[IC] Knights of The Dawn Covenant: The Longest Winter

[Ace of flames01]

"Baw! Eru beria-ammen!" ("No don't! Gods protect us!") Ruinil yelled as she charged at the enemy. Just as before, her movements were quick and decisive, yet just as powerful, as she cut down another enemy. "Im avadarthaa tiriaanim naestamûl!" ("I will not wait and watch for you to call for your slaves!")

Another clean kill. Ruinil glanced at Evelyn, briefly making eye contact with her before returning her gaze to her opponent. "We must retreat or death shall take us! I'm not willing to die this day! We must flee and hope we are fast enough!" She called over to the captain. Truth be known, Ruinil wanted nothing more than to slaughter every last cultist swine here but they were greatly outnumbered and Ruinil's main concern lied on the enemy's leader, whom seemed more devil than man. Ruinil did not appreciate the sinister and ominous aura that Krovah gave off. It's as if his presence poisoned the very air and made ones body feel like it was made out of lead.

"Sen adan saew....!" ("This man is poison...!") Ruinil grunted. The adrenaline had subsided and now Ruinil was finally starting to feel the full extent of her injuries that she had sustained prior. She had to think of a way to end this and quickly.

[ShaggyDoo0]

Glodin had a gut feeling that staying behind that rock was a huge mistake. His thoughts were reassured when he saw the cultists and their demonic general come into the clearing. The moment he set eyes upon the beast, he knew it was an unholy wretch that was birthed by evil more foul than he had ever seen. Glodin's stomach began to twist and he felt the urge to vomit, but that feeling quickly passed as his hand subconsciously found its way to the cold steel of his father's hammer. Father, lend me your strength so I can make you proud. Those words echoed in his mind as his fingers traced the intricate runes on his hammer. He then swiftly drew his hammer and prepared to hurl it at the beast's head when suddenly a templar and his crew came forth and initiated battle with the group of cultists. In thr blink of an eye the red eyed elf sprang into battle to aid their fellow templars and the young girl summoned a grotesque centipede. As the centipede charged and attacked the beast leading the cultists, Glodin knew this was his only chance. He cocked back his arm wielding his hammer and took aim before letting the hammer fly, and it flew true heading strait for the beasts razor-teeth filled maw.

[TheDarkTemplar]

Evelyn watched as Cythlla summoned forth that infernal creature, however she did nothing to stop her but instead watched in silence. It was not out of fear that Evelyn did not intervene, deep down she very much wanted to remain here and aid in the battle. The thought of abandoning her brothers and sisters in arms weighed heavily on her conscience but she new she had a duty to avenge them. Of course she'd only avenge them if they survived their current situation as this conflict was bringing undue attention to their group. Evelyn noticed the ranks of the Templar group ahead of them were breaking, it would not be long before they'd be dispersed and cut down. Still if there was a way to save this lot Evelyn would try. "These cultists are away from the main force! We can push them back to save these men!", Evelyn replied to Ruinil as she began to advance towards where most of the fighting was.

That's when she caught sight of Krovah, the dark abomination stared her down with hate in his eyes and rage in his heart. For a moment it looked as if the demon would challenge his sword against hers but Glodin's hammer came hurling down the street and slamming into the side of Krovah's mouth. Evelyn smirked before looking back to Glodin and Cythlla, "Keep him busy, the enemy needs him for direction!" she ordered before looking over to Ruinil. "Follow me! We need to rally these men!", Evelyn didn't waste time as she began to slash and stab her way through the battlefield towards the Templars. Finally arriving at their shield wall she passed through just in time to dodge a dagger lunge. Catching her breath she asked, "Who among you is in command?!", Evelyn spoke with haste as this battle needed to end fast. The last she checked, Starguard's gates had been breached and it wouldn't be long before the castle was taken. Once that happens the surrounding area would be searched for stragglers of The Order.

[Cuccoruler]

Cythlla smiled as she saw the centipede hit it's mark. She moved towards one of the dead cultists, cut down by the other templars in the area. "I hope you can hit this guy harder!" Cythlla said with a smile after glancing back at the Dwarf. Cythlla spun her shovel around the air, then pointed it at the dead cultist. "Move it!" Cythlla yelled at the corpse. The corpse started to move, this time straight at Korvah. It was slow, but it was also starting to bloat, ALOT. If Krovah were to attack the creature he would get a face full of stomach acid.

