The Fall of Conspirators

Cold wind blew in from the north and clashed with the warm air settling over the land below. It was the beginning of fall, the start of festivals, harvests and feasts. It was the time for thinking back on the year and preparing for winter. The beautiful fall scenery mixed with the chilly air and the cozy fires burning brightly in fireplaces.

This season was loved by many and tolerated by others. The villagers across the land lived their daily lives while enjoying the small pleasures of life.

Under the King’s rule most of the land prospered but there were forces at work which would undermine the King's progress. Many of the nobles and lords preferred laws that favored the few over the many. Several of these high ranking generals and lesser lords conspired to seize power for themselves. 

The world carried on unaware of the brewing battle and grasp for power. The delicate light of day shone brightly through the newly yellow and orange changing leaves of Fall. Far from the delicate light and tucked away in a dark room where men hunched over a table, plotting their dark design.

That autumn was important for the kingdom, but very few knew it. That autumn was the time for preparation for the winter, when the King’s soldiers would be spread out and hindered by the snow. When the lesser lords and generals could use snow and cold as a reason to spend longer days and nights at the castle.

In the small fort, located on the eastern side of the kingdom, in a small room sat several of the conspirators.  A tall knight dressed in black armor stepped into the room from a darkened doorway. The knight wasn’t wearing the traditional kingdom seal and the armor wasn't made from any distinguishable metal. Since it was a military fort seeing a knight wasn’t cause for alarm.
“What are you doing soldier? This is a private meeting” said the captain at the table. Captain Humford wore the blue, white and yellow kingdom colors, decorative armor, no helmet and had a large mustache. Anyone would assume he was important just by looking at him. The others at the table were lords of the surrounding lands and villages. They wore clothes made of fine silk and cloth and fancy hats with feathers sticking from the brim. They owned armor but felt safe enough to not wear it on this occasion. 

The black armored knight spoke, the voice echoed strangely from the slots in the helmet. “The chief advisor to the king suspects treachery and I was sent to handle the situation”
 The captain felt a twinge of nervousness shoot through him but he covered it up with anger. “I am a captain in the kings army, how dare you! You will be hanged, drawn and quartered for this! I’ll see to it personally! I will speak to the advisor and remind him of his place!” Shouted Captain Humford, his face growing red as he slammed his hand against the table. The nobles sat in their place, didn’t move and tried to put on a strong face to show they were upset by this ‘outrage’ as well but the nervousness in their eyes gave them away.

“I am not part of your kingdom and do not fear you judgment. None of you will be alive to pass your judgments anyway” Said the Black Knight. This made the lords cower and the captain stand up with his sword drawn.

The dark knight charged forward, holding a large sword with two hands. The captain flipped the table to block the knight then stabbed his sword over the table.
The knight stopped sharply then brought up the two handed sword blocking the strike from the captain’s sword.
“I am The Vanguard, slayer of men and the demon of the mountain pass. Struggling will just make this more painful for you” Said the knight, speaking through a deep voice and guttural breath.

This declaration terrified one of the lords, who had heard of the Vanguard before and the fearsome tales of his journey. The three lords stood up sharply when the table was flipped and after hearing the Vanguard’s threats, two of them drew their swords while the third ran for the door.

With supernatural speed and strength, the Vanguard crouched down, turned sideways and launched the two handed sword through the air. The sword spun sideways like a spinning buzz saw. It struck the fleeing noble in the back, went through his chest and pinned him to the wall.
The other two nobles and the captain all attacked at once, knowing this was their chance to outnumber and kill the weaponless knight.

The Vanguard raised its metal gauntlets to block the sword strikes, while moving backward toward the sword sticking out of the dead noble.
The Captain and the first noble were blocked by the gauntlets but the second noble was at enough of an angel that the sword went passed the gauntlet and struck the Vanguard in the side, between the gaps in the armor.

Blood trickled from the gap in the armor and marked the nobles sword. “So the Shadow Knight CAN bleed” Gloated the second noble.
The Vanguard stopped moving toward the sword and instead lunged at the noble. Red glaring eyes burned through the darkened slots in the Vanguard’s helmet. The Vanguard grabbed the second noble with its metal gauntlet clad hands. The Vanguard clenched both hands around the coward's neck, sinking the razor sharp fingers of the gauntlet deep into his throat. “That wound is nothing compared to the devastation you and your companions will feel. I will paint this room with your blood as a warming to any who strike at me with their blades!” Roared the Vanguard. The second noble only heard half of the threat before he passed out from blood and oxygen loss.

