Steel Haven part 4 - Battle for the mine

The Kingdom of Chalybs was a large land with a formidable military. If the kingdom’s army marched on the Tirk plagued iron mine, the mine would be cleared and reclaimed in no time at all. The problem was that it would be impossible to mobilize the entire army in a short time and even getting a small number of reinforcements would take days. Steel Haven and the other cities of Chalybs had to put construction on hold for every day that the iron mine was closed. The tirks could not attack Steel Haven itself but their presence at the mine was damaging to the city. The trouble with the mine was either a very strange turn of luck or someone planned it in attempt to hobble the great steel city.

            Captain Brussles and Joseph decided that they were the best hope for removing the tirks before the iron mine situation dragged on any longer. The group was made up of mostly knights and soldiers and while the group was sent specifically sent to clear the tirks from the mine, no one counted on such a large colony of creatures living on top of the mine itself.

            Joseph decided that their best bet would be to attack the tirks with the soldiers while he and Brussles used the fire crystals to blast groups of the creatures. 

            Joseph knew almost nothing about the fire crystals except that they would glow brighter before they burst into flames. Dull red crystals meant they were safe to handle. Joseph assumed that the tirks didn’t know much more about the crystals than he did and they most likely stumbled upon them in the same was as Captain Brussles.

            A small task force was sent back into the mine but this time it was Joseph who led the way. He and a few brave volunteers traveled deep into the mine and slowly gathered the flame crystals from the large room. Each crystal had to be broken off of the wall like corn being torn from its stalk. Every small impact made the fire minerals glow slightly but would darken when left alone. Each crystal had a visual cue before they exploded and had to be watched carefully as they were transported so the soldiers couldn’t risk throwing them all in a big sack and hauling them off.

            Night had fallen over the land, soldiers carrying dull, glowing, red stones emerged from the mine. Now the task was to safely carrying the flame stones up the hill to the Tirk encampment. The sound of scuttling feet and small rocks falling from the cliff side could be heard. Tirks appeared out of the darkness and were now surrounding the group of soldiers.

            Soldiers readied their weapons but Hurly just walked toward the group of Tirks without his weapon drawn. “We don’t wish to fight, but this is our mine. We are only defending our land” Brussles shouted so everyone could hear.

            “This not your land, no homes here, only our homes, Ural homes. Not your land. Shadow man gave us this land when humans rumble forest” One of the lead Tirks shouted back. Ural was what they called themselves but to the human soldiers these creatures were Tirks.

            “Who is the shadow man? Maybe we can help you get a new home. Away from these dangerous fire crystals” Hurly replied.

            The lead Tirk stepped away from his group. “Fire crystals make us strong. Shadow man grows them here. For us!” Said the Ural. The other creatures in the group began to chant “For us. For us”. The leader pulled out a dagger with a jagged edge and a red crystal built into the handle. “we no weak. You leave or you die” Said the lead Tirk.

            Hurly sighed, he had hoped that they could avoid a large battle. While Captain Brussles was talking, Joseph had been striking one of the fire gems with a small rock. The fire crystal was glowing bright red at that point and seconds away from bursting. Joseph lobbed the crystal at the head Tirk. Joseph figured out that hitting the crystals once every few seconds would keep it on the verge of denotation but the glowing would quickly die down. Since the leader decided to not end this peacefully, Joseph had struck the crystal several times rapidly.

            The fire crystal landed behind the leader of the Tirks and exploded in flaming sphere. The flame engulfed several Tirks turning them to ash. The leader managed to escape the blast but was now burned on the right side of his body. Ural the leader charged at Captain Brussles and tried to stab him with his dagger. Brussles dodged the attack but then a small burst of flame erupted out of the dagger. The flame singed Hurly’s right side but he was undamaged. Captain Brussles brought his arm back and slashed using the hooked blades on his gauntlets. The gauntlet blades slashed Ural across the top of the head. The Tirk leader jumped backward, fury in his eyes and blood trickling from his forehead.

            The Tirks all charged towards the group of soldiers. A flame crystal soared through the air and exploded mid-air directly above the charging Tirks. The group scrambled away from the flames and the human soldiers charged in while the Tirks were distracted.

            The Tirks had a larger group and were agile. The stabbed out with their small blades and hit with clubs but the soldiers of Chalybs were armored, bigger and took advantage of chaos caused by exploding fire gems.

