Merill's sword shined beneath the rays of light, from a special gem under the handle to the tip of the blade.
"What the? That's not possible!" a deep voice came through the temple. "Kill him!" the voice shouted.
Merill and Caden rushed into battle.
Their strikes were so strong that large sparks flew out of their swords. Cassandra stood, she was staring helplessly as her best friends were fighting a duel for life and death.
With a powerful blow, Merill broke Caden's sword and threw Caden down.
"I'm sorry, Caden..." Merill prepared to pierce Caden.
But Caden fixed his eyes on Cassandra, or more precisely, on a falling pillar, which ordinary cautious Cassandra, wasn't aware of, as she was completely focused on the duel. Merill ran, grabbed Cassandra, and landed with her on a safe place.
When the dust from the rubble of the pillar fell, Caden was gone with the artefact. They both ran to the pedestal where the artefact was before.
"You two..." was heard from the left side.
They rushed to the laying Jedar.
"We will help you," Cassandra said.
"Ah... It's too late for that."
"At least we'll pray for your soul," Merill said.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness. Not even for an understanding of my actions. I'm just asking you... If you'll hear me out," Jedar said.
"Good..." Merill nodded.
"Take this ring... Hand it over to the high general in the Imperial City, and tell... Tell him to start with the plan... Z... Immediately."
"What about your army?" Cassandra asked.
"They are lost... Caden opens the portal in a fallen castle... And the army will be surrounded... I've sent them... To death... Eh, ech..."
"They're good warriors. I'll try to help them," Merill put his hand on Jedar's hand.
"Thank you... Let the Saints protect you..." Jedar breathed out for the last time.
"Cassandra, you have to go to the Imperial City and hand over the message," Merill ordered and pushed the ring in Cassandra's hand.
"What? I will go with you!" Cassandra shouted.
Merill put his hands on Cassandra's shoulders. "Listen to me! The Empire's destiny now might depend on this order. So get on the horse and go and don't even think about turning a different way!"
"Alright..." Cassandra did, as Merill said, she set off with her horse in a direct way to the Imperial City, while Merill rode in the opposite direction.
Merill rode through the Dead Forest, he was heading straight for the Wall to outrun Caden. A living soul has not stepped into this forest for decades. It is said that there were committed experiments on the inhabitants of the Empire during the War of unification and the First war with the Dark Ones. But Merill went on without making a hassle. Until the shadow passed in front of him, which scared his horse, Merill was thrown on the ground and the horse ran away. Merill stood up and drew his sword. The gem in the sword shined with green light, brighter than any torch. Merill moved on with the cold running on his neck and back as if someone was breathing on him. Every time Merill turned, he saw nothing but darkness, opaque darkness that covered the way back. It seemed as if the way back had actually disappeared, and the forest was moving over it.
"Merill..." a woman's voice spread all over the forest.
Merill held his sword firmly as if his life depended on it.
"Merill..." El came out from the right side of the forest.
"Oh, my Merill. We are together at last!" El said.
"What are you doing here?" Merill asked.
"I'll explain everything to you. Just put down the sword, and come with me..."
"But the way is over there," Merill said.
"Stupid, I know a better way. Leave that sword and come..."
"What do you mind about it?" Merill asked.
"It's attracting darkness to us, don't you see?"
"No," Merill replied.
"What, my love?" El replied confusedly.
"Either come with me or I'll go alone," Merill said.
"You... You bastard!" El jumped at Merill with a scream and disappeared before his sword.
Subsequently, the whole forest began to make strange noises. Merill ran down the road and stumbled over the root. His sword fell in front of him and the dark shadows emerged from the forest, they grabbed Merill's legs and were dragging him away. Still, Merill managed to crawl to his sword, turned it against the shadows, and they disappeared.
Merill continued, the path filled with the black roots, and he had to go forward, still forward, hoping he hadn't lost his way.
"Alarm! Assassins of the Dark Ones!" the soldier shouted in the Imperial Army camp.
Soldiers began to run out of the large tents and engaged into combat with the Dark Ones armed with two swords. The huge man in the shiny silver armour fought several Dark Ones as if it was a game. He ended his death dance by calling, "That's it?! That's all that the Dark Ones can do?" he laughed.
"Save your strength, Maxim. This was just a test," the man in the gold armour stepped out of the round tent.
"Find the rest, they'll be near the senior officer's tents. They were ordered to kill generals."
"And how do you know that, Rengar?" Maxim asked.
"I had a visit," Rengar laughed.
"Call up all the generals from the camp!" Rengar's voice grew serious.
All the generals approached the map table.
"We have to send someone to the Wall of Sorrow. They had to get through them," one general proclaimed.
"I agree. This is the first wave, our defence test. It certainly won't be their only action," Rengar supported him.
"How much do you know about the Dark One's tactics?" Maxim asked.
