Chapter 12 - Darwyn, Har'Thok and Alondi
Unfortunately, Darwyn had to leave this little research object behind. He would have loved to take her with him, but whatever blackened her eyes and made his mind mage so thoroughly to dust seemed worth exploring, but not the risk. He had always had to learn the time and place, otherwise he would not have been trapped in this dungeon for a century. He couldn't risk doing his experiments outside of a dungeon, not without avoiding unwanted attention, and he couldn't see the effects of the pathogen yet, much less how it worked! This dungeon was essential to start his experiments, but he didn't expect the system to seal him there. How should he have known? If his mage hadn't sensed the presence of someone with an easily influenced mind, he would have been trapped there for eternity, forced to stagnate in his progress.
Unexpectedly, this little thing turned out to be very capable of eliminating his experiments for him. At least he was spared having to worry about the consequences later. After he put his most important documents in his attic as a precaution, all he had to do was wait for an opportunity to escape. Not that this little thing could harm him. Maybe her magic reminded him of something. Still, it was better to escape if you had the chance.
Once outside, he formed himself back into his form, whereupon he floated in the air for a few minutes in the dark and got an explicit look at the scene. As he expected, 100 years had passed and the tribes of the lizard men had reunited for a hike out of the magical forests. They marched directly towards the kingdom of Alondiar.
They had enormous bearer creatures, which were listed in the bestiary as king lizards. Their massive bodies were able to push the trees aside when walking and the flora of the magical forest could be described as a prehistoric jungle the deeper you penetrated into it. Thus one could describe the power of these creatures much better, which on their way only left a path of desolation behind them. These king lizards were tyrannical in their demeanor and instinctively feared all magical creatures around them, at least what the weaker creatures included. Their enormous march was mostly interrupted by other powerful creatures, who were roused from their slumber by their noise. The lizard march must have lost a good number of its number on its way. Probably the lizard swamp was experiencing a new drought! The enormous amounts of food an army of this size devoured must have caused beasts storms for days. The traces of these storm beasts were hard to miss. Whatever stood above this dungeon was completely gone. The dried up river that was diverted into the dungeon left a dry pool in which some of the creatures seemed to pool. During the day the sun must have burned their bodies, because a putrid smell spread throughout the forest. This should only be an advantage for the king lizards, because they were known scavengers, at least according to what was suspected of their nature.
They rode the king lizards, horned lizards, which had three or more horns on their skull, lizards with long necks that looked gigantic, but were known as herbivores. Beside them marched countless columns of their lizard warriors. They wore rudimentary equipment based on the bones, skins and other items of their enemies. Around their hips are primitive belts with the skulls of their prey, which they proudly carried into the field. Just like their bearer creatures, they themselves varied in appearance. There were massive lizards as big as giants among them. They led the peaceful herbivores by the reins. On top of the horn creatures sat creatures the size of ogres, and they beat drums that hung by their side, a two-tone marching rhythm that drove the flock on. Skillful lizards with bone crowns and staff ran between their rows. They were clear practitioners of magic, albeit their magic relied heavily on a few elements. From their guttural throats came a simple battle chant which, if Darwyn understood correctly, announced of the glorious bloodshed of the weak skinlings that they would split the skulls that devour women and children, that they would make new clothes out of their skin. Her winged lizards fell from above and would explore the apron. Riders were lashed to them. Sometimes humans were already hanging between the clutches of the winged beasts they brought back from a short excursion outside the forest. When they circled over the army, they simply let the unfortunate ones fall into their midst, where they were torn apart directly by their fellows.
The lizard march had been in the lighter part of the magical forest for some time, because the devastation lasted much longer. Normally, the forest would not be easily damaged or even tamed. The deeper parts quickly recaptured the devastated area, with beasts fighting over their disorganized territories.
This event was not handled by one kingdom alone. The border to the magical forest was not considered a no man's land for nothing. Where thieves, murderers and socks of all kinds tried to hide! Only there could the kingdoms undertake a joint effort against the hundred-year-old storm. They would gather their armies together. Every man in good health who calls to arms. Darwyn himself once served a kingdom in one of these wars. He looked nostalgically at the spreading masses of lizards, which slowly fanned out. He almost giggled at the sight. Those old barn owls in their magical towers would never dare to venture into this storm for fear of losing sight of their research for a few seconds. No, they sent their apprentices as they once sent him.
Thanks to a spell that he prepared and sang in advance, he had remained invisible to her. Ordinarily it would have disappeared, but such a migration only happened every hundred years. In addition, some torches at the edge of the forest could be seen in the distance from the kingdom. Very soon a battle of massive proportions was to take place at the very point where he came out of the earth. Flares went up everywhere from the border forest. As he expected, the human kingdoms were ready for the event.
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Darwyn repeated the skill of his flying spell in a low voice, pointing in the direction of the frontier, where he passed an army of human beings that was beyond measure. After the scouts' torches lit the night sky, he decided to go to his old hiding place in the borderlands. Standing in the crossfire had never been healthy for anyone. By no means did he intend to join the people's venture. What did he care about all the dead? None of that would be his problem.
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Prince Alondi was in a command tent in front of a map table. Various nobles and generals were gathered around the table. Even the hated republic sent one of its legions to aid this onslaught of lizard migration.
General Lucius of the Republic hit the card table with his fist: “This is madness! The republic will not risk soldiers in a night and fog battle in the magical forests! Alonion your arrogance outweighs your damned crown! "
Prince Alondi of Alondiar: " You, accursed dogs of the Republic. It is also not your realm that lies in the path of the creatures. Waiting for a fight contains no honor! I won't wait here like a coward while the enemy has yet to form! ”
Several other princes and nobles from neighboring realms nodded sincerely at him. Except for a few isolated generals from neutral empires, such as those from the mercenary empire.
General Baran: “Prince Alondi! In this fight there was never any honor to be won. I agree with the republic. We should gather here and wait for the reinforcements "
Prince Alondi von Alondiar: " Reinforcements, don't make me laugh! The airships are already busy and the drained river does not carry any ships to our position! What reinforcements are you waiting for, Feigling? ”joining
General Baran:“ We're Born. We will not lead our legion to death. We are building the line of defense, as we discussed earlier at the Conference of the Empires! ”
An unknown prince spat on the ground in contempt: “ We join the prince in his endeavors. You dishonorable dogs can wait here for our victorious return! ”
Again many of the nobles and other princes, who mostly consisted of second or third sons, nodded. This should be one of the few times they could prove themselves. They already had no claim to the throne. A few victories or battles was their only way to achieve fame as well as better titles, which in turn were linked to land and wealth, aside from political marriages.
Contrary to all warnings, the prince mobilized with the other young nobles. They wanted to take the fight to the enemy of humanity. Against all advice, most of the armies started moving. Thousands of soldiers began their advance together. The clatter of armor, hooves, and countless feet, sold or unsold, filled the border area with noise. Tamed flying beasts of all kinds screeched as their riders mounted their saddles and soared into the sky. