Destiny's Call

by E. Markus Sharp

  “I will have to get more potions.” She told him unbuttoning his shirt.

  “I love it when you kill for me.” She told him as he picked her up and carried her to the over sized bed.

  “Me too.” Rein admitted as both lovers climbed into the huge bed. Rein intended to make her surrender this time but a woman like this he was unsure he would ever have the advantage.

  ***

  Chapter 13

  Lila awoke in Tessa's arms for the second day in a row and got up. Tessa just turned over and remained asleep. Lila went to the window and opened the curtains the sun was up and the bowl of the volcano was so beautiful Lila watched as the wild flowers swayed in the breeze and thought how temporary this place was. When the volcano erupted again all of this would be gone. It was a little sad. There was a knock at the door and Lila grabbed Tessa's robe and put it on. The color faded out of the garment and she watched as it turned white! Lila had heard the robes changed colors but seeing the change was another thing. She held the robe closed and opened the door slightly.

  “Yes?” She greeted whoever it was. It was Marshal he smiled when he saw her.

  “The giants have made their decision and want us present for the announcement.” He said looking her over.

  “Ok thank you we'll be right there.” Lila told him feeling a bit embarrassed.

  “It looks good on you especially partially opened like that. I had heard they changed colors but it the first time I ever got to see on a different color like that.” Marshal told her and she turned red from embarrassment.

  “See you at the King's Hall.” He called back to her continuing down the hall going to embarrass someone else no doubt. Lila sat next to Tessa in bed and strOked her hair. She was lovely a perfect match of Human and Elvin features. From her tiny pointed ears to her full large breasts to her perfect legs and her dainty little feet she was a picture of beauty gifted to her by her two very different parents. How could anyone look at her and think abomination or half-breed? Lila woke her up even though she could've spent the day just watching her sleep. She told her the giants wanted to make an announcement with us present and Tessa got up and kissed her so lovingly it hurt Lila to her soul.

  “It looks better on you.” Tessa whispered in her ear when the kiss ended. Lila realized she was still wearing Tessa's robe and took it off and handed it to her.

  “There was a knock and I just grabbed the first thing I could find.” Lila explained and Tessa put a finger on her lips.

  “Shhh you can wear anything you want of mine Lilamina. It's Ok it will always be Ok. Now let’s clean up and go see the giants and later you can wear it again and I'll take it off you but business before pleasure.” Tessa told her and she knew it right then Tessa stole her heart, her body and her mind maybe her soul.

  “I love you Tessa.” Lila told her and only after two days. She was crazy. Tessa just looked at her for a long moment studying her.

  “You're the first person to say that to me since my parents died so long ago. I almost forgot what it felt like to hear it. Lila you've made me so happy. I love you too.” Tessa told Lila and it was as if Lila could feel Tessa's love without touching. She believed they had bonded somehow in that moment. Tessa kissed her again and Lila lost track of the world there was nothing else but her and Tessa.

  “Ok I have to summon Bea then we can go.” Tessa said after a hard time of cleaning up and not just kissing all day long. Lila watched as the robe seemed to bleed red back into it as Tessa put it on. Lila worried a bit at that. Tessa was so different from her that even the robe knew it. White meant good and lawful minded, Red meant care free and free minded and black meant caring for one's self and evil. In Consortium shorthand white meant good, red meant selfish and black meant evil. Did Tessa think so differently from Lila? Lila worried she did.

  Everyone met up at the Kings Hall of the giants and the group took up the center area to hear what the giants had decided. The giant kings and queens towered over them at their podiums looking down at the group as they had anyone who occupied this center area. Lila thought it was very intimidating. Vermonter swung his hammer on the podium and called the meeting to order. The room got deathly silent.

  “We kings and queens have considered all the facts in this request made by your group for the humans currently under attack by the Witch-King's armies. We have weighed the costs and the sacrifices we will have to make to grant this help. We have also weighed the costs to the world with the human's gone from it. Then we asked where will it end and when will we be alone to fight the Witch-King? How many of the other races will disappear before we are forced into this conflict? Many though it might be a good thing if some of the other races were eliminated before we entered the conflict but then the humans would be gone and we realized losing them first would be a tragedy and a crime beyond all other crimes. These armies bent on wiping out entire races can not be allowed to continue their march of war. So we have decided to support the humans and to go to Lightbringer and join the battle against the Witch-King. The giants will be at your side during this conflict. We will call all of our warriors to battle but in the mean time we will take our fortress here to Lightbringer and help free the humans there. After that we will help you retake the besieged city of Zury and after that we will help destroy the Witch-King's armies to the last one and kill the Witch-King himself. You have our support.” Vermonter told them and the giants struck their weapons on their chairs and podiums and made such a noise that Lila had never heard the likes of before.

  “Let us fly!” Vermonter shouted above the noise and the ground Shook for a moment and the Fort seemed to sink and then rise like a boat on the water. Then it felt like nothing Lila had ever felt before. Tessa laughed and took Lila in her arms.

  “The Fort is flying! We're airborne! The giants fort is flying high above the mountains! This is incredible! We are high in the sky soaring with the birds in a stone fortress filled with giants. Going to take back Lightbringer from the Witch-King! How very exciting!” Tessa ranted as they stood together arm in arm in the room's center.

  “How very exciting indeed.” Lila told her smiling at her lover's unbridled joy.

  ***

  “Forces are gathering.” Bala told Xanthus on the balcony high above the city proper. Xanthus watched as two armies gathered from the east and west. An Alliance army and a Gond army each one the size to take back the city but together they could stop the Witch-King's plans before they begun.

  “It's the Avatars soon they will come and the fighting will begin. If we had held them we wouldn't be looking at our destruction now.” Xanthus told his wife as she knelt there watching with him.

  “How can you be sure the Avatars are behind this?” Bala asked and Xanthus grabbed her by the hair.

  “Look woman there are two armies besieging us who are enemies of the Protectorate! Why else would they care?” Xanthus shouted at her pulling on her hair to turn her head two see the armies.

  “And scouts report a third army coming from Constopa. Our best projections were that one army from Constopa would arrive in a month. But here they are!” He continued his rant. Bala touched his leg.

  “I love it when you get angry with me.” Bala told him looking up at him with loving eyes.

  “While you're down there you know what to do.” Xanthus told her and she undid the bottom of his robe and went to work. She was his only solace in a world of strife and pain. She made him feel better while he watched the armies gather. He wondered if it was time to summon some other worldly help. It would mean a considerable sacrifice. He looked down at his wife as she worked hard. She would do.

  ***

  Stiletto...Joseph was at the head of an army! The Gond army and they were being joined by others. The Alliance had an army here on the west side of the city and the Protectorate had another arriving from the north. It was going to happen! They were going to take back Lightbringer and Stiletto...Joseph was going to be a hero. Next to him was General Noin Stain or Old Bloodsta
in as everyone called him. He was in charge of Gond's fifth army and they were all around him and behind him. Above him was the dragon he saved Teamon and she wanted to help them so badly.

  The general ordered his gnome units to the field to search for Kobald traps. This man was no fool.

  “Joseph we need that gate opened. I want you to take my shadow unit and get the job done boy.” The general ordered Stiletto...Joseph.

  “I know you can do it there's a good lad.” The general encouraged him. He got off his horse and met with the unit he would be leading to the gate and to battle. There was a pretty girl, an older guy, a scrawny kid, a able looking man, a halfling, a dwarf and a old woman. They were all dressed in black leather armor and had various weapons and tools.

  “Let me guess all of you are working off your sentences?” Stiletto asked and they smiled wicked looking grins and Shook their heads yes.

  “Ok then we need to go while there's still light. These creatures all see better in the dark so this is our chance. Once night falls we will be at the disadvantage. I need your names please so I'm not yelling hey you all day.” Stiletto started taking charge.

  “I'm Farina this is Terrance, Tam, Ure, Burr, Grate and Jan. What's your name sir?” Farina asked as she introduced the others.

  “I'm Joseph and I'm in charge got it?” Stiletto asked and they all nodded.

  “Ok here's what were going to do.” Stiletto said drawing in the mud with his dagger.

  ***

  “Human girls are so soft and break too easily.” Gart told the other while they watched the East gate. He dropped the corpse off the wall and it broke further at the bottom.

  “We're not supposed to break them that way. We take their spirits not kill their bodies! You're going to get us in trouble if you're not gentle.” Hunge told him and Gart snorted.

  “Gentle is weak.” Gart told them and they all laughed. Gart noticed a broken cart and an old man coming up the road. He smiled humans were dumb. The cart was filled with pumpkins not a very good meal but the old man might have some meat on him. These peasants didn't understand that Lightbringer was not theirs anymore and they arrived to their dooms.

  “Let me in I have pumpkins for the market. “ The old man demanded.

  “Open the gates.” Gart ordered rubbing his hands together in anticipation of another meal walking right on in. The gates swung open and the old man started inside and the cart fell on it's side.

  “Oh my.” the old man said surprised by the cart as pumpkins rolled all over. Gart had to get the gates closed and had lost his temper. He rushed out and Grabbed the old man and he felt a blade stab him over and over in the guts. He looked down to see the old man holding it. He heard a commotion from with in the gate guard house as he fell to his knees.

  'What had just happened?' Gart wondered as he fell on his face and the old man began dragging him back inside. He was being dragged over his own blood staining the cobble stones. He lost himself in the blackness.

  ***

  Mauryan watched as the army arrived to the north. He wondered if they would show up and there they were. Lightbringer might be saved after all. The Gond army seemed to have breached the gates already to the east and his forces were waiting for the engineers to check the road for traps while sub-humans attacked them from the wall with arrows but the engineers were too smart for that and stayed out of range. The engineer signaled the army closer and Mauryan ordered a slow march to the position. The weather changed and it began to rain Mauryan suspected magic. The enemy needed the sun obscured and a rainstorm would do. Their dark elves would still suffer but not compared to full sunlight. Mauryan didn't understand why they would bother with the surface since they couldn't rule it well anyways. He guessed it was greed. Mauryan sent in the engineers to danger and ordered the ballista and the catapults moved into place and ordered the ram to be brought up too. Once in place they would move to the wall and start this siege proper. It was sad that Gond was to be the first inside but nothing was easy in war.

