War At Mountain's Base

         A profound silence occupied the valley. No animal was to be heard and the grasses themselves stood still, as if in anticipation. Slowly a dim beat could be heard and the ground begun to pulse to its rhythm. As the beats grew louder, distinct sounds could be heard. The screams of men mingled with the cries of horses, as the two great armies rushed at each other. Their bronze and silver armor flashed brightly in the waking sun and a red haze could be seen faintly glimmering over them.

The green mountain, at the base of which the armies would meet, rippled with energy. The beats seemed to emit from the mountain itself and as the two armies reached a few meters opposite each other, a massive groan was heard. Most people stopped, with a few still rushing forward, till a green wave of energy coming from the mountain washed over them, turning their bodies into small trees. Another green wave came at the armies, yet the red haze acted as a barrier and defused the energy. Shock and confusion quickly spread within the bronze army and both groups turned towards the mountain.

         From the peak almost to the base, a black smoke moved languidly, seeping out of the mountain as if it were sweat pouring from a man’s skin. The sweat seemed to beat in time to the now low beats of sound and soldiers from the bronze army quickly backed away. On a huge rock, in the midst of the smoke, appeared a tall, lithe man whose body seemed to look like burnished gold. As he spoke, his ghostly voice carried over the noise and the smoke stopped growing.

         “How dare you come here to fight? Have you not heard the people’s warnings; that none shall trespass here with the intent to kill?” His voice contained a trace of anger and his piercing green eyes demanded attention. At his words some of the bronze army retreated more while the other army stood silent and watching.

         From the bronze army, a general pushed her way to the front and spoke up. “Whoever you are, we have no idea what you are talking about. We made our way through a prototype gate and encountered no villagers. A similar prototype as what those damn Karzanians over there have, who want to take what we discovered.” Pointing to the trees who were once soldiers, she spoke, “Now I don’t know who you are and for the moment I don’t care. I can see you have some form of power. Give us aid; help us crush these betraying scums and become an ally of Port Chaisis! Your rewards will be great, far better than delaying us.”

         Laughter like the sounds of thousands of ghosts came from the mountain till the man raised his hands. “Foolish woman, you know nothing of which you speak. The area both nations supposedly discovered have already been destroyed as have your prototype gates by now. Yet you spoke bravely and so I shall tell you this much; those gates were not what they appeared to be. Look at your men; see how some cower while your opponents in silver armor are silent and waiting. Did you even realize that these opponents are far less than your reports said or that some of your army has dwindled? We saved some on each side yet we could not save all.”

         At his last words, five men on the bronze army erupted, to reveal creatures seemingly made out of meat and having four mouth ending tentacles attached to their bodies. Opening those bloody mouths they screamed and begun to tear into the men among them. As the general turned in horror she heard the man’s voice in her head “They were waiting for the red mist to penetrate your side and change some of you. Some have been turned; it can be seen in their eyes. We’ll send as much as we can on both sides back to their homelands, yet most will forget, so as not to go mad. You and a few others will remember, to do as you will. Know this; there are no more gates within your kingdoms reach and something far worse than these things may be ahead.” A huge swath of smoke suddenly engulfed both armies, covering the bronze army entirely while just touching some soldiers in the silver army. When it finally cleared, all the people it had touched were gone, except for three of the creatures.

         Two of their bodies were cut into pieces, surrounded by the bodies of some of the very people who had succeeded in killing them. The other three seemed frozen. Out of the silver army a grizzled man with the muscular overture of a small giant stepped forth. His deep bass voice resonated as he spoke. “So it’s finally time. Although, just a bit longer and we would have had control over them. Oh Well; Now Release HIM!!!

         His last words, spoken with an infliction of force sent a shudder through him and his remaining men. Blood seeped out of the eyes of some of the men who still stood quietly, while his body and one other erupted to reveal two terrifying creatures. They stood at twice the height of an average man, with thick muscles and blood red armor over their meat like bodies. Their heads were wedged shaped with two massive horns which curved into their eye sockets and were filled with blood red paintings of massive eyes which seemed to drip blood. Their mouth was a huge maw filled with dagger shaped teeth, which looked as sharp as the claws on their hands.

         The once-grizzled man stepped forward, as his look-alike came by his side. “Release him or suffer; better yet release him and die quicker.” At his words the red eyed humans in his army unsheathed their weapons and stepped forward. Their bodies seemed to be beginning to change, their skin becoming extremely red, with blood dripping out of their eyes, yet ever silent.

