Chap 2
Tialen ran as fast as his youthful legs could bear. He was a virile lad, but the frontline encampments were still far away. The young messenger had longed for a mount, but for a low ranking cadet, such as himself, to be granted one, would be a luxury. When the scourge appeared, he had just enlisted, but since he had been fighting constantly, his skills with the sword were refined in combat not training. He was the lucky one, for many of his close comrades had been slain before they even could master the arts of the blade. The fighting had caused Tialen to exert himself to the last of his reserves, and when the legion fell, he had nothing left. His thoughts turned to the moment when had let the endless bloodshed get to him and he'd lost all hope.
It had happened at the battle they had just won. His human encampment was the first to fall. The Undead's minions had breached the outer defenses and were closing in. He had been in constant combat for days. For every minion he'd slain, two more seemed to take its place, and when they receded, the scourge only returned with even more potency. His base had then smelled of them. Some of his comrades fell because of their plague. Even the landed had been blighted and devoid of all trace of life. Around him was only the stench of death. Tialen then decided to quit. The, already defeated, cadet stayed his sword and fell. Death was not upon him, yet, his thoughts toyed him about it. They yearned for his end. How else could he have been freed from this hopeless plight? Beaten and tired, the cadet then found his gaze upon an advancing demon. Composed only of bone, it lacked a soul much less a free will. Its eyes surveyed the scene and then focused on him. The demon sought his death, nay, it sought merely death. He had doubted it capable of such complex thought. The sickly form came for him, and he knew it would surely find and kill him. Perhaps it would even feast on his remains. He was content for, finely he would find relief from the turmoil around him. As the bony monstrosity closed in, Tialen closed his eyes and accepted his fate... THWOOSH! Tialen had quickly recognized the sound of an arrow. He remembered opened his eyes to see the demon lying on the ground. It had lain as an inanimate pile of bones. Before he could have recollected is thoughts, he had felt two pairs of hands grab him abruptly. Under any other circumstance he would have met such harsh manhandling with resistance, but he had been too beaten to care. Though startled, he was still sapped of energy from the previous conflict. Though he was seemingly being dragged away from it, remembered seeing his base being razed by mindless minions. This did not soothe him. Slowly, and almost out of a yearning for death, the young warrior slipped had into unconsciousness.
"Loke-fah doo riffa", were the first words he had heard, whence he had roused from his slumber. The words spoken were in a quite and circumspect tone. He had begun to gather himself and attempt to assess his surroundings. He was still weary. All he could remember were the lush, but slowly corrupting woods, and the sounds of his two captors. Since they were using stealth, and spoke in a tongue he had never heard of, Tialen had deducted they were night elves. He had pondered on his rescue, for what interest should elvens troops have in saving one not of their kind? They were an allied race, but he still sensed they thought ill of and his people.. The two sentinels did not show the courtesy, even the Orcs did, of speaking in his tongue, nor had they even revealed themselves to him. He had had to strain his ears to barely hear them, but he had not had to worry about that for much longer. One of them, seemingly out of nowhere, showed herself to him. As almost all of her kind were, she was long and elegant. Even her finely crafted equipment had been influenced by elven artistry. His thoughts should have not strayed in such direction, for she held nothing but spite in her eyes. The elven female had not kept them on him for long. Speaking in her native language, she, then, summoned her companion. The next ranger appeared in the same manner as the first, and her equipment was just as elaborately and finely crafted. It even gleamed in the forest light. Tialen remembered her visage as having a much more benevolent hue to it. One thing was to be noted about her. She was somewhat shorter than most of the sentinels. Tialen himself was of average human height, and she could have met his eye level. She then addressed him. "Rath-na, soldier, are you okay?" She had spoken in a concerned tone, but her voice retained the same level of cautiousness as before, so he knew their situation could be dire. "When we found you..."
" Please, my sister this one is too burdened to converse with us, we should best leave him alone until we can find a mage willing to heal him. "The second elven warrior interrupted abruptly, Tialen was certain the this one wished to be rid of him with haste"
"uughn", Tialen had been so weak that forming complete words required substantial effort, he could have admitted that the damage he had taken wasn't only physical, as well. The elf, which wish not to leave him there as feast for one of the Undead's lesser, more sickly minions, spoke. "Please, human, don't try and speak. You seemed close enough to death when we decided to drag you here. The undead are close..."
The other elf interrupted yet again, "If you must explain our situation to this...man, try not to bore him. What my partner is trying to say is that we are in hiding. An Undead base now occupies the one we were trying to defend. There is no trace of it left. We are quite close to it, but they will not find us cloaked, as we are. Of course, since we can only do so much to hide you from their minions, It would be best of you to not produce any sounds."...
That was all he could remember and all he wished to. For, while his survival of an undead attack was miraculous, there were other thoughts that occupied his mind. He pondered who the two fair, well only one were fair, elven women who had saved him were, especially the one who was the latter to manifest to him. There was an aura about her, which he couldn't quite touch upon. These thoughts would have to wait, however, for he could see the lights of the camp...
