Post by Kalor on Dec 13, 2006 18:35:08 GMT -5
((I Suggest copy+pasting into Word for an easier read))
The Land of Gorgraz:
Candles in the Darkness
Prologue
I, Valin the Cursed, Son of Valios the Traitor and Lesser Historian in the Temple of Fabian the Great, was given the task of gathering and chronicling the event of our “Glorious” War against the humans, seeing as all of our records were destroyed in the Good Dragon Raid four years ago. This comes not as a blessing but as atonement for my father’s sin, and I was to travel to the magic blasted lands of central Kalor, the former Empire of Men, and more specifically, the ruins of Capital City and the vaults under the wretched remains of the Queen’s Keep. What the other Elves see as punishment, I see as an opportunity. An opportunity to finally tell the world what happened in that tragic month. As all know, we Elves are horribly biased to our own cause, whereas the human Historians were renowned for their unbiased attitude. This trip was a long one, starting in Sharene, the Crystal City of Ahmashaar and taking a boat to the Kalorian coast and trekking hard across the rolling plains of Kalor to the Broken Range and the Great Cleft in Central Kalor. At the entrance to the Cleft, I saw the twisted and broken remains of the Keystone, the small fort that had guarded and regulated the flow of traffic through the narrow gap. Picking my way through this reminder of Fabian’s awesome and terrible power, I entered the Plains of Honor, now desecrated and forgotten, the statues of the Heros broken and fallen. Then I see the crumbling ruins of the former Seat of Power of a great Nation, Capital City. The Walls towered around me, as I climb through a hole made by a siege engine nearly forty years ago. The skeletal remains of the Human defenders lie about, and once again, I feel a twinge of what my Father must have felt, but that is a story for another Historian, hurrying to the Keep, or more accurately, the place where the Keep had been. Using my long neglected spelunking skills, I managed to locate the Historians Hall, the large library left untouched by the war and time. Pulling the most recent tomes off the shelves, some dated as late as ten years ago, confirming our suspicions that the Humans added Histories to the old Library after the War. I began to write, keeping to the narrative style the Humans so loved. However, I do ramble on, and you, the reader hardly wants to read the ramblings of a disgraced elf. So enjoy the tale of the so called “Glorious” War.
Chapter One
Lord of the Queen, Kaer Andoross, looked over the “ramparts” of Lumnios, the economic seat in the Kalorian Empire, and sighed. It was an unusually dark summers night in the, and for the thousandth time since Kaer took command of the city, he wished it were a little more fortified. If any sizable enemy force attack he would be forced to abandon it. What passed for ramparts were little more than for show. The stone walls, although thick, had numerous entrances and few sturdy gates. Kaer looked to the city’s golden spires and gilded roofs and shook his head, “A city of fat Merchants Lords…” he said to himself. As he peered off into the soup of night, he thought he could make out a number of beings moving towards the city, but before he could reach for his spyglass, an arrow caught him in the throat.
“Lumnios has fallen!” cried a Knight of the Oak as he burst into the Queen’s Royal Hall. At the far end of the vast room, at the bottom of the Royal Dais, stood several Knights and nobles. One Knight, a large, older, bearded man turned to Oak Knight with a look of anger upon his grandfatherly face. “Remember your place, Knight of the Oak!”
The Holy Orders of the Kalorian Knighthood follows a strict hierarchy based on one’s seniority in one of the three Orders. The first Order the Order of the Oak is the basic and most numerous in the knighthood. The second Order, the Order of the Lance, is the more elite Order, and the first Order eligible to ride a Dragon. The final and highest order, the Knights of the Queen, are few in number, these but have mastered the arts of warfare and of administration, govern the Empire’s cities, and command large armies, They are adept in or have mastered a magic form, either Arcane or Clerical.
“Forgive me, Knight of the Queen…and other Lord Knights and nobles, and to you, my Queen,” The Oak Knight said, chastised, and bowing. Queen Kalana, the youngest ruler the Empire had ever seen at a mere twenty-eight years of age, was considered one of the most beautiful women in the Empire. She sat seated upon her throne on the Royal Dais, black hair done up in the intricate style of the time, and wearing a long and flowing white robe. She stood. “Oh, hush, Sir Lord Zhan Helmlock,” She said mockingly. “This man has news and we shall hear it, regardless of his rank,” The older Knight, Zhan Helmlock, the Grandmaster of the Orders, frowned at the breach in protocol, but nodded. The poor Oak Knight on the other hand had no reservations about breaching protocol. “Lumnios has fallen to the Armies of Aarshamaar!” he all but cried out. “They came under the cover of a most unnatural fog and slaughtered most of the men on the wall. The rest of us retreated, I was sent ahead to warn you of the invasion,” The Knight fell silent, and the Queen gasped, looking to Zhan. The old Knight was shaking his head. “I cannot believe it,” he said “No, I cast no doubt on your Honor, Sir Knight, but we had contingencies in place for a number of things, invasion along our coastline or from the northeast, but from the northwest? We knew the mountains would stop them, and if not that, the Centaurs would never let them cross their land!” With that statement, another Knight, this time a Knight of the Lance strode into the room. “Sir General Gerrod!” Zhan shouted to the newcomer. The short blonde hair a stark contrast to the long dark hair of most other Knights, Gerrod was one of Zhan’s closest and most trusted Knights. “No time for pleasantries today, Lord Zhan,” The normally friendly and upbeat Gerrod continued dourly, “Kyt and Rarnos have been attacked and sacked by Fabianites.” At his statement, the Queen leapt from the Royal Dais with the grace of a deer to land beside Zhan. “You cannot be serious! All three major western cities overrun?” Gerrod looked confusedly at Zhan. “Lumnios had fallen as well.” Zhan answered. “We are now at war.”