  Suddenly there was a vibration in the air and a humming begun over head then from out of the clouds a huge fortress came into view! The fortress was flying above the city. It descended from above the city and stopped just above it. It was the most wondrous of sights he had ever seen. Ropes fell from the sides of the huge fortress and large men, no giants slid down them into the city! Mauryan couldn't believe his own eyes.

  The engineers signaled the all clear on the roadway they had dug up several items and felt they found them all.

  “Forward!” Mauryan ordered and the army made it to the wall as the gate was smashed down by a fire giant from the inside. The army cheered and charged into the city. Mauryan ordered full attack and the men rushed into the city killing as they could.

  ***

  Princess Gabrielle heard the commotion outside and hoped it was reinforcements from Constopa retaking the city. The guards watching her gathered up at the door to the stable and waited for what may come. Gabrielle had enough of waiting for what may come.

  “Men gather up we go to save my sister.” She told her personal guard and they looked at her and her lead man spoke.

  “My lady we can't risk you especially if this is our forces retaking Lightbringer. We have a responsibility to your safety.” He told her and she stood up and drew herself up taller to give her a more noble pose and said.

  “We go to rescue my sister Calvin or I go alone.” She told him and he sighed.

  “Yes my lady.” Calvin responded as he should for it was she who was truly in charge.

  “To the city center and my sister.” She ordered and the guard opened the doors and they marched out surrounding her and killing everything that came close to the circle.

  ***

  Tessa and the others slid down the ropes from the fortress and engaged to enemy. They weren't expecting the combined forces that were now fighting. They were cutting and killing their way to the palace. As quickly as the fortress arrived it departed leaving them in the center of the battle which most of the group preferred. Marshal was laughing he was so happy and Rein's sword began singing. Trevor sliced down foe after foe and Corin was in the middle of ten orcs kicking and punching them hard enough to kill. Then a group of Lightbringer soldiers crossed their path in the center was Lightbringer's second daughter Princess Gabrielle!

  “Citizens I order you to stop what you're doing and follow me to the center of the city to free my sister and then on to the palace to reclaim the throne.” She demanded and the men bowed.

  “On one condition my lady.” Tessa told the spoiled girl.

  “Name your terms.” The princess requested.

  “We are in charge.” Tessa told her and she flinched but smiled.

  “You look to be experienced beyond my battle skills so I accept your terms.” She told Tessa and both nodded.

  “Ok this way.” Tessa ordered the others and they followed.

  'Good girl.' Tessa thought to herself.

  ***

  The group split up to come from every direction and surprise the guards stationed there. Each group was moving through the buildings surrounding the center. Regina was with Banz and Lorena inside a bakery watching for the signal. They didn't have to wait long. Marshal exited the butcher across the center and attacked the orc on that side. Everyone exited as soon as the first orc was cut down. The warriors cut into the throng of sub-humans as the mages cast killing spells on the others still standing and Regina back stabbed any enemy who turned their back on her. Banz seemed to be dancing at a higher speed then the defenders could handle his two swords glistening with the blood of orc- kind. Before Regina could kill more than three the battle for the center was over.

  There in the center of the square was a stockade and the Princess Astral. Her sister Gabrielle ran to her and the body guards followed. Regina watched as the Princess was removed and both sisters wept. The horrors for Astral were over now and with time maybe she would live past the damage. But for now Regina could only w
atch. Rein told the guards to secure the Inn and wait for the Avatars to take back the palace and they followed his instructions.

  Regina was happy to leave that scene and continue to the palace. She couldn't imagine what the Princess went through and she didn't want to. Regina was happy to see the armies meet at the palace entrance at the same time. Each general ordered hundreds of men to scour the homes and businesses for the enemy. Then they turned their attentions to the palace. The drawbridge was up and the sub-humans manned the walls all the way around. Most had retreated to the palace when they arrived and now here they were taunting them from behind sturdy walls. Rein, Marshal and Tessa spoke to the giant king and then the king signaled five of his best and bravest forward while the other giants picked up boulders made from rubble and horse carts left abandoned. All the giants were armed with something big to throw from doors, to large inn tables, to boulders, to carts.

  “Now!” Vermonter ordered and the giants started throwing. While the objects soared through the air the five rushed the drawbridge and while being hit with many arrows jumped onto the edge of the bridge and pulled it down breaking the mechanism with a resounding pop! The bridge fell as the giants scrambled to get out of the way.

  “Now charge!” The order came from Rein and the army moved across the drawbridge to be met by a portcullis. A fire giant grabbed the bars from the bottom and broke it opened with what seemed like ease. The fire giant was getting filled with arrows for his efforts but he grunted and held the gate as the armies pored in and other giants took his burden and he fell to the ground dead. The palace was filled to capacity with sub-humans and undead but the dark elves seemed absent from the fort. The armies didn't stop they continued to move forward killing and dying as they went. Regina followed and took her hits where she could. Her companions were beyond impressive as they cut and cast through the droves of creatures standing in their way. Regina was proud to be with them.