DISCLAIMER: I don't own a damn thing!
Black Fortress, Kingdom of Garan
TERRITORY OF THE DARK QUEEN
Initially, Grievous didn't plan on interacting with the savages of this undiscovered world after his capital ship crashed in a nearby mountain range a few nights ago. The general's original plan consisted of sending his battle droids to march forward and destroy anything which might oppose his search for the Jedi known as Pax Marshall, a nuisance in the eyes of Grievous and the rest of the Separatist Alliance for the last year or so. As for what changed his mind when it came to meeting with the so-called citizens of these lands; a strange signal coming from the planet his forces landed on.
When he had demanded where the signal was coming from, his droids pointed to a region to the west of their position. Thinking to himself, the general knew he was going to need to bide his time on this world and wait for Separatist reinforcements to reach his location as he was smart enough to send out one final may-day call before appearing in an unknown region of the Outer Rim.
He kept the possibility of landing on a backwater world in his mind during the first few nights after landing here, and the chance of finding a working ship capable of hyperspace travel being almost slim to none in the aftermath of their unexpected arrival.
Most Separatist leaders took advantage of their tactical droids and use them for an assignment of making contact with any natives, keeping themselves as far away as possible from any real chance of conflict. For Grievous, he personally wanted to make sure these primitive creatures didn't stand in the way of his search for a Jedi responsible for setting back their planned offensive against the Galactic Republic by months.
Although, the infamous commander doubted he would find anything of value in the area surrounding his ship, but found some amusement when the ships scanners tracked a rather large force approaching them from the south.
Deciding to see what was left of his forces on the ship, the droid commander activated well over ten thousand B1 battle droids supported hundreds of other more specialized models such as the B2 super battle droids, droidekas, and various other designs.
He allowed a tactical droid, designated TF-8574, to command the overwhelming force to deal with the fools who sought to come near his warship. Less than an hour later, he was contacted by the tactical droid and informed about their successful eradication of the enemy force, comprised of green-skinned brutes wielding very ancient weapons and little to no armor to protect themselves from blaster fire.
That information alone was more than enough to make Grievous realize just how little these savages have in the form of technology. If a similar sized force of droids took on a unit of those Republic dogs, even Grievous doubted those droids would survive such an encounter.
So when one of their scout droids came back with information regarding a massive fortress about a few dozen clicks to their west, a structure bigger than some cities on other worlds, surrounded by what appeared to be a wasteland crawling with beast most likely natives of this planet. It made the general think about the chance of the Jedi heading to that location, seeking refuge and medical assistance for his injuries during his escape.
All the information presented to him by his scouts and what his forces found had pointed to a world who was unable to fight back any significant presence of droid forces. It meant he had free reign on this planet to do whatever the hell he desired and there was very little they could do to stop him from being able to accomplish his goals.
Knowing all this information was what Grievous needed to hear and made his decision to go ahead and meet with those who lived in the structure, leading to the infamous droid commander to take a small escort of magma guards and to make use of a Separatist shuttle.
It didn't take long for the enemy forces to make note of their presence and investigated, leading to dozens more of these creatures being electrocuted, blasted, or blown up by his personal guards while Grievous laid waste to entire units with the use of lightsabers, many belonging to the numerous Jedi he's slaughtered over the years.
Once getting an audience with whoever is the leader of this fortress, Grievous took advantage of this moment and wanted to kill two birds with one stone...
"You creatures are…more advanced than I had originally anticipated," Grievous stated, earning a glare from the dark-skinned woman wielding the staff, one having a crystal attached at the top. He assumed she was the leader, especially given how the green-skinned brutes moved out of the way for the woman who had made her way towards the front.
He noticed how the woman gripped the staff, seeing the look of indignation being clearly present on her face.
"Grievous," the Dark Queen said in a voice dripping in venom. "My forces have never encountered any so-called prisoner in my territory. If you plan on continuing to kill my guards and waltz into my home as if you own it, then I'll be forced to make a drastic decision."
The general had to admit, this woman certainly wasn't going to give any ground to him and his magma guards, who remained as still as stone. A sadistic side was curious to see how deep this courage ran and to see if this woman would actually back up her threat against the commander of the droid army.
He let out a menacing, but distorted chuckle, "My apologies, I just wanted to meet with the leader of this territory and come to an understanding. However, I want to...personally make sure that you're not hiding my prisoner here, and it is a rather large place filled with many, many people."
If Grievous could smile at the woman coming to the horrifying conclusion of what he was implying, his face would be dominated by a grin of unbelievable proportion.
"Now, you seem to understand that this isn't a greeting," Grievous wanted to find this Jedi and watch as the very life drains from his eyes, a sight he'd remember for the rest of his life. And he was prepared to do anything and everything necessary to find this man, regardless of the cost.
A cost someone like Olga wasn't prepared to accept as she tried to muster all the courage in her heart to prevent such a thing from happening. Everything she's ever done in her entire life was to save her race from extinction. Their war against the humans, acquiring power through ways most would never forgive her for doing, and even using some of the most disgusting monsters in existence as her new army.
She's done things which would make her seem more like a monster, but it's because of her people.
Now, this thing known as Grievous wanted to take the very last refuge for her people in this desolate wasteland that was once a beautiful and sprawling kingdom for the Dark Elves of Eostia. Protecting her people was the number one concern for someone in her position, and it was a responsibility Olga took very seriously from the day the people made her queen.
And she wasn't going to let a monster take that away from her, "Threatening the home of my people, is the last thing you monsters should be doing."
"I'd be a bit more careful if I were you," Grievous warned Olga, the magma guards responding to his command and faced the Dark Queen and her troops. Their glowing red eyes unnerved Olga and the others around her, making even the Orcs uncomfortable to a certain degree. So when each of them raised their staffs, Olga was prepared to put up a magical barrier, a precaution against the possibility of them being capable of using magic, but was soon surprised to see them slam one end against the ground.
Suddenly, the two sides of their staff came to life and became covered in some strange purple energy that resembled bolts of lightning to the Dark Queen. Each of the guards moved into a stance, readying themselves to attack when given the order.
"Understand this much; fighting against me is futile."