Chapter Two
The Plains of Central Kalor were quiet, but that sound was soon broken by the cadence of an army at march, the drums of war, and the war songs of the Knights of Kalor echoing across the plains. Lord of the Oak Provious, Lord of the Lance Gymble, and Lord of the Queen Wyrmsbane had combined armies and were moving to Capital City, the next place the Elven Army would strike. The force, numbering five hundred thousand men was one of the largest the Empire had seen since the Orc Invasion a decade ago. The army was moving at double the normal double-time speed, with the Elven army a mere four days behind. They had hoped to make a stand at the Outrider fortress of Outpost but they ran into the retreating Outrider force before they could reach that site. The Outriders, the Empire’s internal patrollers, and reserve forces had estimated the main enemy force at two million men with five hundred thousand in reserves. The mere one hundred thousand Outriders, who specialize in skirmish warfare, stood little chance of holding Outpost, had retreated. Now the combined forces of Knights and Outriders hoped to reach the Capital with time to prepare.
Zhan stood on the thick battlements of the Keystone Fort, that covered the entrance to the Cleft. The Keystone was designed to be defended by few against many, the tall, sturdy wall was set back in the entrance, forcing an attacker to reduce his numbers attacking the wall, forcing them to fight on the defender’s terms. Under these wartime conditions, the gate was shut and a full five Units of men, one thousand men total, defended the small keep and behind Zhan, the Plains of Honor were filled with an army moving into the city. Zhan looked to the six towering statues of the Great Founders, the Ones who ripped Kalor out of the Evil grasp of the Orcs. He said a silent prayer to not only the Pantheon of Light but to the Founders as well. “In dire times like these, it does not hurt to have all your bases covered,” Zhan though to himself. The last army under the command of Jaymes Brand should be arriving within the hour. Already the Grandmaster could see the dust being generated by a massive army. He sighed, and with a swirl of his cape, descended the stairs to his awaiting horse, and headed to Capital City at a brisk trot, the a crimson sun setting behind his back.
Early the next morning the Queen paced back in forth the War Room, simply a large, circular stone room with a huge map of Kalor laid out on a massive Oak table. On it were little blocks representing the different armies. The black blocks out numbered the blue blocks. “There are so many,” Kalana mumbled to herself, looking up to see Zhan enter the room looking very dour. He took a large stick from the wall and moved all the black blocks on top of Capital City. “They destroyed Keystone in the middle of the night,” he said slowly. “Don’t know how. Wyrmsbane and Gymble are dead, and the Elves have arrayed themselves in battle formation around the Capital.”
“Jaymes’ army?” The Queen asked quietly. Zhan shook his head. “Take me to the Walls Zhan,” Zhan started to protest. “Now.” He fell silent. Gone was the naïve, young woman that had inherited the throne. Gone the carefree young attitude. In front of Zhan stood not a young woman but a mature one, but for some reason, this saddened him.
Outside on the First Wall, Knights and Mages scurried all across it. Fixing ballistae, sharpening weapons and preparing spells, they had awakened this morning to a massive army on their doorstep, bristling with weapons and read for war. Captains and Sergeants called out orders, while ballistae were armed and prepped. There was much racket in the City, yet the Elves stood in stony silence. Zhan was wary. “I feel magic in the air, Dark Magic. Fabian is with them…” Fabian, the Dark Lord of the Conclave of Darkness and the Chief Rival of Kalor’s patron, Palador, most powerful of the evil Gods, was walking among his followers. “Then where is Palador? The Balance must be maintained,” Zhan mumbled. “Something his keeping Him from us…” A horn sounded and a single figure emerged from the dark form of the Elven army and called out in a loud voice. “You have been judged by the Almighty Lord of the Elves, Fabian, and have been found wanting! You are to be wiped away from this world or rehabilitated. Surrender…and we will spare the women and children!” The figure fell silent, waiting. Zhan looked to his Queen, who gave him a small nod. “Give them a volley,” He ordered his captains. A flag was raised, and then quickly lowered. The numerous ballistae, Outrider archers, and Mages opened fire on the Elven lines. The combined attack drove the elves into a ragged retreat back out of range. The speaker did not make it, as one eagle eyed Outrider sought out that retreating figure and placed an iron tipped arrow between his shoulder blades. A short-lived cry of victory was silenced, as the clouds overhead darkened. A hush settle over the field of battle and then a fell scream pierced the sky, followed by more. “Drakes!” Zhan shouted to his Captains. “Get the Dragons up!” Another flag shot up, and in only a few moments, a few hundred Bronze, Silver, and Gold Dragons burst forth from their cliff-side hideouts, each carrying a Knight of the Lance armed with the legendary Holylances of Kalor. By now, however, the evil Drakes blotted out their half of the sky. The shining Dragons of Kalor, although outnumbered rose to meet this threat, their screams piercing the air as the Elven Drakes swooped in for what they thought would be an easy kill. The serpentine like Drakes clashed forcibly with the reptilian Dragons, Lances pierced hide, and dragon-fire seared flesh. The Drakes responded with talons and their own corrosive breath, eating the armored scales off the noble Kalorian dragons. Yet,the Knights and their mounts pressed on against the overwhelming force of Darkness.
