Tender Mercies

When one of the elves crossed in front of the other, he kicked out with his foot, catching the lunging elf in the side of his knee and making it buckle. The elf reached out desperately to keep from sliding off the edge of the cliff. He grabbed the other light elf's boot, distracting him further. Martin lunged forward, skewering the upright elf. He then kicked the prone elf hard enough to roll him towards the edge. A swing with his sword caused the elf to duck its head in order to not lose it, but that distraction allowed Martin to kick him again, this time it was enough to dislodge the elf.

Martin peered over the side of the ledge and saw the elf rolling down the steep side of the valley, bouncing off occasional rocks or sparse tree growth. He turned back and saw the wounded elf pointing it's own bow and arrow at him from where it had limped to. Martin cursed and threw himself down to the surface of the ledge. The arrow streaked over his back, and he heard the light elf muttering. Martin scrambled to his feet and charged the elf, hoping to get there before the elf could ready another arrow.

Elven archers are some of the finest in Viconia, be they dark of light. Martin threw his hands up in front of his face to block the second arrow, expecting to feel it sink painfully into his flesh at any second. The arrow flew true, striking him in the palm of his right hand. Martin felt the impact, then realized that the arrow had not penetrated his hand. Biting back a laugh, he lashed out with his sword, taking the bow from the elf's hands and rendering him defenseless. Another few swings and the elf lay dead at his feet.

Martin examined his palm then, thankful for the mithril arm the dark elves had given him. There was a scratch on the otherwise smooth surface where the arrow had hit, but other then that, there was no sign of damage.

Martin ran back and grabbed up his bow, launching more arrows at the elves and slaying three more of them. His pathfinders had dispatched one as well, and with Martin's help, soon turned the table on the two remaining light elves. Both of the humans were wounded, but both were still in fighting condition. Martin set out quickly, searching the hills for more pockets of enemies to keep from gaining the sides of the valley.

*****

Nordan rose from where Wulf had fallen, a rage overcoming him. He lashed out then, felling a troll in one mighty blow. Behind him, a torch was brought forward, setting the body of the troll afire to keep it from healing.

He found himself in a company of trolls then, and lashed out time and again, striking them down and hoping that his companions could get to them with fire before they regenerated the wound and rose again. It was then that he encountered a troll wearing black armor and wielding a great sword.

"Ey! Me no yu!" The troll said, parrying Nordan's hammer. "Yu Nordan, dat hoomin dat bash'd dat draggin!"

Nordan took a step back, suddenly remember the encounter from what seemed like so long ago. "Aye, Grabbil, I am he. We meet again."

"Yer bashin fer da emenee," Grabbil said, frowning. "Grabbil tel yu wut, uz wil bash fer yu gyz ef yu let uz owt uv heer. Dis bad bashin fer uz, we loozin."

Nordan blinked a few times as he struggled to decipher the trolls butchered common. When he finally understood he nodded and said, "Good enough, my people will grant you passage when the battle is done. Until then, slay any orc, light elf, wolf, troll, ogre, or giant you meet!"

Nordan and Grabbil both called out to those nearby then, relaying orders. Trolls, being not incredibly intelligent but more interested in food, money, and who to kill, were just as happy to fight their former comrades as their former enemies. With Grabbil telling them who to fight, they turned coat.

Reluctant at first, the barbarians followed Nordan's lead and let the trolls turn away from them and hack and slash their way back into the enemy army. First one, then another barbarian began laughing at the odd turn of events. The relief was short lived, but it refreshed their minds and bodies and allowed them to reenter the fray with a renewed fervor.

*****

Fyrentennimer let go of the black dragon it had clutched in its claws and watched it crash to the ground, crushing many of the evil humanoids in its path. Wings flapping mightily, the powerful gold dragon climbed higher in the sky and saw two green dragons pursuing a silver one. He pursued them, powerful flames leaping from his jaws to catch the larger green dragon and send it crashing into a hill, blinded and wounded. The silver was doomed, however, for the other green dragon had caught up to it and latched onto its back and used its powerful legs to rip scale and flesh and bone. Letting go, the green spiraled up and turned to face Fyrentennimer on even footing.

