The forces of Navarra and the forces of Valkero stood two miles apart on the Plain of Symphonius, the dark gray skies above sending a mist of rain down onto the forces of both armies. Refiris looked warily off into the distance, waiting to see if Valkero would make the first move. Their massive metal war machines could be heard even over the clash of thunder. He turned, suddenly feeling reassured as he looked at his troops. Some two million people were lined up in position, waiting for the moment to cast an offensive or defensive spell. Rows of Elementalists, dressed in their colors, stood with looks of both fear and determination on their faces. The Elves, standing tall, had a look of extreme seriousness on their faces. Even in the dark weather, they seemed to glow and exude beauty from their soft, pale white skin.
The Ancient Ones swayed in the gusts of wind that, at times, whipped across the battlefield turning the peaceful and cold mist into stinging bullets of rain. They resembled trees, skinny and with two legs that could be planted into the ground. Their faces, somewhat human, rounded off and sprouting large branches with leaves on them. They stood quietly breathing, sharpening their large weapons. They stood at twelve feet tall and made the ground shudder when they moved, but they were, at the same time, part of the Earth. Refiris dubbed the Ancient Ones as the “Living Trees” as they resembled an oak tree so much.
“Refiris!” came the crisp, beautiful call of the Lord of Elves. Refiris turned as he strode up to him. “They come by air now. We can hear them! It is time to mobilize and move out!” Refiris nodded and called out in a loud voice, “Take your positions!” Instantly, thousands of people took to their stances, preparing aerial attacks, ground attacks, and other various forms of battle.
Slowly, the sound of the Bomber planes came overhead. The Elvish Lord, Arsictus, screamed in Elvish and the sound reverberated throughout the air, as if the Elvish tongue was not held back by physical barriers.
Instantly, in one swift motion the Elves launched pulses of white-hot air into the sky, and moments later a massive explosion sent a blast of heat down upon them as the Bombers exploded. He yelled, “Charge!” and the end of the war had finally begun. Blasts of ice, chasms of earth, waves of fire and funnels of air were launched at the Valkero army. And in turn, the Valkerians began firing their missiles, their bullets piercing through the first line of Elemental soldiers.
Refiris quickly began to cast a spell that would freeze a tank, using the rain to his advantage, when suddenly he felt a warm sensation in his stomach. He looked down in shock, his concentration halted by the searing pain that now shook through his body. Blood spurted from his wound where he had been shot, and the last he saw was Arsictus running towards him, saying something inaudible…
The bright sunlight streaming in on his eyes made him blink rapidly as they adjusted. He was cloaked in all white, lying on a comfortable bed. Slowly, he tried to rise but felt a searing pain in his stomach and quickly he lay back down on the bed. “Refiris, you are awake!” came the voice of Arsictus. “You were shot! But thank the Great One you are alive!” Refiris smiled and tried to speak and all that came out was a hoarse whisper.
“The war… Did we…?” Arsictus quickly shushed him, “let me show you.” With that, and before Refiris could muster the strength from his frail body to protest, Arsictus laid his hands on Refiris’ forehead and began to mutter under his breath in the Elvish tongue. Before anything occurred, Refiris knew this Lord of the Elves was performing Magic, as he felt the persistent heat and push of the powerful spell already at work. It laced through his veins, running through his body and weaving a powerful, majestic beauty of spell work throughout the fragile form of the King. Suddenly, a surge of heat and blackness enveloped Refiris.
His body violently jerked throughout the almost tangible darkness that surrounded Refiris. The darkness seemed eternal, never ending, with no hope to escape from the clutches of this black hole. Suddenly light appeared as if at the end of a long tunnel far off in the distance, rapidly approaching. A small speck at first and rapidly, with amazing speed, he was no longer surrounded by eternal darkness, but eternal light. With an audible swoosh of air and a dimming of light, along with the distinguishing of many shapes, he began to realize he was no longer lying in the very comfortable hospital bed. Following came the sound, tastes, smells and even personal fear at what was going on. It quickly became clear to Refiris where he was, and even when he was. He found himself floating, transparent and apparently invisible to the masses below him on the battlefield. A war was going on, that much was clear, and Refiris quickly discovered that it was the war he had recently been involved in. The war that would decide the fate of the world.
