I. Chapter One

“Sir, order the retreat.” said a panicky voice.

“No army of mine will run when we have land to protect we will fight till we die Elgorian.” said the elven commander Elyk.

“But sir!” quivered Elgorian.

“I SAID WE SHALL FIGHT!” bellowed Elyk.

“Yes sir as you wish.” said Elgorian as an arrow whizzed past his head and hit one of his closest comrades in the head.

“Brother help me over here I am surrounded!” yelled Algorian.

 

In an instant Elgorian was at his brother’s side. The nearest ogre swung his mighty mace which had spikes an inch long covering all parts of it to deliver a deadly blow to Elgorian. Algorian blocked the attack quite swiftly. Before the ogre knew what hit him he was hit by Elgorian’s mighty broadsword bringing off its head in one swift motion leaving it lying at the ogre’s feet in a pool of his blood.

 

Quickly as an opening in the circle of ogres broke open the brothers ran to talk to Elyk. It was quite a difficult task having to hurdle corpses and fallen bodies of their own men. Out of nowhere an arrow flies by and lands a blow to Elgorian’s sword arm; Algorian immediately turns around and takes the attacker out with his bow. They finally spot Elyk standing on a hill shooting arrows at the pack of ogre’s running up the hill behind them.

 

“ELYK ORDER A RETREAT NOW!” said both infuriated brothers together.

“NEVER!” bellowed Elyk so crossly he lost balance and almost fell off his hill.

“If you wish to win this war we must lose this battle sir.” said Algorian.

“We will need men to fight another day, my brother is truthful sir.” believed Elgorian.

 

Elyk turns around to survey the battle and sees that they are right. He sees his own men reducing much quicker then the ogre brutes. Hastily he turns around to see another group of his men being slaughtered and decapitated at the base of the hill. Elgorian turns to his brother and motions to the ogres approaching the hill.

 

“Very well order the retreat.” says Elyk.

“RETREAT BACK TO ECOLAS EVERYONE!” yells the brothers and the captain in accord.

“RETREAT OR BE LOST!” yells Elyk.

And the word was echoed throughout the battlefield to all of his men.

 

The next day as Elyk is sat in the map room planning the strategy for the assault on the ogres. As he is sitting Elgorian walks in and Elyk sits in his chair with a blank expression on his face for a few moments. He then began to grin and he said to Elgorian,

“How about a little mission for you?”

Elgorian was puzzled wondering what he could do with a damaged arm. Elyk saw his look of puzzlement and said,

“I need someone to go spy on the ogre camp and see what we’re up against.”

“I’ll go sir.” said Elgorian.

 

Seeing as it was a two day walk at the least to get to the ogre village of Soxgtey, Elgorian set off at once. He grabbed his short-sword, seeing as he couldn’t lift his broadsword with his injured arm. He picked up his traveling cloak and headed off into the woods.

 

*     *     *

 

Back at Elyk’s camp the army began to get restless. They could see the nervousness in the commander’s eyes. Even though the ogres were stupid they numbered many. Elyk sent one of his advisors to go fetch Algorian. He had not yet told him about the mission that he had sent his twin off on. When Algorian got there he was briefed on the situation and demanded that he be allowed to go. However, Elyk had other plans for him.

 

He asked Algorian,

“Would you lead the second squad into battle?”

Algorian stood there baffled by the request and wasn’t sure how he should answer. But he finally managed to sputter out,

“Ye-e-es sir, It wo-o-ould be an honor.”

After that Elyk dismissed Algorian. He then turned to his advisor and asked him to stand watch outside his tent. Elyk planned on getting some rest since they would not be departing for another four or five days at the most.

 

The army begins to question Elyk as the rumor that Algorian will be leading the second squadron into battle swept over the campfires.

 

*     *     *

 

A day has passed now and Elgorian is making good time. He is already halfway to the ogre village. As he was coming through the woods, because the road would be much too dangerous now, he saw an ogre by itself. He was lucky however that the ogre hadn’t spotted him yet. So he took this to his advantage and snuck up behind the ogre. Elgorian pulled out his short-sword and before he knew what had happened he was lying on his back in the mud. The ogre had swung backwards with his large legs and managed to catch Elgorian unawares. Elgorian attempting to lift himself forgot about his arm and tried putting weight on it. He let out a scream of pain and fell back down. When the ogre heard this he started laughing and said,

“Food.”

