'Freedom or the Fire' Chapter Six- Delayed Departure

As Bael reached the outermost reaches of the encampment, he noticed several creatures he had never seen in his whole life.  Yet he had heard of them.  They were garish black creatures, comprised entirely of morphing shadows and magic.  As one brushed past him, he knew from the sensation of guilt and fear what they were; Shadowbeasts!  Here in the camp!  And they appeared to be, packing up?  He grabbed the nearest foul demon and hissed at it, "Where is lord Vandross, lackey?!"  The Shadowbeast's face was a barely discernable Human shape, and it pointed one warped finger towards Vandross's tent.  Bael tossed the Shadowbeast aside and stalked menacingly toward the one-eyed devil's tent, his own black cape flowing out behind him as he secured it against the cooling evening breeze.  As he reached the tent, he thrust the flap aside and stormed in, coming to a halt in front of Vandross is a fighter's stance.  "What is the meaning of this," he shouted, pointing out to the camp.

            Vandross sat across from one of the minor demons, the only one Bael had seen sporting humanoid garb and chain mail armor.  It's black head still faced away from him, but he somehow knew it would not be a friendly face he saw.  Two small horns budded from its forehead, and Bael wondered if that were a sign of rank among the demons.  Vandross stood to his feet, and gestured towards the seated Shadowbeast.  "This is one of my new powers, granted by the Orbs of Eden’s Serpent.  I summoned them here, with a great amount of effort I can tell you.  This," he said, indicating the Shadowbeast as it stood and faced Bael.  "Is Vilec Roak.  He is the most intelligent and powerful of them all, and so has been named Shadowbeast Prime.  He shall command their ranks, General."

            "Under your command, of course," said the flat-faced Vilec Roak.  His head had what seemed like hair, and a twin set of yellow glowing eyes, but no other facial features to speak of aside from the horns.  He gave Bael a stiff salute, and Bael reluctantly returned the gesture. 

            "Of course," mused Bael, looking Vandross in the eye.  "I also must commend Beastmaster Valk, and request he get his own command as well."  Bael looked miserably at the floor at Vandross's feet, while the Human chuckled.

            "Very well, then.  We have the necessary numbers to do that, and I've decided that the recruits who enter from now until sunrise shall be a separate command as well.  Assign one of your best men to lead them, General."  Vandross crossed the tent to Bael, and draped an arm over his shoulder, leading him out of the tent.  "Something troubles you, my friend," he asked in a light lilt which disturbed Bael.  The reptile General stepped away from Vandross and turned to face him, his eyes filled to the brim with anger.

            "You bring demons to the earth to your command, undermine my authority, and propose that we divide these Shadowbeasts into their own platoon, YES!  Something troubles me!  What of your original goals, my lord," he asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.  He clenched his fists before himself in an angry plea to his master.  "What of the grand kingdom you said you would create for the misbegotten of the world?  What has happened to those plans?"  Vandross's jaw dropped, and he looked at the ground as if searching for something to say.

            Finally, dumbfounded but with a smug look of superiority, he answered, "Plans change to meet the times.  This army has a new standing goal.  The whole of Tamalaria shall be mine to command, Bael.  And you will help me."

            "I will NOT," Bael shouted so loudly that all eyes in the camp turned towards the two men.  Vandross took a step back, his face fallen into ashes.  He shook his head, and very slowly appeared to look almost pitiful to the large Lizardman.  "Those were not my intentions, they never have been.  I cannot help you in this if you do not tell me all that you intend."  Vandross suddenly turned to face him, tears in his eyes.

            "Perhaps you are right, my friend," Vandross said, picking his words carefully, but playing the part as well as he could.  "Besides, I could not have accomplished any of this without you.  You, who have always stood by me," he added, knowing that Bael had a weakness for his own fealty.  Bael felt a surge of guilt rush through him, a tidal wave against which he had no defense.  He had been there for Vandross since he had met the Human, and despite this change of course, he decided he would be there for the man now that he truly seemed to need him.

