nariko?” His tone was filled with reverence for his master even though he had chided him earlier. There was a time for fun, but this was not it. This situation looks worse than it did for the dwarves during the first war for Tuwa.

“Let us look at the other situations that vex the lands so that we can determine the best course of action all around.” Even though no one could see his face, it was clear that he was troubled by the massive force attacking poor King Kasim.

As they continued to look into the shimmering mist, they saw the plight of the dwarves at Mount Carrick who were surrounded by all of the rock trolls and the entire nation of goblins that resided in the Sheldon Mountains. Of course, Lord Nariko knew this already, but it was good for the others to see just how serious the situation was. Then an image of three orc armies combined with half the high elven army appeared. They were gathering weapons and laying out strategies to siege the southern cliffs of Landen. Meanwhile, in the north, the other half of the high elven army, led by Queen Kishi and the bloodthirsty General Jaali, were preparing for another attack on North Gate. The tidings of woe did not end there.

Tarisdell, the elven capital city at the heart Renshaw Forest, was surrounded on the eastern border by a massive army of wolves. The druids looked closer at the beasts to make sure they were seeing them properly. They were the size of a massive warhorse. They were black, gray, red, and white-and there were over five thousand of them. This did not bode well for the one hundred and fifty soldiers who were stranded on the eastern outer wall of the city. They could see the magical shield, but they could tell that the magic holding it in place was beginning to fail. Then they were whisked away to a distant place in the far north, which was out of their area of influence. They only had stewardship over the races found in Tuwa, so they did not recognize any of the mountains or other landscape.

An image of a black dragon flying toward a dirty gray mountain appeared next. An elegant figure was seated right at the base of the neck and had a fierce look of determination as she urged the fell beast toward the mountain. At once they all knew what that place was. They did not know its proper name, but they all knew that this was the home to the evil that almost conquered Tuwa a thousand years ago. What was more, they could sense its presence again. This troubled them greatly because they knew that the guardians had banished that vile creature to the ice fortress in the north. They also knew that there was no way for him to escape his icy prison without the assistance of those, or one of those, Elementals who had imprisoned him.

Kana! they collectively screamed in the minds. Even though the druids did not care for the guardians they still did not believe what they were seeing.

What has she done? asked Bernadine in her mind. They were all linked mentally at this point, so they all heard and echoed her question.

“She has committed an unforgivable sin. I believe that she is the source of this evil that is plaguing the peoples of Tuwa. Because she is the root of all these problems, we will not be able to handle this situation on our own. The other guardians must rise to the occasion, and they must do it now!” said the normally reserved Thanos.

The mist dissipated, and the ground in the middle of the circle returned to normal. However, time continued to stand still while they pulled their hoods on again while still in the circle. The unique thing about a druid council was that when they combined their powers they could literally stop time while they discussed sacred matters in the circle. This had proved very useful over the years, although it did not prevent the fall of their wise independent council several centuries before. Unfortunately, the sacred circle never revealed treachery of any of the members that were in the druid council. This limitation cost them dearly and had made it difficult to fully re-establish the old order.

“General Verandos and Zaide are aptly placed to assist the giants, the army of General Yukio, and the army of General Lysander. Thanos could go at once to help General Magnar while Lord Nariko returns to General Gideon’s army to fend off the rock trolls and goblins. Lady Bernadine and I can retrieve some special warriors that have already been informed of the situation,” suggested Nita wisely.

“Agreed,” chanted the druids in the circle. No one ever disagreed with Nita when she laid out the options. She was definitely the wisest of them all and knew what was best in this case. She was kind enough to simply provide options and not to dictate. After all, she was not the head of the council.

“Let us not tarry any longer. Each of you will need to contact the leaders you will be working with so that they know you are coming. I recommend travel by the swiftest means possible. Our werebear forms are not conducive to speed, so transform into your other forms. Remember, distance is nothing more than time. Control it like you do your destinies,” proffered Nariko solemnly.

One of the unique abilities that a fully trained druid learns is to transform into a variety of animal forms. Typically they learn two forms while others who obsess with the art learn several more. The bear is the most common form followed by various fowls. This ability allows the druids to interact with all forms of sentient beings and not just the races of Tuwa. In times of war it enables them to gather intelligence while minimizing the danger of scouting.

Nita was the first to act by moving to the water’s edge and bringing her hands together so that her fingertips touched. She uttered some words under her breath, and a patch of water froze in time right in front of her. Once she had left the circle, life sprang back into action all around them. She held the water still with a powerful time-bending spell and stepped onto the unmoving liquid. She was immediately transporting to where the valiant warriors were that she was going to recruit with Lady Bernadine. Her fellow elf had joined in the tear in time where they communicated to the warriors that they would be arriving soon and in their fowl forms. Nita transformed into a lovely brown barn owl and the two female druids flew to their destination now that they had given warning to those they sought.

Each of the remaining druids did the same thing in bending time to give an instantaneous message to their respective generals about their impending arrivals. Nariko changed into a large golden eagle and flew off at once to the rescue of General Gideon. Thanos transformed into beautiful bald eagle and took off to help General Magnar shore up his defenses against the wicked orc armies. Finally, everyone had left to deal with their charges. Lady Hilzarie had been watching from above and knew that she needed to inform Mistress Khalida of the actions of the druid council. The guardian council did not fully trust the druids after their fall centuries ago. I think this is actually a good sign that they are working together again. I wonder who the seventh druid is though. I wonder if they know who it is.

Hilzarie blew away toward Landen to report what she had overheard and seen to her mistress. As the surroundings came back into life after the druids were gone, a lone figure detached from the trees. It was a tall dark elf that had the look of one who had barely escaped death’s grasp. He had a wicked smile on his face as he looked up into the clear sky above. He was very glad that he had not left the Blain River. His lack of strength over the past few days had turned out to be a great blessing and not a curse. The knowledge he had gained by eavesdropping on the druids was invaluable to his plans. I will be able to use this knowledge for our gain. Now those fools in Landen stand no chance whatsoever if I can get to Nodin immediately. Their reinforcements will be too late!

***

Lord Dukker laughed wickedly as he dusted off after lying in the dirt beneath the trees for several days. He was weak, but this new information invigorated his body and mind. He stretched out his left hand, and his staff magically appeared in it. He pointed it at the water and muttered some dark spell. A white flash shot out from the end of his staff and hit the water like a lightning bolt. Several fish floated to the surface, and he retrieved them hungrily. I must replenish my strength so that I can fight once I arrive at the base camp in Nodin. They will need my strength and leadership; they will not fail with me at the helm. The elves will pay for their stupidity, and the giants will suffer for their interference. Those fragile men of Landen will die slow, painful deaths for aiding those who defied me!

Unforgivable Sin

Lady Hilzarie soared gracefully over the High Plains of Landen in search of Mistress Khalida who did not appear to be anywhere in the vast country. She did not have time to search for her, so she hovered where she was several thousand feet above the ground and sent out a magical web to see if she could find the nearest Elemental. After a few moments, she came into contact with Lord Neb who had just finished flooding the Nairi Canyons. She quickly relayed to him the information about the druids and what they had discussed. After she had finished telling him everything, she took leave of him so she could get back to the task that had been given her.

Go little one. I will tell Khalida everything. He sensed her acceptance of his reassurance, and then the connection was severed.

Lord Neb knew that he had to report back to Khalida at once because of the charge that she gave him before they separated. I wonder why Hilzarie did not deliver the message herself to Khalida. She should have found her just south of here. I hope that nothing has happened. Worried, the water god sped down the river to find out where Khalida had gotten to. As he hurried south in the cool waters, he noticed a large army emerging from the forest. He paused to look at this pleasant surprise before his eyes. The foremost of the army had a figure clothed in a brown robe with black sashes. This sighting caused Neb to stop altogether. A druid is leading the army from Aran? What is going on?

The mysterious figure detached himself from the ranks of the army and walked briskly down to the edge of the water. He came to a standstill as he began to mutter an unintelligible chant of magical words under his breath. The water in front of him stopped moving, and the presence of Lord Neb was revealed. I really hate it when they do that. They really should not meddle with time in such a light manner. Neb decided to transform into his human form and hovered over the water ten feet away from the druid.

“What gives you the right to reveal my presence like that?” demanded Neb irritably. Of all the guardians he was the one who distrusted the druids the most. He was the unfortunate one who was betrayed by the druid who fractured the council centuries ago.

“You do not have to worry. I have stopped time for them, so they will not know that you were ever here,” replied the druid soothingly. He understood Neb’s feeling of distrust and did not blame whatsoever.

“Zaide, is that you?” The Elemental asked this with an edge of disbelief in his voice. I never would have thought him to be a warrior druid.

“No, I am not a warrior, Lord Neb. I am merely leading this army from Aran to Landen. I have come to this spot to show them the secret entrance to the High Plains, which happens to be right behind you.”

“So, why have the druids finally decided to get involved? I know that your comrades have met together in a traditional druid council just south of here. Why were you not there? Still not getting along?”

“You have many questions, god of water. Can you not glean from my mind what you seek? We still do not allow others access into our minds, and our reasons for getting involved are not your concern. We have chosen to help and will see to it that this war that is on the brink will not destroy all of the peoples of this land. We take our charges very seriously.” He did not hide his contempt for the Elementals in his retort to Neb. He meant nothing personal by it because he liked Lord Neb the best out of all the guardians. The druids did not trust the Elementals after the first war of the races, and it was apparent that their attitude was not about to change.

“The druids still hold a grudge against the guardians. That is not surprising to me. Your inability to learn from mistakes is still your greatest weakness.”

“The guardians are still arrogant and unrepentant for the destruction they caused in the past. And now we are just supposed to trust you because you say so? What of Kana? It is no longer a secret that she is responsible for the current situation. We know of her direct involvement, and we also know that you have done nothing to stop her. You still insist on using these lesser creatures to fight your battles. Why don’t you take her and your kind and stay in the east where you belong!”

Neb did not like what he was hearing at all, and he wanted to blast the infidel into oblivion, but he knew that he had more pressing matters than fighting with a foolish druid. He submerged himself back into the water and continued down the river to find his mistress. He had broken the druid’s hold on time, and Zaide’s surroundings burst back into life. He stood there watching the Elemental heading south with a feeling of regret for having been so harsh with someone who had once been a good friend. If only they would admit to their folly and make amends for it. If they could finally accept responsibility for their actions or rather their inactions, we could move forward together once more.

“Where do we cross?” asked General Sanjay from behind the druid who was lost in his own thoughts. The question brought him back to reality.

“We shall cross here,” he replied while motioning to the running waters behind him. The druid turned about and with a complicated waive of his hands, the water stood still.

General Sanjay walked up to the water’s edge and placed a tentative foot on the smooth surface. The water was solid as though it had been frozen except that it was not icy or slippery. He looked at the slight druid with a look of approval as he placed both of his feet on the magical barrier. He turned to face Zaire while still standing on the water and gave him a look that clearly asked what they needed to do next.

“General, will you please have your troops cross over this temporary bridge I have created and march them directly at that boulder on the other side of the river. That is the entrance to the Shabazie Path.” The druid was clearly not focused on what was happening at the moment. He was still thinking of his talk with the water god. He wished that he would have been more forgiving. In the end our two councils are going to have to stand together. After all, we too experienced the same treachery that has torn apart the guardian council.

“You want my soldiers to march across this bridge and walk into that massive rock? Don’t you mean that we need to go around it to the secret entrance behind it?”

