Chapter One

The runner breathed in and out quickly as he emerged from the towering stalks of corn. He had not time to rest as a swing of a blade came at him. With a quick side step, he avoiding the curved blade and delivered a sweeping punch to his assailant's face. His assailant, which he found out to be an Orc, growled in anger. The runner then drew his iron longsword and cleaved his opponent's head clean off. As soon as the beast fell to the ground, a voice called "Captain Bleda has entered the field!" A wave of cheers erupted across the battlefield that the runner finally beheld. Orcs and Goblins combated a force of Men. Bleda drew his sword up and vaulted forward into the fray, assisting his comrades against their foe.

"Report!" Bleda called out as he fought of a Goblin.

"Sir!" A soldier next to him spoke. "Colonel Lentonious is dead and we've taken 15% percent casualties! These bastards have really put a hurting on us!" The soldier drove a spear in the gullet of an Orc before speaking again. "Where the hell have you been?"

Bleda ducked beneath an Orc mace before driving his sword into his attacker's neck. "Tracking down General Van Dona." He spun around ninety degrees and swept his longsword into a Goblin's chest. "Needless to say, he's nowhere to be seen."

The soldier avoided an arrow shot from a Goblin archer. "Well, we still have our job to do here. We can't let these foul beings get past the watchtower. The whole village is depending on us!"

Bleda nodded. "What's the plan, Sergeant Kilian?"

Kilian threw his spear into an Orc Berserker before drawing his two short swords. "The company is now under your command."

Bleda rescued a fellow soldier from the swipe of an Orc claymore before responding. "Push forward! After this last wave, I want an immediate counter charge!"

Kilian did not so much as argue. "Consider it done, Captain!" He then returned into the fray, taking out another two Goblins.

Bleda was glad to have a capable officer like Kilian in the company. Their orders were to protect the village from a force of rogue Orcs that had allied themselves with a tribe of Goblins. Their main target was a small, non-descript village that had an over abundance of iron ore that was ripe for the taking. However, since the village fell under Imperial jurisdiction, the Legion was not about to let it fall. Not just because it was an asset to the Empire, but because of the ideal of the matter. They were Imperial citizens, and as such must be protected at all costs. That is how Bleda felt and that is how he expected the rest of his soldiers to feel.

The current wave of opponents finally broke and ran, at which point Bleda barked "Men, rally! Line formation, triple rank! On the double!" It took only seconds for the highly trained warriors to assemble in a professional fashion. "Soldiers..." He raised his sword high. "Charge!"

A loud wave of war cries and shouts echoed throughout the battlefield as the Imperial Legion company charged forward towards the reforming army of Orcs and Goblins. Bleda was at the forefront, he blade at his side as he kept up his mad dash, all the way down the gentle slope and right into the enemy's lines. Metal met metal as the clanging of weapons and armor re-sounded. Bleda was a fierce figure, his longsword driving home killing blows into his adversaries. The fighting for the next few minutes was fierce, but in the end, it was the Imperials who emerged victorious. Not a single Orc or Goblin remained standing. Bleda, dripping with blood and gore, raised his sword high and cried out "Doryah!" as the rest of the soldiers cheered "Hurrah!"

Bleda left the battlefield and found a nearby river to clean up in. The cold, clean water felt refreshing on his face. He had literally been running all day, and then with the recent fight, fatigue had finally caught up with him. After rinsing off his face and cleaning off his armor, he collapsed on the cool grass and stared up into the sky. The warrior closed his eyes and allowed the sun to warm his skin. He felt at peace.

Unfortunately for Bleda, that peace was interrupted when Sergeant Kilian stood over him. "I don't mean to disturb you, Captain, but General Van Dona has arrived."

Bleda's peaceful demeanor turned sour as the general strode up towards the two soldiers, dressed in very flashy attire, only becoming of an armchair general and not a warrior. "Ah, Bleda Koradis. I wanted to congratulate you on your victory here."

Bleda shrugged. "It wasn't me, but the men sir. Besides, thanks to the fact that you didn't show up in time, Colonel Lentonious is dead and we suffered more casualties than was needed."

Van Dona bellowed. "Now, Captain, must we always have this air of animosity between us? Besides, I was held us as well."

Kilian scoffed. "Like where, the local tavern? Or perhaps it was the brothel this time."

While Bleda inwardly smiled at Kilian's remark, he knew his friend had gone too far. There was a fine line between stating the obvious and making bold, even if they were warranted, accusations.

Van Dona only grinned. "Good thing I like the Mountain Wolf Company. Otherwise, I would have taken your head for that."

Kilian darkly smiled. "My apologies, General." The statement was of the upmost sarcasm.

Van Dona took a deep breath. "As much as I enjoy these verbal jousts, that is not the reason I wish to see you. Captain Bleda, we have an urgent mission that require a man of your skill and a company of your renown.

Bleda nodded. "What's the situation, General?"

General Van Dona motioned over to where his soldiers had already begun to set up camp. As they walked, he began "You know of Farpoint Keep. It has always been a symbol of hope and a bastion of security for the Legion. Now, it is a target for a rogue element within the Legion."

Bleda halted his walk. "Excuse me?
Van Dona nodded grimly. "Yes, you've heard the rumors before. Now it is only confirmed."

Bleda shook his head in disbelief. For months there were rumors drifting around the darker places of Tamriel, claiming that one General Ardonius was rallying support to his cause. He claimed that the foundations of the Legion had grown corrupt, and that a time of purging was upon them. Though many people may have actually believed his tales, no dared mention public support for it. All that seemed to have changed. Bleda turned towards Van Dona, any strife between the two disappearing on his part. "What needs to be done, sir?"

Van Dona led him over to a table that already had a map drawn out on it. "You will take the Mountain Wolves and fortify your positions at Farpoint. I will take my army and Join General Tarkus at the base of the cliff in front of Farpoint. Together, we hope our two armies can repel Ardonius. However, make sure that your defenses are foolproof, as we are sure some of Ardonius' men will break through our lines and try to take Farpoint."

Bleda looked over at Kilian, who merely nodded. Bleda did not like the outlook of things. From the statistics already displayed on the map, General Ardonius still outnumbered the combined strength of Tarkus and Van Dona three-to-one. "Are you certain you can repel them?"

Van Dona shook his head. "We have to." He sighed. "If Farpoint falls, then the Imperial Legion will fall under Ardonius command. That must not happen."