This story is about a battalion leader close to the end of the enconblossa wars. His name was Forsaken and his two lieutenants were Miaka, a mage, and Ceasar, an archer. They had been together since they joined the patriarchal guard.

The day had started out as any other. I had been told that my troops and I were to protect the battaloons from any boarding enconblossa. When we got to Ecclesia everything changed. The Patriarch had told his clergy men that they were to spread the bad news. Regnier, an immortal leader of Hexter, had told the patriarch that we had a small possibility of returning. I, in turn, told my men that they should go and tell their families and loved ones goodbye and prepare for battle.

Once my men had said goodbye we headed to the advance base in the north by Nowart. The march was only a day and a half long, and was surprisingly peaceful. Orcs patrolled the paths incase any enconblossa decided to attack people fleeing for safety. When we got to the advance base we met up with one of my old friends from cadet school, Kendal. He was called to a war meeting and couldn't talk at the moment so our reunion was short lived.

After the war meeting Kendal found me and told me what it was about. The struggle had brought one big leader of Hexter to the advance base. Regnier had kept his distance since the beginning of the struggle. Him and his orcs have fought in the forest while everyone else was defending the castles and people. Regnier and some of his orcs were coming here help us with the fighting against Enconblossa himself.

After the conversation with Kendal a scout came running up. "A group of orcs have been seen on the horizon. They carry Regnier's banner."

"You're sure?" Forsaken asked.

"Yes sir. I can see Regnier himself in the front."

"Okay, I will alert His Holiness. Scout, ride to Ecclesia and tell the Patriarch that Regnier has arrived."

With that the scout took off. Meanwhile in the camp Regnier and his orcs were settling in. They were taking whatever food they needed and let their filthy pigs graze where ever they wanted. Some fights broke out between some of the orcs and the men at the base. Small but the orcs usually won, giving the men broke bones while they received bruises. Three days later the orcs were dominating the camp. They had their tents pitched in staggered lines and unoderly behavior was everywhere.

Then a sentry came down and reported seeing an Ecclesian banner. When I went up into his tower, sure enough, there was the Patriarch's banner riding towards us. As soon as the Patriarch rode into the came it became orderly. Everyone was quiet and moved out of his way.

After the Patriarch had set up his tent he called for a war meeting. Every commanding officer was required to go, even Regnier. Inside I found Kendal sitting off to the right of the Patriarch. In front of the Patriarch was Regnier. Once all the officers were inside the meeting began.

"So you all know what you are going to do tomorrow I presume? I will not let you fail. God will hear my prayers and he will answer them, this he has told me through a vision. You will ride to Enconblossa's resting place and finish him once and for all," said the Patriarch.

"Very touching," Puffed Regnier, "But some of the people going will probably not come back. I didn't hear you mention that in your little vision. In fact most of the men that go to fight Enconblossa will die."

"BLASPHEMY! You will be silent in my presence demon. The only reason you are not with your pigs is because…"

"Because I used to be a patriarchal guard, but for your reason because I am the only one to have ever gone into Enconblossa and come out. I was the first Patriarch's captain of the guard. Then he asked me to do the one thing none of my men would. Sacrifice myself to save the world from darkness." Regnier was now standing striding back and forth on the side of the tent. "I came back from that horrid world and I was ridiculed for being immortal. They said I shouldn't be here because I was an abomination against God himself." Regnier now realizing that he had broken off subject went back and sat down. "Once this war started and you wanted to get your greedy hands on the Holy Grounds I knew what was going to happen. You were going for the ancient heart I knew what would happen if you got it. It would mean that you and that rest of this pathetic world would come groveling to me. So I tried to prevent you from reaching the heart. So tell me what you have planned."

The Patriarch now speechless and mouth gaping regained his composure. "What we plan to do is use the bone dragon that you have flying around that base to break off the outer shell of Enconblossa. With that gone my men will fly on two battloons into the hole you will have made and destroy the creature from the inside. Does this suit your taste Regnier?"

"More than I thought it would have. Not as stupid as others. I must warn you thought that in doing this you risk more than just the one life that the Patriarch of my time did. You risk hundreds." With that Regnier left and prepared his orcs and the bone dragon for the battle to come.

"Men," said the Patriarch, "Prepare for battle."

We went outside and started to prepare our weapons. The walk to Enconblossa was long and would be through many canyons on both sides, which enconblossa spitters could be lurking.

The next morning everybody woke up early. Scared mostly, because this could be the last day some of them may see. My men and I were to assist Kendal's men on the way to Enconblossa. Staying back far enough that we couldn't be seen.

The first leg of the march was through a tight canyon. The walls were tall enough that it almost blocked out the sun. Kendal kept advancing forward and proceeded to keep order in the front. I looked up and noticed that if the enconblossa decided to have spitters attack then we would have nothing to defend ourselves from the bombardment.

"Sir," said Miaka, "Wouldn't it be wise to move around the canyon like Regnier is doing? It would be safer and we would then have room for our troops to move if we got attacked."
"Yes, that would be the case but the Patriarch doesn't trust that abomination. So we move straight while he moves around."

"So the Patriarch doesn't really care whether or not we make it out of this does he Sir?"
"Not rea…"

At that moment cries were heard from the front of the lines. Looking forward I noticed that Kendal's troops were under melee attack.

"Knights assist Kendal at once. Paladins assist with…"

"Sir," cried Ceasar, "spitters on the wall. They are shooting at Kendal's troops."

"Ceasar, have your men shoot at those spitters. I will lead my troop up and assist Kendal. Scout, run ahead and inform the archers that there are spitters up on the wall."

The scout ran forward and Ceasar's archers took aim at the spitters. The two troops of knights that charged forward into Kendal's group had just engaged with the enconblossa. Paladins were standing on the outside of the battle casting healing magic.
Then as Forsaken and his men joined the battle Kendal's archers began shooting at the spitters. Just after the archers changed targets more enconblossa came down off the wall toward the archers and paladins.

Meanwhile in the thick of the battle Forsaken had found Kendal. They were fighting back to back while enconblossa enclosed around them. Forsaken raised his sword as if to swing at an attacking enconblossa, but before the swing came the enconblossa lunged and missed. Bringing down his sword, Forsaken cut the tongue like appendage and then thrust his sword into its chest. It withered away and fell to the ground just as another one attacked. This time Forsaken was not ready and got caught in the side. He fell backwards and just when the enconblossa was about to strike Kendal brought his hammer down on the things head.

Kendal helped Forsaken to his feet and Forsaken looked around. The enconblossa had retreated and the battle was won. Reorganizing his troops Forsaken found that only seven of his men had died and two were wounded. Shortly after the paladins healed the wounded they were on the move again. The rally point to which the leaders had agreed on was just at the end of the canyon and everyone could see it.

Once at the rally point Kendal positioned sentries to keep an eye out for any enconblossa. Then about two hours later the battloons arrived. Kendal, Regnier, and Forsaken's men boarded the battloons and disembarked.

Up in the air the Forsaken could see that the bone dragon was already through the shell of Enconblossa. When the battloons flew through the hole they noticed that inside there was a tiny little mass hanging in the air.

"Target that piece of flesh. That should be the heart," yelled Forsaken.

The battloons' pilots sent the craft speeding toward the flash and bombarded it. Just as the lead balls hit it everything went dark inside Enconblossa.