From The Fire Within
In the mountain was cold and damp but it would suffice for a night or two. There was a
small tunnel that connect from outside into the cave, the was big enough for one man wide
and tall could fit. The tunnel ran for a quarter mile and opened into a small oval cave. Inside
this cave was a wounded warrior, about the age of twenty two. Blood gushed from his gut
where a sword sliced through his chainmail. He was the last one left of his own from the
onslaught earlier that night. He struggled to bandage himself, but his hands were too numb
from the cold temperature. His hands kept shaking and he kept dropping the bandage. He
knew he was destined to die, but the only thing he could do was close his eyes and fall
asleep.
While dreaming the terrain changed, and the warrior was back in the battlefield that he
escaped from. The field of green grass was soaked in blood, next to the field was a lake that
was in unison with the clouds. Both were moving lazily southwest towards the valley which
his perhail marched northeast to the field were the Rubaraak were setting up for their
assault on the perimeter of the Nalzaak Empire outpost. He stood in field feeling frostbite
creeping all around him, while a phoenix looked directly at him from across the lake. The
phoenix was urging him to follow, but he couldn't he had lost too much blood and could
barely stand up. Then the phoenix started flying towards the valley and the warrior,
numbingly, stumbled after it.
The phoenix lead him to the outpost's gate that stands fifty feet tall and seventy six feet long.
It is made out elesyium metal that successfully defended against the Rubaraak assault. After
that he collapsed to the ground in front of gate.
"Hey Pete! Someone is down there!" yelled the captain of the guard.
"Where?" asked Pete
"Right in front of the bloody gate! Are you blind?" the captain asked
"Oh Shut it" Pete replied. "Raise the gate" he ordered
"Sir" a guard called out
"What is it", "Henery?" asked Pete
"It's…" "It's Edward Sir, he is loosing blood as if it were a race" Henery replied
"Get the medical kit!" yelled the captain
"George get a table, Charlie help him" barked Pete as he ran down the metal staircase with
his armor clinking as he descended to ground. Edward opened his eyes and saw a swirl of
motion. He saw the gate opened and several guards around him. He couldn't believe it, he
thought it was a dream, but it was real and a real phoenix guided him here.
"MOVE, YOU IDIOTS LET THE DOCTOR THROUGH!" yelled the captain
"Oh shit" muttered the doctor. "Here give him this, it will keep his adrenaline going" he said
handing the vial to Pete. Pete opened Edward's mouth and poured the liquid in.
"AH!" Edward yelled feeling like he had just risen from the dead.
"SHIT!, keep him down and someone bring me a fresh towel we need to stop the Bleeding!"
barked the doctor. Then Edward started coughing and then gasping.
"It's alright son you're going to make it" "HEY KEEP PRESSURE ON THAT!" Pete yelled at
Charlie.
"You're not going to die on my watch" Pete muttered to himself. After that Edward slipped
into a coma.
He kept thinking about the battle, when Jake threw himself in front of Edward, also when
Tikiel his sergeant sliced in half. And the blood, there was so much blood on the field.
"Edward, we need you out at the seventh gate" Norshock Busca said.
"Alright, sir how many are there?" asked Edward.
"Five perhails" said the Norshock shakily
"They have never used so many at one gate!" exclaimed Edward.
"They have always been bold but two hundred and twenty five souls to one gate is insane'
commented the Norshock.
"Alright, I need three extra perhails and seven blasted cannons" Edward listed.
"Right away" said the Norshock leaving to get what was needed.
Ah damn, Edward thought to himself, as he walked out of the house of Norshocks. Passing
lines of armor, swords, and their most reliable weapon the extra-long recurve bow. They
made it out of elesyium metal and they have three arrows on their right leather boot and a
quiver of fifty on their side. This was the Valley dwellers most proficient weapon, and the
quiver was perfect. They could have it upside down and not a single arrow would fall out.
