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Chapter 28: Epilogue The dragon flew gracefully over the land below, the noon day sun bouncing off his glittering golden scales. Within his great clawed hands sat his second in command who rested against his palms contentedly. Coming within sight of the massive crowds of people he called out to them with a roar before adjusting his wings, allowing himself to hover before them before landing. Releasing his charge, he looked to the people, absently noting the armies of Urnst and Furyondy had already begun to disperse. “It is time!” Prometheus announced in his deep, rich voice. “Let us return to our homes so that we might begin the process of renew!” Thousands clapped and cheered as he stretched forth one of his clawed hands. Powerful arcane words came flowed from his mouth and a swirling multi-colored gateway opened before them, revealing the golden fields of Celestia. Turning to the people, he beckoned them with his other claw. “Fear not! Step through and rest for we

Chapter 27: Apotheosis Somewhere beyond time and space… Consciousness was slow to return, his thoughts disjointed and sluggish like molasses. There was no sound, no light or dark to indicate his surroundings. Awareness of his body, or rather the lack of it, came soon after. While this concept vaguely disturbed him, he did not understand the significance of it or why it should disturb him so he let the thought lie. Soon a name came to him. An identity. Ash. Asher Walters. My name… As his mind drifted in a seemingly eternal moment where time was of no consequence and nothing existed, it slowly brought together fragmented pictures and sounds. Knowledge of what sounds and visual stimuli were slowly returned, piecing together memories of what had come before… Before what? His mind’s eye beheld a blaze of silver light… An old man holding a strange golden staff… Unintelligible words spoken with what seemed to be a fierce and desperate fervor… Silver

Chapter 26: The Ultimate Sacrifice Hours passed uneasily as Ash and the others waited for the General to summon them. The group had spoken quietly among themselves regarding everything they knew about Aerdi in general and Ivid in particular but no great inspirations were forthcoming. Finally, they were recalled to the command tent. The group quickly entered and took their places as the General stood before them, his brow furrowed in concern. “The Canon of Veluna and the King have conferred with each other regarding recent events.” The General began. “Apparently one of the court mages managed to escape the sacking of Rel Mord and teleport to Chendl with information about the enemy. We are to move out as soon as it is practical and report to the King of Urnst in the capital of Radigast.” The General paused for a moment before continuing. “Admun’s forces will be departing shortly so they will not be joining us. Based on the reports from the various clerics we lost about 150

Chapter 25: The Battle for the Shield Lands The afternoon sun was beginning its descent as the army hurried to complete its final preparations. For two days they had marched quickly to cover the remaining miles between them and the army that waited for them. All of the troops had recovered from their wounds thanks to the healing power of the gods and their clerics. The mens' swords were sharpened and ready, their armor repaired. The scouts had confirmed just an hour before that the enemy sat within a few miles of their position, seemingly still nursing their wounds and attempting a slow, orderly retreat back into the northern lands held by their master. The men of the west intended they never make it there. Beowulf tested the edge of his hunting knife with his thumb as he stood near Ash, listening as the cleric began giving battle orders to his troops. Satisfied of its sharpness, he slid it back into its sheath, absently noting the heavier counter-weight of the sword that

Chapter 24: The Calm Before the Storm 2 weeks after the attack on Molag… Ash and his guards arrived in Chendl to find the city in mourning. Black banners hung from the walls around the city and the heraldic flags flying atop the towers around the city were removed. Identifying himself to the gate guards, he was immediately ushered into the city and made his way through the crowded streets to the palace. Black draping was even more prominently displayed along the walls and the guards wore black arm bands or sashes as a sign of respect. As Ash made his way into the palace proper, he noted the servants moved about more quietly and circumspectly than usual, unwilling to break the pall of silence that hung over the immense building. Noticing his entrance, one of the stewards quietly directed him to a room where he discovered a large hot bath waiting for him as well as a simple change of clothes. It was obvious they expected him to look and smell fresh before visiting the throne