Henry in the mean time got infront of Cythlla a moment later as a demon came rushing at her. Henry swung his claws at the creature mauling it's face. However the creature kept moving and soon started to attack Henry. Thankfully Henry was able to maul it again before it could swipe at his face. Another Demon came at Henry, this time it looked more like some kind of hellish deer with sharp antlers. It rushed at Cythlla but Henry jumped in it's way getting stabbed by the antlers. He roared out in pain before breaking the antlers with shear force and then tearing off the deers head.

[RadioactiveRat]

The left flank was caving in to pressure from the enemy, and the reserves Jeremiah had relied on were already engaged on their own by a flanking force which came from the woods to their left. They were practically surrounded, by the enemy on three sides, and the castle walls on the fourth. It was difficult to keep the men under his command together, and the more brave templars fell to the sword the weaker became the resolve of the remaining few. They did not live together, train together or fight together, but this band of survivors had to rely upon each other for a strong sword arm and a steadfast shield, while looking up to Jeremiah for leadership - he, a mere knight-corporal, whose first approach to a problem would be to have it sit down and have a nice chat with it. None of it mattered at the moment he saw the enemy they faced.

It was the divine will of the gods, and a lucky chance that another group of straggelers had appeared and attacked their enemy, lifting the pressure somewhat off Jeremiah's crumbling formation. Strange magic took place, and soon Jeremiah was confronted by a Knight-Captain, of all things, wounded and winded and crying out for the templar in charge. Jeremiah stepped forward and tore the captain away from the front lines to a safer distance from the fighting. "I lead us. Did the lightning come from your group? What are your orders?", Jeremiah inquired quickly, keeping one eye firmly on the action.

[Ace of flames01]

"We must make haste! The order has fallen to the enemy and I fear death lingers above our heads." Ruinil replied as she arrived a few moments later. She drew her bow back and quickly took aim before releasing; the arrow implanting itself into a cultist's skull right between the eyes. Her attention returned to the Corporal, "rally your men and follow the captain! I will cover you so you can make your escape. Understood?" Her crimson gaze burned with bloodlust but at the same time was slightly tired. She had been fighting for a long time now and the adrenaline had worn off, so she could feel the full extent of her injuries. Both which were starting to get her but she overcame it anyway as she gave a curt nod to the two templars before joining the fray

[TheDarkTemplar]

Half of Krovah's face had been badly bloodied and bruised, some of his fangs were even chipped or gone completely. As he tried to gain his bearings after that powerful hit he noticed Cythlla raise a corpse. Slowly it approached and Krovah wasted no time in dealing with it. Grabbing one of his cultists who were already busy fighting a Templar, Krovah hurled his follower at the corpse bomb. The resulting explosion was far enough away to miss Krovah and only small droplets of acid reached him. His cultist was not so fortunate as his entire body was melting away within seconds while he experienced every agonizing moment of it. Krovah knew he'd perish if he continued to fight. His master's work was not complete and so he must ensure his survival. "HOLD THEM HERE! I WILL RETURN WITH REINFORCEMENTS! LET NONE FOLLOW!", he ordered to his cultists who soon began to circle around him, allowing the vile creature to escape. Before he vanished, Krovah roared at Glodin and Cythlla, a gesture that meant they'd be hunted as long as they both lived.

---

Evelyn did not waste time, as soon as Ruinil explained the plan she informed him of the situation, "What the elf says is true, the Knight-Commanders have all been slain. The enemy was hiding within out ranks and by the time we found out we were already weakened enough for the main force to strike. We must retreat and inform what remains of The Order". Evelyn glanced back at the battlefield and noticed that Krovah was fleeing the scene. It was obvious that he'd left to return with reinforcements but they'd be long gone by the time more cultists arrived. Turning her attention back to Ruinil and Jeremiah she spoke once more, "The eastern end of the village is closest to the forest. If we can reach it our escape will be covered. While I don't doubt your skill, this many of the enemy is too much for one archer and I won't have you die in vain". A loud crash notified Evelyn that the shield wall was being hammered hard by the enemy. There was not much time before the wall collapsed and a plan had to be formulated and executed before that shield wall broke. "My magicka reserves are just barely restored to cast my electromancy, if I can put enough power into my cast I could stun the front line of cultists. The moment I cast the spell, corporal, have your men push forward. The front line should fall right over. In the meantime my men at the opposite side will push them forward towards the wall. Elf, you'll need to find a high point and provide arrow fire. If this goes well, we'll be free of these bastards and away into the woods".

