Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

.....The sky was dark. The ocean was rough. Waves slammed into the ship repeatively, causing it to almost capsize. Darkened figures scurried about the deck trying to secure crates and rescue others who were being swept into the sea. Hard rain slammed down onto the deck and assorted races on the board.
.....An elf, a scythe sheathed as his side, stood grasping the railing with both hands looking at the faint landmass they had left. Just as they had set sail, a massive storm moved in and seemed to be pushing them back towards the land, a place they did not want to be.
.....A battered dwarf grasp onto the railing as she came near, a slender golde chain with a large green gem, small sparkling objects inside, attached, dangling near her chest.. "They destroyed my castle, my home, my people," she uttered. "The damage cannot be repaired."
.....The elf nodded. As the last group, mostly the authorities of the Queendom, had fled, they saw the air balloons approaching. But it was not the Asmar who had had the last laugh. As they entered the city they soon found themselves swimming in slimy mud all along the streets, and as they entered the castle beehives crashed down.
.....Mud and bees would not stop the Asmar, so they had also weakened set chemical explosives. The pressure would slowly build before they exploded, destroying crucial supports to the castle.
.....And now they were in the sea, trying to sail to Atheria with a storm blowing them towards Cardania. They had not made much progress.
....."What are we to do when we reach Atheria?" the elf asked the dwarf beside him.
....."Organize a counteroffensive?..." she grunted.
....."With what? Hiemelia will not help us, Xenora is half destroyed, and we ARE destroyed," he responded.
....."Then we get Hiemelia to join," she said quickly.
....."Easier said than done," he said back.
....."I'm sure the news of our destruction will bring us eye to eye. Or else I will make them see eye to eye with me if it takes a sword and a punch," she said with a smile.
.....He grinned at her then looked off into the darkness again.

.....Ash peered out from behind the tree. There he was...their target...the shaman, only 20 feet away. They could do this. They needed to do this.
.....He nodded to the Centaur beside him and the Centaur nodded back. He glanced over at his two rogues and they grinned back at him. "Are we ready?" he whispered.
.....Everyone nodded to him, and the imp, Rima, grunted. "We go on three. One...two..."
....."Three!" The word had barely left his mouth as the Centaur warrior charged forwards and issued a series of warshouts. The stunned Asmar just stood there as he slashed his sword through one Asmar, severing an arm and bringing him to the ground, and plowing into another Asmar and knocking the wounded soldier to the ground.
.....The two rogues were attacking the shaman, the Centaur keeping off anyone who tried to intervene. The one rogue, a bard, was singing songs to the other and distracting the shaman as the other was stabbing at his opponent, barely scratching him.
.....The others were engaging defending the Centaur's sides while Rima was cracking her whips at the Asmar. The imp brought her arm around and lashed her whip out, surrounding her opponent and wrapping around, and around, and around, burning her opponent to a gruesome death. The charred remains fell off the whip easily as she turned towards the shaman.
.....She swung her whips, the tips hitting open skin and bringing blood to the surface. She flew right up to the shaman, narrowly missing a blow aimed for one of the rogues, and brought her left fist around and smacked it solidly on the Asmar's right cheek. She brought her elbow back after she delivered the blow and the Asmar fell backwards, blood streaking from his nose.
.....The bard leaped into the air and landed on the shaman, jamming his knives deep into the fallen enemy's chest.
.....Ash leapt out from behind the tree and yelled "Rima! Go!" As Rima began to concentrate on opening a portal so did Ash, but Ash was not concentrating on a portal. A fierce wind began to blow, bending the trees and blocking all sounds to those in the area. A small twister touched down in the distance and started blowing debris, dust, and Asmar up into the air and sending them crashing down.
.....The Jeweled Knights charged towards Rima's portal as Asmar pursued them while fighting against the wind. One by one they leapt into the portal, some being followed by persistant Asmar. With Ash and Rima the only left, he nodded to her and she jumped in and he quickly followed.

