Chronicles of Fardel: The Rise of Syphon
Attack on Legionor

"What shall we call you master?" Kuzog said trembling, he'd never actually seen a wraith in the flesh before.

"Simply master, what are your troops?"

"We have three bases and one stronghold. Ten thousand orcs, five thousand goblins, three thousand Wolfman, and five hundred dozers ready to march at once."

Diabolos had a surge of anger and lifted Kuzog off the ground in a choke hold.

"You incompetent little imp! Eighteen thousand!? That is not enough to break them! The ritual is only to be done if you can crush them!"

"We also have a thousand trolls." Kuzog choked.

Diabolos broke his neck and tossed him aside like a randomly. Then he pointed at a large orc.

"What's your name!"

"Gork" He replied sheepishly.

"You just got promoted. My first question is... Why was the ritual allowed? Without at least thirty thousand troops minimum it shouldn't have been done!"

"Just bring the rest of your troops." Gork replied.

"You know nothing. The blood summons ritual can only summons one of us! The plane must be breached by one of the uncondemned in order for all of us to come over! Our kind can't make that breach and neither can yours!"

"We thought the blood ritual would begin the next trial of fire."

"Know nothings, do you not read the prophecies?"

"The Black Book was lost to us in its entirety, we only have parts."

"Very well, I suppose my real mission is only to kill one man, surely we can manage that."

"Yes Master, what is our target?"

"Kephiyr, he is a potential for the only possible successful retaliation when the trial of fire starts. He is stationed in Legionor."

Gork's eyes grew wide and his green skin was slightly paler.

"Master we don't have enough, even if we won it would be barely a victory."

"Exactly why you should have waited to do the blood ritual. Luckily for you, your life and theirs mean nothing to me. Prepare to attack, or join Kuzog."

Kephiyr and Mastus stood on the wall for their guard shift.

"Well we have another year of peace before the treaty ends." Kephiyr said heavily.

"Have you decided which side you're on?" Kephiyr looked around calmly and then whispered to Mastus. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"When the war begins I'm going against Kelpon."

"If you want my advice, fake your death. Otherwise you'll have treason on your record."

"I'll have treason on my record." Kephiyr laughed.

"Only if you get caught, and if he knows you're betraying him he'll be angry. An angry vengeful king is worse then an arrogant one."

"Granted, it's a good idea. But I also need to figure out whose on his side and who isn't."

"Well you know Eloff and the dwarves are against him. If I had to guess Wolden will be against him, they have a lot to loose if the dwarves fall. And I'll have your back regardless." Mastus punched his arm playfully but Kephiyr put up his hand for silence.

"Do you hear that? It's a strange gnawing sound." They both stopped a moment to listen. Mastus turned pale.

"What is it?" Kephiyr whispered.

"Sound the alarm, we have roughly five minutes!" Mastus ran and sealed the gate as Kephiyr sounded the alarm. Within a few moments twenty-five thousand soldiers emptied the barracks armed and ready. They stationed near the gates as the gnawing sound grew louder. Kephiyr looked out over the forest darting his eyes this way and that but seen only trees.

"I don't see anything, what is it?"

"You won't, they're coming from underground. That sound is a dozer digging, probably several."

"What's a dozer?"

"Fifteen foot long, three foot tall armored centipede. Orcs often use them to dig under battlements."

"Do you think they've got enough to beat us?"

"Not likely they either don't realize our strength, or they've been sent on a suicide mission."

"So not the trial of fire?"

"Doubt it, but time will tell." Mastus sarcastically chuckled as they climbed down among the rest of the men. Right at that moment the streets burst open in several different spots. Dozers scurried quickly in several directions attacking men with their poisonous mandibles. Their feet were like knives and as they climbed up a man's body it was like being stabbed by a hundred knives all at once. Orcs and goblins followed slowly as the tunnels were not big.

Kephiyr stabbed at the tail of a dozer, it whipped around with lightning speed to bite, but impaled itself on his sword. He quickly blocked an attack from an orc and severed his midsection. Quickly switching to his bow he head shotted three goblins. With a howl a Wolfman knocked him to the ground.

The Wolfman had dark black fur and was nearly seven feet tall clad in spikey armor.

"You're the one we're after aren't you? I'll get quite the reward for your head."

"Why me? What's special about me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." The Wolfman swung his sword and Kephiyr barely blocked. Kephiyr was on his back and seemed all he could do was just barely get his sword up in time. An arrow struck the Wolfman's left shoulder he howled and turned to see Mastus. The Wolfman snarled and threw his sword and ran at Mastus ready to maul him to death. Mastus shot another arrow which glanced off the wolf's armor. Mastus shuddered, he knew he didn't have time to get off another shot. Then another arrow struck the wolf stunning him just long enough for Mastus to behead him.

"Thanks Kephiyr."

"No, thank you." Just at that moment Mastus was hit by a giant hammer of a troll and he flew a few feet. Kephiyr jumped on the trolls back and stabbed him through the heart. He then ran to Mastus who was still alive.

"Mastus are you okay?"

"No, you idiot I just got hit with a huge hammer. I think my armor took most of the blow. They must've broken the gate while we were bust, no way a troll could have fit through those holes."

"I'll carry you to safety."

"Safety!? Just get me close to the building and get back out there. My best defense is looking like I'm already dead."

