"Yumil Breskin all the way from Freeport at your service." He bowed.
"Yumil? Yumil Breskin, you son of a gun. What the hell are you doing here?! Albain laughed.
"Tinderblade, you're everywhere. What are you doing here?" Yumil was still laughing.
"We'll talk later because from the looks of it there's something going on." came a new voice. Lielay stood with her mouth open, staring at Yumil and Albain. Yumil turned to her and smiled, she closed her mouth. Joshua and Sawn stepped up and joined Danny.
"And who are you?" Sawn said to the other figure.
"Aubrey Breskin, Yumil's younger brother."
"Well if you will please excuse us, we have to join the others and take control of that fortress." Lielay said calmly and pointed to the fort.
"Yes of course. We would like to ask Tinderblade something when he finishes." Aubrey said aloud.
"Yeah after this. Thanks for waiting you two." Albain shook Aubrey and Yumil's hands.
"Not a problem, well sorta." Yumil said with a strange expression on his face.
"Umm, OK, see you afterwards." Albain said confused.
Lielay already had begun walking towards the fort again when Albain finished talking to the Breskin brothers. He ran to catch up with her. He took her right side and glared behind her back at Danny who was striding on Lielay's left. Behind the three, Sawn, Joshua, Yumil, and Aubrey followed briskly.
"Are those three the leaders or something?" asked Aubrey.
"Kinda. Albain and Danny are both after my sister, Lielay. Danny is married to her, but he has been missing for five years and Albain is madly in love with her. They never seem to leave her sides it seems like." Joshua sighed.
"Oh." Aubrey shook his head understandingly.
Yumil laughed and gained speed to walk next to Albain. Aubrey stayed with Joshua and Sawn. "What's going on here?" Yumil asked Albain once he reached him.
"The orcs are attacking again." Albain answered simply.
"Again, damn how many times do they need to attack?" Yumil smiled.
They reached the fort and joined a large crowd of elves. Yumil and Aubrey were the only humans there; it didn't matter much, none of the elves paid attention. Orcs were shooting arrows and throwing items out of the fort's windows; some elves fired arrows back. A group of elves were already ramming the main entrance in with a monstrous tree trunk. The other battle elves stood waiting impatiently and watched for any other orcs that might sneak by or ambush them.
"We're in the back so I guess we won't see any action." Aubrey said disappointedly.
"Unless there's a surprise attack from behind." Sawn said.
"True!" Aubrey lightened up. There was a cracking noise that filled the air and the front entrance doors shattered. Elves charged in with weapons and shields up.
"Damn you don't want to get these elves pissed." Yumil said to Aubrey. The group around them exploded into hysterics, laughing.
From inside the fort they heard the clashing of weapons, yells, screams, and some cheers. Almost a half an hour passed before the orc's arrows stopping shooting out from the windows. They were replaced with their own bodied flying out the windows instead. Elves that remained outside laughed and pointed as they watched countless orcs fly out. A few moments later on an enormous cheer was heard throughout the fort and outside. Everyone looked towards the front gates, waiting for the warriors to come out. Bashing through the doors was the General with a dark elf and an orc head perched on his shield.
"It's over? All ready? We didn't get to see or be in any battle." Aubrey stomped his foot and crossed his arms.
"You act like a child." Sawn laughed at Aubrey. The General walked past them holding his shield up high with glory and pride. The whole army followed him still cheering and celebrating.
"You know, there are probably still some orcs around. In a few years they will have a huge population again." Yumil told all of them. "And Crushbone will be taken back."
"Not if we have troops stationed here." Danny said as he cleaned blood from his chin.
"So, what were you going to ask me?" Albain turned to Yumil.
"I'll ask you tomorrow, I want to get some sleep first. Where's the closest tavern?"
"In Kelethin."
"Let's go." Lielay urged them on.
They walked through the tunnel slowly for there were hundreds of elves ahead of them that were leaving Crushbone too. Trudging the path towards Kelethin, Lielay yawned and leaned on Albain's shoulder from exhaustion. Danny glowered and turned away. As they neared the lift, they noticed that the time had passed them quite quickly. It was either really late into the night or really early in the morning; no one could tell, they didn't even care at the moment. Riding the lift up, Aubrey looked around and sighed.
"What?" asked his brother.
"Nothing." Aubrey replied still looking at nothing.
"He has some issues." Yumil whispered to the others. They all laughed and stepped off of the crowded lift.
"Taverns and bars are going to be crazy tonight." Sawn said as they came to the top.
"Yeah and I'm going to be the crazy part!" Aubrey said and raced into the nearest bar.
"He is such a child. I asked, no begged Mother to let me strangle him and rid her of his annoyance, but she wanted him around for some odd reason." Yumil chuckled and went into the same bar as his brother.
"Humans," Sawn muttered, "well, I'm off, got to go tell my wife what happened." Sawn shook everyone's hands and headed towards his house.
"Same here, I still need to talk to Birria." Joshua waved and left.
"You should go too, Tinderblade." Danny sneered.
"No you should. I'm staying with Lie."
"The hell you are." Danny stepped closer to Albain.
"If you two don't stop I'll leave and go to Birria's house and I'll let you two kill each other."
"You're my wife, he should leave."
"OK, I'm going to Birria's house. I warned you." She started walking off.
"No wait Lie!" Albain shouted as he pushed Danny out of the way.
"Too late." She shouted back as she walked up the ramp and out of sight.
"Look what you did, Oakfeller."
"What I did! It's your fault, Tinderblade!" Danny shoved Albain into the side of the building close-by. Albain reacted instantly and did a flying kick that hit Danny in the jaw. Danny grabbed his face and turned to Albain. "This time there's no Lielay to stop us. No spells. We'll fight equally." Danny let go of his jaw and held his fists up.
"Whatever."
They circled around each other waiting for the right time to attack. Danny leaped forward and hit Albain in the gut with as much power as he could muster. Albain doubled over in pain, moaning. Danny laughed and pushed him over. "I win, Tinderblade. Lielay has been and will always be mine." Danny hovered over Albain grinning from ear to ear. Albain's blood boiled as he thrusted his foot up hitting Danny in the groin. "Holy Mother of Tunare!" Danny managed to say. He crossed his eyes and fell backwards. Albain got to his feet and watched Danny trying to catch his breath. Danny was yelling every swear word and even some new ones that Albain had never heard of. "That's it, Tinderblade, you're going down!"
He stood up slowly and made a vulgar gesture to Albain. Head to head the two collided and started to repeat what happened hours before. They rolled near the side of the city not even noticing the drop. Blood splattered the ground and the two were covered in it. The noise from the taverns and bars were much louder then the grunts from Albain and Danny. No one ever saw them, not even before it happened.
Albain's left eye had a huge purple bruise rising from it. It forced his left eye closed causing him to fight with one eye. His knuckles on his right hand were all swollen up and some were already broken. Danny's already broken nose was out of place with more with blood streaming freely from it. His old shirt was torn and hung loosely off his shoulders. He spat out a tooth from the last punch he received from Albain.
"Give up, Oakfeller. She loves me, not you!" Albain said.
"Dream on." Danny said as he spat blood out of his mouth, it sprayed all over Albain's face.
They engaged into a forceful battle again, coming closer and closer to the high city's sides. Three feet away from it and neither noticed. Punching and kicking they neared the side even more, the next instant the two slipped off over the side. One of Albain's hands grabbed the wooden ledge; the other reached for Danny. Danny was already out of reaching range, falling, falling to his death. Albain watched in horror from his one good eye as Danny fell. Danny looked up at Albain for the last time with fear, pain, sorrow, and hatred in his eyes before he hit the ground far below. Danny lay motionless, his body all broken up with his limbs twisted around abnormally. Albain pulled himself up over the edge and lay there, breathing very hard and fast. He didn't want to be around when they found Danny dead. He stood up, ran over to the lift, and stepped on. He disappeared into the darkness like a fading shadow.