Olga felt her anger rising by the minute, trying to fight the urge of using a spell and turning Grievous into nothing more than a pile of ash for his threats against her people. Yet, there was a small voice in the back of her mind, continuing to warn her about the threat he poses against everyone in this room and in this entire fortress, where over forty-thousand of the remaining Dark Elves in Eostia, are using as a refuge.
Now, her own people had gotten to see this monster for themselves as he was most likely brought in through the primary entrance into the massive structure. He was deep inside her fortress, standing at the entrance to her keep which lay at the heart of their fortress.
'Numbers, my own territory, and more than enough troops to kill this oversized worm and his pets, but why am I so...unsure of this action?' Olga questioned herself for what seemed like hours, struggling to find the right answer to her crisis.
Out of the corner of her eye, Olga noticed Chloe, who was currently holding a pair of daggers, standing her ground against the threat before them. For all the bravado someone like Chloe possessed for an Elf as young as her, the Dark Queen could see through her servant's expression and see how utterly terrified she was right now. Just wielding her weapons probably took a lot out of the young Dark Elf.
Even the worthless Orcs, known for their stupidly high bravery and willingness to fight, didn't seem to be up for the challenge of killing the seven beings standing before them.
The only reason she hasn't ordered her troops to stand down was because of her pride. Defeat meant that her race might not live to see another day, and losing in her own home was far from what Olga wanted to experience during her rule as queen, especially when taking into account that her fortress has never seen a single Alliance soldier step near the Black Fortress in the last three hundred years.
With limited options and a potential enemy at her doorstep, Olga had only one real clear choice in the matter. She dispersed the magical barrier, leaving herself open to attack by the enemy guards a few meters away from where she was standing. Some of the Orcs appeared to be just as surprised by her actions like everyone else in the room, except for the enemies standing across from them.
As for Chloe, the young Dark Elf stared at the back of her queen, feeling unsure about this entire situation. No one has ever made Olga Discordia blink first in such a match, something Chloe assumed would continue on for more years to come. It made the young Dark Elf curious about what was running through her queen's mind right now.
"It seems you're more bark than bite, your grace," Grievous said in an amused tone, earning the ire of Chloe and the Orcs guarding their queen. "There was a small part of me that wished you would have actually put up a fight before the inevitable."
His words made Olga's eyes go wide, "W-What did you say?" she whispered, feeling her blood run cold when Grievous said those words. Just as she raised her magical staff with a shaky grip, preparing to fire off a spell and kill this man before he could make good on his promise, a loud noise cut through the silence and saw a red bolt of light tear her staff in two.
When she looked to the top, she saw strange beings made from a black and yellow colored metal holding small rods of iron in what she assumed were their hands given the function of them. Their eyes were bright white and looked to have unparalleled agility with how quickly they moved across the wooden support beams of her keep.
Soon, these new enemies had made quick work of her Orcs, unleashing a hail of red bolts of light, killing nearly every single of her Orcs within just seconds. They jumped off the beams and landed in front of Grievous and his magma guards, making it more than obvious about the situation unfolding.
"You see, I don't like having my time wasted," the infamous droid commander spoke up as he walked towards Olga, his magma guards following close behind the general. He easily towered over the Dark Elf and his imposing demeanor terrified even some Jedi knights in the Republic.
However, Olga refused to back down in the face of such odds, preparing to use her magic without the use of her staff. While it certainly helped in focusing her magic and being able to use it on a much larger scale, it wasn't the source of her magic and she was about to make this filthy worm regret his actions today.
"You'll regret these actions, Grievous," Olga gritted her teeth, trying to put out ever growing rage locked deep inside her.
The droid commander rarely found amusement like the kind this woman was providing him, "Do you know how many times I've heard those words, your majesty."
His words were cold and callous, but it was enough to make Olga realize the situation she had just gotten herself into. Backing down meant she had given up and was ready to sell her people out to a monster like Grievous.
"I refuse to submit myself or my people to you or anyone else in Eostia," Olga continued her stance, even in the face of death.
The droid commander stood back to his full height, even looking more intimidating than before. He then moved the cloak out of the way, revealing the rest of his cybernetic body to the woman standing before him. His hands gripped a pair of lightsabers and, without giving any warning, pulled them out and activated them.
Olga soon felt an intense heat as she saw a pair of blades made from what appeared to be light. One was green and the other being blue, but she was far more concerned with them dangerously close to her neck. A mere flick of his wrist and her head would roll across the ground.
"Why?" she asked, wondering why Grievous hasn't cut her head off.
Just as quickly as he activated them, the cybernetic Jedi killer had deactivated them and placed them back on his belt. He reached over and grabbed the Dark Elf by her throat, "Killing you? No, you're far more useful to me alive than dead."
Even in the tight grip of Grievous, Olga refused to acknowledge this creature as being above her.
"Besides, I believe you'd care more about the fate of your people than yourself," Grievous laughed at the horrified expression on her face.
She held onto his arm, trying to pry it off, "B-Bastard! W-W-What did y-you do?!"
"Did you truly believe I would come here without any reassurance?" the droid commander goaded, seeing what kind of reaction he could get out of the woman. He soon remembered the other woman in the room.
His eyes soon landed on the younger woman, "Guards, bring me the other one!"
After giving his orders, the magma guards approached Chloe, who immediately brought up her daggers to protect herself. She tried to shake off the fear of that had been building up inside her mind since they had witnessed their guards being slaughtered in mere moments, and hoping to avoid being a burden for her queen.
"No! You leave her out of this!"
Chloe was surprised to hear her queen shout with such emotion, even surprising Grievous.
"Oh? Why should I?" Grievous asked mockingly.
Thinking about their situation, Olga watched as the guards wielding the staffs of lightning completely surrounding Chloe and watched as those new metal creatures starting to move the bodies of the Orcs who were charged with defending her keep from any intruders. There were few options left for Olga...
"What do you want from me?" she begrudgingly asked, a look of hatred seen on her face.
Band of Brothers
Teutoburg Forest, South of Wakefield
TERRITORY OF THE SEVEN SHIELDS ALLIANCE - THE NEXT NIGHT
Dread was all Anya could feel coursing through her veins, unable to shake the awful feeling that something terrible might happen on this night. Scanning her surroundings, the young woman found it difficult to see anything in the darkness and the thousands of tall pine trees in every single direction, didn't help to ease her concerns. The sound of horses neighing, made Anya remember the situation she was in right now.
