novelxo Chapter Chapter Twenty Six
The couple never did get their honeymoon for soon after the wedding the wars began in earnest. It was but a mere week after the wedding that the first battle occurred before the very walls of the Dark Knight’s city. Great bands of men and reptilians attacked aided by packs of werewolves and vampires. Trolls dotted the battlefield fighting for the werewolves and vampires, keeping their distance from the reptilians that ferociously tore into the men, dwarves, elves, and draconians of Tanis’s army.
Wave after wave attacked the defenders of the city and were repelled again and again. The Tyris joined the fray and managed to assist in driving back and destroying a small portion of the trolls that had joined against the forces of Good.
Again and again the battle grew in fierceness then waned. It would grow then wane. Finally it appeared that the men and their allies had defeated the attackers. The men pushing their enemies further and further back from the city. Just as they thought the final blows were being struck, the next wave appeared.
This wave was different than the ones that the allies had faced before. This wave included minor demons and firedrakes. The firedrakes called themselves dragons at one time but were cast from the species by the other dragons. The firedrakes were not as smart as their cousins the dragons and they had no sense of justice or compassion. The firedrakes killed for fun and pleasure, not to survive.
So on came the firedrakes and minor demons. The already tired and battle weary soldiers of the city fell back to the walls of the city and were pushed hard to keep the invaders out. The last few of the city’s reserves flew to the fight but soon it looked as if they too would be overrun. With certain victory now appearing to be in the hands of the enemy, once more the enemy pushed the downtrodden defenders. From the sky above came a sudden shrill call. Looking up into the sky showed that help for the allies had arrived in the form of the gargoyles and their allies the giant rocs. The rocs were great eagles that measured enormously in size and girth. These seven or eight hundred pound eagles could sever the neck of a dragon with a single well placed bite. Their talons could tear through the strongest steel plate.
Once more the battle turned and soon the firedrakes and demons were the ones in flight. Sensing a lull in the fighting Tanis sent out a pair of rangers from the Tyris to scout the enemy and try to discern their next intention. Tanis had suffered a large slash early in the fighting and was been treated by the healers when word of the rangers’ return reached him. Trying to move from the healer’s tent, Tanis was stopped and restrained by members of his own guard and his wife. Athinina had been in the thickest of the fighting and was completely unharmed. Tanis could only look at her in wonder and try to determine what kind of power looked over her like a cloud.
The rangers flew into the tent and stood before the table Tanis had been wrestled down to. It had the air of a bit of poor timing for the rangers, walking in with the Lord’s wife resting upon him in a rather unseemly way. Tanis bid them to give their report and to disregard the performance going on before them. He assured them that it was definitely not what they believed it to be. The new Lady of the land simple wished to prevent him from further harming himself. Tanis blushed as the rangers turn their backs on the couple. “This is not the way it appears!” He cried to those in the tent.
The rangers merely snickered as he protested. Athinina smiled knowingly as the rangers finally moved into a position where they could give their reports. This caused even more red faces and even more laughter as the rangers moved quickly to have their backs to the pair. “Please give me your word good people. Please I need to know what information you bring here. What have you seen? Is it over or are more on their way?” Said Tanis to the rangers.
“My lord, the enemy moves from the lands of darkness to the fields of Gennii. They seek to set camp in our sacred fields. They come from the three major dread lords left alive. I fear this may be the battle that we have been waiting for. Thousands of men, firedrakes, demons, and dark creatures flood onto the plains daily. We watched the approach and we have seen more clans present than I have ever thought to see in one place. The dark world comes to war!” Said the first of the rangers.
“My lord, the news is as bad from all directions. They are coming. They move with an efficiency I have never before seen. It may be a very short time before more attack.” Said the second ranger.
“Thank you for your information. I will debate on what should be done. Artitous and Athinina, please come to me here. I have a large favor to ask of the two of you. I need you to travel north to the lair of the great wyrm. Tell him I need all the dragons that can be mustered. Artitous I ask that you go to the gargoyles and see to it they are moving. Marzioa, I need you to see to the draconians. I will muster and lead the main body already assembled. It will be up to me to see that this battle is fought well and to hold until our full might may lend us victory. Go to your respective assignments and bring these warriors to our aid. We need this more than a few more capable warriors on the front lines. No arguments from anyone. Just go. We all have our assignments. Go!” said Tanis as he managed to move himself from beneath his wife. Already he had documents and maps being brought to him. Tanis was pouring over them when a sound filtered into his hearing.
