Fan Fiction ❯ Black Beacons ❯ The only reason people are Godless is because they like to experiment (Part 1) ( Chapter 1 )

I do not own the races Gnolls, Night Elves, Elves or Dwarves; I do own all characters and storylines in this story.

 

Black Beacons:

Chapter 1:

The Only Reason people are godless is because they like to experiment

Part 1:

 

Heavy boots of iron trudgened along the soon becoming liquid earth, splashes of thin mud up the sides of their iron clothes the men walked, looking as though their families had been murdered they walked on through the falling water. The road, fast losing ground to mud falling from 2 elevations on both sides of it, was becoming increasingly difficult to march on, the long column of iron moved steadily down the road, for what seemed days the iron had marched. Finally. An orange banner rose at the front and the iron stopped, two minutes of cloud break made their wet iron helmets and armour glisten in the sun, a few shouts from officers and the iron clads scrambled around the open area, the rain began to ease off, placing down blankets and cloths the soldiers set them selves in for the night.

 

The road signs pointed towards Phashilin, `21 miles' it read, harder to read as the wood was darker, the long column of iron clad warriors had now dispersed into a camp their weapons down, they rested, a tough day of walking ahead of them the numerous cooking pots and fires granted them nourishment. A few minutes after the soldiers had drifted into slumber an envoy arrived on horseback. The Guard aimed his halberd at the rider “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I am here with the militia, when will you be arriving at the town? Expectedly?”

“You'll have to ask the colonel he's in the tent”

“Then ill go talk to him”

The envoy got off his horse and walked toward the tent, two soldiers with their crossed spears stood guard over the entrance to the tent.

“May I enter?” asked the envoy

“What is your business?” Asked who appeared to be the guard in charge

“I seek to talk to the Colonel regarding Phashilin, I'm from the Militia”

“Ok, but hurry up, he's a busy man ya know” the guard said his more common speech kicking in. The envoy entered the tent, looking around seeing army officers in full shining armour, mages, elven warriors, preists all seated, the tent itself was bare except for chairs and a large table with a regional map on it from which it appeared 3 officers were planning the defense and counter offensive of Phashilin.

“Ah, now our group is complete” announced one of the officers in an annoyed tone “I am Colonel Isab” said the tall dark haired officer “I take it you are the representative from the militia?”

“Yes, I am…”

“I don't care who you are, where you're from or how humbled you are to meet me lets can the formalities, I want some sleep. Now inform me, how many men has the militia got garrisoned in the city?”

“8,682” said the militiaman reading from a report written early today

“And how many armed volunteers do you have?”

“Well we had enough weapons to arm the entire population but…”

“Don't piss around the bush how many do you actually have?”

“Well…around 4,200….”

“Tell me this is a joke…where did the population go?”

“They began to riot, we had to let them evacuate” the Militiaman began to quiver

“GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!” The colonel screamed “and when you reach your commanders tell the archbishop, and the Mayor and whoever the hell is in chare of the militia that we're all going to day, and strap yourself to your bed and pray for a miracle”

Shaken the Militiaman left the tent shaking, on the verge of tears, he go back on his moonlit horse, and began riding towards, his world's ending.

 

The morning sun granted new life to most, even those who have not rested, as his green boots stepped in almost dry mud Arinal walked along, his green attires the same colour as the trees he walked by, the slow country road he walked by was slow as death, he knew soon he would come to the highway, the main road, which is never particularly busy anyway. Upon his arrival he was shocked to find the road completely packed, a huge column of civilians marching away from the city, on the sides of the mounted militiamen on horses and bowmen on foot.

 

Arinal ran up to the nearest militiaman and engaged him in conversation.

“What's this all about then?” He asked stumped

“Refugees”

“The populations are fleeing the city?”

“Why aren't they going to fight?”

“They don't want to”

Arinal looked to a rock where an elven deacon was preaching to the crowd of refugees to stand and fight as they walked by, he ran up to the rock and started talking to the deacon.

“Hey, you're going about it the wrong way”

“Would you like a try at it ranger? Though I doubt you could do much better”

“Go on then”

He took a pistol out of this pocket and loaded it, he cleaned the barrel and pointed it in the air and shot it. The Entire refugee column stopped, the refugees close to Arinal stopped and looked at him, and he put the pistol in its holster and began to speak.

“Dwarven Weaponry eh? Why are you all fleeing the city?”

“Because the Gnolls are coming!” shouted a refugee, and signs of agreement came from the crowd.

“Ah, but what are you going to do when they take the city? They'll hunt you all down around the region with ease, you could spend your life running what type of life is that?”