[ShaggyDoo0]

Glodin caught his hammer on its returning arc with a grin. Before Krovah made his exit Glodin shouted back at him, "Next time I will have your fould head on a platter!" He tapped his hammer against his breastplate offering a challenge to the beast before Krovah seemed to vanish into thin air. Glodin then grabbed his pick off of his back and charged at the cultists with his pick in one hand and hammer in the other.

[OtomostheCrazy]

"My, my...How did you let me do that to you?"

Kaathe was surrounded by the corpses and wounded bodies of friend and foe alike. Some weren't too injured, but simply had no strength or energy to move anymore at the moment. Other were missing limbs, and were bleeding out. It wasn't Kaathe's concern, though. Those who die will die, those who hold out until help can arrive will have a chance to survive. Let this be a lesson to them. Fighting monsters is different than fighting another person.

Kaathe looked at his defeated opponent. He had stabbed the cultist through the chest with his spear, and in reaction the man had dropped his weapon and tried to futilely pull it out. As the life drained from his eyes, Kaathe gently pushed the body to the floor, planted his foot on it to keep it down, and yanked his spear out. He closed his eyes, and simply listened for signs of this battle nearing its end. It wasn't. The rage of battle and death continued to sound off. Kaathe sighed as he began to move on.

Now, you might be wondering what happened to that Initiate girl he had met before. Truth be told, Kaathe didn't know. They had been separated along the way. Maybe she had attempted to fight alongside full-fledged knights, maybe she's hiding safely somewhere until this all blows over. In any case, it didn't matter to him. If it did, then he was so good at not showing it, that he even fooled himself.

It took a while, but eventually, he found another area with a bunch of cultists. They seemed to have been fighting a rather aggressive dwarfs little girl, and, strangely enough, a bear. The knight was fighting them with a warpick and a hammer, while it seemed that the bear was helping the little girl. Kaathe could've just left them to fight the cultists alone. They seemed to be able to handle it on his own anyway...but then again, Kaathe himself was fighting these people as well, so he might as well help a bit.

The Dark Elf put his spear on the ground beside him, and took hold of the decorated crossbow strapped to his back. He loaded a crossbow bolt into it, and took aim. One good thing about this crossbow was that it was designed to launch a bolt with enough force to pierce the strong hide of monsters much more threatening than mere cultists. He pulled the trigger, and the bolt went zooming straight through the heads of four cultists.

"Hm...How lucky" said Kaathe as he loaded another bolt, and prepared to shoot again.

[Ace of flames01]

Ruinil briefly nodded to Evelyn before muttering a few words, resulting in a fire spell being cast, setting the surrounding area and enemies ablaze; giving an opening for any living Templars to make their escape. From there, Ruinil took haste as she climbed on top of the nearest building. Her eyes glowed brightly as cast another spell, creating a wall of between the Templars and the enemy. "To any of those who value thy lives! Flee now! For if you stay, I cannot guarantee your lives!"

Many heeded Ruinil's warning and fled. Some however foolishly stayed behind, which resulted in their deaths soon after. Ruinil grimaced in pain and sadness as she watched those foolish enough to stay; be slaughtered like cattle.

However this was no time to mourn. Ruinil took aim at the enemy that was behind the scorching inferno, picking of the enemy one by one as the remaining troops made their retreat.

[TheDarkTemplar]

Before Evelyn could even prepare to cast her spell, Ruinil had already unleashed a volley of arrows onto the cultists. Fire engulfed the battlefield as those who didn't flee were eventually slain in the fiery arena. There would not be many survivors, this much Evelyn knew as she watched the survivors dash past her as cultists tried to follow only to be either cut down by her blade or Ruinil's arrows. "Gods give me strength", Evelyn whispered to herself before preparing the spell. A small ball of light formed in her hand, small branches of electricity darted out from the mote of light which grew bigger and brighter with each passing second until the light hide her hands entirely. In a fraction of a second Evelyn heard nothing, there was no sound only pure silence as everything seemed to be frozen before she unleashed the power arc lightening which grasped the first row of cultists. The enemys' bodies thrashed violently before hopping to the next group leaving behind a charred corpse, Evelyn kept up the spell sending a continuous surge or electricity through the ranks of the enemy. As each moment passed she could feel her magicka reserves depleting before it converted her life essence to magicka. She was getting weaker by the second as her ability to keep up the spell began to dwindle, her body felt weak and she knew that if she kept this up she'd join the numerous dead at Starguard. With no other choice she put one last burst of energy into the spell before breaking away and signaling for her squad to retreat to the forest. There were still some cultists left standing and Evelyn could only hope her companions could evade them for she had strength left to aid them.

