Episode II - The Great War

[Sol Marzullo]

The isolated planet of Treja in the unknown regions has been in conflict for the past three hundred years. A bloody parade of civil and intercontinental wars have left the once peaceful people tired of all the fighting, prompting them to take a chance in a peace treaty. Unfortunately, it did not go well. The peace treaty between Pangea, land of the humans and their enemy races came to an abrupt end in the form of a fire bombing that decimated the capital city of Demenor.

Fighting has ensued, with an astounding two million Narks charging the island city of Collaria. It would be only a matter of time before the sheer numbers and advanced, forbidden technology break the spirits of the brave men, led by general Alysha Wintermoon. Three hundred thousand men fight for their lives as the Nark onslaught becomes yet more agressive and intense.

The great army city of Lana is about to become besieged as well. A Huss king bent on revenge has landed the entire Gara Huss army on the western shores, sending two armies of half a million each to Visigodia and Scanta, hoping to annihiliate the brave armies of the south before they can become a nuisance to their war effort. The biggest army of a million infantry and advanced artillery is led by the king himself, Brecum; son of Crishum. Lana, built upon cliffs made of pure metal and stone has never been taken, defeated or conquered.

However, this is the biggest, most advanced army to ever threaten it. Bravery might stand a chance as five hundred thousand of the best veterans in Pangea fearlessly await the invaders and they would be lead by commander Sol, his best generals and captains.

Trashed by a huge and ruthless army by surprise, the queen duo of Kiera and Valda Pandora are forced to evacuate the Visigodian army and civilians through the caves leading to Scanta. Had their army not been battered by the previous war, they might have stood a chance protecting the city, but the Huss fire bombers saw that not a glimmer of hope would filter through the Visigodian skies. What goes on in Scanta is not known.

In Demenor, the king continues to scheme and plan actions that would defy any concept of common sense. His actions are aided by the apparent heir Wigliff as Integra Marz, wife of Sol, watches from the shadows in hopes of finding a secret or clue that would help her husband with the war. Meanwhile, Sol's sister; Helena, goes on a personal quest that might change more things than one could imagine.

<center>Star Wars - Path To Glory Episode II: The Great War</center>


Commander Sol Marz is entranced in thought as the storm of voices engulfs the lands of Lana. Archers continue to take positions in the towers and walls, the mighty catapults of Lana are set in place as the longbows prepare, the oil is boiled atop the towers, the best welcome for the Huss was indeed being prepared as giant boulder spheres are mounted by the gates.

The civilian population is quickly evacuated to the network of caves entrenched in the Lanan mountains. They eventualy lead to the forrest of Demenor and to safety. The army of Lana would give it all to defend the city, but to be best protected one must prepare for the worst.

"Sol! Sol! Sol! Sol! Sol! Sol!" continues to be chanted by the giant Huss army. Sol is looked upon by his comrades as he glances in the direction of the young archer they picked up before arriving. He reminded him of his earlier youth, eager to join the Pangean forces to fight for his land. Quickly, Sol orders the guards to open the gate, mounting his horse as general Klamus Danove grabs his saddle and stops him. Sol's face is enough to make the general let go, whipping his horse into hasting like never before. The generals run to the gates and stop as they watch the trail of dirt and dust rising.

Sol rides past the outside guard towers as the archers watch in amazement. Their mouths remain open as the horror invading their hearts are mixed with equal pride of their brave commander. One man, one warrior was riding to meet an army of a million out in the open desert before the treacherous path leading to the Lanan gates.

King Becrum Molto of Gara Huss narrows his eye as the lone rider approaches his position, his right arm rises and the chanting stops just as quickly. Sol dismounts and walks up to the massive creature, standing at seven and half feet, his sword alone was longer than Sol.

Quite arrogantly, the Huss king stares to the direction of the sun, taking a deep breath as he speaks.

"What a fine day for a battle, wouldn't you say, commander Marz?" he gloats, the entire million man army behind him. Each and every single Huss dreamt of slaying the legendary human warrior, slayer of thousands of their brothers. Strangely enough for them, however, as Sol did not appaear to be afraid. His indifference perplexed their feeble, blood lustful minds.

"Go home, King Molto. There is nothing but death for you and your soldiers here." replies Sol, to the amazement of the infantry that could hear hi, but word spreads like a wave throughout the lines, causing gasps and roars. King Molto continues to stare to the burning sun, cutting the dry soil with his mighty sword as he meets the eyes of the man that had killed his father.

"You broke my father's neck, Sol. I cannot leave these lands without avenging him." he claims as Sol ever so slightly narrows his eyes. The adrenaline continues to be pumped in the veins of the invaders, dismembering Sol seemed sweeter with every word he spoke.

"It was a fair fight, a man's fight. You could never understand that, Becrum." replies Sol, stunning every Huss soldier as they all look at their king, those were mortal words in their lands. Decapitation would be the kindest punishment for sol's words they thought, but the ultimate decision layed upon the Huss monarch as he growls and edges yet closer to Sol, their eyes only separated by an inch of space.

"I ripped my left eye off its socket when I watched my mother die of grief over your acts, human. This pain can only be relieved by your death, the deaths of your family and entire race." he sneers as he turns around and raises his right arm, the signal to attack.

"You and I, right now, Becrum." yells Sol as the Huss king chuckles and returns his attention to the reckless human, once again facing him as he holds his giant sword against Sol's frame.

"If I defeat you...no, when I defeat you Sol, what will happen then?" he questions, working out some sort of deal without spilling blood and achieving their target seemed too tempting to not consider, specialy after a fight between two leaders.

"If I fall, Becrum. All of Pangea will leave the planet forever." he gambles. He had no authority to offer such terms, the very decision would make his men scoff in a second, even if they came from the legendary Sol. The Huss king orders his subordinate to write the terms and orders a rider to deliver them to the next in command, but Sol had not spoken his terms.

"If I win, Becrum. You and your entire race march back home and prepare to leave this planet."

The Huss leader laughs as he nods rather quickly, leaving the planet would completely dishonor his ancestors and his race, but his confidence would not let him see any farther.
Becrum's cape is thrown as he shouts "Agreed!" to the Pangean commander, who is turn is covered by the cape and blinded for a second or two. The huge specimen of a Huss rushes to crush Sol in one feel swoop, but a blade cuts through the cape thrown at Sol.

"Ergh.....!!!" grunts the Huss king as Sol's sword makes its way out the invader's back, spitting blood all over his face. Sol's neck is grabbed by Becrum's muscle bound right hand,
squeezing and cracking multiple bones in the seasoned human's neck and shoulders as he twists his sword. Becrum lets go to howl in pain as his army watches in complete horror.

"I knew that you underestimate me from the start, king of Gara Huss." whispers Sol as Becrum falls to his knees, but a sudden backhand connects to Sol's jawbone, disclocating it as he continues to hold on to his sword. Amazingly, the Huss king gets back on his feet as more blood is spilled, raising Sol along with it about a foot off the ground. Becrum grins and lightly chuckles as he begins running to the cliff. Sol lets go of his sword as he rolls on the dirt, watching the Huss king stop in his tracks, Sol's sword embedded in his rib cage.

Becrum slowly turns around as he gets on all fours, his breath is clearly visible as blood continues to drip from his mouth and stomach. The very ground trembles as the Huss charges toward Sol, who attempts to dodge him by jumping to his left, but Becrum correctly guesses Sol's move and violently tackles him, burying Sol under a foot of sand and dirt as he notices that his mighty sword rested but a few feet from him.

The Huss king is tempted to give Sol a farewell line, but such acts would give the enemy much of an advantage as his thick sword makes its way downward to impale the human. Sol rolls out of the way and concentrates all of his strength as he uses both legs to swipe the Huss off his feet. As Becrum falls on his back, Sol's sword is expelled right back to his hand as he catches it but is blinded by sand thrown to his eyes. Sol struggles for a few seconds as the Huss gets back on his feet and grabd the handle of his sword, only to receive a dagger in his one good eye as it bursts.

"Aaarrrggh!!!! You bastard!!" screams the Huss king as he begins to swing his huge sword in all directions. The first few swings decapitate a few Huss soldiers behind him as Sol climbs on the giant's back, quickly using his sword to slice his throat. A disturbing gag is released as the last words of a vengeful son, once again falling to his knees as Sol presses on with the slash, severing the head as the body lifelessly drops on the feet of the army's frontline.

Exhausted and out of breath, Sol manages to use what little strength remained in him to hold Becrum's head up for all the army to see.

"Honor your king and leave this planet forever!" commands the victorious Sol as he slowly climbs on his horse and takes off back to Lana. The few Huss that weren't shocked enough to remain still knee in front of their fallen king, crying like lost children in the middle of an open field. The rest of the Huss soldiers follow suit, falling to their knees as the last King in the Huss lineage had fallen. Becrum had not conceived any children.

Sol regains his composure slowly, breathing in and out as he arrives to the gate drenched in blood to the complete amazement of his generals and soldiers, apparently because of the giant king's head mounted on the horse's rear.

[Alkimius Govan]

Countless civilians continue to flee through the Lanan caves without the haste prior, it seemed that news of the duel had spread as fast as the winds blow. The armed forces of Lana had not changed their mind about the enemy yet, as many defensive positions continue to be set up throughout the walls and the towers. Before Sol's sons were called, the commander had rushed to meet the call of the Huss army and the outcome of such meet was devastating to the invaders' morale. However, everyone knew that this would at best buy them precious time to prepare, the forces at work would not let the king's death become an obstacle. They certainly didn't let the peace treaty become an obstacle.

General Govan follows Sol's steed into the council chambers in the middle of the fine city, the fire shutters had been placed already, the city was ready for any type of Huss craft that would attempt further treachery upon them. Alkimius turns his head slightly, noticing that the other two generals had followed suit as he arrives little after Sol, dismounting next to him as he glances upon the severed head of the Huss king.

"That was very reckless, Sol, but you bought us vital time to strengthen the defenses." says the usualy silent man, crossing his arms as he walks to the side of the table where all the high ranking military officers would be meeting soon. Sol does not pay much heed to his comment as his wounds are obvious. He would need a few hours of rest.

"All you alright Sol? I can take charge of this for you, you should rest."

<center>http://www.hyperjump.net/julian39/edg03.jpg</center>

Sol shakes his head slowly in answer as Alkimius pats the shoulder of a guard. The grunt immediately goes to call a medic to take care of the commander as he orders another guard to call the young soldier that they had picked up near Lana. Alkimius had plans for him since intuition alone served him best in times like these. Suddenly, he realizes that Sol had stood up and looked out the window as the sun filters through it. It was one of the hottest days in their season, but rain would aliviate that.

"Alk, I feel that something terrible has happened to Rudo. It makes me ill. Believe me, I can easily handle the physical spoils of war."

Alkimius narrows his eyes ever so inquisitive, there was no way that Sol could know of Rudo's welfare all the other way opposite of the continent and no messages had been received, no reports of the situation in Collaria though that would probably change soon.

"Have you been informed of him, Sol?" he asks to get it out of the way, perhaps news of Collaria had somehow slipped him since he's the first person to receive reports from the circle of generals. The hawks had been trained that way.

"It's simply a gut feeling, Alkimius. I have felt it through my heart and spirit, I just can't explain it." says Sol in a grievous, sorrowful tone of voice as he if had witnessed his friend in harm's way moments before. It's after Sol's last words that Alkimius realizes he felt something similar as Sol raced out the fortress to meet the Huss king. It wasn't a feeling of worry for Sol, but a feeling of sorrow for general Dreitner. Somehow, someway, they knew something went wrong.

"Regardless, all the defenses will soon be in position, not a single Huss will be able to make it past the gates."

[Darius Tempest]

In the streets of Lana, thousands of men continue to take their assigned positions, many others continue to pull huge logs with their horses, preparing them for the best welcome that Lana had to offer. The storm that was approaching earlier had made its presence well known at this point, showering the city randomnly as general Tempest rides to the gathering location to report the status of the defenses.

Calm and determined, Tempest dismounts by what he recognized as Sol's horse, entering the council chamber as he removes his helmet and wipes the water off it, wanting to avoid any annoying rust to form.

"About 90% of the defenses have been set up, Sol. Whatever those Huss plan to do, we're ready for them." he reports, taking a seat next to general Govan. He's quick to notice that nobody else but a few lieutenants were showing up. The city was enormous after all, taking a good while just to ride through a part of it. He also notices Sol's concern as well as Alkimius', but he could not figure out what was going on and would not bother to ask.

"Strange that a report from Collaria has not arrived, I just sent general Dreitner a report of our situation, Sol."

At this point, one hour after the death of the Huss king, fighting was raging fiercely in Collaria and about half of the civilian population safely travelled through the Lanan mountain caves as the army continued to prepare. Tempest's two cronies arrive to the base as well, handing the general some supplies for the upcoming stormy night.

[Cronus Kosan]

An uneasy silence had befallen those on the walls since his words half an hour ago, not one had broken the quiescent mood. All but Cronus, who still played with his bow in a childish manner of indifference to his upcoming fate. The sounds of clambering up the stone walkway and onto the wall caused everyone to turn, where a messenger whispered in his ear.
<!--EZCODE FONT START-->
“But why would he request my presence? I’m just an archer?”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Something about being called into the war council made him wonder about his life expectancy, but he had already decided that wasn’t a concern anymore. As long as he brought the death of more Huss he’d be content with his lot, a burning hatred that could engulf a city had kindled within him ever since he returned to his village, a dead village. Without saying anything else, he mounted his horse at the bottom of the steps and rode off quickly to the main gates of the inner sanctum…

Dismounting with a jump from the moving steed that slotted in with the others, he jogged the last couple of steps to the chambers, before slowing to a walk upon entering. His journey here was much quicker than anticipated; obviously the vividly white beast was faster than the average war-horse. That meant he was only slightly damp from the deluge outside, the bow still slung over his body and two quivers allowing feathered arrows to peer over his shoulders. He felt underdressed for such a place, even the guards wore armour that far outweighed and outperformed his primitive leather clothes, portraying the simple hunting background from which he came. He gave a polite bow before speaking, the messenger looking shocked as he staggered in behind him.

“My presence was requested?”

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->“Young man, I noticed your fine bow earlier and after the catastrophic loss of archers in the last war, we need to promote men to be in charge of our archers. I will put you through a test.” <!--EZCODE FONT END--> He let a dry smile encroach across his face, <!--EZCODE FONT START-->“Outside in the courtyard you will find four men waiting for you, they’ll take you through the rest.”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

The boy merely smiled and left the room with a quiet sense of satisfaction, proving his abilities would be a good time-filler and a nice way to practice. Following the guards, he came across a strange contraption that looked like an arbalest facing down the archery range, but was loaded with discs. The smirk on the soldier’s face told Cronus that it wasn’t going to be an easy challenge.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->“100 disks means 100 targets kiddo, just in case you couldn’t work that out. Hit a couple and who knows, you might still be here by tomorrow morning.”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Readying his bows, he could hear the chuckles ringing in his left ear as they loaded the first disc.
<!--EZCODE FONT START-->
“Fire!”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

The little white oval scuttled through the air in a staggered path, not being perfectly round. Smirking, he loaded the arrow and traced its movement in the air with a tensed string, before releasing the missile. Shattering the plate, it impaled itself in the central yellow ring beyond it, not that he needed to, but the child was enjoying the annoyance on their face.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->“Any idiot can be lucky, I won’t give you the satisfaction of a warning now.”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

True to his word, he clumsily loaded two plates quickly and fired, both with half the life in them due to the arrangement. As both flew low, one lagged behind the other as if being tugged along with invisible string, wildly spinning and falling in the soft sputtering of rain. Fitting two arrows and turning the bow horizontally, he waited until they hovered but a foot of the ground before shooting, the feathered missiles clattering against the plates and impaling themselves into the ground. The target discs were not in fragments, but had split into larger pieces and lay casually in the middle of the range, much to the displeasure of the two previously-jolly siege masters.

A quick succession of 10 rapid-fire shots were met with an equal number of arrows, by the time they had loaded another plate an arrow was fitted to the string, each one seemingly lured to the target like a bee to a flower, pulsing through the drizzle with annoying precision. Their flight seemed to have an unearthly character about them, bending to his will as it defied the eye, fragments of clay littering the range. By the time they had reached the last plate, he had missed not one target and old animosity had been replaced with awe, they’d given up trying the fancy shots but wanted a final show.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->“Three range targets, one disc, hit the targets and the disk, simple.<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Hurtling towards the centre mark, the glistening white oval flickered dully in the shadow cast by the downpour, unstable in its flight. Three arrows fitted to his bow, he tenderly adjusted them with his fingers as he drew back the string, holding it up horizontally in front of him, trying to pierce the raindrops that obscured his sight. Closing his eyes for a second, he could hear the specks of water lashing against his weapon and the little plate, the wind blowing over his face and the cutting of the target through the air. He edged his weapon just another inch across and let go…

Twirling and spinning, the three forms wisped silently through the downpour. Cronus still had his eyes closed, he could sense the shots carve their way through the air, could feel the first plate shatter as it yielded on the end of a sharpened steel head. They seemingly curved slightly in their path, rather than a V the two outermost arrows seemed to slide perfectly along into the target despite starting toward the edge of the distant marks. These two impaled through the thin paper and cork a second before the centre arrow, slowed by the plate and only managing the edge of the yellow centre circle.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Amazing"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> Alkimius whispers to himself, trying to avoid skyrocketing the young man's ego as he gently claps. <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"You will lead the 5th Archer Brigade of a thousand men, young one. This elite brigade is in charge of always protecting Sol's surroundings from now on, since we expect multiple assassination attempts from now on."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Thinking to be alone, he turns in surprise to his clapping, nearly losing grip on the bow. Feeling slightly embarrassed at his flashy display, the boy stiffens slightly before clambering some coherency in his speech, but couldn’t think of what to say.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->“Thanks…”<!--EZCODE FONT END--> He paused a little, before speaking, <!--EZCODE FONT START-->“But isn’t that beyond someone of my age? I’m only 16, who’s going to listen to me?”<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START--> Alkimius's serious expression does not change, even though the situation could easily bring him amusement. He hands the young man a Pangean military badge exclusive to warriors handpicked by the generals. "With this, they will surely obey."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

To that Cronus had no answer, just stood there with a tinge of pride mixed with reservations. For the moment, however, he had found his short term reason to live; it was a powerful thing to have.

[Stratus Marzullo]

Meeting with Captain Crixus in the streets, the two brothers are quickly brought up to speed about the preparations going on within the reinforced walls of the great city. Nodding his approval of his subordinate's reports, Stratus' attention is drawn toward the gates, hearing the grand horns blaring and announcing the arrival of his father, the great general of the Pangean military, Sol Marz. Turning toward his brother with a questioning expression, the elder brother nods, hastily leading the way to the next door stable. Leaping upon their respective steeds, the brothers, with Captain Odo trailing closely behind, gallop through the streets of the city, making their way to the gates of Lana, hoping to meet with their father. This was the first time they had met since the sieges against their country restarted, and it was reassuring to finally be able to see with their own to eyes that General Sol was indeed alright.

Upon reaching the grand caravan, first Stratus then Hadrian dismount and drop to a knee before their father. While it was common knowledge of their blood relationship, the two brothers were never treated any differently by the General, nor did they expect any different. Any commanding officer who did not openly show their respect to their superior had no place within this military, whether they were related or otherwise. "It is good to see you General. What of the invading Huss? Can you share with us anything we have not yet prepared for?" Hadrain questioned of his father as the men rose back to their feet.

With a single hand raised in their direction, Sol uttered a few choice words, "Prepare yourselves now. The rest will be revealed in due time." With that said, the General turned his valiant steed around and, to the surprise of the rest of the officers present, raced back out the gates, toward the army of Huss waiting to attack. Swearing to himself, Stratus turned and leapt back upon his horse, racing through the streets to where they were a few moments before. Rushing upstairs, he prepared himself for battle, willing to rush out and join his father if the situation warranted such an action.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/freeatlast821/StratusReadyForBattle.jpg

Once he assembled the last piece of armor upon his body, he rushed downstairs and outside. Finding his horse just outside the door, he took the reigns and lead the animal down the street in a brisk jog and ultimately leaping once more upon the mare's back and racing toward the command center they had established in the heart of the city. Loosely wrapping the reigns around a post outside the building once they arrived, Stratus made his way toward the entrance and spotted Capt Odo already present. "Sir, Captain Hadrian is already present inside and requests you to join him."

"Very well..." uttered Stratus as he carried his helmet beneath his left arm and made his way inside. While other officers, along with his brother, were already present, General Sol had yet to return. Taking a seat next to Hadrian, who was sitting beside the head of the table, the two men discussed what this meeting would cover. Suddenly, the doors to their meeting room were thrown open. Instinctively, all those present rose to their feet, hands immediately moving to each one's weapon of choice, however, upon seeing General Sol enter, the actions were retracted.

"General..." the two brothers called out, as the other officers began to bombard their leader with various questions and comments ranging from suggestions for the upcoming battle to inquiries about what had just happened. A grin creeped over Stratus' lips, however, as he took note of the severed Huss head his father was carrying.

[Gara Huss]

The Trejan sun continues to heat the tears of grief that the invaders shed for their fallen king. A disturbing silence invades every soldier in the mamoth army as the soldier closest to the headless body gets up.

"Alas, we leave this planet." he whispers as Huss after Huss get on their feet and begin passing the news. Just as the million man war machine looks to the south to retreat, the myst of the Lanan ocean reveals the powerful Huss fleet. One of the generals roars in rage as he sees the utterly pathetic morale amongst his troops.

"Our king has died for us, you fools!" he screams, it seemed that a single warrior could catch the attention of the entire army, he only had to be heard by the first few lines of infantry for word to spread throughout the entire force. The desert winds filter through the emotionaly scared creatures as the Huss general screams from his commanding ship once again.

"It's our turn to die for him!" he passionately orders as the Huss army is suddenly brought back to life. The wind is cut by a million blades that rise in unison as the generals begins the rally once more.

"Gara!
Huss!
Gara!
Huss!!
Gara!
Huss!!!
Gara!
Huss!!!"

The chants grow louder and more frightening as the ground cracks and bushes rattle, the air is engulfed by a new storm of chanting as spears dig in and out of the dry, rocky lands. The Huss were in Lana to stay, and the death of the king would not be in vain.

"Reform the lines!" orders the ship-bound general as the destroyer makes a slow yet sharp turn to the direction that bears the base where the strong fortress is built. One hundred Huss destroyers aim their cannon artillery just below Lana's gate fortress, aiming to begin a devastating siege that would make the humans regret that they ever crossed paths with them.

The million man Huss army begins reforming their lines as the chants continue without the general. Seven hundred thousand infantry ready their swords as archers load their crossbows, grunts prepare the ground cannons. Ladders are brought to the front lines as the general screams a new, deadly order:

"FIRE!!!"

The air is burnt with smoke as the destroyers fire their cannons, releasing heavy projectiles that explode on impact. The first few ones connect with one of the fortress towers, creating holes that would bring it down sooner than the humans feared. The rest of the cannon balls are dug within the strong metal below the fortress, doing nothing but mold themselves in as debry from the towers crash down upon countless soldiers getting ready.

However, the infantry does not advance. It seemed that there was a plan all along that had been crafted by the late king and not charging immediately was one of the steps. The destroyers fire a second round, harmlessly digging the cannon balls within the fortress foundations as the ones that miss create various forms of havoc in the human city.

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Collaria: The Tides of War Shift<hr size="1"> The plush green grasses and fruitful fields of Collaria were no longer seen in their truest colors. Beneath the shields of fallen warriors, the grounds had been saturated with gallons upon gallons of blood. Each of those who fought died valiantly; soldiers from both armies gave their all until drawing their last breaths. They even died heroically. Many of the humans were heard yelling out the name of their King just as the last flicker of life left their eyes staring up toward the sky.

Had it not been for the obvious physical differences between the two races, it would have been very difficult to decipher whom was friend and whom was foe. Each solider was covered from head to toe with blood; either their own or from the mortal wounds inflicted upon the enemy.

The immediate area Alysha had been fighting in was soon devoid of Narks. Though the battle was not yet won, she and those around her were grateful for the momentary break. They were weary, pushing their minds and bodies past the point of collapse. Each of them knew that the faintest drop in defense would bring about the end of their life as they knew it.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"General! Look!"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> The man just stared over her shoulder. With troubled brows knitting deeply, Alysha slowly slid her gaze from the men to look over her left shoulder. The hawk noticed first, or perhaps had sensed something very wrong as the bird immediately took flight with another high-pitched screech. No message was returned.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"What in the Nine Hells?!"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> she whispered in feared awe. Visible on the sea were ships ... of some sort. Technology Alysha had never seen.

Until now.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"General? We can't .."<!--EZCODE FONT END--> the nameless local began, but was immediately shushed by a sharp motion of her hand.

Alysha studied the rest of the battlefield. Men were still fighting and dying bravely; tired, their moral depleted. The newly arriving Narks insured that the Collarians were severely outnumbered. There was no way they could win this battle. Not now.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> She had a decision to make and she had to make it fast. Stay and fight? If they did, surely all would be slaughtered; the meat of their muscles would be roasted over spits and feasted upon by the Narks. Or retreat? Surrender Collaria to the Narks and face the wrath of both Commander and King? 'Screw the King.'<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, she thought again, just as she had voiced the same sentiment to the Steward whom was so willing to hand over his people to be butchered.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Retreat. Sound the retreat. Get yourselves to the ships and get to Pangea. Don't go to Demenor. Vargus, you and Donovan here lead those who make it to Volmung and Zan Galadon."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

The two men didn't need to be told twice. Vargus ran over to one of the other men and issued the order given by the General to sound the retreat. The man lifted the horn and blew it loud and clear. Another blew, then another. For a split second, all fighting stopped. The remaining human soldiers hacked, slashed, and defended incoming blows as they began to retreat.

Alysha followed, only at a slower pace. She was searching the field as she made her way to the only escape route left open previously when the fires were set. Those who looked behind themselves, or glanced over, idly wondered just what it might be that she was searching for.

Then she found it. Leaning over, she pulled something from the fallen body of one of the humans. She looked at it, lying there in the open palm of her hand. One more look to the incoming fleets and the advancing Narks, then she curled her fingers tightly around the object in her hand and hurried to catch up with the others.

[Narcoria]

The Nark general keeps his arms crossed, watching the last two unfodable bridges reach Collarian land as the oncoming slaught of infantry is instantly tripled. So far the Narks had only lost ten thousand troops out of the two million, to all eyes the siege was being a complete success, but he would have to take the city, nay, destroy the city before declaring victory.

"General, they sound the retreat, we win..." grunts a messenger Nark as the general grins in pure glee. The grin is quickly replaced by a surprised face as he watches the Nark king arrive, bowing to him as any soldier of the lands would.

"What's the situation, general"? asks the king, quickly getting to the point. It wasn't common for the king to be so blunt, he would always take the time to aknowledge all of his officers first. The general gets back on his feet as he walks side by side with the monarch.

"They retreat, Larcus King. I was going to let them." he reports. He was the senior general in the army, nobody would questions his decisions, particularly critical ones.

"We're not here to take their cities, general. We're here to kill them all....send the fleet to the other end of the major island and slay the civilians..." he mutters, shocking the general. While the Huss were ruthless and practiced total war, the Narks had some honor in them and would limit themselves to dealing with the enemy army. With hesitance, he passes on the new orders as swarms of troops continue to cross the bridges.

"We're not going to let a single one alive, general...." he mutters. The general can barely recognize the king, but must obey nevertheless or his life would be forfeit.

"Catapults! Fire at the gates!" screams the Nark general, the soldiers manning the catapults immediately begin changing their positions for the new target as the raging Narkites spearhead the charge.

"General, after the civilians are slain, board half a million of our men in the ships and land on Demenor. It's time to end the human monarchy....."

[Angus Peledriel]

Armor on, Angus Peledriel arrives to the other end of the island followed by a few hundred of his trusted soldiers as he watches in horror. Alysha Wintermoon was the last person retreating back to the fortress, terrified gate guards keep the wooden doors open just enough for the woman to make it in. Raging Narkites and thousands upon thousands of infantry trail her as deadly enemy bowmen cross the briges. Rubble and smoke invade the inside of the base as dead soldiers and civilians alike lay on the streets. Enemy catapult fire had been resumed, once again targeting the inside of the base.

Angus runs up the stairs leading to the walls as he joins archers and soldiers, watching the gigantic army continue to cross unchallenged.

"Fire!" yells Argus, though he is no general, he can still give orders to the military. This is enough for the archers, resuming their shooting after a brief pause of horror as they watched the famous female general run like hell.

Thousands of arrows stream downward, decimating the front lines behind Alysha. The Collarian catapults also resume their fire, crushing a few narkites as well. The lethal exchange of artillery does not cease. Angus then focuses on the Nark fleet in the distance, they were not attacking for some reason, but were maneuvering around the smaller islands. He immediately begins to make sense out of the move, could it be that they would attack the rear? The civilians?

"Don't stop your fire, men, give them all you've got!" yells the awaken steward, putting all those years of school training to good use as catapult fire destroys an upper portion of the wall, taking some soldiers with it. At this point about half of the civilian population had been ferried back to the mainland.

"Infantry, prepare to defend the gate! Bowmen, spearmen, take your places!" he screams in order, watching as progress is made. He had given the orders of barricading the main street of Collaria. Lines of troops form as they kneel with their spears, bowmen aim right above their heads. All the catapults were in place now, they just needed to shut those darned gates!

[Valda Pandora]

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Valda whirled about quickly, looking back in the direction of the entrance, the rumbling of the falling rocks could be heard faintly by her. Gazing around silently, praying that the people could not also hear it or surely they would panic.

After a moments hesitation, she wiped a small bead of sweat that had traveled from her left temple down her cheek. the caves were cool, but it felt like a thousand degrees under the mounting pressure.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->'It is time.'<!--EZCODE FONT END--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Clearing her throat, she raised her arms up, gathering all eyes to her. Quickly, as if she had verbally commanded silence, all voices became hushed, everyone's attentions focused on her rather than what was happening outside the caves walls.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"My good people! It is now time for us to depart. I ask that you remain calm in this tense situation. Everyone must stay together, if you see someone in trouble, I ask that you would give them your assistance."<!--EZCODE FONT END--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->She waited a moment, taking another breath, her voice still just barely echoing off the walls,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"You have trusted my Sister, General Xelan, our warriors, and myself to protect you through this, and now I am trusting you to protect and guide each other! Only united together can we make this escape possible!"<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Loud cheers erupted suddenly, she could feel the morale raise, even if it was only a little. As the people gathered up their families, she moved towards the front, ready to lead her people to safety. She watched as women held tight their small children, the future of her people. Some were crying, their mothers trying to comfort them, but Valda could see that they were having a hard time keeping calm themselves.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->'Where is my sister?'<!--EZCODE FONT END--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Valda was hard-pressed to control a deep frown and the worry in her eyes. Unfortunately, she did not have the time to wait, they had to move quickly for both time, and her people's lives, were equally precious.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Just as she was about to turn and head for the front to lead them out, she spotted Kiera rushing towards her, knowing Xelan would not be far behind her. Hurrying over to her sister, she placed a hand on her shoulder,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"I am glad you are safe. We must hurry--"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Blinking, she saw Xelan coming towards them over her sisters shoulder. He seemed to be moving strangely, which could only mean one thing. Wasting no time, she raised her hand from her sisters shoulder and called for the medics, her voice echoing throught the cave.

Rushing over to him, she knelt down, knowing that Kiera was right behind her, as well as were the medics. Looking him over briefly, she scooted out of the way, allowing room for the medics to do their job.

[Kiera Pandora]

Kiera had watched Dorian leave, getting a very bad feeling about what was happening. A worried frown had creased her beautiful face… she was reluctant to lose him.

"Be safe, Dorian," she had murmured as he disappeared from sight. She had decided to run when the rocks started falling. She was at the rear of the group following Valda, having positioned herself there partially so that no matter if their people looked ahead of them or behind them, they saw one of their queens. When Valda asked where she was, Kiera ran towards her.

"Valda! General Xelan has stayed behind to cover our backs," Kiera said as she ran up to her sister, worry in her blue-gray eyes. "He has caused a rockslide to block up the entrance to our caves, so that the Huss will have to dig their way in to be able to get us. We should start evacuating the caves as soon as possible, sister. We should take our people to Scanta. I am sure they will allow us refuge, even if it does take some negotiating. I can--" Kiera trailed off as Valda looked over her shoulder. She too looked and paled to see Dorian, staggering as if wounded.

"Dorian," she whispered, rushing towards him, just behind her sister. She knelt beside him and took his hand.

"Dorian! Oh… my word…."

[Dorian Xelan]

"These are but brief annoyances..." he claims, sitting against a rock formation within the huge caves. They had been built by the first settlers of Visigodia as a means of last resort, they connected all the way to the lands of Scanta where the tens of thousands of civilians and warriors headed.

"Ergh...!" he groans as an arrow is pulled from his chest side, nearly passing out from the pain, but he would not scream, he didn't believe a true warrior to scream in pain.

Blam

Dirt falls on the people as loud tremors give away the invader's purpose. They had a good hour before they'd be able to remove all the guant rocks from the entrance, but still, they had to haste. Dorian grips Kiera's hand fiercely as two arrows are pulled from his foot and bandages are rapidly wrapped around his bleeding extremity. The pain was horrible, but he had experienced it before.

"Lady Kiera, the way I see it, we'll need to create more obstructions in the way. Perhaps if we use all of our tarnath to stomp on the sides, we can make a portion of the cave give in."

Dorian is placed on a stretcher as the massive evacuation continues to move forward. Explanations for the Huss attack had not surfaced yet, but they were alone, only to rely on themselves.

[Keldon Garra]

A forrest of palm trees rustles without control, startling captain Keldon Garra back to reality after a long sleep. He and his thirty thousand riders had taken a leave after the massive war that had lasted three hundred years. Keldon and his men had devastated the Huss and Nark cavalries single handedly, allowing Sol's armies to clean up the rest.

Until peace was declared.

The enemy was disorganized and ripe for the conquering and final defeat, but king Hrothgar ordered a cease fire. At least the war was over he believes, putting his helmet back on as a few messengers rush back to his location with grim faces, something was wrong.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
"Captain Garra, we've received reports from Demenor, the king requests our presence for an ellite mission."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->The captain quickly stands, taking the paper from the messenger as he verifies the strange orders. He turns his head slightly noticing that the messenger had more words to utter.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
"Sir, our scouts have detected Visigodian archers by the cave entrance that connects our cities."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Keldon stares into the ground in wonder. The Scantans lived under a permanent order to keep the Godians away from the united kingdom. There could only be two reasons why the matriach warriors would be in Scanta. Invasion or retreat. The former seemed ridiculous, but the latter seemed frightening.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
"We ride to Demenor, but we stop by the caves first to settle this matter."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Thousands of horses await the brave warriors and ther spears, longer than two men together as a sea of stomping begins its dutiful parade, leaving their city of birth and families virtualy defenseless.

[Integra Marzullo]

Integra stares out the tower's window seemingly sad, she knew nothing of Sol and what was going on. She had not received a letter, or any message regarding his or her safety which built up the stress in her mind. Nevertheless, she kept calm and focused, listening to the king's every word. The smoke continued to cloud the once proud city of Demenor, but all reflections stop once a captain enters the King's war room.

"Your majesty, Demenor is not safe. We should head to Cypra and manage the war from there."

Integra looks at the king as he hears the message, expecting another negligent decision without any sense at all.

"Indeed, captain. The Scantans will meet us half way there for protection."

Integra rubs her chin ever so gently, picking up the few of her belongings stuffed in her small basket. The prince comes out of his private room in the tower, glancing at Sol's wife for a few seconds as he catches up with his father.

"I must inform my husband." she thinks to herself, retrieving a small scroll paper with very few words as possible, which she ties to one of the many hawks awaiting in the army barracks. The twenty thousand men protecting the king begin their march, watching their elderly leader mount his transport as three horses pull it. He was so frail and weak that he couldn't ride his own beast anymore. Integra proceeds to release the hawk, entering her own transport as she watches the bird fly as if it knew its duty very well. Something foul was afoot, nobody was telling the fighting armies of the king's apparent retreat.

"Fly and save us from idiocy."

[Helena Marzullo]

Fear and uncertainty filled the eyes of the rookie soldiers at Cypra. Helena walked around looking at the boys and men. Some of them did not notice her, they were too preoccupied with the thought of war. Others noticed her, but showed her no attention and the a few others made passes at her. She just ignored them and kept walking.

She fulfilled what she set out to do, Helena had escaped her brother and Demenor. She was disguised in the clothing that she had found and she pulled her hair up, not many people would recognize her.

She took a seat in a corner by herself and pulled out the journal. She looked it over. It was a beautiful piece of art. The cover looked like it was hand crafted. Helena could see all the time and effort that was put into her journal. She pulled out a feather pen and opened it to the next blank page. She began to write and only got a few words down when someone came up to her. She looked up at him with surprise.

The poor boy looked scared. Helena felt horrible. He could not have been anymore than 16 years old. She felt sad for him. He did not say anything, he just sat down and laid his head on Helena's shoulder and fell asleep. As he slept, she ran her fingers through his hair. At that moment she felt very maternal, it frighten her a bit. She looked the boy over and anger raged inside her. It was her brother's fault that this boy was here and frightened. As the boy slept, Helena expressed her hatred for her brother in form of writing.

She let herself go and by the time she was done she had filled up four pages. Four pages full of disdain. She was mentally exhausted. Such rage drained her. Helena put up the journal and laid her head back. She fell fast asleep, like her new friend.

[Daisela Marzullo]

Seeds of sorrow had been planted upon this hour, there was nothing left to breathe life into a dying hope. Quick with fear and steadfast with misery, Daisela pranced upon tainted soil. Tragic and bittersweet was the aromas and sights of Lana - it drew her heartbeat to a minute halt. Hours expeditiously cascaded on though it's ocassional lingering clumped into dreadful past-time.

Sapphire orbs danced over her companion as if searching for some light of hope, some retreat. There was nothing except the refrain that karma was molding their lives into some recognizable joke. Daisela sneered amongst herself for some selfish cause...it all seemed so meaningless. Advancing on, the maiden couldn't hold back from pondering of her own homelands and the peace it honored and adored.

[Sol Marzullo]

A series of strong tremors happen one after the other in quick succesion, catching the attention of Sol as he gets up and runs outside. Not far away, one of the mighty towers by the fortress gates receives a severe pounding from Huss artillery. Many thoughts invade Sol's mind: solutions, questions and ideas, turning around to spot Alkimius trading words with young Cronus. He had instructed Alkimius to test him and assign him on the spot had he passed the test, and judging by the badge that Cronus held, he did.

"Cronus, take your archers and get in position to shoot fire arrows. Wait for my signal!"

Darius and Klamus rush out right after Sol, stepping back as one of the south towers is hit once again, dropping tons of brick and stone, shards of metal on soldiers and archers who rush inside the middle building which is the strongest. A few are caught in the deadly radius, getting crushed instantly.

"General Tempest, rush to the coast wall and position the catapults, the Huss fleet will regret their foolish strategy."

Alkimius and Klamus stare at Sol in slight disdain, waiting for their orders but none are given, suggesting that Sol wanted them by his side. All the men climb on their horses and head to the main defensive bulding by the gates. All the preparations are ready for an effective defense. The mighty steeds ride as a few cannon balls make it past the fortress, bringing down a modest shack and killing all of its inhabitants as the horses panic, nearly tripping on each other.

At this point, all the civilians in Lana had entered the shelter caves and the infantry was in position. The archers' fingers itched to release their deadly arrows, but the ones in the lookout towers outside of the city walls watch in horror as the enormous Huss army begins advancing in their direction.

"We must head back inside, our lives will be wasted like this!" screams one of the archers to the next. The others aren't stupid enough to disagree, beginning to pack everything of use in the tower. The first archer to exit the tower feels the mighty tremors that the Huss army causes. Loud blasts and smoke emerge from the fleet in the ocean, grabbing his attention for a split second.

"Gormons?!"

His eyes did not fool him. The most sacred animals in Gara Huss emerged from the clouds in the darkened sky, the enormous reptilian air creatures fly with a grim coordination. Each of the Gormons carries several large pouches as pilot Huss steer them towards the city.

Back inside, Sol makes it to the main fortress structure, peeking out to observe the advancing army and the archers from the guard towers running for their lives. A high pitched skriek startles him, looking to the sky as he quickly assumes a defect in his vision. The sacred Gormon of Gara Huss were being used as some type of air force.

The large pouches on the flying reptilians release a dark liquid, soaking the city and much of its infantry. Soldiers look at each other in sheer confusion, smelling themselves.

"Oil!"

[Darius Tempest]

Tempest rides his fine steed, having to be extra sharp to maneuver the beast during the strong tremors. A shriek makes him cringe and comes to a sudden halt just before he arrives to the coast walls to follow his direct orders. Massive reptilian birds fly right over his head, soaking him in the dark liquid completely as he dismounts and inspects himself, smelling something deadly and familiar.

"The entire city is being soaked in oil!"

Tempest unlocks the safety in his arm chain bow, shotting countless arrows at one of the beasts, popping its pouches full of oil and killing it at the same time, bringing it down on the middle of a street as onlooking infantry jump out of the way.

"Archers, let those Huss feel sorry!" he screams. Darius grabs a captain near him, telling to spread the order to seek shelter inside the buildings for a fire storm was near. The drums of war become louder and faster as cannon fire emerges not from the fleet alone, but from the front ranks of the Huss army that now positioned itself only a hundred yards from the gates. The large doors had just shut to allow the fleeing archers back as the sky is covered with the sacred Huss birds, contuining to soak the city in oil.

A new round of fire from the fleet achieves a disastrous goal, shattering one of the four weakened towers as more deadly debry collapses on more unfortunate soldiers.

"Seek shelter! Archers remain in your booths! Release the rolling boulders!"

The soldiers just behind the gate position the carriages loaded with the massive boulders, already soaked in oil as archers ignite their arrows in a safe enough compartment that wasn't touched by the raining enemy oil. Holes on the main city wall begin spitting the giant boulders, rolling downhill towards the Huss army as they crush hundreds, with many more jumping out of the way as one of the renodonts is hit in the leg, tumbling to the side and dropping the catapults mounted on its massive back. The very same projectiles collapse on near enemy infantry, killing them also by the hundreds.

"Keep them rolling soldiers!"

[Alkimius Govan]

"Archers, ignite!"

The archers that were ready for any officer's command ignite their arrows quickly, watching the huge rolling boulders decimate and crush the Huss front lines, hundreds are crushed and many more thrown off the cliff path, plunging them to their deaths on the sharp rocks emerging from the ocean.

"Archers, loose!"

Thousands upon thousands of flaming arrows fly over the city walls, landing on the soaked paths that the boulders had left. A wave of deadly flames advances and reaches the Huss front lines, burning them alive as the artillery assault continues. The cannon balls hit the front gates, chipping away parts as the fire catches up to the cannon operators. In flames, they run to seek help, but make matters worse by igniting more soldiers that had been smeared with oil.

Cannon fire from the fleet continues pounding at the base of the main Lana fortress as their catapults launch oil-filled projectiles towards the Huss fleet, hitting dozens of ships and soaking them in oil as well. Many of the ships ignite, burning entire crews as loud screams echo throughout the lands.

"Keep fighting, only those who were ordered to remain outside, everyone else seek shelter!"

The Huss archers in the land forces begin releasing their arrows, killing men in the towers as they fall lifelessly. the archers by the gates were well sheltered within the city walls.

"Longbows!"

A stream of arrow fire continues to decimate the Huss frontlines, but the massive force continues to advance even amidst the horrendous fire, the burning and the screaming.

[Cronus Kosan]

“Aim with my shot!”

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Launching the first arrow, the other archer’s aimed for his mark, a thousand arrows peppering the surface of a mighty wooden ship. Devoured in flames, the ship exploded as they crawled to the combustibles stored on the ship, a splintered sail collapsing onto an adjacent ship. Seemingly ignoring this success, he turns to fire at the second ship from the original, steadying his bow before the shot. Again, he fires into the sky as the mark-setter, the others following suit as an orange glow slithers through the fleet.

Setting another onto the string, the third soars high in a glittering yellow flame, settling itself in an unseen mid-air target, followed by the others. Bursting and exploding, the gormon’s pouch spills a fiery deluge onto a section of the wall in front of them as the beast itself crashes off the edge and plummets into the sea. Some of the boarder guard scream in agony, a horrible sight for the archers to witness as Cronus tries to shout above the confusion. <!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

“Put out the arrows! Put out the bloody arrows!” <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->The boy pulls nine of the troops out and gathers their attention. <!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->“Each of you take a group of 99 or there abouts and aim for one beast at a time individually. I’ll shoot first, then you and so on, set your mark for your men only and make sure not an arrow is wasted.”
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Despite their own obvious puzzlement, they had split the thousand-strong group into ten after 5 minutes and the boy was leading the shots. After his mark was landed, the next group leader would pick another target and thus they would filter down the line, volleying with perfect timing. He was smiling now; the loss of such beautiful creatures would be a harsh blow surely, seeing their bones shatter against the harsh rocks of Lana and their bodies drawn lifelessly over the ramparts. The feeling wore off quickly though, as with each pin-cushion reptile shot down another two would fall through the clouds, washing the ground with thick black oil. A payload crashed onto the ground in front of them, sweeping the sect lead by him to the floor as the wave clashed against their feet.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

“Get inside! The bows are no use in this condition and the risk is too great.”

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->The bowmen scatter into the sanctuary of the main fortress whilst Cronus takes a different path. Slipping on the steps and dodging more torrents of oil, he clambers up onto the main wall in search of Sol. Drenched in the deadly fluid, the boy had to clear his vision to be able to see, his simple leather armour ruined and veiled beneath it. His hair was masked from its usual colour, the usually fair and handsome face hidden as he fought to keep himself from falling. Reaching a deformed part of the wall meant he had to turn back and waste more time traversing them carefully downwards; at least it let him take a detour to the well to wash away the oil from his head, revealing his shining features once again. By-passing that broken section, he jogged to the next set of stairs and made his way up again, spotting the Marzullo ahead. Still draped in the black liquid from the neck down, he spoke with a tint of calm in his voice, despite the conditions.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

“We need to clear the streets and walls of this; otherwise we’ll be forced inside. If we draft some of the civilians into washing the streets the army won’t be affected.”

[Gara Huss]

Archers riding the Gormon beasts take their aim, releasing countless arrows in unison downward the human archers, soldiers atop the towers are pierced and plunge on the stone pavement as blood splatters everywhere. More oil continues to be released on the city, completion of the task neared as the Huss infantry continues to advance.

"Fire arrows!" screams a Huss general. the majestic sight of hundreds of thousands of fire arrows fill the skies, flying over the front fortress walls as the oily ground is set abalze instantly. The many soldiers that hadn't managed to seek refuge are instantly engulfed in the deadly flames, spreading accross the entire city, its rooftops and landscapes as soldiers scream in pain, agony and horror.

"Full catapult and cannon fire towards the gate, ladders!"

The gargantuan army starts running as thousands fall to the human arrows, the rolling boulders continue to be released by freightened men that heard the screams of their fellow soldiers just past the wall facing their backs. The boulders massacre vast amount of Huss, sending many others to plunge down the cliff to be shattered by the ocean rock formations. Huss archers take their aim, shooting the massive stream of arrows towards the archer cabinets within the front walls, prompting the archers to take shelter as the rolling boulders continue to cause great damage to the infantry.

Regardless, ladders begin their rise to the top of the walls, placing themselves firmly as Huss warriors jump off and land.

"Sol is our main target, kill him!"

The endless stream of Huss climb their ladders as more arise, the Gormon birds continue to feed the deadly fires that were engulfing the city as the Huss fleet continues it mission. A large chunk of the cliff under the fortress comes off, bring about a fearful tremor that terrorised the besieged men.

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Collaria: The Tides of War Shift<hr size="1"> The pounding upon the blood-soaked earth from the soldiers chasing the young female general made the ground shake; as if an earthquake were being thrown into the unbalanced equation to make the situation worse than it already was. The howls and jeers of the raging Narks drowned out all other noise; as if their voices had melded together, forming a black hole to suck anything and everything in, never to escape.

Terrified guards continued with strain to close the gates, allowing a moments pause so Alysha could burst through the small opening and achieve temporary safety. Just before the guards could get the heavy gates completely shut, an arrow screamed through, striking Alysha in the left bicep. She yowled as the force knocked her forward and spun her around, nearly throwing her off-balance. There was no time to stop. There was no time to reach up and finish pulling the arrow through her arm and cast it aside. All she could do was curl her arm against her stomach and grit her teeth to bite back the pain. So long as the arrow remained pierced through her arm, the appendage would be rendered practically useless.

Through the smoke and debris, she'd swear she had just seen Angus darting up the stairs of the fortress. She looked toward the only obvious escape the people had just as a volley of flaming fireballs were unleashed, directed toward the gates. A few had been overshot, striking the last ferry as it began to make its way across the inlet to Pangea. Panicked, the people on the ferry began to dive over the sides and into the water. The fireball smashed the ferry to splinters and set the water on fire as the oils and other flammable liquids floated on the surface. The people were incinerated.

Alysha's empty stomach lurched and if she had not been near the wall, she would have dropped to her knees to dry-heaved until her lungs were expelled. She has seen the devestation of war in the past. She has witnessed some of the most horrific crimes against humanity numerous times, but that didn't make it any easier to see.

The pungent odor of burning flesh combined with the agonized wails of pain brought flashbacks of the time her own village was savagely attacked. She had only survived by luck, but she felt guilty for surviving and had carried that guilt with her ever since.

The guards at the gate were thrown back as one of the fireballs hit their mark, smashing the wooden doors to smithereens. Alysha bolted around the corner and dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Fall back! Archers, fall back! Save yourselves!"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> The Steward looked at her for a moment, as if he didn't fully understand the dire situation they now found themselves in. Alysha grabbed his arm and jerked it, tugging the man along until he snapped back to reality and followed of his own volition.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"You know this land better than I, Steward. We need to grab everyone we can and find refuge; as well as another means of escape."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Angus still seemed perplexed as he stopped and looked at her, confused. Alysha didn't bother with formality, nor did she care what his position was amongst the people. She whirled around and slapped the man hard across the face to 'wake' him up; then she apprised of him of the situation.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"We are outnumbered. The enemy has just sealed off our only means of escape and has slaughtered more people than you ever cared for. We are now trapped, Steward. Do you understand? We ... are ... going ... to ...<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> DIE<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->, unless you pull yourself together and work with me. With how much you like to run and hide, surely there's somewhere we can go to regroup and plan an escape."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Though she was exhausted and still had an arrow pierced through her arm, the fire in her eyes was enough to light even the darkest of places. She was beyond pissed and running on adrenalin. A dangerous combination when it comes to women. Angus finally nodded, realizing it was best to bite his tongue at the low blow she just shot into his face. As she demanded, Angus began to lead the way; the two gathering as many as they could as the small band began to seek safety somewhere on the overrun island of Collaria.

[Angus Peledriel]

Angus is just about to speak about a new idea forming in his educated mind, but the massive Narkites growl as loudly as an entire menacing army, catching his attention for the next few moments.

"A moment, general."

Angus makes way for a recently put together barricade as soldiers begin releasing the rolling boulders upon the advancing enemy army, splattering hundreds each. The holes within the front walls continue to unleash their giant lead spheres, only bouncing once before squishing more of the enemy. The barricade is set in place as shielded infantry forms a thick line by the gates. A raised arm from the team leader gives Angus the signal he awaited.

"General, there is a dock in the southern shores of the island where hundreds of fishing boats are awaiting. we can take the army there."

Fully armored, Angus ducks as another explosion destroys the barricade, shooting wood shards everywhere, killing a few sentients within reach. The shielded men then lower their pikes, impaling the oncoming regular infantry Narks as archers continue to decimate as many as they can. Suddenly, more Narkites make their way in, roaring as they use their massive sledgehammers to bludgeon many of the defending human soldiers. Screams and obsecene sounds of death fill the gate area as countless enemies stream within.

The leading soldiers around the island gather around Angus, waiting for Alysha's next words as more human warriors replace the gaps in the defending rows by the gate.

[Narcoria]

Thousands continue to stream by the bridges, amassing by the shattered gates. Human archers scream in pain, falling from their wall positions, hit by sharp Nark archer fire. The infantry tears apart any bodies that they can get ahold of, even devouring specific parts, showing their savage nature. While the evacuee ferries continue to be destroyed, half the fleet had already returned to the Nark shores as thousands of Narks begin boarding them. The subsequent invasion of Demenor seemed inevitable.

"Continue to send the rest of the infantry to Collaria, slaughter each and every single human!" yells the king in order, causing the ear-piercing chanting in unison. Victory was at hand and surely there would be at least one important officer of the Pangean army waiting to be killed.

"Destroy the rest of the islands." sneers the king, his subordinates merely nod and run about to spread the orders. The king's armor shines as it hadn't seen action, but for some reason and vastly outnumbered, the humans continue to fight, taking ten Narks for every one of them that fell. Admiration begins lurking through his mind but a sharp pain that brings him to his knee erases all and any pity he could've had for the humans.

"Time to board my ship, I leave you in charge, general." says the king, stepping off his observing seat as he walks down the beach shores, grinning at their easy victory.

"Our contributor has been of great help, our culture was backwards, now we embrace the only means of victory."

As ships return to the Nark shores, they fire as many cannon rounds as they can on the city walls, collapsing several parts and reducing them to rubble. The Collaria island was vast, but its defenses continue to be wiped out with every passing moment.

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Collaria: The Tides of War Shift<hr size="1"><!--EZCODE FONT START--> While Angus decided to take a pause from the war, Alysha tensed her jaw and took hold of the arrow pierced through her bicep and snapped it off close to the wound. One of the other soldiers who huddled near the two grasped her arm with one hand then the remaining end of the arrow with the other. "Ready, General?"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> She nodded and braced herself for the pain. As the soldier slid the arrow out, Alysha shut her eyes and grunted through gritted teeth.

The blood flowed easily down her arm, like a thick crimson river whose dam had been broken. The soldier took a hold of the hem of Alysha's tunic and ripped off a long strip of the fabric that was used as a tourniquet and tightened around the wound.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Other soldiers gathered around the two, eager to hear the next command from the General. Oh how she hated this! She had no qualms about leading the men in Sol's army, but these were not her own men. Angus the frightened, Angus the weak, Angus the selfish ... he<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> should be the one to lead this valiant group of men. The resentment she harbored for him continued to grow and boil within her veins. She'd love nothing more than to slit his throat where he stood. After all, he was willing to let his people be slaughtered without glory.

Alysha looked into the eyes of each of the men encircled around her. They were weary and still held hope that somehow they would survive the invasion. Most of the men had family waiting for them on Pangea; or so they still hoped. How could she feed their hope by lying to them when she herself doubted that any of them would survive. Resigned to the fact that she would soon be dead, Alysha pushed off the wall and looked around the area.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Follow me. Keep sharp, only strike the enemy nearest to you and don't stop moving. No matter what."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

The men all nodded, grasping their weapons firmly, resolutely. She waited for the latest onslaught of spheres to be released then dashed across the open expanse of the field, using the incoming rolling boulders as shields. The others followed suit.

[Valda Pandora]

Rubbing her forehead, Valda raked her fingers through her hair. Things were getting vastly complicated, and quickly as well. She'd calmed her people, but only for a moment, her eyes darting over to them as the dirt from the ceiling of the cave falls on them. Growling softly, she makes her way over to them, hoping, to keep them calm.

Shushing a small child, she keeps an eye on her sister, Dorian had asked Kiera for her opinion, so she would stay quiet and let her sister make the decision. This was good. Hopefully it would bring Kiera out...she would need to be the decision-maker if Valda did not survive this war. She did not really plan on dying, but if it came down to it, she would protect her people, her sister, the future.

[Kiera Pandora]

Kiera gently stroked Dorian's hair as the medics worked on him, looking quite concerned. She said nothing as he gripped her hand tightly in pain, knowing full well what it felt like to have an arrow ripped from one's flesh. When Dorian spoke of collapsing the rock formations and Valda remained silent to let her make the decision, she nodded, standing up. She had made her decision.

"Valda, start getting everyone to go towards the cave exits. The riders and I will collapse this part of the caves after everyone's out. Stay safe, hmm?" Kiera moved to hug her sister, kissing her on the cheek.