"General Rengar led the soldiers to the expeditions into the Forbidden territory, general Maxim. If anyone knows the Dark Ones well, it's him," one of the generals supported him.
"Uh... I'm sorry to interrupt you, gentlemen," the soldier rushed in.
"What's wrong?" they stared at him.
"The Dark One's army is heading to us from the west. Our hunters have seen them as they chased the fleeing assassins."
"How big is the army?" Maxim asked.
"We don't know exactly, sir. Perhaps a few hundred men."
"And are you sure those weren't just hallucinations from your potions?" Maxim laughed.
"There's no time for being so petty, general Maxim. The wardens and the Imperial army stands here as allies," Rengar replied.
"Sure... Send a messenger to the Wall of Sorrow. Let them send reinforcements to us," Maxim ordered.
"No!" Rengar called.
"Send out the messenger, but just alert them."
"Who gave you the command?" Maxim asked.
"I'm the highest-ranking officer right after the high warden. So until he arrives, I'm in charge! This is exactly what they want. Their entire army could not slip through unnoticed. It's a trap, the main attack will be led on the Wall of Sorrow," Rengar explained his theory.
"All right... I'll let the soldiers prepare," Maxim said.
A moment later, the Dark One's soldiers appeared over the camp.
"It's not an army," Maxim said disdainfully.
"No, it is not. It's just a big bunch of murderers," Rengar added.
"Shield formation!" Maxim ordered.
The soldiers lined up in the ranks behind the palisade and set up large shields and spears before them. The dark hooded figure raised the sword against the camp, and the Dark One's horde rushed into the attack.
"Hold the formation!" Maxim shouted while drawing his two-handed sword.
The Dark Ones overwhelmed the camp like an avalanche, they were leaping over the shield wall and attacking the soldiers behind it, and some of them continued to the camp. Generals and reserve troops were also involved in the fight.
"Sir! They broke our lines! We must pull back!" an officer came up to Maxim.
"Never! Nobody steps back! The Imperial army does not give up so easily!" Maxim shouted while he pierced the Dark One with his sword.
"So the Imperial army won't retreat?" Rengar laughed and fought his way.
"Hah, did you expect the entire Imperial army to fall during the first clash? What about the wardens?" Maxim shouted.
After an exhausting battle, the Imperial army stood victorious. Maxim breathed heavily.
"So what? Are you done for?" Rengar patted Maxim's back.
"I was just breathing out. You was right, we did it."
"No..." Rengar looked into the distance.
"I was wrong... That's not possible..." Rengar stared.
"What? Oh... By all the Saints..." Maxim saw the numerous Dark Ones on the horizon.
The Dark Ones filled the sky with arrows. Both generals gazed devotedly into the sky.
Cassandra rode to the capital. Everyone there was so busy that they didn't even notice that she'd gone through. She approached a group of soldiers.
"Excuse me, where is the high general?"
"Dark elf?!" the soldier was dismayed and draw his sword.
"Wait! I have this! The high warden Jedar sends me," Cassandra showed the ring.
"Give it to me!" the soldier tore the ring from her hand and began to examine it.
"Damn it, call the captain!" a soldier shouted and a few soldiers ran away.
They came back with the captain.
"Sir! This dark elf claims to have been sent here by the high warden," soldier saluted.
"She was carrying this ring, sir!"
"How did you get that?" the captain asked.
"I have a message for the high general," Cassandra replied calmly.
"Well, come with me," the captain led her to the man in the shiny armour near the table in the camp.
"High general! This er... Elf has a message for you," the captain saluted.
"Why do you bother me, captain?"
"She had this, sir," the captain handed the ring over to the high general.
"Um... You can go."
The captain saluted and left.
"We'll continue with this in a moment, have a break!" the high general commanded everyone at the table.
"So where did you get that? You've robbed the high warden?" the high general asked.
"No sir, he gave it to me when he... He was dying, and I should also tell you that you must immediately start with plan Z," Cassandra said.
"What? That's not possible... Major!"
"Yes, sir?"
"Call up all the generals immediately."
"But, sir, most of them have already left..."
"So call those who are still here! And bring the representatives of all the regions, take the whole camp with you if you need, go!" the high general ordered.
"And you... If that what you're telling me... Our army, no... it's not possible! Not so fast..." the high general proclaimed.
"The army has not yet been defeated, but it will soon be. The Dark Ones surrounded them," Cassandra replied.
"All the Saints, do you really mean it?" the high general asked.
Cassandra nodded in agreement.
Soon, all the generals came into the camp.
"Why was I summoned in such an inhospitable moment?" one of them asked.
"Because of this," the high general raised the ring, all the generals were staring at him in disbelief.
"So, the high warden is...?" one of them broke the silence.
"Yes," the high general answered.
"What are we going to do now?"
"We'll start with plan Z," the high general ordered.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGlKjDCzvT
