Chapter 7: Passing of Henesys

A silent group of people slowly ascended the road to Henesy. The warriors were walking at the front, still in deep remorse over those lost in the battle. The archers were behind, and they too walked in a silent row, for the thoughts of this day would live long in their minds. Kiltan and Heera were behind them all, and close behind; Bull and Helena were softly talking. It was clear that they did not want to be heard, but Kiltan could sense urgency in Helena's voice. He did not dare to ask, but he felt it might have to do with the sudden arrival of the archers. The Dark Lord had definitely reached Henesy before dawn, but he could not have known of the attack from Lith Harbour, for that strike came later in the day. And still so, why would the archers abandon their post at Henesys, when the threat of an attack from Sleepywood was at hand?

He felt that Heera would know all these, but looking at her, he felt that such a thing should not be asked at this time, and he would know when he needed to know. Heera had a downcast face, and she was dragging he bow along on the dusty road. The steady murmur of the inaudible conversation between Bull and Helena was the only sound that could be heard. This silence was unsettling, for there was a great many questions in Kiltan's head, yet he knew that now was not the time that anyone would be willing to talk about this. He fidgeted around with one of his throwing stars, and then he tilted his head and looked back. Still, the two elders were talking, but in a much more urgent fashion now.

The groups of newcomers were huddling together, walking as close as they dared to the two elders. Under the presence of such powerful heroes, they felt a greater sense of security. Many were still shaken from the incident, and had to be helped along by their friends. Kiltan looked at them. Weak, disheveled people, who had looked onto Victoria Island as a place that bore new adventures for them, yet faced first hand the terrors that few men had ever seen. Kiltan slowed his pace, and was soon walking along with them. They gladly welcomed him, for they had seen his commanding presence when he first destroyed the clangs.

Night had set in when they had reached the top of the cliff. The warriors looked down upon the battlefield. Just that morning, they had looked upon this place, and seen the great powers of the beast that would move to destroy them. And now, victory was theirs, but not without sacrifice. All that remained was the smoldering carcasses of the foul beast. The great plains below trampled by the scars of war, stained with the blood of the dead. Slowly, they started to move off again, heading in the direction of Henesys. But a quick shout from behind stopped them. Helena came running up, stopping them from proceeding. "Night has fallen. We must rest, for tomorrow; we have a long journey ahead. No, we are not going to return to Henesys, but head straight for the Ellinia. Come now, we make camp. I'm sure you are all filled with uncertainty as to what is happening. When we have settled, I will tell you all." Helena said. "The roads are not safe. We must seek refuge in the forest. Follow me." And with that, she led them off the roads, and into the forest.

It was not long before they arrived at a small clearing. It lay upon an elevated area of land, about twenty feet high, only accessible by climbing the vertical walls of the small land mass. A rope ladder was built here, aiding the people who wished to get up. This place served as a resting zone for those who trained here, and was well know in these parts. People called it Resting Hill, for it was an easy landmark to remember, and also greatly used due to its easy accessibility. No creatures came here, for they could not climb the steep walls, and so this gave a break to those who wished to rest from training. It was a barren piece of land, with only a few small trees that grew. But there was little need for anything else, for the men who came to rest here did not need anything more then a place to sit for a few minutes before they set off with whatever they had to do again. But now, this area would serve a much more important purpose. The tired men slowly streamed in, sitting themselves down where they could find space. And space there was, for the Resting Hill could easily accommodate their group of just over two hundred.

Pretty soon, everyone had found a place to sit down, some dangling their legs over the side walls, others resting against the trees. There was grunting sounds below, as some wild pigs ran about happily, totally oblivious to the great battles that were taking place around them. The warriors breathed a sigh of relief, as they finally rested, physically and mentally drained. The archers lay their bows and crossbows on the ground, and rested too. The group of newcomers, along with Kiltan and Heera, were among the last to ascend, for they had remained near the back of the group the whole time. They were tired, nonetheless, yet they did not sleep, for they had doubts to clear. They looked on as Bull and Helena finally climbed up onto Resting Hill. Helena raised her head, and gave a high pitched whistle that rang softly through the night sky. Almost in an instant, a great silver hawk flew down from the sky, and settled on her hand. A magnificent bird it was, its feathers shining with a bright silver glow. "Fly up high. Cast your great eyes over these lands, and let no evil creatures approach." Helena whispered to it. With a great flap of its wings, it rose up high, shining like a rising star. And for the rest of the night, its glow could be seen, floating high above them, a watchful eye that could see all.

Now, Helena and Bull walked up to the side of the Resting Hill. Helena stood on a small rock, and faced the men and women who were seated around. They were all tired, shaken by the great battle. But they needed to know this. And so she raised her hands, and called for their attention. And then she spoke. "Archers of Henesys! Warriors of Perion! I know you have burning questions in you. My archers know of this, and therefore you too should know this. Why did we come to your aid, why have we left Henesys? This will fall deep in your hearts, but this has to be addressed." Helena spoke strongly, yet, they saw a tear trickling from her eye. "Henesys has fallen to the creatures."