On the ground, the Elven army took the advantage of the aerial distraction to make a charge at the massive wall of Capital City, catching the Human defenders off guard. Elven archers raked the walls of the city felling many men. The Outriders and Mages responded to the attack with a vengeance, iron tipped arrows and magic spells lanced from the walls like harbingers of justice, striking down the Evil elves are they charged, but they were to many. They crashed against the wall like waves upon the rocks, and like those waves they made, it onto dry land. Ladders began to sprout along the way, and Elves scurried up it like ants, only to be met by the cold hard steel of the Knights of Kalor. Elves being physically weaker than the average human were no match for the battle hardened Kalorian Knights. Alas, the Elven numbers proved to be too much, even Zhan and the Queen, although the most guarded on the wall, had to fight off the odd Elven attacker or two. “Get the Queen to the Keep and return here!” Zhan shouted to a pair of Lance Knights near the Queen. They nodded and led the Queen down the steps to the Market District below. Zhan look to the battle raging along the walls, the Knights and Outriders had pushed most of the ladders off the walls and were mopping up the last of the attackers. As quickly as the attack had begun, it stopped. The Drakes disengaged from the Dragons, and the Elves reformed lines outside Ballista range. The Human defenders on the walls noticed movement within the dark Elven lines. Suddenly and without warning a giant boulder slammed into the wall, succeeding in damaging some of the wall. Chunks the size of two men rained onto the ground, although large when compared to a man, these pieces were small compared to the massive size of the wall. The Siege of Capital City had begun.
Chapter Three
“We cannot hope to defeat them!” cried General Provious from his seat around the map in the War Room. “Control yourself, General!” Zhan said leaping from his seat. “That was determined well before the battle even began!”
“And you have signed us away to our deaths! What gives you the right?” The portly General exclaimed rising from his seat. Cries from the other high-ranking leaders quickly followed and the once civil meeting turned into a shout-fest. Fists pounded the table and insults flew like the boulders that were slowly tearing down the First Wall. The door to the room burst open and in strode Queen Kalana, no longer wearing a formal outfit, but wearing a simple green tunic and dress. Her eyes blazed with fire as she said slowly, “There is a war going on, and what do I find my Generals doing? Arguing like little children, squabbling over a toy.” Zhan looked to his feet, and sat down slowly, the rest of the Generals did the same. “Zhan I believe you wanted to send some of our more important documents away?” The Queen asked after the Generals settled down, he inclined his head. “ Yes, Ma’am. I want to send some of the Books of Law and older Histories away to one of the cities that have not fallen yet. Like Gorge or Seahall, but my compatriots seem to disagree.” The was some not-so-quiet murmurings of agreement from General Provious and nods from some other Generals, only Gerrod did not nod. The Queen looked from General to General, “Why not send them? The rest of the Empire needs them,” She said.
“ Because the Empire will be overrun run in about a fortnight after Capital City is decimated!” Said the portly General Provious loudly, “The entirety of our military is here. Seven hundred thousand Knights and one hundred thousand Outriders, that leaves about two hundred thousand Knights and Outriders left to defend the remaining half of the Empire, too few methinks. To say it simply, we are doomed.” He finished by banging his rather large fist quite hardly on the table. Zhan looked to the Queen sadly, of all the Generals in the room, the Grandmaster had always looked to the large General for support. The Queen shrugged, “My dear General Provious,” she said sweetly, “We must doing something. We cannot just sit here and wait for the Elves to take our most scared tomes. We cannot just abandon our friends on the outside!”
“The you shall accompany them,” Provious said, “If we are to give the survivors a hope, they will need a leader.” The Queen looked startled for a moment, mistaking his remark for an insult, then nodded. “My Lord General Zhan, I do not care what your plan is but do it!” With that command, the young Queen’s eyes flashed a startling blue and she strode out of the room.
