“Fanderyantë!” The elven knight Tuinur was all but growling.
Fire sprung and lapped at the wood and stone structures. Black smoke billowed out from the windows and spread across the cobbled streets. Dark tendrils of evil snaked and reached up into the sky like great hands of the wicked. Elven bred stallions galloped down the roadways, carting behind them gnomes riding on ridiculous contraptions, spraying water in all directions in a desperate attempt to quench the hunger of the flames. People were scattering and screaming as the burning hunks of debris fell onto the road.
Tuinur turned around to Aegwyn. “Find the ship Aruldil! Board it! The fleet is sailing in less than an hour.”
“But!”
“No buts! Go! May the light protect you!”
He pulled out his sword and rode down into the city. The sudden clanging of steel reached Aegwyn’s ears as she saw Orcs and trolls emerge from an alleyway. One of the Orcs raised his axe high and let out a savage cry before he hewed down one of the fleeing people. Trolls wearing black armor and carrying spears, swords, axes, and scimitars rushed through the streets, mowing down all resistance that the people could offer.
Human knights and dwarven warriors rushed to meet the Orc invasion force. The ground suddenly shook and the eastern wall of the city collapsed in on itself. Small goblins flooded through, carrying with them sticks of red and packs of sparkling black cylinders. On the feet of the goblins came great ogres stomping and swinging their massive arms. Large fists like hammers hewed down the wall even more, causing the flood of the orcish horde to increase into the city.
“Morzul khadba oglar!”
Aegwyn turned to see several orcs emerge from the forest behind her. The crash of several trees and the stomping of an enormous monster filled her with fear. The dark taint of death and decay reached her and struck at her vulnerable senses. She could hear the sound of giggling and shrieking as goblins fell from the treetops.
The gelding Nightwind reared as the orcs charged her, swinging their great swords. The hooves of the white horse struck the orcs, sending them sprawling backward. Nightwind reared again and hit one of the orcs with such ferocity that the skull of the foul fiend collapsed inward, sending black blood and dark gray matter falling to the ground.
Nightwind took one quick look back at Aegwyn. She could see the hard determination in the horse’s eyes. It turned and started galloping towards the city.
Aegwyn looked back to see a cloaked figure sitting atop an undead horse. His body was all but falling apart and his eyes glowed a fierce green that seemed to burn the sunlight. In his rotting hand he held a scepter on the end of which an emerald pulsed madly. The death knight pointed its staff towards her and let out a chant.
One of the rocks beside Nightwind burst and fragmented. The stones of the forestlands were flung into the air and great chunks of dirt and the stumps of fallen trees rose from the ground. Nightwind shook and stumbled as it tried to keep its balance as the very earth beneath them rumbled furiously
.
Rocks that were hanging in mid air lunged forward. Pebbles and stones pelted her, striking her in the back, ruthlessly attacking her arms, legs, and stomach. Aegwyn clung to Nightwind’s mane and tried to hang on.
All the debris of the forest edge fell to the ground. Aegwyn looked back to see the Orcs and goblins charging down the hill. Two ogres followed behind them, their faces stained with red and blue streaks. The undead horse of the death knight walked, wobbling and trying to stay afoot on its decaying limbs.
One of the ogres extended its arm forward and his eyes glowed the red of blood.
Aegwyn was tossed into the air as an explosion threw Nightwind from the ground. The noble beast’s limbs were torn asunder and shards of fire were burning into its underbelly and chest. Nightwind fell to the ground, twitching and neighing furiously, the anger in its eyes still burning.
Aegwyn scrambled to her feet and fled towards the city. The Orcs were closing in on her. She pumped her arms and ran as fast as she could.
As she entered the city, she saw armored soldiers and elven archers running and scrambling through the streets. One of the knights looked at her and then at her pursuers. He cursed aloud and then rallied the surrounding troops to counterattack the force that was approaching.