For the past few days, Anya and her father had been traveling with a convoy of over thirty to forty wagons with the intention of providing fresh supplies for the city of Wakefield, one of the larger cities in the northern territories of the Seven Shields Alliance.
Every single individual taking part in this dangerous job, are all part of the Webster Trading Company, a merchant group which was responsible for transporting food, medicine, and weapons between cities, towns, and the seven fortresses belonging to the Reincarnated Goddess. However, things have gotten more difficult for the merchants as the enemy known as the Legion have begun ramping up their attacks along all trading routes between the fortresses and their territories.
To the point where life was becoming extremely difficult for people like Anya and her father, simple merchants who were trying to make a living.
For as long as any of them could remember, this war between the Alliance and the forces of the Dark Queen, especially the ancient enemy known as the Legion. These monsters were the very stuff of nightmares and were quite infamous across Eostia for their insatiable lust for human women drove fear into the hearts of many. Just thinking about those creatures caused Anya to shiver in utter disgust.
Though, she was a bit relieved to know the Seven Shields Alliance had begun sending troops to protect the merchant convoys. In fact, the convoy Anya was a part of was protected by about fifty to sixty mercenaries and with most of them coming from the Crimson Rangers, a mercenary group led by Maia Nishiguchi, one of the famous members of the Alliance.
Or, as most people knew her by the nickname; 'The Queen of Mercenaries.'
Sure, it wasn't the number of troops that Anya had in mind, but the young redhead wasn't complaining about having some form of protection should enemy troops attack them. When she looked into the back of the wagon, Anya saw one of the troops assigned to protect them, sleeping in full gear and holding his weapon close to him.
A sigh escaped her lips as she heard about the stories of mobs attacking any mercenaries who didn't pledge their alliance to Celestine, the famous leader of the Seven Shields Alliance, and other individuals like Maia or Volt, leader of the Black Dogs. When she looked at the young man's face, Anya suspected he wasn't any older than her. Ironically, there were even a few people in the convoy who would have preferred troops instead of mercenaries, regardless of them following the command of one of the Princess Knights.
'For fucksake! These people whine about not getting any protection for so many years, but when they do get it...they whine even more!' she thought with a scowl.
Leaning back against the wooden seat, Anya remembered on the day when she and her father left the relative safety of Ken for the city of Wakefield, near the territory ruled over by the Dark Queen and her allies. Her mother was firmly opposed to her going, but somehow her father managed to convince his wife that Anya was at an age where she needed to make a decision about where she wanted to be in life.
'If our little girl is going to make it in this world...then she needs to see how it truly is out there.'
Those were her father's words when he spoke with her mother. It caused her to smile a bit and look over to where her father was sleeping right now. He always told her stories about the different fortresses and cities spread across the continent of Eostia, telling her tales about the various people and his encounters over the years.
It was stories like those that fueled her dream of wanting to pack up her stuff and head out into the world, looking to find her own stories to tell her children one day. Soon, she was brought out of her musings when the wagon hit a bump in the road and causing the young mercenary sleeping in the back to suddenly wake up.
"H-Huh! W-We there yet?" he asked, gripping his spear as if his life depended upon it.
Anya rolled her eyes, "Not yet, we still got a day or two more to go."
"Really?" the mercenary groaned, letting his head lying against the wooden side of the wagon. "Whatever. I'm just praying that we don't get attacked by the Dark Elves or those monsters.."
"I suggest you tap against the wooden wall to make sure of that," Anya said, remembering the old saying about knocking on wood whenever someone made such a statement. She then heard the familiar tap of wood inside the wagon.
'At least, he isn't stupid...but he is kinda cute,' the redhead thought with a bit of sultry smile.
The redhead was aware of how attractive she was to most men. She remembered speaking with the young mercenary sitting in the back for the first time, seeing his blush when they first spoke to each other a week ago. In all honesty, it was adorable to Anya as she always saw him trying his hardest to avoid glancing at her from time to time. She appreciated his effort for wanting to view her like an actual person, unlike some of the other mercenaries in this group.
Hell, even with all the clothing she did wear to keep the cold at bay, it didn't seem to matter as her impressive figure stood out. Back in Ken, she even received looks of jealousy from older women who are friends with her mother. Though, Anya knew that if this convoy was attacked, she would have been one of the few people left alive for one reason only and she would have been subjected to a fate worse than death.
She'd become a sex slave for those monsters, especially the Orcs. This meant being abused on a daily basis by vile creatures who would have had their way with her.
Anya wasn't the only one with such fears. Nearly every woman across the continent of Estoia had such a thought in the back of their mind. Besides the horrible fate of women, she suspected men like her father would be used as slave labor, forced to watch their daughter, wives, sisters, and nieces being violated in front of them as entertainment, and eventually being killed by their captors. She looked up and could see the full moon hanging above them.
The only thing she asked for was a safe trip and hoping to come back to her mother in one piece.
Looking back at the road, Anya's vision caught something in the distance. She leaned a bit forward, trying to get a better look at what was ahead of them. Given the dense forest and darkness, Anya was just barely able to see the fallen tree on the road because of the little light from the full moon. Seeing the fallen tree, the redhead pulled on the reins and slowed the horses down.
Once the wagon had come to a stop, the young mercenary woke up once more from his sleep. "Are we finally there?" he asked, but his question was ultimately ignored when the sound of footsteps could be heard.
"Alexander! What the hell happened?!"
"Yeah! What's the big hold up?!"
"We're freezing our asses out there!"
The redhead sighed in exasperation as she stepped off the wagon, hearing the little to no noise when her feet hit the ground. She could see the faces of various men and women, all of them unhappy with the idea of being stopped in such freezing weather. Walking over to them, Anya spoke up, "We got a big problem," she stated before moving out the way and pointing to the tree blocking their path.
Soon, the group of merchants saw this. The oldest of them, a man by the name of Ulfric cursed softly as he saw the size of the pine tree blocking the road, "Shit, there's no way we can move this."
One of the other merchants, a man in his late thirties by name of Julius, walked past them and headed for the fallen tree blocking their path. Kneeling by it, the man could see the base of the tree and let out a sigh of relief, "Luckily...this tree fell by itself."