As she approached the forest edge, Evelyn looked back once more at the ongoing battle at Starguard. The sound of swords clashing, men dying, fires burning, and walls crumbling echoed across the land. Just as she was about to look away she was cursed with a sight she'd never forget as long as she lived. Black wings carrying evil flew across the night sky, with it green fire spewed forth, bathing the hall of the conclave in green hellfire. The result was an explosion destroying the upper keep and scattering its stones across Starguard. Screams could be heard and the fires of war scattered and quickly filled the keep. It was then that Starguard fell, the last of its defenders were all slain and the enemy now took control of the beacon of order across Miras.

[Dolerman]

This bunch are quite good, whoever trained them should be pretty happy.

A half elf was hiding in the trees, his face was under the blanket of the shadows of the leaves, and his sea green eyes were illuminated by the fires from the battle near Starguard. The cultists had won, this much was barely debatable, they had struck when the templars were sleeping and killed almost all of them, and they stood by their fortress with honor but ultimately fatal pride. This half elf didn't even try to understand the mindset behind dying for an idea or a flag or a religion. Death offers itself to you in so many ways, if you choose to accept it, it will have to be the very best reason.

Halen's introspection was cut short by one of the Kinghts running toward the tree he was in she was a beautiful but battle hardened, she was covered in the blood of cultists she no doubt just slain, she was shouting something about the gods and giving her power. More religious nonsense but she was clearly a strong fighter, and seemed to be rallying the rest as a capable leader.

Also following was a human, a male in chainmail armor his face was not as battle hardened as the lady but still very focused, he looked like a tall, handsome drawing from a heroic story book. Also there was typically stocky dwarf who seemed to be running extremely fast for his size, his weapons were many and made much noise as they jingled with him, this was not a stealthy warrior but he looked a capable enough killer to where that wouldn't matter.

Two elves also gracefully darted through the forest, one was a Dunmer, tall and elegant an slightly more muscular than the average dark elf, his spirit was crackling with dark magical energy, his eyes were also cold with a mind that knew suffering. The other elf was also harboring some sort of vicious past as her eyes were holding a similar anger against the world. She was only half elf though, Halen could tell the strange eleven energy was not complete through her body. But she was also unfamiliar looking, she was not human at all, Halen would know one of his own without even looking. She was something else, but he couldn't decipher right away.

Lastly there was a little human girl wielding a shovel that was clearly being used as a weapon, her little body was carrying a lot of magical energy of the dark kind, probably necromancy by the way she was dressed.

They all ran past Halen as he stayed hidden in the trees and they approached the edge of the forest where the maze of thick trees ended. Halen jumped out of the tree in a perfect leap and landed in front of the group, with his hand on sheathed weapon. He looked at the Female Knight and glanced at the half elven lady.

Only 2 of you are dressed like Knight Templars, the rest of you look like mercenaries, you arent cultists, but why have you fled the starguard? All the others are fighting till their deaths back there, and I see a group of warriors dashing through this forest. I'ts somewhat suspicious.

Halen's grip tightened slightly on the handle of his Claymore and his eyes squinted coldly as he waited for a response.

[Ace of flames01]

Curiosity emerged when the group had suddenly halted. Ruinil made her way to the front, next to Evelyn. She quickly noticed the male halfling that stood in front of her. Ruinil glanced at Evelyn, briefly making eye contact with her, before stepping forward. She was quite literally going toe to toe with the newcomer. Ruinil looked the halfling dead in the eyes before replying in her native tongue, "Ah man o ni? Sâniala buiarochir? Vín carú grogagwenaith a vín gararn dan vín algaer, periain!" ("And what about yourself? Are you not a mercenary yourself? We do not fear death and we have pride but we are not fools, Halfling!"). Ruinil had no problems recognizing her own kind as her blood red eyes burned like white, hot steel and glowed brightly and menacingly. She stared down the newcomer for a few moments before continuing. "Ni gorim. Caralneledhilend tathnín meldir anim pulalannacuil." ("I warn you. Do not get in the way of my comrades for I cannot guarantee your life.")

Ruinil's hand was also on her the handle of her blade, ready to attack at any given moment; if Evelyn ordered it --- Ruinil would not hesitate to cut the newcomer down. Ruinil's gaze did not waver for a second and remained locked in eye contact with the half-elf.

