Alfenheims Warlords (a SAO fanfic)

Chapter 12

Kommando293 finally came to his castle as it sat in the nestling of what could only be described as a long valley. Either side of it was made up of tall mountains that were being mined currently by Kommando for all of his Mithril, Blood gems, BloodIron, Hardened Bone, and other ores for his army to use in battle. Along the sides of the mountains as well were his lumber mills as they were choppind down the Deadwood Trees, Bonewood Tree's, and the BloodWoodtree's that were all nestled in huge forests along the mountains sides as his skeletal laborers hacked at them with simple axes.

Before him was the small village that was giving him the needed money he needed to build his armies and maintain them. It was full of more Alf Outcasts from Alfenheim, of all of the species, and as Kommando293 slowly trotted his horse along the bone road that ran through the entire realm of Hel, he watched as the NPC's around him bowed to him in reverence as he even saw a few Bone Princes trying to keep low. He would deal with them later.

And then there finally was his castle as it sat in the middle of the entire valley the mountains made, stretching from one side to the other and making it impossible for anyone to go around it. It was a strategic chokepoint that Kommando293 was all but happy to capitalize on with his defenses.

The castle had two walls around the keep itself, with the walls all being of DarkStone and towering well above the ground that forced attackers to make siege towers since ladders would be too fragile and flimsy against the walls defenders. Towers, rising like bladed spires adorned with blood-red Blood Gems, rose from the walls as they offered points for ballista's and catapults to be mounted on as well as better protected area's for the archers to shoot from.

The gate was tall and was reinforced with BloodIron bars next to its thick, Bloodwood base and as they slowly groaned open, Kommando293 slowly trotted through as he watched his garrison bow to him from around him, the Skeleton Warriors all bowing as low as they can go.

"Welcome back, my lord." said a voice and Kommando293 looked over to see his biggest Skelton General, EarthShaker or Theodosius as he sometimes called him.

Theodosius was the Skeleton Reaver General, the commander of Kommando293's personal bodyguards of Skeleton Reavers. Revers wore the heaviest armor that had pauldrons the size of a small shield, had plate armor thick enough to sometimes stop ballista bolts, and their helmets were a metal version of their skeleton skull faces while the helmets looked similar to Kommando's own helmet.

And Theodosius was the biggest Skeleton Reaver of them all, standing a good 6'3" above Kommando293's 5'10" build. He was armed with a large siege hammer of BloodSteel that could crush his foes with each swing and when he hit the earth with it, he lived up to the name of EarthShaker.

"How is Silver-Eyes doing with training? What of Dark Phantom with his training?" asked Kommando293 as he got off his horse just as Newblood grabbed the reigns.

Newblood was one of the newer generals he had summoned up. He was armored and equipped almost exactly like Raiden but he had in his hands a katana blade of BlackSteel. Although his katana didn't match the medieval-like fantasy armor he wore, he was far more proficient with it that with a broadsword and as Newblood walked the horse alongside of Theodosius and Kommando293, Kommando293 listened to EarthShaker as he gave his report.

"Silver-eyes Skeleton warrior unit has just reached Level 3 veterancy and have just been equipped with a banner of Strength to aid them in combat. Dark Phantoms Skeleton Archers have gained +50 XP from training and have just equipped themselves with the Bonewood longbows, increasing their range and accuracy." reported Theodosius as they walk past the marketplace and forge.

"Good... Good... how has the recruiting gone with Dark Crescent and Skull Crusher?" asked Kommando293 as they were nearing the second wall of his castle.