"Farewell for now, sister. I'll see you in Scanta. Dorian, you're to go with her. You're injured. If you've got any ideas after we collapse part of the caves, send them back to me by messenger." She leaned down to place a gentle, loving kiss on Dorian's lips. "Farewell for now, my love. I'll see you in Scanta as well," she murmured quietly.

She straightened up again, then mounted her tarnath and raised her voice.

"Tarnath riders, to me!" she called. The riders obeyed. "Here's the plan, lady warriors. Once all of our evacuees are out of this general area, we will call upon the strength of our tarnath to collapse the rock formations in this part of the cave system to seal off our retreat from the Huss. We will collapse the formations every two or three turns, in no particular pattern, in order to give the Huss more problems in getting to us, and also to hinder their advance into Scanta. It wouldn't do for us to herald an invasion force," she says to her fellow tarnath riders.

"Everyone get in place. When I give the signal, call upon your tarnath to stomp on the walls." That said, Kiera took up her place right next to a wall.

[Sol Marzullo]

Sol rushes up the stairs leading to the top of the front wall, ducking a cannon ball just in time as it explodes on the ground, killing some men that were unfortunate enough to be attempting to reinforce the walls. The big holes in the wall continue to spit boulders, sending many of the ladders crashing down and ignited. At this point, the flames had reached the gate and the advance seemed even more difficult but the Huss renodonts were closing in, releasing catapult and cannon fire on the warriors atop the wall.

"Archers, shoot the renodonts in the eyes!"

Regardless of the stream of arrows flowing from the Huss archers, the brave soldiers open their hatches, shooting arrows upon the massive beasts as they howl in pain, losing control and squashing hundreds of Huss below them. Many fly off to the cliff, catapulted by the strength of the renodont's legs and tail. Human archers are hit as well, tragicaly collapsing dead within the relative safety of the inside section of the front wall.

"Another gormon loaded with oil coming this way, shoot it!" yells Sol, grabbing the spear of a dead soldier and using all his might to throw it at the beast. The rider flies off as the spear goes through his face, sending the beast and its oil to flee. Cannon fire hits the section of the wall Sol stands in, sending him flying down the stairs he had emerged from as countless Huss continue to climb their ladders.

They were just too many.

Sol's hearing had gone away momentarily as his soldiers continue to run up the stairs to the top, fighting the murderous Huss off, pushing ladders off. This time, five gormons succesfuly unload their oil on top of the wall, instantly igniting it from the fire of one of the destroyed ladders that somehow continued to stand.

"We burn!" screams an ignited soldier, jumping off the wall as the sea of Huss tear him apart with their bare hands. More soldiers rush to seal off the hatches dividing the lower level within the wall as more human archers are killed. The archer hatches close once again as it becomes apparent that the next renodonts were far away.

Soldiers on the ground past the wall continue to place giant boulders with the aid of catapults ranged precisely. Thousands of pikes are placed on the ground for the adventurous Huss that tried to climb the wall the easy way. The top of the wall continues to burn Huss and human alike, halting the Huss advance as more seals are placed.

Sol shakes his head as his hearing returns, standing on his own as he leans against the wall.

"Keep fighting men, fight for your existence!"

[Darius Tempest]

Darius himself aids an exhausted soldier pick up another boulder, releasing it down the hole as the front wall spits it, crushing more Huss and taking a few ladders with it, the deadly splinters rain upon the battle hardened beasts, barely stopping their murderous advance.

"Our boulder supply is running out, general." whispers a soldier as the men feverishly continue to give everything they have to make sure to take as many Huss as they can before finishing their jobs. The walls were too thick for any artillery to stop their mission, proving to be the best defensive weapon of the battle.

Darius peeks into a watching hole, grinning as a boulder once again hits a renodont's leg. It stumbles upon the firrest side unfortunately, escaping certain death down the sea cliffs. Hundreds of enemy soldiers are crushed regardless, but the endless stream of soldiers just kept pouring in.

The sound of a hungry sword signals Darius' anxiety, ready to do some real fighting as he takes his leave, heading to the upper levels to aid Sol in what seemed to be a doomed top wall strategy. His men could handle the deliverance of the last boulder on their own.

For him, it was time to cut some slime.

[Alkimius Govan]

The level below the top of the wall hosts the finest archers in Pangea, continuing to decimate the Huss frontlines. When one hero is born after being killed by the enemy Huss archers, another one immediately takes his place. It was a tragic and disciplined event that would either make or break their hold on the planet. Losing their grip on their land would mean the end for them.

"Hatches close!" Alkimius orders, the hatches are closed and the archers begin reloading their quivers. Suddenly, cannon fire smashes one of the hatches, filtering through the wall and exploding against the other end, sending many of the backup archers to the underworld. Alkimius ducks for cover as a stampede of wild dust and smoke covers the room, listening to the sound of dirt and debri cease.

The archers continue to unleash their furious defense on the advancing Huss, but the ladders are brought up once more as the fire on top had ceased. Alkimius turns to look at Sol, wondering what his next order might be.

"Sol, we must go back up there and repell them, if the gate is taken, their endless stream of soldiers will be unstoppable!"

An amazing, invisible force drives the beasts without halt, without their characteristic cowardice. These were new Huss who would stop at nothing to defeat the humans.

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Collaria: Retreat - Live to fight another day<hr size="1"> The thick black smoke mottled to a deep dark gray as it continued to roiled across the fields of Collaria; providing the perfect cover for the small band of renegade soldiers while they traveled the open area toward the beginning of a tree-covered hill top. They moved as swiftly and as quietly as a shadow wraith skirting the walls of a dimly lit castle in search of its prey.

Though their vision was limited, sounds seemed to be amplified and carried easily with the smoke, as if it were delivering whispered promises of long and painful death. Alysha brought the small foot-traveling caravan to a sudden halt and motioned for complete silence. Each man behind her relayed the hand signals to the one behind. She held her breath as not even three feet in front of her, roughly five Narcorian soldiers tromped past. Her heart pounded so hard and fast in her chest, like the drums of war signaling the battle to begin. For a split second, she worried that the Narcorians would hear it, too. She waited until she could no longer hear the splash of their heavy feet against the blood-soaked ground before moving onward.

There was no need for long-range weapons to be drawn and no need for longswords. Gripped in her small hand was a dagger, intended for close-combat only. Neither she, the men traveling with her or the Narcorian soldiers would see a thing until it was nearly right on top of them. Had she not been trained, the female General might have gasped the instant she practically walked into the back of a solitary Narc who probably got turned around in the smoke and lost sight of those he was scouting with. Reflexively, she placed a hand over the beasts mouth and slit his throat at the same time, dropping the creature without a sound. She turned to the man behind her and motioned to the fallen body. He then passed the information along to the man behind him and so on. They were almost there and couldn't afford to have their location given away by some bumbling idiot tripping over the corpse.

She had no idea how the Steward was doing as he was taking up the rear. She could only hope that the sleezy bastard was finally finding the courage that all men harbor somewhere deep inside. Still, there was that small part of her that simply wished he'd show the yellow stripe running down the center of his spineless back and run out of the smoke and straight into the waiting sword of a Narc.

Once the forest was reached, it was all downhill from there. Literally. Alsyha hadn't expected the drop to be as sharp as it was and she had to fight to keep her balance. The last thing she needed was to end up tumbling head over heels into the valley. Skidding through the fallen leaves and along the mossy slope, she had to use the tree trunks to help slow her decent or to stop completely. Never making herself an easy target for possible enemy in the area, she zigged and zagged through the thick of the forest, listening to the men behind her as they followed in her wake.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"General,"<!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--> came a whisper in her ear. She didn't say anything in return; just canted her head to listen and bring her ear closer so the man could continue in hushed tones. "Look."<!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--> His eyes rolled up as he pointed to the treetops. She mirrored his action, looking to the treetops as well. She hadn't realized that the smoke was well above their heads; meaning they were well below any lines of visibility the Narcs. This afforded the small group a moment to stop and catch their breath. "Get the rest of them down here and around me. We need to plan ahead a bit if we're going to skirt back around to reach the southern shore before the Narcs can realize that they left us an escape."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START--> Within a minute, the men were crouched and a few held sticks in their hand, adding to the diagram etched into the earth at their feet. "Angus, you know these lands better than I. Is there anywhere along the shoreline we can take refuge in if we're spotted?"

[Angus Peledriel]

The deadly rear of the fleeing army was virtualy commiting suicide by staying to buy Alysha and Angus some time, but their duty as soldiers would not let them be fearful. Pride was the key to their glorious passing, bravery and honor, something that the Narks severely lacked.

The front gates are smahed to pieces completely, allowing the endless stream of enemy soldiers to filter through and slaughter everyone in sight. The long spears awaiting impaled the monstrous Narkites though some of them continue to move, even impaled and lifted the poor soldiers whilst still holding onto their spears only to be crushed by the mazes carried by the foul, tall invaders.

Ladders come up, allowing the stream of Narks to devastate the poor archers that had stayed to fight til the end, the last action only sped up their fate as they continue to take down as many enemies as possible before their inevitable end nears. This was but a fraction of the carnage happening back by the front of the magnificent city.

Angus stops silently behind Alysha as many of the best soldiers, by the tens of thousands follow, each looking to all possible directions as they reach the forrest.

"We'll be fine, the Narks are too busy with the front, it won't be long before we reach the southern port, but we must make sure to tag the other along. There's about two hundred thousand veterans in the inferior islands. "

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Collaria: Retreat - Live to fight another day<hr size="1"><!--EZCODE FONT START--> Springing like a coiled cobra striking at its prey, Alysha went from a crouch to bent knee in the blink of an eye and punched Angus directly in his beady eye with all of the strength she could muster. "Bastard! You were so willing to let these people die!"<!--EZCODE FONT END-->, she hissed sharply, spittle spraying from between clenched teeth and pursed lips. <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"You did not answer the question, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->Steward,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> she seethed. <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"You will wait until every man, woman, and child making their way through here has come past you before you continue any further. You're taking up the very rear of this parade and if one soul is lost, it'll be your head I cut off next."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

Alysha's lithe and delicate form trembled from the anger welled up within just from the very sight of him. Add in the fact that the man was so very willing to let all of these people die without any sort of a fight and that made for a very deadly woman. Of course, none of these people had ever seen the woman enraged before this day. Others have though. The men of Sol's army that she and the other Generals have led over the past few years into battle. The fireworks ignite between she and Darius the minute they set eyes upon one another. Of all the people she has ever encountered in her life, Darius is the only one who can get her so damn worked up and into a near frenzy. Agnus was running a very close race with Darius for the honor of being the one to rile her up so. Very close.

Alysha motioned for the men in the immediate vicinity to continue onward. <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Move swift and silent. Kill anything that gets in the way,"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> she said to the first ten or fifteen who strode past then she caught up to those in the lead and went ahead of them.

Their path through the thick trees was clear and the thick smoke settled far above their heads provided perfect cover, allowing the massive party to trek along unnoticed. Luckily for Angus, too, or Alysha would offer him as the first and only sacrifice to the Nark God's.

When judged it was safe to do so, Alysha whistled a series of bird whistles; loud enough for the sensitively keen ears of a certain bird of prey to detect, but not loud enough to give away their position. Or the fact that the sound was not coming from an animal, but from a human. Within minutes, the scree of a peregrine falcon was heard. Through the thick of the smoke, this medium sized magnificent bird flew down and perched on Alysha's forearm. As she walked, she ripped off a piece of her own bloodied tunic and wrapped the small item she had taken from Rudo and tucked it within the fabric. Sol, Darius, or even Alkimius would know what to make of the token. After all, it was a decoration awarded to Rudo by Sol for acts of valor committed upon the battlefiled. Expert fingers secured the material to the bird and sent it on its way.

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"General. The southern shore. We made it!"<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Hold up. Find cover and we wait. Look everywhere from your position and make sure it's all clear,"<!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--> she said as she scurried along the makeshift trail to near the man. She crouched down slightly behind a thick trunk and scouted the waters as well as the area around them. "Send that whelp of a Steward up here."<!--EZCODE FONT END--> The men signalled all the way back to Agnus, relaying the message.

[Angus Peledriel]

The bandage around Angus' swollen eye socket is nearly ripped by the very magnitude of the welt, not helping Angus' depth perception and making him wish that things had gone in a slightly different manner. He was raised a politician, so why should he be worried about military issues? Questions plague him as soldiers and civilians alike move about.

"I doubt the few that decided to stay will last much longer, my lord. We don't have much time left." a loyalist soldier comments, earning the nervous stare from the stewart. Even if they make it to the ships in time, the Nark fleet would make mincemeat of them in no time.

"All we have left is hope."

Suddenly, Angus perks up as one of Alysha's soldiers give him the news, speeding up immediately in total disregard of the loyalist sharing the conversation with him. He keeps running as his first guess involves the reaching of the port and he was right, the southern ocean shores had become visible as he goes through some fog, nearly bumping against the hot-tempered female general.

"You called for me?" he asks, knowing the obvious answer already. He was a man of formalities after all, a politician. He continues to avoid the pain and anguish that the last surviving soldiers must be going through inside the once proud Collaria main island.

[Gara Huss]

The Huss admiral uses his small, bejeweled telescope to gaze upon the structure of the Lanan towers. One was down and three others needed to go, destroying them would seriously cut off the burning city from its healthy, seasoned supply of soldiers. He motions his long arm forward, causing a renewed attack upon the second towers.

The blast had been so powerful this time that the rubble coming from above sent his fleet dancing about between the waves like some type of water spectacle, holding onto some rope as a slight smile is born.

"The lady guides us well, let her blessings give us strength to the end."

Back to the where one did not have to swim, the giant Huss army had experienced a loss of nearly fifty thousand troops, but all of them were worthy sacrifices to the Gods, pushing forward without their morale suffering so much as a wimper. The ladders continue to go up, many of them shattered by the emerging rolling boulders from the walls, sending the Huss infantry crashing down and landing on the squashed remains of their brethren.

The land general cuts the air downward with his left arm, signaling another round of cannon fire upon the wooden gate. Admirable how strong it was, he had been pounding the gates for nearly half an hour and only a few dents were achieved. Three renodonts make their way past him, rather right on top of him carefuly without harming him, for merely a rub from such huge beasts would send him flying immediately.

"Ram attack!"

The beasts start running ferociously as if they were driven by a command bred by years of cruelty and harsh training. The first renodont is caught by a few boulders, shattering its toes as it rolls forward, probably flattening hundreds, perhaps thousands of terrified Huss as it bumps against the gate. Ironicaly enough, the injured renodont could be used as a stepping stone but that would have to be done after the other two beasts were through.

"Ram!"

The echoing scream command of the Huss general pierces the ears of the raging renodonts, angling their heads as to ram the gates simultaneously. Many of the soldiers jump out of the way wisely while others are squashed. A stream of arrows from the second highest level of the walls bury themselves within the eyeballs of the beast, causing it to cry out in pain as it blindly turns right and crashes against the forrest next to Lana. The beast continues to run blindly through the trees, leaving a trail that only tornados were capable of.

The third renodont was right behind the blinded kin, using its own ram horns as protection, connecting to the weakened gates to send the soldiers past it flying against the wall, tens of meters far. The wood splinters and becomes deadly projectiles that kill dozens of brave men, fighting til the end.

[Narcoria]

The remnants of the human army continue to buy time for the ones escaping to the fishing boats in the south of the island, but succumb one after the other to the endless Nark onslaught. The army smashes its way to the city and towns, perplexed after not finding as many civilians as expected. Soldiers try to ambush them and are quickly dispatched, but something was amiss.

"Nothing in the city, my king." reveals a messenger boy as the Nark king boards his personal transport on route to Demenor. Most of the fleet had been brought back for the massive invasion and the rest of the army was clearing and occupying the grand city, which was grand no more.

"Impossible. Search the entire island, they must not escape!" yells the king, freightening the minion into believing he'd lose his head if others failed.

"Yes my lord." he says as he scurries away. The centennial Nark fleet had boarded a massive amounts of soldiers and upon unloading in Demenor, would return and continue to gather the massive army. Pangea would be theirs and any memory of the humans would be gone.

"Sail!"

The ships begin their advance to Demenor, not far at all. Only a few hours separated the human king's safety and total Nark victory, great losses had been suffered but they had become worthy sacrifices.

Soldiers continue to search the city, noticing that it was a particularly foggy day, pondering many possibilities.

"They must have escaped somewhere. Bring the Narkites!"

The huge, chained slaves of the Nark race arrive and growl like maddened animals, sniffing about as they follow a picked up scent. The victorious army begins following them, bows aimed at any threat that may be trying to ambush them.

"The beasts go south, pick up the pace!"

The Narkites naturaly pick up their own pace as well, sniffing their way forward as the army follows.

[Valda Pandora]

Valda nodded, returning the kiss to her sisters cheek and hiding a smile, she was glad that her sister was so quick to make a decision and carry it out in the moment after, this was an excellent sign. She looks at Dorian and walks over to him, "Are you well enough to stand? Or do you think you can walk with support?" She knew he'd been hurt, but seeing as he seemed to think his injuries meant nothing, he would probably prefer to walk, she really needed the medics free to assist any others that could not walk out on their own.

With a soft smile, she stopped in front of Dorian and held out her hand to him. She'd known him for a long time, and she'd often seen the way that Keira and he interacted...this was also a great hope for the future of the kingdom.

[Kiera Pandora]

Kiera and her tarnath riders watched dispassionately as Valda and Dorian led the refugees out. Once everyone was out of the danger zone, Kiera raised her hand to call her warriors' attention.

"Tarnath riders! Stomp on the walls!"

That said, she directed her tarnath mount to stomp on the walls. All the other warriors did as she directed. The walls shook, the earth quaked, and the rock formation they were trying to demolish fell, blocking the path behind them.

"Warriors, my sisters, onward to the next formation!" she calls, leading the way to the end of the retreating Visigodians, following them so that the brave tarnath riders of Visigodia could seal off their retreat from the relentless Huss.

"Let's see them dig the whole blasted way to Scanta!"

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Visigodian Retreat<hr size="1"> <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"We don't have much time before those Narks discover most have fled. Start moving everyone along the edge of this cliff,"<!--EZCODE FONT END--> she pointed the cliffs jutting upward spanning the length of the shoreline. <!--EZCODE FONT START-->"Armed persons first, then civilians, followed by the remaining military."<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

<!--EZCODE FONT START--> Alysha signaled to one of the Lieutenants, who then flashed a signal to hail the attention of the merchant vessels. A few short moments later the vessels altered their course and headed toward the shore. The Captain's of these ships could not bring the crafts too close, obviously, or they would become marooned in the shallow water. Alysha withdrew her bow and nocked back an arrow as she quickly made her way to the front of the moving escape party. "Those who cannot swim will be aided by two who can. Quickly but quietly, wade out into the water. The small vessels are dropping their rescue lines and dingy's. Do not panic and whatever you do, do<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> not<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> scream out or flail about in the water!"<!--EZCODE FONT END-->

She looked back to Angus, making sure he was doing his part. Satisfied, she strode into the water until it was waist high and kept a vigil watch for any enemy soldiers who might have found the route in which they were now fleeing.

[Dorian Xelan]

As Dorian is carried away, he prefers not to dwell upon the feelings he harbors for Valda's sister, thinking that he might become even more vulnerable by the very thought of severe loss. Warriors and commoners alike walk farther from the tarnath riders, now aware of the clever strategy designed in a short moment.

"Don't take too long!" he yells, perhaps not caring about the tabooish relationship anymore, about the rumors and gossip. Tremors from the outside, most likely the Hussian renodonts pounding on the mountain and reflecting the frustration of the enemy. Scorched earth is all they defeated, the very people they sought to exterminate went on to struggle to preserve their legacy, a legacy that would not be broken by resentful savages.

[Sol Marzullo]

The magnificent fortress city of Lana cries in pain as its walls burn and smoke creates a grim atmosphere of suffering and death. A sea of murderous fiends continues its massive charge towards the brave members of the Pangean army, already tired from the longest war in their history.

The massive gates continue to be reinforced with boulders and spikes to repel the invaders, the renodonts closing in would surely use their mass to bring down the thick walls, but only destiny would decide in the worst night the humans could ever go through.

"Don't touch me." yells Sol as a frightened soldier steps back, he made the mistake of trying to help a man too proud.

"What shall we do sir? They stream like blood in a river, they just won't stop!"

Sol squints to try and identify the man addressing him but it was useless at the time, the damage to his senses had been done.

"Bring me the generals, soldier, we need to cause more damage in our resistance."

[Angus Peledriel]

The sweat of sheer fear streamed about Angus' face almost unnaturaly, a man who had enjoyed luxury, status and relative quiet had been confronted by responsibility, perhaps for the first time in his whole life. Lives were at stake, directly affected by his actions during the bloody siege. Not much longer would be needed before the rest of the valiant soldiers succumbed to the might of the Nark army.

"Quickly and quietly!"

A loud explosion, the clank of gears of war pierce his ears as he gasps and hangs on to someone, the sounds and thoughts of death and defeat terrified him but became more realistic, more frightening within each passing second. There was just no way that they could ever win, Sol might even be dead at this point.

"Alysha!" he calls out, perhaps a mistake to call her by her first name but it didn't matter anymore to him. Safety, perhaps hope lingered in his mind.

"We should be done soon! We shall sail unharmed!"

[Kiera Pandora]

Kiera rode her tarnath at the tail end of the refugee line, ensuring that she was the last Visigodian to exit the caves. It had taken them hours of walking to navigate the caves and run from the pursuing Huss, collapsing rock formations to seal off their escape, and it showed on the faces of most of the Visigodian people. They were tired, and more than a few were scared. Kiera rode slowly up the line of refugees, giving everyone she passed a warm smile.

"All will be well, soon. My sister and I will protect you all. Worry not, my people, all will be well, soon." A few women reached out to Kiera, and she clasped their arms in a warrior's salute, then continued up towards the head of the line, where her beloved and her dear sister were.

"Any word on the Scantans?" she asked Dorian and Valda when she arrived, dismounting her tarnath as she spoke. She then saw a score of Scantans blocking their path a fair distance away, weapons in hand. Kiera frowned softly, but she knew it was to be expected. The Visigodians had, after all, practically invaded Scanta in their efforts to evade the Huss.

"Stupid question," she said. "Let me speak to them, Valda." Kiera walked forward, heedless of any danger, stopping halfway between them and her people. She would meet just about anyone halfway, but she would never walk into the midst of a group of possible foes without any knowledge of what was at hand. She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, hands folded behind her. She reached up and loosened her sword in its scabbard, realizing she might end up needing it, and returned her hands to their folded position.

“This is as far as I’m going, warriors of Scanta,” Kiera said to herself. “If you wish to find out why I and my people are here, you can walk your tail end up here and ask me.”

[Keldon Garra]

The long Scantan spears provided an intimidating approach, not made any lesser by the heavy stomping tremors and sounds from the heavy horses carrying the fiersome riders, breakers of front lines and destroyers of spirits. Keldon Garra is first to get close enough to allow the Visigodian queen to smell the filth of his horse, he points his long spear towards the lady's neck, obviously hostile.

"You have guts to try and invade us from the most obvious point, Visigodian!"

Before the woman could utter any word, however, another rude snarl is born from the general's mouth.

"State your business here!"

The other riders form a circle around the queen, chuckling at the impotence or perhaps shock of her soldiers and sister. The Scantans could not be blamed for their agression, these were times of war.

[Kiera Pandora]

Kiera smiled icily, reaching up to push away the spear pointed at her, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Is that any way to treat a lady, horseman?” she said coldly, more than a little annoyed at being threatened like that, as she would be were anyone to threaten her with bodily harm. “I come up to you in good faith, without my tarnath. This is not an invasion. Were we to try and invade you, we would not have our elderly and infirm with us. Nor would we come into your lands at this point. No, my lord, we are not invading. We come as refugees. The Huss have invaded our lands, forcing us to evacuate... to retreat. Calm yourselves, please, and hear me out."

The pitch of her voice changed. Were Dorian at her side, he might have felt a flush of jealousy, as the voice she used at that point was one she'd only used on him. Her voice turned soft, seductive, and made her sound like a helpless female, instead of a proud queen of Visigodia. Her demeanor and expression changed as well, giving Keldon insight into the Queen’s mind. She was scared. Scared for herself and her people, and for the future of her home if an alliance was not forged now.

"We need your help. We need you to allow us refuge here, and in exchange, we will help you defend your lands. My sister will uphold my words, for I say this as queen. Our warriors will combine with yours to aid you in repelling the Huss scum. We have slowed them by collapsing parts of the caves, but they will dig through and ravage your lands if we do not make a stand."

Kiera drew her sword and extended it towards Keldon, hilt first.

"You know our ways, I'm sure. A warrior does not disarm herself lightly, Horselord. I give you my sword as proof that I speak truth."

[Alysha Wintermoon]

Re: Collaria Fallen<hr size="1"> Thus far, the Nark army had not been aware of the fact that the remaining survivors were about to make a hasty retreat. Lucky for the survivors. The people who couldn't swim teamed up with two who could and began wading out into the waters, making their way to the lifeboats and lifelines that had been slung overboard and into the choppy waters. Those who began to panic were calmed by others. Some maintained direct eye contact by wading backward while the other supporter kept their hand on the inexperienced swimmer from behind. The escape from certain death was going better than Alysha had thought it would. It was also going much quieter than she ever hoped it would.

Her five foot four inch height ensured she could only wade out into the water until it began lapping at her chin. As soon as her toes could no longer touch the bottom, she leaned back gently and kept her bow out of the water, kicking her feet and glancing over her shoulder on occasion to make sure she was still heading into the general vicinity of one of the rescue boats. She did an excellent job of multitasking, keeping her attention divided equally between watching the survivors, noting their locations, whom was with whom, and keeping a sharp eye on the cliff's ridgeline. The first sign of Narks would send an instant volley of arrows arching high into the sky.

An explosion rocked the earth, sending a humungous fireball racing toward the clouds. Thick, black smoke roiled into a mushroom cloud then spread out with the aid of the winds that gusted from the south unexpectedly. "Alysha!" The shout made the woman stiffen visibly in the water and she halted her backward motion, forced to lower her bow a bit and use her left arm to keep her steady and afloat as she waded in the water, searching the faces for the jackass who just broke the silence rule. Her eyes flickered from the terrified people in the water to the cliff's edge every few seconds. One of the men aiding the Steward tried to lift his hand to show Alysha where they were, but the weight of his wet clothing allowed him to do little more than make a few splashes. It was enough, though. Thin brows furled deeply as a scowl marched across her face. "Drowned the fool!" She muttered under her breath, thinking Angus was damn lucky it wasn't she that was aiding him to the boats. She would have shoved his head under water and held it there until his body went limp and the water filled his lungs without a second thought.

She waited for Angus to be brought over to where she was in the water. "Do you know what it means to be quiet?" She snarled at the Steward without looking at him. Her full attention was now focused solely on the cliff's edge. She could hear the sound of confusion making its way through the Nark Army's ranks. It wouldn't be long before they realized that there was no enemy for them to slaughter up there any more and the first place they'd look is over the cliff to the waters below. "Angus, I swear to Sol that if I don't kill you, it'll be a miracle. You just may have cost us our cover, you ignorant fool!" One of the lifeboats arrived just then. "Get him into the boat," she growled to the weary man aiding Angus in the water.

Alysha stayed near that particular boat and made quick surveillance of the others. Most were into boats and heading away, using the larger vessels for cover and protection. She saw others scaling the sides of the larger vessels, using the ropes to pull themselves up. Nearly everyone was out of the water. That brought a little relief to the young woman. "Row back behind that ship there and head down the river. Follow the others. Everyone, except for the rowers, needs to keep their heads down and for the love of God..." she looked right at Angus, "Keep quiet!"

Her attention had been drawn from the ridgeline momentarily, but that was enough time for a few Nark scouts to scope out the waters from high above. A volley of arrows were released. The thick, black smoke created by the explosion did well to hide the scouts and their unleashed attack. Alysha didn't hear the sing of the arrows cutting through the air until they were nearly on top of her. The sound startled her and as the first arrows struck the water all around her, someone shouted "Arrows!" from one of the craft to her right. Unfortunately, it happened all too fast. One of the arrows that had struck the water pierced the tender-flesh of her right thigh and cut right through the main artery. She grimaced from the pain and the water immediately turned red with her blood.

