“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 mor
e 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.
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