Chronicles of Espiria

by Larrythefunkyferret

As the kingdoms of the realm of Espiria vie for dominance, a dark power works in secret to return and lay waste to all. Based on the lore of the mobile game AFK Arena, this is a collaborative work by several members of the AFK community, who will be identified by their gamertag only to protect their privacy. Cover image by author Stormrider.

23. Episode 23 - The Barred Gate

Chronicles of Espiria Season 1

Episode 23 - The Barred Gate

Written by The Dude

Izold continued to march further into Bantus, growing impatient with the lack of Graveborn to attack. He paused now and then to give his leg time to rest, his frustration growing with each pause. Finally, he took out his frustration by cutting a long dead tree down in one blow with his sword.

"Is it because I wasn't devout enough?!" he screamed at the sky. "Was I supposed to make sacrifices for every medal I earned?! Why did you do this to me?! Why?!"

A menacing laugh echoed around Izold, who quickly readied himself for the fight he had been seeking. At last, he would receive the warrior's death he sought. Instead of a Graveborn soldier, however, he found a man wearing a black trench coat and a thin cloth mask over his mouth. The undead man's pale green eyes seemed to trace Izold's entire body, sizing him up less as an opponent and more as a pile of meat.

"You come to Bantus to seek a warrior's death because the alternative is to die an old man full of beer and scars from lost fights."

Izold was surprised at the Graveborn's insight.

"Do not be surprised; you are not the first man to find me with this story, and I doubt you will be the last. What if I told you that I could solve your problem, make you a force to be reckoned with once again? What would you do to have your strength and honor back?"

Izold simply stared at the Graveborn; he was no longer sure whether he should kill the undead tempter or accept his offer. He thought about the choice for a long time, far longer than he should have.

Meanwhile, Hogan was resting in the Noble Tavern, sullenly sipping his favorite draught. Rigby noticed that Hogan seemed down and took a seat next to him.

"Still no word about Izold?"

"No one can find him anywhere. Even if we found his body, at least I would know his fate."

"Well, my boys haven't given up yet, so you don't get to either."

Rigby snapped his fingers as he had an idea.

"Hey, what about Morvus? I hear he's a fair sight at tracking."

"He's in Maldan attending to family affairs."

As Hogan took another drink, Estrilda entered the tavern dressed in full armor.

"Hogan, are you sober?"

"I am." he answered as he stood at attention.

"Good. We're needed."

Hogan and Estrilda left without another word. Rigby started to clear the table when young Rowan appeared next to him.

"Is that Commander Hogan's glass?" Rowan asked.

"Aren't you too young to be in here?" Rigby countered.

"I'll pay you five gold for the leftover ale."

"I can't sell to children! I'd be tossed in the dungeon for sure! I have a responsibility to..."

"Ten gold!"

"If anyone asks, you stole it."

Rowan handed the gold to Rigby and poured the contents of the glass into a bottle. He was out the door before anyone could say anything, shouting to anyone passing by on the street, "Hogan ale! Genuine Commander Hogan ale! Only twenty gold for a vial! One sip and you'll have the courage of Commander Hogan!"

Rigby just shook his head as he continued to clear the table, muttering to himself, "Boy would buy and sell his grandmother's kidneys, I tell ya."

Once beyond the gates of Ranhorn, Hogan and Estrilda were met by Ulric guarding their horses. As they mounted, Hogan said something that he never thought he would have cause to say.

"Estrilda, you're scared."

"I have reason to be concerned. My spies speak of a massive invasion force from the Mauler territories. They call it the Army of the Paragon."

"I presume Brutus will be leading it."

"Not just that; the army consists of warriors from every tribe in the desert. Every able bodied man, woman, and child in the desert marches toward us."

"It is a daunting challenge, but I'm sure we can meet it."

"I've also been told that the legions of Bantus are on the march as well."

Hogan was silent as he turned pale.

"That was my reaction."

"What of the Wilders of the Dark Forest?"

"We've always had an understanding with them; they leave us alone, and we leave them alone. As far as I know, that has not changed."

"Good. The last thing we need is a fight with those phantoms too. So what do we do about the Maulers and the Graveborn?"

"There is a prairie to the south that both armies will have to pass through to reach Ranhorn; we will meet them there."

Meanwhile, Skriath slowly glided down in front of the Temple of the Seers, intending to survey the aftermath of the battle that he had heard about. As the holiest site in all the Mauler territories, even the Grand Chieftain and the Paragon were bound to show it respect; not only that, but the temple guards were the only warriors in the desert exempt from answering the war summons of the Paragon. As such, two shamans, three guards, and Satrana were present to meet the Grand Chieftain at the edge of the temple grounds.

"We welcome you, Lord Skriath," one of the shamans said in greeting. "If you have come to read the sacred writings of the temple, then I repeat what Kumaza has told you, that we can inform you of what the words say, but the words themselves are for temple shamans only."

"Where is Kumaza?" Skriath asked.

"I am afraid that Kumaza has joined with the ancestors."

"I am sorry to hear that. I greatly enjoyed my discussions with him. Was he killed in the human attack?"

Satrana and the guards glanced at each other, confused.

"Human attack?"

"Yes, I was informed by a Durri who had just come from here that the temple had been attacked by a human war party."

"No, my lord; the only human we have met recently was a lone woman, a Lightbearer shaman, who aided us in our struggle with the demon plague."

Skriath was silent as he considered this fresh news, then bristled his feathers as he realized what it may mean to the Maulers.

"Tell me everything that has happened here."

As the shamans recounted the events leading to their triumph over the plague, the army of Ranhorn marched to the verdant prairie that would serve as their last stand against the armies of the Mauler tribes and the Bantus empire. Hogan and Estrilda tried to put on an air of quiet confidence for the troops; in truth, they were both terrified that the foes they marched to face may be beyond them. Once they reached the prairie, Hogan and Estrilda looked around to get a better lay of the land. Hogan soon noticed someone sitting in a nearby tree, staring back at him.

"General, there is someone in that tree."

Estrilda glanced at the tree, returned the wave that she saw, then returned her gaze forward.

"She's a Wilder. She probably wants to see the battle, maybe even partake in it."

"The same with the man with her?"

Estrilda looked again, just in time to see a rabbit fall out of the tree.

"Stealthy, Lorsan." Kaz commented sarcastically.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Lorsan grunted.

Kaz dropped out of the tree and helped Lorsan to his feet.

"Why are we in this tree again?" Lorsan asked, trying to work out a kink in his back. "I said I wanted to see the world; if I wanted to watch it from a tree perch, I could've stayed in the forest."

"I'm here because Arden needs me to keep an eye on the battle; he doesn't want to be surprised if someone changes course and starts heading toward the forest. You're here because he thinks the Wind Whisperers are a better way to communicate than messages carried by birds."

"Who but the Maulers are still dumb enough to send soldiers to the Dark Forest?"

"We've had Graveborn invade once or twice, the occasional human hunter taking shots at Eironn and his gorgeous eyes, his luscious locks, his considerable rack..."

Kaz trailed off and fell silent as she thought about Eironn. Lorsan was quick to bring her back to reality.

"You do know he doesn't like anyone or anything but his swords, right?"

"A girl can dream, right?"

Lorsan's ears started to twitch.

"The Maulers will be here in about five minutes, the Graveborn a few minutes later."

"We better get back in the tree then."

Lorsan looked at the ground around him.

"I wish we had a burrow to hide in. Perching in a tree like a bird is hard."

"I've had to dig my way out of too many collapsed burrows to trust them during a battle."

Kaz helped Lorsan back into the tree, then followed soon after. True to Lorsan's prediction, the Maulers and Graveborn arrived in the prairie shortly after the two Wilders found a comfortable position in the tree. With the Maulers came the sounds of the war drums, carried by Bears and played by the champions of the various tribes of the Scorched Expanse. At the forefront of the army was Brutus, followed closely by Khasos and Anoki. As Brutus came to a halt, so did the drums and the rest of the army. Anoki stood with his horn resting in front of him, ready to sound the charge at Brutus' command.

Moments later, the arrival of the army of Bantus was heralded by the gut-wrenching smell of death that preceded them, as well as the moaning of the foot soldiers. That they marched out of step did not lessen their terror; on the contrary, the Lightbearers and Maulers alike found it unsettling. At the forefront of the army was King Thoran himself, with Grezhul at his side, ready to sound the charge at Thoran's command.