Elven archers nocked their bows and footmen drew steel and they charged forward to meet the orcs and goblins. The ogres let out a cry and then the eyes of the horde monsters started to burn like fire. The orcs crashed into the line of footmen and started to tear the iron plates away. Their great teeth slashed and hacked into the flesh of the men as the ground started to rumble once more. The ogres extended their arms and the knight was thrown from his horse as a burst of flame appeared from beneath him. The horse was ripped in two and its bodyparts were strewn along the buildings, bleeding red into the whitewashed stones.
A host of elven knights charged up the streets, riding hard on their white and gray horses. Their mithril chain mail gleamed in the sunlight and their helms of gold and silver shone. She saw Tuinur among them, his arm was bleeding and he had lost one of his feet.
He caught sight of her and his expression became grim. “Go to the ship Aruldil! Go, Guardian,
for all our sakes!”
Aegwyn stood there frozen, as if a beacon of light struck her. She turned and ran down the streets, away from the conflict as the elven knights attacked the orc forces.
She ran, her feet sore and swollen. Her legs burned and begged her to stop and her throat stung with each breath. But she kept on running, kept fleeing from the battle. Always she was running away from her problems. But what could she do?
Soon the docks came within sight. The sound and clash of steel against steel echoed behind her, far away, as if the battlefield was in another world all-together. Explosions caused the ground beneath her to rumble. She could hear the screams of brave soldiers being cut down. She could feel their pain, could hear their anguish. It was too much. Oh Medivh, my Medivh! How could you?
She searched among the ships still near the docks. In the distance she saw a great fleet of vessels heading to the north. Their sails were shrouded by a mist that seemed to be approaching the city. The symbol of elven runes was sewn into the sails of some of the smaller ships. Great metal vessels rode and bobbed on the waves and huge battleships rode low and slow through the water.
She found one of the elven ships still moored to the dock. Elven sailors were hauling crates of supplies and ammunition aboard. The elven rune for “Pride” was on the sail, flapping and moving with the wind. The fog was creeping closer and closer towards the shores as the sounds of battle drew nearer. Painted on the side of the ship were the words ‘Aruldril’
.
Aegwyn looked back towards her to see the cobbled roadways were empty. She looked ahead to see some of the sailors were already getting on board, all the boxes had been placed on deck. The fog came into the city, its icy grip reaching and touching all that remained. She thought she saw something out in the sea. Something like a cloaked man riding on the water. His rotting cloak moved slightly with the touch of the breeze. His eyes glowed green; not the sickly green that she had seen many times, but more like the green of the leaves on a tree, the color of life. The shining beacon started to fade and his shadow merged with the fog as it thickened about her.
One of the elven sailors stayed on deck, making sure everything was in order. She slowly approached him. The icy touch of the fog soaked into her skin, causing her to shiver as she grew closer. Her hair drooped, the water of the fog making it damp. He was halfway up the gangplank when he saw her. He turned around and looked at her with the faintest glance of curiosity.
“Ahoy! We’re casting off! You’d best be coming or else we’ll leave without you!”
Aegwyn stepped closer. It was as she approached that the elf got a clearer look at her face. He rushed down to approach her and he dropped onto his knee. “The Guardian!” he whispered beneath his breath. He stood and bowed towards her. “How may I be of service?”
Aegwyn felt herself blush. The clanging of steel and the screams of the doomed reached her ears and made her flinch. She looked back to see nothing but the wall of fog. She could see the vague shape of buildings but nothing more. There was no boat left on the docks, they had all cast off. The city suddenly grew quiet around her.
The elf stood and looked about with narrowing eyes. His ears twitched and he came and took her hand. “We must go, now.”
Aegwyn nodded and followed him. The ropes were cut loose and the elven ship sailed off into the fog.
The city was eerily quiet behind her. Even though the fog was thick about them, they could see the shadow of a ship ahead, almost as if the fog had given way ever so slightly just so they could make it.
And even though she couldn’t see him, she could feel that the death knight was nearby, protecting her.