There was no time for her to fire back nor was their time for her to pull herself up into one of the nearby boats. Another volley, only this one far larger than the first due to the arrival of more Narks on the ridgeline, showered down from above. Alysha drew a deep breath and sank below the waterline. Arrows pierced the choppy waters all around her, but this time they didn't find their intended target. The water distorted the sounds coming from the others above, but it was still easy to tell that some had been struck, others had been killed, and the remaining archers were firing back. Those whom were killed were tossed overboard, making the weight of the boat lighter or opening up a spot for the few who were still left in the water.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Glancing up to the surface, Alysha spotted the distinct outline of one of the boats bottoms. She came up beneath it, then moved to its bow, allowing her face to break the water's surface to draw a breath of fresh air. The man rowing noticed the woman as her hand slithered out of the water and her fingers curled over the lip of the sharply curved tip of the bow. "Hey, you!" He got the attention of one of his passengers. "Help the lady into the boat!" He snapped, nodding sharply to the bow and to the fingers clinging to the lip of the bow. A strong hand reached over, the shifting of the man's weight rocked the boat but the oarsman was able to keep it from toppling over. A thick, meaty hand clutched Alysha's bicep and he hoisted her out of the water and into the boat. She wound up on the floor, wedged between two seats. She looked at the arrow jutting out of her thigh and saw the amount of blood she had already lost. I've got to stop the bleeding,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> she thought just as the one who rescued her from the water slapped his hands down around the point of injury and squeezed her thigh as hard as he could.

"Argh!" Alysha cried out in agony.

"I'm sorry, but you're as good as dead unless the bleeding is stopped." One of the other passengers grabbed an arrow from Alysha's quiver and stuffed the shaft into her mouth and used the leverage to pull her head back a bit to make eye contact. "Bite down on this." The woman ordered. She continued to talk in a soothing voice to Alysha as the man squeezing her leg talked another woman through on how to remove the arrow from Alysha's leg. "Sir! If I remove this arrow, she'll bleed to death for sure!" She heard the woman say, even though she tried to keep her voice low so Alysha wouldn't hear.

Alysha's eyes grew wide and her heart began to race. She tried to look at the woman and the man working on her leg, but the woman holding the arrow shaft in her mouth wouldn't allow it. "You'll be fine, Miss. Relax, listen to my voice," she continued to keep Alysha's attention on her voice and did her best to keep the warrior woman as calm as possible.

"Do it woman or I'll be forced to throw you overboard and do it myself," he growled at her.

"Rena, just do it!" The woman cradling Alysha's head in her lap said to the other who was retiscent about removing the shaft from her thigh. Cringing as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes, Rena took a hold of the shaft, curling both sets of fingers around it. "Sol, forgive me," she begged. Then, using all of her might, she forced the arrow through Alysha's thigh until it emerged on the other side. Quickly, the woman reached beneath Alysha and finished pulling the weapon through, all the while apologizing and begging for forgiveness over and over. Her pleas and cries went unheard by Alysha as she bit down on the shaft in her mouth as hard as she could and screamed.

"Tie it off, Reynold!" The woman at Alysha's head said quickly. Reynold looked to Rena. "Tear me off strips of cloth, woman! Now!" Rena stripped off several long pieces of material from her clothing and began cinching them tightly around Alysha's thigh. One around the point of entry, the other two above and below, as Reynold had instructed her to do. Though the area had been sealed off by the tightly tied cloth strips, Reynold kept his hands firmly curled around Alysha's thigh. He looked to the elder woman cradling Alysha's head and nodded, his expression somber.

"She can't move the limb for at least six to eight hours now." The elder woman said softly.

"Aye, I am well aware of that, Vivianna. Don'tcha' go thinkin' I've forgotten how to tend to the wounded now," he snapped back.

Vivianna looked down to Alysha and managed a wan smile. The elder woman's eyes were soft and gentle. Grandmotherly. "Listen to me carefully, dear," she said quietly as she eased the shaft from Alysha's mouth. "Don't you worry. Reynold here is good at what he does. Tending to the sick and injured. You're in good hands. We'll figure a way to get you out of the boat and keep your leg immobile until you are able to move it again."

Alysha just looked up at the woman, too tired to argue or snap back with some undeserved, sarcastic remark. "Sleep. We're safe now. For the moment." Vivianna said.

The sounds of battle became less and less until they could no longer be heard as the boats continued to travel the river at a steady pace. Alysha allowed her eyes to close as exhaustion took over and she could no longer forcibly keep her eyes open.

[Angus Peledriel]

Not far from the bloody scene, fog covered the admiral who had emerged from the bridge to greet the steward, the serious look in his face showed promise of a man with a very fine and experienced military career. If someone was going to aid them, they picked the best man. The steward stumbles upon the feet of the admiral, tired enough to toss his pricey coat out to sea.

"We have lost almost thirty percent of our forces just fleeing, admiral. Only your fleet can redirect us to where we stand a better chance."

The admiral's eyes widened, or say his one eye did. The last battle had nearly taken the man's life after a cannon ball splintered its way towards the man's face, half blinding him instantly.

"The task isn't done, the smaller islands south have the rest of the army, we must retrieve them and meet with the king at once, the situation is a lot worse than anticipated."

The admiral nods slowly, whistling to his crew as the fog reveals dozens upon dozens of fine vessels, a blend of technology and tradition, fine machinery.

"We must hurry." the admiral whispers, walking back to the bridge to brief his men.

[Keldon Garra]

The long spear inches from puncturing Keira's neck is pulled away, catching the worried eyes of the general. Wether she lied or not wasn't the issue, too much was at stake. The other warriors do exactly like their boss, pulling away as horns are blown.

"I feared as much. Follow us quickly!"

The horses whine as the spearmen resume their riding. The lietenant next to Keldon whispers doubts and fears, but nothing that the ladies would like to know in particular.

"We must inform the king, boss."

Keldon nods and since the other were paying meddlesome attention, the messenger riders take a different route, one that would take them to the fleeing king's army as quickly as direly possible. War wasn't something to play with, and in what may be the final one, something that must be won whatever the cost.

[Valda Pandora]

Valda looked at Kiera, she was very proud of her sister right now..she was taking charge, just as she was born to. The shell she'd kept herself hidden in, was starting to break, she was showing courage and cunning unlike anything Valda had ever seen.

Of course she would stand behind her sister always, it was her turn to take the back seat. Hiding a smile, what Kiera had done would hopefully turn out to be one of the most fortunate events for the future of her people, and for the people of Scanta as well.

Stepping ahead, she gestured others to follow her after Keldon. She was ready to end this war, with the help of the soldiers of Scanta.

[Alkimius Govan]

Incredulous, Alkimius stares straight into Sol's eyes. It was as if he had been completely and utterly ignored, but such selfish thoughts were useless in the middle of battle, his duty was to his people, not himself.

"That's what I just suggested Sol, we need to rethink our defense strategy or the city shall be lost by nightfall."

A catapult blast nearly destroys the section of the wall directly in front of the two war heroes, sending Alkimius tumbling against the wall as the side of his head hits the floor. A few soldiers help him up as he slowly peeks out of one of the wall's holes and sees the endless stream of Huss continue to advance.

So many of them that not even the rolling boulder on fire could halt them.

"Gather every spec of explosives we posses, we are going to permanently block this wall!"

[Sol Marzullo]

Amidst the horrible experience, the draining and life-robbing war, Sol manages to be by Alkimius' side just in time to hear his orders.

"Great idea! You heard the man soldiers! Bring all of the explosives, everything we have!"

A rush of humanity runs all over the structure. Explosives are placed in integral parts of the wall, the bang would be enough to displace the mountain and create a gigantic wall that would take a week to remove, or at least that's what was hoped.

Sol had experienced such moments before, but knowing that not all the treachery he predicted hadn't unfolded, he was worried.

"I hope you stand by me until the end, Alkimius, I can't count on anyone else right now."

Sol wouldn't hesitate to say what is due to be said, but picking such a moment was not befitting of him. His thoughts are interrupted when a young soldier stands by him and alerts him:

"Sir, five minutes before all of the explosives are charged. This will be nasty."

Sol nods and pats the soldier on the back, peeking out the wall to be bumped on the head by another renodont ram.

"Where do the Narks and huss catch these animals? We could sure use them."

Sol turns to the solider that gave him the news and orders a new one, like he was born to give orders, not that every sentient being in the empire didn't think of that before.

"Have all of the commanding officers gather at the plaza."

[Alkimius Govan]

The brave general himself places the last charge, grabbing the one detonator that would start the show in a matter of minutes. He's slightly surprised when one of Sol's hands is placed on his shoulder, the feel of friendship and brotherhood allows him to keep a slight amount of impossible hope, hope that by tomorrow they would still be alive to keep up the good fight and not become renodont fodder.

"Very well then, the archers shall be the last ones to evacuate the wall, everyone must leave now!"

Sol didn't say anything else, not by his mouth, but his orders nevertheless. A rain of fire continued to fall upon the front lines of the massive enemy army, the air attack had taken few casualties thanks to the clumsiness of the hideous invaders.

"I sense even worse danger, we must blow this wall up now!"

[Alysha Wintermoon]

The in rolling fog was such a welcomed blessing for the numerous boats carrying the soldiers and refugees fleeing Collaria. It provided an excellent screen of cover, after all, allowing them to ride the currents of the sea esaily and without fear of being followed. While Alysha slept, weakened from exhaustion and blood loss, the boats found their way to the Parisian Inlet and followed the lengthy body of water for another few hours. When the base of the mountains had been reached, the boats ceased progression and weighed anchor.

It was pointless to rouse the General. Her body needed the rest for its energy was being spent in healing the injuries received by a few lucky shots loosened by the hand of the Nark's. One of her injuries could prove to be the end for the young woman.

"Vivianna, listen to me love. Find me something, anything, that I can use to get this lady out of the boat. It is imperative that she remain immobile. She cannot be moved until then. " Reynold's loving wife nodded, then stood and let one of the younger men help her off the boat. While Reynold awaited Vivianna's return, he loosened each of the tightly cinched tourniquet's around the young soldier's upper thigh. But only for a second or two. This act had been performed at regular intervals during the journey. Had it not been done, her lower appendage would have been denied far too long of oxygen-rich blood, which would have forced an amputation. And that was something Reynold's was not prepared to do. The young General would have died for certain.

Approximately twenty minutes later, Vivianna returned, accompanied by three able-bodied men. "Here, darling. Will this do?" She asked as two of the men stepped into the boat carrying a make-shift stretcher that had been fashioned together by tying rowing oars next to each other, ends opposite so the flat paddles alternated from top to bottom.

Reynold's nodded, and offered his wife a small, approving smile. "You did well, darling." He assured the woman, then explained to the men exactly how he wanted to get Alysha's body up onto that make-shift stretcher.

"You two. Very slowly roll her to the right. I'll slide this behind her. When I say, very slowly roll her back. Understood?"

Both of the men nodded and laid their hands upon the female's body. One at the shoulder, one at her hip, one against the outside of the injured thigh and the other just below her knee. "Count of three. One, two, three." Surprisingly, the two men did a fine job of easing the unconscious woman over onto her side. Reynold's worked quickly and positioned the tied oars against her body from behind then nodded for them to lay her back down.

"Good, good. Well done, gentlemen. Now, you need to lift her gently and keep the stretcher level. Do not let it tilt or tip."

Again, the men counted to three and lifted at the same time. Keeping the stretcher evenly level as they stepped off the boat wasn't an easy task to accomplish, but they managed to do a decent enough job regardless. "Where do you want us to set her down, Sir?" One of them inquired. Reynold's looked around and noticed where the others were setting up a camp for the night. The mountains to the North would provide protection and a fresh source of water was nearby.

"Over there if you would, good man." Reynold's said while thrusting a chin in the direction of the others.

Reynold's and Vivianna did their part in helping the others for the remainder of the day. Patrol parties were designated and shifts were assigned. Alysha was left to sleep, tended by the watchful eyes of Rena. She, Reynold's and Vivianna would take turns throughout the night watching over the young General.

[Angus Peledriel]

The mighty Pangean fleet, even under repair is still able to set sail and rescue the brave resistance that was left in the main island of Collaria, except for the heroes that decided to stay to buy them time. The horrowing sound of the survivors' swords could still be heard from miles away, fighting until the very end.

"We should arrive and begin the rescue operation for the armies stationed in the southernmost islands in ten minutes, lord Peledriel." announces the admiral as he looks about the mighty fleet. Hundreds of strong, seasoned vessels cut theough the water with morally crushed men who may never see their beloved home islands again.

"Where do you plan to take the Collarian army once we land?" asks the ever so dutiful veteran, crossing his arms as he expects a clumsy reply. The steward's fame is known all around the world, not just within the safety of his archipelago.

Angus takes a seat and sighs, glad that he still lives and guilty for the avoidable deaths of tens of thousands of good men, loyal men.

"I have my orders from the king, if we are to flee we must gather in Parisia."

The admiral raises an eyebrow in genuine surprise and concern, the most logical move would be to go to Demenor and defend the city of the king, but it seems to make more sense since the city is completely destroyed.

"I gather that the entire Pangean army needs to gather and take them out, fighting a war in two frontiers will end us." he suggests, having done it all before.

Suddenly, a dove emerges from the thick smoke above the admiral's ship, smoothly landing on his arm.

"A messenger bird, let's see what we got here."

The admiral unfolds the scroll, immediately dropping it as he gives the steward a determined look.

"Angus, Lana is under siege by the entire Huss army!"

Voices all over the ship begin mumbling about, clearly alarmed by the grim news. The pride of the Pangean army being besieged! It was obvious now that this predetermined war only had one goal: their complete and utter annihilation.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" asks Angus, stressed enough aboutt he lost battle to even begin to assume any type of responsibility for the rest of the world. By now the first island is visible, the ignited catapults ready to be deployed upon them, but familiar sails and ships stopped them in the nick of time.

"While the Huss are too busy to figure out where we are, their fleet is busy carrying the bulk of their army to the north."

The admiral orders his underlings to bring a table between the two commanders, unfolding a map of Pangea, he holds both ages as he points to the rivers that connect Scanta to Parisia.

"We should land just north of Visigodia and Scanta, your soldiers can link up with the spearmen and the king's men. We set up a perimeter by the Zan Galadon mountains and crush the invaders into oblivion. If all else fails, we retreat to the Cypra fortress, which has never been conquered."

Angus leans over to look at the map, his interest in the strategy and war in general begins to grow. Since he was a child, he always wanted to be an architect, but his lineage made it impossible.