The three armies stood facing each other. The Maulers cast insults and challenges at the Lightbearers in the form of growls and roars, while the Graveborn simply stared at the Lightbearers with their cold, lifeless eyes. General Estrilda rode out in front of the Lightbearer army and turn to face them while Hogan worked to form them into coherent lines. As Hogan worked, Estrilda spoke to them.

"Our ancient enemies have invaded our lands in the name of darkness and savagery! If left alone, Dura alone knows what they will do to our home! Let us push them back where they came from, and remind them why we call ourselves Lightbearers!"

A cheer erupted from the Lightbearer forces as Hogan continued to organize the troops, finally getting the front line together with a solid wall of shields.

"You ready for this, Ulric?"

"To be honest, sir, no."

"Neither am I. That should keep you on your toes, help you stay alive."

As the Graveborn watched the Lightbearers and Maulers prepare themselves, Grezhul asked his king a question.

"I suppose we are going to harvest all of the cattle?"

"We are, Grezhul. They will make fine additions to our army, especially the General."

"What of the beast men?"

"If the beast men have a grievance with the cattle, they may wait their turn. If they object... well, I'm sure our necromancers will find them interesting to experiment on."

The three armies continued to size each other up. Meanwhile, not far away, Belinda, Lucius, Cecilia, Antandra, and Ira were all rushing toward the Barred Gate, hoping to prevent its failure. When they finally reached the barren stone marking the site of the Gate, they found a multitude of men, women, and children, mostly human and Graveborn with some Ya here and there, seated on the stone and chanting in the same arcane tongue that Oden used.

"What are they doing?" Ira asked, confused.

"The Barred Gate does not exist as a physical object," Belinda explained. "It is a seal between our world and the world of the Hypogeans. Therefore, it cannot be broken by brute force."

"These demons hope to break it by their dark magic," Cecilia continued. "We cannot allow them to finish."

Ira held up her quiver to Belinda. Belinda took the quiver and blessed it as she had in the Dark Forest, imbuing the arrows with divine light. Cecilia sensed what Belinda was doing and did the same with Antandra's spear. Thus prepared, Lucius, Cecilia, and Antandra charged the demonic multitude, while Ira and Belinda attacked from a distance.

Back at the prairie, Anoki was ready to blow on his horn to begin the battle, until Brutus noticed a falcon flying toward the three armies. Brutus was pleased; he had seen Skriath in the heat of battle only once before, but even Brutus recognized that the Grand Chieftain's magic was a force of nature, nearly as terrifying in combat as he himself. Skriath landed in the unoccupied space between the three armies, but rather than lead the charge, he summoned the leaders of the three armies to meet with him. Brutus left his entourage in charge of the army while he approached Skriath. Estrilda, Hogan, Thoran, Grezhul, Kaz, and Lorsan all approached as well.

"You do not intend to deny my right to lead the Mauler tribes into battle, do you? Even after we have suffered an unprovoked attack?!"

"Of course not, my Paragon," Skriath answered, trying to maintain an air of calm, "but I fear that your fury, though justified, is nevertheless misdirected."

Skriath turned to face the other leaders.

"This invasion was predicated on the news that the Temple of the Seers, our most sacred landmark, had been, without warning or pretense, attacked by Lightbearer knights."

"That is a lie!" Hogan shouted.

"I know." Skriath responded. "I visited the temple not two hours ago to survey the damage. Imagine my surprise when I found but two casualties, both shamans, both victims of the plague, and that the only human trespasser was a lone priestess who offered her assistance in fighting the plague."

"What plague do you speak of?" Estrilda asked.

"It was a plague of demons. Our finest warriors found their strength sapped as demons endeavored to seize control of their will. We nearly have it under control now, but the Paragon suspected that the plague was unleashed on us by humans as part of a plot to conquer our lands."

Hogan was silent, a contemplative look on his face.

"Hogan, are you alright?" Estrilda asked.

"Does the human have a confession?" Brutus asked with a snarl.