The screams, of death and anger, revenge and pain surged startlingly and loudly into Refiris’ ears, and he couldn’t help but let a slight gasp of surprise and terror escape his mouth, though no one would hear him. He also smelt, wafting into his transparent nose, the fearsome scent of fresh blood spilt on the battleground and also burning rubber and even metal melting under intense heat, among the more disturbing smells of death and burning flesh.
“This is the spell he used? Showing me the entire battle from when I was knocked out?” Refiris said to himself, thinking of the immense power it would take to perform magic such as this. Refiris watched in astonishment as the massive army of Valkero surged foreword, their black armor and weapons taking out member after member of Navarrian warriors.
Navarra as the victor of this war seemed like a faint hope, as Refiris’ army was shrinking in size gradually. Slowly, but surely, the battle was getting worse, though magic was destroying much of the Valkero technology and weaponry, there was always more. It seemed like a never ending stream as the enemy continued to pour out on to the battlefield while Refiris watched in horror as Navarra’s forces became sparser.
We can’t win… there is no hope… Refiris thought, sadly, watching without being able to do anything as his friends were blown to pieces, limbs flinging through the air screams of terror erupting involuntarily from the mouths of those near the epicenter of the explosions.
Yet, suddenly, a large earthquake shook the land, and to everyone’s surprise in the middle of the two clashing armies a chasm appeared, growing larger and larger with each violent upheaval of earth, separating the two armies from reaching one another and shocking them both into a standstill. The clouds in the sky appeared to be moving along with the earth, and Refiris let out a gasp of amazement. The clouds were moving, or swarming above the massive enemy army.
As bright, pure sunshine fell over Navarra, darkness and dread began to form over the Valkero army. And, with a gasp of amazement from both sides, a blast of brilliant light erupted forth from the clouds, vaporizing the clouds in a brilliant flash. Angels burst forth from the heavens, bringing down the holy wrath of the Great One onto the Valkero Army. And, at the head of the angels, was Refiris’ father.
The battle had changed, in one moment, the angels swarmed downward from the clouds onto the Valkero army, halting progress and destroying machines while not killing a single person. And, inside of Refiris’ mind, he heard his father.
“The rest is up to you, my son.” With that, Refiris’ vision disappeared and he opened his eyes into the hospital. He breathed heavily, and sighed. “Peace… shall reign… for evermore,” he cried happily looking at his good friend and smiling brightly.
The Ancient Ones swayed in the gusts of wind that, at times, whipped across the battlefield turning the peaceful and cold mist into stinging bullets of rain. They resembled trees, skinny and with two legs that could be planted into the ground. Their faces, somewhat human, rounded off and sprouting large branches with leaves on them. They stood quietly breathing, sharpening their large weapons. They stood at twelve feet tall and made the ground shudder when they moved, but they were, at the same time, part of the Earth. Refiris dubbed the Ancient Ones as the “Living Trees” as they resembled an oak tree so much.
“Refiris!” came the crisp, beautiful call of the Lord of Elves. Refiris turned as he strode up to him. “They come by air now. We can hear them! It is time to mobilize and move out!” Refiris nodded and called out in a loud voice, “Take your positions!” Instantly, thousands of people took to their stances, preparing aerial attacks, ground attacks, and other various forms of battle.
Slowly, the sound of the Bomber planes came overhead. The Elvish Lord, Arsictus, screamed in Elvish and the sound reverberated throughout the air, as if the Elvish tongue was not held back by physical barriers.
Instantly, in one swift motion the Elves launched pulses of white-hot air into the sky, and moments later a massive explosion sent a blast of heat down upon them as the Bombers exploded. He yelled, “Charge!” and the end of the war had finally begun. Blasts of ice, chasms of earth, waves of fire and funnels of air were launched at the Valkero army. And in turn, the Valkerians began firing their missiles, their bullets piercing through the first line of Elemental soldiers.
