Elederia: A Dark Fate

Burning Morning

Brennen and the other three saw Evbare's performance. It was something to watch and marvel at. They jumped to the branches of a lower tree closer to the western end of the forest to get a much closer view at the gate of Fort Hanning. I-am's army had completely moved out of the forest. Brennen inhaled deeply and breathe out smoke. 

"You won't be able to get a clean shot from here," The last man who hasn't spoken since they arrive said. "Isn't that why you are here? To make sure it hits," Brennen said without looking at him, " but then its a fireball, it doesn't have to be on point. If you could stop an arrow from that distance, I'm sure a fireball should be piece of cake." Brennen pointed with his head, showing the distance from where Gaze's arrow was stopped from impaling Evbare's eye.

"Did he just compare a mega fireball to a random arrow?" Kristall asked no one in particular. Brennen extended his hand forward and fire begin to grow two metres away from them, "You don't use incantations, do you? Brennen" 

"I don't … need them, but there is one," Brennen he increased the grip in his muscles and the fireball grew bigger and brighter, they could feel the heat on their faces. He pushed it with both hands. It was guided towards the gate.

"Erenflair!" Bellvot called. Five members of the Erenflair family assembled on the archer's stand above the gate. They stretched one of their hands above the other, " nullius minuat," and clapped them together. The clap diminished the fire but Brennen inhaled harder and it grew back a fairly large portion, before it blasted the gate.

The wave of the blast struck the men behind the gates. There was a hole in the thirty one foot tall gate. The hole was big enough for the salmouths to creep in. "Man the gates, Assembled," Commander Fisher charged his men. 

They reassembled and took positions and waited for the enemy. They rushed in much faster and disorderly than any of them expected. 

Akoni took a deep breath and put on his greathelm. He was standing on a flyover close to the gate. He charged with magic cards activated in his hands and threw them on the invaders.

They exploded like fire works. He landed on a big one's head and removed his sword from his sheath and drove his sword into it's skull. He pressed a lightning card and threw above the heads and the card served as a cloud and brought down lightning until the white flame burned completely. He was impressed with himself, he hasn't used his shadow magic yet.

A big shadow covered the light, he rolled out it's attack range. The rinorc dragged it's axe on the ground and lifted it, charging towards other soldiers in his sight. It removed them from it's path like ping pong. The last man dropped on Akoni as he tried to get away from the rinorc sight.

They bounced and rolled towards the halls that had children in them. Akoni was out for a bit, his head ringed, he could hear the screams of the children and tried to reach for his sword but could not get hold of it, "Not again," He looked forward and saw the rinorc preparing for another round. He exhaled and extended his left hand, the shadow bow formed slowly and parts where breaking and reforming. "Come on," he struggled to stable the bow.

The rinorc charged and got closer and ready to smash his head when he closed his eyes tightly and fired the arrow. The arrow removed the rinorc's left hand and part of it's chest. The force of the arrow made it stagger back and screamed loudly. "Yeah! Alright," Akoni exclaimed. His bow was now stable, he was about to fire another shot. Dune came from behind and smote it's leg, then it's right hand and finally cleaving the head. "Oh come on, where's the fun in that? He was mine," Akoni shouted slightly angry. He dropped his hand and his shadow bow disappeared, dramatically

"Nah, I've got my eye on him since. Nice bow by the way." His complement failed to make Akoni less angered or pleased.

******

Inside the fort, the women, children and old men were locked in guarded halls. The mothers hushed their children from crying. Nosagie opened the doors and it caused a little panic among them. "Please do not worry," he urged them. His eyes caught a young boy sitting alone in a corner, an orphan perhaps.

"Where are your parents? Boy" he sat near the boy. "Dead," the boy answered in his almost tiny voice. Nosagie rubbed the boy's head. "Do you want to hear a story?" Nosagie asked the boy.  

"Yes." The boy retorted. 

"Mmm - hmm… many many years ago, there was a civil war between mages. Some of the members of the Erenflair family were cornered in a cave by Fifty Level 80's mage from the East." 

"Wow! Did they die?"

"Patience little one. The cave was constantly attacked, the men and women of Erenflair could not fight back, because they were exhausted and had no juice left. And then!" Nosagie sprang on his feet.

"A black bird covered the sky, what is it? The wizards wondered. Is it a vulture? an Eagle? No! It came closer and behold it was a Dragon." He shouted with suspense. The women and children around him became interested in his story soon all those who could hear him listened.

"The head of the house of Erenflair rode a Grand Dragon and it engulfed the enemies of his family in flames. Coming wave after wave. The mages from East retreated while burning. And thus, the Erenflairs were saved and unharmed. Victory was theirs as Victory will be ours today." Nosagie shouted walking in their midst. "Yeah!" The people echoed.

"No man, woman or child in this hall will fall today," 

"Yes! Aye sir," 

"For by morrow, the drums will play and the bells will ring and a song we'll sing." Nosagie shouted dramatically, his arms wide apart , staff in his left hand. 

"Yeah!!!" The people shouted, their confidence restored to them, the fear turned to joy. "What is your name little one?" Nosagie asked the boy. "Dunkel Sir," "Dunkel, fear not for it shall be well." Nosagie assured.

******

Obebo was in a room close to the fifth tower. He sat there alone. He could hear the screams and fire blasts and feel the shocks.

"Obebo," Nosagie called him. He didn't answer his name. "They've breached the gate. Fort hanning is in chaos." 

"I told you this was a bad plan," Obebo frowned.

"Yes, you did. But we need to be out there. There is no mage in Fort hanning that is more powerful than the both of us."

"There is no mage in Eden that is more powerful than the both of us," Obebo sounded high spirited. Nosagie smiled hearing his words. "Oh, I see what you did there," Obebo stood up from his chair. "Well it worked, didn't it?" 

"Such flattery on my ego won't work next time," Obebo hit his staff on the ground. "How long has it been?" He asked Nosagie. 

"Too long,"

******

The men held the horde from storming the inner gates of the Fort. Earth mages erected extra stone walls to cover the gates.

"There's too many of them in the Fort. Somebody give me fire!" Bellvot called in confusion. Berry stood on the stand where the first members stood. She whispered a short incantation. She exhaled slowly, hearing herself breathe, she placed both hands on the stone rail and breathed down fire on her enemies outside the gate. 

"Now that's impressive. Looks like you've got some competition Brennen," Kristall laughed mockingly. "The shadow user is no show today, I was really looking forward to seeing him." Stark said. "He must be keeping a low profile, but at this rate it doesn't make sense," Brennen said with his eyes still fixated on fire breathing Berry.

She stopped after ninety seconds. New record for her. Okunhon helped her to rest close to a tower where Evbare had laid waste to. Berry tried to catch her breathe, "You can still do one of those right?" Okunhon was impressed. "Sure let me catch my breathe first," Berry smiled. An obvious joke. She knew she had exhausted too much juice. Something on her right caught her interest. The smile got bigger, "It's it , it's them, ha!" She was still looking at them. Okunhon looked too. 

Obebo was walking on midair. Strong winds enveloped him. He held his staff in his left hand. His eyes were dark like the clouds during a thunderstorm. Nosagie levitated from the ground to the same level as Obebo. As he rose up, lightning bolts descended from the sky. In an instant they killed all the monsters inside the Fort. 

They continued outside the walls. "Descend," They both landed with lightning and storm in the middle of the salmouths. "Fulgur circulus portas", " ventrus ferrum circulus portas" they both incanted respectively. Two circle gates opened and brought lightning and strong wind blades killing the salmouths and rinorcs around them.

"The flying wizards," Kristall and Berry said simultaneously.

"Nosagie The Lightning and Obebo The ThunderStorm. Also known as Thunderstorm and Lightning." Kristall chuckled. "I'd never thought I'd see them with my own eyes." 

They heard a large noise behind them. Commander Bill's company had arrived. They sang a song as the drums were played.

"

The Motherland is Gracious,

Our Fatherland is Strong,

The waters bend to please her,

The nations all adore her,

The beauty of her Havens,

The sweet smell of her meadows,

The day will come when we'll sing,

Of her greatness and We all shout, FOR EDEN!"

The men charged and yelled with burning anger and sweat, their spears ramming every monster that stood in their path. Others rode back to confirm that they were dead. The men in the fort took advantage of their enemy's confusion and attacked. 

"Oh s**t! An ambush. We walked right into their trap." Brennen complained.

"I guess this is where we vanish." The last man told the others.

"Certainly," Stark supported. He jumped down from the tree.

"We can still take them" Brennen reassured the other two. 

"Not with those two there. Let's not forget your shadow user. He was in no show," Kristall said before vanishing out of sight.

"Evbare is capable of taking care of herself," the last man also jumped down. Brennen reluctantly followed. 

Akoni's energy blasts, married the heads of the salmouths, as many as he could reach. Swing, stab and stick, the sword and spear of Dune and Bullock were coated in blood and gut. Arrows rained on the salmouths like the holy ghost.

Fate sided with them this one time. Victory was theirs, today but not forever. The dark fate that awaits all can bend the will of the bravest warrior and humble even the greatest of kings.