"It's something young Lucius told me a few weeks ago. He said that he and Belinda had fought and slayed a demon in the old Marwen mansion. At the time, I assumed that it was just the bravado of a young man, or a euphemism for something or other, but now..."

"Did you say Lucius?" Kaz interjected. "If he said he fought a demon, it was probably true. Just the other day, he and another human and my friend Ira got rid of demons that were hiding in the forest. I remember Lucius because he looked just so luscious..."

"Kaz, come on!" Lorsan complained.

"I apologize for nothing." Kaz responded.

"And what about you?" Skriath asked, turning to Thoran. "What prompted Bantus to march on the humans?"

"We act in self defense!" Thoran thundered. "We have witnessed a scouting party of humans and Maulers spying on our lands!"

"I sent no spies into Bantus!" Estrilda countered. "If anything, you started this war, ordering two unprovoked attacks on Lightbearer villages!"

"General Estrilda, King Thoran," Skriath interrupted, "I believe that both of you are victims of the same mischief that prompted my Paragon to declare war. The Durri that lied to us about the Lightbearer attack, the Graveborn that fell on the human villages, and the spies in Bantus were, I believe, all possessed by demons. They seek to turn us against each other, though I am still uncertain precisely why."

As this discussion continued, the battle at the Barred Gate raged on. Though the demon possessed fell easily as individuals, their were so many that reducing their numbers was proving difficult. What's more, their main priority seemed to be to continue chanting, standing to fight only to protect others so that the chant could continue.

"At least they aren't fighting us very hard!" Lucius commented.

"I wish they would, if it meant that they would stop their chanting!" Cecilia responded. "We must stop this ritual before..."

At that moment, the ground trembled and threw everyone to the ground. The stone on which they stood cracked; before anyone could stop them, the possessed people cast themselves into the fissure. Soon after, the fissure expanded into a swirling vortex of darkness the length of twenty men.

At the same moment, Lorsan fell on the ground, trying to stop his ears with his hands.

"Lorsan, are you alright?" Kaz asked, concerned.

"It sounds like someone's screaming in terror! It feels like it's coming from everywhere!"

Arden, too, from his place at the feet of Yggdrasil, sensed that something terrible had just happened. Lyca was nearby, and noticed his distress.

"Arden, are you alright?"

"I felt a great disturbance in the natural order. A terrible curse has fallen upon Espiria, but I cannot say what sort."

As Arden and Lyca contemplated this new information, one of the Wind Whisperers ran up to Arden, nearly out of breath.

"Rest young one," Arden said as he guided the young feline to a seat, "and tell me what news Lorsan sends."

"This wasn't from Lorsan, but from Ira!" he replied. "She requests aid from the Dusk Patrol! She says that the Barred Gate is under attack!"

Arden went pale as he realized what all this news put together meant.

Back at the Barred Gate, the five defenders watched helplessly as a dark figure began to emerge from the vortex, wreathed in shadow at first, but gaining definition as it stepped forward. The figure was a pale man clad in thick armor. Long hair made of fire flowed down his back, casting embers as he surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he settled his gaze on the five defenders, who were still trying to regain their breath after the valiant attempt to prevent the return of this fiend. As he advanced toward the five, more shadowy figures emerged behind him, appearing in all grotesque shapes and sizes, and marched on the five.

"We can't win this fight." Ira concluded.

"Then we will earn our place among the ancestors!" Antandra declared as she steeled herself.

"Belinda," Lucius said as he turned to face her, "if we are to die today, I need you to know..."

Belinda held her finger to his lips as she smiled and responded, "I know."

The Hypogean commander drew a flaming sword from its place at his side and raised it high. With a loud cry in the same tongue used by the possessed, he brought the sword down, signaling the charge. The hellish monsters that flanked the commander charged past him, eager to slake their thirst for Espirian blood. As they drew near to the five heroes, they began to grow sluggish in their movements, until they stopped moving entirely. Perplexed, Lucius and Antandra slowly approached the still Hypogeans. Their expressions were unmoving, and one was clearly mid-bound, suspended in the air.

"Do not touch them!" Cecilia warned.

All looked to Cecilia, and were surprised, none more than Belinda, to see a smile on her face.

