Fantasy: Chapter 14: War

A Chapter by Linis Arizen

War:

I sat on the edge of my bed, I looked over at Cat as she slept, peacefully and contently. I smiled as I looked at her stomach, I tilted my head and ran my hand down her belly. I’m going to be a father. I never thought of it until now, I mean back then we spoke of it but you know how teenagers are when they’re in love. I smiled and stood up, I walked over to my dresser and looked into mirror. I shut my eyes and wondered how things are in Elmemna. We should be at Crieo by now. I guess, that means I should try to go to sleep, right? I walked back over to my bed and lay down. I thought about what Lloyd had said. I wonder where Alex is now. I wonder if he’s like, sane. I laid there and stared at the white life-less ceiling. I slowly closed my eyes.

I quickly sat up and looked around, I was again in a tent. My gear was still on, I stood up and walked outside, I smelt burnt wood, flesh and the stench of death. We were at Crieo. I looked around as I saw men and women of the Sythain race and a few Feain’s and Lucian’s here and there running back and forth. All of them were wearing a variety of armor and had a wide range of weapons. I looked around trying to find Craven, Lucia or Seria.

“Excuse me!”

I turned around as a young Lucian soldier ran up to me.

“Yes?”

“Your Leon, your with Craven and the others right?”

“Uhhh yeea?”

“Please follow me” he quickly turned and ran back the way he came, I quickly followed after him. The sound of battle in the distance got louder. I followed him to a large courtyard that was riddled with destroyed pillars and other manner of debris, we went inside this small structure that looked like the remains of a small church, inside I saw Craven and the others sitting at a table. I walked up to the table, at the top of the table was a Sythain man, his skin was dark. His hair or fur was black and he had s bunch of scars among with tribal tattoos. He had a dark gray beard, I’m assuming that this man is Mithas. I sat down and they all nodded at me. Mithas stood.

“Now that we’re all here, we can begin talking about plans to retake the Temple of Elmena. That’s where they have set up their main force now that we have them on the run, we can take them.”

Elmena? That’s Dr. Cushowe’s wife’s name. A Temple? That must mean she’s a goddess here?

Craven titled his head, “But hey have at least four of those bloody Mages set up there…they’ll blow us apart.”

Mithas’s looked over to Seria, “That is why she is here…”

I looked over to Seria, “Huh wait what?”

Seria chuckled abit then looked at me and rubbed the back of her head, “Remember when you asked me about my bow and arrow skills…well see I’m a Sythain Darkeye.”

“A…darkeye?”

“Yes an expert with the bow. See Mithas here is my Uncle. Which is why I’m here.”

I looked down then looked at her, “Well that’ll explain why there weren’t any bags of weapons to give to a weapon smith. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because our relation and her reason must be kept a secret from, certain members of our family.” Responded Mithas as he looked at her.

I nodded, “I see, so how is she going to take down these Mages?”

Mithas looked down and rubbed the back of his head, “That’s where we’re at…”

Lucia sat there and watched us all speak.

Craven adjusted in his chair and looked at me.

I looked at him and rubbed my chin, “What about…using us as diversions?”

Mithas looked at me, “What do you mean? Use you three as bait?”

Craven tilted his head, “No….to hard…”

I shook my head, “That maybe so, but not if we’re apart…”

They all look at me.

“Like…I’ll go in from the….Front, the main entrance, Lucia can come up from the left or right sides and Craven from behind or something, while Seria posts herself somewhere where she can get a shot on the mages.” I explained to them, after I was done I had realized that their eyebrows were raised.

Craven nodded, “I like it, a solid plan, they wont see it coming, definitely not a small group at least.”

They all nodded and I smiled. Mithas looked at me, “We’ll discuss about Lloyd and Alex when the Temple is ours again.”

I nodded, “Ok”

Craven and the others stood up, I stood up with them. Craven and Lucia walked towards the door, me and Seria followed behind, Craven turned and face us, “Lets great ready. Everyone will meet at the stairs North of the Temple. From there we go our own ways and draw out those bloody b******s.” He walked down the ruined stairs, Lucia went down and stopped by Craven, she went to his ear on the left side of his face, she put something in his hand and smiled then walk to the left of the stairs, Seria was behind her. I ran after Craven, “So…this is the moment we all been waiting for eh?”

He smiled and nodded, “Yes it is lad. Though...if you are from some other world or…time frame or whatever it is…it’s a shame that after all this you’ll be gone…”

I looked down at his statement, “I…I would love to stay…but I just found out…that I’m a father…”

Craven looked at me, “Really now? Heh that’s bloody great, I think you’ll make a great father to that blessed child.”

I smiled and looked at him, I noticed that he had a necklace with a ring on it, “Whats that?”

He looked down at it, “Ohh this…heh well Lucia gave it to me…as a gift…”

I looked at the ring she gave me, “She gave me one aswell…”

He smiled, “Well yours has magical value…mine has…Emotion value…”

I tilted my head and I smiled, “Wait…you and…”

“Sorry to cut this short but we’re here.” Said Craven as he sat down on the steps. I looked around, I could see the top of the Temple over the edge of the steps. Lucia walked up behind us, “Seria is in place. I’m going to attack from the east side.”

Craven nodded and looked at us both, “I’ll go in from the West. Think you can handle the Frontal assault Leon?”