General Gerrod stroked Tiabeth’s neck gently, the massive silver Dragon made a soft cooing sound, and glanced around him. All along Capital City’s cliff face perched the Dragons of Kalor, the remaining two hundred twenty-six of them. The two fastest Bronzes had special cargo, one, the tomes, and the other the Queen. Gerrod sighed, there were an estimated one thousand Drakes now in the Elven camp outside the Cleft, there was no chance in the Abyss that the Dragons would be coming back. At his signal the Dragons launched themselves from their perches. Gerrod magically amplified his voice and said, “ Sons of Kalor, my fellow Knights, the battle we go to fight shall be out last! Yet do not be grieved! This is the fulfillment of your Oaths, and the greatest test of your Vows, the culmination of all your training and preparations! We go to fight not just our Queen, but for our friends, our country and our Gods! We fight for humanity and for freedom! Ride now for Glory! For Honor! And for Man! Ride now the last Dragon-flight!” And with that ending, Gerrod locked his Lance into the horizontal ready position and wheeled about to the waiting Drakes, Tiabeth roared so loud even Knights on the Walls trembled in fear, the other Dragons echoed that fierce call with a roar that echoed through the Cleft and through the very souls of the Elves. Yet the Drakes seemed unfazed, they rose like a black mist to meet the glittering cluster of Dragons. Screaming the old Kalorian battle-cry “Oth gusti honmu!” or “For my honor”, the Dragonrider of Kalor crashed forcibly with the Drakes of the Elves. Claws tore eyes, fire charred flesh, and battle was joined. The two Bronzes stayed in the middle of the group avoiding direct confrontations with Drakes, as the Dragons attempted to break through the Drake lines. They were failing. Again and again, Gerrod rallied his men. Again and again, they failed. The Bronze carrying the Queen was hit in a wing by the corrosive breath of a Drake and the Knight impaled by the same Drakes talons. Gerrod could only watch in horror as the Drakes tore the wounded Dragon to shreds, his last glance of the Queen was of her drawing the slain Knights sword and hacking at the vicious monsters that plagued her. Then the carcass of the Dragon slammed into the Elven camp and was lost. Screaming in righteous anger the young, fair-haired General, channeled so much magic into his Lance, and struck the Drake so hard that the “indestructible” Holylance shattered, a shockwave of holy magic incinerating many nearby Drakes. Gerrod drew his sword, and once again cried, “Oth gusti honmu!” Other Knights took up the cry, and the now angered remnants surged forth with newfound power. They at last broke through, the tome carrying Bronze made haste to the nearest Kalorian city, and the others fought a futile battle to keep the Drakes from following. Tiabeth was killed by a blast of corrosion, and the Elven ground troops saw Gerrod jump from his beloved dragon to the Drake that killed her, sword in hand. Many feats of valor were performed, yet the battle was hopelessly skewed, the black storm swallowed the small bright speck, and it was over.
On the walls, Zhan fell to his knees and let forth a bellow of rage and despair, and as if on cue, the stones of the Elven siege weapons took on a red hue. These new rocks exploded with magical fury, blasting gaping holes in the Wall, and killing many defenders. With a cheer of victory, the Elves surged forth and entered the breaches. The humans fought back. “Send then to the Abyss that awaits them!” cries Zhan and he hacked an Elven warrior down. General Provious wasted no time in jumping into the middle of a breach, swinging his claymore with the strength of ten men. The Human defenders fought with the power of men possessed, killing many Elves before succumbing to the onslaught. Zhan ordered the retreat to the second wall, and was forced to fighting a running battle with the Elves along the way. Women and children ran ahead of the battle trying to get behind the second wall, many did not make it. Many Elves fell, many Humans as well. The battered defenders took up hasty positions on the smaller second wall, Zhan ordered the gates shut, eyes streaming with tears for those on the other side. The Human mages were exhausted; the Outriders had loosed all of their arrows. The Elves, with the taste of victory on their tongues, recklessly charged the defenders yet again. The sheer number of bodies pressing against the small gate was enough to shatter it at its hinges. The defenders fell into chaos as the chain of command disintegrated as Generals and Captains were cut down. Small pockets of disciplined Knights formed in the stone buildings, holding out for as long as possible. Many ran for the Royal Keep, Zhan among them, his armor battered and stained, his sword a deep crimson, and his once combed white hair matted and in disarray, rallying his men. They entered the Keep, prepared to defend it with their lives. The Elves poured through the gates, dragging the siege engines with them, fully intend on tearing the Keep to the ground.
Jaymes Brand, General of the Gyffons’s 2nd Army, looked in dismay as a thin line of black smoke seeped from the mountains where Capital City resided. “As I said my Lord, we are doomed. Darkness shall cover the world of Men once again.” Said a Knight of the Lance holding a large stack of leather-bound tomes. Jaymes turned slowly, not looking at the man, but at his army. “Never again,” said the middle aged General “Never again. We are still many in number, each one of us is a candle, it takes but one candle to hold back the Darkness, and we are many, Many Candles in the Darkness.”