Fyrentennimer crashed into it, his jaws snapping around the neck of the green while his clawed hands wrapped around the dragons body and shredded one of the greens dragons wings. The green dragon bellowed and tried to use its legs to tear at the Fyrentennimer's belly, but the gold dragon had already dug its teeth into the greens throat and released its hold on the weaker dragon. It plummeted to the ground, dying of a crushed windpipe even before it crashed into the ground hard enough to remove all chance of survival.

Fyrentennimer was caught unaware by a more powerful red dragon then. The red dragons flames rolled over the gold dragon's scales, doing no damage but forcing Fyrentennimer to keep its eyes closed long enough for the red to latch onto his back. Fyrentennimer flipped about in mid air, trying to throw the red from him. The evil dragon held on, fanged maw trying to snap shut on Fyrentennimer's neck.

Losing altitude quickly, Fyrentennimer managed to twist about in the red's grasp and tear away at the armored scales on its chest and belly. Sensing how close they were to the ground, the red let go then, allowing both dragons to flap their wings and come together again much higher in the sky. Both of them spouted flames on each other, with Fyrentennimer's overpowering the younger red dragon's breath weapon. Stunned by the heat, the red was blindsided by Fyrentennimer, who tore a great chunk of flesh from the red's side. Hot blood rained upon the combatants below as the red struggled to bring its body about and face Fyrentennimer.

Two more passes and the red dragon was sent to join its fallen comrades below, bleeding from even greater wounds the powerful elder gold had inflicted upon it. Fyrentennimer glanced about, seeing a blue dragon approaching, and it readied itself for combat again.

"Hold!" Kelnozz called out, seeing Fyrentennimer about to unleash its breath weapon upon them. Fyrentennimer turned its head away at the last moment and sent the incredibly flames into the empty sky, sparing the dark elf and his companion.

"Be thou careful, elf, thy companion couldst be mistaken for mein foe!" Fyrentennimer said, flying closer and hovering.

Kelnozz yelled to be heard over the hovering dragons. "Aye, Fyrentennimer, we are being wary. Look below you, the bridge is no more, the evil dragons are being driven back, with the help of the good dragons, we can win this!"

"At what cost, elf?" Fyrentennimer asked, doing as he was bidden and studying the battle below them.

Kelnozz knew what the dragon was referring to. Not only the loss of life to the dark elven and dwarven cultures, but to the chromatic dragons as well. "This battle threatens to set us back many years, Fyrentennimer, but it will set Ancaruin and Alesha back just as much, more if we defeat them! I'm not asking for a favor, and I'm not asking you to ignore the fact that many good beings will die. I'm demanding that you acknowledge what is at stake here!"

Fyrentennimer swooped away then, soaring over the battle below. Indeed, the evil dragons were in retreat, though many good dragon was wounded or dead already. Below the evil army had realized its condition. Stranded from retreat, it had no choice but to stand and fight. Already many fights had broken out amongst its own ranks as well.

"Very well, dark elf," Fyrentennimer said, returning to where Luingirth and Kelnozz waited. With that, he turned in mid air and roared loudly enough for his voice to carry for miles, even over the din of battle.

The good dragons responded to Fyrentennimer's call, flocking to his side and streaking down towards the ranks of the enemy. Fire, frost, lightning, and other powerful breath weapons and magical assaults wreaked havoc on the enemy forces, with Kelnozz and Luingirth still circling above, the call to battle singing out in both their blood.

*****

"Great one, we have lost this battle," Narellin said, hoping Ancaruin's wrath was not so great that he struck out at him for being the bearer of bad news. Narellin Kinslayer had been born during the first elven wars. Because of that, his power was from another age, his sorcery nearly unmatched throughout Belurian. Yet in spite of that, he hid within him a great fear of Ancaruin.

The mighty red dragon was in the guise of something humanoid. A towering giant of a man with deep black eyes and crimson skin. He stared at Narellin for a moment, his eyes boring into the light elf. Finally he spoke, his voice too deep and powerful to come from a mortal body. "What of their forces?"

"But a few score of metallic dragons remain, and their armies are weary and wounded, with perhaps half their number able to do battle," Narellin said, taking small comfort in the apparent calm of Ancaruin's voice. "My lord, I recommend we wait, the longer we wait, the weaker their dragons become fighting the forbidding. We will be able to recall the dragons that have fled the battle to our side, and in spite of their forces resting and healing, we will be able to crush them!"

