They had reached the city of Alerial, just in the nick of time. The sun was beginning to set as they approached the city gates, the golden hues of dusk casting a warm glow over the landscape. The city walls loomed ahead, structures of stone that seemed to stretch into the sky. Surprisingly, they looked taller than the gates at the capital. Guards stood watch at the gate, their armor gleaming in the fading light.
Aurelius' heart raced as they rode closer, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety coursing through his veins. The headmaster had prepared him for what to expect, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience altogether. Alerial was a large city, its streets filled with merchants, traders, and travelers from various corners of the realm.
As they entered the city, the group attracted its fair share of attention. People turned to watch them, their curiosity evident in their gazes. Aurelius couldn't help but feel a mixture of self-consciousness and pride as he rode through the streets, surrounded by the headmaster, Instructor Donovan, Valen, and his guards.
The city itself was a maze of narrow alleys, bustling marketplaces, and grand plazas. Colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, displaying the emblem of the city—a stylized phoenix, its wings outstretched in flight.
Aurelius couldn't help but be impressed by the city's beauty and energy. However, there was an underlying tension in the air, a sense of unease that seemed to hang over the bustling crowds.
Aurelius could see citizens hurriedly prepared for the potential assault. Barricades were being erected, makeshift defenses were being put in place, and the city guards were organizing the city to hold off the incoming threat.
The headmaster led them through the city, guiding them towards the heart of the settlement. It wasn't long before they arrived at a large building with intricate carvings and ornate decorations—a structure that was unmistakably the city's administrative center.
They dismounted in front of the building, Aurelius taking a moment to adjust to the sights and sounds of the city. As they approached the entrance, guards stationed at the doors stepped aside to allow them entry.
One of the guards out front led them through the building, seemingly expecting their arrival. After a while, they arrived at the doors to one of the larger rooms. The room they entered was adorned with tapestries and symbols that spoke of the city's history and pride. Seated at a large table were individuals who seemed to hold significant authority — leaders, advisors, and military commanders. Some of them were dressed regally, while others seemed to be in military attire.
As Aurelius walked into the room, most of the figures bowed in respect, while one figure rose from his seat. "Welcome, Chosen Aurelius, and your esteemed companions," he said with a tone of respect. "I am Lord Gavrel, one of the leaders of Alerial. We are grateful for your presence and your willingness to aid us in this dire time."
Aurelius stepped forward, his expression full of determination. He offered a bow, his eyes meeting Lord Gavrel's gaze. "Thank you for your welcome, Lord Gavrel. It's an honor to be here and to offer whatever assistance we can provide."
The headmaster, Instructor Donovan, and Valen followed Aurelius' lead, offering their own nods of acknowledgment.
Lord Gavrel studied Aurelius for a moment as if assessing the young Chosen. "Your reputation precedes you, Aurelius. We have received reports that you played a crucial role in repelling the attack on the capital."
Aurelius felt a slight flush of embarrassment at the praise, but he maintained his composure. "I did what I could to help defend the capital, but the situation in Alerial is different. I'm here to understand the threat you're facing and to offer my assistance in any way possible."
Lord Gavrel's expression grew more serious, his gaze shifting to the maps spread across the table. "The situation in Alerial has become dire. We have received intelligence that a significant force is marching towards our city, and they are to arrive in the next couple of days, possibly tomorrow. From what we can understand they are composed of the same force you fought in the capital: these corrupted soldiers that serve the being called Maledrakor.”
“Lucky, however,” Lord Gavrel continued, “they are not being led by Maledrakor himself. They seem to be under the command of an orc general.”
Aurelius nodded at the information. He knew that, as a Chosen, this would be his target. He would have to take out the orc general and hope that it would be enough to help fend off the attack. However, quickly confusion swept across Aurelius’ face as he processed Lord Gavrel’s information.
“Where is Maledrakor?”
Given the overwhelming information that Aurelius has received from Augustus — information he still had a hard time processing — Maledrakor was Aurelius’ enemy number 1. It was of the utmost importance that Aurelius at least had a vague awareness of where Maledrakor resided at all times. This was especially important given the present circumstances. Despite Aurelius’ recent gains in power, Aurelius had severe doubts that he could even scratch a being like Maledrakor in a fight — a being that had yet to be defeated if Augustus was to be believed.
“Yes..” Lord Gavrel said, giving a slow nod. “Just before you arrived we received a report from the capital outlining the situation with the Dark Elves and Maledrakor — a situation that was, in large part, determined by the information the interrogated captive described to you,” Lord Gavrel continued, nodding to Aurelius with slight respect.
“Frankly, to have a being strong enough to completely wipe out the Dark Elves is intensely frightening. I, personally, have fought the Dark Elves countless times serving as a Lord in the northern region of the Holy Hexagon and from my personal experience and historical precedent, the Dark Elves are no push-overs. In any other scenario, I would say good riddance — those Dark Elves pests finally deserved what was coming to them,” Lord Gavrel said, spitting slightly to the side to show his disgust. “But, in this case, it seems like only a greater threat has come to replace them.”
