Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 03 Pt. 01

Travious called out, "No defined boundary in what separated northern to southern as of yet, Your Majesty?"

The King laughed, "Not as of yet."

Travious smiled, "Request we, as in my team consider anything a mile north of the entrance to the Mountains to be considered northern for the moment. Meeting the wording of your agreement until the details of where 'north ends.'

Our men will avoid any further contact in numbers with humans. We may send a wizard with an alert if we see a large massive force heading toward them again. Advising we are not permitted to interfere per their own King, Your Majesty."

The King laughed, "That General will be on his crystal begging for the King to reconsider the next time 1,000 or more are coming toward them."

Travious nodded. "I would also recommend that the wall run inside of orc held land planned at the moment be changed. We take it from a mile south of the northern barricade and run it two miles north on the far cavern wall.

A lot longer than we discussed before. However, the forces on that northern barricade were in no position to alert us to troops heading toward elven lands. We would need ownership of that strip of land as a part of that deal. The human camps are a mess.

The northern one especially. They were camped a half-day back and further south. Leaving an open corridor to elven lands. This would cut that off and it opens the ability to put a road through that valley for the humans straight to the dwarves in the elven owned land.

Good for trade for both those allies, for the land. The dwarves and humans will have another day to two days cut off in the delivery of goods going that way. It takes them further away from our southern crossroad but I do not see that as a problem.

More of a solution to slow population growth through that region. We will still have our share of dwarven and human trade coming down the other roads."

The King was quiet, "I am looking over the map and it could be as much as two and a half days of saved travel time. I will put that forward when we meet next week. I will call you if needed but with the human delegation being a bit antsy. I would prefer you to keep your distance for the next couple of weeks unless recalled."

Travious nodded, "Sounds reasonable. I would remind them they could have had their very own Elven King resolving this issue for them. If my Grandfather had assumed the human crown in his day. Instead, it is just one of his grandchildren working to preserve the alliance we have shared for centuries, Your Majesty."

The King laughed, "It may come to that friendly reminder if they continue to be concerned about the power in your small force. Stay safe."

The crystal went dark. Travious chuckled, "Thanks for your help, but you scare the shit out of us."

The ladies laughed. They continued at that pace and they reached the corner to turn north and they had a lone rider coming toward them. The battle cleric and his horse looking rather fried and walked on three legs. They moved up to meet him quickly.

Travious jumped down and the cleric barely hung on and he hit him with his lay-on-hands.

The cleric looked at Travious, "Ambushed! Six maybe 12, mostly casters. Fang and the Magister were dust on the first volley the fighter and I tried to retreat back but they blasted us with an area of effect spells.

The Fighter went down. I would have if I had not healed my horse and myself from the damage as we rode. I lost track of the Blade Singer but I think he bought me time to get to you. Explosions were ringing off and away from me. He checked over his mount and he was beyond saving.

The stallion had lost most of his rear left leg. Regeneration was never designed for horses. He helped the cleric down and removed the saddle. Travious spoke to the stallion, "You represented your kind well; we cannot fix the extent of your injuries. Your service will not be forgotten and you shall not have died in vain."

He pulled his sword and slit the horse's throat.

He wiped off his blade. He looked over "Kirra, take this cleric back to Fort Ash with his saddle. Let them know what is going on. We will be engaging. Then it is up to you if you will return for this battle WITH more support if you can get it. I would hope you play it safe for once."

She shook her head, "I will be right back."

He knew she would not sit this battle out, not with him engaging, and their Uncle Elios likely already dead.

Less than a minute later and she has returned. "They are informing the General."

He looked at the group, "ALPHA, and engage the dogs of war is all you are going to hear."

Spread out. I want one long line 30 feet between riders. They rode on and got spread out. He rode up the middle of this group and slightly to the front when he started to see invisible forms. "ALPHA."

A second later a voice rang out, "Let us settle this one-on-one Champion. If you are truly a fucking champion."

He yelled out, "ENGAGE THE DOGS OF WAR! KITA!"

He flew into the air using the fly from the armor and engaged spell turning.

