Chapter 32
King Sloan Of Ore
A defeated army returns to camp; injured soldiers are taken by wagon, and those who could walk do so. A group defends them as they make their way to camp. King John watches in anger as he blames himself for the loss. Some soldiers mourn their fallen brethren. When they reach camp, King John calls his leaders to a meeting.
They all gather in his tent; King John wants to hear their concerns and options about the battle. Some captains spoke out and said they were not ready; others blamed themselves for giving wrong orders. There were a few who blamed their soldiers because they were commoners.
This turned into an argument, and King John quickly stopped them. He asked them if they knew the creature could explode. None said anything; King John then said they were not prepared. He said he had confidence in his military, but the enemy was more formidable than he thought.
"The enemy may still have hidden tactics; I might have jumped ahead of myself and should have waited for everyone to be at our planned level. The enemy has shown us how strong they can be…."
A soldier suddenly comes into the meeting. He bows to King John and tells him a group of soldiers want to speak with him. King John tells the soldier to say to them that he is busy. The soldier tells King John he needs to meet them. King John gets up and goes to meet them.
Accompanied by his leaders, King John headed to where a group of soldiers were making a fuss. Cortez tells them to move; the soldiers see King John and move out of the way. The soldiers move, and King John sees a group of small men. They were armored and talking among themselves.
They were dwarfs from the Ore Kingdom; Ore was the Dwarf Kingdom. The dwarf soldiers see King John and bow down to him. King John tells them to raise their heads. One of the dwarf soldiers takes out a letter and hands it to him. King John takes it and reads it.
King John laughed and smiled, ordering the troops to take down the camp. Everyone became confused; King John told them they were pulling out and moving to another defensive position. King John tells his leaders to move all the injured and torch the area; soldiers spread the news and begin to take down their camp. Cortez asks King John about the letter.
"The heavens have smiled upon us; we might have a chance after all."
Days later, they were in another abandoned town; the soldiers were resting while some were on guard. King John was going looking at the map. A loud horn was heard in the distance; King John smiled. The sound of marching footsteps was heard.
The soldiers panicked and wondered what was going on. The veteran soldiers began to celebrate when they saw who was coming. An army of heavily armed troops was approaching. Behind them were bulls pulling armored wagons. King John came out to the front gates.
A larger carriage pulled by four bulls makes its way to the front. King John waits, and the carriage stops in front of him. The door opens; a small man comes out and steps down. He has bulging muscles. The dwarven troops bow down.
The small man looks to be about five feet tall; he has red hair and a braided red beard. He has a rugged build and wears custom heavy armor. The man walks up to King John and looks up. King John smiles, and they hug, laughing. King John pats him on the shoulders.
"King Sloan, it is about time you show yourself; You finally came out of hiding."
King Sloan Aeris Coronam, leader of Ore the Dwarf Kingdom. King Sloan had a loud laugh and deep voice; his accent was of Nordic descent. After all the pleasantries, King Sloan orders his troops to set up their camp. King Sloan wishes to speak with him; they walk.
"Look at you. You look terrible; I told you to keep working out. How long has it been since we saw each other; you look like an overfed cow."
King Sloan and King John reach their tent to speak in private. They enter, and guards stand watch. King Sloan apologizes for not sending him information; he chuckles and gets down to business. He has a serious expression. King Sloan asks King John about a conversation they once had long ago; King John asks which one.
"It was after that bastard almost killed all of you. You were upset about how it turned out."
King John had an idea of when; he asked King Sloan to remind him. King Sloan talked about how he viewed himself; he said he was a warrior and thought nothing about his role as king. King John remembers.
"This incident could have been avoided if you were where you were supposed to be; Sloan, as a friend and allied, ack more like the king you are meant to be."
King John asked him why he brought it up. King Sloan began to talk about how he was too lenient with his people; they would fight first and ask questions later. King Sloan knew his people were ruffians who liked to show off. King Sloan said a kingdom could not function like that.
"I have ignored too many problems, and it hurt us."
King Sloan talked about the corruption in his nation. He said too many nobles and merchants were taking advantage of his people. King Sloan even said there were traitors; they helped the demons. King John gets angry. King Sloan apologizes; he says he did what King John did.
"I purged them from Ore."
King John wanted to know how. King Sloan said he closed himself with his most trusted advisers and began to look into everything. He didn't know who to trust; he created new groups to keep secrets and to investigate everyone. King Sloan wanted to keep it contained so that he couldn't tell him.
"I read your letter but could not respond; even if I had those I chose, I wasn't sure I could fully trust them. I gave false information to my people, but it worked. I snuffed out those traitors."
