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Cavalry surged from the city. They came out the gates to the east, north and west, not the south gate where I was located. I could tell the cavalry had little information as to where I was, because they were spreading south and east, not just south where I was.
The cavalry were grouped, but not so tight that I’d probably not hit multiples with each shot.
The beasts they rode weren’t horses. Quadruped, yes, but they had clawed feet and through my scope I could even see the fangs in their mouth. Their forward eyes said that they were predators, not prey. They looked like some kind of mix between a horse, a rabid great dane and a wolverine.
It was time to test my combat rifle. The cavalry would be within range of the automatic weapon shortly. Moving slowly, I brought my combat rifle up and shifted my sniper to the side.
Almost, almost….
I pulled the trigger and felt the rounds start to rattle off. There was no sound from each round as the rifle hit my shoulder, but intermittent whistling of the rounds filled my ears.
The screams of shadow elves mixed with the screams of their mounts and it didn’t take long for the beasts to turn tail and run. Predators were courageous when they believed themselves to be at the top of the food chain, but as soon as something else came along that was going to kick them out of that spot they didn’t know how to handle it. A quick shift and a few bursts and the other cavalry were turning tail as well.
I almost felt bad. I was outgunning these elves on a scale I hadn’t seen since I’d seen one of Jacob’s cousins think that he could dominate Jacob in a water fight with his water gun, while Jacob had the hose filling the pool. Sure, Jacob got squirted a couple of times, but then he turned the hose on the cousin and sent him packing. I didn’t feel bad, however, because of the squirtgun these elves had chosen to use. These shadow elves had done their squirting when they sent the wood elf they’d enslaved, Radrine, to die to try and kill me. I would never forget her name, and now I was ready to drench them in return.
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“The cavalry of House Druindair has broken, fifteen riders and their mounts slaughtered in a matter of moments.” One messenger informed the Shadow elf queen.
“House Ognrar too has been repelled. They too took heavy casualties in a matter of seconds. It has been noted that once the forces begin their retreat, the attacks stop.” Another soldier reported.
Kathra sat on her throne, rage making the veins in her eyes stand out.
Gla’dri could hold his peace no more once the messengers retreated.
“My queen, we are being routed.” Gla’dri started delicately.
“Tell me something I am NOT keenly aware of, ‘Advisor’…. Advise me.” Kathra snapped.
“… Perhaps it is time to invoke the weaknesses of our foe’s religion.” Gla’dri suggested.
“What exactly are you proposing?” Kathra demanded, her eyes narrowing.
“One of their ‘Great Father’s’ holy teachings… Perhaps we could….” Gla’dri began to explain.
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Movement drew my attention to the top of the wall, among the crenellations. Switching back to my sniper, I found roped elves with staves poking above the barrier of the wall, making them easy to locate.
I wasn’t about to let the mages do what they wanted uncontested.
I found a face peering through the openings in the battlements, and took aim. I fired and grit my teeth. The shot was off. I was getting too excited. Anyone who’s fired high caliber rounds would know what I meant when I said my shoulder was feeling it. Was it incapacitating? No. Would it stop me? No. Did that mean I didn’t feel it? Again, no.
The stone to the left of the mage’s face, who I was trying to hit, exploded as my round hit it. It looked like the round might have ricocheted into the mage, or the shards of stone might have hit him, regardless, the mage’s face disappeared and her staff fell away, either thrown or dropped.
The staves scattered. They all disappeared at the same places, letting me know exactly where the stairs down to the inside of the walls were.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and watched to see what the shadow elves would throw at me next.
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“… but we would be bound by this as well?” Kathra affirmed in disgust.
“Yes. We too would be bound.” Gla’dri replied. “But I don’t know what other option we have at this moment?”
Kathra’s lip curled in disgust. “Let me consult our Great Mother. All of you! LEAVE ME!”
Gla’dri, Clee’Amura, and every hidden courier, or messenger, hurried from the room.
Kathra stood and took her scepter in hand. She braced herself. Ya’av was not known for being particularly understanding or kind. Kathra owed everything to the intervention of the Goddess time and time again through her life. Assassinations, betrayal, and ambush had all been common on her path to the throne, and without the support of Ya’av, she would have fallen hundreds of years ago.
“Oh, Great One! Hear me, your daughter! Chosen leader of thy great people! See me and hear my prayers!” Kathra called.
The eyes of the great statue opened and the mouth twisted into a crazed smile…
Outside the room, the couriers whispered anxiously as Gla’dri paced and Clee’Amura stood in the corner, her face emotionless and still. Moments crept on. The shiver they all felt was proof that Ya’av had answered the call of her high priestess and queen of her people. And they would have to obey the will of the divinity passed through their queen.
After only a minute or two, the doors blew open, the glowing fading from the bright light of divinity’s presence to the subtle glow always present in the statue.
Kathra trembled and fell onto her throne. She turned to be sitting, instead of laying on her throne. With a cruel grin, she turned to her advisor.
“Prepare the flags and deploy them immediately. Ya’av has plans that require time to accomplish and X’Thallion’s false nobility shall give us that which we require.” Kathra hissed through her grin.
Four couriers rushed down the halls, each racing to be the first to deliver their message.
Kathra’s eyes settled on Clee’Amura, an equal measure of cruelty and triumph on her face.
Clee’Amura had long ago learned to suppress her emotions, but Kathra could feel the fear and despair that not even the years of abuse and cruelty had prepared her daughter to hide.
“Now… finally, I shall have a use for you.” Kathra cackled.
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The churned dirt outside the walls of El’Muth’Ran was still.
I didn’t like it one bit. I may have caused havoc and destruction in their ranks, but this was far too easy. I was one man and could only do so much, even with the serious technological advantage my weapons gave me. At long ranges, my firing speed was pretty slow, and at shorter ranges, the lower caliber was not nearly as deadly. Any real commander would see that and send all the groups I had thus far thwarted back at me at once, to overwhelm me before I could take them all out. Surely the shadow elves had a pretty good idea where I was at this point. The amount of dust that had been kicked up by my weapons, the literal lines of bodies in lines stretching away from me, and the fact that they’d quickly narrowed my location down to the south east of the city showed they clearly weren’t complete imbeciles.
The shadow elves seemed to be doing, well, nothing. I was outside the range of most bows, I was sure, so volleys of arrows wouldn’t make sense. They weren’t sending out more cavalry or infantry, and the wyvern were nowhere to be seen. I hadn’t seen more of any of their warbeasts, neither the gruthir I’d faced before nor the new horrors I’d anticipated, unless you counted the beast-horses the shadow elf cavalry rode.
I could still feel the sensation of the goosebump inducing searchlights, but other than that there was nothing going on, despite the attack I was making on their stronghold and home.
Finally, I saw movement.
But what I saw confused me, were…. Were the shadow elves surrendering? White flags were hoisted from the corners of the wall and above the gates.