He fired a shot at the invisible form that spoke and it landed at his feet. Frogtusk cast a fireball at Travious's casters and one of them countered it. Travious flew in closer. He fired another arrow and another. Striking Frogtusk twice. Travious had his attention.

Then Frogtusk disappears and was 30 feet behind him but near his casters who manage to land at least one of the dimensional anchor spells on him. Travious turned and fired on Frogtusk again and hit him for the third time. One of his casters hit Travious with a disintegrate which partially affected both of them.

He activated the second use of spell turning as the orog Champion shot a disintegrate at him. It rebounded onto him sending him screaming as Travious flew toward him,

He thought, "Karti'Ros right-hand Moonfire on."

He spiraled in and brought His blade up and under his sternum and straight into the bastard's black heart. Travious used his momentum to carry him up and away from the group and let his sword cut through his breastbone. He watched the body fall and the crystal in the other Champions holy symbol crack as Frogtusk released a final scream in pain. The body fell behind the line of Frogtusk's men.

He hit the ground, died, and exploded. That killed 3 enemy casters. Travious sheath his sword and went back to bring down the other casters first with his bow. Also, anything else he saw on the field. One ogre magi teleported away. Travious got hit by several arrows during this exchange but once the orog was dead they were fleeing and dying. He got to the ground with a thud as the flying wore out. He got to his feet and it has been a bloodbath.

Warhorses dead, elves dead, and the enemy dead. Travious went around trying to determine who was still alive. He found Gia, "Where is Yola, Bree, and Fressa?" She cried and pointed at the scattered items on the ground. He looked around, "Get me a headcount of who we still have."

Gia nodded, "Anyone needing healing raises a hand if you can."

He gathered Yola's gear and stored it away. Then he said a prayer over her scattered ashes. He went around and healed as many as he could to aid the clerics. He used what had regenerated from his lay on hands to take care of some of the damage he suffered, but not all of it. After he removed the eight arrows from his body. Shi'Drakon walked up to him and he was injured but not critically.

Travious stood and looked at Shi'Drakon, "Have we proved ourselves now?"

A voice rang in his head. "You did that a long time ago. Until you suffered a personal loss you were not ready. We have lost many on many different worlds. To fully commit to your people you had to show us that you, like us, revere our dead and our sacrifice. That we are a team. I have lost many mates in these engagements. You had not suffered a personal loss since joining me...until now."

Travious sighed, "Who?"

Shi'Drakon responded, "Your Sister, Kirra."

He looked around, "Show me where please."

Shi'Drakon took him to a section of scorch marks. He saw the burned remains of her Boy Toy. Kirra was like Yola. Just ash and the remains of her gear. This entire section of the line was bodies or ash. Gia got to him. Travious looked at her, "Kirra."

As he spread his arms. She dropped to her knees and hugged him, "There are 9 of us left and five horses. We have 4 casters including Bree, the other 2 rogues who could evade some of the spell damage, the other battle cleric who could keep himself alive, and us." He looked at her, "Get the enchanted saddles collected off of the dead mounts. The living horses how many had owners survive?"

She looked at him, "Three counting Bree's, yours, and mine."

He called the other two, "Unta" He looked at her, "Get everyone to start pulling bodies together, get the casters together to search for anything left on the field, especially the crater over there. I want the two rogues and battle cleric to help you gather the bodies of our dead. They do not belong here. Once the dead horses are together, burn their bodies. The enemy bodies can rot on the field. She nodded with tears in her eyes.

Travious stood and pulled out the two crystals. He waited for the voices to respond, "What is it, Nephew?"

Then the King, "Knight Paladin you have something to report?"

Travious sighed, "We are in the middle of the southern part of the valley. We encountered the other champion. He is dead. We have 5 horses and counting the cleric who we sent back ahead of the others we have 10 out of 27 alive. My Great Uncle Elios, Yola, Fangs, Kirra, her husband to be, and the Magister are all among the dead. There are no bodies to bring back for Kirra, the Magister, or Yola. We are still collecting bodies and gear where the bodies are gone.