            From up on the ledge of the cliff side a lone Tirk spun a wooden staff, the small creature kept tapping the staff against the rocks and spun the stick. A gem began to glow on the head of the staff. The Tirk shook the staff and struck forward with it releasing a fireball from the gem. This tirk was no mage but it learned how to shoot fire out of the crystal instead of just making it explode.

            The fireball flew at the humans. A soldier with a shield jumped in front of the group, she lifted her shield high just as the fireball struck. The large fireball hit the shield, knocking the shield wielder backward. The flame burst into smaller less harmful flames. This caused a distraction, giving the Tirks a moment of advantage as more Tirks descended from the cliffs.

            Joseph knew he had to get rid of the staff carrying Tirk or the next fireball might seriously hurt someone. Joseph ran toward the cliff with his short sword drawn. The staff wielder started to shake the staff and then pointed it at Joseph. The young engineer jumped out of the way as a large fireball hit the ground and then burst into smaller flames. Joseph began to strike a small fire crystal with his sword, then threw it. The crystal burst into flames just before it reached the Tirk on the cliff side. The tirk was so startled from the blast that it dropped its staff and stumbled off the cliff side. Now on the ground the Tirk tried to reclaim its staff but Joseph ran up and stabbed the small monster.

            Now armed with a fire staff Joseph began to spun the small stick around in hopes of summoning a fireball. With luck the staff spat out a ball of fire but did so mid spin and so the fireball was sent sideways and exploded against the cliff.

            The battle continued and the humans were slowly beating back the Tirk invaders. The small monsters used the cover of darkness to attack and while the occasional fireball did light the battlefield it was actually more of a hindrance. The soldier’s eyes would adjust to the dark then a fireball would cause a flash of light, temporarily blinding the soldiers.

            Ural the leader of the Tirks was joined by other tirks as he fought Captain Brussles. The experienced captain would have already won the battle if there was daylight but the night was giving him trouble. Brussles swing his two short handled axes with precision strikes, killing or wounding a tirk with almost every swing. Ural the leader stabbed Hurly was his attention was on another tirk. The Ural blade stabbed into Hurly’s leg, then the fire gem in the dagger erupted small flames into the wound. Hurly fell to the ground as she yelled in pain. Another tirk stabbed Hurly in the arm with a regular knife as the captain fell.

            Hurly swing both of his arms to either side. The axes swung and killed two Tirks. He then spun around while he put his weight on his knee. Hurly slashed with his gauntlet blades, slicing the hand of Ural, causing the leader to drop his prized dagger. Hurl lunged forward and brought both axes down onto Ural.

            The leader of the Tirks was saved as one of Ural’s companions jumped into the way and was split into three pieces. Ural was horrified and demoralized with the loss of his dagger. The leader took off running and began to howl as he did. The other tirks all turned and began to run off into the night.

            The battlefield was cleared of living tirks and only the dead remained. Several human soldiers died fighting the tirks, while dozens of dead tirks littered the ground. The fight was won but the champions of Chalybs were tired and wounded. Joseph found a soldier who was not wounded and sent him off on a horse to alert the King of what happened. It would be a long night of recovering but hope would be renewed with the rise of the new day sun.

Steel Haven part 3 - Alarming Discovery

King Alexander stood stone faced as he listened to the report regarding the mine. The mine would be unusable until an attacking force could be sent to clear the mine out of any creatures, then the mine would have to reinforced under the protection of soldiers and then the mining could only resume under the watchful guards. All of the miners survived because they stopped work and went home for the recent religious holiday. The one guard recovered and only two guards were missing. The only silver lining in the dark storm cloud of a situation is that almost no one died.

                        The King sent a group of soldiers, Joseph the engineer and Captain Brussles, to take back Steel Haven’s the iron mine. Captain Hurly Brussles was a decorated soldier who specialized in fighting in confined spaces, like a bustling city or a mine. Captain Brussles had black hair, olive skin, a short groomed beard and a long mustache that reached the edges of his face. Brussles carried a sturdy spear when he was on the battlefield and when in close quarters he carried two, single edged axes with him, with shortened handles. His body was mostly armored and had sharp hooked blades attached to the armor covering his forearms. These hooked blades could defend a sword strike, then hook around the blade and when pulled would disarm the opponent and break weaker swords. The hooked blades could also slash and cut anyone who tried to get the drop on Hurly.