“That’s beside the point though,” Lord Gavrel continued, “based on our scout reports it seems as if, following his capture of Silverhaven, Maledrakor left the continent of the Holy Hexagon.”
“Left?” Aurelius repeated, shock evident in his tone.
“Yes,” Lord Gavrel nodded, with a slightly understanding tone, “from what the scout reports are telling us and from what we have deduced with other members of the High Elven leadership, it seems as if Maledrakor is specifically targeting the Chosen of all the races,” Lord Gavrel said, giving a slightly pointed look at Aurelius.
“Don’t get me wrong, he is also slaughtering entire races along the way, transforming them into his corrupt minions, but he seems to be targeting the Chosen specifically while leaving his generals to corrupt the people,” Lord Gavrel said.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Aurelius interjected, trying to process the information. “Maledrakor’s generals can also corrupt people?” Although Aurelius had known of this possibility given some of the reports of the abilities of Maledrakor’s generals, he was still surprised to have this information confirmed.
“Yes,” Lord Gavrel nodded again, “his generals, such as the orc general, also have Maledrakor’s ability to corrupt people, turning them into puppets that we now call the ‘possessed.’”
This time, Aurelius slowly nodded. “Makes sense… The possessed,” Aurelius spoke quietly, voicing his thoughts aloud. Trying to shift the conversation back on topic, Aurelius asked “Do we know why Maledrakor left the continent? And where has he gone?”
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Lord Gavrel seemed to expect this answer, leaning forward. “We had the same question for a while. What we could deduce, Maledrakor might have not realized that we, the High Elves, had recently received a new Chosen,” Lord Gavrel said, looking at Aurelius. “He likely didn’t realize that there was a Chosen here to defend the empire. As a result, he naturally assumed that the Dark Elven Chosen and the Orc Chosen, along with their armies of the possessed, would be sufficient enough to wipe out and corrupt the Holy Hexagon continent and our High Elven empire. As a result, we suspect he left the Holy Hexagon and headed to the nearest continent with Chosen — the continent Kaldara.”
Aurelius felt a chill run down his spine, it seemed as if they had dodged a bullet. The continent of Kaldara consisted of very large and dense forests. To his knowledge, the continent of Kaldara held 2 Chosen, the Chosen of the Lizardmen and the Chosen of the Wolfmen.
Seeing Aurelius’ silence, Lord Gavrel decided to continue. “We are unsure why exactly Maledrakor seems to be targeting the chosen specifically, but based on your account to the council, we have to assume it’s because killing Chosen allows him to become stronger.”
Aurelius nodded, not wanting to reveal that Maledrakor was an agent sent by the universe to end a game between gods; a game that they were all a part of, willing or not. Somehow, Aurelius didn’t think that would be accepted in stride by the High Elven leaders in the room.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out his nose, Aurelius slowly halted his racing thoughts. “In many ways, Maledrakor’s departure was an unexpected boon for us. It allows us to handle the possessed currently on our continent without having to fight Maledrakor himself. However, we have to assume that Maledrakor now knows that one of his generals, Malaki, is dead and that there is a High Elven Chosen. Which means we also have to assume that Maledrakor will be returning to our continent at his first opportunity.”
There was a slow murmur of agreement around the room and Lord Gavrel nodded his head.
Taking that confirmation, Aurelius continued. “That means, we must kill this Orc General, secure our continent and borders, and prepare for Maledrakor's eventual arrival — all as soon as possible.”
Taking a look around the room and seeing the faces of the High Elven leadership within Alerial, Aurelius began to realize the magnitude of the task before them and a slow weight began to fall across Aurelius’ shoulders. “Do we have any information about this general?” Aurelius asked.
Lord Gavrel slightly shook his head. “Unfortunately, no, we do not. However, based on the fact that he is an orc, it is probably safe to say that he is more of a melee combat type than a magic user.”
Aurelius absorbed the information, his mind already working on possible strategies. "That's useful to know. If he can’t use large magic spells, it might be easier to overwhelm him with superior numbers in melee combat."
Instructor Donovan stepped forward, his voice steady. "We should also consider setting up defensive positions, fortifying key areas, and preparing for potential breaches."
Lord Gavrel nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We have already begun preparations, but any additional insight and assistance you can provide would be invaluable. Your presence alone offers a boost to our morale, Chosen Aurelius.”
“Oh,” Lord Gavrel exclaimed, his eyes widening. “I almost forgot to introduce the other members. On my right here” Lord Gavrel said, motioning to a man standing in military attire, “is General Farsen. He is the general of the Third Army, an army that has been stationed in this city for the past week. They are going to be a great help in this upcoming fight.”
Aurelius nodded respectfully at General Farsen, acknowledging his presence. "It's an honor to meet you, General Farsen. Your experience will undoubtedly be crucial in the battle to come."
General Farsen gave a nod in response, his expression a mix of seriousness and determination. "The honor is ours, Chosen Aurelius. We've been training our forces and preparing our defenses, but any guidance you can provide will be greatly appreciated, especially since you’ve fought these creatures before."
Lord Gavrel then gestured towards a figure seated at the table, who had been quietly observing the conversation. "And this is High Mage Sylara. She is one of the most skilled mages in our city and has been aiding us with magical defenses and preparations."
Aurelius offered a polite nod to High Mage Sylara. "High Mage, it's a pleasure to meet you."
High Mage Sylara inclined her head slightly, her eyes reflecting a mixture of wisdom and determination. "The pleasure is mine, Chosen Aurelius. I've been working on warding and protection spells, as well as scrying to gather information on the enemy's movements."
Aurelius nodded. “For now, all we can do is prepare. Our best reports seemingly indicate that the enemy is going to arrive sometime in the afternoon tomorrow. In that time, we have to use every resource at our disposal to our advantage. Whatever you have that can help is necessary.”
Aurelius turned to look around the room, his eyes falling on the headmaster. The headmaster, seeing Aurelius’ look, took it as a cue and began to describe how to fight the possessed, something Aurelius and the Headmaster had planned before.
Stepping forward, the headmaster started, “Fighting these possessed soldiers is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.” The Headmaster said, looking around to make sure he had the attention of the Elven Leadership. “From what we can tell, the possessed can understand simple commands from an accompanying general, such as charge, halt, and the like. However, when it comes to actual strategy and tactics, the possessed attack with a single-minded ferocity with clearly little to no forethought.”
All around the room, heads began to nod, clearly having already come to the same conclusion based on the reports from the fight at the capital city.
“It’s evident that they have a blatant disregard for their own well-being or lives, which can be both a good and a bad thing,” the headmaster continued. “On the one hand, the possessed will not follow rational thought, something that we are not exactly used to. They feel no fear, no pain, and no hesitation, and consequently, will most likely not retreat from a battle unless ordered to.”
The Headmaster took a breath, continuing, “however, on the other hand, we can also use this to our advantage. With traps, planning, and tactics, we can easily outsmart and hopefully gain an upper hand through sheer strategy.”
“Speaking of which” Aurelius interjected, “What are the allied and enemy troop counts in the city?”
Lord Gavrel nodded, obviously expecting the question. “Combining the reserves, the third army, and the garrison, there are roughly 6,000 trained and ready-to-fight High Elven soldiers. Amongst those numbers, the majority are close-combat melee fighters. But, we do have around 2,200 Long Range archers, 600 trained Elven Cavalry, and roughly 400 mages of a variety of elements.”
Aurelius raised an eyebrow, the High Elven troops were nothing to scoff at, especially if you considered the 400 trained mages, which was a surprising amount. Aurelius started to slowly feel more confident. With an army that size, even if things went south the city should be very well defended.
“And the enemy forces?”
“We estimate that there are roughly 12-14,000 enemy combatants,” Lord Gavrel finished.
Aurelius winced.
Aaandd that’s what he was waiting for.
“Fuck,” Aurelius cursed under his breath. 12-14,000 enemy troops was a frankly mind-boggling number. It was now clear to Aurleius that Maledrakor had been hoping to wash over the High Elven continent with a large dark and possessed tide led by his generals.
Lord Gavrel gave Aurelius a sympathetic smile and continued to describe the enemy force. “Of those enemy combatants, there seems to be an equal mix of Orc and Dark Elven soldiers, which will make it hard to adapt to the unique combat of the specific races. We, personally, as High Elves, over the thousands of years of fighting the Dark Elves have developed deep strategies to fight them. The Orcs on the other hand..” Lord Gavrel trailed off, “the Orcs we have only encountered and had skirmishes very infrequently throughout our history. They live, or lived, on the other side of the Aran'thal continent. As a result, we don’t really know the best strategy for fighting them, but based on their obvious melee expertise, we would guess that long-range might be the way to go.”
Aurelius nodded as Lord Gavrel talked, once again attempting to process the large amount of information he received.
“Of the 12-14,000 strong possessed army, we are not sure how many are melee combatants, long-range units, or mages, but our scouts report a disproportionately high number of close combat fighters. As a result, I suggest we use our walls and our long-range capability to the fullest, I believe it will be key to winning against such a superior force” Lord Gavrel finished, once more looking around the table.
Quickly, other Elven leaders began to interject and as the discussion continued, plans were made and strategies were proposed. For the most part, Aurelius quietly listened to the different members discuss the best ways to protect the city. He also spent the time looking over reports on both the approaching army and the defensive forces housed within the city, hoping to find some helpful information.
After the meeting, Aurelius and his traveling group were led to temporary quarters within the city's administrative building. As they settled in, Aurelius felt a familiar mixture of anticipation and apprehension. The weight of the upcoming battle pressed heavily on his mind, but he was also bolstered by the support of the people around him.