The Land of Gorgraz:
Candles in the Darkness
Prologue
I, Valin the Cursed, Son of Valios the Traitor and Lesser Historian in the Temple of Fabian the Great, was given the task of gathering and chronicling the event of our “Glorious” War against the humans, seeing as all of our records were destroyed in the Good Dragon Raid four years ago. This comes not as a blessing but as atonement for my father’s sin, and I was to travel to the magic blasted lands of central Kalor, the former Empire of Men, and more specifically, the ruins of Capital City and the vaults under the wretched remains of the Queen’s Keep. What the other Elves see as punishment, I see as an opportunity. An opportunity to finally tell the world what happened in that tragic month. As all know, we Elves are horribly biased to our own cause, whereas the human Historians were renowned for their unbiased attitude. This trip was a long one, starting in Sharene, the Crystal City of Ahmashaar and taking a boat to the Kalorian coast and trekking hard across the rolling plains of Kalor to the Broken Range and the Great Cleft in Central Kalor. At the entrance to the Cleft, I saw the twisted and broken remains of the Keystone, the small fort that had guarded and regulated the flow of traffic through the narrow gap. Picking my way through this reminder of Fabian’s awesome and terrible power, I entered the Plains of Honor, now desecrated and forgotten, the statues of the Heros broken and fallen. Then I see the crumbling ruins of the former Seat of Power of a great Nation, Capital City. The Walls towered around me, as I climb through a hole made by a siege engine nearly forty years ago. The skeletal remains of the Human defenders lie about, and once again, I feel a twinge of what my Father must have felt, but that is a story for another Historian, hurrying to the Keep, or more accurately, the place where the Keep had been. Using my long neglected spelunking skills, I managed to locate the Historians Hall, the large library left untouched by the war and time. Pulling the most recent tomes off the shelves, some dated as late as ten years ago, confirming our suspicions that the Humans added Histories to the old Library after the War. I began to write, keeping to the narrative style the Humans so loved. However, I do ramble on, and you, the reader hardly wants to read the ramblings of a disgraced elf. So enjoy the tale of the so called “Glorious” War.
Chapter One
Lord of the Queen, Kaer Andoross, looked over the “ramparts” of Lumnios, the economic seat in the Kalorian Empire, and sighed. It was an unusually dark summers night in the, and for the thousandth time since Kaer took command of the city, he wished it were a little more fortified. If any sizable enemy force attack he would be forced to abandon it. What passed for ramparts were little more than for show. The stone walls, although thick, had numerous entrances and few sturdy gates. Kaer looked to the city’s golden spires and gilded roofs and shook his head, “A city of fat Merchants Lords…” he said to himself. As he peered off into the soup of night, he thought he could make out a number of beings moving towards the city, but before he could reach for his spyglass, an arrow caught him in the throat.
“Lumnios has fallen!” cried a Knight of the Oak as he burst into the Queen’s Royal Hall. At the far end of the vast room, at the bottom of the Royal Dais, stood several Knights and nobles. One Knight, a large, older, bearded man turned to Oak Knight with a look of anger upon his grandfatherly face. “Remember your place, Knight of the Oak!”
The Holy Orders of the Kalorian Knighthood follows a strict hierarchy based on one’s seniority in one of the three Orders. The first Order the Order of the Oak is the basic and most numerous in the knighthood. The second Order, the Order of the Lance, is the more elite Order, and the first Order eligible to ride a Dragon. The final and highest order, the Knights of the Queen, are few in number, these but have mastered the arts of warfare and of administration, govern the Empire’s cities, and command large armies, They are adept in or have mastered a magic form, either Arcane or Clerical.
“Forgive me, Knight of the Queen…and other Lord Knights and nobles, and to you, my Queen,” The Oak Knight said, chastised, and bowing. Queen Kalana, the youngest ruler the Empire had ever seen at a mere twenty-eight years of age, was considered one of the most beautiful women in the Empire. She sat seated upon her throne on the Royal Dais, black hair done up in the intricate style of the time, and wearing a long and flowing white robe. She stood. “Oh, hush, Sir Lord Zhan Helmlock,” She said mockingly. “This man has news and we shall hear it, regardless of his rank,” The older Knight, Zhan Helmlock, the Grandmaster of the Orders, frowned at the breach in protocol, but nodded. The poor Oak Knight on the other hand had no reservations about breaching protocol. “Lumnios has fallen to the Armies of Aarshamaar!” he all but cried out. “They came under the cover of a most unnatural fog and slaughtered most of the men on the wall. The rest of us retreated, I was sent ahead to warn you of the invasion,” The Knight fell silent, and the Queen gasped, looking to Zhan. The old Knight was shaking his head. “I cannot believe it,” he said “No, I cast no doubt on your Honor, Sir Knight, but we had contingencies in place for a number of things, invasion along our coastline or from the northeast, but from the northwest? We knew the mountains would stop them, and if not that, the Centaurs would never let them cross their land!” With that statement, another Knight, this time a Knight of the Lance strode into the room. “Sir General Gerrod!” Zhan shouted to the newcomer. The short blonde hair a stark contrast to the long dark hair of most other Knights, Gerrod was one of Zhan’s closest and most trusted Knights. “No time for pleasantries today, Lord Zhan,” The normally friendly and upbeat Gerrod continued dourly, “Kyt and Rarnos have been attacked and sacked by Fabianites.” At his statement, the Queen leapt from the Royal Dais with the grace of a deer to land beside Zhan. “You cannot be serious! All three major western cities overrun?” Gerrod looked confusedly at Zhan. “Lumnios had fallen as well.” Zhan answered. “We are now at war.”
Chapter Two
The Plains of Central Kalor were quiet, but that sound was soon broken by the cadence of an army at march, the drums of war, and the war songs of the Knights of Kalor echoing across the plains. Lord of the Oak Provious, Lord of the Lance Gymble, and Lord of the Queen Wyrmsbane had combined armies and were moving to Capital City, the next place the Elven Army would strike. The force, numbering five hundred thousand men was one of the largest the Empire had seen since the Orc Invasion a decade ago. The army was moving at double the normal double-time speed, with the Elven army a mere four days behind. They had hoped to make a stand at the Outrider fortress of Outpost but they ran into the retreating Outrider force before they could reach that site. The Outriders, the Empire’s internal patrollers, and reserve forces had estimated the main enemy force at two million men with five hundred thousand in reserves. The mere one hundred thousand Outriders, who specialize in skirmish warfare, stood little chance of holding Outpost, had retreated. Now the combined forces of Knights and Outriders hoped to reach the Capital with time to prepare.
Zhan stood on the thick battlements of the Keystone Fort, that covered the entrance to the Cleft. The Keystone was designed to be defended by few against many, the tall, sturdy wall was set back in the entrance, forcing an attacker to reduce his numbers attacking the wall, forcing them to fight on the defender’s terms. Under these wartime conditions, the gate was shut and a full five Units of men, one thousand men total, defended the small keep and behind Zhan, the Plains of Honor were filled with an army moving into the city. Zhan looked to the six towering statues of the Great Founders, the Ones who ripped Kalor out of the Evil grasp of the Orcs. He said a silent prayer to not only the Pantheon of Light but to the Founders as well. “In dire times like these, it does not hurt to have all your bases covered,” Zhan though to himself. The last army under the command of Jaymes Brand should be arriving within the hour. Already the Grandmaster could see the dust being generated by a massive army. He sighed, and with a swirl of his cape, descended the stairs to his awaiting horse, and headed to Capital City at a brisk trot, the a crimson sun setting behind his back.
Early the next morning the Queen paced back in forth the War Room, simply a large, circular stone room with a huge map of Kalor laid out on a massive Oak table. On it were little blocks representing the different armies. The black blocks out numbered the blue blocks. “There are so many,” Kalana mumbled to herself, looking up to see Zhan enter the room looking very dour. He took a large stick from the wall and moved all the black blocks on top of Capital City. “They destroyed Keystone in the middle of the night,” he said slowly. “Don’t know how. Wyrmsbane and Gymble are dead, and the Elves have arrayed themselves in battle formation around the Capital.”
“Jaymes’ army?” The Queen asked quietly. Zhan shook his head. “Take me to the Walls Zhan,” Zhan started to protest. “Now.” He fell silent. Gone was the naïve, young woman that had inherited the throne. Gone the carefree young attitude. In front of Zhan stood not a young woman but a mature one, but for some reason, this saddened him.
Outside on the First Wall, Knights and Mages scurried all across it. Fixing ballistae, sharpening weapons and preparing spells, they had awakened this morning to a massive army on their doorstep, bristling with weapons and read for war. Captains and Sergeants called out orders, while ballistae were armed and prepped. There was much racket in the City, yet the Elves stood in stony silence. Zhan was wary. “I feel magic in the air, Dark Magic. Fabian is with them…” Fabian, the Dark Lord of the Conclave of Darkness and the Chief Rival of Kalor’s patron, Palador, most powerful of the evil Gods, was walking among his followers. “Then where is Palador? The Balance must be maintained,” Zhan mumbled. “Something his keeping Him from us…” A horn sounded and a single figure emerged from the dark form of the Elven army and called out in a loud voice. “You have been judged by the Almighty Lord of the Elves, Fabian, and have been found wanting! You are to be wiped away from this world or rehabilitated. Surrender…and we will spare the women and children!” The figure fell silent, waiting. Zhan looked to his Queen, who gave him a small nod. “Give them a volley,” He ordered his captains. A flag was raised, and then quickly lowered. The numerous ballistae, Outrider archers, and Mages opened fire on the Elven lines. The combined attack drove the elves into a ragged retreat back out of range. The speaker did not make it, as one eagle eyed Outrider sought out that retreating figure and placed an iron tipped arrow between his shoulder blades. A short-lived cry of victory was silenced, as the clouds overhead darkened. A hush settle over the field of battle and then a fell scream pierced the sky, followed by more. “Drakes!” Zhan shouted to his Captains. “Get the Dragons up!” Another flag shot up, and in only a few moments, a few hundred Bronze, Silver, and Gold Dragons burst forth from their cliff-side hideouts, each carrying a Knight of the Lance armed with the legendary Holylances of Kalor. By now, however, the evil Drakes blotted out their half of the sky. The shining Dragons of Kalor, although outnumbered rose to meet this threat, their screams piercing the air as the Elven Drakes swooped in for what they thought would be an easy kill. The serpentine like Drakes clashed forcibly with the reptilian Dragons, Lances pierced hide, and dragon-fire seared flesh. The Drakes responded with talons and their own corrosive breath, eating the armored scales off the noble Kalorian dragons. Yet,the Knights and their mounts pressed on against the overwhelming force of Darkness.