"There is a divine aura surrounding the demons. I believe they are trapped in time by the power of Orthros."

As they all gazed in amazement at this miracle, two gentle voices whispered in Belinda's ears, which she recognized immediately as those of the Twins.

"Orthros holds the children of Annih back, but not for long," Belinda said, relaying the message of the Twins. "We are to warn Espiria of what we have seen here, beginning with those in the verdant prairie not far from here."

"You go and warn them." Antandra declared. "I will buy you time."

"You won't buy us more than a few seconds against those things." Ira commented.

"Antandra, this is beyond our ability alone!" Lucius urged. "We must gather an army to face these creatures!"

Antandra was clearly torn, but finally relented. They returned to their horses and rode where Belinda was commanded. There they found the three armies, their leaders still speaking with each other. Lorsan heard them as soon as they crossed into the prairie.

"Kaz, Ira's here!" he shouted.

Kaz looked in the direction that Lorsan indicated and saw Ira sitting behind Belinda, visibly tired. Kaz bounded to meet them and threw herself into Ira, knocking her off the horse with her hug.

"Ira, are you all right?!" Kaz asked.

"Kaz, what are you doing here?" Ira asked in turn.

"Glad to see you too." Kaz responded, sarcastically but happily.

"You are one of the Temple Guards." Skriath observed when he noticed Antandra. "What brings you all the way out here?"

Antandra lowered her head as she spoke, but did not bow; this was an expected show of respect by the Temple Guards, while declaring that their first loyalty was to the Temple of the Seers, not to the Grand Chieftain of the Maulers.

"Grand Chieftain, this human shaman aided the temple in a moment of need. As thanks, I accompanied her in her quest to find the source of the demon plague."

"And did you?"

"We did." Cecilia answered. "The demons had been entering Espiria through a tear between their world and ours that the Graveborn call the Mortuary Void, aided by a traitor not only to Bantus, but to all of Espiria."

"Were you successful in dealing with him?" Skriath asked hopefully.

"We were," Lucius answered, "but not before he sent what demons he had left to the Barred Gate. They managed to break the seal and fling the Gate open!"

"We'll need all the help we can get to stop them!" Ira commented.

At that moment, a loud roar ripped through the prairie. Flowers in the prairie closed up at the sound of the roar.

"Was that them?" Estrilda asked, hiding her concern well.

"If it is, I will enjoy sending them back to their pit." Thoran declared, his leathery lips curled in a snarl.

The three armies turned to face the oncoming threat, moments before the Hypogean commander stepped over the ridge into view of the three armies. The commander surveyed the scene for a moment, taking in the numbers of his opponents, and allowed a cruel smile to cross his face.

"Finally, a challenge!" he said to himself in his native tongue.

He looked back at his troops for a moment before giving the signal to charge. As the Hypogeans charged forward, the Lightbearer and Graveborn armies unleashed a volley of arrows that thinned the Hypogean front lines greatly; even so, the army was so vast that it hardly seemed to matter. Even holy lightning summoned by Belinda, along with other divine attacks by Lucius and Cecilia, did little to thin their numbers. Estrilda raised her flag and Thoran raised his sword; at the sound of Anoki's horn, all three armies began their own charge.

The Espirian armies and Hypogean armies crashed into each other like waves against a craggy beach. Though the Espirian forces fought bravely, the Hypogeans were gaining ground with each minute that passed. For every gallant charge by Estrilda and her cavalry, every ferocious slash by Brutus, Khasos, and the Blood Guard, every deadly curse cast by Thoran and his mages, the orcs and imps and goblins would push back somewhere else. Each arrow fired by Ira into a Hypogean skull, every sword shattered against Lucius's shields, was answered by another charred corpse left behind by the Hypogean commander. As the Espirians began to battle with despair, a new cry was heard over the din of combat.

"Dusk Patrollers, charge!"

Lyca had arrived on Arden's orders with what Patrollers she could muster and began to push back against the Hypogeans, eventually making her way to the tree which Ira, Kaz, and Lorsan had been using as a makeshift base.

"Arden got your message, Ira." Lyca said as greeting.

"Is this everyone?" Ira asked, letting her eyes show their gratitude if not her voice.