The other two men were struck with fear from this display. “Let us live, I will give you any amount. I can double whatever you are being paid” cried the remaining noble. The Captain scowled at the noble. “Show some backbone!” 

“I do not bend my will to weakness” said the Vanguard as it moved toward the sword. The captain ran to the side of the room so the Vanguard would have to split its attention between the Captain and the two nobles.
The Vanguard ripped the two handed sword from the dead noble and in one motion swung it at the captain. The blood of the dead noble flew off the blade then splattered the Captain’s face seconds before the Vanguards' sword cleaved the captains head from his shoulders. The captains blood then splattered against the stone wall behind him.

The headless captain toppled to the ground while the spineless noble stood shivering. “It was General Durms idea, we all just followed him. Please spare me” Said the noble. “It might have been his plan, but you followed it and you would have happily claimed any reward for doing so” replied the Vanguard.
The Vanguard walked slowly toward the noble, the two handed sword dragging along the ground and dripping with blood. “Even if your king pardoned you this moment, I would still kill you. Weakness and treachery needs to be punished. You will be punished”

Outside the sun shone brightly, the birds chirped and the trees swayed in the gentle breeze of the day. The cold hard wind of winter had not arrived for most but for the conspirators of the eastern fort, winter had already fallen on their lives and they would not see another spring. The sinister winter plan had not been halted, only slowed.

News would spread among the nobles and generals of the grizzly murder of Captain Humford and the three nobles. If the King’s advisor and the Vanguard hoped to stop the plot against the king they would have to work fast and could now expect heavier security around the heads of this scheme.

Forest Island Eye of the Storm

The fifth night had arrived, thick fog hung in the air as the rain beat harder against the land. Bear Lord Nathaniel marched up to the portal with his soldiers. It was strangely familiar and the routine was comforting. Nathaniel and his group had fought against the shadowmen every night for almost a week and fighting became part of his routine. The soldiers stayed in high moral despite the rain, fog and constant threat of attack. The shadowmen never killed anyone but their numbers and size grew with each passing night, which made Nathaniel worry that the shadows would eventually try to escalate the attack beyond what the Bear forces could handle.

            The portal opened and shadowmen began to trickle out. The smallest wave since that one shadowman attacked by itself. The soldiers lazily killed the few shadows that charged forward. Nathaniel was feeling more cautious though as he remembered what happened last time.

            The small batch of shadowmen were killed and then only silence followed. Only the breathing of the soldiers, the trickle of a light rain and the gentle wind could be heard. This was unusual and outside of the routine that Nathaniel was used to.

 The portal began to shake and flicker, breaking the quiet and replacing it with the crackling and loud whip like noise that was made as the air around the portal bent and shook. Nathaniel and his soldiers stepped backward. No one knew what would happen next, so they watched the portal helplessly.

            The portal blinked out, disappearing from the air. Before the soldiers could cheer a larger portal opened as if the air was being torn open by a mysterious force. The air was torn apart leaving a giant twenty-foot tall portal. Nathaniel’s blood went cold. This portal was just like the one in his dream and that dream didn’t end happily.

            A large hand emerged from the portal, then feet and a body. It was a large fifteen-foot tall and ten foot wide shadow monster, featureless and made of the same black ooze as the others. This creature had a large mouth where its face should have been. The mouth was full of teeth and a giant, almost human like tongue. Regular sized shadowmen emerged from the portal behind the shadow Behemoth. The normal shadowmen were carrying swords and axes this. This raid of shadows didn’t look like they wanted to steal anything, but instead wanted to kill the soldiers who had been standing in their way for almost a week.

            “Concentrate all fire on the big one, don’t get close. Prepare yourselves, they mean to kill us this time!” Nathaniel shouted. The twenty soldiers prepared themselves for a bloody battle. The Knights charged in with their shields, blocking the swinging axes and swords of the newly equipped shadowmen. The Bear lord’s rear guards lunged forward with their spears impaling the first row of shadows that clashed against the knights’ shields. The knights then bashed with their shields and slashed with their swords. The fighting of the Bear forces was synchronized just like a machine built to kill.

            Arrows flew over the Knights’ heads and pelted the lumbering Behemoth as he slowly drew closer to the group of soldiers. Pubbles the bear guarded Nathaniel and used his massive claws to swat away any approaching shadowmen. Nathaniel fired arrow after arrow into the large nightmare creature, trying to find a weakness of some kind. Visions of his dream kept snaking their way into his mind, disrupting his focus. Nathaniel shook the thoughts from his head, it wasn’t the time to be distracted and one false step could lead to a very bitter end.

