Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Fields of Highspring

 "In the past day, Lord Karlon has managed to add the forces of both Angelgrass, and Aranor to his ranks," said Lord Semil.

"The Dwarves?" asked Tessa.

"That isn't what they're called, madame," Lord Semil corrected. "They must have around two hundred and fifty thousand, now."

"And how many do we have?" Darien asked.

"With the Orcs, three hundred thousand," Lord Semil answered. "We don't outnumber them by much."

"We're fifty thousand stronger," Damien reminded.

"It doesn't matter," Darien denied. "They march further south, uncle. They'll be upon us in hours."

"Karlon means to break Arry's siege of Riverford," said Lord Semil. "We can't let that happen. Darien, Damien, take your Orcs, and I'll take my soldiers, and we'll march north at once."

"At once, my lord," said Damien. "Let's go, guys." They went to gather the thirty thousand Orcs in the center of the camp, but they had doubts about what they were doing, and Tessa was able to feel it from them.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Lord Karlon is a friend of ours," said Damien. "We fought together two years ago.

"Then why fight against him?" Tessa asked.

"Because our brother is the King," Darien answered. "And Karlon's risen against him. He's a traitor."

"I really hate that word," Tessa spat. "Karlon marched because the King executed his father, right?"

"I know exactly what this looks like, Tessa," said Damien. "And you're right. If one side killed someone I cared about, I would be marching an army their way, but as we said, Vorian is our brother. We can't betray our father's memory by fighting against his son."

"I see," Tessa admitted. They arrived in the center of the camp, where Ront, son of Holg, stood addressing his tribe of thousands of Orcs. They all had a desire for battle, and thirst for blood, especially Epsilon blood.

"Wood Wraiths!" Damien shouted, drawing Lightning. The Orcs turned their way to the young lord, who was half their size. "Lord Karlon Vestarr's forces march on us as we speak. They are all traitors to the Crown, and are deserving of no mercy! As for the Ingrams, they want us dead, and they've always spat on the Orcs. It's time for new High Lords of the Swamplands!" The Orcs raised their black-bladed weapons into the air, roaring loud enough to shake the sky.

"We march north!" Darien shouted, raising Thunder. "To war!"

"To war!" Ront roared, raising his black sword. Darien, Damien, and Tessa stood with the Orcs as they stormed across the snow-covered Fields of Highspring, and stopped on the highest hills when they saw what awaited them. An army rushed across the field of snow. They flew the banner of the short-faced bear of House Vestarr, but the green sea turtle of the Marivaldis of Angelgrass followed them. From the hilltops, they could also see the brass armor of the Duar, the white leather armor of Coldwater's Ice Epsilon, and walking Duaren striders standing on two flimsy legs. Lord Karlon himself was nowhere to be seen. Before Darien, Damien, or Tessa could say that something wasn't right, the Orcs charged forth. Darien gave a "might as well" shrug, and charged with them, followed by Damien and Tessa. The Vestarr force formed ranks, with the Duar striders charging first, the northerners behind them, forming much of the ranks with assault rifles, and the Coldwater Epsilon in the back.

"Nock!" an Epsilon commander shouted, speaking Fae. The Ice Epsilon nocked arrows of Epsilon steel to the strings of their bows.

"Draw!" the commander ordered, and the Epsilon drew their bowstrings back, pointing them upwards.

"Loose!" the commander shouted, and the Ice Epsilon fired a volley of arrows into the air. The arrows nearly touched the clouds, and when they came down, they struck the Orcs, punching straight through their armor, and killing hundreds of them before the Duar chargers met them. Their striders impaled hundreds more Orcs with lances on the front ends of their pods if they weren't cut down by the Orcs' black blades. One strider charged at Darien, and he smashed it with Thunder, along with the Dwarf inside of it. When they saw that the Duar had met the Orcs on the battlefield, the Vestarr soldiers and Ice Epsilon charged, while the Lysander army charged behind the Orcs. The sounds of blades, gunshots, screams, and roars filled the air around the battlefield. Dust flew from the ground, choking the sky, and blinding the vision of the soldiers.

One thing that was visible through the dust was a golden, glowing blade from a Guardian Knight Major in brass armor. He charged at Damien with the blade, and he blocked the attack with Lightning, before swinging the katana at the Guardian. The Guardian Knight parried his attack, then took another swing at Damien. He blocked the golden lightsword before throwing it upwards, then Damien swung at the Guardian. Right as Lightning was about to strike him, the Guardian Knight suddenly flashed a blue light around himself and disappeared. Damien quickly turned around to block a swing from his lightsword, then spun under the golden blade, and made a swing at the Guardian's chest with his glass katana. The blade of Lightning went straight through the Major's armor, and he fell to the ground, cut straight in half. The numbers of Lord Karlon's forces were slowly dwindling, with no sign of Karlon himself.

"Damien!" Ser Darien shouted, and he tackled his brother to the ground.

"What are you doing!?" Damien snapped. Another volley of Epsilon steel arrows struck the ground around them. They bounced off of Darien's armor, and hundreds more Orcs and Lysander soldiers were killed.

"We're winning, brother," said Darien, as he and Damien stood from the ground. "Let's finish this." They charged together, smashing another Duar strider, and cutting a Vestarr Knight in half before rallying another charge of Orcs and Lysander soldiers. They and Tessa led them across the Fields of Highspring, cutting down all in their path until they came to the top of the hill at the other end of the field. The dust fell, and the only ones left were the Orcs and Lysanders. Ront, son of Holg, raised his sword into the air and roared, and the other Orcs roared with him. Even the Lysander soldiers raised their blades and rifles, shouting with triumph. It wouldn't last.

"That was a smaller force than I expected," said Darien. "I thought there were two hundred and fifty thousand. That felt like twenty-five thousand."

"It was," Lord Semil suddenly said as he and Simon approached them. "It was a feint."