Prologue

    Have you ever been in one of those situations you just can’t escape? One that you have to live with, have to endure? I have, and I am ready to tell you a tale that will enthrall you, take you to new heights of having to strive through something.
    This is a story of both sorrow and joy; death and life; time and eternity. I grew up in a world of simplicity, and yet all the weight was on my shoulders. I could never see the difference in reality or fantasy, and often I got my priorities mixed up. You are probably wondering how someone gets mixed up in reality and fantasy when we live in a world where science is proving magic to be vanishing day by day. It’s easy to lose your sense of truth and fiction in the eyes of imagination.

    The sounds of a morning erupted around me and those crusted jade eyes pried open to stare blankly at the ceiling. My arm swung out and fingers groped for the off switch on that blasted alarm clock. Finally the buzzing stopped and I relaxed again, orbs falling to close.
    “Yvette! Get your ass out of bed! You’ll be late!” That shrill yell made me bolt upright, as it did every morning. It was my mother, and she always seemed to know when I was sleeping; a sixth sense or something.
    I let out a faint whimper and crawled out of bed, dropping to my chest on the wooden floor. The icy wood floor sent goose bumps racing across my pale skin and forced my eyes to open in alarm. I shoved myself up and scrambled to my dresser, grabbing out clothes for that day of hell.
    “Are you out of bed yet?” Another faithful yell to be sure I was awake.
    “Yes, ma’am.” The only thing to come to mind, an instinct response.
    Scrambling from my room I shifted to the kitchen, tripping over my little sisters shoes on the way. I let out a yawn as I pulled a doughnut from above the toaster. My dad greeted me with a smile and I waved with my free hand as I rummaged through my purse, chewing a bite of the chocolate covered pastry.
    “Need money for school, Yvette?” He already had his hand in his pocket and was rummaging for his money wad. I swallowed hard to get the food down and nodded, responding as always:
    “Only two bucks, daddy. I just need soda in the morning and soda in the afternoon.”
    He stood up and laid two dollars on the counter as he picked up his coffee. He walked by and placed his lips to my temple. I gave him a half-hug, not wanting to get doughnut on him.
    “Have a good day, sweetie.”
    And with that he turned and left the house, not another word spoken, and my brother following in silence from his room. Quickly I shoved the rest of my morning delight down my throat, moving to the front door to be sure my books were on the small wicker table. I could hear my mom rummaging in her room for something and I moved toward my bathroom. I snatched a blue brush from the counter and rolled my eyes, chuckling as I traversed to the opposite side of the house. The master bedroom door flung open and with the door came my moms yell:
    “Where’s my damn brush?”
    I held up the brush and laughed. She paused and just stopped to stare, then laughed.
    “Destiny?”
“Yep.”
    We both couldn’t help but to laugh; Destiny is my little sister who always takes everything that isn’t hers, uses it, and then has a habit of leaving it in places that practically announce that it was her. But our moment of joy would be cut short as the blaring horn of my ride came from the mucky outside air. I sighed and turned, heading for my books. The horn sounded and in turn my counter received a punch as I hastened past it:
    “I’m coming! God delicately!”
    My books were snatched up and my feet carrying me briskly out the door, jade eyes rolling as I spotted my friend, bobbing her head in the driver seat. I crawled into the passenger seat and set my books in my lap. She of course had her music blaring in my ears, and instinctively my fingers snapped out to flick the music down.
    “Aw, come on, Eve! My favorite part is coming up!” My annoyed eyes fell to my friend, Samantha Benson. She was the cute girl in school; everyone knew who she was even if they didn’t like her. I had grown up with her as my neighbor, and she was always there for me, even if she was a bit out of this world.
    With a laugh she threw her brown ponytail over her shoulder, turning her deep brown eyes behind her as she pulled from my driveway. In moments we were speeding for the school. I leaned on the window, letting my temple rest on the frigid glass. The sunrise had entranced me, as always; fingertips lightly traced along the icy glass, feeling for the delicate clouds. But soon enough the school blocked my dreams and I snapped from my trance. The engine turned off and I stood from my seat, slamming the door shut with my rump. Act two of my day was about to begin.
    Sam turned and waved to me, then ran off to catch up with her friends. I was the backbone of her friends; forgotten until needed for support. I gave a lazy wave and turned, heading for my first stop of the morning; the soda machines.
    Here, in school, I was well known. Some people hated me, some people loved me, and others simply overlooked me. People came begging when they needed a five-minute lesson on something before a test for class; I was the brain. I didn’t mind; I wanted to be a teacher of some sort. The subject was something I wasn’t concerned with; I wanted to teach everything and anything.
    I pulled the single from my purse and slid it into the machine, slamming my fist to the large Cherry Pepsi button. I slammed it again, and then looked to the small screen, only to be disappointed to see Sold Out scrolling across. I sighed and took my dollar, moving on towards class.
    First period always seemed to fly by; History had always been my top subject. I knew most of the answers before we were assigned the chapter, and every year I dazzled my teachers with the knowledge I had on the topics they distributed. I sat in the back, doing the notes we had been assigned for the day. Three girls looked on with me, copying what I wrote, and hanging on to my every word; I taught them. I would explain everything I wrote to the full extent so that they understood it as we went, and quite often I got them interested as well. It was all a matter of word choice. I finished the notes and continued to answer questions the girls had; something always confused them.
    Soon the bell rang and I smiled and shrugged, heading for my next class after a simple wave over my shoulder. As soon as I reached this class I set to work. Assignment one of every day: feed the fish. We had five large tanks in our classroom, and every day two others and myself were sure they were fed. I was always teased and called the “teachers pet” in this class. I loved Marine Science; the enchanting realm of the deep always fascinated me. This class seemed to glide by swiftly. We generally watched movies, taking down notes and answering questions, and then for the ending of the class we would have an open group discussion. My classmates taunted me because of the stories I had. I have many experiences from the ocean, and I am always happy to share. They eventually began to call me the storyteller.
    The bell rang and I headed to my next class; a class I could relax in. Theatre, acting levels three. My class was small, and everyone in the class was unique in their own way; something signified who they were. Everyone had a word to describe them. This class flew by; between the teachers alluring lectures, full of action and bewilderment, and the activities we did I always was startled to see class ending. And of course, it ended with my class leaving in laughter as I sauntered out, striding to my next class with a broad grin.
    Math; the all time-hated subject among students at any school, anywhere. And I was just like them, every single one of those students who had joined the national club of I.H.M.F.L. I Hate Math For Life. Until this year anyway. This year I had a teacher who had compelled me to look past the signs, the confusing and distracting symbols. This year my teacher taught me something no other math teacher could get through with; it’s all simple. I always hung onto her lessons on the edge of my seat, taking notes like never before. And like my other classes I was always disappointed to hear the bell ring.
    My next class was quick paced, but for new reasons. This class had to meet deadlines; this was my class of responsibility. Yearbook was a full time class that you couldn’t stop to breathe it. Everything had a deadline; and it wasn’t just a grade for the class, it was a project the entire school looked forward to at the end of the year. Between twenty-five students we always managed to meet our deadlines laughing, though. This is also where I went to lunch.
    “Eve, are you coming to lunch this time?” The familiar voice of Jenny came from the doorway and I turned in my seat. Sometimes I would skip lunch to meet a deadline; next year I would be the Editor, and I had to learn the responsibility. I smiled, pondering for a moment, and then turned back to my computer. I clicked save and off I went, moving to Jenny’s side quickly. Our arms linked and we headed for class.
    Jenny had been my close friend since Middle School and I doubted I would ever loose her. Jenny wasn’t as popular as Samantha, but she was well known... for different reasons. Jenny was dating a popular senior, and had been for a couple years. Naturally they were known as one of The Couples of the school. We would meet up with our friend, Alyse, in the cafeteria. All three of us were in the same class, but Alyse always wanted to run ahead of us to snag a kiss from her boyfriend, and be sure the freshman didn’t snag our table outside. Jenny and I sat and ate with everyone like we did everyday. We had a small group at lunch, all crowding out table in the sun as we ate. For the most part I would rant about an issue in the school that bothered me, and everyone would sit to listen, laughing and agreeing. After lunch the three of us returned to class to finish up our projects of the day. And once more, before I could realize the concept of time, the bell would ring.
    Sixth period was there, and the day was nearly gone. My next class had always been my favorite subject, but somehow the students I shared my class with made me want to never be there. My teacher was amazing, and she was an interesting woman indeed; but she was too nice to her students and laughed when they were in trouble. It drove me insane, and so most of the time I would sit quietly in the back and do my work, and then head back to my Yearbook class to finish a deadline. This class dragged, and I awaited the bell.
    My long unwanted class had finally come, the last class of the day. My language class: French II. I loved the language the French spoke, and I loved the country, but learning to speak their tongue was something I was finding very difficult. I didn’t understand any of it, and so I always dreaded coming to this class. This class dragged, and I was constantly looking over my shoulder to the time. Finally the end of the day would come and the final bell rang. I would head to my last stop of the day: the soda machines. This time I knew the cherry would be empty, and I would receive the next best thing, Vanilla Pepsi.