Tialen ran as fast as his youthful legs could bear. He was a virile lad, but the frontline encampments were still far away. The young messenger had longed for a mount, but for a low ranking cadet, such as himself, to be granted one, would be a luxury. When the scourge appeared, he had just enlisted, but since he had been fighting constantly, his skills with the sword were refined in combat not training. He was the lucky one, for many of his close comrades had been slain before they even could master the arts of the blade. The fighting had caused Tialen to exert himself to the last of his reserves, and when the legion fell, he had nothing left. His thoughts turned to the moment when had let the endless bloodshed get to him and he'd lost all hope.
It had happened at the battle they had just won. His human encampment was the first to fall. The Undead's minions had breached the outer defenses and were closing in. He had been in constant combat for days. For every minion he'd slain, two more seemed to take its place, and when they receded, the scourge only returned with even more potency. His base had then smelled of them. Some of his comrades fell because of their plague. Even the landed had been blighted and devoid of all trace of life. Around him was only the stench of death. Tialen then decided to quit. The, already defeated, cadet stayed his sword and fell. Death was not upon him, yet, his thoughts toyed him about it. They yearned for his end. How else could he have been freed from this hopeless plight? Beaten and tired, the cadet then found his gaze upon an advancing demon. Composed only of bone, it lacked a soul much less a free will. Its eyes surveyed the scene and then focused on him. The demon sought his death, nay, it sought merely death. He had doubted it capable of such complex thought. The sickly form came for him, and he knew it would surely find and kill him. Perhaps it would even feast on his remains. He was content for, finely he would find relief from the turmoil around him. As the bony monstrosity closed in, Tialen closed his eyes and accepted his fate... THWOOSH! Tialen had quickly recognized the sound of an arrow. He remembered opened his eyes to see the demon lying on the ground. It had lain as an inanimate pile of bones. Before he could have recollected is thoughts, he had felt two pairs of hands grab him abruptly. Under any other circumstance he would have met such harsh manhandling with resistance, but he had been too beaten to care. Though startled, he was still sapped of energy from the previous conflict. Though he was seemingly being dragged away from it, remembered seeing his base being razed by mindless minions. This did not soothe him. Slowly, and almost out of a yearning for death, the young warrior slipped had into unconsciousness.
"Loke-fah doo riffa", were the first words he had heard, whence he had roused from his slumber. The words spoken were in a quite and circumspect tone. He had begun to gather himself and attempt to assess his surroundings. He was still weary. All he could remember were the lush, but slowly corrupting woods, and the sounds of his two captors. Since they were using stealth, and spoke in a tongue he had never heard of, Tialen had deducted they were night elves. He had pondered on his rescue, for what interest should elvens troops have in saving one not of their kind? They were an allied race, but he still sensed they thought ill of and his people.. The two sentinels did not show the courtesy, even the Orcs did, of speaking in his tongue, nor had they even revealed themselves to him. He had had to strain his ears to barely hear them, but he had not had to worry about that for much longer. One of them, seemingly out of nowhere, showed herself to him. As almost all of her kind were, she was long and elegant. Even her finely crafted equipment had been influenced by elven artistry. His thoughts should have not strayed in such direction, for she held nothing but spite in her eyes. The elven female had not kept them on him for long. Speaking in her native language, she, then, summoned her companion. The next ranger appeared in the same manner as the first, and her equipment was just as elaborately and finely crafted. It even gleamed in the forest light. Tialen remembered her visage as having a much more benevolent hue to it. One thing was to be noted about her. She was somewhat shorter than most of the sentinels. Tialen himself was of average human height, and she could have met his eye level. She then addressed him. "Rath-na, soldier, are you okay?" She had spoken in a concerned tone, but her voice retained the same level of cautiousness as before, so he knew their situation could be dire. "When we found you..."
" Please, my sister this one is too burdened to converse with us, we should best leave him alone until we can find a mage willing to heal him. "The second elven warrior interrupted abruptly, Tialen was certain the this one wished to be rid of him with haste"
"uughn", Tialen had been so weak that forming complete words required substantial effort, he could have admitted that the damage he had taken wasn't only physical, as well. The elf, which wish not to leave him there as feast for one of the Undead's lesser, more sickly minions, spoke. "Please, human, don't try and speak. You seemed close enough to death when we decided to drag you here. The undead are close..."
The other elf interrupted yet again, "If you must explain our situation to this...man, try not to bore him. What my partner is trying to say is that we are in hiding. An Undead base now occupies the one we were trying to defend. There is no trace of it left. We are quite close to it, but they will not find us cloaked, as we are. Of course, since we can only do so much to hide you from their minions, It would be best of you to not produce any sounds."...
That was all he could remember and all he wished to. For, while his survival of an undead attack was miraculous, there were other thoughts that occupied his mind. He pondered who the two fair, well only one were fair, elven women who had saved him were, especially the one who was the latter to manifest to him. There was an aura about her, which he couldn't quite touch upon. These thoughts would have to wait, however, for he could see the lights of the camp...