She looked back towards the Order’s entrance, and cried out.
Cherise: "Obi! Uncle Obi, come quick!" And after hearing the seriousness in her tone, he quickly grabbed his staff before abandoning the cart, and running towards her.
Cherise was looking at the far side of the temple grounds, where members of the Order were lying in pools of their own blood. While Obi was running to her, he started asking Cherise aloud until he was besides her.
Obi: "What's the matter, Cherise?! What going on?" To answer his question, she pointed at the corpses on the far side of the grounds before speaking.
Cherise: "I don't know, but something terrible has happened." She said to the shock of Obi, who just noticed the fallen members of the Order as well.
Both of them were in a sense of shock, as they briefly glanced at one another to reaffirm what they saw was not some trick of the eye. And seeing a similar expression on Cherise’s face, it was made clear to Obi that it was not his imagination running wild. After regaining a sense of himself, Obi realized something before speaking determinedly.
Obi: "The temple!"
As soon as he said this, Obi bolted off towards the temple, snapping Cherise out of her own shock before shortly following after him. On her way to the temple, Cherise couldn't help but look around courtyard. One by one, she kept seeing more of those in the Order she'd known for the past ten years lying on the ground, lifeless. With her attention pulled elsewhere, she was pained to pass them all by, as she forced herself to not stop for even a single moment.
Upon reaching the temple's entrance, their fears appeared realized. The temple was unguarded, with the doors wide open. And arriving at the doorway of the temple's entrance first, Obi froze, after looking inside in near disbelief.
Anxiously wanting to find out what had him speechless, Cherise rushed inside passed him. Upon entering, her eyes swelled up with tears, as she saw Keller lying on the temple’s floor. Rushing over to his side, she knelt down and cried out.
Cherise: "Keller, no! You can't be!..." Her voice trailed off, after realizing in dismay that he was already long dead.
Leaning onto his chest, Cherise cried, mourning for the loss of a man she thought of as family. As she mourned, Obi was able to get her attention by speaking aloud in disbelief and shock.
Obi: "It can’t be… It couldn’t be, could it?” After hearing his unusual question, with tear stained eyes, Cherise looked back up towards Obi, realizing his eyes were drawn to something else entirely other than Keller.
He was looking towards the center of the room. Curiously, Cherise looked in the same direction. After turning her gaze, she saw shards of glass scattered out around the room, with a clearly visible burnt stain at its center. The center of the shattered glass was unmistakably where the orb once stood atop its pedestal, in the middle of the room. The pedestal itself, where once the orb was once displayed, was also broken into pieces.
By the look of it, it appeared as if the dark essence inside of the orb had burst forth from its prison, in a violent and explosive reaction.
At the very least, the truth for Cherise was plain to see; the Beast, the Order of the Light had been trying to contain for hundreds of years, had finally broken free from its prison.
Even while seeing the evidence firsthand, Obi was still having a hard time grasping the reality of the situation.
Obi: “This whole time, I thought they were just stories, but what else could’ve done this?!-” He said before stuttering in fright, saying further, “-There’s no denying it anymore… The Beast the legends spoke of… The Darkness, It’s real!” And immediately realizing the gravity of the situation, Cherise loudly replied.
Cherise: "We have to warn the others!-" But suddenly remembering another matter, she looked back to Obi, exclaiming, "-But, Ira!? I don't know what's become of him! What if he's hurt, or worse!?"
Putting his hand to his face in deep contemplation, the few seconds Obi took considering her words seemed agonizingly long, until he finally answered.
Obi: "Go look around the temple grounds. Judging by the state of these corpses, I think everything that happened here took place a few days ago. If my guess is right, Ira and the others should've returned from his trial by now. But with any luck, there’s also a chance they may have arrived after all this transpired." He said while gesturing to the entirety of the temple grounds before continuing.
Obi: “In the meantime while you’re searching, I need to consider our next steps. There's too much at stake for us to just rush in blindly, without properly thinking things through." And giving Obi a quick nod, Cherise gently put down Keller’s head before running outside the temple’s doors.
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Firmly determined in searching for any sign of Ira, she looked everywhere. Cherise went over every room, and every corner of the temple grounds. And to her relief, she saw no signs of either Ira, or the ten others who went with him to be counted among the dead. After her frantic search, Cherise waited in the center of the courtyard. It wasn’t long after she noticed Obi running towards her, as he yelled out.
Obi: "Did you find anything!?" and having renewed optimism, she responded.
Cherise: "No! Ira and the others must still be completing his final trial!" She said while Obi was coming to a stop in front of her, preparing to finish her thoughts.
Obi: "Or more likely, they’ve arrived here after all this… My guess is, as we speak, they may already be in pursuit of the Darkness. Whatever the case, it's good to know they weren’t caught up in whatever took place here." Obi said while looking around, considering the possibilities.
Rightfully troubled, she asked him plainly.
Cherise: "What should we do?" She said with Obi looking back at her, momentarily uncertain himself before answering.
Obi: "There's no way to be sure, but there is a chance that Ira and the other ten would've gone ahead to warn the other temples. The full-fledged members would've known to do so, as it was our fall back plan. Should anything happen to the orb, and our defense fail, we’re to warn the other temples, and make our stand. And if that’s the case, it’s pretty easy to say where they’re headed next, since all the other temples are to the east." And pondering it briefly, he was struck with a sudden realization before continuing.
Obi: "You saw the bodies yourself. They were already dead for several days. If the Darkness is already on the move, we wouldn't be able to make it in time to warn the closest temples!-" He said in earnest before continuing to speak with confidence, saying, "-I have a plan! Everyone across the face of the Ehya needs to know what’s happened here. We have to try all our options…”
Obi: “We can’t do this alone. We need to inform both the Armies of the Free Peoples of the West, and the Aelaans...”
Is he serious?! The Aelaans?! Can they really be trusted!? They don’t even believe in the legend! Who’s to say things won’t take a turn for the worse, if they get involved.
Cherise's sudden shock after hearing Obi’s plan was apparent, and immediately he felt compelled to explain himself further.
Obi: “Cherise, if the stories are true, then this threat is too big for any one nation! From what I hear, because of the Aelaans conquest, the alliance of the west isn’t in any condition to offer us any aid… The way I see it, one way or the other, we’ll need the Aelaans support. We just have to hope that they’ll see reason."
He’s… He’s right… I hate to admit it, but we can’t do this alone.
Dreading their situation, Cherise desperately tried to consider other options for them to take, but none readily came to mind. And increasingly nervous over the magnitude of their newfound task, she was uncertain in her response.
Cherise: "I don’t like it. We might be in even worse trouble if we have to ask for the Aelaans help. They're not exactly known for being reasonable." Her remark wouldn’t find any disagreement with Obi, who quite simply stated in response.
Obi: "That makes two of us!” He said with a nervou
s chuckle before speaking more seriously.
Obi: "I know it's going to be difficult, but with the scale of damage the Beast can bring, this may be the only way. And as much as I hate to say it, it may also be the only path that gives us a fighting chance.” He said with a little bit of dread before gesturing towards a corner of the courtyard.
Obi: “We'll get the horses from the stables, and head straight for the front! Time is of the essence, we can’t afford to waste even a single minute!"
Both nervous, but resolute in their determination as they made haste. Gathering the horses, they immediately set out on their daunting task, heading towards the temple grounds exit.
There’s so much at stake. So many lives are hanging in the balance, and only a handful of people even know it…
I hope Ira’s safe, but above everything else, with the Darkness running free, I hope we’re not too late…
CHAPTER 43 – WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
Still on the Great Plains, general Raddington had already had his army set out from their last temporary base of operations, as he led his troops to the northern mountain ranges. Without knowing the entire purpose of their withdrawal, the men under his command were disgruntled over the retreat northward. Primarily, they were upset over the fact there was nothing to defend in the northern regions. Villages, towns, and cities were all being left wide open, ripe for the plucking should the empire wish it. So as to keep his ranks free from panic, the human general saw fit not to inform his men of the gravity of their situation, which was soon to be thrusted on them.
Walking hastily to get ahead of the troops, and to catch up to the general at their front, Theo approached Raddington. He then spoke the old veteran bluntly, but silently enough to keep their conversation amongst themselves.
Theo: "Why did you order a withdrawal to the mountains? Unlike the others, I know our situation, but we’re leaving the rest of the Free Lands completely undefended. If the Aelaans change their plan of attack, it could take days for us to respond." Keeping a confident outlook for his men, the general didn't even turn aside to Theo, but answered him nonetheless, also trying to stay silent enough himself so no one else could hear.
Raddington: "Surely, even you must've noticed by now. You said so yourself, you’re one of the few men under my command who’s aware of the army coming to flank us from the south. If I’m going to believe one report from the scout, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t believe what else he had to say. The Aelaan forces chose to change course to fight our last standing army. They did this instead of pressing further into unguarded territory. They already saw and had an opportunity to strike our undefended lands, and yet they deliberately passed it up.” He said confidently before continuing to speak more sternly.
Raddington: “Their intentions are clear. They mean to eliminate any remaining threat before continuing on their path of conquest. It’s quite an insatiable hunger the empire has, to say the least. As it currently stands, with their army approaching, I'd rather us boxed in against the mountain peaks than risk being surrounded on two fronts by their overwhelming numbers." And glancing over to Theo, he continued to speak more ominously.
Raddington: "With the mountains at our backs, we'll have nowhere to go. There'll be no chance of escape, but it matters little. The Aelaans likely struck down every last man that aimed to flee the battle in the south… And I have no intention of making the same mistakes as our fallen comrades, by intending on fleeing in the face of this cruel enemy. On the contrary, I'm daring them to come. The landscape is a natural choke-point. The Aelaans advantage in numbers will be somewhat undermined."
Theo was surprised by Raddington's bold plan, knowing that this would also mean that there wouldn’t even be any glimmer of hope for the possibility of a retreat, should things go poorly. Although knowing this, Theo wasn't really concerned in the slightest at the prospect of being cornered, he was just glad to see they weren't fleeing from the fight. And now with the knowledge that the withdrawal north was actually a means of a tactical repositioning for the coming fight with the Aelaans, he grinned before replying.