Edward grabbed his bundle and went into the changing room at the end of the hallway. He
changed into slacks with hunting boots, an elesyium hauluge over his tunic, arm and shin
guards, a breast plate. Then he slid his sword into the scabbard on his left, then a battle
knife, strapped his quiver and bow on his back then don on his Norshock helmet and left.
Outside and on the street was nice and warm. He walked past blacksmith's center smelling
the smoke of conquest, then headed past the training ground and found himself just a
quarter mile away from the seventh gate.
He ran slightly through the forest trail that started after the city's boundary line. He ran all
the way to gate entrance and waited for his troops and supplies that were about minute and
a half behind him because this was short notice.
"Hey, Ben how are we today?" Edward asked
"Oh we are good today sir" the captain replied.
"So, to business we are going create a half moon with the flame cannons" "We will set the
range to three hundred feet and load the explosive tipped arrows" Edward said
"Alright, HEY! You goons raise that bloody gate and come down here you idiots" Ben barked.
"Edward" his first lieutenant called out from behind.
"Ah so they're all set, move the blast cannons in half moon in position five" order Edward.
They moved the cannons three miles away from the gate.
"All right perhail one, you will be protecting the flame cannons, use your bows for crying out
loud don't dare let them close." "Two and three you will create three stations that create a
triangle and are eighty five feet apart. Each station will have thirty and front line will use
swords after three volleys and then put swords out. After that when they are within eighty
feet second line joins with first line and create a half moon." Edward order "I will be in lead
with station one" said Edward.
"Alright, men we are heavily outnumbered and I do not expect even myself to live but we
will drag as many of these DEMONS DOWN WITH US!" Edward yelled
"ARUH, ARUH, ARUH" chanted the three perhails. They all marched down a small slope
leaving the forest and marched three miles to a field which one of their scouts in their
network saw the rubaraak marching to this field to siege the gate.
"TO STATIONS!, TO STATIONS!" Edward commanded. Then from a distant rapid thuds rang
throughout the open field. They're here; ran through every valley dweller head at that
moment.
The seventh gate was in complete lockdown, all forty five archers had their arrows nocked,
the troops right next to the gate have their hands on their hilts. The outside guard was set,
but today they all felt something bad because the up the hill was the rubaraak but next to
field was a deep lake. Then it all started.
"FIRE, THE CANNONS!" Edward yelled. The cannons went off in unison seven explosive
tipped bolts shot out and pulverised the first perhail of the rubaraak. But after that good
feeling they all heard water splashing and three perhails of those two headed demons ran
out of order. Position three's troops swiveled and tried to stop the flanking attackers but they
got impaled. Position one with the flame cannons kept firing on the initial attack. Position
two moved close in running at initial attackers flanking them.
"Position three is DOWN!" yelled his sergeant yelled
"FRONT LINES PROTECT THE ARCHERS!" Edward yelled as he fired his twentieth arrow
into a rubaraak's chest . "REPORT!" he yelled
"TWO AND A HALF PERHAILS DOWN SIR!" Tikiel yelled as she engaged with two rubaraak
"POSITION X" Edward yelled then. Then positions one and two created a circle, just as the
flanking rubaraak came crashing into them. "OPERATING Tea..m" Edward said stunned the
entire operating team and archers were dead and they were completely surrounded. All four
perhails of rubaraak around them, it was one hundred and eighty to sixty. The rubaraak
were still looking at them and then as their custom was two choices; do what they want or
die. No one spoke because the rubaraak and the valley dwellers all knew what was the first
option; let them into the city. So Edward did the respectable thing, the impossible thing.
"FIGHT TO THE DEATH!" he yelled and then it turned into the a blur of swords and dead
bodies. Edward slashed and slashed but he it barely did a thing.
"AHH!" Tikiel yelled as got her arm sliced off, but then the unthinkable they sliced her from
between the legs all the way up. Guts and blood poured out hitting the ground.
"EDWARD!" his second in command yelled and jumped in front of Edward who was too
stunned by what happened to Tikiel, didn't see that a rubaraak was about to kill him. Jake
took the first sword in the heart and Edward took the second into his gut. He fell to the
ground and saw every last one of his comrades dead on the field. He just layed there and
closed his eyes. The rubaraak charged to the gate having a hundred and fifty six left. As a
dieing act the guard in control of the flame cannons had his men pour the bolts and lit a fire
about fifteen feet away. The little flame traveled across the field and ignited the bolts kill a
hundred of the rubaraak. The rest that made it got slaughtered to the arrows flying from the
top of the gate to fifty six charging rubaraak. The mess was horrific, bodies on the field with
enough blood to fill an entire lake. There was nothing left of the flame cannons. The
rubaraak in fury just ran blindly into the same direction of where the outside valley guards
came and were eventually met with a proper greeting of volleys and volleys of arrows.
Edward opened his eyes and looked around he saw a lake and then mountains, and lastly
looked behind himself he saw the trail. He tried rushing up but that only brought him pain.
He had been stabbed in the gut and a deep cut on his calf. This time he got up slowly and he
used his sword to help him get up. He wiped his face felt hot liquid and he looked down and
not just the one he used but both hands were covered in blood. The temperature was
dropping, he filled his lungs with fresh cold air, then he breathed out. He knew he couldn't
make the three mile march to the gate. In fear of death Edward looked around helplessly
and then he saw it there was a small cave entrance about a forty meters away. In pain he got
up and stumbled across the field, dragging his weakened body through pools of blood. The
entrance was small oval on the side of a mountain. It was made out of boulders and looked
like that might be an entrance of something that the rubaraak would make.
Edward was put in the hospital wing between the training area and armory. The streets
were deserted. The sun was just rising and a cast of fear over the troops, the rubaarak have
been growing bolder and their supply of elysium has been disappearing mysteriously. Even
with a tripled security in the mine at center of the military outpost. Orders from the capital
has grown for elysium metal but they just cannot supply the demand. The metal has to be
mined very deep in the earth and is exceptionally rare. The metal sucks out magic and is
very deadly to magical creatures. That is their hope against the outside dwellers. But with
these shortages only the Norshock have full suits of armor and weapons made of elysium.
The rest of all five outposts let the troops have breast plates and one sword made of it. The
mine is at the center of the outpost. There is a staircase for the guards and workers. A pulley
system of buckets and metallic rope hooked up to a motor. So it the metal is brought up
mechanically. the pulley system looks like a giant tube. Each bucket has a six foot radius and
is five feet deep. The metal is a strong metal but can melt easily at six hundred degrees
fahrenheit. The buckets are made of obsidian rock.
There was one way into the mine and the whole small building was made of elysium as a
precaution incase of an invasion into the outpost. The entrance building was a dome about
thirty foot radius and twenty-five feet tall. There was four windows near the top that had a
metal cover that could slide in case of an attack. There was five guards inside the dome, two
stationary at the entrance, and seven in patrol around the dome. These guards were called
Elites. They are all equipped with the same gear, full suit of armor, metallic mesh tunic that
ended at the waist. The mesh was skin tight and very flexible. They carried a vanjook and a
uax. The Elites are very uniquely mysterious type of soldier
"Hey where are you going! In the name of the law STOP!" said a guard
Vigor turning around smiling at the guard.
"You think you can uphold the law, petty guard" Vigor replied mocking him
"You attacked the CONSUL! That is a criminal offense!" barked the consul guard
At that moment Vigor lifted both his hands and froze the consul guard. Vigor left the Consul
building entering the Gonvu city square. Vigor was six foot exactly, tan, broad shouldered,
very muscular, sharp looks, kept black beard, with medium wavy black hair. He was
wearing black leather boots and pants. silver breastplate, a light grey cloth shirt underneath,
and a black cloak. As he was leaving he was confronted by a mysterious woman wearing an
olive cloak.
"Natural, Grim requests your presence" said the woman in a conspicuous tone.
"Melva, how many times do I have to remind you" sighing Vigor pulled out a strange white
clear stone, tossing it to Melva.
"I won't be apart of your cult, I do things my way and only my way" Vigor said brushing past
her
"Please do it for me, I love you" she said whispering to him. Vigor stopped dead in his tracks,
turning around and looking at her.