“And would you propose good sir?” asked a merchant

“Go to the city, and fight, break the Gnolls and we will never have to worry about them again, once the army begins its counter-offensive they will be over, not an organized Gnoll for 200 miles, take up your mantles as defenders of the city, its guardians and defeat the Gnolls!”

“We could die!” shouted another refugee

“But you will die knowing you saved others, knowing your death accomplished something, not just running from the Gnolls, you have a responsibility as humans, respect that responsibility”

 

As if by magic the front of the refugee column began to turn around, and then row after row followed suit, even those that didn't seem to want to go back to the city were going as it seemed they had no choice. The deacon patted Arinal on the back.

“God smiles upon our city today Ranger” The Deacon said brimming “He has sent not an angel but a prophet, what are you doing here?”

“I have come to fight; the Gnolls destroyed our forested fort of Cri'lih to the north in the Kil'thag woods”

“Our?”

“The Rangers, they killed Ranger-General Wolffe there”

“May God be with as you fight the heathens”

“And you Deacon”

As Arinal turned he began walking, his eyes still on the deacon he turned his head only to be hit around the face with a metal gauntlet.

 

Getting up onto his feet only to see a militiaman stood over him, he removed his helmet.

“Dathanien? Why did you hit me?”

“You idiot!” shouted an angry looking Dathanien, his black hair looking longer than usual and as if he hadn't shaved for days “What are you doing here?”

“I'm here to fight”

“I told my sister I'd look after you, just this morning she was on about how much she loves you!”

“She said what?”

“Why do you feel the need to fight?”

“First, it's my job; next, the Gnolls destroyed the ranger fort to the north, retribution is in order”

“Well get walking you selfish bastard, I'm wasting my time with you”

 

A few hours later, Arinal walked into the town, busy as he had never seen people were dashing about between the weapon shops and the militia centre's, where they were training after buying better weapons than the Militia could give them, catapults being constructed on the walls, elven battalions running around on the battlements, night elves wondering the town, militiamen trying to keep order, Arinal walked into the most popular building in the city.

 

The Cathedral was packed, `hmm' Arinal thought to himself '23,000 seats packed' looking around a human priest approached him, “Will you be joining us in the celebration of the blessed sacrament?”

“Yes, in times of need we must be with those who are important to us”

“Ah, quite articulate for a Ranger”

“Heh” Arinal chortled lowering his green hood “I'm a tad more intellectual than your average soldier, I have traveled and absorbed much knowledge ,I read within the libraries of Ji'ludge, seen the great marble walls of Qeulyovich, meditated within the spirit chambers of tilinovodnov, one would be a fool to be ignorant of the greatness around us”

“Then one day you can tell me the tales of your travels, and the travels yet to come ,you are only young, but the service is about to start and tomorrow battle will cloud the city”

“Battle is a haze, this battle will be tempestuous, blood will stain the city”

“Yes, such I things I have foreseen”

“Will you fight?”

“I shall do what I can”

“Good, the Lord would want it such ways Father”

“Shh, it's starting….”

 

The Service was as ever, a sermon preaching for the sons of heaven to defeat the godless heathens who endanger the city, a few hymns, a nice procession, nothing abnormal. The Cathedral was a place of great tranquility, Arinal would have much liked to stay there all night, rather than face the unorganised chaos outside. Outside was all pushed into formations and lines all the professional soldiers who would fight, night elves; beautiful merciless warriors, High elves; Soldiers of such stature and superiority, the regions' Human Army; iron clad and battle ready, dwarves; small giants of war. Such a diverse army, the Gnolls had no idea what they were getting into.

 

The Defense seemed well planned, the walls were high, the gates were thick, and with all the volunteers that had been assembled they were well protected. Arinal walked up onto the walls, he strolled along the walls examining the battlements staring down, he walked forward, not looking, he felt the sudden thud of iron bump into him, he fell back and onto to the floor, looking up he saw a soldier wearing the winged helmet of an officer, he got up put his hood over his head.

“Sorry, I wasn't looking wear I was going”

“Yeah well look in future!”

“Sorry”

“What's your name anyway, and what are you doing here?”

“Arinal, Ranger of the Astavar, I'm here to fight for the lord”

“Ah, a ranger, if you are any where near as good a fighter as Calaran then I am happy”

“I don't think I'm as good as Calaran but I can fight, of that I'm sure”

“Well good to have you aboard, I'm Colonel Isab, commander of human forces in the region”

“Have you ever commanded a siege defense?”

“What?”

“Have you ever been in command during a siege defense?”

“No, but what kind of question is that”

“I was just wondering…”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing…”

He grabbed Arinal by the clothes around his throat; the wind blew Arinal's black hair in his face.

“Are you trying to say I'm incompetent?”

“No…”

“Well I'm not!”

“We'll Just have to wait and see”