Refiris quickly began to cast a spell that would freeze a tank, using the rain to his advantage, when suddenly he felt a warm sensation in his stomach. He looked down in shock, his concentration halted by the searing pain that now shook through his body. Blood spurted from his wound where he had been shot, and the last he saw was Arsictus running towards him, saying something inaudible…
The bright sunlight streaming in on his eyes made him blink rapidly as they adjusted. He was cloaked in all white, lying on a comfortable bed. Slowly, he tried to rise but felt a searing pain in his stomach and quickly he lay back down on the bed. “Refiris, you are awake!” came the voice of Arsictus. “You were shot! But thank the Great One you are alive!” Refiris smiled and tried to speak and all that came out was a hoarse whisper.
“The war… Did we…?” Arsictus quickly shushed him, “let me show you.” With that, and before Refiris could muster the strength from his frail body to protest, Arsictus laid his hands on Refiris’ forehead and began to mutter under his breath in the Elvish tongue. Before anything occurred, Refiris knew this Lord of the Elves was performing Magic, as he felt the persistent heat and push of the powerful spell already at work. It laced through his veins, running through his body and weaving a powerful, majestic beauty of spell work throughout the fragile form of the King. Suddenly, a surge of heat and blackness enveloped Refiris.
His body violently jerked throughout the almost tangible darkness that surrounded Refiris. The darkness seemed eternal, never ending, with no hope to escape from the clutches of this black hole. Suddenly light appeared as if at the end of a long tunnel far off in the distance, rapidly approaching. A small speck at first and rapidly, with amazing speed, he was no longer surrounded by eternal darkness, but eternal light. With an audible swoosh of air and a dimming of light, along with the distinguishing of many shapes, he began to realize he was no longer lying in the very comfortable hospital bed. Following came the sound, tastes, smells and even personal fear at what was going on. It quickly became clear to Refiris where he was, and even when he was. He found himself floating, transparent and apparently invisible to the masses below him on the battlefield. A war was going on, that much was clear, and Refiris quickly discovered that it was the war he had recently been involved in. The war that would decide the fate of the world.
The screams, of death and anger, revenge and pain surged startlingly and loudly into Refiris’ ears, and he couldn’t help but let a slight gasp of surprise and terror escape his mouth, though no one would hear him. He also smelt, wafting into his transparent nose, the fearsome scent of fresh blood spilt on the battleground and also burning rubber and even metal melting under intense heat, among the more disturbing smells of death and burning flesh.
“This is the spell he used? Showing me the entire battle from when I was knocked out?” Refiris said to himself, thinking of the immense power it would take to perform magic such as this. Refiris watched in astonishment as the massive army of Valkero surged foreword, their black armor and weapons taking out member after member of Navarrian warriors.
Navarra as the victor of this war seemed like a faint hope, as Refiris’ army was shrinking in size gradually. Slowly, but surely, the battle was getting worse, though magic was destroying much of the Valkero technology and weaponry, there was always more. It seemed like a never ending stream as the enemy continued to pour out on to the battlefield while Refiris watched in horror as Navarra’s forces became sparser.
We can’t win… there is no hope… Refiris thought, sadly, watching without being able to do anything as his friends were blown to pieces, limbs flinging through the air screams of terror erupting involuntarily from the mouths of those near the epicenter of the explosions.
Yet, suddenly, a large earthquake shook the land, and to everyone’s surprise in the middle of the two clashing armies a chasm appeared, growing larger and larger with each violent upheaval of earth, separating the two armies from reaching one another and shocking them both into a standstill. The clouds in the sky appeared to be moving along with the earth, and Refiris let out a gasp of amazement. The clouds were moving, or swarming above the massive enemy army.
As bright, pure sunshine fell over Navarra, darkness and dread began to form over the Valkero army. And, with a gasp of amazement from both sides, a blast of brilliant light erupted forth from the clouds, vaporizing the clouds in a brilliant flash. Angels burst forth from the heavens, bringing down the holy wrath of the Great One onto the Valkero Army. And, at the head of the angels, was Refiris’ father.
The battle had changed, in one moment, the angels swarmed downward from the clouds onto the Valkero army, halting progress and destroying machines while not killing a single person. And, inside of Refiris’ mind, he heard his father.
“The rest is up to you, my son.” With that, Refiris’ vision disappeared and he opened his eyes into the hospital. He breathed heavily, and sighed. “Peace… shall reign… for evermore,” he cried happily looking at his good friend and smiling brightly.