Immediately, gasp of shock could be heard by all the warriors. Kiltan immediately turned to Heera, almost in anger. How could she not tell him something like this? But he saw her, and she was huddled up in a ball, sobbing heavily. He slowly crawled over to her, and held her tightly in his arms. Around him, the warriors were already raising questions. Helena once again called for silence. She began to speak again, though her voice trembled slightly. "The creatures had attacked sooner then expected, just as how they took Perion by surprise. After Kiltan left, we continued to build our defenses. We had erected two towers of wood and steel at the northern gate facing Sleepywood, and had started to build a stronger wall around the city. Stan was gathering together the archers, and forming the battle plans to prepare for the attack. But his plans would later serve to our demise, for he had planned to fully utilize the skills of all the different classes of people to battle against the beast. Archers and assassins would attack from the towers, while warriors and bandits would march onward to crash against the creatures in battle. Magicians would stand behind the forward attack, and clerics would heal the men while they fight."

"However, on that very night, the armies of the beast poured out. They moved to attack both Henesys and Kerning at the same time. We had underestimated the creature. It had spies, and therefore knew of how we were planning to defend ourselves. Many of you may know of the stirge, small bat-like creatures that reside deep in the caves. They had flown out in small numbers, looking upon us from above, spying on our every move. And so, under the cover of darkness, the creatures slowly marched forward. But they had seen our defenses, and therefore, they sent their most powerful of creatures forward. As I was summoned to the defense tower at the dead of night, I saw them. Deep, dark shapes moving through the forest, breaking through the canopy. Just as it had done with Kerning, here it was sending forth the taurospears too. Fearful guardians of the Barlog, they marched forward in great numbers. They had also rallied the forces of fire drakes, and evolution of the dragon creatures from the caves. This signaled the total conquest over Perion, for now, the Barlog had spread his influence out, and had taken over the warrior city."

"Stan rang the Bell of Henesys, and gathered the archers together. We had not planned to face them this way, for we were low in numbers. The wizards of Ellinia had not returned, and neither had the thieves from Kerning. Our forces were only five hundred strong, and little chances did we have against them. They were advancing quickly, and Stan quickly organized the archers. He wanted to make a final stand against them, but I had to hold him back. To destroy their entire army with our small forces would be madness, and eventually we decided to run for Ellinia. By now, the taurospears were charging head on. They ran at an incredible speed, leveling the forest like twigs, their spears gleaming with a mystically magic glow. Stan quickly gathered the archers, and prepared to move off. But the taurospears were fast, and they would close in on Henesys before long. I showered them with a rain of arrows, and a few that charged at the front fell. But more came, burning with a rage that grew from a dark influence in their mind. Most of my people had begun to leave the city, but I could not hold back the creatures anymore."

"The first taurospear attacked. Its spear, long and sharp, glowed with the fiery charge of the sun. It thrust its spear forward, and with that, a magical attack of lightning shot out, piercing the darkness. The tower was not very high, and I managed to leap out of it before the attack struck. I saw a bright flash, an electrical surge that expanded outwards, lighting the night sky in a brilliant flash. But the tower stood its ground, though shaky. I quickly ran away as another blow struck at our defenses. I realized that they were about to smash through anytime soon, but still, many of my people had not yet passed through the small gate that led to Ellinia. At that moment, both towers exploded outwards in a bright lightning explosion. The taurospears smashed through, and immediately locked their bright, fiery eyes on us. Panic ran through all those who saw it, for never had such a horrible creature faced them. It stood directly in front of us. The crowd of people began to desperately push forward. But they were too slow, as the beast ran towards us. I rapidly shot at the creature before it could attack, but more came, breaking through the walls of Henesys. With no other choice, I ordered my archers to fire upon the creatures. Some fell, but they drew close. A taurospear had come within range, and it threw forth a fiery bolt of lightning. I could not stop it. Instantly, ten archers fell to the ground, their bodies burned with a massive shock. I, too, was hit, and I kneeled down with a deep pain in my chest. I looked up as I saw it charging up another attack in its spear. But then, it was knocked to the ground, with a deep gash across its face. It had fallen, dead. I looked to the western gate. The thieves had arrived."

"The Dark Lord of Kerning had attacked, and he did not stop. With a few shots, he would kill a single beast, but once again, the creatures continued to pour in. Besides them, the fire drakes entered. Great balls of fire were hurled from their mouths. Even with the arrival of the thieves, we knew we would have to retreat. I began to run towards the Dark Lord to inform him of our new plan, when suddenly; the wall along the eastern side of Henesys broke in. The beast had crashed through the forest, and now attacked us from the side. They ran directly at the group of retreating archers. In panic, some ran away from the group, towards me, avoiding the sudden attack. The thieves ran towards the new wave of attackers, killing them before they could attack. The archers had managed to run out of the gate, and I shouted for the thieves to follow them too. Quickly, I told the Dark Lord of this new plan, and he led his thieves towards the east gate. The archers that ran toward me when they had been cut off by the sudden attack also began to fire at the creatures. Heera too, who had been with the thieves, stood together with me, and for a moment, it seemed as though we held the creatures at bay."