Many of the merchants also did the same when Julius informed them of that piece of information. They've heard rumors about the Dark Elves and monsters using such tactics to stop merchant convoys in the north, but it certainly didn't stop the fear building up in everyone present.
Julius placed his hand on the log, "There's no way in hell the horses could pull this big fucker out the way."
"Couldn't we chop it into smaller pieces?" another merchant asked, but his idea was immediately shot down by Julius.
"No," he said, "With how much the temperature has fallen and the chance of the enemy forces being around or the chance of dire wolves, bears, or anything else like that lurking...it'd be suicide for us to attempt such a thing."
The merchants started scanning the forest, looking for any silhouettes in the distance or hearing the sound of footsteps or animal noises in the distance. With creatures like Orcs, it was possible to find them from just how rancid they smelled. Soon, many of the merchants went back to their wagons and alerting the mercenaries assigned to protect them of what happened.
After hearing the news, the commander of the group had told the merchants to head back to their wagons while they made a quick search of the area. Anya got back onto the wooden seat, where her father was right now. The biggest surprise was seeing him with a sword of some kind in his hand.
"F-Father?" she whispered, realizing how real this entire situation was right now. "Where did you get that?" she asked.
Her father looked at her a serious gaze, "I've had this thing with me for nearly twenty years now...I can't remember how many times it's saved my life. There's a big chance of it saving someone else's life tonight."
Anya swallowed her saliva, feeling a bit anxious over the entire situation. While the mercenaries made a quick search of the area, Anya could see how many of them didn't stray far from the wagons. Even they were fearful of the situation happening at the moment. The road was blocked, it was dark, and the fear of an enemy attack was very possible in this situation.
This entire scenario reeked of an ambush and Anya knew it was only a matter of time until the trigger was pulled on it.
Out of nowhere, Anya felt the horses pulling on the reins and saw how skittish they were becoming now. The redhead realized that something was happening. Looking back into the forest, she saw the familiar sight of the young mercenary who was riding in their wagon, now coming out of the forest with an anxious expression on his face. As Anya and the young mercenary made eye contact, she saw him smile nervously at her.
She smiled back, wanting to assure the young man that it was fine now. There was even a hint of red on her cheeks.
As he made his way back to the wagon, Anya saw him being patted on the back by his fellow mercenaries. She could see how dark his cheeks had become as the older mercenaries were probably teasing him for what transpired between them. Anya told herself that the moment they make it out of this terrifying situation, she was going to take him out for a few drinks in Wakefield and see where the night would lead them.
"Really?"
The redhead turned her head and looked at her dad, "What? I'm old enough to date."
Her father snorted, "Yes, I'm quite aware of that. You're nearly twenty-two years old and you haven't ever brought a boy home. Dear god, your mother would kill me and you if you started dating a mercenary, of all people."
"There's nothing wrong with dating a mercenary, father."
"I know that," he said to Anya. "Heck, he doesn't seem like a bad kid. All I'm saying is...know what you're getting yourself into."
Anya looked back at the young mercenary, "It isn't fair, father. I know that mercenaries only fight for themselves and work for the highest bidder..." she paused for a moment before smiling at the mercenary again, "...it doesn't mean that all of them are bad people."
"People fear the unknown, Anya," her father said to her, remembering the history of mercenaries on these lands and how they used to fight for even the corrupt leaders as long as they have the coin to pay for their services. "I've seen other young men like him being ostracized for becoming a mercenary. But, what can you do? Unless we win this war against the Dark Queen...then there's little hope for others outside the Crimson Rangers."
Once the father/daughter duo heard the sound of someone climbing into the wagon, Anya turned her body and looked inside to see the young mercenary with his head leaning down while sitting with his back against the wooden wall. She called out to him, "Hey, you okay?"
The young mercenary lifted his head up and looked at Anya, "Y-Yeah, I'm good. Thankfully, there wasn't anything out in the woods."
"It isn't scary?" she asked, making him tilt his head to the side.
"What? Going out there?" he replied, wondering if that's what she meant.
Anya shook her head, "No, I mean being a mercenary."
"..."
The redhead didn't get a reply as the young man kept his head down and she saw him grip his weapon tightly. Even with the little light from the moon, Anya could see the grim expression on his face. It looked like she stepped onto a touchy subject for him. People like to keep things to themselves and it looked like there was far more to the young mercenary than he was letting on.
"Sorry if I overstepped my boundary..." she said in a whisper, hoping he would respond to her.
After what seemed like an eternity, the mercenary let out a sigh and leaned his head against his shield, "Don't worry about it. I really don't care what people gotta say about me. They can cuss and spit at me all they want. At the end of the day, I'm the one protecting their worthless lives from those sacks of shit who reside in the north."
Once he finished speaking, the young mercenary looked at Anya and realized what he said, "... I, uh, didn't mean to let that out."
"Nothing to worry about here, son," Anya's father spoke up. "You're the ones going out there and putting your lives on the line. Sure, it may be for coin, but ain't nothing wrong with that. Hell, apparently that's enough to interest my daughter here."
"F-Father!" Anya whispered, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks. "You didn't need to say that."
"Oh?" her father replied, a grin on his face now. "Weren't you blushing earlier when you smiled at our mercenary sitting in the back?"
Anya groaned as she placed her face into her hands, "Unbelievable."
Soon her father shook his head with a look of amusement as he saw how embarrassed his daughter was and looked back to see the mercenary using his scarf to hide his face, which was most likely the same color as his daughter. "Hey, I'm just letting you know, uh, what's your name again?"
"Siegfried."
Her father raised an eyebrow, "Really? I thought it was Simon?"
The mercenary shook his head, "Simon was my grandfather's name. I use it for work, makes it easier to avoid being stoned to death by mobs if they have the wrong person."
'Smart idea. You can't track down a dead man,' the older man thought, but when he heard the young man say 'was' about his grandfather but didn't mention his father at all here. The conversation soon died down between the three of them for now. So, when the order was made to turn around and find a new route to take to Wakefield, he got the horses moving again and made the turn like the others.
With all the little light from the moon, Anya and her father knew it was only going to get worse from here on out tonight. However, everyone kept an eye out as they weren't home free from the threat of Dark Elves or their allies.
