War of the First Age

XII: Or help in its destruction

1A, 937Y

Anni Opal-Slate

Parry walked through the gardens talking with Mill and Kelo. The garden was extremely elaborate, flowers and plants lined the inside walls which in turn were lined with short hedges. A path of neat sand lined the ground, gardeners tended the plants and the paths, making everything seem almost perfect.

"So, Kelo; Tell me where you came from" Parry asked, his voice casual.

"Well, I grew up in the Dwarvish District of Winterhelm, tendin' to the forge and the mines until I was old enough to join the military. After five years of service I was promoted to a Captain of the Guard and was ordered to go with a small party to ambush some Blackveil troops returning to Or-Grorash, but instead they ambushed us. We returned to Winterhelm with the last of our troops and kept a weather eye on the harbour. And not a full year ago Winterhelm was sieged, as you would full well know. I was then ordered to Or-Grorash and here we are" Kelo replied, telling the king his story.

"Interesting, so you have had some strong ties with the Blackveil Orcs then" Mill said, still half asleep in the lazy afternoon.

"A tie of their blood on meh axes, aye" Kelo replied. Through the large doors a knight wearing the silver armour of Opal-Slate stammered through and ran towards the three and bowed before Parry.

"My King; Blackveil Orcs have been seen approaching the city!" He said, trying to remain respectful through his terror.

"What! How did the old city fare?" Parry asked and the knight shook his head at the question.

"They didn't my King; they were slaughtered. We could hear the screams from the battlements" he stammered.

"Close the gates and sound the bell. Archers to the walls" Parry said to the knight who nodded and ran off at great speed. Parry turned to Kelo. "Speak of the devils; can you captain the archers on the wall?" Kelo nodded "Good, go and get some armour on, and your tattered tabard should you wish" Parry continued.

"What do you want me to do my great King?" Mill asked and Parry looked away from the dwarf who ran off as fast as his legs could carry him.

"I need you to get to my ship, and captain it too protect our Harbour, you will need this" He said as he handed Mill a small scroll.

"The king's permission to sail his ship? I will take extra care of it" Mill said, in awe of the king.

"Yes you shall, now go!" Parry said and ran off to get his gear on and grab his sword, shouting for the soldiers that didn't wield a bow to amass near the main gate.

Kelo stood proudly upon the tall walls of New Opal-Slate, the old city across from him; a ghost in a dead, wintery shell. Blackveil Orcs littered the ground; an immense black cloud covering the ground. Thousands by thousands of Blackveil Orcs stood in formation, making the green Forest of Heroes turn black with evil. On the other side of the wall a cloud of silver, lined from the gate. Three lines of archers stood clad in brown and greens, blue tabards with the Opal-Slate symbol visible on their chest, their bows drawn with arrows nocked on the string, standing perfectly still and in symmetry. Kelo stood at the battlements, standing on a wooden crate to peer over the crenulations.

"Woah, that's a lot of orcs..." Kelo said, amazed at the strength of the enemy.

The archers looked towards the dwarf standing on the crate, looking for orders.

"Archers!" Kelo yelled in the dwarvish language and all the archers snapped to attention, lieutenants relayed the message across the wall, their armour clunking with their metallic stamp