Original Submissions by Glantimere

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  A Lost Warrior; Part II
  Added on Aug 29, 2008

  There is no rest for the weary, and allanak, under Malenthis Jal's leadership, tries to prove its tenacity in a bold siege after a recent defeat and loss of a commander. (note) I apologize for anything astray in the story itself, it was a long time ago for me, and I had very little in the way of logs to work with, but I did tell a few individuals I would post this before long)

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  A lost warrior: Part II

  I awoke to hushed murmurs about my tent, and sat up groggily. I reached over, grabbed my sword, and crawled out of my tent slowly. It was dark, I had slept the whole day away. On dark nights like this, without Lirathu or Jihae in the sky, one had to be very careful about wandering too far east of our camp. One misplaced foot would send you over the edge of the chasm.

   

  I wiped my eyes with a tired hand, and gazed about the army quietly. Over two-thousand, and all of them looked nervous. I stood for a moment, wondering what I had missed that had them set on guard, until my eye caught sight of three templars near the wagon up against the western cliff wall.

   

  There stood the high faithful lady Eunoli, and at her side was the faithful lord Durathar and Faithful lady Felysia. Clearly, something big was happening, and I spotted a jet-braided half-giant not far from me.

  Crog was a good find. We had found him in the sanctuary on our last trip home to the ivory. Smart, strong, funny. He made life at the camp a lot easier for me. I had helped show him around camp initially, and he was already excelling at his duties.

   

  "Crog, we moving out?" I asked quietly, stepping up to his side. He turned his head and lifted a hand shortly in greeting, and shrugged. I nodded once, resting a hand on my sword hilt as I looked around.

   

  Shoulder is still stiff…Need to get my shield off it…

   

  I rolled my right shoulder back, letting the strap fall down my arm, and kneeled down, leaning on my shield for support. A cold breeze drifted out of the cave mouth just east of the camp, and I shivered slightly in the night. The air was heavy with the scent of spice, a peculiar spice favored among the soldiers for its enhancing effect. I had never tried it. I had no need to.

                                

  I saw young Zeiri, and sighed.

   

  I disapproved of his age, but, he knew how to survive. He had even been the one to introduce and show me the camp. I couldn't say anything to him. Sometimes I got the feeling he resented me, even before Curachek died. He had every right to defend his home, the enemy had no mercy or cared what age their blades felled down.

   

  In the dark distance, I heard drums. Faint, but they were there. It was drums, or the approach of another one of those cursed lightning storms that had twice assailed our camp now. I glanced over to Eunoli, and frowned, her expression told me all I needed to know.

   

  Eunoli opened her mouth to speak, and stopped, her facial expression showing a hint of shock. At that moment, I felt something in my mind, a familiar presence I welcomed.

   

  "Brothers and Sisters, the enemy marches to meet us with a massive force." I heard echoing through my mind. The ringing in my mind faded quickly, and the other soldiers murmured softly.

   

  So it finally draws to a close. We will face the allanaki force at these gates…We will determine the course of the war here.

   

  I heard Durathar speaking faintly, but I missed what he said. When he finished, our archer battalions rushed up the catwalk in a strict formation, bow at the ready. I glanced towards our southern gate, where a reserve unit came up to bolster our main force.

   

  "Form up!" I heard shouted, from a faithful or captain, I am not sure, but orders were orders. Myself, and our main army fell into formation, facing the northern gate. I stood in the vanguard right behind the half-giants. I would be the first to fight.

   

  The sun rose slowly, illuminating the camp between the canyon and chasm. It was a glorious sight, seeing our mighty army in such a formation. Durathar marched up and down the foremost line of soldiers, giving them an appraising gaze. I straightened up as his gaze swept over me for a brief moment, and held my head high.

   

  Khalise, be with me through this coming battle…If you could ever forgive me for not being with you in your own fight…

   

  "Half-giants, to the front!" I heard Durathar shout as a few half-giants in the back instantly hustled forward from the rear. Crog lumbered past, straightening up infront of me.

   

  My ring, I can't let them have it back…Ah, Crog.

   

  "Crog," I said quietly. Crog grunted softly, glancing over his shoulder a bit. "I wear a ring, a witches ring. The only thing they would care to get back from me. If I fall, do not let them have it. Can you do this for me?"

   

  Crog frowned, but nodded nonetheless, and turned back to face Durathar. The faithful were speaking in their tongue for awhile, and the sun reached it's highest point in the sky.

   

  I wiped my brow, tilting my crimson-winged great helm back a bit. I unbuckled my water skin from my belt, and drank deeply from it.