I nodded, “Of course”

He smiled and stood up, “We’ll set off explosives, when you hear them, charge forward, we’ll then do the same. May Elmena protect us…” he said as he patted my shoulder and ran down an ally and disappeared into the darkness. Lucia stood there, I looked at her, she nodded and went down another one and disappeared aswell. I looked around, trying to spot Seria. I noticed a tower that was near the Temple, it had great angles on it, a great spot for her. I stood there and brought my weapons and looked around. After awhile, I heard two loud explosions go off, I jumped and ran up the stairs.

I got to the top if the stairs, I saw the Temple and ran as fast as I could. The main doors were already broken down, I saw two of the Mages deep inside the Temple. Around them were at least twenty other soldiers, it looks like the spilt up. One group went out to the west, the other, east. At least four soldiers and the last two Mages stayed inside to head me off. I heard the sound of battle begin, I began to wonder about Lucia and Craven. I was now right outside the Temple, the four men charged at me, they all wore medium armor and had long swords and axes. As we charged closer, an arrow hit the third man in from the left side in his neck. He spun and fell to the ground, I smiled as the last three men and I drew closer. I swung my longsword down and my scimitar up. I cut on man down his chest, the other blocked my scimitar with his axe, I jumped back as two swords swung down at me. I stood up and tackled the one soldier to the ground, driving my longsword through his chest. I heard a thud, I turned and saw the last man fall to his knees as an arrow stuck out of his head. I looked up and nodded. I saw that the tower was at least four houses over, she was one hell of a shot. I looked inside the temple. The Mages were in the back, I ran inside. The Mages stood together, they quickly began the chant something I ran forward then dodged to the left as a huge ball of fire shot forth at me. I laid there as the explosion went off, my hearing whistled, my head banged, my vision blurred. I shook my head, I saw the Tower through one of the windows, I had to get those Mages to that window. To my left was another door, I heard swords clanging on the other side, to my right was another entry, there I saw Lucia cutting down the soldiers, the Mage was on the ground with an arrow impaled into his heart. I stood up quickly and ran at the Mages, they raised their hands. I stepped onto a bench and jumped up as another ball of fire shot out towards me, as I neared the wall I placed my feet and ran on it for a good three seconds, getting out of the blast radius, I heard it hit and explode, I saw pieces of the bench I jumped from fly passed me. I landed back on the floor and ran at the Mages, one went to ran pass the window and was shortly stopped by an arrow, the other stood there dazed and confused, I saw my chance. I ran up and ran my blades through his chest. His eyes widen and blood ran from his mouth. His body went limp as I kicked him off my blades. I stood there and looked around, there were several small fires, nothing to big. I saw Lucia run into the Temple, she nodded. Then looked at the West door as it opened. Craven stumbled through, his shoulder was bleeding from a slash wound. I ran up to him, “Craven?! You ok?”

He smirked and laughed, “Haha yea, don’t worry lad I’ve had worse..”

I smiled, “Heh, tis only a flesh wound haha”

He tilted his head, “Aye”

I laughed abit and looked at him then Lucia, “Shall we go back? Meet up with Seria, have some drinks and all that haha”

They nodded as we walked out the door.

I sat down at the table as Mithas pours me a cup of water, “we are low on other drinks, so water will have to do…”

I nodded, “That’s fine by me…so wat can you tell me about Lloyd and Alex.”

Mithas sat down and adjusted in his chair, “Well Alex, like you came from your world. A world that we came to call, Nevatrail. It was a world that has been studied by many of Mages. Some say it’s an imagination, others say it’s a myth, others say it’s another plane of existence. And how you and Alex came to our world from what you and him say, your dreams, is beyond me. Though you and him are indeed not from anywhere here. Lloyd was one of the Mages that was studying into Nevatrail. He went on and on about how he might of found a way to and from it. But well, he got nowhere. Then one day he met with Alex, excited about it, thrilled. But after they spoke, Lloyd changed. He wanted to invade Nevatrail and he wanted to get there desperately. Alex wanted a to stop his dreams and wanted to stop Lloyd. Cause it seems as though Lloyd was onto something and figured out how to go to Nevatrail. Alex stopped him.”

I rubbed my chin then looked at Mithas, “Lloyd has been asking me to…find him. He said something about a cave nearby.”

Mithas tilted his head, “He did do his research outside our city. His cave isn’t far from the west. I’ve been there a few times. He built a house, like lab in there. But why do you want to find his place. And you can’t find him, he’s dead.”

I titled my head again, “Has anyone been to the cave since the Great Battle?”

Mithas shook his head.

I nodded, “Ok then, I’ll go there and see what I can dig up.”

Mithas nodded, “Your different from Alex.”
I looked at him as I stood, “What do you mean?”

He looked down abit, “Well, I felt an…uneasy feeling from Alex, with you, I don’t.”

I nodded, “Thanks for the information.”

He nodded as I walked out. I saw Seria sitting on a broken pillar. I looked at her and smiled, “That was some great shooting”

She smiled and chuckled, “Hehe thanks, ya know that’s twice I’ve saved you hehe”

I tilted my head, “Yea…so..haha”

She smiled then looked down. I tilted my head.

“So you find out anything lad?”

Before I could speak I heard Craven ask as I turned around, “Oh um yea…Lloyd’s Cave just outside this city, that’s my next destination.”