Elf World Shadows Rising

by Matthew Pequegnat

  Myst had wandered over to a rock out of the water to dry off, he was not ready for a rematch with Zarra, no matter how much she teased…

  An hour or so later, they made their way back to the campsite. Myst told them about the boat, and his plan to float down the river. Quickly, they broke camp and moved down to the lake.

  A light rain had turned into a misty drizzle as they walked through the woodlands of oaks and hickory, with stands of southern yellow pine, scattered throughout. The temperature was hovering in the upper forties and fog was rising from the low ground.

  "Have you been here before, Myst," Kayla asked?

  "A few times. You?"

  "I was stationed here at the embassy for a few years.” She grinned, “Lots of fun... It's a nice country."

  They suddenly came to the reeds were Myst had hidden the boat, climbed in settled their gear, and paddled down the lake with Moss in the back steering. They passed the burning city just before dawn and made it a few more miles before pulling over to the far bank to hide until night fall in a dense stand of oak and pine.

  They slept the day away, making as little noise as possible. Everyone checked their equipment and changed into clean clothes. Myst had on his dark green long coat and his greyish green Imperial Ranger uniform under it. He did not want to confuse any nervous guards in Dara when they got there, and the Colonel’s uniform should make it clear he was not an Orc.

  As soon as it was dark, they set off once again, paddling the boat down the river. The two gnomes kept a close lookout for signs of the invaders. They paddled hard and made good time. Just two hours before sunrise, they made Lake Dara.

  Floating out to the center of the lake, they waited for dawn. The city was not on fire, so it was probably still in Elven hands, but for how long? It would not do for them to try and enter the city at night while it was under siege.

  Myst sat quietly and watched as the light grew. They were safe out on the lake. Orcs don't like water, and they make really awful sailors. So the chance of finding an Orc patrol on the water was slim.

  As the sky turned blue, they paddled the craft toward the city docks. Two sleek launches took off from the city heading for them; both boats were full of Tuscan warriors.

  "Heave to and lay down your weapons!"

  Myst found the request strange in that they had stopped paddling a few minutes earlier and no one had a weapon showing. But as the city was most likely under siege, the nervous guards were understandable.

  The Tuscan boats drew up on each side of them, grim faced soldiers pointed crossbows at them, and an officer stood up to speak to them.

  "The city is closed. Who are you, and what is your business here?"

  "My name is Colonel Myst Sunstar, of the Imperial Army of Solara. And my business is with my embassy. And since we are obviously not Orcs, would you mind having your men not point their weapons at us, Lieutenant."

  "The city is closed, no one can enter," replied the Tuscan lieutenant. "And how did you come here, the lake is blockaded at the river?"

  "We're coming from the west, not from Port Orland, and since the river east is blocked you say, we really need to get into the city then."

  "The city is closed."

  "You already said that lieutenant, and you're still pointing weapons at us. What would happen do you think, if you accidentally shot Ambassador Kayla Morningstar," Myst paused and pointed to Kayla? "Do you really want a war with the Solara as well as the Orcs?"

  The Moon Elf lieutenant ordered his men to not aim at the boat, and sent the other craft back to shore for orders.

  Within minutes, the boat was streaking back. On board was the harbor master, who apologized for the inconvenience and took them into the docks. From there they hurried through the streets up to the Solarain embassy.

  The capital city of the Moon Elves seemed strange to those who were not familiar with these people. The Moon Elves are close to nature, and their cities reflected this. Dara was encircled by a smooth gray wall, two stories high and half that wide. Inside the wall, was over six square miles of heavily vegetated sylvan groves, most of the villa estates were not visible from the road, hidden by walls covered with vegetation. The city actually seemed, and indeed was, more heavily forested than the wooded countryside surrounding the city. Hundreds of magically enhanced oak trees towered more than double their normal size throughout the city. Below, the cobblestone streets almost seemed to wind aimlessly about the city without obvious purpose, yet they served as streets just like any other city. The homes, shops, and palaces were just slightly hidden by the thick vegetation.

