Shadow Kingdoms | Book 1 ✔ (REWRITTEN AS 'THE EXILED KING')

Chapter 28 - A Futile Cause

Three days later, Saelvor housed an army of elves. Thousands had come out from everywhere to form a resistance against those who sought to destroy everything. And to protect their loved ones. Armed with swords, bows, axes and all manner of weapons, the population of Saelvor swelled. Only the youngest of children, under half a century of life, remained behind.

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The demons had gathered in the plains outside of Saelvor. Having plundered Aelsomd for loot and supplies, they occupied the town and the plains outside, all the way to Saelvor. Such was the size of the army.

Elves spilled out from Saelvor and got battle ready. Those who rode Ignu birds were at the front, as well as the swordsmen. The archers were at the back. Griffin riders were held in reserve at the back. Euiridas commanded her army from the center of it. Riding a magnificent tawny griffin, she commanded respect. Her long pale sheets of hair billowed around her as she rode regally.

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The demon army began to advance. Elven archers shifted, gauging how far they could shoot and remove one of these hairless, firy red beasts. Then the army crashed to a halt. Three beasts detached from the group and rode up to the elves. They raise a blood splattered white cloth. Euiridas motioned for her army to raise something white to parley. As the demons rode closer, she realized that they rode beasts akin to horses, but with molten armor and fire in their bones. Euiridas rode up to meet with their long feared enemies. Two of the big and burly demons on either side backed a few steps in submission. The one in the middle dismounted, and motioned for Euiridas to do the same. She did, and the griffin sidled back a few paces as well.
"So, have you come to discuss the terms of surrender?" Euiridas asked, hoping for a small miracle from Sylune. She knew that the elves were disheartened from seeing such a vast army. It did not bode well.

"Never." Said the demon simply.

Euiridas got a good look at the demon. It was a female. With firy hair that flickered and flamed, she wore scaled armor and bracers, but left much of her red skin exposed. Really, she could have been quite pretty, if one appreciated the red skin and fire in her hair.

"Who are you?" Euiridas breathed.

The demon smirked, "I am Verulyn. Lord Tarbork's right hand man. Who are you?"

"Euiridas. Queen of Life. Commander of this elven army. Why did you come to Silvardor?" She answered.

"We come because we want to. No one orders us around except for Master." Verulyn said, baring her teeth.

"Master?"

"You'll never know. He was once them," Verulyn said, pointing to Jason, who stood at the front, watching with interest.

"Are you only here to gloat?" Euiridas tiredly asked.

"No. Surrender now, and we will conquer all others before. You will be our right hand, our allies. No one shall harm you, if you surrender."

"No. Never will elves ally themselves with filthy vermin like you." Euiridas growled, "We battle. Now." She signaled her griffin, mounted and flew back to her army. So, too, did Verulyn. The battle was about to start.

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Everyone was in position. Euiridas signaled her general. He was astride a marvelous steed. Painted with green stripes and swirls, the horse nickered softly and stamped its hooves a little. Jaron was the general. He was dressed in silver armor, with a brown surcoat over it. He, too, had painted green stripes over his garment. He set his jaw. Then he raised his sword high in the air, making the entire army wait with bated breath for him to bring it down, signalling the charge.

The demons gave a wild yell and charged towards them. Still, Jaron waited. His hair fluttered in the breeze and his pointed ears quivered very slightly, the only sign of his nervousness. A hundred meters separated the two armies when Jaron brought his sword down. Spurring his horse into action, he raced down with the rest of the cavalry. Ignu birds shrieked challenges as they thundered towards the demons. As he rode, Jaron brought his hand up, flipping down his visor right before he entered the fray. The talons on the ignu birds ripped up the earth on the plains as the armies advanced.

They reached one another. It was total chaos. Ignu birds fell screeching, some trapping their riders. Demons fell as well, but the elves were taking huge casualties. Jaron fought on grimly. Slashing through one demon only made room for more to appear. His sword and armor, as well as his horse was already coats in the blood of his enemies. Fighting like an unconquerable emperor, Jaron rallied on the exhausted remains of a once proud army. Withdrawing slightly, Jaron raised his sword high into the air and spun it. All at once, every soldier crouched under their shields. Soon afterwards, the sky blacked from the arrows that the expert elven archers had sent skywards. Many demons fell with as much as a dozen different arrows sticking out of it. Still, the elves were losing. Their numbers were decimated and perhaps half of their army were killed, and others wounded gravely. Jaron signaled for the final reserve. Immediately the sky darkened again as all of the griffin riders shot out from the ledge of the tall cliffs beside Saelvor. Jason and Taryn led the aerial charge. With his sword out and pointed at the demon army, Taryn commanded the whole legion of archers. Jason would land with the sword fighters to even the odds in the battle. The griffins would then fly up and help in any way they could. The animals were quite intelligent, and the elves nurtured this intelligence.

With a battle cry, Jason dove. Hundreds followed with him, swords raised in defiance. His griffin landed with a thud, sending clods of grass flying. Mighty talons and huge lion paws gripped the ground firmly as Jason dismounted. Then the great beast crouched, and shrieking a battle cry, shot into the air.

Jason ran into the fray, slashing at the unnaturally large creatures who lumbered on legs built like that of cattle. Demons fell under his tireless assault. His golden armor was splattered in blood, and so was his visor. Up ahead, he could see Jaron battling with his mount. He mighty horse kicked and reared, trying to destroy the firy beasts that closed in on all sides. As he watched, Jaron was flung off the horse, and the brave animal, finally conquered, breathed its last. Jaron grimly fought on. He had fought against demons before and the years had only nurtured his skill. Jason swung his sword this way and that, basically hitting demon flesh wherever he struck. He kept fight, kept running towards Jaron. Soon the unconquerable would falter, he knew. He had to be there to support Jaron. Grunting with exertion, he willed himself to go faster. His sword arm was numb already. He had received a glancing blow from a demon that had knocked the breath out of him and dented his left shoulder pad badly. Jaron was visibly tiring. His swings were less graceful, and he was breathing hard. He was bleeding from numerous wounds, and the area around him was piled with red bodies. One demon kept fighting, though. Wielding an axe with startling efficiency, the demon was a capable warrior. Jaron swung at it, and the demon parried with contempt, swing a lightning hit towards Jaron's unprotected stomach.

"Jaron! No!" Jason cried, as the former silver guardian finally fell. He fought through the last few steps that separated them and viciously felled the demon who wielded the axe. He knelt by Jaron.

A slight sigh, a last shattered breath, and the warrior breathed his last.