“I already sent you all out on your errands. What do you need?” Asked Tanis as the flap closed behind the figure entering the tent. “I come to speak to you, Lord Tanis Thalin. Son of the Lord McCryden and the local flip skirt. This is the young bull and wizard we are to fear? I never suspected a mere child would claim so many of the others. You are what, twenty or thirty summers? My god, at this time in my life I was just starting magic. The dark power is a strange bedfellow I will warn you. It promises great things and delivers. Have no doubts about that, it delivers, but it also comes as a great price. Only the strong are able to pay that price. To make themselves strong enough to face a true dark sorcerer. It is the dark power that makes us strong you know. I can teach you this power. It will prevent you from growing old. It will protect you from harm. All it demands is blood. The blood of your family. All you need do is ask and I will teach you the ways and means of this dark magic. I will teach you how to destroy your enemies with a wave of your hand. All you need do is bow!” said the robed figure.
“I have recently injured my knee, so pardon me if I do not kneel at your feet. I fear I have stretched my neck as well, for it will not bend to bribery. I know what your dark sorcery can do, for I have seen it. I also have no desire to see it again. Tell me, how long did you plan on waiting to reveal yourself? Did you feel that waiting until now would help your cause? Tell me what have you gained from your charade? You hide amongst us and act as if you are one of us. You believe we allow you information that may alter the final event that is to come to pass. I know you have found the storeroom. I also know that you know the prophecies of the Phoenix. The final battle is not ours, but much further down the road. Maybe our heirs will be the ones to settle this? So do you wish to lower your veil now or do you wish your face revealed after one of us is dead?” asked the Lord of the Land.
“You believe you know so much. I offer again this great gift. You have no other options than join me or die. So what is your choice? You are immortal, and yet you would throw it away for these things? Join me. Give me your gift and I will ensure that you are raised high in the dark legions. This is not instant, unlike these foolish beings. You start at the bottom and work your way up. In a few hundred years you may even be the top dog. But for now, do you live with me, or do you die alone for these things?” asked the cloaked figure.
“To think I counted you amongst my friends and advisors. You believe that you control me? You believe that you have the power to force my hand? I have not shown my power. If you seek to see power never doubt that I will dispense it without fear upon my enemies. I will give you the option now, stand with us against these hordes and assist us in their destruction. Or stand against me, and be destroyed with them, Clairine. Won’t your mistress miss your services one way or the other?” asked Tanis. His voice trailing to a whisper as he spoke her name and turned to face his adversary. He drew his sword and moved toward the standing form of the maid. “You killed my father. You killed all of those close to me. The Dark Knight and Lord McCryden both answered to you. You killed those whom you believed to be of most threat, yet you never came close enough to Artitous or myself to allow us to see the real you. Did you think we did not know? How long did you think to conceal your true form from all of us? Are you planning on running now or maybe attacking me and hoping that you may overpower me? You may start a battle that was foretold by that seer so many years ago and see either a new beginning or an end to our world. The choice is now yours. A new battle or a lasting peace. Choose well, for your choice now will decide the fate of our world. Whoever wins this battle will rule this world in its entirety. Choose and let us be done with the games and the charades.” Said Tanis.
“Choose you say. View my true form and then I will give you my choice. War is here. Now I tell you. View my true form then hear my choice.” Said Clairine. As she spoke the maid suddenly swelled and became larger and more muscled. Horns sprouted from her head and wings from her back. The woman’s face distorted and changed to that of the monster within. As she changed she grew larger and larger until the tent no longer was able to conceal the events within it. Flinging her arms into the air Clairine threw the remains of the tent to the ground and shouted to all those around her, “Hear me forces of the light. For too long my people have been imprisoned and enslaved by those who knew the ways of our kind. Now is the time of freedom for all demons and those that follow and revere us. Those who follow the ways of justice and goodness will now feel the yoke of our reign. I say to you all, take up your arms! The battle is upon you and I will see to the destruction of all that oppose the forces of evil.”