Ancaruin lashed out then, with one mighty forearm. It came no where near Narellin, but the magic behind the blow struck him powerfully, driving him to the far corner of the pavilion. He sat up, coughing and gasping. Flecks of blood in his spittle marked his lips.

"Never speak of the forbidding, fool!" Ancaruin spat at him. "Were thou not present when it happened and still useful to me, I wouldst drink of thy blood and feast upon thy flesh!"

Narellin nodded quickly, wiping the blood from his lips and struggling to regain enough breath to rise to his feet. He had been present when the metallic dragons were banished, one of less then a handful of light elves still alive. None were supposed to know of it, for both light elf and chromatic dragon had broken their vow to release the metallic dragons after a thousand years had passed.

"Use thy wizards and army to confuse them," Ancaruin said, striding towards the door of the command tent. "It is nigh time I join this battle."

Narellin watched him leave, shocked to see Ancaruin taking part in things himself. He had served the dragon for centuries, the impetuosity of his move startled him. He then scrambled about to call upon the captains of the army to issue orders. Nearly a third of their force had been defeated, and they now had a great chasm to cross, but with the unmatched power of the light elven magic, victory would still be theirs.

*****

Kelnozz leapt from Luingirth's back, landing lightly upon the scorched ground. He approached Nordan and knelt down next to his large friend. All around them the rock and dirt was blackened and charred. The catapult that had destroyed the bridge lay in charred ruins. Where they knelt, however, was a spot where the ground was not burnt. In the form of a body grass and flowers had already sprung forth to reach towards the sun.

"She died here," Nordan said, standing up stoically but still staring at the small garden.

"Aye," Kelnozz said, believing him. "She fought valiantly, Nordan. I saw what must have been her final moments from Luingirth's back. A spell of such power must have overwhelmed her, for it overwhelmed those seeking her death."

Nordan laughed, though it sounded hollow. "They did this for you, elf."

Kelnozz looked to Nordan, surprise in his eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked, uncertain.

"We all know the stories now, we've all heard them told time and again. What we do is for the good of all," Nordan said, his tone barely convincing. "But all of the elves, they fight for you. They've seen and heard our deeds and believe you truly are the chosen one they dream of. Maybe they're right, I've known you too long as the scrawny elf that sneaks around whenever an honest brawl starts. Remember that, elf, every person that dies does this to make Belurian a better place as much as they do it because they think you want them to."

Kelnozz stared after his companion, unable to say anything. He was surprised to hear such a thing from Nordan, and he realized that in spite of the years of friendship and the many trials they had been through, perhaps he still did not know the barbarian well enough. He hurried to catch up to him then, following his trail around the rocks he had disappeared behind.

*****

"There are many things you must know."

Nordan spun about, his hammer drawn back and ready to strike out. Standing with one leg up on a rock was the chief of his tribe, Helmut. "We thought you dead!" Nordan said, happy to see him alive.

"My son, I'm not so easy to kill," Helmut said, grinning. He walked forward and clasped Nordan's arm fondly. "Many things you should know, but if I am right, in time you will know them. Now you must hurry. Return to your army and prepare for the greatest battle you have ever fought."

"Wait!" Nordan said, as Helmut turned to leave. "What do you mean?"

"Nordan! Come back here!" Kelnozz called out, rounding the rocks and spying the large man with his back turned to him.

Nordan glanced back at the elf, then looked over at Helmut again. Except Helmut had disappeared. He hurried after, searching about for some sign of him, but found nothing. Kelnozz caught up to him quickly though, and stood watching silently while Nordan looked about. Finally Nordan let out a laugh and turned to face Kelnozz, a smile on his face.

"Come elf, this day is not done! We have much to do, and more to fight!" Nordan clapped Kelnozz on the shoulder roughly on his way past.

Kelnozz turned and stared at the barbarian, twice in one day at a loss for words. He hurried to catch up, not letting him out of his site this time. "What are you about? We've destroyed the bridge and driven off their dragons, the day is ours!"

"We have something in common at least, dark elf," Nordan said, ignoring him. "My people follow me as much as yours follow you. With Helmut gone, it is only right that his son take over the tribe."

"I thought your father was slain years past, with you to young to know him?" Kelnozz said, remembering what Nordan had told him.