    To the front of the school I would tread, going to meet my ride home: my boyfriend, Calvin. Everyday people could see me walking fast across the parking lot to where I would meet him. And everyday I would kiss him tenderly before climbing into the truck. He smiled and started the truck and we headed for home. Once home we moved on to do our same routine. I went straight to the computer to check my E-Mails and he moved to the kitchen to look for decent stomach filler after a day of work.
    After my mailboxes had been scanned and wiped out I moved off to start the next phase of my day. Work. Quickly I moved while rummaging for my clean work clothes, and hunting for my nametag; I only had thirty minutes to be there. Soon enough I was dressed and I headed to the kitchen to find Calvin. And of course, there he stood, munching on something he had apparently mixed from leftovers.
    Within five minutes we were heading to my job, where I was a local cashier. I arrived and waved hello to everyone, then hurried to the time clock. With the punch of a button my job mind set took over. I moved to my register and put on my smile. In seconds I had a customer and I was carrying on casual conversations with people I would never see again; unless of course they became a usual customer.
    Soon enough my friend, Marc, came up, making a casual joke as a hint that it was time for my lunch.
    “Get outta here!” He laughed and leaned on the counter behind me. I chuckled and nodded, finishing up with my customer. I turned and nudged Marc, laughing.
    “I can’t leave if you’re in the way!” He laughed and we traded places. I headed off to the time clock, and soon enough I was free. I moved to the Chinese Food place next door and ordered my favorite food; Chinese chicken and broccoli. I sat down to wait for my food, and once it was done I paid the cashier with a smile, heading from the shop with a promise of returning the next day.
    I stopped at the picnic bench out front of the store, smiling and chatting merrily with the others that were on their break. Some would be smoking, some complaining in a never ending blur of how the managers had annoyed them that day. I would most of the time sit and laugh, eating my steamy food with chop sticks, and when my thirty minutes were up I left the leftovers there; they would finish off what I didn’t.
    Back to the time clock I went, and once more it stole my true mood as soon as my badge swiped through. I headed back to my register, beginning my cheery and chipper facade for coworkers and customers to watch in amazement. Customers would complain, and coworkers would be silly as they made their friend for five minutes smile with them.

    The time would come when my manager came and told me to punch out, and I would finish off my last customer before clicking off that light; my work for the night was done. I headed to the time clock for the fourth and final time in one day, punching out and heading for the door with purse slung across shoulder, bouncing off my hip. I stepped outside; waving one last time to those still stuck working.
    Outside I paused, green eyes gazing across dark parking lot for the crimson Chevy that would be parked somewhere. A smile always graced said lips as I hurried to the truck, a skip in my step. Most of the time when I looked through the side window I would find Will sleeping peacefully upon the seat, stretched and with his phone set upon his chest.
    The door was pulled open with a creek and those gorgeous bright green eyes opened to look up to me. A gentle kiss was always given to waken him up, and then off we went, heading back to my house. We would park in the driveway and I would lie down upon the truck’s bench, my head resting to his chest and upper limbs slipping about his upper torso in a tender embrace.
    For nearly thirty minutes we would relax in the front of the truck, his arms about me, and my head to his chest. We always found interesting conversations that could make us laugh, and make us cry. When the clock turned to eleven I knew I had to go inside, and so I did. A final kiss of passion before I hopped from the truck and headed inside.
    My purse was discarded by the door as a wave of sound hit me, contrasting to the quiet smiles Calvin and I had worn only moments before. My brother and his friends were on the back porch; having their usual party as they chatted about what girls they wanted to hook up with for the night. My mother was reclined on the couch, trying to enjoy her television, a bland expression upon her face.
    I headed for my room swiftly, waving to my sister, who was always in my room, eating dinner on my bed as she chatted away on the phone with her boyfriend. I stripped down to my bra and underwear and pulled on pajama pants and a t-shirt. Then I returned to my computer, a new goal this time rather then to check mail. To Role Play as I had been doing since I was nine.

