David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb

by T. C. Crawford

  Once the encampment was fully packed and mobile, they began their long march across the plains. With as many soldiers as they had, they knew it would take most of the day before they reached the Great Road which would lead them through the break in the Outer Woods and up to the front gates of Eldergate.

  David and Erin walked side by side throughout the morning, mostly talking of things they planned to do once the battle was over and things settled back into their normal place.

  Erin wanted to show David the Royal Palace and all of the places she used to frequent within the city while she was growing up. She wanted to introduce him to Captain Ryan too, the man who had always been there to watch over her and had saved her from captivity when she was being taken back to the capital by the soldiers from West Post.

  David was eager to hear her stories of her childhood and hoped one day they would be able to see and do all the things she was describing.

  David told Erin of the orphanage, and about the boys and girls he grew up with since he had been brought there. He briefly wondered what they had thought about his sudden disappearance and if they had sent out search parties for him. He almost laughed at the thought – who would go off searching for an orphan boy who was almost of age?

  Before they knew it, their rugged path had been replaced by the better paved, and more frequently traveled, stones of the Great Road. It was the road that connected the Northern Kingdom to the rest of the civilized world – leading from Eldergate through Draco’s Pass in the Draconian Mountains, and into the world beyond. One could take that road to get to anywhere in Hurea – ranging from the Emerald Keep, the capital city of the Dwarven Kingdom located deep within the mountains, to the White City, the capital of the Elven Kingdom located far to the East in the Land of the Immortals and the vast forests within. You could even travel South to the Southern Lowlands and what remained of the Southern Kingdom’s once sprawling civilization. But today, they had only one destination in mind – Eldergate, and it was quickly approaching.

  As they walked along the stony road, the humid afternoon air began to cool from the winds that had been picking up as they grew closer to their destination. The sun was a faint, glowing ball behind the enormous swirling clouds overhead, and for the first time since David had arrived, small drops of rain began to fall gently to the ground.

  As they neared, the raindrops became heavier and more frequent until finally, as if in response to the coming battle, the clouds dropped their store of water. The rain was falling so heavily that within a matter of seconds everyone was soaked from head to toe. Their visibility dropped significantly to where they could only see about a hundred feet ahead of them, far enough to see the opening in the Outer Woods where the trees parted and the road cut through, leading to the main gates of the city.

  The large army continued their way towards the opening in the tree line, following the flagstone of the Great Road. It was significantly easier for the long procession of troops and supply wagons to travel on the hard road than it had been through the dirt and rock road leading from the foothills through the grassland.

  As they made their way down the road and into the thick corridor through the forest, they started to see endless flickering rows of torchlight ahead. They were getting closer with each passing moment.

  Rex and his barbarians stopped their march and prepared to face their enemy, waiting for them to approach close enough to charge. When the lights were within a stone’s throw away, the army became more noticeable and Rex and General Owen both realized it wasn’t the undead army or Wolf Guard at all, it was the army of elves and the remaining soldier’s led by Captain Ryan and Gilric Ellisar.

  When they finally met, Rex and General Owen walked up to the elven Prince and Captain of the Royal Guard who had been waiting in the center of the road in front of their main force.

  “Boy are we glad to see you!” he said. “My name is Reximus Kane. I am king of the city-kingdom of Ravenfell that lies south of the Great Plains. This here is General Cornelius Owen.” They both bowed their heads in a gesture of respect to their new-found allies.

  “King Kane, General Owen, it’s good to meet you! My name is Captain Nathaniel Ryan, and this is Prince Gilric Ellisar of the Woodland Elves. He has come a long way to be here today in search of his people, who have been taken captive by General Krauss’ forces.” replied Captain Ryan.

  “Gentleman...shall we?” replied Gilric Ellisar impatiently, indicating that he was ready to get to business.

  “A man of little words, I like him already!” laughed Rex.

  He turned to his company of men and threw his fist in the air, holding his battle axe high for all to see. “Let’s move it men! We have a kingdom to save!”

  He threw his arm forward signaling for the march to commence and immediately the army jumped into action. The Elves and Royal soldiers quickly turned around and began marching forward with the others. Between the Elves, Captain Ryan’s forces, and Rex’s army, they made a formidable force of a few thousand strong. Erin marveled at the endless sight of row upon row of soldiers and torchlight, while David was still in awe at the sight of his first elf!

  He marveled at how flawless the Prince appeared, as if there wasn’t a single imperfection on his body.

  He was tall with long blonde hair pulled back into a braid that ran down his back. His face was a smooth complexion with strong features and sharp blue eyes that seemed to hold the knowledge and wisdom of the ages. His armor was a strange white metal and was brilliantly decorated. David could tell that despite the armor’s sturdy appearance that the Prince was able to move effortlessly in it as if it were as light as a feather.

  “That’s simply amazing!” said David, mostly to himself.

  “What is?” asked Erin, curious to know what put her friend in such a state of awe.

  “I’ve never seen an elf before, and now my first encounter with one just happens to be a Prince and he’s decked out in that amazing armor!” he said, awestruck.