   

  Half a skin left…I can make this last through the fight…refill it later.

   

  I wiped my lips with the back of my gloved hand, re-buckling my skin to my belt. We stood in formation for a horribly long time, the heat only seemed to increase as time drew on. I began to tire, my legs felt like stone. Finally, Durathar returned to the front line, and turned to face us, pacing up and down the line.

   

  "Soldiers of Tuluk, We stand against a massive force! But we will fight, and we will show these bastards their place! If they lose here, they care nothing of it. If –we- lose here, what is going to stop them from turning north!? What is going to stop them from marching on our city!? Fight! Fight for our home, Fight for your loved ones! Fight for our living god the sun-king!" Durathar shouted, his voice reverberating through the camp.

   

  The entire force cheered, and I could not help but join them. I drew my sword, raising it high into the air.

   

  "For the ivory! For the sun king!" I shouted loudly. My voice was loud, and still it was drowned out by the hundreds of others echoing off the canyon wall. As I gazed up at the dark sky, I thought, for a brief moment, I could see the ivory pyramid above us.

   

  As our shouts died, so did the first night of our siege, and the enemy drums boomed in the northern canyon. The sounds of marching and officers shouting orders could be heard echoing over our gate.

   

  They come, at last.

   

  I felt my blood growing hot, knowing the enemy was so close, and both of our armies wanted a fight. Durathar narrowed his gaze at the wooden gate, and paced back over to Eunoli and Felysia. Eunoli's gaze grew distant, and Felysia closed her eyes, remaining still.

   

  "They have reached the traps…" Felysia said quietly. Almost as soon as she spoke, screams rang out in the canyon north of us, but there was also shouting, it sounded as if they had forewarning of the traps. Durathar turned, and marched up the catwalk to the wall.

   

  "Fire!" I heard faint shouts echoing from the wall. More screams, and the whistle of arrows filled the sounds of this terrible morning. Suk-Krath was clouded from vision as a volley of arrows came over the wall, and I raised my shield above my head, as did many others.

   

  Bastards…I won't be falling that easily!

   

  A soldier next to me dropped down to the ground, two arrows in his chest. I gritted my teeth, looking away. The shouting from the others side of the wall came again, much closer now, and it was clear there was confusion among the enemy ranks.

   

  Wish I could see what the hell is happening…

   

  Larke coughed near me. I hadn't even noticed him before, not until I smelled the spice. He was puffing on his pipe next to me.

   

  "Ho..shit…They're not gonna get me now…" He said, coughing a few times. I grunted, turning my attention back to the wall. A tuluki soldier shouted out, and flipped back over the wall, his body burned and mutilated.

   

  The abominations… I have to face them all eventually. I knew Dran would only be the first.

   

  The day lingered on, and not much changed, despite the constant exchange of archer fire.   Finally, as the sun slowly lowered behind the dunes and canyons, it seemed the enemy would break through, as I noticed our archers falling back onto the catwalk itself, as if in retreat. Then, I noticed the fiery glow on the wall, illuminating the dark of night.

   

  What is that…?

   

  I stepped forward out of the line, gazing at the wall, trying to make out this new threat, this hulking inferno that approached the wall slowly. It almost looked like a Braxat.

   

  I saw Durathar standing before the inferno, shouting and pointing. A few archers rushed forward, throwing barrels of water at the monstrous braxat, and a roar rocked the canyon, as the light faded quickly. It was soon after this our first glimmer of hope came.

   

  "It seems they are retreating…" Felysia said quietly, her voice strained. The soldiers relaxed a bit, lowering their shields further as the enemy drums did indeed seem to grow fainter.

   

  The army never dispersed, but we talked quietly, tired, and hopeful. It had been over an hour now, but time was passing slowly, the anticipation was gnawing at my mind.

   

  "Easy enough, we showed them." A soldier near me snickered. I frowned, shaking my head a bit.

   

  It can't be that easy…Why bring they're entire force here for one failed charge…?

   

  I saw the masked bard, Jochebed as they called him, move up into the lines, looking rather uncertain. He stood next to Zeiri, a blade in hand.

   

  The bard…He shouldn't be up here in the front lines with us…He has no other choice now I guess.

  "I'm not going to make it, am I?" I heard Jochebed say softly, almost to himself. "I am no warrior..."

   

  "If drov comes to meet us, there is nothing we can do in the battle but make him wait a little longer." I said, glancing down to Jochebed. Zeiri looked over at me, a strange look in his eye.