.....The sea had calmed, allowing them to make some heaway. The sky was still darkened and was drizzling on and off. The dwarf stood near the captain of the boat, gazing out towards the blackness ahead of them.
....."Queen Simoriah, you really must get some rest. We will be there in a few hours if the storm doesn't act up again," the captain said to her.
....."I guess," she sighed and started towards the lower decks. As she approached the wooden ladder, a rough wind blew at her hair, sending it flying in all directions. She turned her head slightly, and saw a thick mist coming into the area.
....."Its an attack! Get ready!" one Knight yelled, forcing the others to turn into a panic. Soldiers ran around in the dimness of the boat, ramming into each other and falling down.
.....Simoriah reached for her sword, but it wasn't there. She glanced around, finding nothing that could be used within grabbing distance. She did, however, spot a torch. Picking the burning torch off a post, she held it before herself and looked into the portal.
.....A few figures were spit out, landing on the deck noisily before being pounced upon. Larger figures followed, slamming on top of the ones below them. Two more small figures emerged before the portal closed. The dwarf ran towards them, her torch lighting their faces up. She saw that made her happy and scared her at the same time.
.....On the deck was the leftovers of the army sent to Haven, along with a dozen Asmar. The Asmar quickly brought a battle to the rocking ship, just as a hard rain began to pelt wounds, forcing yells of pain into the area. Simoriah swung her torch and slammed the burning end into a rising Asmar with enough force to hurl him overboard.
.....Ignoring the splash, she stepped forward a few steps and sidestepped a slash meant to open her from sholder to hip. She lunged with her torch, barely missing the Asmar's head. Missing though she did, the flames did catch his hair on fire. He hurled his sword to the ground and reached for his head, screaming loudly.
.....He began to run around the deck, slamming into Knights and knocking them to the ground before finally running into the railing surrounding the ship and summersaulting into the cold, dark ocean below. Paniced splashes were heard soon after a big splash with yelling for help.
.....Simoriah shook her head quickly and rushed over to a gnome lying on the deck. "Ash! Thank heavens your all right!"
....."Queen Simoriah!" Ash said with a voice that made him sound ill.
....."I am no Queen, Ash. My precious city and followers have fallen. What remains of what once was is now rubble on the ground," the dwarf said, trying very hard to keep from crying.
.....Ash looked at her, then around the boat. The Asmar who had followed them through the portal had been dealt with, and those wounded were getting medical attention, while a few stood over bodies crying silently in the darknes.
....."Where is this boat headed?" he asked her.
....."Atheria," was her response.

.....The Asmar muttered loudly. Blasted fools... he thought. 50 Asmar had died as the castle crashed down upon them. They had outsmarted him, he did not like that.
....."Genereal Grytu?" a small voice came behind him.
....."Yes? What is it?" he muttered, turning around and seeing an Asmar in full battlegear before him. In his hand was a what looked like a book.
....."We may have found something...important...in the rubble," the soldier said, his body perfectly still.
....."Well let me see it," Grytu bellowed. The soldier handed it to him, and held his other hand back from opening it.
....."I can't let you open it, General," the soldier said quietly.
....."And why not?" Grytu said with as much terror as he could muster into his voice.
....."It emits a force that incinerates anything that opens it," the soldier said without flinching.
....."Hmmmm...well, what is it?" the general grumbled.
....."Its a book, as you can see," the soldier said, again not flinching at Grytu's harsh eyes. "We think it has a great importance, but we still don't know why they left it behind."
....."A trap, perhaps?"
....."Possibly."
....."Summon the shaman. Now."

.....Summoned to the brightly lit lower quarters of the boat, the group of Knights, who were actually long time members and trusted friends, sat on crates and the floor chatting quietly as to why Simoriah had summoned them. To inform of the situation, although it was already known? To tell them she no longer had power of them, and that when they reached Whitestorm, they would go their separate ways?
....."As you know, we are no longer a group that stand for defense, honor, peace, and justice. We tried to uphold those morals and we were exterminated. Our only faithful allies are only days away from our position," Simoriah started, with everyone stopping their chatter as soon as she spoke.
....."What we need is an allie who has not been battered yet. An allie who could turn the tide of the war," the dwarf continued.
....."We need Hiemelia!" someone called out.
....."We do need Hiemelia. But we will not get them. They have repeatively sent them the request of aid, along with Xenora, but they are too stubborn to help their own people. When they get attacked, we will not help them, as they have not helped us," she responded, a dead serious tone in her voice that left no room for argument.
....."Then whats left to help us?" the same person called.
....."We have the Artrells who will assist us. They have agreed to help us do a small battle, which will also benefit them greatly. But it is not the Artrell I speak of."
....."You can't mean the Drow-elves?" another person said with a hanging jaw.
....."That would be a lovely addition to the resistance, but if even if we did find the Drow-elves, we'd still have to get them to help," the short dwarf said. "I'll give you one more guess."
....."Lizardmen?" someone guessed.
....."You've got it," Simoriah grinned. "They have a vast army. If they start a war on the south with the Asmar, then the enemy cannot pull reserves from the south to fight against us. In short, if they do declare war on the Asmar, they will have to defend the north and the south, possibly leaving the west and the east open to an invasion force," Simoriah explained.
....."But if we're defending the north, and the Lizardmen are defending the south, who in hell, and why, too, would do that?" Scapegoat asked, a face of deep thinking.
....."The force needn't be large. They have so much territory to defend, and so much ocean, too, that would could slip a small force onto the continent that could cause trouble for them. I already have an idea of what that team will do, but I will not discuss it with any of you," she said, restoring hope in most of the people in the room.
.....She walked out of the room and into her private quarters, her right hand reaching up to her chest and her fingers gently stroking the gem on her chain. If it was a war they wanted, it was a war they would get.