            The group rode towards the mine, everyone stayed on high alert as Joseph watched for any signs of the Tirk creatures. The soldiers were all told of how the creatures fought and the magical gem that one of them had. Joseph had secured the fire gem from the previous battle and it was being stored somewhere safe within Steel Haven. It was Joseph’s job to look for more gems, advise the Captain on the Tirks and plan defenses once the mine was cleared.

            Captain Brussles dismounted at the mouth of the cave. He went in first and was followed by a group of his men. A second group was positioned outside the mine to guard the entrance. Joseph waited outside with the second group.

            Joseph was free to plan the defensive measures for the mine while his group of soldiers guarded the area. Joseph had to update his original plans for defense to guard against monkey goblins. The original defenses were planned with humans and humans on horseback in mind but Joseph was altering the plans to even include flying creatures just in case the world was even more dangerous than he originally thought.

            Captain Brussles moved swiftly through the mine with little trouble. As his group traveled deeper they were surprised by how empty the mine was. No trace of the missing guards, discarded weapons, signs of fighting or even Tirks alive or dead could be found.

            Time passed over the land and Joseph was making serious progress unhindered by attacks and Captain Brussles had been exploring the mine. A single man on horseback rode across the open field toward the iron mine. Joseph’s group all sprung into high alert but relaxed when they saw the Chalybs banner above his head. Some of the soldiers kept their weapons ready just in case it was a trick.

The rider and the horse looked exhausted. The rider wore light armor and the Kingdom’s colors. He carried a rolled up parchment in his hand and immediately handed the letter to Joseph. The message read, “Scouts from the Royal forest found small, shallow burrows dug in the forest. While the numbers of primitive dwellings were numerous the original inhabitants were not found. A scout found a lone Tirk creature living in a burrow and shouted ‘you wont take home’ before charging the scout and then was slain. After searching further we concluded that the Tirks used to live in the forest when it was still a Wildwood and before it was used for lumber. If the Tirks live in dark secluded areas then it is possible they moved to the area in or around the mine which is the closest location that is both secluded and dark”

            Joseph was startled at what he read. First that the creatures could talk and second that they weren’t invading the mine, they made it their home. Which meant there was a colony of Tirks somewhere very close.

            Meanwhile underground, Hurly Brussles and his soldiers found two large metal doors blocking their progress. The doors weren’t locked or sealed but Brussles hesitated to open them, as he knew that his kingdom didn’t build them. He slowly pushed open one of the large heavy doors. The mine rumbled as the door opened revealing a large room full of red fire crystals. Captain Brussles froze, he had been told what one crystal could do and was now standing in a stockpile of crystals. The crystals were growing from the walls, floor and ceiling, it wasn’t that the crystals were placed or stored here but that this was the source of the flame crystals. Anyone with knowledge on how to safely use these crystals would find such stockpile extremely helpful; the trick was to not die in a fiery explosion.

            Back on the surface, Joseph and his group began climbing the rocks leading to the top of the mine. The mine was in an open field but the mine entrance was a cave mouth and the cave was part of a rocky hillside that went across the grassy field for almost a mile and rose twenty feet above the ground. The rocky hills were like a sturdy island in a flat grassy sea. Anyone on the top of the hill could see around for miles and would be well protected by the difficult climb to the top.

            Joseph and his group reached the top, out of breath and still clinging to the edges of the cliff. Joseph’s head was barely visible as he peered over the hill’s peek. He could see mounds like the scout described in the forest and saw some movement. The Tirks became more active as the night approached.

            Joseph scrambled down the cliffs with his soldiers in quick pursuit. Captain Brussles was emerging from the cave just as Joseph was climbing down the rocky hill. The two leaders told the stories of what they had seen, they grew more alarmed with each breath. With the top of the mine covered in Tirks and the underground filled with explosive crystals the two men would have to make a plan, fast.