"All the Dusk Patrol. The Treants and the big guy have remained in the forest in case the worst should happen here."

"Arden's confidence is heartwarming." Kaz said sarcastically.

The arrival of the Dusk Patrol provided a necessary boost to morale, but even with their help, the Hypogean advance was only slowed. The Lightbearer and Mauler lines were on the verge of collapse when, without warning or explanation, a swath of Hypogeans fell to the ground, their heads cleaved off by a blade hot enough to cauterize the wounds. Moments later, another swath of Hypogeans suffered the same fate. After a third swath, the cause of their deaths revealed herself; a woman clad in armor that shone like the sun, armed with a pair of long flaming knives, hovered over the Lightbearer front lines, staring the Hypogean commander in the eyes. The commander growled as he recognized the woman.

"Athalia," he snarled.

"Commander Kane of the Hypogean Hoard," Athalia shouted, "in the name of almighty Dura, I grant you one chance at survival! Return to the realm to which Dura consigned you, and never taint Espiria with your darkness again, or I will drag you back piece by piece myself!"

Kane smirked as he responded, "You may try, Celestial!"

Before he could react, Athalia charged at him and drove her knives into his shoulders. The other Hypogeans forgot the Espirians and came to their commander's aid; many found themselves beheaded for their troubles, but their sacrifice allowed Kane a chance to distance himself from Athalia. Seeing how quickly she was dispatching his troops, as well as the morale boost that her very presence provided to the Espirian forces, he called for a retreat. The Hypogeans returned to the Barred Gate and made their camp in the threshold; they were driven back, but not defeated.

With the Hypogeans gone, many of the Espirians allowed themselves a cry of victory. This celebration did not last long, however, as they began to take in what the victory cost. The ground was littered with bodies, the grass stained with blood. Healers from all factions began the task of tending to the wounded, but it soon became clear that not all would receive help in time.

Back in the Lightbearer medical tent, Hogan and Estrilda toured the wounded, giving encouragement where they could, and condolences where they must. Lucius was praying over Ulric, who had survived several stab wounds that penetrated his shield, when Hogan and Estrilda passed by.

"How is he?" Hogan asked, concerned.

Lucius gave no reply. Between his intense concentration on his prayers and his overall exhaustion, he barely heard the question, much less comprehended it. Belinda was passing by, having just finished healing another soldier, and noticed Lucius' weariness.

"Lucius, you're exhausted!"

"Must...heal..." Lucius pushed out.

"Lucius, you must rest. Let me finish."

"Must...one...more..."

Lucius began to slump forward, utterly spent. Hogan caught him and pulled him to his feet, supporting him with one arm slung over his shoulder.

"I'll find him a place to rest."

Hogan led Lucius to another tent. Belinda took his place at Ulric's side and began to pray over him. She wasn't as adept a healer as Lucius, but Ulric's remaining wounds were minor, easily manageable for her skills. As she prayed, Estrilda noticed the concerned look on her face.

"Lucius will be fine." Estrilda reassured her. "He just needs rest."

"It's not that, Estrilda." Belinda replied. "Ira has returned to the Dark Forest with the other Wilders. Antandra intends to return to the desert with the other Maulers when they are ready to leave. The Graveborn returned to Bantus after they gathered their dead. Everyone is returning to their own borders to prepare for invasion."

"You believe that is unwise?"

"Last time the Hypogeans were here, we survived only because Dura herself fought for us. If we are to survive this time, we must follow the example of the Twins; we must forge alliances with the other kingdoms and work together to repel the Hypogeans."

Estrilda was silent as she considered Belinda's council.

"It will not be easy, if it is even possible. We have been at war with the Maulers for centuries, and been forced to guard our border with Bantus nearly as long. We could perhaps ally with the Wilders, but they are a withdrawn folk, unlikely to give aid unless it serves their own purpose. In any case, we may be able to agree to a truce with the Maulers and the Graveborn, but cooperation would likely take a miracle."

"I believe in miracles, Estrilda. May the Twins aid you in your efforts."

Estrilda left Belinda to her duty, still unsure that her idea was even possible. Still, it would be nice if, the next time she heard the roar of Brutus or the thunder of the Centaurs' hooves, it was in support of her instead of against her.