....."General, I demand an explanation for this order!" an Asmar shouted at Grytu's back.
.....He slowly turned around and looked at the Asmar before him. "I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate. I make many orders everyday, you know."
....."The order to rebuilt the castle that collasped: Exactly as it was," the Asmar said, fire in his eyes.
....."Ahh, that order." Grytu stared straight into his eyes. "I had no intention of destroying that castle, and I want to make the so-called Jeweled Knights aware of it. I am rebuilding their castle so they might return and try to reclaim it, and die trying. Do you have any objections? I'm sure I can answer them." As he said these words, a small needle poked itself out from his clenched fist.
....."None." the Asmar replied angrily.
....."Good," Grytu said, very happy that the Asmar had decided not to oppose. He would have to have to kill one of his own people. Pulling the needle back up to his wrist, he turned back to what he was doing.

.....The cities of Whitestorm were crowded with refugees, begging for money and screaming for food. Rijer quickly trotted past them, his black dog walking quickly after him, her tail swaying back and forth slightly.
.....He pushed open the door into Jars' bar, coughing slightly at he fumes inside. His dog followed him in, her head low to the floor where the air was fresher.
....."Hey! No dogs allowed!" Lars shouted at Rijer.
....."I'll be out in a minute," he yelled back as he pushed his way towards the back corner.
.....He reached a small table at the back, a runt Centaur with his hind planted on a crate sipping at a sickening drink. "Cory! Simoriah will be here any minute," the black Centaur said to the runt.
....."Just *hic* gimme a few more minutez," Cory responded.
....."We must leave now," he said, grabbing his friends arm and pulling him up and towards the door.
....."Well well...looks like you forgot something," a rough voice called to Rijer's left. Turning his head, he saw a large satyr holding his dog up in the air. Scruffball had her tail between her legs and her teeth bared, barking loudly over the noise.
.....Rijer shook his head. "Put her down," he called to the satyr.
....."Hahahahaha! You just expect me to put her down?" the satyr laughed hysterically.
.....Rijer let go of Cory's arm and walked swiftly over to the satyr. "If you put her down right now, I will buy you a drink." The loud noise was starting to stop as the crowd looked at the two.
....."I think not." The satyr hurled Scruffball into the crowd, a loud yelp accompaning a group of screams. The satyr ducked his head and rushed towards the black-hairred Centaur.
.....Rijer bent his legs slightly, balling his hands into fists. He let the satyr rush him, slamming his head into his stomach. Rijer sputtered slightly but did not budge, the satyr looked up, dazed. Rijer smiled down at the satyr.
....."Arg!" the satyr yelled in a completly silent bar as he hurled a fist towards Rijer. Rijer caught the man's fist and held it, squeezing the hand to cause yelps of pain to accompany. "I'm sure you don't wish to endure anymore?"
....."Like hell! Get HIM!" the satyr yelled, causing the bar to erupt into a frenzy of fighting. Smashing a chair over Rijer's horse-back, a drunk started to whack at him. The centaur pushed him out of the way and bucked, letting a massive roar echo through the smoked filled bar.
.....Cory appeared at his side, a broken bottle in his fist and a small nick along the bridge of his nose. "What fun!" Cory yelled to Rijer, who was barely a foot away.
....."What?! I can't hear you!" Rijer yelled back, then looked around. Out of the crowd his dog leaped through the air and landed on the satyr, knocking him over and landing her paws on his chest. She snarled at him, her large teeth inches from his eyes, long streams of drool dripping down onto his face, causing him to scream like a maniac. In an instant, she licked his forehead and ran after Rijer.
.....Rijer pushed his way through a few groups of sparring drunks, taking a few hits but not being dealt much pain. Cory followed him, cheering on a few of the drunks.
.....Large crowds were rushing into the bar, accompanied by crashes of glass, breaking wood, and loud shouts of pain. Rijer casually trotted down the Merchant distract as a few peacekeepers silently jogged down the street towards the bar.
.....Rijer peered at Cory, who had amazingly sobered up in a matter of seconds, or rather, the call for a fight.
....."Any idea what Simoriah will say to us?" Cory asked his companion.
....."No clue," was the response.