“No, I mean that you walk at the rock as though it were a curtain. I warn you that if a person is not resolute about entering the secret path, then they will not be granted passage.” The druid marched himself across the river and walked right at the boulder at the base of the tall cliff. Everyone tensed as he reached the point where they all thought he would hit the rock. When he came into contact with the entrance, he vanished from sight. A collective gasp escaped from the troops who could see what was going on.

“Leave it to a druid to be so dramatic,” the general said dryly. “Follow me!” The army resumed their march and crossed the river and entered the surprisingly vast tunnel under the cliffs.

***

The sound of the river filled the air as Khalida and Kuma made their way south along the western bank of the Blaine River. As she neared a narrow bridge that would allow her to cross the flowing waters, she stopped abruptly like a feral beast that sensed its prey. She looked around the water’s edges trying to see someone or something that was not there. I sense the traces of powerful magic around that area on this side of the river. If I am not mistaken, it feels like druid’s magic. She continued to puzzle over this development as she sat there atop her massive bear.

A little further done the river on the eastern bank there was a dark figure in the eaves of the Aran Forest. She did not move yet because she wanted to ascertain the intentions of the person that was standing there by the river’s side. Then, with a sharp turn of its head, the dark elf caught sight of her. She could not make out what it had said, but whoever it was had summoned magic and threw it at her with great strength. A bolt of purple lightning shot at her almost too fast for her to counteract the attack. Khalida was able to deflect the magical missile and sent it flying into a nearby tree. The blast blew apart the massive tree like it was a sapling.

Before Khalida could go on the offensive, he was gone. Who in the name of all that’s holy was that? Why would an elf attack me? Maybe that was one of the high elves. But why was he down by the water all by himself? We know that the orc and high elven armies are positioned in Nodin a few of miles east of here. After a few more moments of pondering what had just happened, she decided that she had better get across the river and get back to Landen as fast as possible. She needed to report to King Leroy about what she had learned and then inform him that the next major attack would likely come from the south.

She gently prodded Kuma with her mind to cross the bridge and to hurry as fast as she could along the base of the southern cliffs. As the bear began to pick up speed, she could hear a voice in her mind telling her to wait. She halted her bear midstride and whirled around to face the direction the familiar voice came from. It was Lord Neb who had called after her. She rode back to the edge of the water on the north side of the bridge they had just crossed. She hopped down lightly onto the ground and walked a few paces into the cool water.

“What news do you bring?”

“I have met with one of the druids. I was told that he was assisting the army of Aran by helping them to enter Landen through a secret passage. He, of course, made it clear that his kind still do not trust us after all these years. Also, Lady Hilzarie gave me some even more interesting information.” He went on to explain about the druid council and also told her what the druids had learned about Kana.

“Well, this is both good and bad news,” she replied slowly. “The good news is that the druids will help our allies fight this war. The bad news is that they will likely try to make us all out to be the source of evil in this violent affair.”

“What shall we do about it?”

“Nothing; let them do what they feel is best. They are wise enough not to make all of the guardians out to be villains. I am sure that Zaide knew that Kana was the only Elemental fighting against the peoples of Tuwa. It will be because of this knowledge that he and his kind will not stir up the people against the rest of us. He knows that we will be needed to put an end to Kana’s evil ways.”

“What do you think Kana is doing up in the north? We know that she has Lord Keb up there, but what else is she doing up there?”

“I fear that she has committed an unforgivable sin. Evil wraiths do not just float out of the north anymore. We took care of those spirits centuries ago. Someone has released them from their imprisonment, and we know that only one of the elder guardians could do that. I am afraid that she has gone and made a deal with the devil himself.”

“You think Kana released Drogan along with his horde of vile abominations? If this is true, then the druids and the rest of the races of Tuwa will never trust us again. There will be no winning this fight. Evil will run across these lands like my flood of Nairi. Do you think our master knows of this treachery?”

“I do not doubt that he does. He knows a great deal more than we are being told, but I am certain it is for the best. As for this war that is about to consume us all, I agree with your assessment of the situation. Unless we find a way of stopping a northern army, the people of Tuwa will perish…the good with the bad.”

“So you believe that there is very little hope then.” This was a statement rather than a question. They both knew that these tidings and deductions spelled the doom of Tuwa.

“If we can turn Kana from her evil ways, then we will have a chance. Remember, it took all seven of us to imprison those fowl creatures the last time. We need to get this information to the others as soon as possible. Neb, will you contact the others for me?”

“I will.”

“I must find our master and see if he already knows of this evil. Maybe he has a plan to turn the tide of this dreadful affair.”

They both quickly departed to carry out their tasks. Neb went in search of Hilzarie and Necia to give them the information they had just discussed. Khalida jumped onto Kuma and urged her to run as fast as she could. I must find my master, Kuma. You know what to do. The bear picked up the pace and headed north along the western cliffs.

Encompassed

Generals Tadok K’K and G’Dang approached Mount Adem with trepidation in their wretched hearts. Though many considered the orcs to be brainless, bloodthirsty beasts, they were actually among the more intelligent races of Tuwa. They did not have scholars or artisans, but they had some of the finest battle strategists. These two generals were among the most adept at planning tactics that would ensure them victory in almost any confrontation. However, King Kasim’s mountain kingdom provided several obstacles that were not easily overcome. The two massive armies made camp some ten miles northeast of the northern entrance to the dwarven fortress. They were still in the eaves of the forest, which afforded them protection from prying eyes. A patrol sent by the dwarves would be hard pressed to find the orcs because of their location. They were situated just south of the Seda’s domain, so that meant that none of the allies would be caught near their camp.

“G’Dang, we are going to have to make our move soon or else we will lose the element of surprise. If the Seda keep pestering us day in and day out, we will begin to have deserters,” boomed General Tadok K’K. He did not care for the spirit creatures, but he also knew that they did afford them a measure of protection from those that they were on their way to kill.

“Tadok K’K, you make a very good point. I think we should analyze the defenses of the dwarves and prepare the best possible strategy from what we do know about this mountain fortress. Of course, we will need several escape roots if the need should arise. General Magnar is the greatest warrior the dwarves have had in centuries. He has caused us much pain and loss during his regime. We cannot allow ourselves to underestimate the temerity of this little fellow,” replied General G’Dang.

“The first thing we need to account for is the hidden archers along that massive wall that surrounds the entire mountain. It is impossible to see them even in the daylight, so it would probably be better for us to attack during the night. This will not mitigate the damage they will inflict upon us, but we will have a better chance of gaining the tops of the walls with minimal losses. Once on top, we can systematically remove the long range threats.”

“Are you proposing to use the siege ladders only? What about constructing some siege towers? What about providing cover for our troops with our ballista’s?”

“The point of just using the siege ladders would be to make an approach that will give us a measure of stealth. We do not need to announce to the entire kingdom that we are on their doorstep. Plus, I do not believe that we should attack during the middle of the night. We should choreograph the attack so that it coincides with the sunrise. They would never suspect that from us. They think that we cannot stand the sunlight, but we will prove that they are wrong about that. Dead wrong.” Tadok K’K gave a short harsh laugh as he said this.

“What about their legendary secondary defense?” G’Dang asked this cautiously because of Tadok K’K notoriously short temperament.

“I do not believe they even exist, but if they do, we will be ready.”

“How will we do that? They say those creatures are impervious to pain?”

“Simple. We will remove their heads from their bodies like any other beast. We will not waste any arrows on those guard dogs because it would only irritate them. I am more concerned about the real defenses that lie behind the wall.”

They continued to discuss their plans for several hours into the night. They understood that it was crucial to attack at the right moment in order to gain the upper hand. Even though G’Dang’s army had nearly one hundred fifty thousand soldiers, he did not feel that numbers would win this confrontation. Ultimately it was decided that it was best to wait them out. They would surround the mountain to ensure that no one escaped and would remain out of reach while they would attack periodically from multiple directions at the same time. They hoped that this would not only confuse their enemy, but that it would also enrage them enough so that they would make a fatal mistake. General Tadok K’K would take his one hundred twenty five thousand troops to the east and south while G’Dang would guard the north and west.

After another couple of hours, they had determined exactly what methods of attack that would work best in various scenarios. Once they actually did make their move-that is, if they were forced into being proactive-then they would implement the tactics they had just devised. Their plan for fending off a rush from the mountain fortress was quite simple: they outnumbered the dwarves significantly. After hitting them with catapults, trebuchets, ballistae, and arrows, they would engage what was left in hand-to-hand combat. They were far superior in stature and strength, or so they believed, so they felt they could easily overpower the little folk.

“Do you think the bearded runts have any secret passageways or any traps set around the mountain?” queried General G’Dang seriously. He did not want to get caught off guard while surrounding the dwarves.

“I would venture to guess that they do have several traps in place and that there are probably several escape tunnels. I would be willing to bet that these underground passageways do not go farther than a couple of miles in each direction. This would put them entering the plains around the mountain and would make their appearance clearly visible. All we need to do is place sentries at the rears of each formation, and we should be warned of any trickery from behind,” replied General Tadok K’K seriously.

“What about the traps? I would think that we should ferret out any possible dangers before moving our large forces into possible harm. It would not do at all to have our soldiers maimed or killed by unforeseen dangers. We could send in the berserkers.” This thought came to him suddenly and it burst out with a little too much enthusiasm.

“You would send those brutes in, would you…that’s not a bad idea at all! They can do their special brand of demolition and remove any possible threats. The dwarves probably know that we are here, so a few explosions would not give anything away. If anything, they might be afraid of what we were doing!”

“General Akuji, I believe we have a good plan. We should implement it during the night so that we maximize the amount of confusion we cause for our little, bearded neighbors.”

“Maurizio, you’re right! Let’s do it tomorrow night. Then, right before dawn, we will have the berserkers set off a series of explosions that should rattle old white beard himself!” He laughed raucously at his own slight of the guardian. They continued to laugh loudly for quite some time at their own perceived brilliance.

A group of one hundred berserkers gathered together the following morning to receive their instructions from Generals Akuji and Maurizio. The berserker was a special breed of orc that was used for almost anything life threatening because of their unique physical strength and lethal prowess. They stood nearly two feet taller than the tallest orc, which made the shortest berserker stand at nine feet tall. There were some that reached a legendary height of twelve feet! They were simply gigantic in every way, including their intellect. Their name was a misnomer that belied their intelligence and capabilities. Many of the orcs’ enemies had made the fatal mistake of assuming that these rare brutes were expendables.

“You maggots are here to carry out a dangerous but vital task. We require your expertise with explosives to clear the plains around Mount Adem of any possible traps. The difficult part to this job is that you will be required to do your work beginning at nightfall tonight,” explained General Akuji in his gruff, deep voice.

“I don’t see a problem with your request General Tadok K’K. My soldiers will perform this task flawlessly as usual. The question is, good general, what is in it for us?” asked Commander Gar’Dak. He was the leader of the small orc giants and stood at an impressive eleven feet six inches tall. He had a long, silver mane of hair that ran the length of his broad, muscular back. There was not an ounce of fat on his rippled body anywhere. He wore dull armor that was two inches thick at its weakest spots. The dull look was the purposeful tarnishing of the thick armor so that light would not give the wearer away from a distance.

“After you successfully completed your mission, you will have another assignment waiting for you. You and your troops will be our rear guard. We expect the little bearded ones to try to surprise us from behind through secret tunnels,” replied General Maurizio. He simply ignored the question about what was in it for them.

“You will receive whatever you ask in return for performing these two services,” interjected General Akuji. He could tell that the berserker commander was about to lose his temper if his question was not answered. He knew that if he interceded quickly that their displeasure would be sated.

“You always were the intelligent one,” replied the giant commander in his low, booming voice. It was clear that he was very serious and that he actually respected the General Akuji. “We get to take what we want from the dwarves after we have beaten them. That should be sufficient repayment.” He smiled toothily after he had said this, which was a frightening sight. His yellow teeth had a reddish hue to them that could not be mistaken for anything else than blood from his most recent meal. They had a tendency to eat the smaller orcs when food was not easily found. They preferred the taste of goblins, but traveling that far for a meal was a waste. That is if you were only able to get your hands on one or two.

“You are too kind, Commander Gar’Dak,” General Maurizio replied thickly.

The two generals went over the plan with the berserker commander in greater detail and even altered some of the plans based on suggestions from Gar’Dak. After about an hour of discussion, they separated so that the berserkers could make preparations for their nighttime demolition. Their skills for using various forms of explosive materials were second only to the dwarves. The difference between the two was that the berserkers used their talent for destroying things while the dwarves used their abilities to create structures out of stones and precious metals. Commander Gar’Dak did not like killing the dwarves because he respected their unsurpassed craftsmanship, but he knew that if he did not assist the orcs in subverting the little folk that the generals would most certainly destroy them. It was a matter of survival of the fittest, which meant that they would do everything in their power to preserve as many dwarves as possible.

***

“King Kasim, it appears that the orc host that is camped in the forest is nearly three hundred thousand strong. They look like they are preparing to remove our traps with the help of berserkers,” reported Commander Giles Bobrilir dutifully. The king had always liked the commander because of his thorough nature and detailed reports. He also happened to be responsible for the impregnable defenses of Kasim’s Fortress.

“Commander Giles…you always amaze me with what you know. I won’t even ask you how you know. General Magnar…what do you make of this report?” asked King Kasim.

“I think that it would be wise to mobilize the army now and prepare them for battle. I do not recommend sending the troops into the field, but I do believe that we could lure them into our tunnels which would make it easier to deal with those berserkers.”

“I agree whole heartedly with the general on this Your Majesty. While he is preparing the army, I will position my troops for the defense of Brazen Urben against external and internal attacks. General, what exactly do you think we should do to trick the berserkers?”

“I believe that all we need to do is to position some of our archers behind their rear guard where they can take some well-aimed shots to get their attention. We will use the tunnels that lead to plains to do that part of the plan. The second part of my idea would be to have a larger group of soldiers appear along the edge of the forest. After they had been irritated by our archers, they will want to do whatever it takes to capture and kill our irksome soldiers. They would not be able to resist charging a significant group and would be more likely to pursue them into the tunnels. Once inside, we will spring our trap.” General Magnar gave the other a confident look that made it clear that his plan could not fail.

“In all my years of working with you general, I have never known you to be wrong. I will back your plan. What do you think commander?”

“I am humbled that you ask my opinion Your Majesty” replied Commander Giles with a bow. “I believe that General Magnar and I are on the same page in this matter. Not that we have never had any major differences before. The question I have is what you would have me do in order to ensure the tunnels are secure.”

“Have your troops ready to kill anything that is not a dwarf at the entrance within our walls” replied Magnar simply. He gave his old friends a wry smile as he said this.

“So be it. I trust you to carry out your separate tasks. Please keep me informed of your progress. I have a feeling they will attack during the night, so you have today to prepare. Good luck to us all” said the king with a look of supreme confidence. There was a slight bounce in his step as he strolled away.

The stars began to appear overhead in the cloudless sky as the small giants moved about the open plains diffusing or destroying any traps they encountered. There were several well placed traps that would not have been noticed by an untrained eye. After about an hour of scouring the open land around the entire mountain, the berserkers began to place their explosives to clear the fields of any unseen dangers. The demolition would get the attention of their bearded friends and hopefully cause them to fear. After another hour of laboring, they had completed their preparations. They were waiting for Commander Gar’Dak’s order to unleash their surprise.

“Now!” barked the massive dark figure who stood on a rock positioned a few feet from the eaves of the Black Forest.

Explosions erupted suddenly with such terrific ferocity that even the orcs jumped in spite of themselves. The sky was filled with bright red and white flashes along with rolling booms that shook the entire region. Even after the dust settled, the ground still shook violently as though they had caused an earthquake. Cheers and vile chants filled the air as the orcs celebrated the success of the berserkers. As the ground continued to shake, however, the orc armies began to retreat back into the forest. Even the berserkers turned about and took off toward the woods. Something had gone terribly wrong.

The ground where the explosions had occurred caved in and sent even more violent shock waves rumbling through the earth. It felt like a volcano was about to erupt from under the ground, which seemed rather absurd to the orcs. The generals grabbed Commander Gar’Dak as he ran for the cover of the trees. It took their combined strength to restrain him long enough to get his attention. He was clearly shocked at the destruction he had created inadvertently with his demolition. He tried to steady himself as the ground underneath him shook with increasing ferocity. The two generals tried to balance the much larger berserker as the earth heaved to and fro.

“What…have…you…done?” blasted General Maurizio. He voice shook as he tried to force out his question.

The commander did not reply because the answer became very apparent behind him. The mile wide patch of ground they had set off explosives in was now filling with liquid magma. The heat was so intense that they all ran into the eaves of the forest to escape it. As they turned around, the giant berserker began to laugh uproariously. The generals soon joined in the revelry as they realized that this was a good thing. The dwarves no longer had any underground escape routes. They had their bearded friends completely surrounded with no hope of escape. The other orcs inched toward the edge of the forest to see what their leaders were on about. At the sight of the lava completely surrounding the mountain, they began a loud war chant in their native tongue in celebration of their success.

***

After the rumbling subsided, the king looked out at the mile-wide lava moat that the orcs had created…for him. I may have lost my underground escape routes, but that is of no consequence. Those passages had not been used in centuries, so who knows if they were even safe. He laughed out loud as he continued to think upon his good fortune. His unusual display of jovialness caught his guards’ attention. They thought something was wrong because his laugh sounded more like a violent coughing fit. They rushed into the room to see tears of laughter running down the cheeks of their king.

“My lord, is everything all right?” asked one of the guards tentatively.

“Come over here and look at what the orcs gave us.” The king gestured at the lava moat that now existed a good distance from Mount Adem.

“We have no escape route now; at least they cannot get in,” replied the guard nervously. He did not know how the king really felt about this turn of events.

“You are right, my good fellow. We no longer have tunnels for escape, but if the need should arise, I have another way out. Do not worry yourself about that. Spread this joyous news. The orcs just bought us a great deal of time so that we can be better prepared when they do cross their moat of magma.” The king slapped the guard who had been speaking on the shoulder genuinely and then put his arms around both the guards as he walked them to the door. “Remember, this is a good thing. Announce this good news, and tell the cooks to prepare a feast!”

The Cloud of War

King Leroy Ishrafle sat on his throne taking in the only peace and quiet he had had for several weeks. His country now played host to General Yukio’s army, General Sanjay’s army, and an army of giants. Giants have never set foot on our lands before, and now they are one of our strongest allies. How did this precarious situation come about? His question was rhetorical, but it caused him a great deal of anxiety whenever he had time to think. His people had plenty of food to sustain their army for an indefinite siege, but they simply could not support three additional armies-especially when one of those armies is full of resource-depleting behemoths. In their short stay, they have completely used up the reserves of two of the northern villages.

He was not worried about his people complaining about the supply situation because the giants definitely provided a level of security that even exceeded the natural defenses of Landen. If the king wanted to create a problem, he would point out the negative impact their large defenders were having upon the people of Landen and their livelihoods. It had gotten to the point that many of the farmers merely produced food to sustain King Angus’s soldiers. They could not spare anything for themselves. How am I supposed to feed the armies and my people at the same time? I do not see a way of balancing the two.

“You need not worry yourself about such things,” replied a smooth voice from the shadows of the king’s court. “We will make sure that no one goes without.”

“Mistress Khalida, what brings you here?” queried the king as he stood up abruptly and bowed to the beautiful guardian. Gone were the days when he was surprised by a voice from the shadows. He still had a hard time adjusting to the times when the guardians or the druids would speak to him in his mind. His own internal voice was troubling enough.

“I have come to reassure you that you need not worry about the particulars of sustaining four armies all at once. I have tasked one of the guardians to assist with the production of food and other supplies gleaned from the earth. Also, I have an update on what has been happening elsewhere in Tuwa.”

“Well, I appreciate your assistance in the area of sustaining the allied armies and for the sustenance for my people. I might be able to sleep now.” He slumped back down in his throne and exhaled slowly as he relaxed.

“Well, we are not out of the woods quite yet, dear Leroy. The clouds of war are gathering overhead as we speak. Every scavenger known to Tuwa is gathering to this place because they can sense eminent battle. We should take advantage of this early warning and make our final preparations for war.”

“I will get the four armies within my borders prepared for anything then.”

“I certainly hope they will be ready for anything. I still need to give you news of what has been taking place below your cliff walls,” Khalida began slowly. At this point, the king tensed up once more in anticipation of bad news.

“What exactly did you find out?”

“Well, there are three orc armies in the south in the land of Nodin along with half of the high elven army. They are led by a powerful high elven necromancer who has learned a great deal about our plans through spying on various secret meetings. They should be attacking within the next few days, so we need to be ready in the south to take on three hundred and fifty thousand troops. Also, many of the high elves are some form of mage, so we will need to make sure that there are some magical barriers along the cliff walls and at South Gate.”

“The southern forces seem to pose the greatest threat right now, so we should probably have my cavalry units prepare to sally forth under the protection of a covering fire.”

“In the north,” continued Khalida as though she had not heard him, “we need to guard against the other half of the high elven army. They are being led by the notorious General Jaali and the ruthless Queen Kishi.”

“Wait. I thought she was supposed to be back in Nairi…”

“Lord Neb flooded the canyons, killing all who remained behind from the high elven army. Lord Marcello has informed me that he dueled with her at the North Gate right before the floods were unleashed. The two main concerns at this point are the high elven magicians and the siege capabilities of the orcs.” She looked at the king finally and gave him a very serious look.

“So there is no one attacking from the east or west?” asked the king reluctantly. Is there any good news?

“Before I answer that question, I have news that throws a kink in the whole works. It appears that Kana has somehow recruited the help of some of the more violent creatures in Tuwa. Just two days ago it was confirmed that wolves had attacked a small number of Aranian warriors who had been sent to protect the vacant city of Tarisdell. Before they could reach their destination, they encountered giant wolves. They were outnumbered and outmatched physically.”

“You mean to tell me that those demons actually exist!” interrupted King Leroy. He did not bother to hide his shock at this revelation.

“Yes, they do, Leroy. Now, please do not interrupt me again. Time is of the utmost importance right now, and I am afraid that it is working against us at the moment.”

“My apologies, malady,” replied the king with a bow. “Please continue.”

“That is quite all right. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the coming of the wolves. Through a bit of luck and sheer nerve, the soldiers were able to reach the eastern outer wall. They were able to pass through the invisible barrier that the elves had left behind as they fled. The wolves disappeared briefly but returned later. Their full strength was in excess of five thousand plus wolves. There were black, gray, red, and white wolves all joined together in the most unlikely partnership. Normally they would tear each other apart, but I believe Kana has used some sort of devilry to force them to work together.”

“So you fear that these brutes will join ranks with the axis of evil just outside our borders? Or, do you think it more likely that they will try to scale the western cliffs?”

“I believe the answer to both of your questions is yes. However, I do not believe that there are merely five thousand wolves. The number is probably ten times that.”