            "I am sorry, my lord," Bael said, bowing.  "I was merely flustered about the rapidness of changes made to our forces and situation.  I lashed out at you, my friend.  It shall not happen again."  He stepped forward and put a heavy but amicable hand on Vandross's shoulders.  "Your vision is true, my lord.  Let us rest now, and prepare for Narfan's early attack.  It shall be a fine final trial for the men, for the town's small army is formidable.  You'll see, sire, that our army has no equal.  They have you to lead them, after all."  Vandross nodded his head, faking a rub at his eyes.  Damn, he thought, tears are quite difficult to fake these days.

            "Shall we go have a game of chess then, Bael?  Commander to General?"

            "No, sire," Bael said amiably as they entered the now empty tent.  "Let us have a game, friend-to-friend."  Vandross cackled in his heart at the Lizardman's sentimentality.  If Bael wasn't careful, and again voiced any form of dissent, it would prove his undoing.

            Byron and Shoryu lay on their beds in the inn, Byron trying to decide what their next move should be.  Desanadron, a massive metropolis defended by a Paladin Order of Oun outpost, seemed like a fool's errand for Vandross.  The other possibility lay in Whitewood, which would also prove highly defensible.  Vandross would need a force of hundreds if not thousands of Lizardmen, Greenskins and foul creatures to breach even the outer defenses of the Elven capital.  It would take the one-eyed devil time to amass such a force, which thankfully bought him some time in making a decision.  Whichever city he went to, he was in danger if exposed to the defenders.  But they would need his help, he knew, to combat the likes of Vandross if the man were given enough time to prepare.

            Shoryu, meanwhile, lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about his home, reduced to so much blasted land.  The thought of bittersweet revenge kept him awake and alert.  For a while, he paced, unable to get any rest, but Byron had asked him to knock it off as it was keeping him from getting any rest.  Shoryu once more got out of his bed, exiting the room to the sound of Byron's unnatural grumbling.  The young Cuyotai Hunter crept down the hallway, past other doors, into the lobby, and finally out into the streets of town.  Even at this dead hour of the morning, the city was teeming with life and activity, though much of it leaned toward the illegal side of things. 

            Something gnawed at his mind now, however, and he did not find any immediate relief in the crisp night air.  The sky held nary a cloud overhead, revealing the stars in all their shining glory.  The moon shone full, but had a baleful red cast to it.  Shoryu looked down from it to the street in front of him, his nerves a jumble.  Something dreadful waited to be set in motion, and like a slowly rising tide this sensation crashed into Shoryu's mental break wall.  He sniffed the air, catching a hint of jasmine and rosemary from the fortune teller's shop across the street, and he could hear the muffled talk of ne'er do wells in a nearby alley.  Every shadow he saw seemed to stretch to improbable dimensions on the ground, as if the light of the tainted moon and the torches on the street dabbled in dark magics.  The youth took a deep breath to steady himself, and set off into the city's busier areas.  Perhaps with more life around him the dread would dissolve somewhat, he thought.  He thought wrong.

            The first sign of this he caught sight of as he rounded a corner onto Permission Street, a road in Narfan that held all of the municipal buildings such as a school, the library, the City Hall and the Mayor's home.  He tucked himself back around the corner, back to the wall of the City Hall, poking his snout around and watching as four armed men accosted an old merchant on his way home with his wagon of goods.  "C'mon old man," one of the cloaked figures teased, a spiked mace in hand.  "We wouldn't want to hurt ya!  We just want some things and we'll be on our way!"  The older man appeared to be a Human, but Shoryu couldn't tell what the thugs were due to their concealing cloaks.  One thing was for certain, the small, waifish one appeared to be their leader. 

            "Thinking about playing hero," a tiny voice whispered in Shoryu's ear.  Managing to keep his calm, Shoryu slowly swiveled his head and saw Alex fluttering about two inches from his snout.  "I wouldn't if I was you," Alex said, shaking his head.  "I don't approve.  Of course, the master probably would, but lord Byron seems to be more suited for physical confrontation than yourself or I."