Role play: when a person takes that of their imagination and acts it out or writes it out in some manner or form; to create a character from ones imagination and create and play out their life

    Role-playing had always been my way to escape reality, and this was my way to create the worlds I always dreamed up, designing characters and setting myself to their mindset. I could change anything I ever thought drastically just by creating a character; by creating that character I could create a new way of life, a way of life that could never be my own, but was always interesting to think about.
    My own character was named Lushis Darkos-Khaine, a witch back in medieval times that was cursed to live for eternity and a Knight for the kingdom of Khentil with her husband, King Baedan Khaine. She protected and fought for the kingdom, valiantly and firmly; nothing could change her mind. She did something she wanted, anything she desired.... she was the eternal witch that lived on my imagination.
Chapter One

Logging on… LushisDarkos@aol.com
Connecting to server…
Checking password…
Receiving data…
Welcome, Yvette!
You’ve got mail, Yvette!

“Lushis! Come along, our horses are ready.” The voice was deep and gruff, eager and full of wear.
“I’m coming, dear, one moment. Qoladyn is nearly asleep.” Soft and gentle; this voice contrasted to the first greatly. Standing over a cradle was a lovely woman, of a unique beauty, an almost haunting beauty. Long curly black hair flowed over her shoulders and down to her hips, the tips flicking with her every move, swaying like waves on the ocean. Pale ghostly skin was smooth and creamy, her face smooth and perfectly defined. Her lips were black and plush, parting lightly to emit a tender voice, a single note gently floating to the air. Endless grey orbs gazed lovingly down upon a wee little baby that lay comfortably in her arms.
These eyes were by far the most hypnotizing of this woman’s features. Those eyes were round and innocent, and yet once you locked eyes with her you would feel the hands of death gripping your soul. Her iris was not the usual brown or blue, they were deep endless gray, swirling with a never-ending void that could entrance the gods. Her pupil was not to be seen, nowhere within that endless gaze. Her eyes had no white to them, and the mist within them seemed to swirl, turning with unlimited time.
She rocked the baby girl ever so lightly in her arms, singing a song that was passed throughout her kingdom of Khraedan as one of the well-known lullabies. The baby’s black curly hair fell in her pale face, her misty eyes gazing up at her mother tenderly, dazed with sleepiness. Her small fingers held a small gem in her hand, deep red and making lights dance on the walls and ceiling about the room from the hit of light.
A final note was released from the last flick of her tongue and the baby girl was finally asleep. The woman called Lushis lightly laid the baby to the cradle before her, smiling and lightly as the baby girl was laid beside her twin brother, Mordecai. Lushis placed a tender kiss to both their heads, and then turned and with a fluster from her silken grey robes she headed from the room. She turned outside the door and swiftly drew the double doors shut, waiting for the click of the door before turning sharply with a call.
“Send for my horse! I want my armor prepared, and my blade and wand at ready! Move it!” The men about her hurried off at her orders and she headed down the long emptying hallway for the stairs. As she moved men rushed to her side, asking of her certain things, asking for her guidance. With kindness and assurance she sent them all on their way. She stopped at the top of the stairs.
“Where has my husband gone?”
“Your majesty, he has gone ahead to the army and is being sure everyone is ready.” A man said, pausing at her side. “Shall I send him word you are on your way?”
“No, that’s fine. I will be there soon enough and I will be sure things are perfect.”
She vanished down the stairs, leaving the others at the top. She turned into the first door on her right and smiled, looking about and sighing in relief. She had entered a large room filled with a soft pink smoke and a single round window opened by a crack so she could hear the noise below. She moved to the window and peeked out to find the army of Khraedan marching from the city walls. The castle she had built was at the entrance to the kingdom, large and looming over everything below. The kingdom was busy and quick paced, and the people looked at the fabulous castle like a jewel. It was set to the entrance so that the King and Queen would always be able to greet anyone who entered, say farewell to any who left, and stop any army that dared to try and breech their gates.
She pushed her window open wide and leaned far out the window till only her hips and knees locked her within. Her delicate pale fingers outstretched and her body lifted so that it extended straight from the building. Her ghostly grey eyes seemed to shine and the swirling mist froze in a slick solid appearance. Her soft haunting tone emitted and her tongue rolled delicately a simple elven phrase:
“Palol jhol ail si mia!” From her fingertips shot an array of lights, glittering and swirling high into the sky. They seemed to dance and put on a show, and everyone below would be sure to see the Queen’s farewell. The army below had stopped and looked up to the sky, and with an uproar from the armies their weapons lifted and throughout the kingdom the echo of the Khraedan soldiers echoed, assuring the people within the firm gates they would return home victorious.
Lushis smiled and pulled back inside the window, turning she moved swiftly to a tall wardrobe along the far fall, flinging it open in grace. She snatched from the darkness a long deep grey robe, heavy and seemingly meant to shine. With its movement it seemed to let off an aura, and the hems seemed to flutter. Her gown was stripped off and from the closet she pulled a new dress, a black-scaled armor; each scale seemed to hold a new enchantment.
The armor was pulled on, piece by piece; everything tied firmly and precisely. She turned and grabbed the robe and swung it on swiftly, heading for the door. Her scaled boots slid quietly on the stone, and her robes twisted and swirled behind her. Her gloved hand snatched out and she paused by the door, her fingertips lightly gripping a long slender piece of perfectly carved wood. She pulled it up, looking at it. She smiled and chuckled.
“Let’s win a battle. Sheba! Demonya! Come along!” She turned and headed from the room, and with the flick of the piece of wood the fireplace went out. The slender piece of wood was a wand!
Quickly from the room came two people, a tall brawny man with long flowing deep blue hair, and a small elegant woman with long white hair. The man wore chain-linked armor and carried a helmet under his arm, a sword on his hip. His face was stern and void of emotion, and thin slit cat eyes glanced about sharply; he didn’t seem to trust anyone. The woman wore long sky blue robes that fell on her well-framed form in a heavy fashion, hiding her beauty. Her face was flawless, pale and thin. Her soft brown eyes looked at the man, then to Lushis and she quickly hurried to the Queen’s side.
“Mistress, where do we go today for battle?” Her voice was small, hardly a whisper.
“No where.”
“What? I refuse to sit here, doing nothing important!” The man froze in his walk, his once emotionless face now coiled in rage. Lushis paused and turned to face them both. The man stood, clutching both the hilt of his blade, and his helmet tightly. Sheba had paused beside Demonya, her hands folded neatly before her.
“I need you both to stay here and protect the kingdom. Qoladyn and Mordecai need you more than Baedan and I.” Lushis explained, looking between them both. She continued, “They are both in bed already, and I expect to be back in two days…but I won’t risk it.”
Demonya snarled, his mouth opening to protest, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth and gritted his jaws together. In a huff he stormed past Lushis, slamming past her. Lushis shifted only slightly from his large form, but she fixed her gaze on Sheba.
“I am counting on you both to protect my babies… Please, Sheba, do your best.”
Sheba smiled gently and nodded and moved to Lushis, lightly curtsying and looking up at her.
“Fight your best, Mistress Darkos-Khaine.”
Lushis smiled and lightly kissed Sheba on the head. She stepped back and turned, vanishing in a wisp of smoke. Sheba sighed and turned, heading off after Demonya, speaking a bit louder so he would hear:
“Be rational, Demonya!” Her petite voice echoed down the halls. The slamming of the door showed his response.

Lushis appeared in a flurry outside the castle at the front steps, the army still marching by. Now the full amount of noise would be heard. The heavy falling of armored boots hit the floor, synchronized and rhythmic. The streets were littered with sad voices, and cheering children. This kingdom was well known for its warriors, and they had never lost a battle.
Looking around Lushis was aware of all the men who were receiving their farewells before marching off to become heroes. But they were not just men, and Lushis would see that. Young sons were promising their mothers to come home; husbands were bidding their children and wives farewell. Brothers were hugging their siblings and sharing a final laugh from a childhood joke. Fathers were kissing their children and whispering how much they loved them, and grandfathers were saying their final good bye to their wives, children, and grandchildren.
It was traditional for a man to die at war, and if they died any other way they would not be so well respected. Every man who marched off to war returned a hero, unless the man was nearing his final days. It would be his choice on whether he returned home or not; and the men knew they would allow themselves to be a sacrifice to the enemies grasp. They knew when to say goodbye, and trust the mother of souls to guide them to the next world.
Her eyes fell shut and she merely listened to it all: the tears, the laughter, and the assurance of victory. Her warriors had heart, and bravery. They had the spirits of warriors, and all of Rhydin had grown to know and fear that fact.
Her eyes opened just as a woman approached her side, and she turned, lightly taking the reins of her merry paint horse, Joker. He was a soft beach sand color, with deep chocolate patches across his form, and two bright blue eyes. His mane was long and black, with streaks of white throughout, and his muscles toned and strong from constant activity. Lushis turned and kissed her horse tenderly on the nose, whispering softly to him:
“Another day, another battle, another day in which you get to play with the dead.”
Joker whinnied and nodded his head, a spark in his eyes showing the anticipation the beast had to get on the battlefield. The horse had a cloth saddle on his back, and a halter. She gripped the reins and set her foot sturdily into the stirrup. With a swift heave she was on the horse’s back. She looked down to the woman as she stepped back and smiled.
“We’ll be home soon enough, Miss.”
The woman smiled and nodded, sweeping into a curtsy for the queen. With a click of her tongue the paint leapt down the flight of stairs, tossing his head with a whiny. Her wand was drawn from its set place between her breasts and raised into the air. She smiled, and twirled the wand, making jets of black and gold shoot into the air in a bright show.
“Thys Cadal!” She closed her eyes and listened as every warrior in Khraedan echoed back what she had said. Another call: “Thys Cadal!” Echoed, and ongoing throughout the kingdom. Once more, she called out: “Thys Cadal!” But this time not only did the warriors echo it back; every girl, boy, woman, and warrior echoed it. Lushis opened those silver eyes and smiled, cantering down the center of the street towards the massive gates as everyone shifted to the side. Her wand lowered and she whispered softly to herself, “For Khraedan…”
She burst from the gates and headed for the valley just beyond her lands, smiling as her wand was slipped between her breasts once more. Hundreds of warriors were already on their march to the valley. Down in the valley there was a podium in which a man stood, tall and full of valor. He had a sword raised in the air and his speech bellowed and shook the valley. Every warrior stood at attention, listening with enthralled ears:
“We have fought this war for a thousand years, but this will be our final battle! The Darkness will be vanquished once and for all, and Khraedan will be allowed to live in peace without a King crawling to our gates, begging for our protection! No more! We Khraedian’s need to live, and not only by the word of the sword! We need a life of our own! After this battle we will vanquish Queen Serenity and her fowl minions of manipulation! We will conquer!”
Uproar came from the warriors, a cheer of agreement, of settlement. Lushis couldn’t understand it; these people had been warriors for as long as time could remember and had lived by nothing but the sword. How could they lay aside shield and sword and simply turn to life as a farmer? To simply just become a shoemaker, herder, butcher? She just didn’t understand why such valiant warriors would turn from such marvel.
As she neared she knew the man on the podium was now watching her, and once his eyes fell on her so would every other set of eyes in the valley. She bowed her head as she came into the crowd, giving them all acknowledgement at once. She dismounted quickly as she neared the podium, landing and jogging to stand at his side. She took his hands in her own and he leaned in, tenderly kissing her upon the lips. Her black satin lips smiled as she returned the perfect lip lock, her eyes shutting as the valley cheered on their King and Queen. She pulled from the kiss, her fingers linking in her husbands delicately; her small pale hand in his large scarred one.
She lifted her free hand high into the air, smiling broadly and calling out:
“Warriors of Khraedan, this may be the first battle of a never ending war, or the last of your lives! Your families sit at home, cozy by the fire as they await word of your safety! Our Lord, Kaden Zaletar, will guard and guide us through this hellish battle and bring us out victorious! I hereby bestow this gift upon you! Breathe of a mermaid; our battle resides along the ocean’s edge and I dare not risk my men.”
She pulled her wand from its resting place and swung her hand straight into the air before whipping it around sharply and whispering softly, “Sharaes Shaer!” From the tip of her wand spouted a brilliant show of greens and blues, sparkling and covering the army in a blanket of magic. Each warrior glowed, and the air seemed to hold fast for a moment. Every warrior seemed uplifted and relieved of any stress. They calmly looked to their queen.
“Vision of the vampire; our foes fight in the night and so we strike back with as much brutality as they lash at us. Bol borol!”
Another jet of lights dancing over the warriors, but this time the lights were dim and black, and throughout the endless veil was a vein of green, glinting sharply before moving and pulsating. Each warrior shuddered and clenched their eyes shut; eventually they opened and their attention returned to Lushis.
“Swiftness of the elves; we fight the Jakoshanjian’s in this war, and we must match their grace and stealth. Tyli molaelia!”
The last spell seemed to not even be cast, for nothing emerged from the wand. But every warrior would feel its effects. Every warrior closed their eyes and inhaled silently, their body relaxing. The witches’ voice stirred them from the trance and they all turned to look at her when she spoke:
“This battle will be long, and tedious, but this battle will be the one our people remember ‘til the ends of time! Before I came here to Khraedan, before I became a warrior, I was a simple witch, cursed to never find her love and wander this realm ‘til the world rotted away. I thought things would never change; but then a miracle happened. I met Baedan Khaine, your king and your protector. I met him and things changed. He was married in Khentil to Hannah Rooke, and yet I desired him so. I waited, and waited, end as time passed as it always did for me; he fell in love with me.
I thought things would never change, that I would forever be alone, and that Baedan would be just another haunting memory. But then the day came when he proposed to me, he told me of his love for me. I couldn’t believe such a thing; how could I? I accepted anyway, and secretly I became your Queen. Hannah ended up leaving Baedan and I came here to give Khraedan its heirs. I became your Queen, your witch, your warrior, and your protector all because of a miracle.
This day another miracle shall come to me; this battle will be the end. This battle will be the beginning. Every miracle has a pattern. It ends something, and creates something. This miracle will end the fighting, the death, and the sorrow. This battle will create a new life for our people. It will create a new world for Rhydin.”
She paused and smiled softly, then looked to Baedan and nodded, then back to the army before her. They were all soaking in her words, smiles creeping onto some faces while on others tears streamed down their cheeks. Lushis released her husband’s hand and stepped down from the podium. The warriors around her kneeled down and soon enough a wave of large men in armor was on one knee, their heads lowered. She lightly set her hand to rest on the head of the nearest man. She spoke softly to everyone.
“Kaden…protect us from the tragedies of war, and bring us home safely to our homes and our families. Guide us. Protect us.”
The warriors kneeled in silence for a long moment, and then Lushis stepped back and moved to Joker, patting his back. With a whiny he tossed his head and every soldier stood at the ready, getting in their lines and hardened faces glaring straight ahead as they all mounted their war rides. They were warriors, and they were ready to kill anyone and anything to protect. Lushis swung onto her stallion as her husband moved to her side on his own steed. She smiled and looked to her husband, her king, placing a final kiss upon his cheek. With a whiny the horses bolted off, side-by-side, neck and neck.
The army sounded like a bellowing storm, a thick cloud of dust flying and twisting about each warrior. Emerging opposite of the kingdom the army set off for battle; nothing could stop them. They were the Army of the Immortal Flame.
































Chapter Two

The sound of a rooster broke the humid morning sleep, awaking the farm and the dwellers within. But within the red brick house noise was amiss; the rooster was not needed there.
Dressed and ready to go, Heather moved in the kitchen, making pancakes and sausage. Short brown hair was held back by a light blue bandana. She wore a blue t-shirt with the name ‘Wild Bull College’ on the front, and a pair of bullhorns in the décor behind it. Blue jeans hugged her slender hips and defined her strong rodeo legs.
“Josh! Are you up yet? You’re foods gunna get cold and be fed to Buttercup and Pixie!” she called over her shoulder as she set a hot plate of breakfast at the cozy little table. She headed for the door and snatched up a big grey bucket on the way. She moved outside and to the side of the house where a pipe led from the house and into a massive bin that smelled repulsive. She swung the bucket around and dragged it through the putrid smock. She lifted it up and out and began the walk to the large pin down by the stable.
She stopped at the fence and smiled, heaving the bucket around she swung it heavily, throwing the muck and slop all over two large potbelly pigs. With deep grunts the large creatures shifted and began to open their morning-crusted eyes.
“Come on Pixie…Come on Buttercup. It’s time to get up!” She smiled, clipping the bucket to a hook on the outside of the pen. She turned and headed for the barn, chuckling at the grunts of pleasure coming from behind her; it seemed the pigs had found the scrambled eggs she had dropped.
She stopped outside the barn to unlock the large steel padlock on the outside. The barn was pulled open and the sun poured inside, making the dust show, and the owls ruffle in the rafters. She smirked, placing her hands to her lips. She took in a deep breath and released lightly into her hands, emitting a low owl-like whistle. It echoed and in response rustling came from every stall and feathers fell from the rafters as the owls settled into their nests.
She headed down the center of the barn, looking from left and right, smiling as a large horse head came from each and every pen. She stopped at the last stall and crossed her arms, turning to face a wide open door. Inside the small area was no horse or creature of any kind. She leaned back slightly and looked towards the front of the barn again.
She headed down the center once more, pausing and peeking into every stall. She stopped when it came to the last two and smirked, looking over to the one on the left where a gorgeous black mare watched her. All the other steeds seemed to be watching in anticipation. She grinned and turned around, moving towards the stall on the right, and then at last minute she turned, grabbing the black mares’ gate and swinging it open. Just as it opened every stallion and mare let out a shrill whiny, and from the shadows of the black mare bolted a black colt, tossing his head and prancing on scrawny legs.
She laughed and watched as the baby moved to each and every gate that kept the horses trapped within; biting it in his teeth and pulling them wide open for the horses to be released. Heather ran down the center of the stable and flung open the gate that led to the pasture. Just as she jumped to the side the herd of twelve horses cantered past, the black mare and colt leading the herd and a large brown stallion nudging the mares from behind to get them moving faster.
She chuckled and shook her head as she watched them all play. She clipped the gate to the pasture open and moved back towards the exit of the stable. As soon as she stepped outside she shut the massive double door, ready to clip them shut.
“Heather! Orc stole my shoe!”
A laugh was released and she pushed the padlock up, clipping it into place. She turned and headed for the house, letting out a shrill high-pitched whistle. A deep heavy bark emitted from the house. She cupped her hands about her mouth and called out:
“Orc!”
Out of the front door bounded a big bloodhound, a shiny black shoe in his big drooling mouth. Heather planted her feet and froze, Orc stopping a couple feet in front of her, kicking up dirt. He lowered his head towards he ground and lifted his rump high in the air, his thick tail flopping back and forth merrily.
A little boy with a buzz cut and blue school uniform came on the front porch, wearing a single shoe. His face was red, and he was holding his other sock. He face was scrunched up in frustration, then when he spotted his sister and Orc and his frown turned to a broad goofy smile.
“Get ‘em, Heather!” He yelled out, stepping forward on the porch. The moment he called out the hound launched forward, heading to her left side. Heather jerked to the side, dipping her heels into the earth heavily as she caught the hound by the shoulders, swinging around and slamming him to the ground. The dog scrambled and tried to shake her off, but in the end he realized it to be impossible to shake the woman off. He dropped the shoe and went limp.
She laughed and snatched up the shoe, tossing it to her brother quickly. Orc lay there for a moment, but then his large brown eyes caught something else that interested him. Buttercup and Pixie were now rolling in the muck; he darted for the pen, barking merrily.
Heather stood up and dusted herself off. She headed to the porch and looped her arm about his neck and they headed inside. Soon enough the bus had come to pick up Josh and Heather was going to be ready to head to her own school.
Heather snatched up her backpack and moved outside. She looked about just as a long black stretch limo pulled up in front of her. Into it she climbed it and sighed, throwing her bag on the seat. The limo headed down the road calmly and she began to gaze out the window. She was off to veterinarian school.
The whole day seemed to float past, following its same routine on fake surgeries and animal check-ups. At the end of school her limo picked her up then headed for Josh’s school. She began working on a twelve-page report on her laptop, as she would wait the next two hours for him to get out of school.

Within the school Josh was in the library, reading a book on bears. His class was doing a project on animals, and he had chosen brown bears. He sat alone by a bookshelf, blocking out the noise of his classmates, and hiding him from their sight. But something caught his ears; the librarian, Ms. White was talking to his teacher, Mr. Henderson. His soft brown eyes lifted slightly from the bear roaring in his book silently.
“His sister takes care of him; her and all that money.” Stated Mr. Henderson.
“Don’t they have maids? You would think so.” Ms. White responded with a huff.
“Nope. They have a chauffer they call Teddy.”
“What about the ranch? Don’t they have like…twenty horses? They have to have stable hands.”
“Heather won’t let anyone but Josh, Teddy, and herself near the ranch. It was her mothers get away.”
“Good God, she’ll kill herself! What an idiot of a girl!”
He closed his book and stood, running from the library. He ignored the yells from Mr. Henderson, and Mr. White, urging him back.
He ran past the buildings and out to the front gate. It was locked shut, as he knew it would be. He slid his book under it and moved to the brick wall. Steadily he began to ascend up the wall, his eyes tearing up as he muttered to himself:
“They should all die…they haven’t a clue, morons.”
He reached the top of the wall and took a piece of the barbed wire into his hands. He lifted it up slowly and lifted one of the bricks upright, suspending the wire about a foot in the air. His jacket was tugged off and he tied it about the wire loosely. He then climbed up to perch on the wall, sliding his feet through first and slowly coming out the other side. The barbwire was unwrapped and dropped back into place before he began to climb back down the giant wall.
He landed with a huff and headed for the gate to gather his book. He stooped down and snatched it up, holding his torn jacket loosely in his hands.
“Another torn jacket, Josh?” A man in a black suit was standing by the limousine, a cigarette in his mouth and pulling the back door open for the boy. “I will patch it up at the house. You really should stop doing that; I think your sister is ready to ring your neck.” He winked and flicked his cigarette aside.
Josh smiled faintly and moved towards the limousine, looking up to him and smiling brightly. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and looked into the vehicle. He quickly hopped in, sitting beside his sister, as the door was slid shut gently. Within moments the front door was opened and shut.
“Joshua, you gotta stop runnin’ off like that.” Heather hadn’t looked up from her laptop. He rolled her hiss, leaning on the door as he opened his book and flipped through the pages. She continued: “I’m serious. I can’t keep bailin’ ya out. You can only use mom and dad for an excuse for so long.”
“Yeah…I get it…” He mumbled, rolling down the window and watching the street pass by beneath them. They were silent aside from the quiet clicking of her keys being punched. Finally he broke the silence as he sat back, rolling up the window. “What’ll happen to me if you die, Heather? You won’t leave me, will you?”
The clicking stopped and Heather looked up to him slowly, blinking in shock. She seemed dumbfounded by this rather sudden remark. “I…umm… Josh… I ain’t leavin’ ya any time soon… I promise.” She closed her laptop and set it on the seat to her left. She pulled him into her arms and held him close. She sighed faintly, kissing his temple softly.
“Mom and dad didn’t plan on dying either, Heather… They didn’t make the men come.” He dropped his head to her chest, tears streaming down his cheeks. She kissed his head again.
“I know, Josh… And they would be here if they could… But if I die, you’ll be in custody of Teddy. He’ll take care of you like he has always taken care of us. He is one of the family… Right, Teddy?”
The chauffer smiled, looking in the rearview mirror.
“Of course, Miss Heather. I’ll always be here. I’ve was here for your parents since your sister was only five, and I’ll be here ‘til you turn fifty, Josh.” He smiled kindly, continuing to drive.
Josh nodded, continuing to cuddle into his sister. She smiled at Teddy softly, always so grateful for him being here. He was and always had been there for her family. He had never once failed them, and treated the kids like his own. He was a man in his late thirties, and lived in the mansion with them on the first floor. He has always been around, and been their only support when their parents died.
Her eyes closed as she recalled that day:

The sun was high in the sky and the family was enjoying their first Saturday together in a month. Heather was sitting on the white and blue checkered blanket next to Josh, petting Orc, who was laying in her lap panting from the Texas sun. A beautiful woman was standing beside a large mustang with white hair, smiling and stroking its bangs softly. Her blue jeans hugged her slender hips and framed her strong riding legs. Her shirt was a button up collared shirt, pink with black lace. Long brown hair was in a light pink ribbon on the back of her head.
A tall brawny man was standing a yard away, flipping burgers on a large silver grill. He wore a black cowboy hat and matching boots with a silver tip. His shirt was green and buttoned up the front, his scruffy blonde hair hanging in a ponytail on his back. He looked over to the beautiful woman, smiling and waving with the spatula.
She smiled and waved back, laughing before carrying on casual conversation with her daughter, coming to sit on the blanket.
“You rode wonderfully in the show! You’ll be a champ some day, Heather.”
“Thanks, momma’. I hope so.” Heather smiled, picking up Orc’s ball and hurling it across the field. Orc took off after the ball, Josh laughing and following after him. Heather sat beside her mother, smiling. They looked so much alike, only Heather was much shorter, and her mother had more curve.
The afternoon continued to carry on, the family of four laughing as they ate hamburgers and hotdogs, Orc terrorizing the mustang. A dirt bike was heading across the pasture, the many horses running away from it; the mustang by the family however didn’t move, and Orc was distracted, now barking at the bike. The rider was Teddy, his face twisted in distress.
He peeled out on the bike and looked at them all:
“My pardons, but we have poachers on the land, and they are hunting the cows.”
Lily, the mother, gasped as she jumped to her feet and running to her mustang. She mounted the horse bareback, extending a hand to her husband, whom was already running for her. The couple both mounted the large stallion and Lily looked to her children.
“Stay here…Teddy, watch the children.”
“Colin, here.” Teddy hurried towards the father, extending a rifle towards him with a stern look. Colin took the gun and nodded, his free hand falling to his wife’s waist as the mustang took off.
Heather stood with Josh, holding his shoulders as Orc followed after Lilly and Colin, barking wildly. Heather looked to Teddy, who was holding the bike upright. She then moved forward, grabbing the bikes handles.
“Teddy, watch Josh, don’t let him out of your sight.” Heather demanded, going to mount the bike; but Teddy held it firmly and shook his head.
“Miss, I had orders to stay here and watch you. I can’t watch you if you run off to watch some poachers get stopped.”
“No, she told you to watch the children, Ted, not their twenty year old college student… Teddy, please. Let me go help them.” She looked at him, smiling gently. He sighed, looking down and shaking his head.
“I’m going to get fired one of these times… I know I am. Go on, Miss.” He handed her the bike and she mounted it quickly.
“Teddy, you’d never be fired. Face it… You are stuck with us.” She winked and revved up the bike, taking off after her parents.

She reached the forest that her parents owned, only to find the mustang out on the edge, tied to a branch. The mustang looked very startled, very jittery. She headed through the woods, driving the bike steadily. She stopped the bike to listen, only to hear a gunshot. She turned the bike and headed for the shot, peeling out at the sight before her. Her bike spun, sliding away from her as she landed on the dirt.
There lay her father, bleeding from the chest as his blood pulsed from his mouth. Lily stood, holding the rifle, aiming it for five men across from her. They all held a weapon each, some had shotguns, and others had rifles, some had magnums. Heather couldn’t move in fear and Lily spotted her.
“Heather, get out of here! Run! Call the police!” The men looked over towards Heather, but a gunshot was fired from Lily at one of the men, distracting them from the girl. Lily ducked behind a tree as the man she shot dropped to the ground, a hole in his forehead where he had been hit dead on.
Heather turned, running for the exit of the forest with wide teary eyes. She could hear gunshots behind her and stopped to turn back. The men and her mother were fighting…and her mother was alone. She was ready to go help, but remembered her mothers’ orders. She turned and ran for the edge of the forest, looking around. They were a mile from the house, and two from her brother and Teddy. She grabbed the mustang’s reins and mounted the horse, heeling him sharply. The mustang took off for the house, head tossing with a whinny.

The gunshots had stopped and she turned to look over her shoulder towards the forest. The men were coming from the forest, the ones with rifles firing after her in frenzy. She gasped and ducked her head lower to the horse. The horse let out an ear shattering whinny and started to fall. Things seemed to go in slow motion from there on out. The horse fell, throwing Heather a couple feet. The horse huffed as death claimed it, going limp.
Heather looked at the men as they began running after her, then stood and ran once more, tears pouring down her face. They fired after her and her arms wrapped about her head as she continued to run. A shot was fired, piercing through her shoulder. She cried out and hit the floor. Yelling. Footsteps led to her. A hit; a very hard hit from metal landed on her temple.
Helicopters? Yes, that was the sound of helicopters. Sirens were blaring around her and she couldn’t see a thing. She was lifted somewhere, and now there were hurried voices about her. Pressure. So much pressure was on her shoulder she could hardly bare it. Voices…so many voices.
“Body count of three dead.”
“One female.”
“Two males.”
“One shot in the chest, bled to death.”
“One shot to the head. Instant shutdown.”
“One shot. Sixteen shots to the chest; four to the face; six to the legs. Hand severed from gunshot.”
“No! Momma! Daddy! Don’t die!” That was Josh… Where was he? He sounded so far away. A rush of voices and struggling was heard. Another black out.

“Heather…please…please don’t leave me like the mom and dad… Please, don’t leave me alone! I can’t do this alone!” Josh’s voice again.

She snapped from her daze, looking up as Teddy spoke to her.
“Come on, Miss, we are home.” Josh was already outside of the car and Teddy was waiting for her to climb out. She quickly grabbed up her books and laptop, climbing from the limousine quickly. She smiled, patting his shoulder.
“Thank you, Teddy…” She headed inside and began to cook dinner, dazing out as she stirred the beans.

Josh and Heather stood at the funeral of their parents, a closed casket for the mother, open for their father. Josh was sitting beside his sister across from the coffins as people approached them, saying the usual “sorry for your loss” bit. Heather only nodded to them, stroking her brothers’ hair.
She kissed his temple and they continued to sit, waiting for the night to end. The siblings hated this sight; they hated seeing people cry over their parents, they hated to see the distress caused by the murder. Heather stood, patting Josh’s thigh softly.
“I’ll be right back, Josh. Wait here.” She turned and headed off through the crowd.

Things had changed from that day. She was sitting down, eating dinner with Josh and Teddy, smiling and nodding as Josh explained what he and his friend online had talked about.
Who was he talking about? Heather blinked, trying to remember what they were talking about.
“Yvette says that tonight we need to start the battle off because we are running behind on the war and we need to catch up, okay Heather?” Josh smiled; taking another bite of the steak Heather smiled brightly and nodded.
“You take care of the dishes tonight, ya here? I have to go put the horses in.” She stood up, wiping her mouth. She ruffled his hair. “And have the computers ready. We’ll jump right into play.”
She headed outside, moving towards the barn. Orc came bounding after her, barking as he chased a couple chickens. She snatched up her bucket once more, heading for the pigpen she dumped the new bucket of slop into it. She carried it back to the barn where Teddy would refill it for her that night. She set it outside the barn and moved in, whistling sharply as she came to the pasture gate. She smiled as the horses came trotting up to the gate. She swung it open, riding it until it was wide open. The horses all walked in, heading for their stalls. She closed the pasture gate, locking it shut before heading to feed them.
She fed all of the horses before locking their stalls shut and heading back towards the house. She sighed, looking down at her feet, then to the front porch where Teddy was sitting with Orc, smoking a cigarette. She sat beside him and smiled, staring at the clear starry sky.
“Thanks for everything, Ted-” She had begun to speak, but he waved a hand, smirking.
“I told you already, Heather. It’s no problem. I am here to help you. I promised your mother I would watch you. So I will.” He smiled, looking at her as he then exhaled. Heather smiled, staring at him. She nodded, placing a hand on his knee. She then stood and headed inside.
“Heather! We’re waiting on you!” Josh called from upstairs.
She laughed, peeking into the kitchen to see how clean it was. She smiled, then headed upstairs to the computer room and smiled. The room was about the size of the dining room, and each wall had a large plasma screen monitor imbedded into it. Speakers were in every corner of the room and a haunting tune emitted from them. Sitting at the far massive monitor was Josh, clicking away on a keyboard that suspended from the wall on a black board. Heather moved over, sitting in her large black micro fiber chair. She pulled to her monitor, and she touched the screen. It opened up AOL.