*****
At Birria's house, Caleb and Marcus were asleep while Joshua, Birria, and Lielay sat around the fireplace talking. Lielay found out that Birria and Joshua were going to be wed and Birria's child was Joshua's. The two were going to keep it a secret until they got married, but they had to tell Lielay since she was close family.
"Well, I got to go see if Danny and Albain have killed each other yet" Lielay stood up and smiled, "congratulations again." She opened the door and left. She walked down the ramp and to where she had last seen Albain and Danny. They were nowhere in sight. "Danny. Albain. Where are you two?" she shouted over the noise from the bars and taverns.
Lielay glided into bar where Yumil and Aubrey were. She looked around until she saw them; they were surrounded by a group of elves with a whole lot of empty glasses before them. Lielay went over to the table and pushed her way through until she came next to Yumil and Aubrey. Aubrey looked up with a drunken expression on his face, Yumil still looked normal.
"Hey, Lielay. What are you doing here? Come to join the fun?" Aubrey asked stupidly.
"No. Have you seen Albain or Danny? I can't find them."
"No we haven't, we thought that they were with you." Yumil spoke up.
"I haven't seen them since I last saw you two."
"This could be bad."
"Can you please help me find them?"
"Anything for you, Lielay." Yumil smiled.
"What about you Aubrey?" Lielay turned to him.
"I'll come and look for them in a bit. I need to finish my drink."
"OK."
Lielay and Yumil stepped out of the bar and started to look for any signs of Albain or Danny. Yumil walked around outside looking while Lielay went into other buildings to search. A drunken Aubrey stumbled out of the bar with a full glass of strong liquor in his hand. Yumil started towards him, but halfway there he slipped and fell. Lielay ran over to help him, but when she reached him she slipped and fell too.
"What the hell?" Yumil lifted his hand and examined it.
"What is this?" Lielay smelt her hand.
"Blood." Yumil dropped his hand and peered around.
"We're sitting in a giant pool of blood!" Lielay screamed and jumped up.
Aubrey walked over and looked at the pool; his eyes followed a trail of blood leading from it. "Look there's a trail." He pointed it out to the other two.
The three followed the blood trail until it led to one of the edges of the city they looked over uneasily. In the dim light they managed to make out a sprawled out body lying on the ground below. "Oh my gods. That better not be Danny or Albain." Lielay put her hand to her mouth.
"Better take you on home now." Yumil took Lielay's arm and started to walk. Lielay directed them to her house, when she got there Joshua opened the door and Lielay slowly stepped inside.
"What happened?" Joshua said when Lielay walked out of the room.
"We saw a big pool of blood with a trail leading over the edge. There was a body down below." Aubrey said.
"Who's was it?"
"No clue."
"Thanks for bringing Lielay home. Tell me anything of importance once you figure out the news." Joshua closed the door and locked it.
"Best go see who's body that is." Yumil told his brother. The two walked to the lift and traveled down. They went over to the side where they spotted the dead body. Once they got there they gasped at whom it was. "Shit! It's Lie's husband!" Yumil was shocked.
"Where's Tinderblade?" Aubrey asked looking around.
"Don't know. You think he killed him?"
"Not sure. That's why I want to find him."
"We better carry the body back."
They hoisted Danny's lifeless body up and stumbled back to the lift. The guards there stopped them. After the two told them about the blood and the body, the guards instructed them to take the body to whatever guild it belonged too. Aubrey and Yumil carried Danny to the Warrior's guild and told the master all they knew about Danny, which wasn't much.
"We'll take care of this from here on." The master told them.
The two walked out and headed towards Lielay and Joshua's house. Upon reaching there, Yumil knocked slowly. "What is it, Yumil?" Joshua yawned.