[Mega Birb]

One hour.

It had been an entire hour since that courier came, having made the executive decision to warn the nearest village of the attack Sar'Than had made on the Templars. Lucien Jakorian had organized a defense force, arming the men and women of this settlement and hiding the children. He was growing impatient, the survivors should've been there by now. Unless...

No, these were the best soldiers in the world, he'd meet them halfway down the trail. He took his mace and slid it into his belt loop, took hold of his talisman, then placed his crossbow into the sheathe he had on his left shoulder blade. And so he set off down the trail out of town, looking for a sign of life.

No less than five minutes into the search for his comrades did Lucien find the half-elf toe-to-toe with Ruinil, then drew his crossbow from it's holding place. He approached from behind, weapon aimed for the half-breed's spine the whole time. Once within ten yards, he held the weapon out with one hand, aimed for the forester like it had been for the last minute or so. "Out of the way, elf. Those are Templars you're speaking to, and one of them is my commanding officer," He made a quick nod to Evelyn, then tapped the trigger of his crossbow, the projectile staying in place. "Now move, unless you like bolts being pulled out of your back slowly." Jakorian is a cleric, yes, but he can make a convincing sadist at times.

[TheDarkTemplar]

Of course Evelyn could barely understand the exchange between the two half-breeds and so she quickly cut in between the two of them. "If I could hurry this along?", she said as she approached Halen. "I'm Knight-Commander Sunderland, this lot is to accompany me on an important mission for The Order-", a sudden boom shook the land as an unsettling beam of light reached into the sky before exploding, sending innumerable motes of green light down over Starguard. There was a moment of silence before the overwhelming sound of over a thousand souls screaming in agony broke the silence. One could only guess as to what those screams meant but Evelyn did not intend to linger and find out. "We've no time to explain, not here at least. There is a village not far from here, once we reach it we can discuss the situation further and rest". Whoever this half-breed was, he didn't seem to be a danger to the group. Had he wished to harm them, the group would have no trouble eliminating him. Still if matters could be resolved peacefully, preferably away from the army of undead, then she'd be all for it. It was then that Evelyn once again began to feel the effects of magicka exhaustion. A sudden weakness in her limbs followed by dizziness caused her to hold her head as she stumbled slightly, "Let's make haste shall we? I've not much strength left in me at the moment".

Not a moment later did a familiar voice reveal itself, "Sergeant Jakorian, good to see another of our own survived". Evelyn gestured for Lucien to lower his crossbow as the last thing needed at the moment was more incentive for violence. "We're headed for Sharwood village, have the people been informed of what's occurred?", she asked as she watched their surroundings. The enemy would surely be combing the woods for survivors once Starguard was secured.

[Cuccoruler]

Cythlla had run with the others. She was riding Henry the whole time as well. Once they came to a stop at the half elf Cythlla could be seen trying to hide behind Henry. She didn't like half human elfs the most. It wasn't that they were bad when she was a slave or anything. It was just that they never helped her.

Henry saw Elevyn start to stumble. He looked back at Cythlla. "You can go on foot for now right?" Henry asked her. Cythlla nodded to him, she had looked back at the man with the crossbow as well. She really didn't like elves, they always acted stuck up like they were better than everyone else.

Henry moved towards Elevyn he was certainly big. "Would you like to ride on my back for a bit? It will give you a chance to rest." Henry said to Eleyvn. Henry really did have a kind face, even for a bear you could see it in his face.

[Mega Birb]

Lucien heard the screams as he lowered his crossbow, muttering a quick prayer to those lost in the fight, hoping that at least a few of the souls would escape Sar'Than's grasp. Turning around and gesturing for the party to follow, he answered Evelyn as he shook the memory of those screams from his mind, like dust from a rug. "Yes ma'am, Sharwood's in the process of being fortified as we speak. The children have been hidden for now, until reinforcements arrive. A courier's been sent to spread the word of Starguard's fall and acquire assistance." He started to walk, stopping after a moment and turning to the commander.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, you need some help. I don't want you stumbling up this trail, it will worsen any injuries you might've sustained." He came close to the woman and the bear, then grimaced... a Necromancer's taint was around this beast, and he knew who it was. That girl with the shovel, which appeared to be bloodstained. "Bloody hell, that's terrifying..." He mumbled, then shivered, imagining the girl gleefully bashing a helpless man over the head with the spade.

