Beginning: Victoria
Chapter 17
Sira and Valencia make their way through the defense lines of the city as troops stand ground and prepare for the attack. Sira has never seen as many people or such a large army of fighters. All of the remaining Perion warriors scurry and go over battle plans. Mages, bowmen and rogues decorate the area with a variety of different skills being put into plan. This is what the time of war looks like, thinks Sira as she admires the hundreds of men and women clad in their best armor. A few very high ranking fighters catch her eye. So pro, she thinks.
Valencia sees her old teammates near the armor shop speaking with some bowmen, mages and rogues and gestures to Valencia to follow.
"Sira," shouts a male warrior.
"Seraph," says Sira as they join the group.
"Where have you been?" asks the fellow warrior. "I thought something had happened to you."
"It's a long story," says Sira. "What's going on?"
"Well this is me and Zarty's group," says Seraph. "We were going over a battle plan, c'mere."
"Ok," says Sira. "This is my teammate Valencia.
"Where are your others?" asks Seraph.
"Well..." says Sira exchanging looks with Valencia. "We don't know..."
"Oh, they couldn't stand you already huh?" says Seraph teasing Sira. "Anyway this is Tara, Mowsey, Tsuka. You know Zart."
Valencia and Sira nod to the assassin, mage and bowman.
"As well as Akeelika and Sander," says Zarty.
"We haven't been told much except that it is an army of large beasts from the ant tunnel," says Mowsey.
"And that the leader is a man with dangerous magic," continues Sander.
"They are VERY dangerous," says Valencia. "If the beast starts brewing a fireball ... run and hide."
The fighters look at Valencia strangely.
"Hehe," cackles Akeelika. "We are not amateurs. This is gonna be fun... look at the army we have. They only have around 20 or 30 of those beasts says the reports."
"Believe me," says Sira. "It's more then enough.
Seraph looks at Sira confused.
"Have you seen them?" asks Seraph.
Before Sira can answer, an alarm is sounded and they all clutch their weapons.
"They're here," says Sander.
On those words, high level fighters and group leaders begin shouting out commands. "Stand your ground, at your posts." As the others rush to the edge of the stone ledge on which they stand, Sira and Valencia once again exchange looks.
"I wish Zenith and Jaimus were here," says Valencia taking a deep breath.
"So do I... strangely" says Sira becoming very nervous.
They walk towards the group they were talking with and peer down the ledge. Sira and Valencia feel fear spread through their every limb... they know what is to come. Down below, at the entrance of the town of Perion, the large beasts have already engaged in battle with the front line. Spells fly, swords clatter and already blood is seeping into the dry earth of the barren warrior land.