King Sloan vows and tells King John he has his full support; they will fight at his side. A messenger arrives and has a letter for King John. He asks the messenger to go in and hand him the letter. King John receives it and reads it; King Sloan smiles. The letter was from Arthur; he said a dwarven army had shown up and helped them defeat the demons.
King John looked at King Sloan; he patted him on the shoulders and thanked him. King Sloan said the troops are at an estimated twenty thousand, led by one of his generals. King John said it would be more than enough to help Arthur. Before they move on, King Sloan has some things to tell him.
"John, those traitors didn't go down so easily; before they were caught, they helped some demons steal some weapons. These weapons have been created by one of our most talented blacksmiths. They are no ordinary weapons."
King John asked if they were treasure weapons, called S-rank weapons. King Sloan said that his weapon Smith was working on some new weapons; he was able to create weapons that matched some of the S-rank ones. King Sloan sent a pursuit, but they were defeated.
King John said they would worry about it later. He calls in Cortez and Haddison; King Sloan calls in some of his captains. King John tells Cortez to brief King Sloan and his men. Cortez tells them about the enemy. He discusses the goblins and troll-like creatures and informs them of their strategies.
"The enemy likes to outnumber our forces; once they do, they will tire them and then send out their main force of demon knights. We have recently found that goblin creatures can explode."
King John tells Sloan that it surprised them; the enemy could hide other surprises. King Sloan said he had been informed of the demons while in hiding. He prepared his men for the fight. King Sloan offers to be the leading force. King John and they discuss their plans.
Once they agree on a plan, they hear a commotion outside. King Sloan said he brought something to lift their spirits. They head out and see the soldiers enjoying themselves with food and drinks. King Sloan said he got the best in the world.
"You can never go wrong with premium dwarf ale."
The human soldiers are asked to rest and drink while the dwarf soldiers guard them. King Sloan wants to have them well-rested before the battle. Everyone seems to enjoy it; King Sloan asks King John to join him for a walk. They walk and head outside the camp.
It was a nice cold night; they could see their breath. King Sloan gets to a fallen tree and sits on it; he asks King John to do so too. King John was not sure why he brought him out. King Sloan takes out a bottle; he smiles, and King John sits. Sloan pours him a drink.
They take a sip and look at the snowy town. They relax and enjoy peace; King John wants to know what is on his mind. King Sloan takes another sip of his drink; he then talks about his defects.
"I know this is out of nowhere, but you know I don't like to show many emotions; I wanted you to know that I worry about you. You went through so much pain, and I wasn't there; the humans and dwarfs have been close allies for a long time."
King John didn't know why King Sloan was talking like that. He again apologizes and tells him Queen Annabeth's death saddened him; he says he should have been there for him. King John thanks him; he brings up a memory of King Sloan getting thrown by her.
"I remember that; she was mad that day. I also remember you being more muscular; now look at you; that armor barely fits you."
They both laugh; King Sloan again gets serious. King John notices and asks him about it. King Sloan reveals another secret he had; he said he was talking with the late Queen Annabeth. He was getting help from her when he went to war. King John gets mad and stands up.
"Why have you kept this from me?"
King Sloan told him she messaged him first; She found out someone was helping the enemy, which let them find theirs. King Sloan said she was being watched and could not make you worry while you were away. King John asked if he knew who it was.
"She said she could figure it out; she did mention he was someone high in your inner circle. She sent messages using light magic, so even if they got a hold of it, they couldn't decode it."
King John releases Mana; King Sloan calms him down. He tells him to keep a close eye on those close to him. King Sloan said she led in his absence with authority and respect. King John thinks about her; he sheds a tear.
It got late, and they headed back; some were still drinking. Haddison and Cortez were talking and having fun. He thinks about what King Sloan said; he looks at them. He then knew they wouldn't betray him. He goes over to them and joins them.
Early Spring of 854, the Umbridge soldiers were in position. King Sloan wanted his troops to be at the front so his shield troops were upfront. Behind them were the spearmen, followed by the swordsmen. The Umbridge soldiers were at the rear.
The demon forces make their way forward. The captains talk about who they were able to resupply and rest. They also knew the dwarf army had joined the battle; they were not worried and said they would overwhelm them. They get close to where the Umbridge and Ore armies are waiting.
The sound of marching was getting close; the dwarves were getting excited. When they saw the enemy, horns began to sound. King Sloan told his men to wait. The enemy immediately sent its trolls and goblin creatures. King Sloan looks at King John; King John draws Mana. He takes out his sword and gets ready.
"Great beast of fire, burn bright and engulf my enemies in flames; Burn until there is nothing. Your life may be extinguished, but from the ashes, you will be reborn; continue the cycle for eternity, Phoenix Dance!"