"Bad news." he answered.
"Yumil? Yumil Breskin, you son of a gun. What the hell are you doing here?! Albain laughed.
"Tinderblade, you're everywhere. What are you doing here?" Yumil was still laughing.
"We'll talk later because from the looks of it there's something going on." came a new voice. Lielay stood with her mouth open, staring at Yumil and Albain. Yumil turned to her and smiled, she closed her mouth. Joshua and Sawn stepped up and joined Danny.
"And who are you?" Sawn said to the other figure.
"Aubrey Breskin, Yumil's younger brother."
"Well if you will please excuse us, we have to join the others and take control of that fortress." Lielay said calmly and pointed to the fort.
"Yes of course. We would like to ask Tinderblade something when he finishes." Aubrey said aloud.
"Yeah after this. Thanks for waiting you two." Albain shook Aubrey and Yumil's hands.
"Not a problem, well sorta." Yumil said with a strange expression on his face.
"Umm, OK, see you afterwards." Albain said confused.
Lielay already had begun walking towards the fort again when Albain finished talking to the Breskin brothers. He ran to catch up with her. He took her right side and glared behind her back at Danny who was striding on Lielay's left. Behind the three, Sawn, Joshua, Yumil, and Aubrey followed briskly.
"Are those three the leaders or something?" asked Aubrey.
"Kinda. Albain and Danny are both after my sister, Lielay. Danny is married to her, but he has been missing for five years and Albain is madly in love with her. They never seem to leave her sides it seems like." Joshua sighed.
"Oh." Aubrey shook his head understandingly.
Yumil laughed and gained speed to walk next to Albain. Aubrey stayed with Joshua and Sawn. "What's going on here?" Yumil asked Albain once he reached him.
"The orcs are attacking again." Albain answered simply.
"Again, damn how many times do they need to attack?" Yumil smiled.
They reached the fort and joined a large crowd of elves. Yumil and Aubrey were the only humans there; it didn't matter much, none of the elves paid attention. Orcs were shooting arrows and throwing items out of the fort's windows; some elves fired arrows back. A group of elves were already ramming the main entrance in with a monstrous tree trunk. The other battle elves stood waiting impatiently and watched for any other orcs that might sneak by or ambush them.
"We're in the back so I guess we won't see any action." Aubrey said disappointedly.
"Unless there's a surprise attack from behind." Sawn said.
"True!" Aubrey lightened up. There was a cracking noise that filled the air and the front entrance doors shattered. Elves charged in with weapons and shields up.
"Damn you don't want to get these elves pissed." Yumil said to Aubrey. The group around them exploded into hysterics, laughing.
From inside the fort they heard the clashing of weapons, yells, screams, and some cheers. Almost a half an hour passed before the orc's arrows stopping shooting out from the windows. They were replaced with their own bodied flying out the windows instead. Elves that remained outside laughed and pointed as they watched countless orcs fly out. A few moments later on an enormous cheer was heard throughout the fort and outside. Everyone looked towards the front gates, waiting for the warriors to come out. Bashing through the doors was the General with a dark elf and an orc head perched on his shield.
"It's over? All ready? We didn't get to see or be in any battle." Aubrey stomped his foot and crossed his arms.
"You act like a child." Sawn laughed at Aubrey. The General walked past them holding his shield up high with glory and pride. The whole army followed him still cheering and celebrating.
"You know, there are probably still some orcs around. In a few years they will have a huge population again." Yumil told all of them. "And Crushbone will be taken back."
"Not if we have troops stationed here." Danny said as he cleaned blood from his chin.
"So, what were you going to ask me?" Albain turned to Yumil.
"I'll ask you tomorrow, I want to get some sleep first. Where's the closest tavern?"
"In Kelethin."
"Let's go." Lielay urged them on.