   

  "It is not Drov we go to meet, mister Kel. Today, we go to meet our destinies." He said, gazing north at the gate. I turned back to the gate as well.

   

  Destiny…I should have had mine with Khalise…and I destroyed my own future. The only thing left for me is fate. Is it to die on the field, for my home? Or is it to die alone, with nothing but my honor when I am old and feeble?

   

  "They come again…" I heard Felysia say. Eunoli was clearly straining her abilities, and leaned against a sharp-featured soldier near her. Both the faithful ladies were exhausted, it was easy to see, and Durathar was still somewhere on the wall.

   

  As dawn broke on our third day at the ready, the shouting of the enemy army rose into a fierce battle cry.

   

  "They're scaling the walls! Do not let them pass! Use arrows, rocks, barrels, whatever you must to keep them off! They –must- not pass!" I heard Durathar's voice echoing from the wall above.

   

  "Just give us a tune, Mister Jochebed, remind us what we're fightin' for. Inspire us."" Zeiri said in a wavering voice, staring at the gate. Jochebed nodded in understanding, sheathing his sword, and holding a lute.

   

  "I understand, Zeiri." Jochebed said, bringing the flute to his lips. Despite the screaming, his song prevailed, and did indeed calm me. It was a soothing tune, invigorating, and it blocked out the sounds of death for a short time. Yet my curiosity got the best of me, I had to move sometime.

   

  "The Flower of Tuluk shall no longer be trampled...By Allanak's boot...Be her blossom unmarred.." I heard the bard's singular voice prevailing over the chaos. But it faded, only too quickly.

   

  I walked forward onto the catwalk, gritting my teeth as I began passing the bodies of fallen comrades. I could no longer hear Jochebed's playing, and reality grasped me once again. I glanced north into the canyon, staying safely behind our archers with my shield raised. I saw something I had never seen in my life.

   

  A wall of sand, a wall, covered the roof of the canyon north of the gate, providing cover from our arrows for the enemy. Slowly but surely, the wall moved closer to the gate, as did the enemy. They were coming from the western pass again, but the wall of sand blocked them from sight.

   

  Our soldiers climbed up higher onto the canyon wall, and began rolling rocks, boulders, and stones down onto the sand wall. Just before the sand wall and enemy force emerged from the final stretch of the western pass, the sand wall quivered, and collapsed.

   

  The boulders tumbled down, and my heart leapt, the enemy was done. Yet it only took me a moment to process why I couldn't see any enemy bodies in the rubble, it was clear that the enemy had withdrawn before the sand wall gave. The western pass was completely cut off now, and the enemy was nowhere in sight. I turned, looking for answers, and walked back down the catwalk to our cheering army. I did not share the feeling of victory, once again.

   

  "They have lost over a third of their force…The northwestern pass is blocked off…" I heard felysia say. I stood before the templars, behind me, the army was cheering. They clearly only thought of the victory, and not our new position. If the enemy was to the north like I suspected, then it would seem we are completely cut off from suppl-

   

  "Brothers and Sisters, we have been cut off from the ivory. The enemy is in the northern canyon between us and the city now. We await word from the commanders at the heart for further orders." A soft voice echoed in my mind, ending my own thoughts for a brief moment. As soon as it had began, the soft ringing was gone, and my mind was my own.

   

  Then it had happened. The only possibility from here that I could see was a frontal charge. We had to dislodge them from their position, and break through. It seemed Durathar was of the same mind.

   

  "Prepare to move!" He yelled. The entire looked confused for a moment, and then fell back into formation, some still holding their content smiles of victory.

   

  The faithful spoke in their tongue for a few moments, and Durathar turned, clambering onto a horse's back as he rode to the gates, unlocking them and signaling for two soldiers to open them.

   

  We go now…We go to fight, to victory. But for myself, I do not know what lies ahead.

   

  I rushed over to the stockade, and leapt onto a kank's back, turning it about quickly, and hurried up to Durathar's flank. Myself and Curachek had been charged with being his personal bodyguards. I had failed Curachek like I had failed Khalise. I had not been there to save him. I swore to myself nothing would happen to Durathar while I lived.

   

  We moved quickly out of the north gate, Durathar at the head, and halted, for a brief moment to survey the field and western pass. The pass was completely blocked, and bodies of allanaki soldiers littered the field.

   

  Durathar wrinkled his nose in disgust, riding on, and our force marched, perhaps a thousand of us.

   

  The three day siege was over. This dawn would bring one filled with blood.