            "Well we can't just do nothing," Shoryu whispered at Alex as he poked his head around for a brief check-up on events.  The mace-wielding thug now had the old man up against the wall, holding him pinned with a single muscular arm.  Shoryu looked back around at the Ki Fairy, who had hovered closer still to him, landing on the Cuyotai's snout.  Shoryu looked cross-eyed at him and squinted his eyes in anger.  "The elder one is defenseless," he whispered, imploringly.  "My father told me that it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak and infirm."

            "Oh, yes," Alex said, crossing his arms and taking on a sarcastic tone.  "And look at how much that helped him."  Incensed, Shoryu flicked Alex off of his snout and rounded the corner, drawing his bow and notching an arrow.  

            "Get away from the elder one," he shouted at the armed men, each of whom looked at him in turn.  They looked into one another's darkened hoods, and finally at the short leader.  There was a barely perceptible nod from him, and the mace-wielder, whose face Shoryu now saw had an Elvish look, approached.  Foul Illeck, dark Elf, Shoryu thought with disgust.  Before the Illeck had approached three paces, Shoryu let fly one of his arrows into the thug's leg.  The man cried out in shock and pain, falling to his knees and clutching at the wound.  Shoryu had been satisfied; not a crippling shot, nor fatal, but enough to take the Illeck out of commission.  The other thugs looked once again to their leader, who had already began running from the scene.  The other two men took his cue and made a break for it.  Shoryu was satisfied overall with the results, and rushed toward the old man to check on him.

            "Oh goodness, thank you my boy," creaked the old man as Shoryu helped him to his feet.  "I was sure I was in for one dilly of a pickle," he creaked, dusting himself off.  "What's your name, young man," he asked, turning his kind, wizened face up to Shoryu.

            "Oh, my name's Shoryu sir.  Shoryu Tearfang."  He gave a small bow, and the old man's eyes squinted as he smiled, his face resembling a prune. 

            "Well, Shoryu, may I ask what sort of magic your bow possesses?"  Shoryu looked at the old man for a moment, perplexed.  He had not seen any magical effect of his arrow in the Illeck.

            "Why do you ask, elder one?"

            "Because," creaked the old merchant once more.  "That man appears to be dying from a flesh wound."  The merchant's hand was extended, pointing at the fallen thug.  Shoryu spun on his heel to look at the Illeck, whose flesh appeared to be turning green, and his veins showed through the skin with a thick purple cast.  As the man crawled towards Shoryu, his eyes rolled back in his head, and his outstretched hand turned to dust.  Shoryu gasped at the sight, nearly retching.  "Well, no matter my boy, you had to do it," said the old man from behind him.  He was holding a pocket watch out to Shoryu, who took it delicately.  "A token of my appreciation, my lad.  Now if you'll excuse me," he  said, getting in front of his cart once more and grabbing the leads.  "I have some cats at home who are possibly going to be miffed that I haven't been home to feed them."  And without another word, the old merchant walked off, cart in tow.  Shoryu looked down with mounting horror at the corpse of the Illeck as it slowly dissolved into dust

            "Handy work, I must admit," squeaked Alex from his perch on Shoryu's shoulder. 

            "I never meant to kill him," Shoryu growled at the Ki Fairy, who became very suddenly skittish about his position in relation to the Cuyotai's jaws. 

            "Of course you didn't," Alex said from a comfortable distance as he fluttered away.  "But the fact of the matter is, you did.  That's life.  After all, you didn't seem to mind killing those Lizardmen who attacked your home."

            "Those were completely different circumstances," Shoryu snapped, baring his teeth at the little imp.  "Our home was under attack by beings who wanted to kill us all, without regret or thought!  These men were common thieves, and did not deserve murder!"  Alex smiled knowingly as he fluttered closer to the angry Cuyotai Hunter. 

            "Didn't they," he asked, a serious look passing over his minute face.  "They would have killed that old man, and if given half a chance, you too.  No pun intended kid, but it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and you're just going to have to toughen up to that fact.  Besides, you saved the old man, didn't you?"  Shoryu's anger fled, a fleeting jackrabbit gone into the high brush.  He hung his head in shame, realizing that Alex, while not a very nice Fairy, spoke hard, simple truths.  "Yes, you saved the old man.  Now come back to the inn and get some rest.  You've earned it."  Shoryu followed Alex back to the inn, into his room, and finally into bed.  He slept the sleep of the dead, dreaming of nothing but darkness.

