CYRON (Completed)

Chapter 34, S.

      Chidum and the Vooran rangers drew closer to the end of their walking and riding. The half-elf rode next to the recovering shaman. Turen and his commanders rode together as always. The party was a bit noisy. They were living beings and living beings socialized and socializing could be noisy most times. The sun was high in the sky and shining down on a beautiful day. The environment had changed as they neared the beach. The plants were less and thinner than those further inland and away from the salt water.

"Aunty Ashay made great progress on the Karman tattoo last night," said Chidum.

"Let me see," Sunibe demanded.

The half-elf raised up his tunic and more than half of the magic binding tattoo had vanished.

"Incredible," Sunibe said in amazement. "She must teach me how she did this."

While the shaman admired the vanishing tattoo, Chidum noticed one ranger ride from the front of the party, towards his father and the other commanders.

"I have never known a Karman tattoo to be removed before," Sunibe went on. "Then again I have not actually seen one before you."

The ranger got to her commanders and they all stopped as she gave them some message. Chidum did not like the expression that message brought to his father's face.

The mighty Turen looked at his son immediately and found him staring right back.

"Something is wrong, Sunibe," Chidum said, letting his tunic fall down once again.

"What is it?" asked the shaman.

"That I will find out," he replied as he moved Klex towards his father.

Turen and the others had stopped moving completely. The female ranger who had brought them the message was also stopped with them. Chidum and Klex came to the scene.

"Father, what is the matter?"

Turen let out a sigh and touched his sword at his side.

"War, my son," he said. "War has come to us."

"A company of human soldiers have blocked the beach ahead of us and their infantry close in behind us," Ashay informed the young half-elf.

"Then we fight them," Chidum spoke boldly. "We are elves, we are the best. They cannot stop us."

"This is The Grey Star Company, Elieh," Odoor explained. "They are warriors from the fallen kingdom of Shavan-suth. They number at least fifteen thousand and are some of the best soldiers the Human Alliance has."

"I doubt they are at their full number, but there will be at least five thousand of them," the female ranger stated.

"We are four hundred elves here and over a thousand humans and centaurs," said Chidum, "we can best them."

"Your confidence is outstanding, young elf," Lotlien spoke with pride.

"Father, what say you?" Chidum spoke directly to Turen now.

Turen looked at him. Why had his child come to him? In this moment he wished Chidum had stayed with his mother and not come looking for him. He wasn't ready for all this and he didn't have to deal with it. He belonged to Earth, not to Cyron and her madness.

"Father, I will ride into the deepest waters with you if you will only ask it of me," the half-elf spoke. "Tell me what to do."

Turen looked at his son then at his commanders. Everyone was looking to him for orders. He was going to step up, always did and always would.

"We have four hundred rangers with us," began the great leader. "The enemy has set her cavalry ahead of us and her infantry behind us. There will be at least five thousand of them, but as my son has said, we are elves, we are the best. On the ships are seventy-three of our own, but our Unicorn sea-dominators cannot fire on the beach as we are among the enemies. We can have fifty come from the ships with longboats. That means fifty rangers coming in behind the enemy's cavalry. We have some fighters among the survivors we saved which adds something to our numbers..."