"This leaves Scanta to defend itself, the spearmen won't agree to this."

The admiral chuckles in a discriminating manner, crossing his arms as he begins walking towards the bridge.

"It's either Scanta or the entire continent, Angus."

[Sol Marzullo]

Riding his steed, the battered chief of the army makes his way to the plaza, followed by the other generals as enemy Gormon birds crash all around them, filled with arrows and mud as they roll all over the floor. Sol's horse makes a sudden stop, standing on its rear legs as one of the birds has enough strength to try and peck away at its neck and head.

"Whoa! Easy boy!"

A stream of arrows from the same archers who had taken him down turn the bird's head into a pin cushion, dropping lifelessly as the horses continue their way. At this point, the infantry concentrated by the wall is also retreating, followed closely by the archers who had now left the walls completely defenseless.

But not without a goodbye gift.

A massive explosion shatters the concrete and stone wall, shooting countless projectiles of sharp metal and red-hot stone that brings forth a horrible death to the thousands of Huss soldiers in the front lines. Hundreds are shout out to the sky like they had been shoved inside a giant cannon, many crushing their heads against the renodonts moving forward.

Almost all of the sacred Huss birds are decimated by the projectiles, dropping like flies after a strong dose of air venom, splattering on the floor along with their pilots as their firebombs ignite many unfortunate bystanders, human and Huss alike.

The side of the mountain collapses onto the wall's rubble, creating a higher wall that would delay the invading army for at least another day, more than enough time for the humans to prepare.

[Darius Tempest]

Darius' horse nearly trips on some falling rubble as well, jumping over the red hot stones as a few unlucky soldiers are crushed by the next bunch of deadly projectiles from the explosion. His loyal bodyguards are also nearly crushed, but they had been taught well enough to make it. The explosion had been so strong that it felt like a powerful earthquake had arrived to claim the magnificent city, but it had just been guaranteed survival for a few more days.

A new plan forms within, they had tons of explosives left to party. The city that haa never been conquered before will not give up without fireworks that would rattle the invaders' ancestors to the very bone.

"By the gods, look at the burnt soldiers all over the city. You would think they had no warning."

His horse is unable to avoid crushing a man's face with its heavy weight, splattering blood and bone in all directions. Men who had fought for Sol and his generals for decades had not been honored by a noble death, but suddenly stolen by an unlucky twist of fate.

[Alkimius Govan]

Side by side with the armored general, Alkimius catches up as he dusts off his shoulders of the rubble that had rained upon them. Ash and molten rock does not make good friends with his fine chainmail, forcing him to remove it as it slams on the floor.

"The all had a good warning, Darius, but some people chose to make sure everyone found refuge within the buildings before going in, and ran out of time."

Alkimius makes his best effort to avoid stepping on the dead soldiers, closing his eyes in mourning and pity. Such brave men had perished so miserably.

"What?"

A messenger bird lands elegantly on his right arm, and the general and second in command does not waste a single second.

"...."

Alkimius yells at his horse, causing it to ride faster as it catches up to Sol. The narrow corridor connecting the walls to the city were a real chore to ride by horse, being steep enough to challenge gravity in every way possible. Still, Sol now rides by his side and Alkimius only needs to give him a look to relay the message.

[Jurgen Marzullo]

The local bar in Lana had been transformed into a weapons storage cache, but most of the liquor had been kept to keep the spirit of the legion alive, and thus, Jurgen wastes no time to drink away his worries. The doors slam open, revealing an angry Sol and company, staring straight into his eyes.

"Come and join me for a drink, brother!"

Sol approaches his younger brother with a look of pity and resignation. The generals stay by the entrance, looking on with equal pity and regret. Jurgen raises his glass of wine high up, forging a smile.

"To the end of men."

Sol can't resist anymore, and grabs his brother by the neck, slamming him against the bar.

"Look at yourself, Jurgen, what would father say?!

Jurgen spits some of the wine from sheer amusement, edging his face closer to Sol's.

"Wasn't it father who taught us to respect the enemy, no matter the events? I'm sorry brother, but I can't respect these animals."

Sol releases him after that, dropping the note that Alkimius had given him moments before.

"Rudo is dead, Jurgen. I need you strong and sober."

The generals and a few other high ranking soldiers enter the bar, retrieving the deadliest explosives that remain. Jurgen looks on with a severe lack of interest as he snatches a liquor bottle from under the bar and continues to drink his pride away.

"To the end of honor."

[Gara Huss]

Down by the raging oceans, the Huss fleet continues its relentless assault upon the Lana fortress foundation, with more or less the same effect it caused from the starts: none. The large prjectiles only become part of the cliff, without as much as causing small cracks. A grunt makes his way towards the admiral, delivering a written message. It unfolds.

"Front wall has been destroyed and a larger one has taken its place, rubble should be removed within the day."

The admiral quickly turns his head as he sees giant pillars of smoke rising from the rubble in the distance, with the foot army disoriented and off focus from the recent blast.

"It seems our naval efforts are useless, but we can aid our brothers with this new wall."

Suddenly, the admiral falls to his knees, squeezing his head with his palms as a sharp pain splits his brain.

"You useless grunt, you better not fail me this time!"

In a matter of minutes, the whole fleet makes it way towards the wall's coast once again, abandoning their previous efforts against the main fortress structure. The admiral comes back to his feet, shaking his head as if he didn't remember a thing, but he surely wouldn't forget about the latest pain.

[Stratus Marzullo]

Just as Sol and his generals leave the bar, his eldest son Stratus along with Hadrian arrive to the scene, bloodied and bruised as they bow before their general and father. The gesture isn't returned however, as he looks down upon them for apparently disobeying a direct order.

"General, we know that you hadn't ordered us to fight with you, but we couldn't just stand and watch you fight and die while we did nothing."

Hadrian remains quiet next to Stratus, looking down as he feels his father's heavy steps around him. The others wouldn't even bother to witness the family circus, heading off to the narrow corridor connecting the city to the fortress wall.

[Sol Marzullo]

Arms crossed, Sol looks on as he listens to the useless words of his sons. They had disobeyed him, that's all that mattered to him, not whatever meager excuses they could come up with.

"Stratus, how many times have I asked you to call me Father?"

Naturally, he doesn't get a reply. His sons were so eager to please him that they would forget about family bond, one of the things that matters most to the seasoned veteran.

"I asked you and Hadrian to remain in your base uphill because I need you there, not to protect you. You are experienced captains and suitable choices to defend those buildings."

Sol looks on as more of the city's catapults are brought closer to the wall, reinforcing the lines, and his newest archer genius; Cronus Kosan finally returns to his side.

"You did a fine job on those enemy Gormon, Cronus. You have a great future in our army. Now I need you to upgrade and command our catapults."

Nothing more than a nod and a bow is given as a reply, and the youngster runs off to do his duty as Sol climbs on his horse, once again looking down upon his sons.

"Go back to your posts and rest, save your energy for tomorrow, it will be much worse."

[Integra Marzullo]

Integra awakens from her sleep inside her private wagon as she sees the night approaching, the rumbling of the king's guard army becomes more intense as she takes a look outside. Apparently, a message rider is emplying great speed to deliver what is most likely grim news to king Hrothgar, something that makes the entire moving force uneasy and nervous.

Fortunately, she can hear the king and his son exchanging words.

King Hrothgar: We will make the stop in Valmung regardless of what the messenger says, son, don't argue w...

The prince: Father, you're insane, if the news say Collaria has fallen, that means Valmung is next, we must continue to Cypra where we will be safe!

King Hrothgar: Nonsense, Collaria has never fallen, it's just the cowardly stewart preventing us from embarassing him in public.

The prince: But father! Are you just going to gamble with our lives like this?!

King Hrothgar: Stop your nonsense boy, and learn your place.

Integra stops listening, the very words causing her a sharp pain as she starts thinking very carefully. Is she better off by taking her servants with her and heading straight to Cypra, or does she risk everything by going to Valmung with the king?

Integra peaks her head out and taps the rider on the back, whispering her latest wishes as the rider nods. The two horses pulling on the wagon immediately change directions, heading south as the rest continue their doomed trek to the dangerous east.

[Dorian Xelan]

Back in the south east of Treja, the Scantan spearmen continue to argue about wether to go back home and protect their loved ones, or heading to the king and warning him about the enemy attack through the exhiled city of Visigodia. The messengers are already on their way to Demenor, not having received any news for ages.

Dorian awakens as he continues to be carried on a stretcher. Most of the Visigodians following the spearmen are women and children, refugees from the city that are severely slowing down the riders. Something has to be done, and it isn't going to be pretty.

"Soldier, please tell queen Valda that I need to speak to her."

Dorian grunts as the side of his torse hurts, the arrow wound still fresh. Night is approaching the mighty continent fast, and the unmentionables would come out to prey on the weak as always.

[Keldon Garra]

As the 30,000 riders continue to spearhead the advance into Parisia, Keldon and his highest ranking officers continue to argue.

"We must go back home, general. We can't gamble on our women and children!"

Keldon has no choice but to dwell on the harrowing thought of such a loss. His three little girls and wife trust in his strength and bravery, which so far has always been enough to bring him back home. Feared and respect accross the land, there is little room for him to make any mistakes.

The entire force gradually slowls down and comes to a complete halt as Keldon's left arm is raised, signaling them to stop.

"Allow our messengers to go to the king, and let's head back home ensure the safety of our families, we ride to Scanta!"

Valda and Keira, who ride next to him, only look at each other, confused about his actions. Separating from the main armies does not equal to a reasonable strategy to them, but with their tiring civilians tagging along, the choices are very few.

"I know what you think, queen of visigodia, but we must go and bring our families with us. The enemy may be sealed outside of your mountains, but they will eventually find a way around. We can't leave our families, I can't leave my reason to live to the mercy of those savages."

Keldon speeds ahead as the whole force makes a U-Turn, leaving behind a trail of dust as he's quickly followed by his subordinates.

[Valda Pandora]

Sick of the fighting, the dying and the suffering, valda nearly reaches a nervous breakdown as she buries her face within her palms. Most know her to be the strongest of women in the entire world, one who could be a better king than Horthgar himself, but for any of that to be true, she would have to respect herself first. The very thought of having to depend on the kindness of the Scantan cavalry shatters her pride and ambitions, and only frowns upon her younger sister as she watches Keldon and his men speed ahead.

"General Xelan calls for you, milady." says a messenger girl, bringing her back to reality as she takes a deep breath and pays attention.

"He says it's urgent."

Valda nods and makes an inviting move with her head as she speeds back to the end of the caravn, where the weak, the old and the wounded are carried. Her sister Keira rides right behind her, hopping high in the air about on her Tarnath beast of war calls out to its brethren in the skies. The rest of the tarnath bob their heads as they join in the choir of wilde life, their screams sounding like majestic eagles swarming the sky with their elegance.

[Kiera Pandora]

The huge jumps are nothing but good old exercise for Kiera's tarnath beast, hopping over thousands of soldiers and refugees in impossible jumps. Evolution had played in favor of the beasts, half bird, half reptile, strong like a thousand horses and graceful as a thousand eagles. People gasp and jump aside as the sharp claws of the tarnath make landfall, only to spring to the air once again, skipping incredible distances as she finally reaches Dorian, with her sister far behind.

Kiera reaches her forbidden love, kneeling before his stretcher as she lands a kiss on his cheek. The two women carrying him pretend they see nothing.

"I'm not sure what you are going to tell Valda, my love, but please don't tell her about us yet."

A silly request, given that most of the commoners and soldiers know already. Incredible that a population ruled by females is discreet enough to not tell the queen, when even her bath lady knows about the whole steamy affair.

"Regardless, we are going to wait her for the scantans to bring their civilians along. They fear that the enemy may annihiliate them before we even reach the king's city."

[Valda Pandora]

Saving her own beast the effort of performing massive jumps, Valda's own tarnath arrives to the scene as the amazonian frame of the older sister dismounts, petting her beloved tarnath on the cheek as she knees next to Kiera.

"You really need to stop showing off in front of foreigners, Kiera, the reason we massacre our enemies is because they never expect the sheer power of our beasts.'

Valda places her hand on Dorian's forehead, feeling the fever of the wound still going strong, without any signs of surrendering its evil hold on the brave general.

"What troubles you, Dorian?"

[Dorian Xelan]

Dorian feels the warm and gentle hand of his queen, making him remember the childhood days when his own mother would take care of him, oh what a strong woman she was, and always will be. With some hesitation, Dorian switches the attention from Valda to Kiera, not sure how to bring up his wish properly.

"Valda, my queen, I humbly ask for Kiera's hand in marriage."

A loud gulp emerges from a stunned Kiera, covering her mouth to hide her melting pot of emotions. Furious and terrified that the first thing she asked Dorian not do had just been done, and that she had been asked for marriage before her very sister, one who is notorious in her bigtroy of the so-called stronger gender, something that the very existence of their people have proven wrong for hundreds of years.

She could kill Dorian on the spot if she desires.

[Kiera Pandora]

Valda's emotionless face, serious as a rock and tough as city wall does not quiet make Kiera feel any safer, and she is quick to jump on top of Dorian to protect him as she begs her sister for mercy. Dorian releases a loud "Youch!" as the weight of the Visigodian queen opens up his wound just slightly.

"It's all my fault, sister, don't harm him. I seduced him, and you know how the men in our society do not have the right to refuse us."

Motionless and emotionless now, Valda seems to be in deep thought, or simply getting ready to slain her and the man.

"I promise that we'll leave immediately, just spare him, please!"

[Valda Pandora]

Suddenly, Valda's face shows some life, and she quickly turns to face her sister as she gets back on her feet, tired from the useless kneeling.

"You ought to give me some credit from time to time, little sister, I am not the monster you think."

Valda only needs to use her left arm and shoves her sister out of the way, pulling out her sword as it stabs the earth next to Dorian's face, easily cutting through as the reflection from the sun blinds him temporarily.

"Obviously you have broken our laws. We only mingle with men to have children."

Her stubborn ways seem to be grabbing ahold of her as she edges her face closer to his

"..but you are a good man, loyal and brave. You may marry my sister, but don't get too comfortable."

Sharing a connection with her tarnath's mind, the creature quickly lowers the front part of its body as Valda hops aboard and smiles to his sister and her fiance.

"You have just made me the only queen of Visigodia, sister, may the rest of your days with Dorian be full of joy!"