            Byron, on the other hand, could not be so fortunate.  He found himself standing in a graveyard, covered with mist and fog.  The air smelled of rotted flesh, a stench so foul it offended even his sense of smell.  He peered around, realizing that once again he seemed to be in control of himself in this dream.  Dead grass cracked and shuffled underfoot as he slowly wandered around the cloudy graveyard, hearing the rustlings of the wind in this dark place.  The fences and gates appeared shrouded in mist, and were backed by walls of pure black nothingness, as though this small area were the entirety of existence.  A crooked, warped maple tree stood in one corner of the area he stood in, its branches twisted and contorted beyond the designs nature had intended.  The taste of blood seemed firmly entrenched in his mouth as he stalked from grave to grave, trying to make out the writing on the tombs.

            -Byyyroooon,- a wispy voice echoed through the air.  Byron spun full round, his pinpoint lights darting around to seek out the source of that ghostly voice. 

            "What do you want," he shouted into the blank air, his voice echoing as if he were in a canyon and not a burial grounds.           

-They are coming, Byron, - the bodiless voice said to him, reverberating off of the black walls of space.  -You must be ready for them, Byron.  They have seen the boy, and return to their master to tell him of it.  You must be ready for battle.-  The voice faded out like an imagined image, and Byron blinked his eyes against the sudden, violent gust of wind that blew at him from all directions.

            "Who is coming?  Who is their master," he shrieked into the wind, which howled so loudly he was certain his question was lost in it.  A burst of light came from the eye of the storm wind, colliding into him with the force of a thousand Mystic Force spells.  He was thrown back twenty or so yards, and he felt a warm glow now in the middle of his chest. 

            -Take this gift from me.  It was once yours, but over time, you lost it, - the voice said as the wind died.  -Use it once again, as you did in the time before.  Farewell, Byron. -.  These words echoed for some time, and Byron felt the ground under him give way, and was suddenly being toppled into nothingness.

            As dawn drew near, Richard Vandross shaved his cheeks, carefully looking in his mirror as he held the razor to his face.  As he made the first pass, his tent flap flew open, and one of the Shadowbeasts he had sent into Narfan to scout out the area for their forces' last training trip entered.  "My lord, I bring news of grave import."  Vandross made another sweep with the razor, looking at the demon as it brought down its hood. 

            "Go ahead," he said casually, continuing his shave.

            "We found a source of information, my lord, a Gnome by the name of Lee Toren.  We saw him creeping from a store with a bag filled with stolen goods.  We bribed him for information, but he told us more than the city's defenses.  He knew the location of the next Orb of Eden’s Serpent."  Vandross nearly cut himself as he spun his head to smile wickedly at the Shadowbeast.  He already knew the direction he had to go, but a specific location hadn’t made itself known.

            "Where?"

            "Desanadron, my lord.  But that city is defended heavily, both by guards and a Paladin Order of Oun outpost."

            "No matter," Vandross said, returning his attention to the mirror and the razor.  "We can deal with those easily enough.  Is that all?"

            "No, lord Vandross.  We lost one of our Illeck while holding up a merchant.  You should know, sire, that it was the Cuyotai boy with the magical bow.  Taisha, one of the Lizardmen that was with me, recognized him."  This time Vandross did cut his cheek, scraping the razor suddenly against his flesh.  If the boy had survived, surely Byron of Sidius would be with him.  He got to his feet and immediately began to pack up his tent, one of the last to be taken down.  "What is your desire, master?"

            "Get me Bael, now," Vandross screamed, throwing his things into their boxes and bags.  A minute later, the Shadowbeast returned, with Bael alongside him.  Vandross tossed a bolt of lightning into the Shadowbeast, leaving a smoking pile of ashes and salt where it had stood.  "Bael, change of plans.  Take the newest recruits, and Valk with his new plaything.  Take them into Narfan, and slaughter everyone.  Burn that shitsplat little town to the ground if you have to!"