They walked through the tunnel slowly for there were hundreds of elves ahead of them that were leaving Crushbone too. Trudging the path towards Kelethin, Lielay yawned and leaned on Albain's shoulder from exhaustion. Danny glowered and turned away. As they neared the lift, they noticed that the time had passed them quite quickly. It was either really late into the night or really early in the morning; no one could tell, they didn't even care at the moment. Riding the lift up, Aubrey looked around and sighed.
"What?" asked his brother.
"Nothing." Aubrey replied still looking at nothing.
"He has some issues." Yumil whispered to the others. They all laughed and stepped off of the crowded lift.
"Taverns and bars are going to be crazy tonight." Sawn said as they came to the top.
"Yeah and I'm going to be the crazy part!" Aubrey said and raced into the nearest bar.
"He is such a child. I asked, no begged Mother to let me strangle him and rid her of his annoyance, but she wanted him around for some odd reason." Yumil chuckled and went into the same bar as his brother.
"Humans," Sawn muttered, "well, I'm off, got to go tell my wife what happened." Sawn shook everyone's hands and headed towards his house.
"Same here, I still need to talk to Birria." Joshua waved and left.
"You should go too, Tinderblade." Danny sneered.
"No you should. I'm staying with Lie."
"The hell you are." Danny stepped closer to Albain.
"If you two don't stop I'll leave and go to Birria's house and I'll let you two kill each other."
"You're my wife, he should leave."
"OK, I'm going to Birria's house. I warned you." She started walking off.
"No wait Lie!" Albain shouted as he pushed Danny out of the way.
"Too late." She shouted back as she walked up the ramp and out of sight.
"Look what you did, Oakfeller."
"What I did! It's your fault, Tinderblade!" Danny shoved Albain into the side of the building close-by. Albain reacted instantly and did a flying kick that hit Danny in the jaw. Danny grabbed his face and turned to Albain. "This time there's no Lielay to stop us. No spells. We'll fight equally." Danny let go of his jaw and held his fists up.
"Whatever."
They circled around each other waiting for the right time to attack. Danny leaped forward and hit Albain in the gut with as much power as he could muster. Albain doubled over in pain, moaning. Danny laughed and pushed him over. "I win, Tinderblade. Lielay has been and will always be mine." Danny hovered over Albain grinning from ear to ear. Albain's blood boiled as he thrusted his foot up hitting Danny in the groin. "Holy Mother of Tunare!" Danny managed to say. He crossed his eyes and fell backwards. Albain got to his feet and watched Danny trying to catch his breath. Danny was yelling every swear word and even some new ones that Albain had never heard of. "That's it, Tinderblade, you're going down!"
He stood up slowly and made a vulgar gesture to Albain. Head to head the two collided and started to repeat what happened hours before. They rolled near the side of the city not even noticing the drop. Blood splattered the ground and the two were covered in it. The noise from the taverns and bars were much louder then the grunts from Albain and Danny. No one ever saw them, not even before it happened.
Albain's left eye had a huge purple bruise rising from it. It forced his left eye closed causing him to fight with one eye. His knuckles on his right hand were all swollen up and some were already broken. Danny's already broken nose was out of place with more with blood streaming freely from it. His old shirt was torn and hung loosely off his shoulders. He spat out a tooth from the last punch he received from Albain.
"Give up, Oakfeller. She loves me, not you!" Albain said.
"Dream on." Danny said as he spat blood out of his mouth, it sprayed all over Albain's face.
They engaged into a forceful battle again, coming closer and closer to the high city's sides. Three feet away from it and neither noticed. Punching and kicking they neared the side even more, the next instant the two slipped off over the side. One of Albain's hands grabbed the wooden ledge; the other reached for Danny. Danny was already out of reaching range, falling, falling to his death. Albain watched in horror from his one good eye as Danny fell. Danny looked up at Albain for the last time with fear, pain, sorrow, and hatred in his eyes before he hit the ground far below. Danny lay motionless, his body all broken up with his limbs twisted around abnormally. Albain pulled himself up over the edge and lay there, breathing very hard and fast. He didn't want to be around when they found Danny dead. He stood up, ran over to the lift, and stepped on. He disappeared into the darkness like a fading shadow.