Chapter Three

Logging on… Okotisk@aol.com
Connecting to server…
Checking password…
Receiving data…

Welcome, Josh!
You’ve got mail, Josh!

Logging on… BaedanKhaine@aol.com
Connecting to server…
Checking password…
Receiving data…

Welcome, Heather!
You’ve got mail, Heather!

The valiant stride of the steed carried both knight and stallion through the mountain cliffs, ahead of his army. His gruff face was bent close to his horse and his deep green eyes were set intently straight ahead. Long scraggily black hair framed his wide jaw and perfectly set cheeks. His jaw line was covered in short bristly hair. He licked chapped lips and clicked his tongue, making the horse quicken its pace.
Up ahead in a deep trench a small group of trolls waited for the King of Khraedan to arrive. Three were hidden in the shadows high above, clubs in their grizzly paws. Two waited in caverns along the path, clutching long spiked maces. One stood out in the clearing, burly chest heaved out and chain link armor hid his strong body. A dragon fang hung about the ogre’s neck, and troll teeth emerged from his large bottom lip. He was a half-breed, a mixture of troll and ogre. He wielded a large claymore and it gleamed under the moonlight.
As Baedan neared the clearing he spied the massive monster awaiting him and his stallion, King, pulled to a halt. The King’s right hands found his sword, drawing it from the steel sheathe.
“Okotisk, you’ve ravaged the last village… Tonight you will die.” The beast smirked darkly, swinging the claymore up, as though it were a club, and holding it high. A low grumbling emitted from his throat, gurgled with human words:
“Then step forward, oh powerful King of Khraedan, and meet your death. I will feed on a Kings Soup tonight while your lovely wife dances naked for me and my men.”
Baedan then narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue sharply making the horse rear and release an ear splitting whiny. The horse then charged forward as Baedan withdrew a second long bastard sword. He rode without hands, his knees gripping the saddle tightly. As he entered the clearing completely Okotisk swung his claymore around like a bat, right for Baedan and King. The man ducked, his swords swinging out sharply as the two hiding in caverns came running for him. Cries of pain were released as the sword sliced across the chest of the two troll’s tough skin. Their great clubs came around to slam the horse in the sides at once. The horse surged forward and came to a rock, lifting front hooves and launching himself and his rider up and clearing over the clubs as they connected. The King leapt from his ride midair and slid on his boots to a halt behind one of the two trolls.
His two swords swung up for the green beasts head, lobbing it off as though with scissors. A sickening noise emitted from the scene, the three remaining ogres standing and watching. The two lackey’s charged in with an unstoppable force as the third retreated quickly through the mountain path.
Baedan noted the escaping leader and made a turn to serge after the fowl creature. The ogre’s however had other plans for the king of Khraedan. They charged him with lifted spiked clubs, swinging around with loud roars as they put their every muscle into the blow to protect their leader.
Baedan ducked beneath one club as King turned sharply, allowing his riders blade to hiss through the air and cleave through the thick muscles of one of the ogres. The hands gripping the hilt of the blade moved masterfully, repositioning and delivering the same deadly blow to the second ogre. Both large brutes fell about the horse’s feet and it reared with a whiney, turning towards where Okotisk had fled.
The behemoth was standing on the edge of cliff, heaving against a massive boulder that could block the entire path that led towards him. Baedan whistled sharply and his eyes looked around for a way to stop such a thing. The horse took off; its head lifting higher and its body making swift grand strides to carry him up the mountains steep cliffs and jagged rocks. The slight fall could end the king and his valiant ride.
The ogre let out a bellowing roar, heaving harder; so close…
The horse surged across a flat area, his rider leaning in tightly to his horse’s neck, and leapt.
The rock was freed from its place on the edge, falling to crash upon the man and horse below. As Baedan lifted his eyes to watch his end near he swung his bastard sword up, using both of his arms strength in the blow. The adamantine blade met the firm grey stone and for a moment things seem to freeze in place.
After that long moment finally passed there was a creek and the stone split in two, flying behind the lord. Dust filled the area and he looked around.  The horse moved forward slowly, his hooves crunching on the stones and sand. That growling voice came again from the shadows:
“You shall die, as I promised, Baedan. I will crush the very essence of your life from your fleshy human mold.”
Baedan looked around as the dust finally cleared, and the place the beast had been was empty. The king sat silently, not moving and listening.
Where did he go? Pondered Baedan, and slowly he came to turn, hearing the scuffle of a rock across the dirt. He turned, tugging the reigns of King to make him turn his body around completely as he moved away from the noise.
Baedan’s eyes fell where the noise had come from and found only a black feathered vulture sitting on a cliffs edge. The king sighed and sheathed his sword. He shook his head, speaking to the bird:
“A bird of death almost delivered that fate to my heart. You will not feed from me this day. Find your dinner with the trolls.” He turned and began to lead the stallion back towards the encampment of his men.

Upon arrival at the campgrounds he would find a bloody and painful sight. Some of his men were cut and bruised beyond reasoning, and people whom were not hurt were tending to the wounded. He nudged the horse into a trot and moved swiftly towards his wives tent.

Lushis Darkos has joined the chat room

Outside he would find her, sitting in the front, laying out the fallen and dead soldiers. They were all bloodied, and their eyes covered with soft silver cloth. She spoke as he dismounted:
“While you chased Okotisk, Gredetsu attacked us in the morning. We did not have enough time to ready ourselves. My spells gave the men time to get ready, though we lost thirty seven warriors.”
He moved to stand beside the dead bodies in silence, releasing the horses reigns to a soldier. He moved to kneel beside the closest dead body, placing