Steel Haven part 2 - Engineer Council

Steel Haven was a seat of power for King Alexander, and while the Chalybs Kingdom didn’t have military superiority it did have engineering superiority. King Alexander was a smart man who surrounded himself with the smartest men and women he could find. He had generals and war councils like other kings but he was one of the only kings in the land that had an engineering council. These medieval engineers were the humans that made Steel Haven possible. The engineers worked tirelessly on new projects every night to make sure their King had the strongest seat of power in the world. King Alexander didn’t ask to be the most powerful king in the world, he wanted to be the best protector in the world and in exchange his people saw this and did everything they could to make sure their noble protector had any advantage he could.

Joseph Hawk was the head of the Engineer Council, he had thick brown hair, hazel eyes and wore rough workers clothes. When he was outside the city walls he wore light armor made for him by command of the King. This armor was made so it wouldn’t restrict his movements but it would protect his chest, stomach, head and parts of his arms and legs. On the chest piece was the symbol of the Kingdom, which was a C and crossing it was a blacksmith hammer and a pickaxe. Joseph carried a short sword with him, which was so short it was almost a long dagger. He was so dedicated to his job that he personally requested a small sword so that he could carry more tools with him.

On a sunny afternoon Joseph was tasked to reinforce the defenses of the local iron mine. He traveled with a group of workers who would help construct barriers and gates for the mine. They rode their horses south and talked about the upcoming project during the whole trip. The cheerful mood turned sour when the group finally reached the mine. Normally a guard would greet any visitors who arrived but when Joseph and his group approached the mine they noticed it was completely unguarded.

The group was on high alert and worried something happened at the mine. Joseph drew his sword, which signaled everyone in the group to draw their weapons as well. The group of ten people dismounted and slowly approached the mine. Joseph’s mind raced with possibilities. If the guards were killed, there would have been bodies left. If a neighboring kingdom attacked there would have been horse tracks or foot prints leading up to the mine entrance.

Joseph and the group entered the large mouth of the iron mine. As they shuffled in the tunnels grew smaller and narrower. Joseph lit a torch and held it with one hand while holding his sword out with his other hand. As they went deeper into the tunnel they saw an armored body face down on the ground. Joseph handed off his torch and ran over to the fallen guard. Joseph shook the man and a the guard moved slightly in response.

The guard seemed barely alive but was still breathing. “We have to get him out of here” Joseph said. Everyone agreed. Four people grabbed hold of the guard and began to carry the injured man out of the narrow tunnel. Half of the group left for the exit while Joseph and the other half stayed behind to search for the other two guards.

The iron mine didn’t need many guards due to the peaceful state of the land, the openness of the field that surrounded the mine and the stable relationship King Alexander had with the neighboring kingdoms. Something had changed and someone attacked these guards.

Joseph and his group didn’t find any more guards and decided to turn back. Joseph worried that whatever attacked the guards might still be around to attack the now split group of workers. Joseph and his group made their way to the mine’s exit. While they walked Joseph’s mind kept bouncing between two thoughts “The guards escaped and are heading back the Steel Haven to report what they saw” and “The last two guards are alive deeper in the mine and giving up on them will cause their death”. Joseph knew he had to protect the men under his command but these two thoughts kept him distracted.

            The engineer group reached the light of day and they all sighed a breath of relief. Then one of the workers spotted the rest of the group up ahead fighting for their lives. Joseph and his men rushed to their aid.

            The one injured guard from the mine was placed on the grass as the five workers fought with axes and daggers to fend off strange monsters. The monsters were small and impish with wicked grins and beady black eyes. They had fur on their lower halves and tan leathery skin on their top halves. They wielded small spears and used daggers like swords. The creatures were the size of monkeys and looked like a cross between a money and a goblin. The creatures chattered and grunted out a strange battle cry “Trk trk trk” They grunted. These Tirks were slashing wildly and grabbing at any exposed skin they could find, they would stab their daggers into the unprotected spot.

            Joseph rushed headlong into battle and began hacking with his sword in one hand and used the torch in his other hand to burn the creatures. An axe flew passed Joseph and plunged into a Tirk’s torso, instantly killing the creature. A female worker with blonde hair tied into a ponytail had a deadly aim and a bag full of tools. She had thrown her only weapon but she had several hammers and chisels, which she used to throw and attack with. Many of the workers used their tools along side their basic weapons to fight the overwhelming group of imps.

            Among the chaos Joseph spotted a Tirk with an orange and gold colored gem tied to its back. The Tirk was more frantic than the others and its movements were like that of someone being burned or stabbed with needles. It jerked left and right as it made its way through the group. The gem began to glow and the other Tirks in the battle would abandon their fights to form a wide radius around this gem.

