* * *
"My Lord, there is something you must see." Erik came to him while they marched. They had not stopped once, and though their bodies cried for rest, it seemed that each step also made them stronger. Knights could lift a fully armored man, archers could shoot a plum at a hundred paces. If they returned they would be the most powerful army in the world.
Not all the changes were worthy of celebration, however. The mages had begun to...twist. Their minds slowly wicking away. They spoke to the dead as if they were still there, and borrowed their powers.
"What madness challenges us now?" Alkorn asked.
"This place, it keeps giving us gifts, and it appears there is another. We have found something living. Let me show you.”
The army was called to a halt, and the soldiers were allowed a short rest.
"The goddess never ceases to amaze." Alkorn said when he saw the creature.
It was about the size of a horse, but looked like a cross between a multitude of creatures. It had the head of a bird, but its front legs were a mixture of talon and claw. Giant wings sprung from its back, leading down to dog-like hind legs, and a cat-like tail.
"It appears to be safe to touch." Erik told him.
He reached out, and the creature pushed its head forward to rub against his hand. Alkorn took a step forward, and began to stroke it, as he did. The creature purred.
"They are kind enough to us, though I would not call them tame. We found this one feasting on one of those bat-things. There are more nearby, but they are shy."
The creature drew away, and stared him in the eyes.
"There is intelligence in that gaze." Alkorn observed. "I expect this one is an ambassador of sorts."
"You could be right, my lord. I have read about these creatures, or at least I think I have. They are called gryphons. Favored of the goddess, so the stories go."
Alkorn looked at Erik, and grinned. "She truly does amaze. Come, we will allow the soldiers to rest a while longer, and we will think about how these creatures might help in the coming battle. Something tells me they will decide to tag along."
Muda, Sophie, Yannick
“It is a creature of the gods.” Sophia was beginning to lose her unshakeable calm. She sat with Yannick and Muda, discussing the attack.
“Nonsense,” Muda retorted, “The world is a vast place, and you have seen little of it. It is probably some creature forced from its home by the war. It was hungry, it attacked.”
“In the middle of a city?” Yannick argued. “When is the last time you encountered a bear in the town square?”
“It was confused. The mages are already setting up protections, we have more serious worries than the gods.”
“The gods have entrenched themselves in this war, whether you accept it or not. You had best prepare your army.” Sophia said. She stood up. “I have trusted my people to you, I will not allow your disbelief to endanger their lives.”
“We prepare for anything, even your imaginary creatures.” Muda said coldly. “If you doubt my abilities, then find another.”
Yannick sighed softly, then clapped his hands down on his knees. “He speaks true, young one. His army trains for situations even I could not imagine, and he did well enough against the creature today, did he not?” He turned to Muda. “Things will come that you, too, have not imagined. You would be wise to shed yourself of this new-found overconfidence.”
Muda’s hand dropped to his sword unconsciously. He breathed heavy, then turned away. “You speak true enough, I suppose. I have been… trying to prove myself since my cleansing.”
Muda’s gaze turned to Sophia, and softened slightly. “I apologize for my words.”
Sophia stared back, then finally said: "I as well."
“Excellent, now, how do we proceed with Yaloran?” Yannick asked.
That sat in the room, silent for quite some time. Finally, Sophia spoke. “You will have to go.”
Yannick chuckled. "Of course, I will still have to go, but what is our plan? Do we join them or do we stall?"
Muda looked shocked. “But…you have just said the gods will fight us, and you plan to leave Sikeran?”
Yannick looked over with some compassion. Sophia was not so forgiving. “A war before we knew of the gods would have been dangerous. With the powers involved…it may be suicide. We need what allies we can muster.” She turned to Yannick. “You will promise them our aid, but we will command our own armies. We will fight by consensus, not by command.”
“Debra will not like that.” Yannick replied. “She was always demanding, and Alkorn claims that has not changed.”
“Who is Alkorn?” Muda asked. “Why did we not meet with him?”
“Sophia did, as I am to understand, though only shortly. To be truthful, I am surprised that you allowed his army to pass through Sikeran.”
“The goddess led him. I could not deny her.”
Muda coughed, but held back comment.
“Very well,” Yannick continued, “Alkorn is perhaps the greatest general that Yaloran has known. When he was old enough to hold a sword he joined the army, and managed to work his way up to a position that is generally given to nobles. He is a talented swordsman, and a genius tactician.”
“Why was he here?” Muda asked? “If Yaloran is going to fight, he will be needed.”
“I am not entirely sure.” Said Yannick. “As Sophia said, he believes the goddess is leading him somewhere. His task is greater than just protecting Yaloran.”
Muda felt uneasy about this. Yaloran had been his home for many years, and he still felt the need to protect it.
“And there is nothing else you can tell us?” Sophia asked.
“About Alkorn? I could spend weeks telling you our tales, but that is the gist of it. Yaloran now needs us just as much as we need them.” Yannick replied.
“Can Debra be trusted?” Muda asked.
“Most likely not. Alkorn said she has grown paranoid. But I think I should be able to handle her. We have a history.”
“Excellent. Then you will continue as planned. Our next topic of discussion – the people need a celebration. There has been too much tension with the refugees and the coming war. With this creature breaking the magic defenses, we need to give them something to celebrate.”
“Very well, you obviously already have an idea, and it obviously involves us. What do you propose?” Muda asked.
“You and I will marry.”
She paused, letting the idea sink in for a moment. The two men stared at her, in disbelief.
“It has other benefits,” she continued, “There are still some who do not believe you should lead our armies because you are not one of us. This would quash those doubts. When the war is over, if you choose to reclaim your throne by force we will be able to use the Sikeran army.”
“And love?” Yannick asked.
“Irrelevant.” She replied. “I am a leader, not some fanciful farm girl.”
Muda's gaze hardened, and so she softened her voice. “I do understand, however, that this is a significant request. I will allow you some time to think on it.”
Before Muda could say a word she had left.
“Marriage?” Muda tried to grasp what had just happened.
“She never was the romantic type.” Yannick tried to comfort him. “Listen, I know that you feel for her, and it might be that she feels the same…”
“She’s never given a hint, never an inkling of such a thing…” Muda answered.
“She likes to keep her thoughts close. I cannot advise you here, only warn you. If you reject her, she will find another, and those many benefits she spoke of may no longer be yours."
Muda sat down in a nearby chair, and stared at the floor. After a few minutes Yannick left him alone with his thoughts.
Yaros, Gloria
Gloria sat down and picked up a couple of her favorite rocks. She stared at them for a moment, then tossed them to the ground. A mutt in Yaloran would soon father a pup that would pi
ss on Debra's carriage. A shard was about to be found. She would have chicken for dinner. Trivial matters.
A wave of dust covered the rocks before she could gather them up for another throw.
"I am in need of your guidance, witch." Ibalize said to her.
"Such a sweet talker. I bet all the demi-goddesses swoon when you walk into a tear."
Ibalize stared down at her.
"And what would you like to know this time? Let me guess, who's got the biggest..."
"I do not have time for your mockery." Ibalize spat.
"No doubts there." She replied.
He stepped forward, his shadow engulfing her. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"Your brother isn't with you this time." Gloria said.
"He had pressing matters to attend to. The boy, I have found him. He holds one of the shards, but I do not have the power to kill him. My army diminishes with each battle and I...have been weakened."
"Feeling a bit shaky, are you? What's god you down? Get it?"
"Enough! Tell me what I need to do next, or I will kill you here and now."
"Kill me? You have power, Ibalize, but the goddess has laid her protections on me. I much doubt you could even scratch me."
Ibalize took another step, he was now so close that Gloria had to bend her neck to look up at him. He placed his hand beside her head, and stroked her hair. He raised his hand and struck her down.
Gloria stared up at him from the ground. "Tickles." She said.
Ibalize drew close again, then reached into a small bag at his waist, and pulled out two pieces of glowing blue metal. Gloria gasped.
"You see, prophetess, you do not know everything. With these, I can break even the mightiest of wards."
Gloria stared at them. She had not known they were in his possession. For all her sight, for all her gifts, she was powerless.
"Your brother is in danger. You must save him." She said, her voice wavering.
Ibalize stared hard for a moment, then turned around and took wing. Gloria breathed a sigh of relief. He had two shards. Each was different, but two might be enough to kill her... A chicken ran in front of her.
Gloria looked down, and dusted off the rocks, then stared at them for a moment.
"Yaros, you sly thing." She mumbled to herself, and chased after her dinner.
Alkorn, Ibalize, Yaros
The gryphons did follow, as Erik had predicted. They flew around the army acting as scouts from the air. Occasionally a group of them would gather, and attack some unseen prey. Scouts sometimes stumbled upon absolute bloodbaths, prey scattered across the earth, but the Gryphons never had a speck of blood on them. Never a speck of blood on them. The soldiers often whispered prayers to the goddess that it stay that way.
Eventually, the mages told Alkorn that they had almost arrived. He had the soldiers break camp, knowing that a few hours rest would benefit them more than rushing to limit enemy preparations. They were allowed no alcohol, nor were they allowed to gorge themselves to sluggishness, but the best foods they had brought were served. Fine beefs and fruits, Sikeran and Yaloran delicacies. It would be the last meal for many of them, and a last meal should always be memorable.
When they were rested and fed, they packed up camp and marched.
The enemy had positioned themselves against the side of a mountain. They had cut down a portion of the forest to for their defenses, and then tried to burn back even further. Fortunately for the Yaloran army the enemy had burned too quickly in their haste, and the fired had not spread.
The enemy had dug small trenches, and lined them with hastily-made wooden spikes covered in some sort of black sludge. The mages would be able to get rid of those easily, enough. Behind this their soldiers were ordered unimaginatively, but effectively, with the bigger, meaner looking units in front, lancers behind and archers behind them. The gigantic lizard that the first scout had spoken of was nowhere in sight, but Alkorn was glad that the gryphons were nearby just in case.
Alkorn could not tell who led the enemy army, no creature stood above them ordering commands, and he could not see any line of command. This was for the best, targeting generals was often more trouble than it was worth. Soldiers would often attack blindly, desperate for glory, and find themselves struck down from all sides.
Alkorn had once been one of those eager soldiers, but time and trial had dulled his passion for glory. Now, though the realm had gifted him with a strength that he had not known for decades, he would not be in the thick of the battle. He lamented this fact only a small amount.
It was time. Alkorn signaled the advance. The lancers marched first, separating themselves from the archers and mages. Once they had separated enough to ensure archer safety from incoming infantry, they archers moved forward, followed by mages. Knights stood on the outer edges of the troops, ready to move quickly if any section needed support.
The enemy army noticed their start, and prepared themselves. When the lancers reached one hundred paces they slowed. Suddenly, the earth behind them began to rumble. The lancers paused for a moment, but knew that stopping to turn would be suicide, and so they continued, leaving the archers to fend for themselves.
Decaying hands shot up from the ground. They grasped at the earth and pulled, revealing rusted armor and dead grins. Within moments a mass of undead warriors was shambling forward.
The archers stopped, petrified. A few notched arrows and loosed, but the monstrosities they struck would not even stumble.
The mages were not afraid. Their faces grew dark, their eyes became dark pits, and their skin turned gray and hollow. They rose into the air, dark waves of power pushing them from the earth. They moved as one, raising their arms into the air. Every gesture was uniform, as if they were puppets on the same string.
The mages unleashed their magic. A wave passed over the archers, and nausea replaced their fear. Most vomited. In front of them the undead compressed, their rotting flesh falling in upon itself, twisting and shrinking with the sound of cracking bone and shrieking armor.
When it was done, the remains fell like stones to the ground. The lancers had not noticed and their advance remained steady. The archers looked back at the mages, now once again on the ground, and began to march.
They managed to release three volleys before the lancers struck, and then the rest was lost in chaos.
Alkorn had planned for the mages to make an initial attack then spend the rest of the battle reinforcing and healing, but disposing of the undead had made that impossible.
The battle proceeded, Yaloran troops acting defensively in their attacks. The archers made small targeted attacks and acted as bait to draw out the enemy for the knights.
As the battle continued the knights began to change. With each strike they too grew darker. Alkorn could think of no better word. They no longer looked human, and blackness trailed after them.
It was then that he realized that the same was happening to Erik.
“It has happened to everyone, my lord. Everyone except you.” Alkorn ordered a soldier to bring a mirror. When the soldier returned, Alkorn hesitated. He felt different, somehow, but he did not know what to expect. Finally, he looked at himself and saw light. He was consumed by it, pouring from every part of his body.
“What is happening to us?” As he spoke, for the first time he heard the new ring of his voice.
“This world craves balance.” Erik said simply.
Then the battlefield erupted in fire. Alkorn looked up, and saw the great lizard breathing death upon enemy and ally. Screams could barely be heard through the roaring of the flame.
The gryphons took flight. They swooped in, cawing in rage towards the giant beast. At first, it did not notice them, but the cries drew its attention. They spread themselves out avoid the fire, but the lizard was fast. It spewed flame through the air, killing half the gryphons within second. One managed to latch onto the lizard's back, and began to tear at its wings. It shook the gryphon loose, but this left its long neck op
en to attack by another gryphon, which latched on and drove its claws in deep.
One of the enemy mages shot a wave of energy at the gryphon, causing it to spasm, and fall to the earth. It landed amongst a group of cow-heads, who quickly chopped it to pieces.
The lizard was hurt, and more vicious because of it. It let loose another burst of flame that shot out of the hole in its throat, instantly cauterizing the wound. The gryphon that had earlier been shook off was attacked one of the lizard’s wings, tearing a hole. The dragon turned its long neck to attack, but the gryphon was quick, and dodged away. The lizard pushed forward, lost in its fury, and three more gryphons attacked from behind. Each of them dug deep into the creature’s chest with their beaks, and tore out large chunks of flesh. The lizard turned, and belched fire towards them, but was too hasty in its attack and only managed to catch the tips of their wings. The fourth gryphon attacked again, but was slow, and the lizard bit it in half and screamed its victory. The three gryphons took advantage and committed to their final attack, each attacking a different spot. The force ripped the lizard’s long neck away from its body. It fell to the earth, and crush the cluster of warriors battling below it. As those that were pinned under it tried to scramble their way out the creature’s corpse burst into flame.
Alkorn watched the events with a cold horror. He had watch soldiers die before. Tens of thousands. But he had never seen a creature like that, never seen something so capable of dealing death. If their winged allies had not helped the battle would be over.
“General,” Erik interrupted his thinking, “It seems that the most powerful of the enemy troops have been concentrated at a single point. There is an entrance behind them. It is well hidden, but the mages have managed to unweave a few spells with their remaining strength. We have begun to drive a wedge and should have access soon.”
“Any clue what lies within?” Alkorn asked.
“We expect it is what the mages have been sensing, but no idea beyond that. It is probable that whatever is in there has prepared some very dangerous surprises. Also… the mages claim that the essence is changing.”
Alkorn nodded, then began to check his armor. “How long until we breach?”
“You should probably head down now, general.”