"I don't know if Ulfric realizes this, but we're gonna freeze to death out there," muttered Anya, trying her best to keep warm.
Her father placed the reins on a small wooden knob before breathing into his hands and rubbing them together. The man looked over to his daughter, "You know how he gets about a big job like this," the older man reasoned. "There's a chance for everyone to earn over twenty gold pieces. I know as well as you do that even a few of them could help us get through the year."
"I know, father."
"Besides, we all know that life is gonna get tougher with winter approaching Eostia," her father said, letting Anya realize how grim the situation was looking for them. "The Dark Queen is only cutting off the trade routes because she wants to starve the Alliance out. It's the only reason why she would be attempting something like this so late into the year."
"Actually, it's looking even worse than that, old man."
Looking into the back, Anya asked Siegfried what he meant by those words, "Worse? How can it get worse than this?" she asked him.
He leaned his head back and began explaining, "If I were the Dark Queen, the only reason I would be using my forces right before the winter is if I have something up my sleeve. She either is planning to make move against one of the fortresses and their territory or is setting up for a big offensive in the spring. In all, we're basically screwed if something drastic isn't done before spring arrives in six months."
Both of them knew the situation was bad for the Alliance, but hearing the thoughts Siegfried had on this situation made it even more terrifying than before. To think the Dark Queen was going as far as starving out the people of Eostia in order to win this war was cruel enough. If she was being honest here, Anya just wanted to know what the hell the Dark Queen wanted with Eostia anymore.
"Now, the Alliance better pray for some miracle because I don't see a way out of this," Siegfried admitted to the father and daughter.
X-X-X
Teutoburg Forest, South of Wakefield
TERRITORY OF THE SEVEN SHIELDS ALLIANCE - A FEW MINUTES LATER
Theodmer let out a growl of annoyance when he felt the bitter cold penetrate his armor and skin, forcing the Dark Elf commander to roll his shoulders in discomfort. He was no stranger to the cold that the continent of Eostia suffered during these parts of the year, but it seemed like this winter might be different than ones before it.
He took a moment to turn around, his eyes hid the small sense of joy at seeing the large columns of Dark Elf troops moving under the cover of darkness. The only light was the full moon hanging above them, lighting their path in a forest notorious for being difficult to navigate through, especially with all the dangerous wildlife which roams these parts.
Looking back on the assignment given to his forces, it was quite simple; harass the supply lines of the Seven Shields Alliance using a combination of his elite Dark Elf shock troopers and the monsters from the Legion. A mission he's been performing for the last few months leading into what seemed like the millionth winter for many of the Dark Elves under his command.
Some of them haven't seen their loved ones in the last few years, a result of continuous combat against the human kingdoms to their south. Others are fresh faces on the front line against their enemy, hoping to earn some glory in the name of their queen; Olga Discordia.
Although, he was recently informed to make his way to the human city known as Wakefield, where the possibility of an assault was going to happen just as the winter was about to settle in. The commander knew the difficulty of launching a siege during the coldest time of the year for many races across the continent of Eostia.
Given the situation of his race and their declining numbers, Theodmer knew that if they wanted to achieve victory in this conflict, some sacrifices were gonna have to be made if their race was going to live to see another day. As he took a moment to stop and see the force under his command, Theodmer saw the nearly two-thousand strong Dark Elves put under his command, supported by well over ten to twelve thousand additional monsters sent from the Legion.
The commander smiled to himself, proud of his troops' willingness to do what's needed in the name of victory for their queen.
"Commander!"
Theodmer heard the voice of his second-in-command; a female Elf by the name of Kavrala. This woman is known for her obedience to their queen and willingness to do what's necessary for victory against the humans, even at the cost of their own men.
A fact not lost on Theodmer, who certainly didn't appreciate the reckless strategy of throwing away men for the sake of victory.
"What is it, Kavrala?" he asked his second-in-command. The older Elf took off his helmet, revealing a face dominated by a scar he obtained in an encounter with a rogue Orc camp nearly five hundred years ago.
The woman did the same, revealing a more youthful look as she was younger than her commander by nearly a hundred years. She saluted her leader, "Sir, we've made good progress towards the human city and the vast majority of the men feel like they can continue marching forward."
"And what does Gazbag say?" Theodmer asked, wanting to know what their fellow ally had to say about the status of their own forces.
Kavrala scowled, "There's no need to concern ourselves with those monsters."
Theodmer let out a snort, "Gazbag and his troops make up the vast majority of our forces. If we do not keep them happy, then this will be a difficult relationship to maintain, given the weather we're going to be facing in the next few weeks."
"But, sir! We can't exp-"
"But what? filthy Elf," a much deeper and gravely voice entered the conversation. The two Dark Elves turned to see a creature who stood nearly twice the size of Theodmer, dark green skin covered in scars from battle and was wielding a massive war ax in his hand.
Unfazed by the sheer size of the Orc, Kavrala glared at it, "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, disgusting brute."
Theodmer knew tensions were running high between his troops and the monsters under the leadership of Gazbag. Time was running out for them before a fight breaks out between some of his own men and the monsters supporting them.
'I just hope this strategy works…' he thought, seeing the full moon in the distance.
The commander of the Dark Elves addressed the gargantuan Orc, "Gazbag, what is the status of your troops?"
His question almost seems to insult Kavrala, who looked ready to protest if it wasn't for the sharp look in Theodmer's eyes. It was enough to make the second-in-command remain quiet as she knew that her commander wouldn't be pleased with her interruption.
Seeing the silent but obvious interaction, the Orc smirked in the most grotesque way possible. He was happy to see that this filthy Elf was put in her place, especially when he remembered his underlings talking about the female Elf in a manner that would've earned them the ire of many these Elves. The Orc soon answered the commander's question, "Aye, my troops are ready to keep going. The gretchins have been going ahead and scouting for us, making sure the Alliance hasn't discovered our troops moving through the forest."
"That's good," replied Theodmer, pleased to know their movements have gone unnoticed for the time being. He then looked at Kavrala, "I need you to head down and speak with the officers. Inform them of our intentions to keep moving for the night. We'll stop when the sun begins to rise in the morning, am I clear?"
She saluted the commander, "Yes, sir!"
Without another word, the female Dark Elf had left the Orc and the Dark Elf commander alone. The Orc spoke up when the woman was finally out of range of being able to hear them, "Dark Elf, I must question your decision to allow your own flesh and blood to be your second-in-command?"
Theodmer sighed, knowing this conversation was bound to come up. Ever since the death of his wife to a plague that had struck their lands, Theodmer had been alone in raising Kavrala and it was made even more difficult when considering his position as a high-ranking officer in Olga Discordia's military. His decision to groom her into becoming a member of the military was a decision that wasn't taken too well by many of the others but understood his reasoning for doing so.
As a father, he wanted his daughter to make her own choices in life, but given the situation where he would be gone for long periods of time to wage war in the name of their queen, it was difficult for him to leaver Kavrala behind.
"I know you Orcs hardly care for the young," Theodmer replied in a bitter tone, remembering the stories about how Orcs ate their own kind if they proved too weak to survive. "There was no one I could trust to raise my daughter, especially when the war between the Loyalist and Rebels had gone into full swing. She has proven to be an effective commander, even if her methods are a bit...different than what the men are used to."
Gazbag scoffed, "Even if that's true, bringing a child onto the battlefield is the last thing you want to do."
"What about you Orcs?" Theodmer glared at the Orc commander, "Isn't your species solely capable of raping and pillaging? Nothing but mindless acts equivalent to that of an animal, commander Gazbag."
While his daughter Kavrala could barely hide her disgust around the Orcs, Theodmer learned that it was best to keep his personal hatred for their vile race locked up during this conflict. Unfortunately, Gazbag was one of the Orc leaders known for his infamous temper around Dark Elves and the use of bold strategies using Drakes, a breed of wingless dragons, to outmaneuver an enemy force and rip them to shreds.
Contrary to popular belief, there were a certain of Orcs capable of conversing with any of the major races on the continent. Gazbag, one of the older Orcs in their ranks, had been alive for well over three hundred years, which was more than enough time to learn languages of each race and strategies for waging war.
To Theodmer's surprise, he had learned that Gazbag was one of the more passive Orc chieftains after being informed about the ones trying to break through on the eastern side of the continent, where the fortresses known as Thorn and Rad appeared to be holding strong against the tide of monsters and Dark Elves pouring into the region.
"Commander Theodmer!"
When Theodmer heard someone call out to him, he turned around and saw a Dark Elf soldier running towards him, appearing to be in some kind of hurry.
"Yes, captain?" the commander asked, wondering what was wrong with his subordinate.
The captain looked to be out of breath and used the tree to hold himself up, "Sir, one of the scouts reported about a human trading convoy, roughly forty wagons, is heading in our direction!"
Gazbag and Theodmer looked at each other, neither of them knew if this convoy was a trap or if the Alliance was dumb enough to send a convoy around this time of the year.
"I must admit; the Seven Shields Alliance must be getting desperate to keep their cities supplied if they're willing to send a convoy of that size," the Orc commented, feeling anxious to get down there and see what prizes await for his troops. "We must take advantage of this opportunity to further starve out the Alliance."
Seeing the grin on the Orc's face, Theodmer had a feeling of what might happen to some of the humans in the convoy. Usually, the Dark Elf commander looked the other way whenever they attacked a convoy or manage to stumble upon a human settlement in their path. His men usually allowed the Orcs to do as they pleased with the survivors from the battle.
Though, it did get a bit annoying whenever his men complained about the Orcs and all the 'noise' they made with the 'prisoners' after a battle.
'Well, it's been a few weeks since the Battle of Marne,' Theodmer thought, realizing his troops were probably wanting some action after all the marching they've done in the last three weeks. Looking back at his captain, Theodmer gave them their new orders.
"Start preparing the men, we're going to take that convoy."
As he watched the captain rush back to their men, Theodmer felt like something was wrong tonight. He couldn't figure out exactly what it was that made him nervous about this attack on the convoy.
Let's hope tonight would end in an effortless victory…
X-X-X
Teutoburg Forest, South of Wakefield
TERRITORY OF THE SEVEN SHIELDS ALLIANCE - SAME TIME
Once the convoy had left the general area where the roadblock was located, they doubled back to find a route to Wakefield before needing to stop for the night. Many were wanting to stop and rest for the night as the cold was starting to affect a lot of the merchants. Even the mercenaries were having a hard time dealing with the cold except for a few of them, including Siegfried.
During the course of the trip, Anya hadn't heard him complain about the cold not once this entire time.
Though, she remembered seeing how much armor he was wearing and saw him carrying a kite shield on his back. Alongside a spear and sword, the redhead was certain that he was carrying nearly thirty to forty pounds of equipment on him. Not even adding in his helmet, which was lying beside him. It was a strange design as it covered his entire head with 'T' shaped visor that allowed him to see out of it.
In all, he was more equipped to take on anyone in a fight.
Apparently, he was also equipped to deal with the cold winter which was beating down on the continent of Eostia at this point in the year. Anya was almost tempted to climb into the back of the wagon, snuggle up against the mercenary, and use a blanket to keep herself warm. The idea was almost too tempting for the redhead, especially considering how warm Siegfried must be with all that armor on.
She was brought out of her thoughts when the wagon came to a stop. Anya looked up and saw the entire convoy stopping in the middle of a road. The redhead looked at her father, "What's going on?" she asked him.
He shrugged his shoulders, "I, uh, don't know."
Before Anya could say another word, he tied the reins around the wooden knob and got down from the wagon. The man started heading up the convoy, looking to see what was keeping them hold up. Once he was gone from her view, Anya sat back and tried to keep her mind off the cold, but couldn't do so.
"How aren't you cold?" she asked, almost jealous of Siegfried.
"Hm?"
The redhead turned leaned on the wooden side of the wagon, looking into the back and right at Siegfried's face, "It's bloody cold and I'm freezing my ass out here, but you haven't even said a word about it. Why is that?"
She knew very early on that Siegfried was younger than her, but Anya learned that he turned twenty-one years old. Except, she knew most women would look at him and think he was average-looking with his short, black hair and a pair of gray eyes that made it quite difficult to figure out what the young man was thinking like right now. However, all that intrigued the redhead and was more than tempted to find out.
In the end, he shrugged his shoulder, "Guess I'm used to this weather."
"Used to this weather?" she said, repeating what he had said. "There's no way someone could get used to this."