            Joseph saw this and assumed it was some magical gem that the creatures barely understood but knew enough to realize it was dangerous. Fearing that it would harm his workers he charged, dropped his torch and pulled a hammer from his backpack. When Joseph was close enough he struck the Tirk with the gem as hard as he could. The small Imp went flying several feet and was expelled from the clustered battle of workers and imps. One second later the gem unleashed a burst of flames in a two-foot radius. The Tirk carrying the gem was turned to ash from the powerful blast of fire. This explosive release of energy scared the remaining Tirks causing them to flee the fight.

            The battle had been won but Joseph had the unpleasant job of telling the King about these new creatures and about the mine now being unguarded.

Lower Thy Shield

I do not submit easily, I have bowed out from fights in my weaker days and backed down when necessary and those with weaker minds would not be able to tell the difference between my actions and my intentions. Bowing or backing down is an action similar to a theater performance to submit is to give another control over your thoughts and actions. One would be safe if surrounded by those who submitted but the ones who bow and do not submit are dangerous as they are just waiting for a chance to either escape or kill the one forcing them to bow.

            To submit is to surrender your will, this isn’t always a bad thing unless you submit to someone who cannot handle the power you’ve given them. Two lovers must submit to each other in order for the couple to build trust and a sturdy relationship, a knight must submit himself fully to his king so that he may be focused in battle and not questioning his actions or his kings actions. Because of this need to submit it is only after the fact that you learn whether the one you’ve submitted to is worthy of you or abusing the power you have given.

            I do not submit easily and my strength of will has carried me through life further than my own useless body. When the body betrays you and legs weaken it is the determination that fuels you. The human spirit is one of the strongest forces in the world and I have seen it in action first hand. I have forced myself to walk when I had no energy to do so and force of will held me together.

            Will power is not magic as much as it seems to be and the human body has a breaking point where it just stops moving regardless of how much inner strength someone has. That being said, I believe that if you continue to push yourself past your limits you will find new limits that you didn’t even know you had.

            I push myself through pain, depression and anxiety, my will grows stronger and when I do submit myself to someone it is by choice and not by force.

            The choice to submit means I have found someone worthy of me and I feel safe and secure enough to drop my shield which has been built over the years to be wide and sturdy. I do not take this action lightly and when I let someone into my heart and mind it is very difficult to get them out. Unfortunately I make mistakes like anyone else and removing someone from my heart is as painful emotionally as it would be physically. 

            Removing someone from my heart and mind is painful but in addition to pain there is anger. Anger at myself for making a foolish decision, anger at the one I trusted for betraying that trust and anger combined with sadness for the possible future that did will never happen.

            When this happens I lift my shield and move on through life, try to recover from the wounds and hope that one day I will find someone I can submit myself to without fear of another painful wound in my heart.

The Duel on Wolf Peak

            The winter festival was fast approaching, it was a time to celebrate and eat one last big meal before the harshness of deep winter set in. All throughout the land people would hang colorful lanterns, cook delicious roasts with herbs and eat the last fresh vegetables of the year. The approaching months would be a time to preserve and conserve on food and resources so the winter festival was seen as a bright, colorful and loud firework in the sky before the dead of night set in. To the people living in the town of Wolf Peak it was one of the biggest holidays of the year. Wolf Peak was located in the White Mountains and the White Mountains had the harshest winds and coldest winters in all of the land. By the middle of winter Wolf Peak would be completely trapped by snow and deadly winds. The towns in the low lands could leave their house and even travel in an emergency if they had to. The people of Wolf Peak were confined to the town, cut off from the rest of the world for three months.

            During the Winter Festival people would prepare for the long winter ahead or just leave town and head for the lowlands, where the winters were shorter and less severe. The only saving grace that Wolf Peak had was the shelter of the Respite caves. Long tunnels and man made caves that bore deep into the mountain were known as the Respite caves, the town of Wolf Peak was built inside of the caves. Villagers wouldn’t be snowed into their houses but they were completely trapped inside of the mountain. The villagers who lived in Wolf Peak all year had a close bond with each other. After a year of relying on your neighbor you start to see your neighbor as a brother or sister.