I do not know what is left of my Great Uncle, he went with the scouting party ahead of us and drew fire away from the one cleric who escaped. The force was made up of ogre magi who were casting disintegration rays left and right; at least 12-18 of them, not counting their champion that I saw. They also had some orc assassins on the field with bows.

I was shot by two of those disintegrations; one was partially deflected while the other was completely sent back to their champion. The champions' body did explode but I brought him to within an inch of death in the air and it died on impact. It exploded when it hit the ground away from the main fight. Killing three of his own Magi.

I have crystals open to both my Aunt as well as the King. I will get a complete list of names of the dead to you when I can, Your Majesty. Aunt, please inform my brother, Victria, My Great Uncle's Widow, and my wives. We will be coming home." Both crystals were quiet.

Zaria responded first, "Hurry back. I will let them know. Your brother is not in touch right now."

The King apparently heard the Dutchess, "Your brother is off fighting the drow. I do not know the status of the unit he is with at the moment. Have your Aunt send me the list of names when you get home. Sorry for the loss of so many but I am happy you have removed the other champion from the field. Take several days to yourself.

The Gray Blades will monitor the northern end of the valley. Your Aunt will ensure that we will not lose the ground you have gained us."

Both crystals went quiet. He put them away and one of the Rogues came up. He had the items collected. "We only found about half of the bodies; the others were items on the ground We did find all three Blade Singer Bodies where we had bodies, we left the gear on it."

He put all of the weapons in sheaths, picked up all staffs, and stored them. The rings and other items he stored separately.

Travious looked at him, "You work for my Aunt. You have oversight of all Gray Blade bodies I took from her. We will get the gear sorted later and back to the families. Give the Blade Singer bodies to my Aunt. She can work on getting them returned to the town or capital. Turn the mage bodies what few there might be, to the wizards' tower.

When we get back, I want everyone to return to the blades, tower, or church. Take a few days to process and grieve for those we lost. I want you all to remember this number. 200. That is how many of the enemy we sent to the hells for every one of ours they killed in the town, and on the field."

He nodded. The others did as well. "UNTA" as he commanded all the unaffiliated horses. He looked at the casters they have left. "One caster to take the caster's bodies to the wizard's tower. Bree comes with me and the clerics.

The other two, I need one to take the bodies back to the Gray Blades and I need the other to get our other Cleric from Fort Ash and bring the two of you home."

Everyone broke into groups. Travious's group appeared in front of the church. They rode down and put their horses away. Bree simply ran into the inn. They left two lost horses in front of the Keep with the Gray Blades, "Owners were killed." Guards took those two to the corral.

They went inside the inn and headed upstairs and he saw the enchantress Staria and she hugged them. Word had reached them. Travious looked at her, "I will need you to teach the spell for our home to others, but I want a slightly different design for travel.

No dining room put it with the conference table. The master bedroom only needs one bed. Expand the rooms to be able to sleep two if needed. I want the waterfall grass area to expand. I have found it to be quite useful for horses in the field."

She nodded, "I can work up something for you like that. I am sorry for the loss of your sister."

Travious sighed, "We all are. The other champion is dead. My Great Uncle Elios is dead as well."

She nodded, "Your Aunt told us. Bree ran in crying."

He walked into the portal and saw the dragons gathered around outside the main bedroom and they saw Travious and Gia walk in. Travious dropped his saddle, blanket, and barding there. Gia followed suit with her saddle and blanket.

They made the slow walk through all of the dragons who stopped to hug them as they went along.

Travious opened the door at the end. Bree came running at him and started beating on his chest, "Why did she have to die?! I thought you were watching our backs?!"

He pulled her into him and held her tight, "You saw them. There were Magi everywhere. You cannot defend another against a disintegration spell unless a caster counters it. I don't have that power. They had more casters than us.

I got hit by two of them. I managed to turn one and partially deflect another because of a piece of gear. I could have died from either of them. Not counting the 8 arrows I pulled out of myself.

If I could have saved her, I would have. Same for my Great Uncle Elios and my pregnant sister Kirra who died out there in that same battle. We lost 60% of our elven team. They had one Magi escape by teleporting. We had 10 people and 5 horses left. We had 27 of each when we started.