King John swings his sword; a bird-shaped flame appears and flies across the battlefield. It hits the first goblins, and they burn. The enemy thinks it's over when the fire suddenly retakes its form and attacks another group of goblins. The enemy was surprised. The phoenix continues another three times before disappearing.
King John was exhausted; the spell took a lot of Mana. King Sloan laughed and told him he needed to exercise. He reminded King John that he used to do it longer in his earlier days. King John got annoyed; he told him to focus.
The enemy became mad, and they launched the dark boulders. They landed on the ground, and the goblin creatures came out. A horn blew, and the dwarven shield troops moved forward, not before activating defensive spells. The spearmen followed. They clash, and the battle begins.
The demons order the mages to use fireballs. On the other side, the dwarfs cast earth walls. The sword troops begin to push forward. King John ordered his archers to fire arrows; the enemy was unprepared for the Allies' battle plan. They discussed and stayed with their original plan; they sent out more dark boulders.
King John and Sloan begin to notice that some groups are outnumbered; King John sends out his troops. He also sends Haddison to attack from the side; she orders her troops, and they begin. King John notices King Sloan becoming impatient.
The boulders go over the stone walls, and the goblin creatures attack from behind. The demon mages use magic to destroy the stone walls—the troll creature attack. It was chaotic; Cortez asked King John to join the battle. He tells him to wait.
After some time, he orders Cortez to switch with some tired groups. Cortez gives the order, and they switch. The tired and injured return to rest and heal. It was looking like a stalemate. That changed when explosions began to occur. King John saw what looked like eyes from the tower-looking structures.
King Sloan mentioned that the troll and goblin creatures were making better decisions. The human mages were casting buffs and defensive spells on their allies. King John ordered some to attack the enemy; the archers were busy with the fireballs.
The demon command was getting mad; they again discussed their tactics. They knew that if they wanted to win, they needed to use all they had. They order their knights to be ready; at the same time, they ask that the slimes be loaded. Dark boulders were loaded and launched.
The explosion made it hard to focus and see. Many dead are scattered on the ground. A boulder hits the ground crushing several dwarfs and humans; it rolls, taking out more of them. They wait for the goblins to come out; suddenly, a whole group gets wiped out.
Those screams could be heard; a giant slime pierced them; multiple tentacles had several troops. King Sloan and King John were horrified by the monster. More boulders fall, and the same creature emerges. It starts recking havoc all over the battlefield. King John orders them to regroup.
King John ordered a group of mages to barrage it; they used different spells but had no use. Groups attacked them, but they were too difficult to deal with, not to mention the goblins attacking them. King John thinks of another strategy; he will ask King Sloan when he notices him taking out his weapon.
"No, no, no, no, no; you are not going out there!"
King Sloan looks at him and tells King John he is a warrior. King John reminds him of what they talked about. King Sloan then said he could not let his people fight alone. King John remembers when he used to be on the frontlines; he then lets him go on the condition that he will retreat if it gets bad.
King Sloan laughs; he calls for his horse. This was a special type of horse breed specificity for dwarf cavalry, which they did not bring. He gets on and readies his weapon, a spear with an axe at the tip called a claymore. King Sloan rides off, and horns are sounded.
King Sloan's aim is the tentacle creature. A group of dwarf soldiers follows him. More horns are heard, and the dwarf soldiers see their king joining the battle. They begin to cheer, with motivates them; they also shout to protect him. Dwarf soldiers cut down the enemy and clear a path for him.
The goblin bomb creatures rush King Sloan; the dwarf troops use earth magic to create walls. The goblins explode to clear the way. More ran towards him. King John has his archers protect him and orders his mages to support the dwarfs.
King Sloan drags his claymore; it glows, and the earth fuses. It starts getting bigger. King Sloan gets close to the tentacle creature; he jumps from his horse and pulls his weapon. He swings it over his shoulder; the earth has shaped it into a giant axe.
With his bulging muscles, King Sloan cleanly cuts the creature in two; he hits the ground and continues his attack. The ground shakes and splits open; much of the enemy falls in. The dwarfs celebrate his accomplishment. King Sloan smiles; he looks at another tentacle creature.
"Your next, you little bugger."
He readies his weapon. The creature is then suddenly attacked by multiple spells. A wagon was heading towards it; everyone saw what looked like adventurers riding it. An archer was clearing the way; an elf was casting spells. They see two heavy armored warriors defending the wagon. A sudden blast of fire erupts, and someone jumps, attacking with fierce fire attack.
The creature falls and burns. The humans cheer, and they begin to turn the ties. Demon command gets mad, and they have their force attack in full. They have lost their command structure; more boulders are thrown, but they are no match. Demon archers fire arrows. The allies push the enemy back.
As the battle intensifies, the demons are on the losing end. Magic spells could be seen from afar clashing. Out of nowhere, everyone on the battlefield sees a dark pulse; it cancels their Mana. The fighting stopped to understand what had happened.