"Oh, yes it is."
Anya raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
The young mercenary nodded, "I spent a good few years of my life up in the mountains east of Thorns. They can teach you a lot about surviving through the cold and, generally, learning how not to die in the cold."
"I could think of a way of staying warm," Anya snorted, but Siegfried heard something else in her voice.
"Like what?" he asked, curious what the redhead was thinking.
All she did was climb into the space where Siegfried was and stood up. Anya looked around until she found something nestled away in the corner of the wagon. Siegfried saw her pull out a blanket and walked back over to him. The woman didn't say another word as she sat down right next to the young mercenary and covered herself with the blanket, and even going as far as wrapping her arms around his mid-section while placing her head on his shoulder.
"This is another way of staying warm, Siegfried. I have a blanket and another warm body to cozy up against while a warm-blooded male like you has a beautiful woman such as myself wrapped around you. I'd call this a win-win for both of us. Don't you think?"
Siegfried was trying his best not to stutter like an idiot, "D-Do, uh, I have to answer that?"
He felt the warmth in his face when he heard her whisper into his ear, "You know, I appreciate you being a gentleman throughout this entire week. It's hard to find a man who doesn't stare at me like I'm some kind of prize to be won."
Anya's next action surprised Siegfried as he felt her lips on his cheek. When she moved away, the young man looked at her with a look of curiosity, "W-Why did you, uh, do that?"
The redhead rolled her eyes in amusement, "I felt like rewarding you for being a gentleman. Besides, you're pretty cute for a mercenary."
Siegfried let out a chuckle, "Why do I feel like that's an insult and a compliment."
"I like to think it's more of a compliment," Anya said before leaning closer to Siegfried's face and putting her arms around his neck. The young mercenary saw this and started to lean his head forward, but both of them were soon startled by someone climbing smacking against the side of the wagon.
"Hey! Siegfried! We need you to see what the Hell's wrong with one of the wagons!"
Once the mercenary looked inside the wagon, the older man saw the way both of them were positioned and let out an awkward laugh, "I, uh, ruined your moment...didn't I?"
"No, you came a perfect time," Siegfried replied in a sarcastic manner before letting out a sigh. "I'll be there in a minute."
The older mercenary smiled sheepishly and left the two of them alone in the covered wagon again. Anya sighed as she laid her head against his armored shoulder, "It was nice while it lasted, wasn't it?" she asked him.
Siegfried answered in the form of putting his arm around her shoulder, "Yeah, it was nice."
Siegfried threw his head in annoyance as he removed his arm from her shoulder and got up from the rather comfortable position they were in. As he walked to the back of the wagon, the young mercenary hopped off and felt the familiar sensation of a cold breeze hitting what little skin was exposed along with the crunching of the frozen ground. He looked back at Anya, who was still using the blanket to keep warm, "I'll be back...if these idiots didn't do something stupid already."
"Someone's upset," Anya couldn't help but tease Siegfried. "Don't worry. I'll need something warm to sleep next to anyway."
She soon dropped the blanket as Siegfried helped her off the wagon. The height difference between them was quite noticeable as Siegfried stood little over six feet compared to Anya, who barely reached his neck. Soon, the of them started walking towards the broken wagon close to the front. Passing by numerous wagons, they finally reached the crowd and saw the state that the wagon was in. Siegfried along with Anya's father started looking over it and the moment when they saw the axle, the two of them knew that it was beyond field repairs.
"Shit," Siegfried muttered to himself. "You'd need to replace the whole thing. I doubt anyone has a spare around here."
"I have to agree with you there," Anya's father said, seeing a massive piece of ice that managed to crack the entire axle. He took a dagger and started chipping away at it, but it was no use. The older man shook his head, realizing that it was better to dump the wagon than trying to fix it in this kind of weather. Once they came to such a conclusion, the two of them got out from underneath the wagon and stood up.
They faced everyone, who were all wondering what needs to be done.
Anya's father spoke up, "Alright, we checked to see what was wrong... it looks like a massive piece of ice grew along the entire axle and pretty much cracked it."
"Is there a way to fix it quickly, Alexander?" the merchant who owned the wagon asked.
Siegfried shook his head, "No, we'd need a day and an entirely new axle to replace it. Unfortunately, we don't have much of either."
The merchant glared at the Siegfried, "I wasn't asking you, kid. Don't need to hear nothing from a liar like you wandering mercenaries."
There were a few within the crowd who seem to agree with the merchant's words. It was reaching a point where some of the merchants couldn't standing being in the same area as some of the mercenaries who merely accepted job offers instead of pleading their alliance to their Goddess; Celestine Lucross.
While those a part of the Crimson Rangers were fine, it was about the dozen or so who weren't a part of that mercenary company, that had trouble coming their way. Siegfried remained quiet, deciding it was best to keep his mouth shut, no need to piss off the merchants any more than they already are right now.
As he heard the merchant continuing to plead with Anya's father to do something, Siegfried walked away from the crowd and looked out into the distance. He could see an empty forest for miles in every direction, but he was able to make a lake in the distance. He remembered a few things from his childhood, the few pleasant memories of when his family visited a lake when he was just a little boy.
'Siegfried, I found something cool.'
'Wait for me, Alice!'
'You're too slow, bro!'
Soon, screams of pain and cries of agony filled his mind…
'Run, Siegfried! Don't look back!'
'Sweetie, I need you to be strong for your sister…'
'You have to leave me, little brother!'
'I-I can't j-just leave you!'
"You okay?"
Siegfried felt a hand on his back, which broke him out of his thoughts. He saw Anya looking at him with concern, causing him to sigh, "Yeah, I, uh, I'm fine. Sometimes...it does annoy me how some these guys are ungrateful for having any form of protection."
He then looked at his helmet, knowing that his journey was far from over. Even if they reached Wakefield, he still needed to continue north. Siegfried thought of himself as a simple man and someone who didn't need much in life. Like many people, there were questions in his life and sometimes...people are willing to do anything to get those answers.
"Hey," Anya called out to him softly. "I'm grateful you're here."
Without another word, She moved in front of him, her emerald green eyes staring into his dark grey eyes. The redhead placed her hands around his neck and started to close the distance between them. Siegfried leaned his head forward and closed the gap. The young mercenary had never been with anyone in his life. Anya had been the first women he ever kissed in his life.
Living the kind of life he's been living tends to make your chances of meeting someone goes from a possibility to nonexistent.
Siegfried moved his lips against Anya's slowly, drawing out the kiss. He wrapped his hands around her waist as Siegfried enjoyed this moment with a beautiful woman. When Anya pulled away, they both were trying to find the words to say until it was Siegfried who closed the distance and kissed Anya with a renewed passion. The young woman welcomed such a feeling as she moved her hand to his cheek.
Once, Siegfried slowly pulled away, finding it difficult to do so. He smiled at the redhead, feeling a strange feeling his chest. It was different than the feelings of rage and sadness he's felt for the past ten years or so, but pleasant. Far different than anything he had ever felt in his entire life prior to this moment with Anya.
"So, uh, that happened," the young man whispered as lips brushed against hers.
"Yes, it did. I was certainly surprised..." she whispered back to Siegfried. "Where did that shy little Siegfried from earlier go?"
The young mercenary gave the redhead a quick peck on the lips before speaking, "He kinda took the backseat this time."
"So...who's this Siegfried?"
Just as the two were going to resume their actions, they heard someone clear their throat in an obvious manner. Siegfried turned his head in the direction of the sound and his eyes widened in horror, "Oh, uh, nice to see you too, Alexander..."
Standing behind the pair of lovers was Anya's father, who was pinching the bridge of his nose. He lifted his head up, looking at his daughter and the man holding her in such an intimate fashion, "Look, I understand you two have been...circling around each other since the beginning of this trip, but try and give this old man some piece and quiet. I don't exactly wanna wake up tomorrow morning and find that you, Siegfried, have taken my daughter's purity. Save that for when you have a room at a tavern or something."
Siegfried was about to reply when someone hollered at them, "Alexander! What the fuck is that!?"
The three of them saw the man pointing towards the night sky, however, all of them quickly noticed something off in the distance. It appeared to be a large group of disk-shaped creatures, all of them flying in a pattern similar to that of birds, but what really made the merchants nervous were the strange objects being carried underneath the disk-shape. None of them knew what to expect, and it made Siegfried wary of the entire situation.
Soon, the strange disk-shaped creatures began unleashing a rain of red bolts on something in the distance. What followed was the agonizing shriek of Orcs, who were most likely being killed by these strange monsters.
Once the noise subsided, Siegfried was the first to do anything as his curiosity got the better of him. His feet started moving towards the object in the distance, but he wasn't the only one as a few others had started walking towards it. He looked back and saw Anya and her father remained planted where they stand.
"Siegfried," Anya called out to him.
He turned his head and saw the look on her face, "I'll be back," he said to her. "I promise, I won't be gone for too long."
With those words, Siegfried and some of the mercenaries walked into the forest, hoping to get an idea as to what had happened in the nearby forest. However, none of them would realize that this would be the first of many encounters between the Seven Shields Alliance and the infamous droid army of the Separatist Alliance.
Band of Brothers
Village of Hartford, South of Wakefield
TERRITORY OF THE SEVEN SHIELDS ALLIANCE - A FEW HOURS LATER
Grace couldn't explain how happy she was to finally see the familiar scene of the town she's been living in for the last twenty years with her friend Anna and her husband; Ian. Hartford was a relatively unknown town to most people living in the major cities or the fortresses of the Seven Shields Alliance, especially when looking at a map of the continent.
"It's quite beautiful, Grace."
The Dark Elf looked back at the familiar face of Sam, who had spoken with Gilly about the possibility of taking a detour on their way south to Ken. Much to the relief of Sam and Grace, his wife agreed with no complaints as she wanted to help her friend just as much as Sam.
So, they had moved up their schedule and left the morning after Grace arrived in Wakefield with the intention of providing help for the person that their friend had found a few nights ago.
"Why did you change your mind, Sam?" Grace inquired, curious of the reasoning for his change of heart after his words from almost two days ago. She had kept thinking about numerous things that could have changed his mind from Gilly to his kids.
Sam adjusted his grip on the reins of the horses pulling their wagon, "I guess, I remembered when Jon was still alive. He always tried to try and find a solution, no matter what needed to be done. So, I decided to help you, Grace, because you're my friend."
An image of a young man wielding a sword with a wolf's head, barking orders to soldiers, came to Grace's mind, "Are you talking about the siege of Wakefield from when we were younger?"
The older man nodded, "Yeah, I could never forget such a time In my life..."
Soon the two fell into silence as the sound of their horses and the creaking of the wheels filled the forest aside from the occasional bird in the forest. It wasn't long until they reached the wooden gate of Hartford.
"Usually, the folks here are pretty welcoming to new people, so I wouldn't worry too much about it," Grace said, earning a nod from Sam as he looked a bit nervous about the possible reaction people might have towards him and his family.
Once they reached the wooden gate, a guard dressed in leather armor appeared over the top of the gate, wondering who was approaching. The Dark Elf pulled down her hood, revealing her face to the guard, who merely nodded to her and called out to someone below.
A few minutes passed before the wooden gate began to creak open, revealing the town of Hartford for Sam and his family for the first time. Grace smiled at Sam and gestured for him to enter the town.
To Sam, it seemed picturesque as it was filled with homes built from stone and wood, people walking without a care in the world, and there was the occasional dog wandering around. This town seemed to be in a world of its own, away from the horrors of the war between the Dark Queen and the Seven Shields Alliance.
"Follow me," Grace said, knowing that time was certainly not on her side. "I'll take you to friend's home."
Sam nodded back, "Alright, I'm hoping we're not too late to help this man."
Finally! I finished this chapter!
Well, I decided to have Grievous basically take over Olga's fortress since, you know, he has more than enough droids to take it from the Dark Elves. That should be an interesting element to this story now.
As for the characters like Siegfried and Anya, they will actually be important here. So look forward to that. Meanwhile, the Jedi character I made still hasn't made his appearance in the world of Eostia. I might as well spoil it...he's going to show up next chapter.
In other news, the freaking Philadelphia 76ers are nothing short of monsters in the Eastern Conference now. Like, you have four All-Stars and some decent guys on your bench. Like, wtf man! XD
That's about it guys!