On the ground, the Elven army took the advantage of the aerial distraction to make a charge at the massive wall of Capital City, catching the Human defenders off guard. Elven archers raked the walls of the city felling many men. The Outriders and Mages responded to the attack with a vengeance, iron tipped arrows and magic spells lanced from the walls like harbingers of justice, striking down the Evil elves are they charged, but they were to many. They crashed against the wall like waves upon the rocks, and like those waves they made, it onto dry land. Ladders began to sprout along the way, and Elves scurried up it like ants, only to be met by the cold hard steel of the Knights of Kalor. Elves being physically weaker than the average human were no match for the battle hardened Kalorian Knights. Alas, the Elven numbers proved to be too much, even Zhan and the Queen, although the most guarded on the wall, had to fight off the odd Elven attacker or two. “Get the Queen to the Keep and return here!” Zhan shouted to a pair of Lance Knights near the Queen. They nodded and led the Queen down the steps to the Market District below. Zhan look to the battle raging along the walls, the Knights and Outriders had pushed most of the ladders off the walls and were mopping up the last of the attackers. As quickly as the attack had begun, it stopped. The Drakes disengaged from the Dragons, and the Elves reformed lines outside Ballista range. The Human defenders on the walls noticed movement within the dark Elven lines. Suddenly and without warning a giant boulder slammed into the wall, succeeding in damaging some of the wall. Chunks the size of two men rained onto the ground, although large when compared to a man, these pieces were small compared to the massive size of the wall. The Siege of Capital City had begun.
Chapter Three
“We cannot hope to defeat them!” cried General Provious from his seat around the map in the War Room. “Control yourself, General!” Zhan said leaping from his seat. “That was determined well before the battle even began!”
“And you have signed us away to our deaths! What gives you the right?” The portly General exclaimed rising from his seat. Cries from the other high-ranking leaders quickly followed and the once civil meeting turned into a shout-fest. Fists pounded the table and insults flew like the boulders that were slowly tearing down the First Wall. The door to the room burst open and in strode Queen Kalana, no longer wearing a formal outfit, but wearing a simple green tunic and dress. Her eyes blazed with fire as she said slowly, “There is a war going on, and what do I find my Generals doing? Arguing like little children, squabbling over a toy.” Zhan looked to his feet, and sat down slowly, the rest of the Generals did the same. “Zhan I believe you wanted to send some of our more important documents away?” The Queen asked after the Generals settled down, he inclined his head. “ Yes, Ma’am. I want to send some of the Books of Law and older Histories away to one of the cities that have not fallen yet. Like Gorge or Seahall, but my compatriots seem to disagree.” The was some not-so-quiet murmurings of agreement from General Provious and nods from some other Generals, only Gerrod did not nod. The Queen looked from General to General, “Why not send them? The rest of the Empire needs them,” She said.
“ Because the Empire will be overrun run in about a fortnight after Capital City is decimated!” Said the portly General Provious loudly, “The entirety of our military is here. Seven hundred thousand Knights and one hundred thousand Outriders, that leaves about two hundred thousand Knights and Outriders left to defend the remaining half of the Empire, too few methinks. To say it simply, we are doomed.” He finished by banging his rather large fist quite hardly on the table. Zhan looked to the Queen sadly, of all the Generals in the room, the Grandmaster had always looked to the large General for support. The Queen shrugged, “My dear General Provious,” she said sweetly, “We must doing something. We cannot just sit here and wait for the Elves to take our most scared tomes. We cannot just abandon our friends on the outside!”
“The you shall accompany them,” Provious said, “If we are to give the survivors a hope, they will need a leader.” The Queen looked startled for a moment, mistaking his remark for an insult, then nodded. “My Lord General Zhan, I do not care what your plan is but do it!” With that command, the young Queen’s eyes flashed a startling blue and she strode out of the room.