Animals are heard running; all over the world; they also witness this dark pulse. The Mana flow is disrupted; as unexpectedly as it showed up, it disappeared. The allies then notice the goblin, troll, and tentacle creatures acting weird. They take advantage and attack.
They easily take them out. The Allies move forward and fight the demon knights. The demon knights are outnumbered and defeated. The demon commanders were losing composure; they then heard a voice. It told them to retreat; a captain saw a small boy, Kenny.
Kenny sends out a Mana wave, and the captain understands who he is. He called for a retreat; the command followed orders and called to retreat. Horns are heard, and the demon knights begin to retreat; the demon mages help them. The troll creatures start to melt.
Some goblin creatures explode while others melt. King John gives the signal to hold. The humans and dwarfs witness as the demons are forced to leave the battlefield. After they were out of sight, they began to celebrate. King John was relieved; he saw his troops hug, cry, and celebrate. After a while, they regrouped and waited to see if the enemy returned—the injured were taken back to camp. Once they knew they had achieved victory, they headed back to camp.
Once back, King John and Sloan told their troops to rest; some were to stand guard. The soldiers were tired and dirty. Some dropped and slept; others ate and drank. The celebration continued. King John and the rest of the command went and had a meeting.
King John questioned the phenomenon; Cortez answered and told him it was dark magic. Haddison said she was mad they could not finish the enemy; King Sloan agreed. King John thinks and asks if it could have been someone helping them. Cortez said it could be the elves. King Sloan laughs.
"Those pointy-eared female wimps, HA; they wouldn't go that far as to help."
King John knows that the dwarfs and elves don't get along. He had no explanation for the event. They decide on what to do next. King Sloan offers his army as an attack force. He would pursue the enemy. King John was not sure if it was a good idea.
King Sloan assures him he will be fine; he tells King John to let his forces heal. Cortez agrees; they continue discussing. They settled that King Sloan and his forces would continue moving forward; Haddison volunteered to help with her troops. Cortez would stay and create a stronghold to offer support.
Once everything was settled, King John and his forces would return to the Umbridge Kingdom. King Sloan will send word to his general on stand-by to move. A message arrived telling King John that Arthur had defeated the enemy days before. King John was happy; He stayed for a few days to have his force rest some more, and they departed; King John told King Sloan he would look into who was betraying him.
In the mountains, Master Musashi was feeling awkward after the dark pulse. He thinks of Lord Mateo. Fillan had returned from a failed hunt; all the animals suddenly left. He did not see the dark pulse. In his camp, he was making more arrows and watching the waterfall.
It has begun to melt. Since he had nothing better to do, he went and took a look. Get gets close and can see the inside of the cave. He was nervous and wondered if it would work. He saw some flashing and wanted to take a better look. Fillan sticks his head slightly in and blacks out.
He opened his eyes but could not move. He heard some weird noises and was bouncing up and down. His eyes focused, and he was in some room. It was red, and there were others. He hears someone speak.
"All right, rookie, welcome to the team; you were chosen from dozens of candidates. Your training is over, and now it's time for the real deal."
Fillan looks over to someone sitting at the back. Whatever he was in stopped; a door dropped, and the light hit them. The group of people gets out their guns drawn. Fillan didn't know where he was; all he knew was that he was watching.
The group wore uniforms and armor not known to him. They are suddenly hit with bullets coming from a building. They hid behind a large vehicle; Fillan didn't know what it was. A soldier goes up to him and grabs him. He wore a mask, so he didn't know what he looked like.
"Remember the mission; this is an eliminate all targets request. Don't lose hope, and stay close. Welcome to the Howling Echoes!"
Fillan woke up close to the waterfall. He didn't know what happened. Fillan felt tired and headed back to his hut. He lay down and tried to remember what happened. Fillan felt sick.
In the beast kingdom, a beast woman walks to a room. She looked human but had dog features; her hair resembled a poodle's. The woman was tall and wore a green toga as the Greeks did. She entered the room, and a beast man sat at a desk.
"General Kujoo, we have a report about the recent battle between the humans and demons; would you like to see it?"
General Kujoo was a Saint Bernard beast man and adviser to King Sensha, the beast-man King. He wasn't paying attention. The woman gets angry and walks over to him. She sees he is drinking. The woman knocks out Kujoo's cup.
"You are drinking at a time like this!"
General Kujoo turns to her and calls her Sally; he apologizes and tells her he is bored. Sally, the beast woman, tells him to return to work; she leaves the report and takes his bottle of wine. She leaves, and Kujoo pleads to her to bring back his bottle. General Kujoo stares at the report.
"Sensha will be happy about this."