  Soaring trees overhung the streets so thickly, that the sun seldom lit the cobblestones in anything brighter than deep shade or dappled sunlight. From the air, one would see just the red tiled roof tops peaking out of the tree tops. It was at night when the trees and villas came alive with thousands of glowing magical lights that the city stood out from the forest.

  Inside the walls of the estates, winding stone paths wander through magical gardens of overwhelming beauty and color. The giant magical oaks dominated, creating an open air roofs that guarded against all but the worst weather. These wild magical fairy lands gardens were the joy and principle hobby of most Moon Elves and the Clans took great pride in their sylvan creations.

  After a quick walk up from the docks, they reached the embassy. The Sun Elf Embassy was a large formal Château, at least five stories tall, made from small pink stone and with a reddish slate roof. Out front of the complex, a dozen Sun Elf troops blocked the driveway. They were not in the dress uniform common to embassy duty, but decked out for battle. They even had the new short capes that magically appeared to resemble a forest pattern of multiple shades of green. Cocked crossbows at the ready; they looked ready for a fight.

  "May I help you, sir," inquired a young Ensign politely?

  "I am Colonel Myst, I.S.S., I need to see the ambassador right away."

  "Sorry Colonel, that won't be possible."

  "Why?"

  "Sir, the Ambassadors dead, and so is most of the military and senior foreign service staff."

  "Who's in charge then?"

  "Sir, Third Secretary Graion. He's in the main building, most likely in the operations room."

  "Who has command of the security detail?"

  "Captain Starwood, Sir. She arrived and took command right after the explosion."

  "And you were the only officer left in the embassy the night of the explosion?"

  "Yes Sir. Brigadier Fernale and the rest of the officers were at the Royal Palace."

  "Are you a screw up Ensign, or do you have your shit together"?

  "Sir, First to Fight!" Ah, he was a Ranger...

  Myst looked appraisingly at the young officer. "Brigadier Fernale, a Colonel, one or two Majors, four Captains, at least four Lieutenants, and the Gods know, how many Ensigns, and you were left in charge by yourself? Either Brigadier Fernale, was an idiot, or you must really have your shit together to have earned that responsibility."

  "Sir, I was the senior Ensign, and I volunteered to take the duty."

  “And miss out on a Moon Elf wild debauchery; he must be newly Life Bonded, and his wife must be here.”

  "Your wife here, Ensign?"

  The Ensign looked startled. "Yes, Sir, she is one of the junior clerks, but how..?"

  Myst smiled mysteriously. “That's why I am an intelligence agent son, superior powers of observation.”

  " Ensign…?"

  "Greenbrier, Sir. 5th Ranger Regiment."

  The Ensign saluted, and passed them into the embassy grounds. They were led into the courtyard through a massive decorative wrought iron gate. The rest of the embassy’s security detail was stationed along the perimeter wall.

  Captain Elise Starwood was waiting for them in the embassy’s foyer. She saluted Myst, as they approached her.

  "Good morning, Colonel, welcome to Tuscan!"

  "I thought I told you to get us a boat in Port Orland," growled Moss," an
d what's with ya wearing captain’s rank?"

  "The promotion came last week, so I outrank you, dwarf," she stuck out her tongue at him. "As for the boats, there are none! Soon as the invasion started, all the sea captains set sail out of the port. I knew you would come through here, so this is where I came."

  Myst stepped forward, "That's not good news, but I'm glad to see you. Ambassador Kayla Morningstar, this is Captain Elise Starwood, one of my officers," Myst introduced the two elf lasses.

  "Now that's done, what's going on!" demanded Myst.

  "How much do you know," Elise asked?

  "Just that there's an Orc invasion, the capitals under siege, and there does not look like much of a response by the Moon Elves."

  "Ok. About a week ago, on Mid Winters Night, the Queen had the normal grand gala celebration. Everyone was there, including the Ambassador and all the senior embassy officials. Someone sabotaged the party, and half the palace was blown away."

  "Is Queen Alyn dead," interrupted Kayla.

