Here's chapter 10 of this story.
Sorry for it taking so long as I've been suffering a severe drought on the idea front.
Don't worry though as I have not forgotten this story.
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Mark and his knights was now surrounded with the door to the main hall blocked by Nicholax's knights blocking their exit while Lucal's personal guard the Knights of the Sacred Flame, was on the other side.
"I am your high lord. Surrender and we can talk this over little brother." Lucal said.
"I am truly sorry Lucal, but you have violated the most sacred laws of our people, I cannot – I will not surrender –." Mark replied defiantly.
"Then, you abandon your oath and will pay the consequences!" Lucal roared now slightly foaming at the mouth and drew his own sword that glowed with a sickly yellowish green light…
Then the main door flew open as Jim stormed into the hall, while Nicholax's knights were surprised so that they stumbled out of the way.
Except one that managed to keep his footing and charged at Jim but were immediately decapitated as Jim swung his mighty claymore, to everyone else's surprise.
"Err, Master Shannon?" Mark started.
"No time for that now, we have to get out of here young lord." Jim huffed between laughter as he held the remaining of Lucal's loyal knights off – part of him had actually missed the thrill of battle.
Mark and his knights didn't ask more as they together with Jim – who wore an armour they didn't recognize – all carefully backed out of the hall, while Jim kept Lucal's knights off by swinging his sword in a wide arc while laughing maniacally and shouting in defiance.
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Outside of Nova Rose it was dark as night had fallen over the beautiful but tormented valley.
He hid in the high grass as he crawled closer, he remembered there being actual trees at this side of the city but Lucal's minions had done a good job of burning it down, but not good enough so that the experienced ranger couldn't hide easily.
He had been scouting on alone as the closer to the city they had come the more he could feel the sickening presence of the betrayers.
And though he wasn't sure there was an even more foul scent in the air – except that from the Dreadwolves, which was why he had ordered his rangers to make temporary camp in a forest just a mile or so outside the city.
"I can smell the stench of chaos here." He thought as his entire being almost convulsed with the battle lust as he now knew for certain that their ancient enemies the hated Dreadwolves or simply betrayers as his kind called them were near.
Historical flashback
During the fall of the Great Alliance, a vain elven prince whose name has since been forgotten, meddled with the powers of Chaos and brought calamity upon many worlds.
Many of the Werewolf tribes were twisted by the chaotic powers and thus became hateful and destructive, they dwelt still in the now twisted forests and tainted groves, when they finally met their fellow werewolves they started a series of wars that would be known as "The Wars of Rage".
This caused the true werewolves to declare them Betrayers or Dreadwolves and the hatred between both lingers still.
In time the constant "Wars of Rage" as well as the constant persecution from mainly humans took its toll and the entire race diminished in numbers.
The Wolfmen, chosen race of the goddess Rahnee – the daughter of Hemming the Wolf god – allied themselves with the true werewolves.
And these wars rages to this very day…
Passage found on a runestone at an abandoned cult site…
Courtesy of the Imperial library of Candon…
End of Historical flashback
Just as he was about to turn and head back to his band of rangers when a hawk with blue tipped wings came flying in and landed on the ground in the grass just beside him.
It looked at him with her sky-blue eyes before changing into Lady Skye, who quickly informed him about the situation in the city…
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Jim made sure Mark and his knights got out of the great hall before he himself grabbing a nearby chair and throwing into the group of Lucal's knights that went down with grunts and curses after which he then quickly backed out of the hall.
Well out of the hall Jim with Mark's and Dunham's help closed the large double doors and barricaded it by placing a thick beam that was standing against the wall just outside preventing Lucal and his minions from getting out – angry shouting not to mention Lucal bellowing in rage was heard from the other side of the doors.
"Now, let's get out of here my young lord." Jim then commanded swiftly and they all hurried through the castle, Mark wondered over Master Shannon's past – or was it Ser Shannon… or Lord even?
He figured such questions had to be answered at a different time as they finally reached the outer gates and he saw Lieutenant Curran already waiting with a small troop of soldiers, he could also see the results of Master Shannon's activities when he undoubtedly invaded the keep, with those soldiers that had been on guard was laying around unconscious and was just being disarmed, luckily these had been part of the mercenaries Lucal had brought as he obviously did not trust his own people enough.
