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he battle was going well. The Kestrel's surprise tactics had worked excellently, and the fear in the lines of Talos's army showed when they charged toward their unprepared backs. However, Talos's army quickly regrouped as they realized what was happening. They sent their powerful demons up to the front to hold back this more experienced foe...The remaining bodies were being hauled away. As Kestrel's lines had distracted the portions of Talos' army that were not attacking the keep, the group of paladins which had been battling desperately along the walk had taken heart and regained the ground they had lost, throwing the demons and undead into the void. They had then poured out of the keep, hitting the side of the Talos' army, which had been turned towards Kestrel's. They were cut to pieces.
Barak approached the Kestrel.
"What kind of losses did we take?" Kestrel asked.
"Not bad, I got a bit of a cut along my arm, but nothing that won't heal. Rio sustained only a couple of scratches. Ross, Davies, Matt, and Chuck have taken some bad wounds, but they are being tended to and should make it."
"How many did we lose?" Kestrel asked, grimacing. He hated this part.
"Well, I can't be sure, but preliminary reports indicate at least fourteen, possibly four more."
"Where are the four unaccounted for?"
"We had thought them lost, but some said they saw them disengage, and head for some men and a couple of undead that were running."
"Good, no mercy."
The Paladin captain approached, gratefulness written across his face.
"Hello, captain. I see we made it in time."
Flashback...
In the midst of the chaos of battle, Trundaylan caught a shining figure on a nearby hill, who seemed to radiate life. "Could it be? The legendary Tyrael, here?" As the figures charged down the hill, Trundaylan saw that is was not Tyrael, but someone else. All the better, who knows which side Tyrael will fight for, if he fights, but at least this person is on our side.
The charging fighters completely took the opposing army off guard. Chaos was still supreme, but now in the enemy force. Trundaylan used this distraction to charge forward, sheathing his sword, and throw all his weight against a nearby demon. He winced at the sudden searing pain that bit through him, but happily noted that the demon fell into the ethereal void, shouting what was probably a string of curses.
The forces of LandKing hall quickly beat back the opposing force. After the battle was over, Trundaylan walked up to the leader of the knights that had mysteriously appeared.
"Greetings, I'm Trundaylan. Good thing you showed up when you did. If you hadn't, we still probably would have won, but LandKing hall would have been wrecked beyond repair. Your help was appreciated." Trundaylan noticed the scratches and cuts on some of theKestrel's men. "Do you need a healer? We paladins are well trained in the art of healing also." In response to his statement, he closed his eyes for a brief few seconds. When they opened, they shined with a dark blue light.
Trundaylan quickly raised his hands, clasped together, and instantly dropped them down to his knees. A blue sparkle, about the size of a man's fist, shot out and enveloped the Kestrel. After a brief couple of seconds, theKestrel glowed a bright white light while energy flowed around him. As quickly as the glow appeared, it faded, leaving behind a completely healed man.
As the shining sun dipped into the sky, and dusk shadowed the world, Talos's army attacked. At first, the evil forces broke like a wave around the surrounded island, but the mages were quickly running low on power, and exhaustion slowed the warriors. Jack, after launching a ball of acid down among a group of demons, leaving his mind momentarily empty of power, wondered...
"How long can we last? Will all our efforts be squashed by superior numbers? Or might help arrive? If so, they must hurry, for soon nothing will be left of Pynx but a pile of rubble."
Just then, a dagger flew though the darkness, and Jack fell, the cursed weapon sticking from his side.
he Kestrel looked toward the west, at the setting sun, fearing that perhaps doom would be inevitable for those embattled at Pnyx if he did not send aid immediately. He could not, however, for he never left his men behind. Of the four who had followed the scattered few of Talos's army into the woods, only one had returned. He had come just as the shadows began to grow long in the valley, unhorsed and cursing."S'bloody demons came out of nowhere. Something straight from the depths of hell, leadin' 'em, sir. He was cloaked comple'ly in black, with his cowl pulled about 'is face. To look into them shadows where his face must lay, was terror itself. Me and the four others had just been cleaning up some of our enemy 'who had fled, when we were beset by what was clearly some sort of... elite guard," he continued, "We were instan'ly on the defens've, but we were no match for the sev'n, by my count, demons and the thing which had inspired such terror. We had fought like dem'ns ourselves, but we were captured. Tha' thing ordered 'em to take us alive. Luck'ly, I broke free and galloped as fast as my horse could take. Tha' poor thing stumbled in a rabbit hole and broke its leg, throwin' me off. I just walked tha' rest of the way."
The Kestrel stood, astounded, staring at the poor man's wounds, which were numerous. A long slash ran across his front, a terrible slice from his elbow to shoulder, which he had managed to bind, and many minor cuts along his stomach. The Kestrel sent him to Trundaylan to be healed immediately and to get some rest.
Kestrel was extremely worried about this turn of events. "Who was this blacked cloaked thing? What business did he have in the woods about LandKing Hall? It could not be Talos, for he certainly did not look like that when I saw him last. Could he be allied with Talos? He doubted it, somehow...
He sighed. Pnyx had to be abandoned to its fate, he had to save his men from whoever this thing was. His stomach lurched, thinking of the straits the brave mages in Pnyx were in. He thought, "Now, fourty-four men under my command, including Barak," then, the light of an idea came to his mind, as it so often does, "Barak! That was it, I have to send Barak and most of my men to help Pnyx. No, I don't have enough men though, I'll have to ask Trundaylan for manpower. I need Rio and five other of my men, if I were to have a chance of getting the three kidnapped back. Another cause of thought, what was it that the black cloaked one had wanted them for? I could only hope that it was for information on who I was and where I had come from..." Considering further, he hastily walked down the ridge to the encampment.
The fires in camp twinkled, and the sentry greeted him as he passed. Rio waved to the Kestrel as he headed into his tent, but Kestrel called him to stop, saying speedily, "Rio, I need you to find Trundaylan, the Paladin captain, and have him come to my tent."
"Sure, Kest, I'll have him there in a second." The Kestrel then headed off to his tent, hoping that Trundaylan could provide him with enough troops to bolster Barak's Pnyx force to at least fifty men. He wondered whether or not the Paladin had the dozen and one he needed. He also wondered whether the Paladin captain could provide him with my other request...
In the darkness, a thoroughly exhausted Trundaylan made his way to the Kestrel.
"You needed me?" he asked in a weary voice.
"Yes, I have some favors to ask of you..."
A hidden figure silently watched the battle for Pynx. He quickly saw the mages would be overrun in a matter of hours. After sighing he decided that he would fight.
He actually liked Talos's idea, the island was in bad need of a ruler right now, but he didn't approve of the methods Talos used. Slaughtering the peaceful town of Kosha and literally wiping it off the map was going quite a bit too far.
He shifted his weight and watched the battle. Talos was sure to pay dearly for Kosha today.
Yes, the mysterious Tyrael would fight today... just not yet...
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[This message has been edited by Slayer (edited 04-24-2001).]
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