“Well, then we need to get some beasts on our side to deal with those devilish brutes.”

“We have summoned the help of the bears, and they should be arriving in the Black Forest shortly. They will engage the wolves to merely make their presence known and to try and force Kana to rethink her strategy.”

“That does sound like an excellent idea. It lightens the burden on my heart knowing that they will assist us of their own free will and choice.”

“Yes, it will make the situation better, I think, but there is more. It appears that Kana has also recruited the infamous vampire bats and filthy ravens that plague every living thing in Tuwa. They are making their way to Landen as we speak and will blot out all light within a few days. So, the cloud of war is literally upon us.” This declaration had an ominous feel to it.

King Leroy rose from his throne and walked to the bay window that looked out over the west land. He placed his hands behind his back as he observed what appeared to be a black cloud moving toward his country. Khalida stood beside him as he peered out intently at the deadly mass of bats or ravens heading their way. She had a hardened look on her face as she surveyed the landscape. It was like she was able to see things that the king simply could not with his naked eye. A feeling of a heavy burden being placed on his shoulders came over him at that moment. The safety of millions depended upon him and the success of the four armies within Landen. It will probably come down to the aid we received from the bears and the guardians. Only with their help will we be able to fend off these deadly foes.

Bang! The double doors to the king’s court reverberated from the loud knock. Bang! Whoever this is must believe that their presence is of the utmost importance. “Who is there?” asked the king irritably.

“It is I, Zaide Ikofi of the druid order. I come in behalf of King Derek Udrugi and on orders from the high druid Nariko Kromnog. I ask permission to speak to you…alone,” boomed the commanding voice of the druid Zaide. He did not enter at that point and politely waited for a reply. It was clear from his words that he knew Khalida was there and that he did not wish to speak to the king while she was present.

“I will leave now so that you can speak with this druid. He means well, but I fear that the druid order does not trust the guardians because of Kana. I will respect their wishes for a time, but soon this distrust will have to be faced. Now is not the time. I will leave you to council with him; remember what we have discussed. Feel free to share the information with the druid, though I doubt you will need to. Since they have partially restored the order recently, their united powers have made them formidable once more. Beware the secret druid.” She said this last ominous statement and then with a faint pop disappeared.

“You may enter, master druid,” commanded the king coolly. Why are the guardians and druids so dramatic?

The door opened silently, and the impressive druid entered into the king’s court. His steps were measured and purposeful. His eyes bore into King Leroy’s without blinking. Once he was within five feet of the king, he stopped and bowed his head slightly to recognize his authority as the king of Landen. When he lifted his head, his blue eyes locked onto the king’s again with even greater intensity. The king had the unnerving feeling that his mind was being probed. He quickly threw up significant mental barriers against this magical intrusion. I need to have those barriers up all of the time now. I cannot afford to let anyone into my mind. Kana could have been reading my thoughts the past few weeks! Shock raced through his body at this thought. He could not hide his internal concerns from the druid. He could hide his thoughts but not his feelings from this magical probe.

“You have nothing to fear from me, good king. However, I recommend that you protect your mind at all times from unwanted probing. Even when you are in trusted company, protect your thoughts. I do not believe that the enemy has found out anything useful over the past few weeks, so no harm done.”

“What is it that I could do for you, Master Zaide?” asked the king tersely. He did not enjoy the way druids took their time in getting to the point. It always made him feel uncomfortable.

“As that guardian probably told you, the druid order has been recalled during this time of great need. We have met together and have determined that we should remain united even after this evil has passed. I have been sent to warn you against potential dangers that you may not be aware of.”

“How very considerate…” the king replied dryly.

“Yes, you do not trust us. How ironic. You will listen to the very beings that are responsible for this current situation, but you will distrust those who have never wronged you.” Zaide did not hide his contempt for the guardians or for the blind loyalty that the king and his people showed the Elementals. His face flashed an ugly, disgusted look as he surveyed the king even closer.

“You believe that all of the guardians are responsible? You know that it is Kana who has betrayed them. They have been actively fighting against her and have lent significant support to us already in our fight with her axis of evil. What the hell have you been doing!” blasted the monarch boldly.

The druid’s eyes softened, and his demeanor changed from being rigid to a more calm and collected look. “I understand your frustration for our methodical pace, but we too have come to offer help. We just want to be careful when dealing with the Elementals. It never hurts to be careful.”

“Fine, what is it that you want?”

“I have come to offer the druids services in your fight against the wicked high elves and the orc armies. We will help to heal those who receive injuries, and some of us will fight. We will help the bears face the foul creatures that Kana has called to serve her perverse desires.” After he said this, he made a complicated hand gesture and bowed on one knee with his head toward the ground.

“Are you pledging fealty to me?” asked the king incredulously.

“We are offering our considerable services while this threat remains. After these evil times pass, we will separate ourselves from any country or power in Tuwa so that we may once again re-establish the druid order properly and in its entirety.”

“I must say that I am amazed at your offer. Mistress Khalida told me that they would work with you, but that they knew that you did not trust them. They will try to respect your suspicions, but not at the cost of innocent lives.”

“I will pass that along to Lord Nariko after we are finished here. Do you accept my pledge?”

“Yes, I do hereby accept the druid order’s pledge of service while this conflict lasts. I also recognize that at the end of this bargain that I have no hold over you,” replied the king smoothly. “I pledge to you that if you help us with this war, which is inevitable now, I will do whatever you require of me to help you rebuild your order.”

“You are truly wise and noble, mighty king. We will hold up our end of the bargain and will certainly ensure that you keep your promise. What are the plans for the impending attacks?”

The king directed the druid to a table on one side of his court and relayed all of the information they had received from the guardians and from their extensive spy network. After a lengthy presentation of the facts, Zaide added his findings to the pool of intelligence. The druid seemed to have accepted at some level that they were going to have to work with the Elementals in this situation. The problem was convincing the other druids to accept his appraisal of things.

Bears

The wolves continued to stare at the soldiers standing on top the outer wall of Tarisdell. Ulric surveyed them with great dislike and then turned about and disappeared into the forest. The rest of the wolves followed suit and were gone from sight within minutes. The troops on the wall relaxed as they watched the ferocious creatures leave. They immediately began to scour the entire city to make sure that it was truly deserted. After they had completed their search, they fortified the city on all sides and set up communication lines using runners to relay messages. Commander Brugon remained on the eastern wall just in case the ravenous wolves decided to have another go at the magical barrier. I hope that this elven barrier holds while we are here because if it fails, we are all dead!

As soon as the seasoned commander had thought this, horrific howls and booming roars filled the still air. The animals of the forest took flight at the startling sounds. A few miles east in the wilderness the birds were frantically attempting to gain altitude which indicated where the confrontation was taking place. The battle was so loud that Brugon’s soldiers stopped what they were doing and listened intently. It sounded like the wolves had been engaged by some kind of monsters. The men began to murmur to one another about what was going on and what could happen to them if the magical barrier went down. Fear gripped their hearts as they stood there wondering what was going to happen next.

Boom! The ground shook violently as if it were about to rend itself completely open. The earth continued to shake for several minutes, and then everything went still. Silence enveloped the forest once more. There was no longer any sound coming from the battle that had been taking place. In fact, there was no noise at all coming from anywhere. Finally the men began to shift about nervously as they waited for something terrible to happen.

“Commander, was that an earthquake like that one we felt a few moments ago?” asked one of the soldiers from behind the eastern outer wall.

“I do believe that you are right. Captain!” barked the commander distractedly.

“Yes, sir!” saluted the captain smartly. He had been standing right next to his commander the entire time.

“I want you to take a couple men with you and investigate what happened in the forest before that unnatural quake began,” ordered the commander quietly. He did not want all of the troops to hear what he was asking because it might cause them an unnecessary amount of stress.

“I will leave at once,” replied the studious captain. He signaled to two of his men, and they climbed down off the wall. They waited for the commander to say the pass phrase again so that they could exit through the magical barrier unharmed. Once outside the elven protection, they picked up their pace so that they could get this unpleasant task taken care of as quickly as possible.

As they entered the shadows of the forest, they could see thousands upon thousands of wolf prints on the forest floor. They were all heading directly east. They followed the tracks for nearly three miles before they stopped at the sight of where the battle had taken place. There were several dozen wolves ripped to pieces in a small meadow. Their bodies had been pulverized and torn like they were rag dolls. The wind changed directions to blow in their faces. The putrid smell of rotting carcasses made all three of these hardened warriors vomit uncontrollably. Their eyes began to water from the odor as well and could not see the eyes that were peering at them from the opposite side the bloodied clearing.

Several wolves edged their way into the clearing as they stalked closer to where the unsuspecting men were bent over defiling the forest floor. They began to growl as they got to within fifty feet of the weary soldiers. The shaken men finally stopped spewing long enough to look up in the general direction of the growling sounds. They all turned pasty white at the sight of nearly a dozen or so bloodied wolves of various colors. They all had a maddened look in their eyes that told the poor men that they had just been on the receiving end of a severe beating. It was clear that they were seeking someone or something to unleash their pent up frustration on, and unfortunately for the captain and his men, they had been chosen.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” ordered the captain in an undertone. The trio began to back away slowly into the trees.

A crashing sound came from their right as the wolves began to advance on their prey. They did not slow their pace as the sound of some unseen party to their left increased in volume. Thud! The sickening sound reverberated through the meadow as a massive white bear plowed into the enraged wolves. Three more white bears joined the fray, and together they began to tear the vile beasts apart. One of the bears ripped the head off of a black wolf with a single swipe of his massive paw. The bears were so much larger than the gigantic wolves that it was impossible to really tell just how big they were. Within a few moments, the wolves lay dead and in several pieces. The four white bears turned their attention to the men standing within the shadows of the trees. They did not move toward them; they just stared at them.

The captain did not hesitate to make his intentions clear and immediately dropped into a one-knee bow. The other two soldiers did the same thing a split second later. They all looked up tentatively at the majestic bears to show their respect for their power and prowess. The one white bear that appeared to be much larger than the others bowed his head toward the men and then began to walk away. They were out of the clearing and heading east within a few long strides. The men collapsed completely at this point. They were so overcome with the intensity of the events that they did not move for several minutes. They all just lied there on their backs looking up through the canopy of trees to the clear blue sky above. They did not say one word to each other while they were on their backs for several long moments.

“Captain, what was that all about?” asked one of the soldiers quietly.

“I believe that we just discovered that the gigantic white bears have entered this battle on our side. And it is a good thing too because those foul wolves had tipped things in favor of the axis powers.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked the other soldier as he sat up.

As the soldier who had just asked the question sat all the way up, a massive, slimy maw came down over his head. With a sickening crunch, a massive black wolf bit down to the upper torso of the poor soldier. Ulric’s mouth had blood gushing out from its sides as he ripped into the unaware soldier. The giant wolf tore the upper part of the man’s body at the chest away from the rest of his body. For an instant, the other two soldiers of Aran laid completely still on the ground in absolute shock. As the filthy beast shook his head side to side, covering them with their friend’s blood, they stood up and took off toward Tarisdell. The wolf did not give immediate chase because he was too occupied with chewing on his food.

After running the three miles from the meadow to the eastern outer wall in record time, Ulric began to chase them. He covered the three miles in no time and was on top of the two soldiers as they ran toward the elven barrier. They had to stop before the barrier because neither one of them knew elven nor was Commander Brugon on top of the wall to shout the pass phrase. Ulric took advantage of this delay and pounced on the soldier who had escaped with the captain. Ulric’s claws dug deep into the back of the defenseless soldier. In one swift movement, he ripped the poor fellow in half. As he made this decisive motion, the captain took out his blade and sunk it deep into the side of the beast. A howl of rage shook the very ground he stood on and got everyone’s attention who was behind the wall.

Commander Brugon came running out the eastern gate to see one of his men ripped in two while the other one, his captain, was trying to pry loose his blade that he had successfully sunk into the side of the gigantic wolf. He quickly uttered the elven words needed to open the barrier for his comrade. The captain quickly slipped through the barrier, and then his commander uttered another elvish command. The barrier shut quickly behind him. The captain did not remember a command for shutting the barrier, but they had been in a hurry the last time they came through. The shaken captain turned around after he was through and swore a blood oath to avenge his fallen soldiers by hunting all of the black wolves until they were no more.

You are all going to die, little one. Why prolong the inevitable? Ulric chided the captain in his mind. The massive black wolf lunged tauntingly at the captain, who flinched impulsively. Ulric gave a long, drawn-out, guttural laugh as he turned around and ran back into the forest.

“Are you all right, Captain?” asked his commander from behind.

“Yes, I think so,” stuttered the captain as he shook all over with fright at what he had just experienced.

“Come inside the wall, son, and we will get you taken care of,” beckoned Commander Brugon kindly. When the captain reached his side, he put his arm around the sickly looking soldier.

“I couldn’t stop them. There were dead bodies everywhere…blood…lots of it,” muttered the captain inconsolably.

“It’s all right, son. Come over here and have some warm soup,” said the commander soothingly. He sat the captain down by a fire that had been built outside one of the elven homes. The troops had been instructed to not touch any of the elves’ possessions, and they were not allowed inside any of their buildings except for one of the barracks. The commander had designated one to be used for their lodging while they defended the city.

“They were on us before we knew they were there; we were sick from the dead wolves’ stench…blood everywhere…” continued the captain, who had clearly succumbed to the horrors he had witnessed.

“Here, have some soup,” said one of the other soldiers as he handed him some beef stew that they had had for lunch.

“Thanks,” said the captain, trembling. He ate the food as though he had not eaten in days. He was still shaking from the stress of his prolonged ordeal.

“Captain, do you feel up to telling us what happened back there?” queried the commander calmly.

“Yes, after I eat,” replied the shaken captain.

“Get this man some chilled ale!” barked the commander to one of the soldiers standing near the fire pit.

“Yes, sir!” he replied as he rummaged through one of the containers where the food was being stored. After removing a clean tankard, he filled it to the rim with cool ale from one of the chilled barrels on the table farthest from the fire. He handed it to the captain who took it gratefully and downed it in one go.

Wiping off his mouth, he said, “That feels better.” He quickly finished his soup and had another drink of ale that had been handed to him.

“I am glad to see that the color is returning to your face. It looked like you had seen a ghost you were so pale,” offered one of his fellow soldiers with a gentle pat on the back.

“The horrors I have seen…you cannot imagine,” replied the captain calmly.

“Captain, what did happen back there in the forest?” asked the commander a little more sternly now that it was clear that his captain had regained his composure.

“Yes, sorry about my fit commander; it won’t happen again,” replied the captain ruefully. “I will get on with the story then.”

“Please, tell us everything. We will hold our questions until the end.”

“Right. We traveled about three miles into the forest heading directly east when we encountered a small meadow that had the most putrid smell emanating from it. By the time we reached the edge of the clearing, all three of us doubled over and lost complete control of our stomachs.”

“You three were…” started one of the soldiers. He caught the eye of the commander and quickly shut up.

“As I was saying, we were sick to our stomachs because there were dozens of dead wolves of every color strewn about the meadow floor. They had been pulverized and ripped to shreds like they were made of parchment. Something massive appeared to have killed the gigantic wolves and did so with relative ease,” he explained slowly. “While we were busy being sick, several of the massive wolves came into the clearing. We did not hear their approach because of the noises we were making. Once we did see them, they made a move to come at us. It was then that we heard a series of pounding like someone was hitting the ground with a large hammer. An unbelievably huge white bear came bursting into the meadow and smashed right into the smaller wolves.”

“What? You cannot be serious. The giant bears are only a myth,” retorted one of the soldiers in utter disbelief.

“Shut it!” ordered the commander briskly. “If the captain says that a huge white bear appeared, then a huge white bear did appear.”

“Thank you, sir. After the first white bear killed two of the wolves with a single blow from his gigantic paw, three more white bears joined the fray. Within a few moments, all of the wolves, which varied in their color and all of them were covered with blood prior to this attack, were dead. Then the bears turned and looked at us. So, we bowed to one knee to show them that we were grateful for their help and that we were humbled by their presence. The biggest white bear looked us straight in the eyes and nodded slightly. Then they took off in an eastward direction back into the forest.”

“So, the mythical bears of Tuwa have joined our side. Thank the gods! What happened after they left?” queried the commander gruffly. He had a feeling that what he was about to hear was not going to be pleasant, but he needed to hear it nonetheless. He nodded to the captain to continue his story.

“We fell back onto the ground for several minutes, being overwhelmed with everything that just took place. We could not believe our good fortune, so we just laid there feeling grateful as we looked to the heavens through the canopy of trees,” continued the captain. “When we were finally feeling relaxed laying there on the grass, we felt a menacing presence. One of the guys sat up to look around, and then he was seized violently by that massive black wolf that we all thought to be the leader. Thankfully he died instantly, and we froze while we lay on the ground. We could not move because of the sheer terror that had gripped our hearts. Once we came back to reality, we took off and ran as fast as we could back here. You saw what happened once we reached the barrier.”

“I do not want what I am about to say to be construed as a lack of empathy on my part,” Commander Brugon began. “These events have told us one very important thing. The ancient race of bears has come to the allies’ defense. I believe the scales of this war have tipped in our favor.”

All the soldiers within earshot shouted their approval of his remarks, including the exhausted captain. They had suffered horrific losses, but these terrible events had taken a turn for the better. The bears had come to help eradicate the wolf menace. The only problem with the situation was that no one could speak to the bears except for the druids and guardians. The men returned to their duties of repairing the smashed and burnt defenses of the beautiful elven capital. The sun shone brightly overhead as the soldiers busied themselves once again with the restoration of Tarisdell. They were all glad to be on this side of the elven barrier. Something they would not have thought a few months ago.

War

Lord Dukker calmly walked into the orc camps without anyone noticing him as he made his way toward the high elven camp. He was using a camouflage spell that made him blend in with his surroundings. He did not feel like talking with the orcs any time soon, in part because of his intense dislike for them and also because he needed to get back to his troops as soon as possible. The sooner we strike our enemy, the better. He picked up the pace as best he could on the rocky terrain of Nodin. He continued to think about the information he had gleaned from the silly druids and that one Elemental. He knew that if they could attack that night that they would most likely catch their enemies unaware.

As he entered the high elven encampment, he noticed that there was a small commotion at the center of the camp. He made his way deftly toward the frenzied activity. He had an idea of what was going on, so he broke into a silent run. As he approached the onlookers, he could see his massive steed, standing next to a camp fire. He must have been going crazy not knowing where I was all of this time. I think I will use him to help me make a spectacular return. He vaulted himself over the crowd and then jumped nimbly onto the back of the gigantic spider. He then let spell he had been using fizzle out. He appeared out of nowhere on the back of the fearsome spider.

“I’m back!” said the warlock menacingly. The crowd around him cheered loudly at his unexpected return.

“We are fortunate to have you back, my lord!” shouted one of the soldiers from the crowd.

“You are fortunate indeed. I want all of the captains to meet with me right now. The rest of you are dismissed,” ordered Dukker boorishly.

The crowd around the campfire vanished within a couple of minutes, leaving the gigantic spider alone with his master. Dukker slid down to the ground and began to pace while he waited patiently for the captains to show up. It is a good thing that none of the leaders were here gawking at the spider; at least they were where they should be. He saw a flicker of movement from just beyond the light of the fire. The captains remained outside the circle because of his beast’s presence. They did not care at all for the giant spider and loathed going near it. They are afraid of you; that is a healthy attitude to have. The dark wizard motioned for them to enter the light so that they could begin their meeting.

“I am pleased to see that you have been carrying on in the appropriate manner while I was gone gathering intelligence,” began Dukker stiffly.

“Excuse me, my lord, but we thought you were dead,” replied one of the captains a little more boldly than he had intended.

“Did you now,” replied the warlock Aellenas wickedly. He reached out to his spider’s mind and gave him some quick instructions. Like a flash of lightning, the spider seized the captain who had uttered the fatal question with a web blast. He quickly pulled the defenseless soldier toward his massive pincers. Dukker continued. “This should prove to be a warning to those who doubt me.” With that declaration, the beast tore the high elf in two by smashing his razor sharp pincers together. The giant spider then picked up both halves and stalked off into the darkness to liquefy and drain the lifeless body.

“We apologize for his rudeness, master. What have you learned?” queried the tallest high elven captain.

“Captain Linfilian, you were always good with words, and you are without a doubt the most intelligent soldier in this army. I hereby promote you to lieutenant. As your leader, you will now refer to me as your general, and Linfilian will be my right-hand man. The rest of you will be promoted to the rank of commander.”

“Thank you, General,” replied Lieutenant Linfilian with a bow. The commanders followed suit with a deep bow to their general.

“Now…to business,” replied General Dukker. “The druids have reformed their order once again and are even now working with the allied races to defeat us. However, they are still holding a grudge against the guardians, so we do not need to worry about them for the time being. I will do my best to fuel the discontent between those powerful groups. Meanwhile, together we will launch an attack that will not be suspected by our enemies. First, Lieutenant, tell me who it is we are facing on this southern end of Landen.”

“General, the elven army is stationed along the southern cliff and the place they call South Gate. The army of Aran is guarding the western cliff as well as the eastern shores of Lake Lachlan. The giant army is defending the northern cliff along with the North Gate.”

“Lieutenant, where is the army of Landen at? They are the ones that I am most concerned with because of their vast cavalry.”

“Mistress Kana’s messengers brought us word right before you called for this meeting. They tell us that there are nearly one hundred and fifty thousand horse riders gathered together in the heart of the country.”

“Excellent. Now we can make our plan of attack. Let me share with you what I have learned in my travels. I have also learned that the guardians have been rather busy while we were camped here preparing for our attack. They have flooded the Nairi Canyons, which killed several of our fellow high elves. Queen Kishi was not there when it happened because she was with General Jaali in the north preparing to attack the giant army.”

Shouts of joy and elation filled the air when they heard news that their queen had survived the treacherous attack by the guardians. This assault cast out any doubt in the high elves’ minds that the guardians would not take sides in this conflict. They were concerned that this might bode poorly for them if they did not have a better way to counteract the powerful beings than to cause discord between them and the druids. Dukker could sense their concern that he secretly shared. We may have numbers and strength on our side, but they have six of the seven Elementals on their side. If the guardian gets involved personally, we are doomed.

“I share your sense of elation at the news that our queen lives and is fighting alongside our brethren in the north. However, there is more good news. The fabled giant wolves have joined the battle on our side. They will be joining with the high elves and orcs this evening. They will act as their steeds as they attack North and South Gate before the sun rises tomorrow. Now, I have procured for us some unusual beasts that will act as our steeds. You all know that my steed is the last giant spider in all of Tuwa, but he has been busy, ” said the general darkly. A large group of spiders the size of horses came into the firelight. Dukker’s beast towered over them being twice their size, which meant that these were his children.