"Parentage is a trivial matter, among my people," Nordan said, stopping and looking at Kelnozz. "With women as free to choose a mate as a man, the man I thought to be my father was not. Helmut was my father."

"How do you know this, all of a sudden?"

"He just told me," Nordan said, grinning and glancing back at the rocks where his strange encounter had occurred.

"Nordan, did you take a blow to your head? Helmut was taken by Alesha months ago," Kelnozz said, thinking his friend mad with grief. He knew he and Kayala had become closer then friends, after the dark elven sorceress continued to tease him with her magic and show him how it could be used to his benefit. Eventually he had come to agree with her, albeit reluctantly, and from there they had become lovers. It was rare that an elf took a human as a lover, for in the lifespan of an elf, a human's life is but a blink of an eye. But then again, Nordan was a rare human.

"In those rocks over there, Helmut appeared to me. He called me his son and told me that I needed to return to my people, for a greater battle was yet to take place this day. Then he left, disappearing before my very eyes."

Kelnozz nodded, his concern for Nordan growing. He looked Nordan up and down, seeing no wounds that would account for seeing such visions. "You speak of the impossible, my friend, Helmut is gone."

Nordan laughed loudly, clapping Kelnozz on the shoulder again. "You speak to me of magic and great prophecies, yet will not believe in something so simple as this?"

Kelnozz closed his mouth, admitting that he could be wrong by his silence. Nordan set off again, heading back towards the blasted crater where Kayala's last stand had been. Kelnozz followed him, doubtful but acknowledging the possibility that his friend might not be going insane after all.

"Today I stood and slew foe after foe. It was a glorious battle. A mountain of my enemy lay in my wake, from orc to wolf to giant to troll to elf. My people cheered and fought beside me, meeting your people in the middle of the valley. It was then that I saw one of my tribesman fall. I had noticed him time and again, taking many wounds but fighting on without complaint."

Nordan paused, they were beside Luingirth again, who looked down at them impassively. Kelnozz listened attentively to Nordan, signaling Luingirth that they would be ready in a moment.

"I made my way to him, killing the light elf about to slay him, and tried to help him to his feet. His wound was mortal though, and he was just a boy. He saw that it was me who had come to aid him and in his eyes I saw nothing but pride and joy. His wounds forgotten, he smiled and fought past the blood in his lungs and mouth to tell me his name and to wish me luck. He died then."

Kelnozz studied Nordan carefully. He had lived beside the man for many years, but only now was he glimpsing deeper into his soul then he had all that time. Kelnozz realized, in that moment, how self absorbed the elven people could become. He realized he had been just as bad as the elven council he had all but fought over the years.

"You have taught me a lesson this day," Kelnozz said, laying his hand on Nordan's forearm. "I do not understand what it was to have this happen to you, nor do I pretend to, but I offer you my apologies for each of your people slain, and wonder if what I have to offer is enough. All we have is vengeance, Nordan, and that will not bring any of those we have lost back. It will not feed our friends and families. It will not sow and reap our crops. It will only shed more blood and cause more grief. My hope, a small one now, is that in the end all of this hardship will come to an end and that the lives of those lost will have paid for a better life for those remaining."

Nordan shook his head and smiled sadly. "This is my people's way, Kelnozz. This is what we know. We live and we die the riddle of steel. There is no grief at the loss of Wulf, son of Vorm, cousin to my mother. There is grief at Kayala's death, for your people live a different life, and your God does not ask such of you."

"No, upon us falls the same duty, to lead our people to victory," Nordan looked down into the valley at the army that was tending its wounded and tossing the dead into the chasm. Archers guarded them from the occasional foray from other side of the chasm.

Kelnozz nodded, signaling to Luingirth that they were ready. "That is true, my friend, but until now, your people, the dwarves, and even the humans were all but pawns and tools to be used to help the elves achieve this end. That is no longer, for there are greater things at stake then the honor and pride of the elven people."

Lifted onto Luingirth's back, they settled in before Nordan responded. "Nay elf, none of us were ever pawns. The elves are simply the only ones who have yet to realize it."

Kelnozz laughed at the truth of that. Luingirth took to the sky then, winging quickly towards where the army rested. It was already several hours past midday, if Nordan was right and another battle awaited them, they must hurry to prepare for it.