*****
At Birria's house, Caleb and Marcus were asleep while Joshua, Birria, and Lielay sat around the fireplace talking. Lielay found out that Birria and Joshua were going to be wed and Birria's child was Joshua's. The two were going to keep it a secret until they got married, but they had to tell Lielay since she was close family.
"Well, I got to go see if Danny and Albain have killed each other yet" Lielay stood up and smiled, "congratulations again." She opened the door and left. She walked down the ramp and to where she had last seen Albain and Danny. They were nowhere in sight. "Danny. Albain. Where are you two?" she shouted over the noise from the bars and taverns.
Lielay glided into bar where Yumil and Aubrey were. She looked around until she saw them; they were surrounded by a group of elves with a whole lot of empty glasses before them. Lielay went over to the table and pushed her way through until she came next to Yumil and Aubrey. Aubrey looked up with a drunken expression on his face, Yumil still looked normal.
"Hey, Lielay. What are you doing here? Come to join the fun?" Aubrey asked stupidly.
"No. Have you seen Albain or Danny? I can't find them."
"No we haven't, we thought that they were with you." Yumil spoke up.
"I haven't seen them since I last saw you two."
"This could be bad."
"Can you please help me find them?"
"Anything for you, Lielay." Yumil smiled.
"What about you Aubrey?" Lielay turned to him.
"I'll come and look for them in a bit. I need to finish my drink."
"OK."
Lielay and Yumil stepped out of the bar and started to look for any signs of Albain or Danny. Yumil walked around outside looking while Lielay went into other buildings to search. A drunken Aubrey stumbled out of the bar with a full glass of strong liquor in his hand. Yumil started towards him, but halfway there he slipped and fell. Lielay ran over to help him, but when she reached him she slipped and fell too.
"What the hell?" Yumil lifted his hand and examined it.
"What is this?" Lielay smelt her hand.
"Blood." Yumil dropped his hand and peered around.
"We're sitting in a giant pool of blood!" Lielay screamed and jumped up.
Aubrey walked over and looked at the pool; his eyes followed a trail of blood leading from it. "Look there's a trail." He pointed it out to the other two.
The three followed the blood trail until it led to one of the edges of the city they looked over uneasily. In the dim light they managed to make out a sprawled out body lying on the ground below. "Oh my gods. That better not be Danny or Albain." Lielay put her hand to her mouth.
"Better take you on home now." Yumil took Lielay's arm and started to walk. Lielay directed them to her house, when she got there Joshua opened the door and Lielay slowly stepped inside.
"What happened?" Joshua said when Lielay walked out of the room.
"We saw a big pool of blood with a trail leading over the edge. There was a body down below." Aubrey said.
"Who's was it?"
"No clue."
"Thanks for bringing Lielay home. Tell me anything of importance once you figure out the news." Joshua closed the door and locked it.
"Best go see who's body that is." Yumil told his brother. The two walked to the lift and traveled down. They went over to the side where they spotted the dead body. Once they got there they gasped at whom it was. "Shit! It's Lie's husband!" Yumil was shocked.
"Where's Tinderblade?" Aubrey asked looking around.
"Don't know. You think he killed him?"
"Not sure. That's why I want to find him."
"We better carry the body back."
They hoisted Danny's lifeless body up and stumbled back to the lift. The guards there stopped them. After the two told them about the blood and the body, the guards instructed them to take the body to whatever guild it belonged too. Aubrey and Yumil carried Danny to the Warrior's guild and told the master all they knew about Danny, which wasn't much.
"We'll take care of this from here on." The master told them.
The two walked out and headed towards Lielay and Joshua's house. Upon reaching there, Yumil knocked slowly. "What is it, Yumil?" Joshua yawned.
"Bad news." he answered.