"Fair enough." Kephiyr dragged him to some good cover. "I'll be back as soon as I can.

Just then Abah and Abeh came toward him. Shouting.

"How are we faring, I've been a little distracted." Kephiyr asked.

"We're winning, but sustaining heavy losses. We're pushing them back slowly." Abah said.

"Why would they attack like this?" Abeh asked.

"I don't know, one of the Wolfmen mentioned being after me. Why, I don't know."

They pushed them back, but every time they thought they had them beat, another wave of orcs and goblins came crawling up through the holes.

Abah beheaded a goblin and stabbed an orc through the heart. Sheathing his sword and taking his bow he shot three more orcs. A Wolfman jumped on him from above and began ripping into him with his claws. Slice after slice came down on him and he began screaming uncontrollably. The sound of his screams sent the wolf into a bloodlust and he began to bite and claw, looking to tear him to pieces little by little.

Abeh came from behind and beheaded the bloodied wolf. Abah continued wailing as Abeh began dragging his brother inside. His leg was barely hanging on. His right arm was mangled, his chest was shredded, and his head had nearly been scalped.

"Hold still brother, I'll get the medic." Abeh ran out to find the wizard who served as medic and pulled him into the building.

"Hold him down!" The wizard said, Abeh held him down and the wizard began using a regeneration spell. Abah screamed louder as his muscles and ligaments quickly grew back in full view. Then the wizard used a fire spell to coterize the wounds. Abah was now covered over most of his body with scars.

"He'll be out for the rest of the battle but he'll live."

Abeh went back out in a rage. He immediately beheaded an orc then stabbed a dozer through the head. He took up his bow and shot five goblins followed by a troll through the eye.

"Abeh we got them on the run, they're starting to retreat." Kephiyr shouted.

"Are we going to give chase?"

"Of course, I want to know where they came from and why they attacked."

Diabolos paced back and forth waiting for news about the battle. Gork was the first orc back with his tail between his legs.

"Was the mission successful? Did you kill Kephiyr?" Gork began to answer and then shut his mouth.

"Then why are you back!? Did I not make it clear that your life is forfeit!? You come back unsuccessful, I kill you!" At that moment Kephiyr and several thousand others came from behind.

"Quick one more chance, where are your other posts!" Diabolos shouted.

"Molco in the Great Swamps, Tukor on the Kodesh Hills, and Gutok outside Zolon."

Diabolos sneered at him and the other orcs and flew off. Gork looked blankly realizing he was abandoning them to death. In desperation he drew his sword and turned toward the enemy.

"No mercy, no surrender!"

Kephiyr slashed through an orc followed by a goblin. Dodging a giant hammer he cut off the trolls arm, then he stabbed the troll in the gut. His intestines came out but the blade was stuck. Kephiyr dropped the blade and grabbed a rock and hit an orc in the head with it. To finish him off he took a tent peg and hammer it through his temple. Taking the orcs sword and beheaded an orc and took up his bow and shot Gork in the leg. He fell to the ground and Kephiyr kicked himin the gut. He put his foot on his back and took a rock using it as a hammer on the arrow. He drove the arrow into the ground.

"Don't kill this one, I wanna chat with him!"

They finished off the remaining orcs and Kephiyr came back to Gork.

"Tell me, what was the creature who flew off and left you for dead? Why did you attack us?"

"It was a wraith that we brought back to this plane. He was supposed to be our ticket to owning this world. We were sent to kill you because you are a threat."

"How so? What's so important about me?"

"I don't know, but the wraith is coming for you."

"Not really any use anymore then are you." Kephiyr beheaded him and they headed back to Legionor. When they arrived the first thing Kephiyr did was find Mastus, however it was too late. What he had thought was a trivial injury had caused internal bleeding. Mastus had died while the battle raged. As they searched through the dead and injured Abah had found an injured goblin. Abah had mastered the mage arts, highest level of human magic.

"I've got a plan for this one." Abah grinned looking at Kephiyr.

"What you got in mind?"

"I'll heal him, leach him, and send him to Molco."

"Leach him?"

"Take control of his mind. Through my looking we can see and hear what we're up against. That way we can plan before we attack."

"Alrighy well we'll need some support from some allies. Let me attend to Mastus and the others. Check the lab for whatever supplies you need. Abeh report to Kelpon find out what allies we will be relying on. Our main target is the wraith, we kill him they won't attack anymore." Kephiyr took his leave and joined the cleanup crew.

"I'm sorry Mastus." Kephiyr wept. "I should have got the medic right away, I learned a lot from you. I will always have a soft spot for convicts thanks to you. Hope you save me a few drinks and a warm seat in paradise, I'll be there soon."

Three days later Abah came and reported that the wraith was at Molco. Abeh had also reported that the dwarves would help pick up the slack.

"Kelpon is trying to weaken them and learn their tactics." Kephiyr thought. However he voiced nothing having no allies.

"Manuver will be a nightmare, Moscow is a fortified city in the middle of a swamp." Abah said as they went over plans to attack.

"Can your mole get us in so all we have to worry about is the defenders?"

"No, it's just a potion, and I'm not a wizard I can't input orders from here."

"Well it was worth a shot, any ideas on how to keep our army from getting bogged down?" Utter silence for nearly two minutes.

"Alright I suppose we ask our Dwarven allies for some tactics." Kephiyr said reluctantly.

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