"Melva do you know how long I was waiting for you to say that to me?" he asked softly
walking towards her.
"Too long" She responded.
Walking closer to him and at that moment a perhail of soldiers came rushing down the city
square. The two look over at the guards and Vigor withdrawn his sword.
"Melva leave, return to Grim and tell him that I will think about his offer" he said looking
passionately at Melva.
"Okay" she whimpered and ran down the alley.
Vigor looked at the guards and he admired how quickly the people dispersed. Forty-five to
one, is this a joke Vigor thought to himself. The guards splitted up into nine squads of five
that were in a very loose circle around one Elite.
"You are under arrest for the Royal Massacre" the Elite's voice boomed.
"Well this is a real surprise to see you lot here, so tell me who did I kill this time so your
emperor can dissect me" Vigor sarcastically speaking
"How dare you say that, your mouth is full lies" the Elite, speaking in a very angry voice.
Vigor walked closer to them with his sword at his side. The edge of the sword were glowing
slightly blue.
"You know that the only people that I have killed are the ones who want to kill me" Vigor
said more sternly.
"And I will gladly show you on how I do it" he spat out.
"CHARGE!" yelled the Elite, pulling out two one handed swords that were glowing faintly
yellow.
Vigor got in a ready stance and took on the first five. He thrusted into the first soldier
completely freezing him. Flipping over him and slicing the head of the archer, frozen blood
hitting ground . Vigor deflected the three blades that suddenly struck their freshly frozen
comrade. Time seemed as if it had just stopped the other four squads. The Elite was
speechless under his helmet. Ice was running from the tip of their blades to halfway up their
swords when they struck the archer. The three left of the engaged squad backed away
leaving their swords attached to the archer.
"Wha...Wha….What are you?" whimpered one of the soldier
"Your worst nightmare" Vigor replied sinisterly.
After that, Vigor sprinted and slid to the soldier to his left cutting off the man's leg leaving
him frozen solid. Getting up and throws his sword into the chest of the one across from him.
Vigor running freezes the last one with his hand and retrieves his sword. All of the squads
had rushed to cover the exits; just leaving Vigor and the Elite,
"Alright, you want a challenge then verse me" said the Elite.
"I will have to accept your challenge then" Vigor replied.
After saying that, the two charged at each other. Ice and frosty air was following Vigor as
electricity was following the Elite. The second the two clashed their weapons; an epic battle
erupted. As sparks flied, ice immediately followed. The Elite slid Vigor's sword out of the way
and right hooked Vigor. In the jaw with a fist made of electricity and afterward the Elite's
hand had started to freeze.
"Uhh!" Vigor grunted stumbling back.
As he did that Vigor shot ice at the Elite's helmet freezing it. Gaining his balance back Vigor
kick the Elite in the chest sending him the ground.
"AH!" yelled the Elite feeling his whole body getting colder.
As the Elite hit the ground his helmet shattered. Vigor walked over to the Elite and suddenly
recognized the man on the ground.
"Kane?" Vigor said dumbfounded, as he said this the Elite raised both hands and shot Vigor
in chest and neck with electricity.
"AHH! AHH!" Vigor screamed in pain as electricity ran throughout his whole body.
Vigor and the Elite both fell unconscious. As Vigor collapsed to the ground he could only
think of, was that really Kane and Melva. The citizens all looked astounded inside their
homes and shops. They had never seen magic inside the wall before and this moment broke
that long streak.
Who was that man and how did he know my name? Why can't I remember anything about
him?
When they were being carried through the streets people watched in horror including
Melva. Melva had blended into the city very well considering her cloak was the same color
as the city. Gonvu is one of three main cities of the Nalzaak empire and each city's buildings
and walls are made completely made of elesyium. Elesyium stops magic and distorts magical
beings. Melva went into the the street that the guards had went down. She froze in horror
remembering what Grim had said to her. "If anything happens to either of them, I shall add
your skull to be part of my throne."