  "No, but nearly everyone else in command is. It seems that just before the explosion, the Queen’s bodyguard activated a teleportation spell that was cast on the Queens throne. She was teleported to Castle Fontanni, the military command center."

  "What do we have at the embassy," Myst asked?

  "One company of Life Guards and a platoon of Hussars. They were left in the charge of an Ensign, albeit a reasonably competent one. I don't think much of the Brigadier that was running the show; such an act was highly irresponsible."

  "I agree, Elise, but what do you expect they would send to this back

  Water of civilization?"

  "That is not very amusing, Colonel," Kayla responded.

  "Oh, I forgot Ambassador. You were sent here before your current post," Myst smiled back at her.

  Elise interrupted the by play, "But we have another problem. No one left here has the ability to use the embassy’s communication gem. The Foreign Ministry and the I.S.S, don't know what has happened," Elise enlightened.

  "Elise, take Ambassador Morningstar to the senior embassy officer. As the highest ranking foreign service officer present, is now in charge. Get her to the communications gem, She can use it, and report the situation to the Ministry," Myst ordered. "And Elise, don't let Kayla out of your sight, her safety is the top priority."

  The two Elf lasses rushed up the stairway to the upper floors of the building. The rest of them waited as people rushed in and out in a hectic confusion that disasters tend to create.

  In what was only a half hour later, but felt much longer to Myst, the girls returned. Kayla looked grim and the news did not appear to be good.

  "I've passed on the information to the Foreign Minister, he was not happy to hear of the disaster in Tuscan. It seems that this is only one of the areas under attack. The Orcs have invaded the western disputed area, and have already seized the Kushian cities of Cozon and Noglus, Freeport is under siege, but they should be able to hold out. A Shadow Elf fleet is threatening Surin, and sinking all shipping in the area. I'm to report back in two hours for further instructions."

  "Well, let's find out more about what's happening here," suggested Myst. "Kayla and Elise will stay here. No augments Elise, that’s a direct order. The ambassador’s safety is your only concern. The rest of us can look about the city, be back in an hour and a half." Myst hurried through the streets of the city, he walked beneath the impossibly tall oaks, up a very lovely cobblestone boulevard, till it opened into a large round clearing. The clearing was nearly three hundred yards across, and in the center was the largest oak tree in the city, and that was indeed large. The field was covered in a lush, green fine short grass; it resembled a dwarf Ryegrass, only darker and richer looking. The Fairy Grass, as it was called, was indeed a magically created vegetation. The locals called the clearing, The Great Square, even though it was a circle and not a square, Moon Elves go figure.

  Myst had come from the west side; on the south side was the burnt out remains of the Royal Compound; on the north side of the square was Castle Fontanni. The castle was actually done in light grey stone and matched, er used to match to Royal Palace. Myst inquired at the castle, really not a very large castle as castles went, of where the military commander for the city was. The reasonably nervous guards, their city besieged by an Orc army after all, directed Myst to the city’s West Gate. Of course, the gate was back past the embassy, a mile or so in the opposite direction.

  So he turned around on the main boulevard, and wandered back the way he had come, until he reached the West gate. Myst noticed that the dark cobblestones were covered with oak leaves, all reddish brown or yellow; the trees here never seemed to lose all of their leaves, even in the dead of winter. Of course, winters were never really harsh, and this far south into the sub tropics they were milder than most places. Snow here was rare, one or two small snowfalls were the most they could expect each year, if that.

  Finally, he came to the city wall. It was a smooth gray stone about two stories high and half that wide. The road went through a large gatehouse, that towered above the cobblestones.

  A nervous young lieutenant lead Myst up to the top of the gatehouse watch tower, that rose four stories above the massive complex. From here, he could see the whole of the city’s west wall. The area around the wall had been cleared of trees and brush for about five hundred yards out; only well trimmed green grass covered the open field. Past the open area, woodland grew densely of live oak and southern pine, and rolling hills stretched off into the distance. Off to Myst's right, the large lake protected the flank. The Orcs would probably not try attacking that way. He was, not for the first time, thankful for the Orcs hatred of water!

