Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Karlon

 As they passed Angelgrass, Karlon's army gained the support of House Marivaldi, and thirty thousand soldiers were added to the northerners' two hundred thousand. The young lord wore brown armor and a cape that bore the short-faced bear of House Vestarr as he led his army south. They were just a day from Riverford but had to march through swamps, forests, and marshes for miles. One such obstacle that stood in their way was a city called "Aranor", the last of Aetherian's Duaren kingdoms. The ancient city of brass spanned hundreds of miles above the ground, where most of its nobles and wealthy citizens lived, and even more underground. There must have been millions of Duar, or as they're better known, Dwarves, underground. In fact, Karlon and his army were probably marching above them.

"Could we go around it?" Ser Dalton Blackburn asked as they arrived at Aranor's brass gates.

"No, we would have to go three hundred miles east or west," King Talavir answered. "And we have to reach Riverford as fast as we can."

"I'm sure the Duar King would be willing to come to some kind of agreement for our passage through his city," said Karlon.

"My lord, King Dulir will want nothing to do with us," Talavir argued. "Especially when we're marching to war."

"It will take us days to march all the way around the city," said Karlon. "And we don't have that time."

"Right," Talavir admitted.

"If the Dwarves are as stubborn as we think they are, how can we even trust them?" Ser Dalton asked.

"Don't call them Dwarves," Karlon scolded. "And you're a son of a Guardian, like me. You'll be able to tell if they lie." Suddenly, a horn sounded from Aranor's brass gates as they slowly split apart. A Duar came before Karlon, Talavir, and Dalton. Like the rest of his race, he stood at chest height, with arms only able to reach up to a man's shoulders. This Duar had a long, gray beard, with hair reaching from his head to cover his eyes, and wore dark robes gilded with jewels. He was followed by four guards, all wearing heavy armor that looked like brass, but must have been much stronger. They all carried small, brass-colored rifles. The carriers of his throne set their King down, and he stepped off of it.

"You know, the last time an Epsilon came to this city..." King Dulir wheezed, scowling at King Talavir. "We ended up disagreeing on certain matters."

"Was it one of the High Epsilon, of Newdell?" asked Talavir. "I'm the King of Coldwater, of the Ice Epsilon."

"And why is it that an Epsilon King comes before me this day and with an army?" King Dulir demanded.

"It's not me you should ask, Your Grace," Talavir answered, then turned to Lord Karlon.

"Karlon Vestarr, Your Grace," said Karlon. "Son of Commander Garrett Vestarr, Lord of Snowfall, High Lord of the Snowlands."

"Ah," said the Duar King. "I heard about what happened to your father. I am very sorry. He seemed a good man."

"That he was," Karlon agreed.

"But what would you ask of me, Lord Vestarr?" asked Dulir.

"Passage through your city, Your Grace," Karlon answered. "We'd go around Aranor, but we're in a bit of a hurry."

"Are you, now?" said King Dulir. "Well, whether you are a lord or King, by the ancient laws of the Duar, there is only one way for a human, Epsilon, or Draconian, to enter a Duaren city."

"And what way is that?" asked Lord Karlon.

Suddenly, a rather large Duar called from the gates to the city "The old way!" A larger Dwarf, reaching as high as Karlon's shoulders, which was large for a Duar, came before Karlon with a large ax of brass Duaren metal, wearing a full suit of armor that covered him from head to toe.

"I am Dolmen, son of Dolgrin," he announced. "I stand as King Dulir's champion. Who will stand as yours, my lord?" Karlon immediately thought about fighting Dolmen himself, but his followers began to advise against it.

"It should be me, my lord," Ser Dalton suggested. "I will stand for you."

"You're my General and protector," said Karlon. "I won't gamble with your life."

"Me, then," King Talavir suggested.

"Is there an heir to Coldwater?" asked Karlon, and Talavir reluctantly shook his head. "I'd hate to deprive your people of their King. I'll fight you, Dolmen." He drew the glass greatsword, Blizzard, before the Duar warrior.

"I accept, my lord," said Dolmen, raising his ax. Karlon took Blizzard in both of his hands, while the Duar took his ax in his own. Dalton and Talavir reluctantly took a few steps back, swearing they wouldn't interfere with the duel. Dolmen suddenly charged Karlon with his ax, and he sidestepped before swinging at the Duar warrior with his zweihander. Dolmen blocked his swing with his Duaren ax, then sent him sliding across the ground with a punch to the chest.

"Get up, my lord!" Ser Dalton urged. Karlon stood from the slippery grass as Dolmen son of Dolgrin charged again. When the warrior brought his ax down, Karlon raised Blizzard and blocked his attack, though he was thrown to the ground by the strike. Dolmen then raised his ax and brought it down again. Karlon rolled to the side as the ax struck the ground, then ripped Dolmen's helmet off his head, and smacked him on the head with it. When the large Duar didn't collapse, he hit him again, knocking him to the ground, with his eyes closed.

"Damn," cursed Karlon, sheathing Blizzard, then turned to King Dulir and said, "Your people aren't to be messed with."

"You have won, Lord Karlon," said King Dulir. "As promised, I will allow you to pass through Aranor, and I will do you better. When a Duar King loses a duel, after all, the victor gains his favor. You shall have twenty-five thousand of my soldiers and twenty thousand striders. Too long has it been since humans, Epsilon, and Duar fought on the same side of the battlefield, and a darkness is rising in this great land that I call my home. I believe the time for the old alliances is at hand again."