"The thieves had escaped. They ran through the east gate, and I could hear the Dark Lord shouting for us to follow. But this was where I would last hear from them, for at this moment, the creatures that attacked from the side finally pushed through, and they blocked off our path to the east gateway. They stood in a row now, facing us, as though mocking us. We were nearly surrounded, as even more taurospears filled in from the north gate. But I looked back, and the western gate was still clear. There was no choice, and we had to run out. No doubt the taurospears would have run us down, but mysteriously, they just stayed there, and never ventured past the western walls of Henesys. I do not know why, but still, we continued to run westward. Heera told me of the warriors that had escaped from Perion and were making their way towards Henesys. Guessing that they would come along the main roadways, we soon slowed down, and headed for the crossroads, all the time on a lookout for the warriors. And so it came to be that we finally united with you all in battle."

Everyone was silent. This news hit them with a deep feeling of dread. Helena turned away from them and walked to a side, looking up at the night sky. Kiltan stared out blankly. He did not know what to think. He could only hear the slow sobbing of Heera. A deep mood was now set on all the people. Three great towns had fallen to the power of the beast. Ellinia was now all that still stood. Bull slowly spoke up, "Rest now. Do not let the fear of the Barlog cloud your minds. Tomorrow, we will set off for Ellinia. We will break through the forest, and bypass Henesys. Then, we will run for Ellinia." With that, he went and stood besides Helena. Now, the men suddenly felt the weight of the day burden upon their bodies. They were shocked and saddened, yet extremely tired. Slowly, they began to close their eyes, and they rested through the night. Kiltan lay besides Heera, and giving a quick kiss on her forehead, they slowly dozed off. A peaceful silence was upon Resting Hill, while the silver hawk of Helena kept constant watch over them.

The burning heat of the sun woke them up. The heavy burden of the battles had taken its toll on their bodies, and right till noon they slept, while Bull and Helena continued to talk softly, and not waking them up. True, time was urgent, but they could not move if the warriors had not rested well, for it had been two days since they left Perion and had not slept. Slowly, they got up, stretching out as the noon sun broke through the tree branches. "Come. We must move off now." Bull said, and slowly, they rose, and began to follow him. Kiltan helped Heera to her feet, and together, they started to walk off. Below, the wild pigs scattered as the group of men started to push their way through the forest. Bull drew his axe, and chopped off the tree branches that blocked the way. Helena walked along behind. For a few hours, it went on. Some began to feel as though they were lost; for nothing other then an endless forest of trees could they see. But Bull continued on, and soon, he finally cut through, and stopped. The people gathered around, and they looked on at where he was looking. They were now on a small hill that overlooked Henesys from the south. Slowly, the archers came up, and they glanced upon their fallen town.

Deep in ruins it lay. Nearly every single house had been leveled. And freely roaming the city was the taurospears. They ran wildly around, destroying whatever they could. But just as Helena had described, the creatures never left the boundaries of the town. Kiltan looked further north, and saw the Tree of Victoria. And it was falling deeper into corruption. It still loomed tall, but its bark, which once was a healthy brown, now was rotting with a deep black colour that seemed to rise like a dark shadow in the sky. No more leaves could be seen, and its long branches stretched bare, casting its long shadow over the forest. Such was the corruption of the Barlog, and the tree stood as a testament of its power. From it led the path to Henesys. The trees had been brutally smashed down, where the taurospears had charged through. And yet, even more creatures were slowly marching onwards to Henesys. None had spotted the small group of people that looked upon them.

Slowly, the people began to move off. The archers could not bear to see their beloved town fall to such hideous creatures. Bull led them off, slowly pushing his way back through the forest. Helena still stood there, her face a blank as she looked upon her town. As the last of the warriors moved off, she quickly drew back two arrows, and fired them up high into the air. High above Henesys, it exploded, and from it rained a hundred shards of arrow pieces. Small, yet deadly, they pierced through the skin of the creatures. All who were still standing upon the hill crouched down, for fear of being seen, and they slowly crawled away. As they left, they could hear the howls of the creatures, roaring in pain and anger.

As the day drew on, the sun slowly set down, and the forest of Henesys was slowly fading behind. No longer grew the small, dense trees of Henesys. Here, the trees towered high above their heads, reaching unimaginable heights, blocking out the sun as the canopy stretched out wide. Only a dim glow from the sun could penetrate the thick leaves, giving some light to this forest. Here, the trees were also wide, and often, were carved hollow from the inside, of which lived quiet jungle creatures. Bull no longer needed to cut his way through, for here the trees grew further from each other. The newcomers looked upon this place with great awe, for indeed, it was majestic. Up high in the trees, between their great branches, were pools of mystical mana waters, collected from the rain drops, and blessed with the magical spells of the forest. It glowed lightly, and cast light around it. And indeed, it seemed that the trees themselves glowed with a magical radiance. They had now entered the magical forest of Ellinia.