Chapter 23: The Hierarchs of Molag “You have been holding out on us Ash.” Hazen remarked quietly, his hands behind his back as he gazed out the window. “I am dismayed that you kept such a powerful force to yourself when they could have been used to great effect here. After all, many lives might have been saved had they been here.” Ash had returned to Mitrik with his force of men and machines marching in formation behind him with Beowulf at his side. Having heard of the battle Ash had been engaged in, the people were ecstatic that the Slayer of Iuz had once again achieved victory from almost certain defeat. Though the funeral wagons following behind them had dampened their spirits somewhat, the citizens were heartened by the fact that each wagon was escorted by four knights in shining silver armor who sang praises of the dead as they walked. Ash had ensured that the dead were given the respect and praise they deserved and the people loved him all the more for it. Once

Chapter 22: A Desperate Gamble Ash and Beowulf strode down the rocky pathway along the cliff face that made up the mountain gap that separated Bissel from Veluna. As Ash neared the entrance to the gap, about a quarter mile away, he crouched down next to one of the waiting mages and took a spyglass from one of them. Focusing the instrument, he saw that the armies had not been combined into one large force as he had feared, but were two separate columns, the second following the first, the head of the second army separated from the rear of the first by a few hundred feet. Smiling slightly, he handed the glass back to the man before dispatching a runner to the commanders further up the line, his message outlining the armies’ positions and their makeup. The pair quickly moved further back to the command post near the middle of the pass. Reports continued to come in, updating him on the enemy’s position as they slowly made their way into the pass. The enemy’s advancing scouts

Chapter 21: In Times of Peace… A month had passed since the first flakes of snow began to fall and the ground was covered in white. The messengers and envoys that had been sent out returned with news. Keoland, Bissel, and Ulek would be sending their own forces north to help defend Veluna and Furyondy from the scourge that threatened them come the spring thaws. Back in Mitrik, The Canon, Davis, and Ash spent long hours going over reports from logistics and troop numbers to intelligence reports from their agents in the field. Daily, large packets of condensed information and strategy flowed between Veluna and Furyondy with the aid of teleporting mages. Stockpiles of food, armor, weapons, and other supplies were made ready for transport come spring as Generals discussed various strategies the enemy might use and what should be done to counteract them. Of Beowulf and his mission there had been no news. The veil of secrecy and darkness that had so briefly lifted was one again

Chapter 20: Retribution Ash closed his eyes with a sigh at the devastation before him. The bodies of the bloated dead lay strewn across the battlefield for hundreds of yards, a veritable feast for the carrion birds and the flies. The air was thick with the stench of excrement and death as a chill wind blew across the field of battle where the defenders of Crocksport had desperately attempted to hold out against the army that threatened them. Beyond the field of corpses the city’s great gates lay smashed and broken. Ash, Beowulf, and Davis got down off their horses and wandered through the carnage, covering their faces to avoid the stench. After several minutes they walked through the city’s entrance and looked around in consternation. The city was just as dead as the men and creatures outside it. While the buildings themselves were not completely in ruins, the city had clearly been ransacked. The streets were red with the blood of pedestrians and soldiers cut down in the

Chapter 19: Skirmish at Highfolk Ash’s study, Trans-Dimensional Technologies Headquarters “How long did the reconstruction of Grabford take?” Heaven’s Light asked Ash as he sat in the soft easy chair, the large flat screen in front of him. Ash shrugged easily. “About six months give or take. The city hadn’t been sacked, merely breached. There was a lot of simple structural damage like broken windows and such done by the hordes but most of the buildings were largely whole. The worst part was the main defensive wall but with Crocksport and even Critwall sending supplies and workers it didn’t take as long as it might otherwise have.” “And the fact that you were there directing the efforts had nothing to do with it, of course.” The AI smiled mischievously, teasing him. Ash rolled his eyes in good humor. “Well, it certainly didn’t hurt that the ‘Slayer of Iuz’ had taken a personal interest in the rebuilding of the city. I suppose being a celebrity is the same everywhere;