            Shadowmen fell and evaporated into the air as the Bear forces fought hard with everything they had. The front line shadows were slowly losing their numbers but the Behemoth continued to march forward with small deliberate strikes. The arrows wounded the beast, slowing its movements further and making black bile flow from its wounds. Each arrow that struck the Behemoth would leave a wound, become coated in bile, fall off and hit the ground, then the black arrow would morph into an unarmed, newly made shadowman.

            In five days the shadows had increased their power, numbers and forces quicker than any human army could. The shadows had only been stealing from a small village and it only took a single arrow to make a basic shadowman. Nathaniel didn’t want to think what would happen if the shadows had opened a portal in the center of the castle armory, or if they had been left alone for weeks picking off villages. This portal could potentially be a threat to the entire island and possibly the entire would.

            Nathaniel patted his bear Pubbles, and then jumped up on his back. The Behemoth and its forces were almost overwhelming the Bear Forces. Action had to be taken immediately. Nathaniel knew that even if he defeated the behemoth that night, there would be an even bigger army the next night, an army that even the Forest King reinforcements might not be able to handle.

            Nathaniel rode out into the army of swarming shadowmen. Pubbles trampled and crushed all the shadows in his wake. Nathaniel kept his arrows ready, shooting any shadowmen that posed a threat to his bear friend as they rode through the crowd of shadows.

            Nathaniel went straight to the front line with his Knights and shouted to his troops. “We must Assault the portal. Any who wish to risk their lives to save the island should follow me into the depths. All who wish to stay behind may do so and continue to guard the village” Nathaniel shouted.

            The soldiers all cheered back in agreement. All of the soldiers wanted to follow their king through the portal but five of them stayed behind to protect the village.

While one knight, three archers and a spearman formed a defensive line between the portal and the village, the Bear lord and his fifteen soldiers charged forward.

            Pubbles cleared a path with his mighty claws, Nathaniel fired quickly and accurately at the shadows surrounding them. The knights charged forward like tanks with their shield s out, knocking enemies to either side. Spearmen and archers kept the rest covered. The two Mace wielders in the group went to opposite sides and smashed through multiple shadows with each swings. The Bear forces were the strongest on the island and these twenty soldiers were only a small part of the large Bear army.

            Lightning cracked the sky and the rain poured down. Shadows were vanquished as quickly as they could pour out through the portal. The bear forces cut a swath through the sea of pulsating shadow. As they rode closer to the portal they approached the Behemoth who was standing between them and the portal.

            Nathaniel knew that his forces were quick enough to run passed the creature, but he only left five soldiers behind to protect the village. He needed to try and weaken or kill the beast before entering the portal. The Behemoth outstretched its arm to grab Nathaniel. Instead of panicking, the Bear Lord jumped from his stead and landed on the creatures wrist. The oozing flesh of the shadow held the weight of the man, but moved and squirmed under his feet. Nathaniel ran up the beasts arm, firing arrows into its mouth and at its body. When he reached the top of the head he pulled a dagger from his boot and began slashing at the top of the head with all of his might. The beast roared and tried to grab Nathaniel again, but the King was too fast and jumped off of the monster, landing back onto his bear, who was now behind the Behemoth.

            While the King was attacking the Behemoth, his soldiers were also slashing, stabbing and shooting at the beast as they ran by. Their attention had to stay on the mob though so as to not lose a shield or sword in the assault.

            “Onward to the portal! We will take the fight to the enemy and destroy it from the inside!” Nathaniel shouted. As they charged forward the portal started to shimmer and flicker, which were signs that it was about to close for another day. Nathaniel hoped that the portal closing meant that the shadow forces were used up for the night and that more weren’t waiting on the other side.

            The Bear forces charged the portal cutting down the few who still stood in their way. “Let us show these shadows the might of the Bear!” Nathaniel shouted. The soldiers cheered as they all jumped into the portal. Seconds later the portal snapped shut and disappeared into thin air.

            The Behemoth was weakened from the attacks and the portal closing seemed to drain what remain life it had left. The Behemoth fell, followed by the few remaining shadows. The Five remaining forces cheered for victory but quickly went silent as they were overcome with worry for their king. The grieving soldiers didn't know what to tell the other Forest Kings when they arrived on the six day with reinforcements.