[Dolerman]

Halen's cold stare turned into a raised brow of puzzlement as the Half breed woman began to snarl at him in a foreign language. Well it was a mostly foreign tongue, Halen heard his brother speak a few words of this before when they briefly met 20 years ago. The woman was muttering something about pride and standing her ground, the tone was clearly a threatening one, so it was probably a warning for her and the group's safety, definitely not normal mercenary behavior.

Don't assume I speak that pointy ear language, I'm a hunter not a linguist, and I'm not sure what you are but you aren't human, keep your distance, alien.

Halen then heard as a second member approached him from behind. An old man wielding a crossbow and barking threats in the name of his superior officer, who was clearly the lady in front of him. Halen turned his head slowly towards his back.

Such a popular weapon, the crossbow. I heard they invented it for old unskilled archers who found a bow too complex to use, I'm glad its still in high demand.

Finally Halen looked past the other people and straight at the woman knight, she identified herself as Commander Sunderland and explained the reason for the odd bunch following her. Halen was satisfied, her armor was telling enough but her refined speech and tone sealed away any speculations. That's not to say Halen trusted any of the others, but they seemed to have competent leader with them.

I'm Initiate Claymore-Vayne, unofficially known as Halen of the Hunt. I've been hired by the Starguard as a combat expert to provide extra muscle against the cultists, but I've obviously arrived too late. I know the village you speak of, and I suppose now that my employers are dead I have little to do but accompany you and hopefully find my reimbursement on the way.

Halen turned on his heel and began to lightly step in the direction of the close by village.

[ShaggyDoo0]

Glodin stepped forward and made himself known before he spoke, "Enough talk, we have no time. The enemy will be upon us soon if we stay." He turned himself to Knight-captain Evelyn before bowing in respect. "My apologies for my actions Capt'n but we must make haste." Before Captain Evelyn could react he grabbed her firmly by the waist and lifted her, placing her on the bear's back.
"Beast, you being able to speak the tongue of man chills me but I still trust you to rush the Capt'n to town if the enemy reaches us before then. Now lets move!" He spoke firmly as he began to march forward past half-elf and the small militia group from the nearby town.

[Aara1112]

The woods! I must escape through there!

Those were the only thoughts that raced through Lloyd’s mind as he ran through the bodies that littered the ground, ignoring the cries of help that echoed all around him. When he left his room the situation was beyond deteriorating. It was chaos with isolated groups of Templars fighting against a numerically superior army. He had rallied several Templars to defend the walls but they were taken out with some vile explosive soon after. It was then he realized the fighting was a lost cause. The fortress was completely overrun, the thousand footsteps of the enemy was also close behind; he didn’t even know if any of his superiors were even alive and staying around to help anyone else was suicide. Tonight’s attack completely blindsided the Order. News of this carnage must reach the others. Someone had to be a messenger.

It was miraculous that he found time to even put on his armor a set of reinforced leather armor overlaid with mail that offered modest protection. More importantly, it did not slow him down. With his sword sheathed, Lloyd held his staff with both hands. He arrived on the outskirts of the castle walls. A jump down would be his escape.

Out in the distance he saw electricity firing out of the ground three times. Unmistakably, it was a signal to rally survivors. It would also draw attention of the enemy. He briefly considered turning back to meet them back came to realize the futility of such an action. “I can’t get there in time, there’s too much of the enemy between us.” He searched his mind, frantically trying to remember the nearest village. If there were any survivors, they would likely go there first. All the other survivors would rally there. Of course! He remembered now, there was that village not too far from Starguard past the woods.

He climbed the stairs to the top of the wall. A steep drop; not a problem for someone who could make ice. Channeling his mana into his staff, he aimed it at the ground below and blast it with ice, creating an ever rising mound until he deemed it sufficiently high enough to help him get down from the walls.

As he prepared to slide down the ice mound, a most sickening sound came behind him. The Halls of the Conclave burned and the fires raged like a tornado. Lloyd cursed and averted his eyes from the flames. Through the smoke, he only caught a glimpse of a the terrifying creature that roared triumphantly in the dark sky. Today marked a dark chapter in the Order’s history, and with it the beginning of a new and dark age.

Sliding down to the ground, Lloyd ran, never looking behind him into the safety of the woods. He would meet others in the village. The name came back to him now. There had to be others in Starwood Village. Perhaps the one who shot the signal of electricity were headed there too.