  Erin laughed. “That is pretty impressive” she said. “Even in our world, elves are pretty uncommon to see, at least these days. They are still one of our major trading partners, but we exchange our goods on the road over Draco’s Pass and seldom see them this side of the mountains.” she finished.

  David just nodded in acknowledgement, still trying to keep sight of the Prince of the Woodland Elves.

  As they marched on, the rain was accompanied by various flashes of lightning that crashed through the sky. Each strike lit up the sky and surrounding areas as bright as daylight before dimming back to the dull, somber gloom they had already grown accustomed to. The thunder roared around them, the wind howled, and the rain was unceasing.

  Finally, the rain slowed to a steady drizzle and they could see the outline of the outer walls emerging in the distance dotted with torch light, far across the rolling hills of farmland that led up to the gates. They were just passing into the large area that surrounded the capital city and were completely astonished at how different it now looked from the last time they had seen it.

  Almost all the crops had been burnt and destroyed. Bodies of fallen soldiers and citizens who had attempted to flee from the city still littered the ground, spears and arrows still stuck in their backs. Some carcasses had been nearly picked to the bone by crows and other scavengers looking for an easy meal. The very sight made the men more determined to finish this carnage once and for all.

  The men finally stopped a few hundred yards from the main gates, just out of range from the archers on the walls.

  In response to their halt, the gates slowly began to open, the sound of the chains squeaking as they worked to raise the heavy metal doors. As the gates rose to their peak, row upon row of dark, ironclad soldiers began to emerge from within the city walls, lining up a couple hundred feet before the first line of Elves. As the wind blew, the overwhelming stench of decaying flesh suddenly filled their nostrils. There was no doubt about it; this army was full of the undead.

>   Some of the barbarians began shuffling uneasily, wondering what the source of the sudden smell was. Whispers began moving down the lines that the army was made up of the undead, come back to fight for the evil general against their will. None of them had been confronted by such a foe before, and the thought of fighting something without pain was unsettling.

  “Stand your ground men! They may be undead, but they fall quickly!” cried Captain Ryan. “They don’t fight like real men. They aren’t cautious, but that gives us the advantage! Strike them down at the joints and head!”

  The men began passing along the message from the front of the line toward the back. The soldiers all nodded in acknowledgement at their instructions on how to best defeat their new foe.

  “Oh, I’m really going to enjoy this!” said Rex, pommeling his axe in his hand. He was eager for the battle to begin – he always enjoyed a good fight.

  Tyrius quickly instructed Erin and David to move towards the back of the army and wait for the signal to separate with their group. Once the battle began, it would be easy for them to move around the outskirts of the fighting near the tree line and get into position to enter through their secret passageway.

  Captain Ryan instructed Sergeant Jeffries to help lead his men in the main battle while he led Erin and David along with a small group of soldiers through the hidden passage. They would then meet up at the front gate once they successfully stormed the inner walls and defeated the archers and other resistance they were sure to encounter.

  “What about you, Tyrius? Are you coming with us?” asked Erin, not eager to let her friend out of her sight again.

  “No, child….my duty is to stay with the main force to help them with the mages alongside Orin. But do not worry. I will be fine. Once you reach the inner walls and get the gates cleared for us, I will meet up with you and David for your final meeting with General Krauss.” He embraced her and held her tightly for as long as he dared. “Now go, you must prepare for battle!” he said urgently.

  David and Erin, along with Captain Ryan and a few other soldiers, swiftly moved into position near the back of the army to prepare for their part to play. They knew it was only a matter of time before the battle would begin and they had to be ready.

  Suddenly, a loud horn blew from within the Elven forces, signaling the time had come to attack. Immediately they drew their bows and began firing volley after volley of their magical arrows into the ranks of the undead. Line after line of undead began to stagger and drop from the onslaught of arrows, but the Elves noticed that no matter how many they fell, they were being replaced by more from behind. It wasn’t having any effect.

  They continued their onslaught and started firing at the archers on the tops of the walls as well, taking them down to prevent them from carrying out their ranged attacks against their forces. Elven archers had mastered the art of war over centuries of practice and were skilled marksmen; their arrows flew high over the undead army and hit their mark each time. The volley of arrows had a more deadly effect on the archers, as they fell from the battlement with each strike, screaming as they hurled to the ground with a thud. They were live archers, not undead.

  With the archers being picked off by the Elves, the barbarians and remaining soldiers took their chance and charged towards the undead enemy lines. The sound of their roar was deafening, the thunderous hammering of their feet drowned out the wind and rain and shook the very ground beneath their feet as they charged down the battlefield towards their foe.

  They crashed into the frontline of the undead, axes and swords swinging with enough force and skill that would terrify any normal man. But these weren’t normal men.

  Completely undeterred by the ferocity of the attack, the undead fought back mercilessly. The battle commenced into a deadly free for all.

  Rex was tearing through the undead like they were ragdolls, swinging his mighty axe to and fro. He was severing heads and limbs with every swing, creating a deadly circle around him that dropped anything that dared enter within his reach.