            Soft music echoed out from the town and warm lights could be see shining in the Respite caves. People were celebrating, preparing for the night of the Winter Festival and preparing for the long winter afterward. While most celebrated there were those who had other matters that needed their attention. In such a peaceful and joyous time there were those who insisted on fighting.

Clashing swords rang out through the mountains, two men stood facing each other in a duel to the death. The bitter cold winds of the White Mountain Pass blew through the combatants but they both stood unmoving. One fighter was wearing all black armor, a black helmet that was rounded at the top and came to a point in the front, a long red scarf wrapped tightly around the neck, carried a long sword and shield and had a battle axe on his back. The first fighter was known as the Vanguard and had more than a few legends.

            The second fighter was known as Sir Gregory Andrews, a former knight who apposed his king and was thrown out of the castle and stripped of his honor and title. Sir Andrews was more recently known as Gregory the knight mercenary. Sir Gregory Andrews had medium length messy brown hair. A trimmed goatee that was starting to grow out and looked like it hadn’t been maintained in a few weeks. He wore silver armor that he owned from his days as a knight, the armor used to shine brightly like a star but it hadn’t been cleaned or polished in a while. Gregory used to have a helmet but the King had taken it away because it had the Kingdom seal on it. Even though his kingdom branded him a traitor he still tried to be noble in everything he did but also needed to eat and many of Sir Andrews’ deeds had not been noble as of late. Gregory knew the Vanguard was wanted by the king and figured if he captured the black armored villain then his good name would be restored and the King might even forgive him for all that treason stuff.

            Few people knew why the Vanguard was a wanted criminal and even less knew who the Vanguard even was. Sir Andrews didn’t care though, he needed to return to his noble statues and was running out of ways to get back on the King’s good side. Gregory charged at the Vanguard with his two handed sword, Gregory’s dirt covered silver armor clanked against the stone with every step.  The Vanguard did not react to Gregory’s sudden charge, the dark night just stood like a statue, firm and unwavering. Sir Andrews swung his sword, swinging it downward with all of his strength. The Vanguard moved with unnatural speed moments before the sword struck his armor. The Vanguard moved out of the way and in one motion slammed his shield into Gregory’s chest. The blow from the shield struck with such force that it knocked Gregory off of his feet and sent him backward into the snow.

            Gregory struggled to get to his feet as he clutched his chest and tried to breath again. The strike was so strong that Sir Andrews was lucky he didn’t have internal bleeding. “Why do you wish to fight me?” Asked the Vanguard, his voice echoed through his helmet and sounded almost inhuman. “I need to bring your head to my King. You are a villain with a price on your head” Gregory said as he held his sword up again. “I am wanted in many kingdoms, but I am not a villain. I do not want to kill you, but I will defend myself. If your honor commands you to slay me then you risk your life in trying to do so” The Vanguard said as he sheathed his sword, tied his shield to his back and pulled his two handed axe from its holster on his back.

            Sir Andrews held his sword tightly, he didn’t want to keep fighting, he felt out matched by this nightmare of a knight, but he couldn’t live another day as a mercenary. “If I kill you my honor will be restored, I cannot live without my honor. I won’t live another day as a dog” Said Andrews as he charged again. He swung his sword downward like before and the Vanguard crouched down to start a counter attack, knowing that the Vanguard would counter Gregory didn’t put all of his weight into his sword like last time and instead brought his knee up as his sword came down. The Vanguard tried to react but was kneed in the head. Gregory was able to bring his sword down on the now dazed Vanguard. The sacrifice was that his sword slash was not as powerful as it normally would have been.

            The Vanguard tumbled backward into the snow with a fresh slash in his armor. “Your supposed ‘honor’ binds you to your king like a dog. The kingdoms hate me because I am truly free. I have honor, I spare the weak and I do not resort to cheap tricks, but I am hated because I do not let others use my honor to chain me down” The Vanguard said, his words rang out, echoing with each word. The words stung Sir Andrews as he thought back to the things he did to survive all the while hoping to regain the King’s favor and his precious honor. “Enough talk, I will finish you here and now!” Gregory said as he stabbed his sword down on the Vanguard who was starting to stand back up.