General Gerrod stroked Tiabeth’s neck gently, the massive silver Dragon made a soft cooing sound, and glanced around him. All along Capital City’s cliff face perched the Dragons of Kalor, the remaining two hundred twenty-six of them. The two fastest Bronzes had special cargo, one, the tomes, and the other the Queen. Gerrod sighed, there were an estimated one thousand Drakes now in the Elven camp outside the Cleft, there was no chance in the Abyss that the Dragons would be coming back. At his signal the Dragons launched themselves from their perches. Gerrod magically amplified his voice and said, “ Sons of Kalor, my fellow Knights, the battle we go to fight shall be out last! Yet do not be grieved! This is the fulfillment of your Oaths, and the greatest test of your Vows, the culmination of all your training and preparations! We go to fight not just our Queen, but for our friends, our country and our Gods! We fight for humanity and for freedom! Ride now for Glory! For Honor! And for Man! Ride now the last Dragon-flight!” And with that ending, Gerrod locked his Lance into the horizontal ready position and wheeled about to the waiting Drakes, Tiabeth roared so loud even Knights on the Walls trembled in fear, the other Dragons echoed that fierce call with a roar that echoed through the Cleft and through the very souls of the Elves. Yet the Drakes seemed unfazed, they rose like a black mist to meet the glittering cluster of Dragons. Screaming the old Kalorian battle-cry “Oth gusti honmu!” or “For my honor”, the Dragonrider of Kalor crashed forcibly with the Drakes of the Elves. Claws tore eyes, fire charred flesh, and battle was joined. The two Bronzes stayed in the middle of the group avoiding direct confrontations with Drakes, as the Dragons attempted to break through the Drake lines. They were failing. Again and again, Gerrod rallied his men. Again and again, they failed. The Bronze carrying the Queen was hit in a wing by the corrosive breath of a Drake and the Knight impaled by the same Drakes talons. Gerrod could only watch in horror as the Drakes tore the wounded Dragon to shreds, his last glance of the Queen was of her drawing the slain Knights sword and hacking at the vicious monsters that plagued her. Then the carcass of the Dragon slammed into the Elven camp and was lost. Screaming in righteous anger the young, fair-haired General, channeled so much magic into his Lance, and struck the Drake so hard that the “indestructible” Holylance shattered, a shockwave of holy magic incinerating many nearby Drakes. Gerrod drew his sword, and once again cried, “Oth gusti honmu!” Other Knights took up the cry, and the now angered remnants surged forth with newfound power. They at last broke through, the tome carrying Bronze made haste to the nearest Kalorian city, and the others fought a futile battle to keep the Drakes from following. Tiabeth was killed by a blast of corrosion, and the Elven ground troops saw Gerrod jump from his beloved dragon to the Drake that killed her, sword in hand. Many feats of valor were performed, yet the battle was hopelessly skewed, the black storm swallowed the small bright speck, and it was over.
On the walls, Zhan fell to his knees and let forth a bellow of rage and despair, and as if on cue, the stones of the Elven siege weapons took on a red hue. These new rocks exploded with magical fury, blasting gaping holes in the Wall, and killing many defenders. With a cheer of victory, the Elves surged forth and entered the breaches. The humans fought back. “Send then to the Abyss that awaits them!” cries Zhan and he hacked an Elven warrior down. General Provious wasted no time in jumping into the middle of a breach, swinging his claymore with the strength of ten men. The Human defenders fought with the power of men possessed, killing many Elves before succumbing to the onslaught. Zhan ordered the retreat to the second wall, and was forced to fighting a running battle with the Elves along the way. Women and children ran ahead of the battle trying to get behind the second wall, many did not make it. Many Elves fell, many Humans as well. The battered defenders took up hasty positions on the smaller second wall, Zhan ordered the gates shut, eyes streaming with tears for those on the other side. The Human mages were exhausted; the Outriders had loosed all of their arrows. The Elves, with the taste of victory on their tongues, recklessly charged the defenders yet again. The sheer number of bodies pressing against the small gate was enough to shatter it at its hinges. The defenders fell into chaos as the chain of command disintegrated as Generals and Captains were cut down. Small pockets of disciplined Knights formed in the stone buildings, holding out for as long as possible. Many ran for the Royal Keep, Zhan among them, his armor battered and stained, his sword a deep crimson, and his once combed white hair matted and in disarray, rallying his men. They entered the Keep, prepared to defend it with their lives. The Elves poured through the gates, dragging the siege engines with them, fully intend on tearing the Keep to the ground.
Jaymes Brand, General of the Gyffons’s 2nd Army, looked in dismay as a thin line of black smoke seeped from the mountains where Capital City resided. “As I said my Lord, we are doomed. Darkness shall cover the world of Men once again.” Said a Knight of the Lance holding a large stack of leather-bound tomes. Jaymes turned slowly, not looking at the man, but at his army. “Never again,” said the middle aged General “Never again. We are still many in number, each one of us is a candle, it takes but one candle to hold back the Darkness, and we are many, Many Candles in the Darkness.”