That was 54 bodies. 3 out of 4 did not return when you count our Elven war horses."

He hugged her tighter, "I lost my Great Uncle, my sister, and her future husband. My sister was pregnant with twins. I do not even have a body to bury for her or Yola."

Melia came and hugged him as she knew Travious was hurting. He winced hard and audibly. She looked at him, "Get your armor off."

Gia started on the straps. They got his clothes off and they saw the still bleeding holes from some of the arrow wounds.

He looked at them, "We only had two healers on the field in the last battle. The other was taken back by my sister and she returned to fight with us. I asked her not to but she, like most in the Silvertree family, will not leave the family in the field or unavenged as she knew our Uncle Elios was likely already dead. She had the choice to stay for the sake of her unborn. She chose to come back for the fight. Gods I wish she had stayed with the cleric."

Gia went to the church and got Doc. He walked into the shower and washed all the blood and dirt from the day's battle away. He walked out of the shower and Melia tried to hold him and he pulled away. She asked, "What can I do?"

He picked her up and carried her out of the shower room and back into the bedroom and grabbed clean clothes. Doc stopped him and healed him up.

She looked at him, "What are you doing?"

He looked at her, "Going for a ride. Getting my head around this."

She grabbed him, "You are needed here."

He nodded, "I am, which is why I need to get my own head together so I can be here mentally for the others."

She groaned as he got dressed and saw that his armor was clean, He switched rings. "Armor on."

Melia follows him out as he put his sword back around his waist.

She looked at Travious, "You go and I go."

He nodded, "Good. there is someone you need to meet."

Melia looked at him and he yelled over, "Countess Amy Tryst could you join us at the stables."

He grabbed his saddle and barding. They walked outside and Melia asked, "Who do you want me to meet?"

He kept walking. She followed him. Travious thought to himself, "Shi'Drakon could you meet me in front of the inn."

He got out the front door and Shi'Drakon came walking up to him. He pulled the blanket out. Melia looked at him, "You had this planned?"

Travious looked at her, "No."

He put the blanket on and worked the barding. Melia looked at Travious in frustration, "Who did you want me to meet."

He looked at her, "Shi'Drakon, think mental."

She recalled him saying something would happen with the horses. She looked at ShiDrakon and she sat down and stared for a moment. He got the saddle on as Amy Tryst came out and she sensed it. The three of them appeared to be talking.

---

Shi'Drakon sighed mentally, "He is hurting we lost many on that field together. We fought alongside them. Attacking casters as they got highlighted. Cutting the numbers down but it cost a lot of the horses their lives. Some carried my children.

Like Kirra was with child. We both know what is at stake and we both know our females will fight even with a child, just as yours will. We are bound to the elven people now. All of us will be able to communicate mentally with each other and with our selected rider. You two being psionic allows you to communicate to us more directly."

Amy responded, "I can hear the herd talking now. News of the battle is spreading. Thousands of telepathic conversations. This is incredible. Your abilities and courage, all of your efforts are appreciated. You have held back this ability for years in the herd. Until you ordered it to be used from this day forth. You are a King among your kind. I am hearing that from the horses as the word spreads."

---

Travious got the saddle on.

He thought to himself, "Shi'Drakon. Let Melia know if she is going with me she better hurry. Let Amy Tryst know she can ride with me."

He got up on Shi'Drakon and Melia ran for the barn.

Amy Tryst extended a hand. He looked at her, "How was your conversation?"

She laughed, "Unusual but interesting. Melia was shocked, to say the least."

He thought. "Shi'Drakon have you told Amy about flying yet? The gods told me."

Shi'Drakon responded, "Not yet. It would be too heavy to try at the moment."

He thought, "Can her horse do it?"

Shi'Drakon responded, "Yes, when given the instructions and shown."

He pulled Amy Tryst up front, "You catch all of that?"

She shook her head, "Only the response from Shi'Drakon."

He thought, "Shi'Drakon We will do it I can fly off with this armor I would like to see the shock on their faces."

He heard a laugh, "We can do that."