 

Elgorian realizing that he would be this ogre’s breakfast. Hurried to get up tossing his short-sword into his bad hand. He stood up and before the ogre knew what happened he had Elgorian’s short-sword sticking out the back of his skull. Quickly pulling his short-sword out Elgorian ran as fast as he could to get as far away from the ogre he could before others came and saw it, because ogres normally don’t travel alone.  It was beginning to get darker, so Elgorian had to find cover so he could rest. He needed to stay hidden though so he didn’t bring any attention to any nearby ogres. He found a small cave, too small for an ogre to get in but one that he was able to squeeze into. As he sat there he realized how hungry he was but decided it was too dangerous to attempt lighting a fire to cook anything. So he laid down and fell asleep.

s

*     *     *

 

That night at the camp near Ecolas, Elyk watched as Algorian started to organize the troops he was given and figure out his battle strategy. Algorian found out that the squad he was assigned too was the army’s archers. He being an elf knew quite a lot about bows and he felt he wouldn’t let the commander down. The squad was 100 men strong.

 

Elyk then looked out over the people he’d be leading, still deciding on which strategy would be the best to keep casualties at a minimum. For now he had just commanded everyone to get there armor, whether leather or plate, in the best condition it could be in before they went off to fight. He also wanted there weapons in the best possible shape they could be in. Inside however he was worried about sending Elgorian off on his own with the injured arm.

That night the people finally started looking up to Algorian and realized he actually had leader potential.

 

*     *     *

 

Meanwhile however, Elgorian was up and on his way. He could see the gates of Soxgtey and decided that he’d have to find another way in for they were heavily fortified. So he went around to the back of the village and saw walls that had some damage. He examined the holes closer and noticed that he should be able to fit through the cracks. He got half-way in and got stuck so he had to back out, as he couldn’t get through with his injured arm. Circling the village he finally saw his chance. The heavily fortified gates decided to open. When they did he snuck inside, the ogres attention was elsewhere.

They were speaking in there gurgling language and he couldn’t tell what they were saying. He looked to see what there attention was directed at and saw a man. As he looked at the man longer he realized that it wasn’t any ordinary man but a magic user. He’d heard that magic users were all but gone but it seems that there is one leading the ogres. He decided to run back to the base came near Ecolas as fast as he could.

The road was the fastest option he had so he took it though the dangers there might be. He ran and ran for hours, until he had to stop when he saw someone lying in the road. It was a woman she looked almost dead. Her face was pale and she wasn’t breathing. So Elgorian decided to run her back to the base camp in case anyone there knew her because he didn’t. As he ran she began to get heavier and heavier so he had to put her down for a moment. When he did she stood up and said,
“Who are you?”
Elgorian replied and said,
“I am Elgorian and I saw you passed out on the road.”
“I was heading back to report to my commander and thought I’d carry you somewhere safe.”
She looked at him with a blank expression on her face.
“Commander Elyk?”
As she said this she fell back to the ground and Elgorian had to pick her back up and he kept on running.

 

*     *     *

 

That night Elyk was expecting Elgorian back. It had been four or five days by now and he was nowhere in sight. Elyk had finally gotten his troops together and started going over his strategy, when a scout ran in and said that he’d spotted an elf carrying a woman and thought it was Elgorian. Elyk looked overjoyed to know Elgorian had survived but was also puzzled, “why did he have a woman with him?” He stayed in his tent until Elgorian was within sight of the camp and he ran out to him.

Elgorian laid the woman down and asked the guards to take her to the infirmary to be tended to. Then he spotted Elyk running towards him off in the distance. So he ran up to meet him. When he got to Elyk he said.

“I need to talk to you somewhere private, and where’s my brother?”

Elyk said,

“This way, follow me.”

They headed to the commanders tent and Algorian was already sitting inside enjoying a nice meal. When Algorian saw his brother he told one of the advisors to fetch him something to eat. So the advisor left and it was just the three of them in the tent now. Elyk began to tell them of what he saw. Elyk in disbelief realized that the strategies they had been planning would need to be changed in order to win against a magic user. Elyk decided that he needed to put Elgorian in charge of a special squad that would be going for the magic user. He would have ten people to work with. So as they sit around the tent, Elgorian now enjoying a nice dinner, they begin to go over the battle plan, while the mysterious woman sits in the infirmary mumbling Elyk’s name.