The Sarafan force was massive, much larger than the other one that had marched against Zephon's Clan holdings over a year ago. It was early evening as their left the relative safety of their holdings, marching quickly and with as much haste as they could towards the north. Their foot soldiers marched twenty abreast and over thirty deep, in columns made up of over a hundred eager young men. Behind them came the cavalry, who had learned from their mistakes the previous year and were now more heavily armoured than before to stand against the vampires' might. Over ten thousand rode out of the Sarafan fortress, their banners raised high and devotional hymns being sung to protect them from the creatures of the night. Then the massive catapults and cannons came after them, sorceresses channeling their magic into the technological feats in order to ensure they did not break when it came time to fight. Zephon, Turel and Rahab saw all of this from the shadows of the mountains overlooking the Sarafan fortress.
"I have never seen them move out in such numbers. They must be really dedicated this time around," Rahab handed the telescope over to Turel as he stood. "But I am sure they can be easily defeated in Dumah's Territory."
"And when do we begin our attack?" Zephon fixed his leg armour and gauntlets, looking at the foot soldiers with some concern.
"As soon as they cross the bridge, Rahab's vampires will then dismantle it, leaving all those at the HQ stranded while we complete our work," Turel nodded to himself. "They are in place, right?" Rahab nodded. He was dressed in the same golden armour as Zephon, bearing his Clan banner with pride over his right shoulder and carrying his battleaxe over the left shoulder. "And once they have vanished over into the mountain passes, that is when we attack. My warriors will move by the main gates and strike them down with magic while you Zephon, will move in from the top of the fortress. Rahab will take the basements and we will all meet up in the center of the Sarafan HQ, utterly annihilating everyone with. Then we simply torch the place, leaving it as dust when the sun rises. And the Sarafan will no longer be a threat to our kind."
The three Lieutenants turned around and headed back into the mountains where the small strike team waited. Zarina was quietly talking with the representatives from the other Clans, patching up arguments that had flared up at the last minute and giving words of comfort to some of the younger fledglings. In all, the strike force was composed of twenty members: Turel and his eight officers and highest mages, Rahab and his sub-commanders, making that twelve, then Zephon, Natarek, Siglar as well as Kilik and Daurgon from Raziel's Clan and Fecour and Mecant, picked to be the best scouts from Melchiah's personal army.
And Zarina.
Zephon felt a lump in his throat as he looked at his wife, who was gazing impassively at the fortress through a thin screen of leaves. She was dressed in light leather armour with arm and leg guards and armed with crossbolts besides her potent magic. He came up behind her and placed a talon on her shoulder. "Does it bring back memories?"
"Always," she spoke quietly. "Both good and bad, as places are want to do for anyone. But it does not matter for I have relinquished all ties with the Sarafan; the Zephonim Clan is my home, Zephon and I will see to its safety." She turned to face him, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not fear for my safety, my lord. If anything, fear for yourself and the lives of your brothers. They do not know the interior like I do and can be more susceptible to attacks."
"My spies and their information are always correct, Zarina. We will be coming in from over the walls, so I suggest you hand on tightly to me as we climb. Natarek and Siglar will be with Kilik, as well as Fecour, Mecant, Daurgon and us. I have personally made sure that they will be able to scale the walls with utmost haste; they are not Zephonim but then that does not matter when something like this is concerned."
"You did not see the commander of the Sarafan force with his army, did you?" Zephon shook his head. "Damn it, then that means he is inside, possibly watching the battle through sorcerous means. And most likely heavily guarded. I do not doubt that Turel's magic has been able to cloak us so far, but when we are split up-"
Zephon embraced her quickly to silence her. "That is why this is called a strike force, Zarina. We move in quickly, dispatch the Sarafan Lord within and anyone we come across, and as dawn breaks we leave swiftly. No casualties, no fatalities to us at all."
A twig snapping behind the couple made Zephon whirl quickly, dagger in his hand. Luckily Turel was agile enough to miss the swipe that would of taken out his throat; he stepped back with his hands raised. "Zephon, already you are that tense? Perhaps you should not go. Oh, did I interrupt something?"
"What does it look like?" Zephon growled, flipping the dagger in his talons and placing back in its scabbard. Zarina blushed slightly at the look Turel was given the two and went back to viewing the fortress.
"I am here to say that we will move out in the few minutes. Rahab's force is already disassembling the bridge and as soon as the sun sets Zephon, that is when we begin. Remember, silence and swiftness above all else."
"Do you take me to be an idiot, Turel? I can remember the plan easily enough." Turel grabbed Zephon by the arm and pulled him a small distance away from Zarina; he dropped his voice and leaned over to whisper in his younger brother's ear.
"I do not take you for an idiot, I am simply just reminding you as I have reminded everyone else. Zephon, do not play the hero. We all know how many times that has gotten some of our best vampires killed. With the Sarafan Lord inside we must be united when we go up against him. Even now I sense his power and we cannot lose anyone to the team if we can help it. I also know Zarina is capable of taking care of herself, but watch out for her all the same. I would hate to see her-"
"Do not speak such words Turel, do not even think such thoughts," Zephon took a menacing step towards the Clan lord. "She is my wife and I will defend her at all costs. You just remember your part of the plan."
Turel nodded but the look of such seriousness had not vanished from his face. "Very well. It is time to go; the sun has left the heavens and the moon has come to replace it."
* * *
Dumah watched the Sarafan force as they made their way with an almost stately pace towards their doom. He held tightly to his broadsword and grinned slightly. "This should be a grand fight," he chuckled as he looked over at Raziel and Melchiah, standing nearby. "Just remember not to skewer yourself with your own sword, Melchiah. When the battle begins I will not be helping you."
"Like we could forget that," Raziel sniffed. "We all know the plan Dumah, and we will act accordingly with it. Do not worry Melchiah you will not foul up. Your Clan's part is just as important as ours is, perhaps even more so. What is wrong, little brother? Why such a look on your face?"
Melchiah stood at the very edge of Dumah's fortress, glancing out at the Sarafan and then back at the vampire forces. Or so it seemed. Raziel followed his brother's gaze, which moved over the Holy Order and off into the mountains itself. "I have a bad…feeling. Something is wrong, something that we did not plan for."
"We planned for everything here in Ash Village," Dumah growled, stomping one of his cloven feet down in annoyance. "Stop being so afraid of nothing, weakling."
"No, we have not forgotten anything here, Dumah. But I feel as if Rahab, Zephon and Turel are walking into a trap, one that even they cannot see until it is too late. I am worried for them."
Raziel rubbed Melchiah's bald head in a friendly manner, then punched him lightly on the jaw. "Stop worrying, Melchiah. They can take care of themselves, as we all know. For the moment we need only concern ourselves with the destruction of the Sarafan. Today history shall be made!" Raziel raised his sword up into the night sky, the moon reflecting its light off the silver blade.
"Here, here," Dumah raised his own blade in salute. Melchiah did the same, but only half-heartedly. Something was wrong, but what? What had they missed in the plan that was now giving him such a terrible feeling?
"I have never seen them move out in such numbers. They must be really dedicated this time around," Rahab handed the telescope over to Turel as he stood. "But I am sure they can be easily defeated in Dumah's Territory."
"And when do we begin our attack?" Zephon fixed his leg armour and gauntlets, looking at the foot soldiers with some concern.
"As soon as they cross the bridge, Rahab's vampires will then dismantle it, leaving all those at the HQ stranded while we complete our work," Turel nodded to himself. "They are in place, right?" Rahab nodded. He was dressed in the same golden armour as Zephon, bearing his Clan banner with pride over his right shoulder and carrying his battleaxe over the left shoulder. "And once they have vanished over into the mountain passes, that is when we attack. My warriors will move by the main gates and strike them down with magic while you Zephon, will move in from the top of the fortress. Rahab will take the basements and we will all meet up in the center of the Sarafan HQ, utterly annihilating everyone with. Then we simply torch the place, leaving it as dust when the sun rises. And the Sarafan will no longer be a threat to our kind."
The three Lieutenants turned around and headed back into the mountains where the small strike team waited. Zarina was quietly talking with the representatives from the other Clans, patching up arguments that had flared up at the last minute and giving words of comfort to some of the younger fledglings. In all, the strike force was composed of twenty members: Turel and his eight officers and highest mages, Rahab and his sub-commanders, making that twelve, then Zephon, Natarek, Siglar as well as Kilik and Daurgon from Raziel's Clan and Fecour and Mecant, picked to be the best scouts from Melchiah's personal army.
And Zarina.
Zephon felt a lump in his throat as he looked at his wife, who was gazing impassively at the fortress through a thin screen of leaves. She was dressed in light leather armour with arm and leg guards and armed with crossbolts besides her potent magic. He came up behind her and placed a talon on her shoulder. "Does it bring back memories?"
