Chapter Six
There was a knocking on the door. Eltiraaz was at the door in a flash, opening it. Lina stumbled in wearily and nearly fell, catching herself on El at the last moment. Only after he had helped her to a chair did he ask her why she was so tired.
"What happened, dear. Did we save Travex? Are you alright?"
"She's alive, just barely. We nearly lost her when the healing backfired because of all the poison that was in the wounds. The only thing that saved her life was the matrix that bound her and all the healers to me. Gods, I am tired. We're all this drained. I'll be alright, once I get some rest. Would you help me into bed? I'd hate to trip and fall again." she replied, stifling a yawn.
El jumped up and did exactly that, tucking Lina into bed. She murmured her thanks, faintly and fell asleep almost immediately. He stroked her cheek, "Rest well, love."
The news was all around the camp, two more enemy champions down, but Travex was again out of the battle, recuperating from her near fatal injuries. The blow to Sentinel morale was palpable, especially to the elven troops. After all, Travex represented the epitome of elven perfection, the best of the best the elven race had to offer. However, there was some consolation to be had. Eltiraaz and Lina assaulted the western enemy fortifications with a sizeable force to take advantage of the lapse in defenses that killing the mage had produced. Although the force took heavy casualties, they overran the enemy, razing all the defensive structures near the enemy position.
Elsewhere, there was more heartening news. The Trolls had finally pronounced the title of Shaman upon a trio of their most promising priests. The best, Rhasta, had shown up at the morning's war council all the way from the forest where the Trolls lived, two miles from the main grove, beside the cluster of orc towns. He was sent to hold the Eastern Valley temporarily till Travex had recovered. A Troll filling in for an elf. The significance was not lost on many. Perhaps warmer relations beckoned.
In his first fight, Rhasta proved his worth by holding the Sentinel lines against the Scourge troops led by Leoric. In that skirmish, Rhasta showed that Trolls could be very smart too, contrary to human belief. Although his Shamanic powers were ill-suited to direct combat, he managed to force Leoric's forces into a tactical retreat with minimal casualties by utilizing what he had rather brilliantly.
In the Northern valley, the Sentinels lost a little ground, but Mangix did managed to blunt an all out charge by two strange new champions.
Lina and El returned to camp, tired but triumphant. As they gazed down at the camp from a mountain pass, they saw children playing. Incredibly, orc, human and elven children were intermingling.
"Desperation breeds strong ties." El commented.
"Yes." Her reply seemed somewhat muted and tinged with sorrow.
"What's wrong?" El murmured, hand clasping hers, "Sometime in the future, our own children will be playing with others as well, no?"
"El, don't you see, Everyone's been hiding the terrible truth from ourselves. There is no 'sometime' anymore. Before all communication ceased, even the Paladin ruled kingdoms of the south were all falling like flies. We're perhaps the last of our respective races.. Ner'zhul is winning." she replied, the shadow of dying hope in her eyes.
"Didn't we just prove today that they aren't invincible? We are pushing the Scourge back. Don't worry, love, Ner'zhul has bitten off more than he can possibly chew this time. We're going to be that little bite that chokes him to death."
"And after we repel them from this place, then what? We'll be under constant attack. I wouldn't like our children to grow up in a realm where war is the norm. And Ner'zhul's thousands of ghouls he used to overwhelm most of the kingdoms, we haven't seen them yet."
"Ner'zhul almost cost himself his godhood when he made this mirror that he's using to attack us. If we turn the tables on him and destroy his mirror, we'll destroy him as well." El held her hands tightly, trying to kindle hope in her.
"Perhaps." Her reply was subdued. Then she hugged him fiercely, "I want to enjoy what little time we have together." And she gave him a kiss on the lips.
"We'll prove him wrong, you see if we don't." El murmured, and hugged her back, "He's going to regret the day he thought of this idea."
And they walked back to their cottage, hand in hand.
There were minor skirmishes. Here a few ghouls burst apart, there an archer tumbled to the ground gurgling in her death throes, throat ripped out by the teeth of a ghoul. But the lines remained unmoving.
For the moment, the advantage lay with the Sentinel forces.
