Nivenmage

The Battle of Pyriam

Many years after Tyril left Pyriam, or indeed their struggle with Renegen, a different battle waited at Pyriam's feet. It had been decades since her journey had begun, and much of her tale had been forgotten, or been obscured. In any case, it was a time for different people and new stories, but as was the way of the realm over all those years they had the same plague, for war again raged across the land. The battle had reached Pyriam, a crucial fortress for the beings of the realm; for if the mages there were defeated they knew the war would eventually be lost. All the forces of the Daghym, the Neveans, the Fierim and the Eophites were standing guard over Pyriam, waiting for the darkness they knew would be coming. Renegen was gone, but now out of Herilum the worst of all their enemies had come; a great beast who called himself Serylor. Again the Soulless had been resurrected and this time a great many marched like undead soldiers towards Pyriam.

Night fell just like it had over Tyril so many years before, but now it was fear, and not excitement that hung in the air. Among the many rows of Neveans that covered the hills to the north of the fortress, a young boy stood in his place, awaiting his fate like the faceless soldiers beside him. He didn't know any of them, as most had come from the west and he, like Tyril, had never before left Pyriam. The first drops of rain seemed to make their doom final.  Most of the day the clouds had spread an eerie darkness and now they finally broke and caused a deafening downpour.. The boy looked up, trying to see something beyond the clouds and the rain but they were heavy and dark. He pulled his collar up and turned his eyes down where they fell on the patterns painted onto his hands.

These patterns were a traditional pre-battle occurrence and were believed to enhance the mage's power, but he didn't know how strong he'd be; he had never used his power for battle. The rain had turned the ground into mud which made him feel even more vulnerable now that his movement was restricted. The captain was walking through the ranks shouting orders and instructions; telling them to do damage over an area rather than focus on an individual enemy.  Next to the boy an older boy spoke over the roar of the rain.  It took a while before the younger boy realised he was being spoken to.

"You're Argenen, right?" The older boy said.

"Yes." Argenen said inaudibly over the rain, but the other boy read his lips and carried on.

"I taught you for a while, remember? You were younger."

Argenen shook his head. The older boy tried instead to offer some encouragement.

"Don't worry, we're in the northernmost company, we won't take much of the force. More than likely we'll be flanking them. Just listen to the captain's orders and you'll be fine."

At that point the captain walked by and Argenen could hear his orders.

"I'll be leading, follow my flag and go where I go!" He brandished a red banner over his head as he walked. "We'll attack from our position as the enemy passes south of us."

He then walked away shouting the same message until Argenen couldn't hear him anymore. Argenen looked ahead and in the distance he could see Pyriam to his right. Then to his left he saw a deeper darkness crossing the land. It came like a wave over a hill and didn't stop. Soon Argenen could see it was the Soulless horde, they covered nearly the whole land to his left and suddenly the forces on his side seemed small by comparison. Everyone around him froze with fear and even the captain stopped shouting to look, then he regained his posture and shouted at the mages to prepare for battle.

An endless period of terror passed, then Argenen heard a low horn from behind him and knew the battle had commenced. The Soulless wave continued to flow down from the distant hills and in front of him he could see the Daghym army charging forward with such vigour that for a moment the fear was replaced with awe. Then the black wave collided with them and Argenen couldn't see what was happening. The whole landscape was now covered with Soulless and then another, closer horn sounded and the captain's red flag led him down towards the fray.