            "My lord, what is the matter?  Why are we not all going with them," Bael asked, noticing the Human warlock's sudden movements and aggressive demeanor.

            "We now know the location of the next Orb, Bael.  That scout also said one of the Illeck who went with him was slain by that accursed Cuyotai boy from the village!  Byron shall surely be with him!  I want those two dealt with, once and for all!  Do you understand Bael?"  Bael saluted stiffly, coming to attention.  "If they somehow manage to survive, and you feel the heat coming down, get out of there.  I won't lose my greatest tactician just because his troops prove to be unworthy, do you understand?"  Vandross was on the verge of ranting, and Bael felt a wave of apprehension slam him full-on in his heart.  Why was lord Vandross so concerned with a Cuyotai pup and a walking dead man?  He could not understand his master's obvious fear.  "You have your orders, Bael!  Get moving," Vandross screamed at the top of his lungs.  The Lizardman General rushed outside, barking assembling orders and getting the newest batch of warriors ready.  A sense of dread stole over him as he looked up at the descending moon.  It had a blood-drenched appearance, and this did not bode well for him in his opinion.  A red moon meant certain death for those who battled before the sun rose.

            But orders were orders, and he had sworn fealty.  Even in the face of death or lunacy.

            Byron felt himself falling, and came awake as he suddenly crashed face-first into the floor next to his bed.  He knelt up quickly, looking at Shoryu and Alex as they giggled madly.  "Sorry, Byron, it was the only way to get you up," said Shoryu through a bout of laughter. 

            "Simply hilarious," he grumbled as he brushed himself off and wrapped shadows around his body.  "He put you up to this, didn't he," he asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Alex, who was rolling on the dresser top.  "I assume you woke me up for a reason, other than laughing at my expense?"  Byron adjusted his chest plate, and strapped his sword to his back.

            "Indeed, good Byron," said Shoryu, sobering up suddenly as he remembered his encounter and his sense of dread.  "I had an encounter this night with some thugs.  I wound up killing an Illeck while trying to defend an elderly merchant."

            "A noble thing, young one," Byron commented as he tied his dark blue cloak over his shoulders.  "What of it?"

            "Well, I've got this bad feeling, sir," he said, remembering to address Byron as his elder.  Byron himself had said such things were not necessary, but it seemed to be ingrained in the Cuyotai youth's head.  Byron moved over to the window and peered up into the sky, seeing the bloody moon as it began to set in favor of the sun.

            "I see what you mean.  I had a dream last night that I think may relate to your sense of impending disaster, young one."  Shoryu was staring at him with a puzzled look as Byron turned to face him.  He already knew the question.  "Yes, Shoryu, I dream," he said, drawing the curtain shut.  And what a dream it had been, he mused inwardly.  "I shall have to tell you about it some time.  But not now," he said, sensing a hostile presence drawing near.  "Now, we have to leave.  We have to make ready for battle.  Alex," he said, looking over to the Ki Fairy, who was already preparing his prank-based magic.  "Good.  Shoryu," he said, who had his bow in hand.  "Good.  Now let's get out into the streets.  It won't be long now." 

            In a few minutes, they had left the innkeeper with their room key, and had chosen a spot in a wide market street to wait for the inevitable battle that came charging toward them.  The scents of perfumes and spices filled the air, clashing and vying for control of the group's nostrils.  Shoryu, having the sensitive nose of a lycanthrope, began to question Byron's choice of location, but the Dread Knight soon explained himself.  "I have the feeling you won't be the only lycanthrope in this fight, so the air here is perfect to mask our presence for a little while.  Depending on the size of the group coming, it may take a while for them to locate us.  In the meantime, they'll tire themselves out fighting the soldiers of Narfan."  Shoryu gave him a horrified look, much to Byron's surprise.

            "We're going to let the soldiers here die fighting a pack of creatures that most likely seeks us?  We should go out and meet these marauders head-on, Byron!  We needn't let innocent blood be spilled!"  Byron stood stiffly, firmly in front of the youth, and gripped his shoulders hard.

            "They're trained soldiers, Shoryu.  It's their job to defend their city, for better or worse.  It's what is called a tactical move.  Those who serve this city know the risks inherent in their job.  More than likely those who seek us will not be enough in number or skill to defeat them all."  Byron tried to smile at the boy, but his bones just wouldn't obey him.  He had the ability to mimic facial expressions, but this time his body failed him.  He patted Shoryu on the shoulder and returned to observing the streets.  For a while, nothing seemed out of place.  And then the screaming began.

            Far on the northern side of the city, the roar of battle erupted, and Alex fluttered high over the street to get a look at the attackers' forces and numbers.  What he saw was nearly a hundred and fifty assorted creatures, a massive and feral Khan among them.  The Khan moved with deadly speed through the ranks of the civilians and soldiers, and bursts of magic erupted from somewhere near the western side of the city.  He sped down to Byron and Shoryu, screaming at the top of his little voice, "It is a small army, my lord!  One hundred plus creatures of many sorts are rampaging through the city already," he shouted, panicking in front of both Dread Knight and Hunter.  He darted looks both ways, and continued.  "It is only a matter of minutes before they get this far my lord!  The city's elite soldiers hold the western streets, but not for long, for there are magic-users in their midst!"  Byron stood stiff, shocked at how badly he had miscalculated the situation.  Magic users, one hundred plus men, and from the sounds of it, getting close and gaining momentum.  The Dread Knight balled up his fist and shook it uselessly.

            "Shoryu, we shall stand our ground here!  Everyone," he shouted, addressing the distressed crowd with his hands over his head.  He removed the magic that concealed his appearance.  "Everyone, flee!  Danger comes this way," he screamed, and more than a few people ran more out of fear of him than fear of imminent attack.  In moments, the street lay barren.  Alex swept the street, placing magical traps on the ground here and there, and a few on the rooftops.  He came back, swooping past Byron with a thumbs-up signal, and Byron drew his sword.  "Alex, take another fly-over and tell us how soon and what our first attack is."  Alex fluttered high overhead, zooming his sights in on the huge Khan he had seen before.  An ancient Lizardman in a green, tattered robe followed behind, apparently controlling the battle-frenzied beast.  He flew in closer, and identified the two as the closest and possibly most worrisome threat.  Elsewhere, the city's soldiers were actually putting up one hell of a fight against the oncoming legions, thrusting them back and felling their weaker members.

            Alex swooshed past Byron's head, coming to a stop just in front of Shoryu, who knelt with his back to the Dread Knight, defending the street from the west.  "My lord, a Khan Berserker and some sort of Lizardman mage approach from the east!  They will be here in a minute if they continue on their course!"

            "No, Alex!  Lead them this way!  A Khan Berserker will be too much for any mere soldier to handle!  Bring them to me!"  Alex flew off, and behind him, Byron could hear Shoryu letting the first of his arrows fly.  The young Cuyotai was staring down the throat of a wedge filled with Orcs and Illecks, and he landed a single arrow into the soft belly of a charging Orc.  A bright orange light glowed from point of entry, and a massive wave of fire swept out from the arrow, engulfing the entire wedge in a circle of fiery death.  "Keep it up, Shoryu," Byron shouted over the din of approaching battle.  Looking back towards the east, he saw now his minute friend flying toward him as swiftly as a Fairy could, the Khan and reptile close on his heels.  The Berserker stopped in his tracks, seemingly waiting for his companion to give him his orders.

            "Ah, Byron of Sidius," hissed Valk from beneath his hood.  “Lord Vandross was right," he said, and Byron's heart skipped a beat.  These were all Vandross's men?  He had scarcely had more than a hundred men only four days earlier.  Did the Orbs of Eden’s Serpent give him the power to command such numbers?  Surely that, and an experienced commander or two at his disposal.  "I had hoped that I could have confronted you in the Cuyotai village with my morenians, but alas, it was not to be."  Shoryu now stood to his feet, staring wide-eyed at the Beastmaster.

            "You," he shouted, baring his teeth and growling at Valk.  "You helped that devil destroy my people!"