Theo: "Good! I was hoping to be able to fight the Aelaans main force head on! And knowing that their Emperor and Chosen are personally leading their army, we may just get lucky, and be able to cut off the head of the snake in the coming battle. Without those two monsters, I wonder if the Aelaans would still have the stomach to continue their conquest." After hearing Theo’s optimism, the general responded with a renewed hope himself.
Raddington: "I wish it were as simple as you make it sound." He said with a wry smile, and seemingly for no reason, he then yelled out loud enough for the elves behind them to hear.
Raddington: "What's that, kid?! Yes, it sure would be nice if the elves weren't such stuck up snobs, and decided to help us, instead of just sightseeing!"
Looking back, Theo could see the clear disapproval written all over Almahiel's face looking right back at him. The reactions from the other elves weren’t much better.
Now suddenly finding himself on her bad side, Theo nervously waved back to the princess before turning to Raddington again. And rightfully upset, he asked the general.
Theo: “Now why'd you have to go and do that?" And letting out an exasperated sigh, the general quietly responded.
Raddington: "You just don't get it, do you? We're not all as cocky as you are. You're likely the only one I've ever met, or ever will meet, who'd actually look forward to fighting against three to one odds in opposition to the Aelaans. Any normal person would, and should be nervous at this risky gambit." And the general continued to speak hopelessly.
Raddington: "I just can’t shake it… I have an aching feeling deep inside, like I'm leading my men to their deaths… But I'll be damned if I don't give them an ending worthy of remembrance!"
Theo was at first at a loss of words, as he looked to the once proud general, who now already seemed to have conceded defeat before the battle had even begun. After considering it for a moment, the young champion had a wide grin, stretching from one side of his face to the other, before saying confidently back.
Theo: "Auric, we're going to pull through this! Since I don’t know how to describe it, it might not be much reassurance, but I’m sure it’ll all work out." And not surprised in the slightest at his champion’s confidence, Raddington dismissively responded to his words of encouragement.
Raddington: "Glad at least you think so." He said flippantly, secretly hoping some of Theo’s confidence would rub off on him.
Not much more words were discussed in their trek northward. There was much to consider, and little of it uplifting. For some, they thought their actions of heading north was nothing more than cowardly. But for the others who knew the truth, a majority of them saw their march forward as little more than deciding a new place to die. It was a grim thought, which lingered at the back of their minds. That they were walking to their deaths.
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The following day, the last standing army of the Free Peoples of the West stood ready in formation, huddled against the steep cliffs of the northern mountains. There, the army waited against the vast range of peaks, which stretched from the farthest reaches of the west, to the furthest reaches of the east. The army found itself between a stray mountain peaks at their backs, with the remainder of the northern mountains to their left.
As Theo and his fellow soldiers stood by, they faced east, where it was certain their enemy would come from. As far as the eye can see, tall grasslands went on for countless miles until eventually reaching the mountains of the Great Divide, which still remained out of sight.
Hope was gradually fading among their ranks, as the Aelaans slowly advanced from the distance. The Empire’s numbers were truly staggering. They seemed to be beyond counting, and it was with every passing minute that went by, their numbers only seemed to continually grow. And it didn’t take long until every last soldier in the army of the Free Peoples of the West was fully aware of this fact.
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From the disheartened murmurings in the Free People’s army, it was apparent that their overall spirit was rapidly depleting. There was few who wouldn’t be disheartened, especially after witnessing the sheer numbers of the Aelaan army, which stood in opposition to their own. Still, as the minutes continually passed by, their forces only seemed to grow without an end in sight, as more, and more, appeared over the horizon.
After looking out at this imposing, yet overwhelming opposing army enough for himself, Raddington pulled his horse over to Almahiel’s side. He leaned over as close as he could manage before quietly speaking to her.
Raddington: "You promise if you see the Aelaans use magic, you'll inform your king?" She answered him eloquently, but with determined eyes.
Almahiel: "You have my word, general. Even since when you were a child, you know I’m not one to tell a lie." She said, believing Raddington’s worry would be uprooted by their shared memory of the past.
Whatever may be the long gone moment the elf eluded to, Raddington instantly knew what she meant, as he grinned before responding.
Raddington: "Appreciate that. It's nice to know we may not be dying here for nothing. Now, on to the task at hand." He said in surprisingly high spirits, before turning his steed to face the Aelaans, to wait for their inevitable approach.
Seeing the others in the ranks around him lose heart, Theo boldly walked out in front of his army’s front line before turning back to yell out to the others.
Theo: "If anyone's going to be kicking some Aelaan ass, I want to be the first one to do it!" His proclamation brought some laughter to those behind him, somewhat helping to ease the tension.
But Theo didn't do say this solely to lift the spirits of the others. By anyone’s standards, brazen as he was, he actually meant every word he said. And catching wind of Theo's antics, the general laughed before saying to himself.
Raddington: "What a cocky little shit! Well, he'll damn sure get his chance." He said not knowing the little stunt even managed to bring a smile to his face.
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