Curran made a stern salute.
"My Lord, we are ready for your orders." He said and his soldiers stood straight and saluted with a sound of metal as their spears hit their shields.
Mark wasted no time,
"We have to retreat out of the city, prepare every loyal company for immediate march." He ordered, and as they started quickly marching off they could hear the warning bells from the keep along with some serious bellowing of orders…
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The family along with few belongings were ready when Jim and Mark came marching in with Jim riding ahead and quickly dismounted to check that his family was ready to leave.
"Daddy!" Little Zoe tore herself from Maddy's arms and ran into Jim that caught her in a hug.
"I promised I'd be back sweetie." He said as he hugged his youngest.
Mark soon came marching in quickly with his knights and soldiers in tow.
"Mister Mark!" Little Zoe shouted and Mark dismounted and knelt down to her level.
"We got your dragonbabyeggs as well Mister Mark." Zoe babbled and Mark smiled.
"Thank you, Zoe." Mark replied as Maddy came and showed him the bag with the precious eggs.
"You keep them safe for me Maddy." Mark said softly as he stood up and gently caressed her cheek which made her blush and Zoe giggle.
And soon they all started marching out of the city along with a full company of one thousand men of heavily armed and armoured Draukkean Guardsmen.
"My Lord, portions of two more companies will meet us outside the city, these have been the ones given the patrol duties." Curran explained as Mark pulled Hazard to ride slowly beside him.
Hazard snorted annoyedly.
In the distance as they exited the western gate the alarm bells from the keep must have finally alerted the garrison as they could hear shouting from within the city.
"Sounds like they're going to come after us soon." Josh noted as he held the rains in the cart where Maddy Elisabeth and Zoe were also sitting.
Jim turned to Mark with a worried expression.
"By this pace, they will catch up to us long before we meet up with those other loyal companies of yours." He stated as the sound of marching feet could be heard from within the city.
Then they could all hear a lone wolf-like howl that sounded not too far away.
"What in the hells?!" Jim exclaimed.
"What is it Master – err – Ser Shannon?" Ser Dunham asked as he was riding at the front together with Jim as Mark was riding next to the cart with the rest of the Shannon family.
"That sounded like a wolf howling." Jim replied.
"I take it that's unusual around here?" Ser Dunham replied.
"Not unusual, impossible. There haven't been any wolves in these parts for centuries." Jim pointed out.
Then the lonely howl was answered by more howls in the distance…
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The double gates opened and the demoniac mercenaries came galloping after the slowly moving column.
Mark hissed loudly in annoyance.
"We have no choice, we have to fight them here." He said but he knew that his brother had taken a large force with him, but at least he and his men could hopefully bye some time for the others to get into the great forest only a few leagues away.
Perhaps there they could elude Lucal's forces long enough to escape?
If Mark and his men could hold Lucal's forces long enough…
"Draukkeans, prepare for battle!" He bellowed and the company of Guardsmen deployed quickly that put them in between the Shannon family and the few other refugees that had simply joined up after seeing the writing on the wall.
He also sent a messenger to alert the other company of their plight.
A few hundred yards away the mercenaries deployed their cavalry for attack while an infantry company marched out of the city behind them and started deploying.
Jim came riding up to Mark that had placed his knights in an auxiliary position to at least try and counter the enemy cavalry.
Jim could see that this was not going to go well as the mercenary cavalry were in superior numbers than Mark's mere twenty – though elite Templars of Tiamath – knights, and there were more enemy forces inside the city despite the desertion of the Draukkean Guardsmen companies.
"Lord Markus, you can't hope to defeat them here." He pointed out to the young lord.
"We only need to hold them long enough for your family and the other refugees to make it to the woods over there." Mark replied and gestured for the forest of Nova that they knew stretched almost all the way to the foothills of the small mountain range that separated the two valleys.
"Then we will retreat slowly by troop and hopefully the messenger I sent will have time to get the other company to come to our aid." Mark assured him though he was not sure himself as the cobbled together remains of the two other companies that had deserted their High Lord along with him was at least an hour's march out or more.
Maddy turned around and saw the Draukkeans had stopped and deployed in defensive formation.
Then the mercenary companies started marching towards them.
"Ser Shannon, you should go with your family they need protection." Mark said to Jim who shook his head and were about to retort.
"Mark, you cannot stay here – none of you." Maddy started as she came running.
"Maddy, go back to the others this instant this is no place for you!" Jim said to her sternly.
The mercenaries continued their methodical march towards the first line of Draukkean Guardsmen when suddenly…
A volley of arrows rained down on the mercenaries several infantry mercenaries as well as one or two of the Demoniac knights was struck.
Mark, Jim and Maddy and many more looked around to see from where the arrows had come Mark could see some shapes some distance away but it was difficult even for him as despite he like all Draukkeans had night vision the twenty or so man-like shapes seemed to be fading back and forth but he could see that was from where the arrows came.
The constant rain of arrows caused the mercenaries to pause and then after some harsh bellowing of orders the ranks closed up again and put up their shields forming a turtle formation and the arrows soon became less effective.
"They are advancing again!" Shouted Curran from the first rank where they now had formed a wall with their oval tower shields and were ready to lower the first rank of their heavy halberds at their antagonists…
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"No, I can help!" Maddy shouted and raised her arms above her head and her eyes started glowing as she started to call on her magical powers, and there was no mistake that she knew magic as she started pulsing with a bright amber light as she called down her powers and all of a suddenly the front ranks of the mercenaries including the now approaching Demon knights crashed into…
"What the… They look as if they just crashed into a wall!?" Jim exclaimed in surprise as then the enemy tried to force through the invisible wall some even stabbing at it with their spears.
Jim and Mark then looked at Maddy who seemed exhausted.
She smiled at them.
"Phew, that took some effort but I never even knew I could do that much." She said tiredly.
Mark smiled as he had felt the immense magical power from her.
"We must have a talk about a few things young lady." Jim said but he was happy that she had been there.
"We have to hurry as I do not know how long that barrier I conjured will hold." Maddy advised.
Mark quickly gave the order to fall back and soon the company and their charges was on the march again quickly putting distance between themselves and the demon worshiping mercenaries, angry shouting following them.
Mark looked around for their mysterious benefactors but there was no trace of the dark figures…
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At High Lord Nathaniel Wisemantle's main encampment as the march up to the foothills to the ancient road that lead up to the Old Capital of the Ancient kingdom was arduous – luckily the road was more intact than the roads in the valley as it was barely trafficked at all or had been trafficked for at least two centuries.
The encampment was at the very last point before the march up the mountain road would begin, he had sent the rangers up ahead to make sure that there would be no unwelcomed surprises.
Captain Mira of the Sixth royal Guard Company and Dame of House Shannon came walking over.
Nathaniel turned to face her as he stood draping himself in his fur cloak around him against the mountain wind that could already be felt even at this altitude.
"Getting old my Lord?" Mira said teasingly.
Nathaniel shrugged.
"No Dame Mira, mostly I'm just worried that unless the passes in the mountains are clear of any snow, this campaign may well end before it starts." Nathaniel pointed out.
"Don't worry, those rangers could find a trail to the moons themselves if they wanted to." Mira stated jokingly which caused Nathaniel to chuckle.
Mira moved from one foot to the other seemingly nervously.
"You worried about your husband Dame Mira?" He asked and Mira almost jumped at the question causing Nathaniel to smile.
"I know he can take care of himself but that doesn't stop me from worrying." Mira explained.
"You haven't heard anything from them, have you?" She then asked.
Nathaniel shook his head and now it was his turn to look worried.
"Skye should have been back by now, I hope nothing has happened to her." He said and wrapped his cloak about him again and seemed to shiver a bit...
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High over the moving caravan of Draukkean templars and their charges the beautiful hawk flew as if to watch over them.
Not far away on the city wall Lucal now stood and gestured for his crossbowmen to start shooting.
The first volley of bolts flew across the night air but seemed to hit some invisible barrier and stopped in mid-air.
And the next volley also though that gave Lucas time to study said barrier and then realised it was not perfect.
Then he noticed the hawk flying around over the caravan and sensed something from it.
He then grabbed a crossbow from one of the guards and aimed at the bird and released the bolt guided by his own powers the crossbow bolt flew through the air and hit its target and as the hawk screamed with an almost female scream…
Well, finally that was chapter 10, please leave a review and tell me what you think.