   

  I did not see any familiar faces about me, but I knew they were behind me somewhere in our massive force. Our banner flapped in the wind, and all the men now had grim looks on their faces as we rounded a canyon pass that turned west, and saw the enemy camp.

   

  The camp was set at a break in the narrow canyon, that spread out in all directions. Durathar scowled, and charged forward after glancing over his shoulder once.

   

  "Charge!!" Was the only thing I heard, and I was off at his side. We broke into the camp quickly, cutting down the un-suspecting enemy. There were maybe two hundreds soldiers on guard, the rest seemed to be off-duty or sleeping, tired from their attack.

   

  I spotted a strange dark skinned breed, glowing strangely. I turned my mount towards him, growling, my mind completely focused on him now.

   

  Abomination!

   

  "To arms! To arms!" I heard someone shouting near me. I couldn't spot the voice, but time was precious now, I needed to strike not think.

   

  "Fall!" I shouted, swinging my sword downwards at him. My blade sunk deep into something, but not the breed. A creamy shell flashed around the breed once, and he staggered backwards behind a few other soldiers, more scared than wounded.

   

  I glanced north in the fighting, and spotted a small force rushing towards us. All I need to see was a scorpion emblazoned flag billowing above them before I rushed back to Durathar's side. I cut down a soldier near him, and heard a heavy accent shouting near me.

   

  "Army, Attack!" I heard someone shout in southern-accented sirihish. As I glanced at the voice, I noticed a whole new enemy battalion, nearly as large as ours, hastening to the aid of our enemy. At that moment, the Tor force reached us, further bolstering the enemy force.

   

  This is bad…really bad…I need to get Durathar out.

   

  I turned, saw Durathar fighting behind me, a small group of the ivory guard near him. He was fine for now. I turned back to the battle. Our front line was trampled over by an overwhelming force, and a tor scorpion rushed at me.

   

  The lines of brilliant white and black were slowly but surely turning into a dark scene, as the allanaki force pushed us back further, I didn't realize all those still standing with me were falling.

   

  I ducked under a broad swing from the tor, and cut up, sending him falling down to the sand. A 'nakki soldier came in behind me, driving his spear into my side, and I shouted in pain. He shouldn't have let his guard down. As he did, I whipped my blade around right into his neck.

   

  Khalise…Give me a few more moments…

   

  I glanced over my shoulder, and saw Durathar safely being ushered away by some soldiers. I turned, and parried a blow from another tor, and ripped the spear out of my side. The pain was fierce, and my vision blurred. I used the spear to block another swing from the scorpion, and stabbed in at him with my blade, he jumped back, swatting my own weapon to the side.

   

  I growled, and hurled the spear at him, which landed cleanly in his chest, sending his already lifeless body back into a few other soldiers. From the corner of my eye, I could see something huge rampaging towards me, and turned at the last minute, to see a war beetle fly past.

   

  It's rider, whom I did not see, stabbed me with a three-fingered rapier in passing, and rode off into the battle somewhere.

   

  Then I saw her, her face, so familiar, her sweet gaze. Khalise beckoned me, in the midst of battle, over to her. I knew after a brief moment of shock and longing, that I was dying, mortally wounded. The pain was unbearable, and I sunk to one knee.

   

  Everything around me slowed, and Khalise faded slowly from view, and I saw soldiers shouting, brave Tuluki warriors charging past me, straight at the enemy lines. One of them held a banner, a young man, he held it high, and carried it with pride.

   

  The banner caught my eye, a sunburst emblazoned cloth. The rays of suk-krath illuminated it, and I felt that perhaps I had fought for something, perhaps I had died for something, something more important than myself.

   

  But that thought fled my mind quickly as I saw a huge group of half-giants crash into those brave tuluki warriors, those poor soldiers who would never see home again.

   

  I saw a blade arcing down at me, and raised my sword, barely blocking the blow. Blood was trailing from my mouth now, and a foot from my attacker kicked me in the chest, sending me skidding onto my back.

   

  My vision blurred again, and I saw a Tor scorpion sneering at me as he swung his sword down again. I remained still, my body would not respond, and all I could do was follow the blade with my eyes as it collided with my chest.

   

  The black void enveloped me, and I felt a small measure of peace at last.

  A lost warrior: Part II

  I awoke to hushed murmurs about my tent, and sat up groggily. I reached over, grabbed my sword, and crawled out of my tent slowly. It was dark, I had slept the whole day away. On dark nights like this, without Lirathu or Jihae in the sky, one had to be very careful...
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