With that the demon produced a blade of flame and attacked the smaller form of the man at her feet. Tanis met stroke for stroke every move the demon made. Potiutios, the greatest of the demons, moved harder and harder toward the leader of the free world. Tanis moved side to side using his speed and agility to stay out of the range of the greater demon’s reach. As the fight began with the demon, a great roar came from the surrounding forest. More demons poured from the trees assisted by those that have chosen to follow the fell beasts. Firedrakes and trolls burst onto the fields and tore into the defenders trying to prepare for the battle. The forces of evil and the forces of good moved back and forth along the field pushing to keep and protect their respective leader. Each battle seemed tied to the other. As Tanis gained the upper hand and pushed back the great evil, evil retreated and lost ground to the defenders of the light. As Tanis fell back to regroup and regain his composure so too did the forces of the light.
Back and forth the two parties moved up and down the field. As the battle progressed more warriors from both sides of the battle arrived. Dragons suddenly dived down and attacked the demons form the air, while the horned winged harpies attacked them. Draconians fought the men and firedrakes fending off the miniature dragons preventing them from attacking the men and elves. As more troops on both sides of the battle arrived the battle escaladed and more combatants on both sides fell.
Tanis threw his shield to the ground and drew the Holy Avenger. Both blades sung as they attacked the now tiring demon. Tanis also felt the fatigue settle upon him. Knowing that the battle between the two of them was nearing completion, Tanis moved suddenly into the attacking demon’s path. Caught unaware the demon raised its blade to finally finish the young druid that had harassed and challenged it so. Potiutios moved to finish the young attacker and felt the burns of the other’s attack. She moved forward trying to gain her footing again and tried to spread her wings as she felt the pinch of the second attack. The wings on her back refused to move as she commanded. Again she tried to launch herself into the air and again her wings refused to respond.
Tanis was struck as he moved in to finish the dark lord, tearing the meat of his arm so deeply he nearly lost the Holy Avenger. As the arm failed from its wound it fell and tore away the wings from the fell beast. Both combatants severely wounded they paused and looked around them. Rings went forth from them of the dead and dying. Fighting was still erupting were the living found the living. Everywhere the two warriors looked they saw dead and destruction. The great demon looked down at Tanis and smiled. It raised its arm and swiped Tanis through the middle sending him to the ground. Like a spider the demon pounced on the fallen form of the man. Potiutios hoped to finally finish the creature that had caused it so much pain and suffering.
As Tanis watched the fell beast falling upon him he realized that he could not keep the beast from finishing him this time. He watched in slow motion as the beast jumped upon his prone body. His reaction was to lift the Warmonger toward the demon as it crashed down upon him. He felt the blade bite into the body of his foe as he felt his enemy’s weapon bite into his chest. Tanis hoped his blade had caused the wound his enemy had caused him. Tanis fought to stand and found his body not responding. He tried to move his head and found it impossible. As the world began to fade he saw a figure approach him.
The hooded figure looked down at him the figure came into focus as the rest of the world faded. The face that looked down at him suddenly relieved his fears and worries. His dear Charina’s face stared down at him from the cowls of the robes. Charina reached down a hand and took his hands in hers, “It is time my love.” said the apparition before him. “Do not fear, your wife and your children will continue where you have finished. It is time for you to rest now. You have done your part. Your children wait for your coming. It will fill your son with pride when he hears of your deeds this day.”
“My children? I have had no more children since our children. To whom to you refer?” asked Tanis.
“She never told you? She is pregnant. She will bear you twin sons before the year ends. They will be the ones to continue where you have finished. Now come. You will be reunited with them all in time and we will all celebrate the world you have created and the peace you have begun.” Said Charina.
“Will this hurt?” whispered Tanis as the world once more faded from grey to black.
“Never again my love.” Replied Charina as her face faded and disappeared.
Artitous made it back to the battle in time to see the final blows of the battle between the great lords of this world. The great demon fell upon his master only to find his blade waiting and his own life expired. Rushing to his master’s side he realized that his master no longer was here. The two had finished each other. Looking around he saw that the battle was over. Both sides had suffered great losses but the forces of the light still had a leader. The forces of darkness had fallen away and dissolved with the coming day. He felt the world moving from the darkness that had enshrouded it to the new day.
It was over. They had won but the cost had been extreme. The lord of the world lay dead, as did most of the armies of the world. The great demon and most of his legions lay dead, and again there were none to move into the void created by their loss. The side of light had won. The war was over. He sat down and prepared a fire to perform the rites of seeing. As the flame moved and grew he looked deep within and his breath caught. It was not finished. Just a pause, for now.
A new battle was coming. A new war was coming. His family now ruled this world, but now they would be forced to keep that rule. It would not happen tomorrow. But the time was coming. Artitous looked down at the flame and smiled, he still had much to do.