         The man on the rock spat in disgust and anger, the smoke swirling violently around him. “Abomination, cursed creature, you think to threaten me? I, Azoth Arinock!” Harsh laughter came from him as he spoke; “You think this is one of our mountains, an entryway? Think again.” As he spoke, the mountain seemed to vanish into a thick cloud of smoke, with Azath still visible on a huge rock, which begun to swirl violently. “We knew you were coming. You were manipulated into coming here. One of the only ways to protect and inform a few humans from the truth of their leaders, and one of the ways to get the chance to destroy the portals. Yes, we destroyed all of them! As for your fellow friend, who sought ingeniously to infiltrate us, here he is.”

         As Azath held out his hand, the smoke in it vanished to reveal the head of a similar creature, but with three horns going through its forehead. As he tossed the head towards the lead creature, he turned his head to the side and spoke, “Finish them quickly. Save who you can and report back to me when you’re done.” Breathing in deeply so that some smoke entered him, Azath faded away taking the remaining smoke with him.

         In his place stood a small company of soldiers with ten warriors ahead of them. Five were in midnight colored armor, while the other five had armor shaped in the forms of various animals from a lion to a bear and even a blue skinned rial. The amour’s ranged in color from green to gold. Out of the ten warriors stepped a long haired youth with an easy smile, calm face and piercing green eyes. “Time to die.” Her light voice held a cool chill to it.

         Meanwhile the lead beast was still staring at the head by his feet. “Ah, Kahrzath they shall pay.” Roaring in anger, he led the charge towards the warriors. As the two groups clashed, the three forgotten tentacle creatures bodies begun to become entirely darkened by the smoke running through them. With their bodies entirely darkened, the creatures turned and crashed into the demon controlled army and started to slay men. After a while, one of the two massive creatures turned and clenched its hand into a fist causing two of the tentacle creatures to erupt in a huge explosion. The third creature attacked the startled demon, wrapping its tentacles around it.

         This enabled three of the warriors in animal shaped armor to create a circle of smoke around the two creatures. As the creatures fought and bled, the smoke absorbed their blood, till it turned a dark red. The three warriors then run around in the smokey circle absorbing the smoke and coming to a stop in the shape of an equilateral triangle. The images of a lion, wolf and rial on their chests opened their mouths and then fired dark beams of reddish light. When the light cleared only pieces of the creatures could be seen, along with remnants of a reddish smoke. The warriors then breathed this in, causing their bodies to glow with power and continued attacking more soldiers. At this, the sole remaining creature roared and with his remaining humans attacked more furiously.

         Mowing with a speed that belied it size, the creature kept tearing apart its foes. Dodging a sword strike, it rammed its claws into a golden armored warrior’s midriff sending the warrior flying through the air. When two of the midnight colored armored warriors went to protect their fallen comrade, the creature turned its gaze on two other midnight warriors. Its’ blood painted eyes glowed brightly, with blood pouring out and bright beams erupted from the eyes striking the midnighters directly on their chests.

         Their armor absorbed the beams, yet the creature would not stop and the men begun to fall in pain. With a shout, the blue armored man leapt from the behind the two midnighters and raised his hands, which held two blue orbs, connected by what seemed like a blue stream of light. This intercepted the creatures’ beams and sent out a wave of sound, which shattered some of the creatures painted eyes. Roaring in pain, the creature directed more humans to attack the small blue man.

         Yet as it turned to move in another direction, a red-armored woman with long blonde hair stood waiting, her double sword, with an upper and lower blade, bloody. Calmly she rushed at the creature and dodging a wild swipe, leapt unto its chest and drove her sword through its heart. Yet even as the creature’s body blackened, it would not fall. Grabbing one of the girl’s arms, it ripped it out. Flinging the screaming woman to the ground, the creature stared around at its’ rapidly falling army. Grabbing the sword which had pierced its chest, it slowly begun to pull it out.

         Suddenly a blue orb burst through its back pushing its heart out between the blades. The creature stared in disbelief as a blue light washed over its heart destroying it. Turning its head, even as agony coursed through its body, the creature watched the blue armored man, pointed at the woman and said, “This isn’t over.”

         As the creature’s body exploded into smoke, the blue armored man knelt by the woman and gently lifted her up. They both inhaled the smoke deeply causing black painted eyes to appear on his armor and her hand to regenerate. All around them, the creatures’ men begun to drop their weapons and some begun to scream in horror wondering what had happened.

         Standing, the two warriors waited for the remnants of their small group to come by them. When they were all gathered, one of the midnight warriors spoke, “So it’s done. We know what we must do.” Turning to the men who milled about crazily, the warriors breathed out a dark fog, which washed over the entire battlefield. When it cleared, no bodies remained and the confused people had vanished, sent to their homelands with memories wiped.

         Supporting their injured golden armored brother and the young woman, the warriors faced the sun and in a brilliant flash of light and a swirling of smoke was gone. A few yards away, a red haze flashed and vanished, revealing the head of the 3 horned beasts, pulsing and gleaming in the dying light. In the air, three low gruff words were heard, “This isn’t over.”