“We could use these beasts to scale the cliffs!” shouted Lieutenant Linfilian.

“Astute as ever you are, Linfilian. We will use these creatures to scale the cliffs and to lay traps for our former brethren. Also, we will attack from the air,” continued the general as several large griffins dropped from the sky and landed with a thunderous thud! They were as long as a horse and as tall as the spiders. However, it was clear that they were still quite young. There were only six of the fearsome beasts, which meant that the commanders and the lieutenant would be riding them.

“Commanders, you will ride these beasts into battle so that you can better see the battlefield. They are still wild, so you will need to control them with magic until they are used to you. These beasts will be difficult to bend to your will, however, once you have their trust they will be willing to fight for you. The griffins do not have any armor, so make sure you stay out of missile range at all times. Since we only have a limited number, please do not take risks when riding them.”

They discussed exactly what they would do and when they would do it. After they had determined the best course of action, the commanders and the lieutenant learned how to work with the griffins. Then the entire high elven army was called together to hear what the plan of attack was. While they were listening to the arrangements for several different contingencies, Mistress Kana arrived on an unbelievably huge black dragon. She landed with a resounding thud! She stood on top of the dragon’s back and raised her arms into the air to get their attention.

“My dear friends, I have come to wish you luck as we begin the cleansing of Tuwa tomorrow,” said Kana boldly. Her dragon reared its head back dramatically and sent a blue mist shooting out of its enormous maw. As the mist settled on each high elf, their skin became dark, and hardened in a way that would afford them protection from many magical attacks. A collective gasp was heard as the high elves examined themselves. The air around the army had a dull glow in it. They had been given a very special kind of protection from the dragon’s breath. In fact, their skin now possessed similar protections that the giants had.

“We are ready to begin our campaign on the morrow,” said General Dukker with a bow. He really did not care for this guardian at all, but he knew that he had chosen the winning side in this battle.

“Now you are truly the most fearsome fighting force in Tuwa!” shouted Kana. “Now, I will be attacking the western cliffs at the same time that you are attacking the southern end. Also, I have already met with your queen and bestowed upon her and your brethren the same gift I have given you. They too will be attacking at the same exact time in the north. I have some other troops attacking from the east over the lake, so in a few hours the country of Landen will be under siege on all four sides!”

Cheers rang through the air as Kana and her black dragon took off once more and headed west. It was clear that she had already stopped at the orc encampment because they could hear their chants of praise as she flew over them. The high elves looked at one another in awe of their new appearance. They could all feel the foreign magic coursing through their veins as they continued to examine themselves. There appeared to be several alterations that were not visible on the outside. General Dukker took advantage of this opportunity to go to his commanders and lieutenant. He needed to explain to them what just took place. It would be easier to tell them so that they could pass along the information to the rest of the troops.

“I need to explain to you what our mistress has done to us. She has not only changed our complexion, but she has used a powerful bit of magic to give our darkened skin magical protection. Another benefit from this gift is that we will now be able to command the spiders and griffins with our thoughts.”

“Those are some truly amazing gifts!” exclaimed the lieutenant.

“I need to explain the difference between the communications you have with your griffin as opposed to the spiders your comrades will be riding. These magnificent creatures are very independent, so you must be resolute in your commands or they will not obey you. Do not give them any reason to distrust you because it would be the last thing you ever did,” explained the general in a darkly significant tone. “I will teach you command spells that you will need to know in order to control these beasts. You can communicate through your mental link, but the orders you give must be clear and concise.”

“This means that we can read their thoughts and that they can read ours?” asked one of the commanders.

“Correct. With the spiders, your troops merely need to speak mentally to them as though they were speaking aloud,” continued Dukker. “Now, I must warn you about one of the dangers of riding a griffin, and that is if you are shot while in air; then you will likely fall to your death. You are the pride of our army, so be careful on the morrow. Try your best to survey the battle from a distance. You too can communicate with the spiders, so you will be able to give your commands from the air to your captains below on the ground through their steeds.”

“We are humbled to serve with the aid of these powerful griffins,” said the lieutenant with a low bow.

“We are blessed indeed. Now, get some rest; we have a war to wage in the morning.”

***

The elven army was gathered together as the sun began to set on another day. They were anxious for the war to begin. They had been watching the massive armies of orcs and the vile betrayers making preparations in the desolation of Nodin. The king had called them together to give some council and some orders. This meeting was an encouraging sign that things were about to begin. King Ciel was sitting on an elevated platform along with General Verandos, Lady Bernadine, Commander Anlon, and Commander Yves. It looked like the entire leadership of the army was there, so this had the makings of a very important meeting.

General Verandos stood up and walked to the front of the platform. Silence fell over the gathered elven army. There was not a single sound aside from the crackling from the enormous bonfire in front of the stage. The flickering light made the druid look even more imposing as he stood there looking at the soldiers below him. Each soldier felt as though the general was looking right at them and that he was reading their thoughts and feelings.

“We have called this meeting to discuss what we know of our enemies and also to give some special instructions,” began the druid in his deep, booming voice. “I want to assure you that the high elves, as they call themselves, are preparing to attack before dawn tomorrow. They are going to attack the southern cliff while the orc armies push through the South Gate.” No one made a sound, and it seemed like the fire had stopped making noise to listen to the general druid.

The king stood up and walked up to the front to stand beside his fierce-looking general. He raised his hand in greeting and then said, “Before we continue giving more information, I want to give each of you my royal blessing. I encourage you to be faithful in the task before us.” He bowed slightly to his people as he smiled warmly, and then he returned to his seat.

“Thank you, King Ciel. We are grateful for your blessing and encouragement,” General Verandos said appreciatively. “Now, we have learned that our former brethren have enlisted the services of the spawn of the last giant spider. Also, griffins may be in their midst, so beware. The high elves have somehow garnered the support of the giant wolves of the south as well. They will be riding them as steeds, but do not be lulled into the idea that they are merely beasts of burden. They have already proven their blood lust in the attempt they made on our capital city two days ago.”

“Did they break through our barrier?” asked someone from the crowd.

“No, the barrier has kept them at bay. A detachment from the army of Aran engaged the beasts and suffered heavy losses before making through our magical barrier. My old friend Commander Brugon knew the pass phrase to enter because I had given it to him. They have taken the city and are working to repair the damage that was done to the defenses. They have not touched or entered any of our homes or buildings out of respect for our privacy.”

“Do we know how many wolves there are?” asked another elf from the crowd.

“We do not have exact numbers, but it may be nearly twenty-five thousand of the massive brutes. However, we do have some good news. The mythical giant bears of the north have joined our side in this conflict. They have already engaged the wolves and have inflicted serious damage. They have agreed to fight alongside the elves in defense of the southern border. No one is to attempt to ride them, but they will help to protect you from harm.”

Shouts of relief and cheers of joy filled the air at this news. The elves were elated to hear that they had the help of the gigantic beasts. They had heard tales of their involvement in the last war of the races, but none of them had actually seen the bears after the war or even during it. There were very few soldiers in the elven army that had lived at that time. General Verandos let them chat for a little bit, and then he cleared his throat to get their attention once more.

“I also want to tell you that the eagles have also joined our effort. King Leroy has selected a group of men to be riders, and the eagles have been gracious enough to allow some of our ranks to ride along with them as they fight with us. They recognized the imminent threat to Landen, which has been provided them with homes among their vast cliffs for centuries. They want to fight this evil that is gripping the free lands.”

King Ciel stood up once more and made his way to the front of the stage. He put his hand on the general’s shoulder, and Verandos took his seat. The king looked out over the soldiers as their armor glimmered in the firelight. He smiled a weak, faltering smile as he looked into the eyes of his troops. I cannot believe that it has come to this! Where did we go wrong? Where did I go wrong? I have failed my people, and we have failed to care for the land as the guardians asked us to. This evil is because of me! He stretched out his arms once again to silence the crowd so that his words would be heard clearly. He struggled to master himself before continuing. After a concerted effort, he scanned the sea of soldiers with appreciation emanating from him.

“I stand before you as your king and protector. I feel that I have failed in my duties as your leader; however, I plan to make amends for my failings! We will win this war and punish those who perpetrated it without just cause! We fight for the freedom of the people of Tuwa and for the right to live as we see fit! Victory!” shouted the monarch loudly. He shook slightly with the effort he was making to look confident and resolute.

The elven army began to chant softly in their elven tongue the word victory as they dissembled to get what rest they could before dawn. As the soldiers quieted themselves for the night, a whooshing sound filled the night air. Several bats came swooping out of the air in an effort to cause a panic. They did not succeed in those attempts, so they resorted to a more dastardly approach. They started attacking the elves by landing on their backs and biting them with their inch-long fangs. General Verandos came bustling down the row of tents as a werebear so that the bats would focus on him momentarily to give the elven magicians time to counteract this surprise attack. As the vampire bats swarmed to the bear, the magicians captured the foul rodents in magical nets and fried them as they struggled to get free. After the last of the vermin were eliminated, a cheer of triumph rang through the air. However, this was a short-lived celebration because of the damage from the attack had become apparent to the encampment affected by the assault.

There were several hundred elves that had been bitten, and they appeared to be infected with a fast-acting poison. Five people died before the healers could find the proper spell to eradicate the poison from their systems. Rage filled the hearts of elven soldiers that had watched their friends suffer from the sudden attack. They would seek their revenge on their fallen brethren and those mindless oafs that they had allied themselves with. General Verandos led the army in vowing to kill all of Kana’s supporters and then kill the witch herself. A black storm cloud formed in the sky over Landen while this oath was made. The ground shook violently as they finished speaking. It felt like the earth was about to tear itself apart, and then it ceased all at once. The cloud not only darkened, but it lowered itself until it was only a few hundred feet above the plains. The cloud of war had finally settled. War had come!

The exact time of dawn’s arrival could not be discerned because of the black clouds that hung over the High Plains of Landen and the surrounding areas. The way in which the high elves knew that is was time to make their attack was when they heard Kana’s dragon roar. The ground beneath them shook violently again as it had during the night. This time the shaking did not stop for several minutes. The high elves were in place right below the southern cliffs, and the orc armies were right outside the South Gate. The rumbling shook loose several massive boulders that came crashing down on the high elves before they could move out of the way. Several hundred were killed instantly, along with their foul spider steeds.

The griffins and their riders flew high into the air to help rally the troops and to encourage them to scale the sides of the cliff. As soon as they reached the precipice, several ballistae launched magically enhanced arrows at the griffin’s defenseless bodies. At the same time, the giant beasts had unleashed a powerful shriek that moved toward defenses of the elves and giants. The sound wave could not penetrate a magical barrier that had been put in place. One of the creature’s had not been fast enough to avoid one of the giant arrows and was hit full on in the head. The eagle-like head was engulfed in a blue flash of light as the magic was released from the projectile. Its head exploded violently and sent its rider falling to his death. Lieutenant Linfilian was dead before he hit the ground with a sickening thud! He had died at the same moment that his griffin’s head had exploded because of the magic released from the massive arrow.

General Dukker rushed to the front of the army of high elves as they paused at the base of the cliff. The griffin’s carcass fell on top of one of the soldiers, killing him instantly. His spider steed was crushed to its death as well. Ignoring the unfortunate turn of events, the enraged warlock charged up the side of the mountain at an unbelievable rate of speed. Before he reached the top of the cliff, he uttered a powerful counter spell to remove the magical barrier between himself and the elves. With the wall down, the griffins and their riders resumed their attack with much greater success. As Dukker crested the cliff’s edge, his steed shot out a cloud of green gas from his wicked maw. Several elves died instantly from the poisonous attack. Dukker looked behind to see the entire army following him up and over the wall.

The elves were pushed back initially, but they dug in and would not budge from their defensive positions. They directed their attacks at the spiders in an effort to equalize the battlefield. Several of the elven magicians took control of the beasts’ minds and had them attack one another. Chaos was about to consume the high elves’ efforts, and then the giant spider brought his spawn back to their senses. The wicked beasts used their legs to stab elves and their pincers to cut them to pieces. As they continued forward, they laid piles of webbing that contained lethal gas for anyone unfortunate enough to inadvertently release the toxic fumes. This trap was designed to ensnare their victims while they were slowly poisoned to death. The process was slow and extremely painful. The giants rushed forward to assist their little pointed-eared friends.

At the South Gate, the orc armies crashed against the gate with such terrific force that it toppled over, crushing several elves to death. The wolves went mad when they engaged the well-prepared elves. They had erected several towers high over the battlefield so that they could rain down arrows on the exposed orcs. The wolves were not affected by the piercing arrows, which caused some concern among the elven soldiers. As the orcs continued to advance through the newly constructed gauntlet, a thunderous boom echoed through the air and flashes of lightning lit the darkened sky. Rain started to pour down the next instant, which caused the orcs substantial difficulties as they tried to traverse the incline at the South Gate.

The wolves were not deterred one bit by the muddied ground as they continued to press forward deeper into the plains. They grabbed any soldier near enough to them and rent them in twain. The elves had been unable to stop or even kill one of the wolves before the bears came to the rescue. As the bears rumbled down the gauntlet toward the wolves, the elven foot soldiers retreated to higher ground outside the path of the rampaging bears. The gigantic beasts roared as they neared the wolves that, for the first time, looked frightened. As they neared each other, it was hard for the elves in the towers to not take notice of how the bears looked like a massive tidal wave that was threatening a much smaller wall. The clash between the two titans erupted like a volcano. The ground shook tremendously as they collided. The giants also went unnoticed as they sent deadly projectiles flying through the air.

The bears swiftly killed several wolves and their riders as though they were nothing more than an annoying sapling. Blood soaked the ground as the violence escalated to the point of absolute pandemonium. While the battle for South Gate raged on, the northern cliffs and North Gate were under siege as well. The defenses held while both sides fought with such power and strength the likes of which had not been seen in the land of Tuwa for many millennia. Lake Lachlan became engulfed in an unnatural mist as the soldiers of Aran waited for something to happen. In the west, Mistress Kana unleashed her substantial powers on the defenses along the western cliffs. Her dragon sent fire lancing out in all directions as they tried to disrupt and weaken the defenses. The rain put out the fires started by the dragon and Kana’s magic. After an hour of unleashing hell on the army of Aran, she left the fray heading in a northerly direction. The war of the races had begun, and no one would be safe from its wrath for very long.

Unspeakable Carnage

General Yukio and his army had gone undetected by the enemy’s spies as they prepared for battle. They had been given horses by King Leroy so that his soldiers could ride as cavalry in the north. The horsemen of Landen would take on the much larger orc armies in the south, so Yukio was left to help the giants defend against the wicked high elves. The general’s army had been reduced to just twenty-five thousand strong, but this did not faze him or his men. They were determined to repay the vile and wretched witch and her accursed high elves. They were encamped by the northeastern shore of Lake Lachlan as they awaited the signal from General Lang and Lord Marcello to ride out. The giants had consolidated their forces in the north so that their army was unified along the northern cliffs and the North Gate.

The giant army had about seventy thousand soldiers in the north, so they were much stronger in numbers and strength than the high elven army. The other half of their army was spread out along the other borders of Landen. The disadvantage was that they only had one real magic wielder among them, and the men of Nairi had General Yukio and his abilities. The high elves knew this and thought that this gave them an advantage. They should have realized that almost all magic would be useless against the massive brutes, but they were learning that lesson the hard way as they giants and high elves exchanged blows. General Yukio was dressed up in his kingly attire that he had been given by the high elves when he married Queen Kira. The memory of his murdered wife made his blood boil. His ability to restrain himself from joining the hot battle was waning as he sat there brooding on his valiant steed.

“Lord Marcello, is it time yet?” yelled the general impatiently.

The massive wizard nodded slowly to the general’s question and set his heart racing at the thrill of joining the battle. Yukio made sure he had his sword ready along with a javelin. He then checked his armor for any looseness, as well as his horse’s armor. Once he was reassured that he was completely ready to go, he looked back at his men who had been following his example. A loud booming sound shook the heavens above as lightning lit up the dark sky. Then as the general motioned his troops forward, the rains came down in blinding sheets. The armor made tinkling noises as the heavy downpour pounded them as they began to trot toward the North Gate.

As they reached the gate, General Yukio bellowed, “Charge!”

The horses plowed into the high elven foot soldiers and knocked them over like they were nothing more than blades of grass. The high elves retaliated quickly with their archers who were stationed on a little knoll two hundred feet away from North Gate. Their first barrage of arrows killed several dozen riders and horses alike. This enraged the general so much that he began to glow an eerie red color as though he were about to explode. Then, without warning or any foreknowledge on any of his soldiers’ part, their general sent a massive red shock wave toward the archers on the knoll. The wave knocked over everyone and everything in its path. As the magical blast reached the high elven archers, there was little they could do to avoid it. They were thrown bodily from their perch.

Reaching down, the general grabbed one of the high elves by the scruff of his neck and pulled him upright while he remained on top of his horse. His right hand that had a hold of the soldier’s neck burned bright red as he gripped the poor fellow. With strength surpassing anything that his men had seen him display, he ripped the high elf’s head from his body. Blood gushed from the instant corpse as the general raised the head into the air. Even his troops were shocked momentarily by the carnage of their leader. They knew that he would do anything to lead them to victory, but they had not seen this side of him before. They also had no idea that he could do magic.

General Yukio let some of the blood pool in his left hand and then smeared it across his forehead and then on his cheeks. In a loud voice he said, “Let the blood of my foes run like the rivers until at last we are avenged! Remember Queen Daria! Repay those fiends who wronged us!” His right hand ignited the dead soldier’s head into a magical red ball of fire. He then thrust it at the high elves that were just getting back to their feet after being knocked over by the shock wave. The burning head burst into flames as it hit one of the high elves in the chest. The flames spread from one person to another like it was poisonous cloud. Above the sounds of battle, and the pounding rain, the mad cackling emanating from General Yukio could be heard. He had a maddened look in his red eyes as he urged his steed forward. His soldiers followed his lead in every way. They did not hold back as they battled on and many tried to match the intensity their general was displaying.

General Lang watched the crazed General Yukio as he ruthlessly slaughtered the high elves without trepidation. He had not known that the general had magical abilities let alone such powerful ones. He was a little concerned by the display of blood lust, but he merely attributed that to the battles he had fought for his wife and queen who were both dead. I certainly am glad that he is on our side. Who knows what he will do next. As long as it is against our common enemy, I do not care. Lord Marcello walked up to the general with a purposeful look in his eyes. He leaned close to Lang’s ear so that no one else would be able to overhear them.

“I worry that this heightened display of merciless aggression by our friend Yukio will inspire some of our warriors to follow suit,” whispered the massive wizard.

“I share your concern, but we may need that kind of aggressive behavior before this war is over. For now, however, I do concur that we should discourage our soldiers from following in our friend’s footsteps,” replied the general wisely.

The giant wizard nodded his approval and went back to the front of the battle. As he reached the edge of the cliff, he noticed that the high elves were completely distracted by the new magical attacker. Yukio was shooting red fire every which direction and continuing to rip peoples’ heads off and then using them as fire balls. This is not how a war should be fought. However, I must do what I can to make the most of the attention that the mad general is drawing to himself.

Lord Marcello raised his staff high into the air and muttered a spell under his breath as he pointed his war staff at the bulk of the high elven magicians. Purple lightning struck repeatedly into the mass of magic wielders. Several were burnt alive before they could summon counter measures. They did not possess the strength of the giant and could not attack in such a grand fashion, but that did not stop them from trying. They immediately made a mad dash toward the fray where General Yukio was engaging the high elves who were trying to break through the North Gate. Marcello did not continue his attack for fear of killing his allies. He returned his attention to the high elves that were scaling the cliff walls using magic ropes.

General Yukio saw the horde of magicians heading his way and immediately turned his attention to them. Before they were able to throw up sufficient defenses, Yukio sent another shock wave that knocked everyone flat within a two hundred foot radius. This gave him the leverage he needed to unleash his fury on the vile betrayers. He raised his sword high above his head where it was clear that the blade burned a sickening green color. He chanted some complex spell under his breath and aimed the blade at the fallen wizards. He then reared back and threw the blade into their midst. It sunk into one of the high elves backs as he lay on the ground. Immediately a green flash of light went out from the blade, and everyone within the blast area of twenty square feet died instantly. Then a thick green cloud formed over them about ten feet in the air and began to move about the battlefield. Those who were exposed to the wicked cloud became violently ill. They did not die, but they were too busy vomiting uncontrollably to defend themselves.

Yukio’s men stayed back until the cloud had dissipated, and then they rushed forward to take down the sick remnants. In a span of thirty minutes, General Yukio and his men had killed five thousand of Queen Kishi’s soldiers. The high elves only had thirty-five thousand soldiers left, but the tide of this battle was about to take a turn in their favor. A massive white wolf came bounding through the ranks toward Yukio and his men. Atop the gigantic beast sat Queen Kishi with her staff in her right hand. She had come to join her soldiers on the front line and to confront her former brother-in-law. Their eyes met briefly, and she raised her staff into the air. When she lowered it, a blast of cold air shot out with great force. Several combatants were frozen immediately and then shattered from the force of the spell. She continued this attack until nearly two hundred men had fallen. Yukio spurred his steed on to engage the little witch.

“I swear by the great creator that you will die by my hand, you vicious wench!” blasted Yukio when he was within earshot of Queen Kishi.

She raised her staff again to cast a particularly nasty spell at Yukio, but he beat her to the punch. He placed his left palm facing up while his right palm was vertical and met his other hand in a right angle. He made a pushing motion with his arms, and the queen was sent flying through the air. She landed several paces away with a sickening thud! The only problem with the spell was that it did not take her giant wolf as well.

Growling, the white wolf known as Rolon charged the general so quickly that his horse could not move out of the way. The giant beast wrapped its mouth around the front legs of Yukio’s steed and ripped them from its body. The poor beast neighed so loudly that many of those fighting around them stopped to watch the confrontation. The general was thrown bodily from his horse and landed on top of several dead high elven magicians. He got up as quickly as he could to only see the limp form of his brave stallion in the massive maw of the now-bloodied white wolf.

He charged the beast as the horse was bitten in two and thrown clear so that Rolon could defend himself against an even more enraged Yukio. As he ran toward the bloodied beast, he wrenched his sword from the back of the dead soldier and charged down the giant wolf. As nimbly as an agile cat, the wolf jumped over the charging general and kicked him in the back as he landed. Yukio was smashed into the ground, and his sword fell by his side as pain seared through his body. Rolon bounded off in the direction of where Kishi had landed. Yukio lay there in the mud mixed with blood, racked with unbelievable pain.

“General Yukio, can you hear me?” There was a familiar voice in his ear.

“Who are you?” asked the general into the muddied ground.

“You are not safe here; you have been injured. Let me take you back to North Gate so that you can have your wound looked at,” pleaded the all-too-familiar voice.

“Aiden, is that you?” asked Yukio dumbly.

“Yes, old friend, it is. You are safe now,” replied Master Aiden calmly.

“Where is my sword? How am I hurt?” asked the general stubbornly.

“You sword is on your right; your right shoulder and arm appear to be broken in several places.”

General Yukio mustered up as much strength as humanly possible and pushed himself upright with his left arm. He then stood up and bent down to pick up his sword with his left hand. He looked down at his damaged arm and muttered a healing spell that seemed to fix the broken bones, but there was muscle damage that did not heal. He winced from the torn muscle in his shoulder and motioned for Aiden to help him. The master swordsman came to his aid by fashioning a sling out of some cloth torn from a dead soldier’s raiment. Yukio nodded his thanks to his friend and then hefted the sword in his left hand.

“It has been years since I fought left handed. I hope I still remember how.”

He then yelled a Nairian battle cry and went charging back into the battle. Aiden was right behind him as they engaged the unsuspecting high elves, who had thought the general was dead or severely injured. They immediately ran into General Jaali, who was killing riders and horses without hesitation. The high elven general had never liked Yukio and could somehow sense his presence. He whirled about and engaged Yukio and Aiden with his sword. Sparks flew as blades clashed in spectacular displays of swordsmanship. Master Aiden was clearly far superior to the other two, but General Jaali was quickly joined by a handful of other swordsmen. Aiden took on the new comers and left the two generals to duke it out.

General Yukio was much better than he had remembered with his left hand and was able to hold his own. This gave him the opportunity to penetrate Jaali’s mind while he was focused on their duel. His mental defenses were weak, and Yukio was able to gain access to his mind with very little effort. Once inside his head, he took control of it. He commanded Jaali to chop his own head off. There was considerable resistance to this order, but with a fancy twirl of his sword, General Jaali sliced his own head clean off. The body of Jaali fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. General Yukio snatched the head before it hit the ground and howled in triumph. He let the blood drain onto his armor and then ignited the fallen general’s head into a blue ball of fire and threw it into the twelve soldiers that were fighting with Master Aiden. The master swordsman recognized what was going to happen and leapt to safety behind a pile of dead soldiers.

The blue ball of fire exploded violently and sent blue flames racing through the high elven army. This magical fire could not be put out by the rain like the red fire he had used earlier. The fire burned as long as Yukio had strength to sustain it, and, in this case, that was not too long. Within seconds, he collapsed from the physical exertion and the drain his magic had on his body. Aiden ran to him before he fell to the ground again. He threw the general over his shoulder and carried him back to the North Gate. The three armies pulled back to their respective camps for the night. They had fought all day through a torrential downpour, and both sides had suffered significant losses. The high elves had lost their famous general, and their queen was not faring too well either. The giants had very few losses, while the men of Nairi lost several thousand.

“What happened to him?” asked General Lang as he surveyed the battered General Yukio.

“He somehow defeated the second best swordsman in all of Tuwa, but what really did him in was his confrontation with Queen Kishi,” replied Aiden.

“Was she the one on top of that gigantic white wolf?” asked Lord Marcello, who had just entered the healers’ tent.

“Yes, she was riding a massive white wolf that killed several of our men without breaking his stride. Kishi killed a couple hundred men with her magic before Yukio confronted her. He sent her flying through the air with his magic. I did not know that he had such powers,” said Master Aiden in disbelief. He had known Yukio for as long as he could remember, but he did not know this about him.

“We saw his unbelievable powers. I do not think that anyone knew of his abilities. He really saved many of us today, but I hope that his madness abates for his own sake,” General Lang said solemnly.

“I am amazed at how much magic he did before finally collapsing. Using magic takes a significant toll on the body and mind. If he had not stopped when he did, he may have killed himself through overexertion,” commented Lord Marcello firmly. He eyed the general a moment longer and then left the tent.

“You should know that his mighty steed was ripped to pieces by that white wolf. That beast tore Yukio’s horse out from underneath him and then made a point of waiting to kill the poor creature until the general was looking. He swore a blood oath to kill Rolon and Queen Kishi. I do not think his madness is near an end. It is only beginning,” Aiden supplied hopelessly.

“At least his madness is helping our cause. I just hope that he can find peace when this is all over,” replied General Lang sincerely.

“As do I,” remarked Aiden as he wiped the fevered brow of his general.

Secret Plans

As Kana flew north on her dragon, she slowed down when she was over the Nairi Canyons. It looked like a massive series of lakes as she looked down on it. She began to circle the handiwork of Lord Neb as she pondered several different issues that required her attention. I need to plan out the next phase in the war quickly before the other side finds out what I know. I must move on what I have learned right away or risk losing my edge. Who knows what Adair would do to me after this treachery? I bet he has no idea that I know his secret. She laughed long and hard as she urged Ryo to continue to their journey. When she reached the camp that the army of Queen Kishi had used as a base for their attack on the Nairi Canyons, she sat down.

She slid down off the back of her massive black dragon. She continued to ponder the several different issues as she began to pace around an empty fire pit. The dragon lazily blew a snort of fire out of one nostril at the pit, and a blazing fire burst into life. Kana eyed her steed for a moment and then returned to the trench she was making by pacing around the fire pit. The black clouds that hung over Landen did not extend this far, so she could see that the sun was already setting in the west. The air began to bite as the temperature dropped drastically with the disappearance of the sun. Suddenly a pair of shiny crystal blue eyes peered at the pair illuminated by the firelight.

“I have been expecting you, Rolon. What took you so long?”

I was delayed a bit because of Queen Kishi. She took a rather nasty fall during the battle. Actually, she was sent flying by that worthless General Yukio. He was using magic like an accomplished druid, explained Rolon from his mind to Kana’s.

“I see. Did she survive?”

Yes, she did. She will not be able to fight for quite some time, which will put the high elves in a difficult position. Yukio also killed the powerful General Jaali as if he was nothing more than a rag doll. I really do not understand how he did this considering I broke his arm in several places before going to the rescue of Queen Kishi. I heard reports that Jaali cut off his own head while he was dueling with General Yukio. What does that mean? asked Rolon seriously. He did not like the ease with which the formidable general fell to the man Yukio.

“No, this makes sense. General Yukio is…never mind. It’s not important to what we have to discuss right now. Do you think you can lead the army in Kishi’s place?”

I killed Yukio’s horse right in front of him, so I do not think it would be wise for me to return to the battle. When I destroyed his fair beast, he swore a blood oath that he would kill me and Queen Kishi. He said it with great power and conviction; besides, once he made the oath, he upped the level of ferocity with which he fought. My presence will only help him to fight with great energy and purpose. I would suggest that we let Queen Kishi pick a new general.

“I am inclined to agree with you on this. I have other work for you to do anyway, so this works out for the best.”

Why don’t you get on with it then? growled Ryo rudely. He did not like how his master rambled on and on about things. Get to the point!

“Ryo, you are right. The point you are referring to is so much more interesting and important than what we have been discussing. I have discovered a source of power that will decide this war and the fate of Tuwa. It will give me control over the guardian council and the recently reformed druid order. What I need you to do, Rolon, is to retrieve this magical object.”

You want me to go on a journey? What exactly are you talking about? Ryo, what is she talking about?

Listen to her, Rolon. She can be a bit wordy, but what she is asking you to do is very dangerous. However, if you are successful, you will be rewarded with power that you cannot even fathom, replied Ryo darkly.

“What Ryo is trying to say is that this quest is of the utmost importance. If I did not have need of Ryo, I would send him with you. First, let me tell you what it is that you are looking for. It is an orb that possesses such great creative and destructive power that it is by far the greatest treasure on or in the earth. The only people who know about its existence aside from us are the guardian, Mistress Khalida, Lord Neb, and Lord Keb. However, most of them do not know what it is or what it can do. I have had to use some special powers to find out that information. The problem that we face is that the other side will catch on to what we are doing before too long and send a search party after us and the weapon.”

So, where exactly do I need to look to find this…orb thing? And, what do I do with it once I have it? How am I supposed to carry the ball once I have it? asked the wolf skeptically.

“You will need help with this quest. So to answer your first question, you will bring the orb to me once you have it. One of your companions will carry the orb as it would be too awkward to carry for the miles that you will have to cover. The orb lies in the Vida Cavern under the Mia Koda Mountains in the west. So, you will need to take a route that will disguise your approach and retreat once you have the orb in your possession. For that path, you will need to go into the Seda’s domain in the Renshaw Forest.”

You want me to travel for hundreds of miles underground. Are you crazy? asked Rolon in disbelief.

“I understand your reluctance, but I will make sure that you will be all right. The underground passage is roughly thirty feet high, so you should not be too cramped. There is a natural ventilation system that will keep the air fresh. As far as food is concerned, you will need to come above ground when you need to eat and drink. Do not, under any circumstances, eat or drink anything you find under the earth. Do you understand me?”

Sure, but what does that have to do with anything?

“The road that I am sending you on is also referred to as the forbidden path. Nothing that enters it ever comes out alive. I will provide you and your party with the means to survive, but you must not eat or drink anything you find under the ground. I cannot protect you from the instant death that awaits the unfortunate soul who partakes. Do you understand now?” she asked briskly.

Yes, so who do you want to go with me on this expedition?

They discussed the need to take some high elves with him so that he would have a measure of magical protection. He would also need to take some of his fellow wolves with him for security purposes. She recommended taking a wolf from the different clans. This would provide a measure of unity among the clans who had a shaky treaty at best at the moment. Also, she would send some other protectors later, once they were on their way in the Keala path. She would not elaborate as to who or what the additional members would be, and Rolon was wise enough to not pursue it. He probably did not want to know any way.

Can you tell me any more about this orb? What does it look like? What can it do? pressed the giant wolf boldly.

“I can only tell you what I have divined. It should be large enough to stand out when you spot it and yet small enough to fit in my hands. I am not sure what color it is, but I would guess that it is a mixture of all colors. I would also expect it to be exceedingly dense, making it rather difficult to carry for long periods of time.”

I get the picture, but what does it do? Does it contain magic that you do not have? Or, does it have a magic all its own?

“I would say that it probably has a power that no other being on this earth has. I would also like to suggest that something this powerful ought to be left alone. Kana, I have warned you once already and I will do so again. Leave it be. If you gain possession of this orb, it will bring about your end,” said the black dragon Ryo cryptically. There was a feeling of sure knowledge emanating from him as he gave his final warning to his mistress.

“I heard you the first time, Ryo; now be silent. Do not speak of this matter again. Understood?” she said in a commanding tone. It was not a question; it was a serious threat.

“I understand. I will say nothing more of this,” he replied indifferently. He turned around and took off into the air. He had spotted a flock of deer a short distance away and went into a spectacular dive.

“Rolon, this object most likely contains power far greater than anything else in this world. That is why we need to find it first and then get it back to me as fast as you can. I will need to learn to use its power as quickly as possible. Remember that every day you take in retrieving this for me, another group of your kin will be killed by those allied fiends.”

I understand. Does this thing have a name?

“Yes. It is called the Orb of Nitesh!”

Content

Steven R. Burke
The Fallen Guardian

The Siege

Coming of the Giants

Lord Keb

The Refusal

Giants and Elves

Mistress Khalida

The Fall

The Sacred Language

Retreat

The Alliance of Men

Giant Defiance

Forced Betrayal

Fall from Grace

The Flood

Wolves

Druids

Unforgivable Sin

Encompassed

The Cloud of War

Bears

War

Unspeakable Carnage

Secret Plans