  Looking up, Myst could not help but notice a massive banner that flew from a mast above the watchtower; the silver stag of Tuscan on a field of royal blue. Myst's guide lead him up to an elderly Elf, who wore the twin dragons of a senior general, on his uniform coat of dark blue and gold. The general had snow white hair that only comes to elves with the passing of more than seven hundred years. For all of his age, the general still looked formidable; strength of purpose and intelligence radiated from him.

  "Ah, Colonel Myst, welcome to the party. Come to see some ruddy good action."

  Myst saluted the general, "General Conalli, it’s good to see you again. Could you have one of your staff fill me in on the situation. My High Command is just hearing about your situation."

  "But of course, my boy. This is Brigadier General Verdune. He will take you to the map room and fill you in."

  Verdune was a tall Moon Elf about six foot two and one hundred ninety pounds or so, dark reddish brown hair cut short, and gray eyes. On his dark blue coat, he had the single silver dragon of a Brigadier General.

  "This is the situation, Colonel," the Moon Elf explained over a set of charts. "We believe that are two Orc armies, 50,000 troops each, are now setting up positions around this city to begin a siege. They arrived last night and are not yet ready to attack. Five more Orc Divisions ,12,000 troops each, are occupying the disputed zone, and are marching south on the city of Sais. They engaged our forces yesterday just north of Sais. We suffered a complete destruction of our forces, some Fourteen thousand Elves lost. We believe that we were betrayed. The Orcs knew of our defenses, and sabotage was evident in some of the defensive positions."

  "There are eight additional Orcish Brigade, 5,000 troops each, scattered south of the city, operation independently, but all heading in the direction of Colmar or Verdune. That makes 200,000 orcs that we know of; reports are that over a hundred thousand has also invaded Kush, more than four hundred and eighty thousand troops combined in both invasions," Verdun explained.

  "Do you know who the traitors are?"

  "Clan Killmara, without a doubt are the traitors, but where they are now, we don't know."

  "What's your force structure," Myst asked?

  "Our command and control was devastated in the explosion of the palace. We lost the War Lord a
nd all of the senior military staff, as well as most of our high mages, and the ability to communicate magically. The Queen has brought a few surviving retired generals out of retirement and promoted a number of junior officers. A week ago, General Conalli was tending the gardens on his plantation, and I was a supply Major..."

  "We have two infantry brigades, ten thousand troops, here defending the capital. We have one brigade of Cavalry somewhere in the hills above the city, where, we are not sure, and one Cavalry brigade east of town. Also a reserve army, about sixty four thousand troops, is forming in Port Orlands and one has just formed up in Colmair."

  Myst did the calculations in his head; about four full veteran Orc armies against two and a half Moon Elf militia armies, not good odds!

  “We had better get the hell out of the country as fast as possible.”

  A messenger approached the Moon Elf Brigadier and handed him a sealed letter. The Brigadier General read the letter and handed it to Myst.

  "Colonel Myst, the Queen has summoned you. This courier will take you directly there."

  "That was fast," Myst thought to himself, "only been here an hour and trouble. Wonder what the hell she wants?"

  Myst returned the salute the other officer gave him and followed the courier, apparently the general was still thinking as a Major, but Myst took being saluted by a general in stride, he will have to learn or die, the dying was more likely, Dara and its defenders were doomed... Back down the tower, and out onto the cobblestone avenue. It did not take long to get to the castle Fontanni’s military headquarters, and quickly he was taken up to an observation deck.

  CHAPTER 23

  The Queen of Tuscan and her staff stood around a large map table, and there also was Ambassador Kayla Morningstar, Captain Elise Starwood, and Zarra Alkirr. So much for staying put at the embassy like he told them to.

  Kayla did not even look guilty for running off without letting him know. Elise at least looked contrite and gave him a small shrug of helplessness. Zarra's expression was unreadable, but Myst had the impression that she was quite pleased about something.