            "That'sssss right, young Hunter.  And now that genoccccide shall be complete!  Bringel, crush them!"  The massive Khan screamed in rage and beat his chest, rushing forward with his massive axe in hand.  Both Shoryu and Byron leapt aside as the deadly Berserker brought his axe crashing down on the spot where they had stood moments before.  Byron landed with his feet splayed to either side, preparing to dodge the next attack and counter-strike, but the Khan rushed Shoryu instead.  Before Shoryu could react, the Khan used his fist like a mace, smashing into Shoryu's side and throwing him through the air like a dead bird.  Shoryu landed with considerable force in a horse watering trough.

            "It's me you're after," Byron taunted, trying to get Bringel's attention.  Byron positioned himself behind one of Alex's traps, goading the Khan on.  "Come on, you oversized throw rug, come get me!"  With an earth-shattering roar, the Berserker charged at Byron.  The Dread Knight moved aside and the Khan stepped on one of Alex's trademark traps.  A thin blue sheet of ice appeared over the Khan's head, and being the simpleton he was, Bringel stared in fascination at the sheet.  The ice quickly turned into a single massive stalactite, and fell at speed into the Berserker, smashing him into the ground with Aquamancy power.  The Berserker howled in pain and fury, getting up off of the ground with a huge gouge in his chest.  Byron rushed to Shoryu to check on him, only to find the bow notching an arrow and volleying it into yet another attack wedge approaching from the east.  Once more the pack erupted in deadly flames.

            Byron breathed a sigh of relief before the Berserker sank its axe head into his back.  Yelling in pain and falling forward, Byron hit the ground and rolled onto his side, thrusting a single iron boot into the Berserker's groin as it pulled the axe out of Byron.  In shock, the Khan held its privates, dropping his bloodied weapon to the ground and falling to its knees.  Byron drew back his sword and gave a single stroke, decapitating the mighty Berserker.  He breathed heavily, feeling at the wound in his back.  The axe had drawn blood, something he had thought was impossible due to his body's state.  But then again, he thought, I haven't been seriously attacked like that for a good long time.  Shouldn't come as any surprise.  He felt lucky that his armor had stopped the weapon from hitting his spine, much less cutting him in half.  He and Shoryu both turned on the Beastmaster Valk, who had begun to gibber and panic.  Shoryu wobbled slightly, still jarred from the punch of Bringel.

            "Can I," asked Shoryu, his face soaked and his eyes flashing dangerously.  Byron simply nodded his approval, and Shoryu fired an arrow into Valk's face.  The resulting explosion rendered the Beastmaster a pile of singed meat that not even the most desperate dog would eat.  Throughout the rest of the city, the Narfan soldiers, aided by Alex's clever use of magic, had beaten back most of the living forces.  He flew to Byron and assured him that victory was at hand. 

            "Good.  How bad were the town’s casualties?"  Alex's head dropped slightly at the question.

            "Nearly three hundred men and women, Byron.  Almost every soldier is dead.  Only the elites and the high commander remain, though the reserves haven’t been called up yet.  But the people have shored up their own defenses.  Even that stupid Jaft you bumped into yesterday is fighting the good fight with his band of merry morons.  Not much of anyone left to fight."

            "Except me," said a familiar voice.  The Lizardman who had been fighting the Chieftain alongside Richard Vandross stood twenty or so yards away from the group, axe in hand.  "I have given the order of retreat, Byron of Sidius.  You have defeated lord Vandross's newest recruits.  But that means little in face of the odds you are ultimately up against."  Bael looked at Shoryu, at the enflamed anger lying there.  "I am still needed by my master to command his armies.  We shall do battle one day, dead one.  But not today," he said, putting his blood-encrusted axe on his broad back.  "I plan to fight you man-to-man, Byron.  No friends, no sneak attacks.  We shall do honorable battle, I vow it.  But today, I concede that the Narfan soldiers and you three have done well.  Besides," he said, waving his hand and revealing the locations of Alex's traps.  "I wouldn't want to fight on such turf.  Would you?"  Without another word, and with a grimace, Bael turned and stalked away.  Shoryu brought his bow up to fire at his back, but Byron put his hand on the bow, lowering it.

            "Another time, young one.  You'll get your chance yet."