  “Is that all you got? Go back to the depths of hell where you came from!” he screamed as he cut another undead nearly in two.

  Suddenly spheres of fire began to shoot from out of the portholes and into the raging battle below. Despite the rain, whatever the flames came into contact with immediately stuck and caught fire, sending countless men into a frenzy rushing around, trying to put out the flames. It was useless.

  Tyrius and Orin looked at each other and nodded with a shared look of determination. Mages… it was time for them to do their part.

  Immediately Orin began casting flames and hurling them back at the openings in the walls. He could hear the devilish screams of the mages as they caught fire and dissipated. Tyrius began working towards deflecting the incoming ballistics and putting out the fires that were springing up around the battlefield. Smoke from burning bodies began filling the air while steam from the fires evaporating the pools of rainwater began to hiss all around them.

  As Tyrius was working to deflect an incoming fireball, a group of undead soldiers had found their way out of the main battle and began charging toward him. He quickly threw up his hand and sent a shockwave outward, sending the men flying backward through the air. When they landed, they were quickly decapitated by nearby soldiers who had been coming to Tyrius’ aid.

  “I guess you’re not so helpless after all!” one of the men screamed out to him, grinning.

  “You worry about your own battles, let me worry about mine!” shouted Tyrius, as serious as ever.

  As the battle raged on, David and Erin followed Captain Ryan and his small group of men around the outskirts of what used to be the farmland surrounding the city. They reached the point where they were directly across from the secret entryway in the side of the outer walls.

  Quickly they darted across the open landscape of burned crops and decimated bodies until they reached the area of the wall next to the hidden entryway. Erin moved to the wall and began feeling for the grooves that indicated the doorway. It wasn’t long before she was able to find what she was looking for, and with some effort, she pushed the large stone block and swung it aside, leaving an opening large enough for the men to squeeze through.

  Captain Ryan quickly stuck his head through the opening to get a good look inside and to make sure the coast was clear before moving through. When he gave them the all clear, his men followed and then David and Erin came in at the rear.

  They found themselves in a narrow cobblestone street lined with small houses and shops. The streets were empty, and the shops and houses had all been ransacked and abandoned, leaving the once bustling city looking like nothing more than a ghost town.

  Now that they were within the city walls, all they had to do was get to the front gate and take out the soldiers so they could open up the gate and provide the main forces a way into the city.

  “Come now, stay close behind and move swiftly. We don’t know how many men they have within these walls, so we must be cautious and avoid being seen at all costs!” said Captain Ryan.

  He quickly led the way down the street in the direction toward the front gates, stopping at each intersection to make sure the way was clear before motioning for the others to move forward.

  A couple of times they had to stop for a few moments to wait for a group of Wolf Guard to pass by. Captain Ryan silently thanked the Creator God for bringing the rain, as it helped mask their scent from the Wolves, allowing them to freely pass by undetected.

  It didn’t take them long before they were on their last stretch before reaching the main gates. They could hear the battle still raging on just outside the walls, urging the small group to press onward, knowing the success of the attack depended solely on their ability to take the gate and get them opened.

  As they reached the area just before the city gates, Captain Ryan noticed the men guarding the gates were all old companions from the Royal Guard who had stayed behind after the rebellion. He could see their leader was none
other than his childhood friend, Geordan Parker. His blood raged at the thought of such a betrayal. He had assumed that he had been killed in the coup or taken prisoner, but he never considered he had joined with the enemy!

  “Listen up.” Captain Ryan said, turning to the others. “These men aren’t undead, but they are skilled in combat, and are therefore a greater threat. My men and I will distract their forces and take them out. Erin and David, once we have their attention, you two sneak by and open the gates. Leave the rest to us, got it?” he said, seriously.

  David and Erin exchanged a look of mutual understanding. They knew there was no way in hell they were going to stand by and watch as their friends fought the battle for them.

  “Got it?” he asked again more sternly.

  “Yes, we got it!” they answered together.

  David and Erin stood back behind the corner of a nearby building that had been burnt to the ground, leaving only parts of the outer walls and foundation of what was once a thriving butcher shop. They could see some of the butcher’s tools that had been left behind, buried under the rubble of the collapsed roof.

  As they sat crouched, ready to spring into action, they watched as Captain Ryan and his men slowly walked alongside the inner walls toward the main gate. When they were nearly there, Captain Ryan quickly drew his dagger and quietly ran up behind the nearest soldier, slitting his throat and muffling his cry with his other hand.

  His other men followed suit and took down four other soldiers in similar fashion before their leader noticed they had been ambushed and cried out for his men to attack. The ensuing battle began swiftly and fiercely.

  Captain Ryan took on two soldiers at once while his other men were combating soldiers of their own.

  He dodged a swift overhand strike and quickly dispatched his attacker with a swing of his sword, bringing the fight to an even one on one match. The other soldier began violently attacking with strong overhand blows trying to overpower the captain, but Ryan was too skilled of a swordsman to allow his enemy to get the best of him.