"Always," she spoke quietly. "Both good and bad, as places are want to do for anyone. But it does not matter for I have relinquished all ties with the Sarafan; the Zephonim Clan is my home, Zephon and I will see to its safety." She turned to face him, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not fear for my safety, my lord. If anything, fear for yourself and the lives of your brothers. They do not know the interior like I do and can be more susceptible to attacks."
"My spies and their information are always correct, Zarina. We will be coming in from over the walls, so I suggest you hand on tightly to me as we climb. Natarek and Siglar will be with Kilik, as well as Fecour, Mecant, Daurgon and us. I have personally made sure that they will be able to scale the walls with utmost haste; they are not Zephonim but then that does not matter when something like this is concerned."
"You did not see the commander of the Sarafan force with his army, did you?" Zephon shook his head. "Damn it, then that means he is inside, possibly watching the battle through sorcerous means. And most likely heavily guarded. I do not doubt that Turel's magic has been able to cloak us so far, but when we are split up-"
Zephon embraced her quickly to silence her. "That is why this is called a strike force, Zarina. We move in quickly, dispatch the Sarafan Lord within and anyone we come across, and as dawn breaks we leave swiftly. No casualties, no fatalities to us at all."
A twig snapping behind the couple made Zephon whirl quickly, dagger in his hand. Luckily Turel was agile enough to miss the swipe that would of taken out his throat; he stepped back with his hands raised. "Zephon, already you are that tense? Perhaps you should not go. Oh, did I interrupt something?"
"What does it look like?" Zephon growled, flipping the dagger in his talons and placing back in its scabbard. Zarina blushed slightly at the look Turel was given the two and went back to viewing the fortress.
"I am here to say that we will move out in the few minutes. Rahab's force is already disassembling the bridge and as soon as the sun sets Zephon, that is when we begin. Remember, silence and swiftness above all else."
"Do you take me to be an idiot, Turel? I can remember the plan easily enough." Turel grabbed Zephon by the arm and pulled him a small distance away from Zarina; he dropped his voice and leaned over to whisper in his younger brother's ear.
"I do not take you for an idiot, I am simply just reminding you as I have reminded everyone else. Zephon, do not play the hero. We all know how many times that has gotten some of our best vampires killed. With the Sarafan Lord inside we must be united when we go up against him. Even now I sense his power and we cannot lose anyone to the team if we can help it. I also know Zarina is capable of taking care of herself, but watch out for her all the same. I would hate to see her-"
"Do not speak such words Turel, do not even think such thoughts," Zephon took a menacing step towards the Clan lord. "She is my wife and I will defend her at all costs. You just remember your part of the plan."
Turel nodded but the look of such seriousness had not vanished from his face. "Very well. It is time to go; the sun has left the heavens and the moon has come to replace it."
* * *
Dumah watched the Sarafan force as they made their way with an almost stately pace towards their doom. He held tightly to his broadsword and grinned slightly. "This should be a grand fight," he chuckled as he looked over at Raziel and Melchiah, standing nearby. "Just remember not to skewer yourself with your own sword, Melchiah. When the battle begins I will not be helping you."
"Like we could forget that," Raziel sniffed. "We all know the plan Dumah, and we will act accordingly with it. Do not worry Melchiah you will not foul up. Your Clan's part is just as important as ours is, perhaps even more so. What is wrong, little brother? Why such a look on your face?"
Melchiah stood at the very edge of Dumah's fortress, glancing out at the Sarafan and then back at the vampire forces. Or so it seemed. Raziel followed his brother's gaze, which moved over the Holy Order and off into the mountains itself. "I have a bad…feeling. Something is wrong, something that we did not plan for."
"We planned for everything here in Ash Village," Dumah growled, stomping one of his cloven feet down in annoyance. "Stop being so afraid of nothing, weakling."
"No, we have not forgotten anything here, Dumah. But I feel as if Rahab, Zephon and Turel are walking into a trap, one that even they cannot see until it is too late. I am worried for them."
Raziel rubbed Melchiah's bald head in a friendly manner, then punched him lightly on the jaw. "Stop worrying, Melchiah. They can take care of themselves, as we all know. For the moment we need only concern ourselves with the destruction of the Sarafan. Today history shall be made!" Raziel raised his sword up into the night sky, the moon reflecting its light off the silver blade.
"Here, here," Dumah raised his own blade in salute. Melchiah did the same, but only half-heartedly. Something was wrong, but what? What had they missed in the plan that was now giving him such a terrible feeling?