            The Vanguard couldn’t react fast enough and the sword plunged through the shoulder joint in the armor were there was little protection. The Vanguard’s armor had weak spots and joints in it for increased mobility. The weakness in the Vanguard’s armor had been exploited and blood dripped from the shoulder joint and down the Vanguard’s hand as his blood spilled out through his armor. “So you are a man after all. So many stories were told of you being a demon or a specter that haunted a suit of armor” Said Sir Gregory with triumph.

            The Vanguard’s armor began to glow and pulsing red light vibrated from the black metal plates. Gregory stepped back as the Vanguard stood up. “I am none of those things. What I am, is your death” Said the Vanguard, his voice echoing from his helmet in a rage. Icy wind blew over the two combatants and the snow began to blow in from the north. The winter storms were growing more intense and if the battle lasted much longer both the Vanguard and Gregory would freeze to death.

            The Vanguard took off his helmet and threw it into the snow. Gregory Andrews was take back by what he saw. The Vanguard lifted his axe with one hand as his other arm lay limp. Before Gregory could react the Vanguard had moved forward four feet in a blink and was mid attack. Gregory only blinked once and then saw the Vanguard raising his axe into the air and then down onto Sir Gregory’s shoulder. The axe slashed through Sir Andrews’ armor and cut a chunk into his shoulder, upper torso and ribcage. Sir Gregory Andrews coughed up blood and stared at the Vanguard with a hazy vision.

            A woman with jet black hair, burning red eyes and skin as white as the snow stared at Gregory with intense hatred. “You lived like a dog, chained to your master. Now this is where you die, cold, alone and forgotten” Said the Vanguard, her gaze harsher than the winter winds of the White Mountain. The Vanguard picked up her helmet, placed it back onto her head and walked off, blood dripping from her arm and leaving a trail behind her. Soon she disappeared into the wind and snow of the mountain and Sir Gregory was left alone. Blood poured from his wounds and he began to lose consciousness. Faint music was heard from the town of Wolf Peak and Gregory smiled. The Winter Festival was starting and Gregory wondered were he would be right now if he hadn’t chased after the King’s favor like mad dog.

            Gregory closed his eyes, music played softly like a lullaby and then soon faded. The sound of the wind disappeared and the cold could no longer be felt.  The Winter Festival was fast approaching and everyone was busy celebrating.

Clash of Banners part 2

Years went on and the crown hadn’t been found. The two kings hadn’t spoke in years and the only time they saw each other was on the battlefield as their men fought and died for the glory of their foolish kings.

            Axes clashed on armor, swords clashed against shields and blood ran like a river through the open battlefield. Stefan was covered in the finest armor and carried a sword blessed by priests. He strode onto the battlefield shouting orders to his men and fighting off enemy soldiers when he could. Stefan’s strategies were keeping the blue army in the fight but the Red Bear army fought with the force and savagery of actual bears.

            Nathaniel strode out onto battle with red and black armor, a black cape bellowing behind him. He drew a battleaxe from his holster on his back and charged into battle. Blue soldiers bled red blood as Nathaniel tore through their ranks. Despite their age the old kings fought with the might of men half their age.

            In the horizon was the dragon mouth volcano. The birthplace of the Archmage crown and its current resting place. After years of searching the volcano and every other location in the land, a secret cave was found and both kings showed up in force to explore it.

            As the soldiers from both armies fought on Nathaniel ran for the volcano. Once he had the crown, the war would be over and he would have won, he would have proved that he was better than the king of the west. Once he reached the cave Nathaniel sneered seeing that Stefan was already there. “There is only one was to end this” Stefan said with his sword drawn. Nathaniel was a little shaken to see his friend after so many years. He knew they would have to fight but he wasn’t prepared to see Stefan, battle hardened and serious. “Where is the foolish grin I used to know?” Nathaniel asked. Stefan flinched “You are the fool if you think I will back down now. I am so close to proving I am the best and strongest. Once I have the crown…” Stefan said as his guard wavered. Nathaniel snapped back to his senses and rushed forward, axe in hand. They both were weakened by childhood memories, but this was not time for games.

            Nathaniel’s battle-axe clanged against Stefan’s sword and to the surprise of both men, Stefan repelled Nathaniel’s crushing axe strike. Nathaniel stumbled backward and tried to regain his balance. Stefan looked with amazement, it was the first time he had ever blocked an attack from Nathaniel. Without another word Stefan ran into the cave, he figured luck was on his side but he wasn’t interested in testing it again.

            Nathaniel chased after his rival and the two ran deeper and deeper into the depths of the volcano. As the two kings ran through the long tunnel they quickly lost light. In their haste neither of them brought a torch or light source and they were now in the dark underground, far from where the sun could reach them.

            “Just give up, this war is destroying us” Nathaniel shouted in a moment of clarity. “You are asking me to give up, yet you are not willing to do the same” Stefan shouted back. Light could be seen coming from the mountain’s depths. The kings ran toward it, now only several feet from each other.

            Stefan ran into a large stone room in the center of the volcano. In the center of the room was a pillar of lava and in the center of the pillar was the magical crown of the Archmage. The crown’s magic was keeping the lava from spilling out into the room and flooding the tunnels. So if someone grabbed the crown, lava would pour down on them and their only hope would be to use the crown’s magic for protection.

            “Perfect, I can obtain the crown and burn you alive with lava at the same time” Stefan said to Nathaniel who was now standing next to him. “This isn’t the way” Nathaniel said. “I-I need to be better” Stefan said.

            “I have sacrificed too many lives to stop now” Stefan said finally then drew his sword again. “I must end this” Stefan added then thrust his sword out and stabbed Nathaniel in the chest. Nathaniel was too close and his large axe was not made for split second reactions and deflection. Nathaniel didn’t know why he so foolishly let his guard down. Maybe it was nostalgia blinding him from seeing how their relationship had changed.

            Nathaniel drew his axe and swung it with the last of his strength. Stefan dodged the attack and stuck again. Nathaniel dropped to his knees with a look of disbelief as he bled from his chest. Due to the blood loss and the whole dying thing, Nathaniel didn’t see Stefan’s face.

            Stefan’s guilt was written across his face. In his mind it had to end in one of them dying. They had done too much and went too far to just shake hands and share a laugh. To call a truce now after both of the kingdoms bled for this silly war would be an insult to those who died. Stefan’s greed no longer guided his actions, but his guilt did.

            With slow somber movements Stefan walked up to the crown reached out and plucked it out of the lava. The pillar of fire did not melt the king’s hand and the crown was not even hot when Stefan placed it on his head. The lava was no longer being held at bay by the magic of the crown. Stefan watched with unfocused eyes as molten rock and fire flooded through the tunnels. It consumed the body of his friend and spilled out onto the battlefield.

            With both kings gone from battle and lava spreading out along the field, the armies of the Hawk and the armies of the Bear both retreated. The only one remained was Stefan, protected by the magic of the crown he floated in a sea of lava, his eyes never shifting from the spot were he killed his own friend.

            His sadness was interrupted by a thought. An intrusive little thought put there by an outside force. “You have the crown of the Archmage. What is your greatest desire? You can wield unlimited magical power and become the king of every land in the world. You can do anything you wish” This thought floated through Stefan’s head. The crown did not have a voice, but it could make the user aware of the power it possessed.

            Stefan smiled “Anything I want?” He muttered. The world would be changed how he saw fit. This was the kind of power most would never know and the smallest number of people who did use this power would never get a second chance if they lost it. Stefan knew exactly what he was going to do.

            Stefan woke to pain. a sharp stick was being jabbed into his side. “Wake up, or I shall taunt you a second time!” Nathaniel jeered. “You are a motherless swamp goat” Stefan replied only half awake. Then he realized whom he was talking too. Nathaniel stood by Stefan’s bed staring at him like a creep, holding a sharpened stick he made himself.

           

            Stefan had used the power of the crown to undo his mistakes. What Stefan did remember was the crown shattering as it used all of its magic to fulfill Stefan’s only wish. Nathaniel and Stefan were young adults again. Nathaniel didn’t remember anything of the future and Stefan only remembered it as a dream. As the day went on the memories of the future slipped away. The greed, guilt and years of jealously melted away and the two friends had their second chance. The two future kings would relive their lives as if nothing had happened. To make sure the future didn’t repeat itself the crown instilled one small memory, a fragment of the sorrow and pain that Stefan felt when Nathaniel died. This tiny nagging memory would trigger any time Stefan’s rivalry would start to get out of hand.

            The two kings grew up, they remained friends and at times would be rivals but anytime they fought they would fight on the same side.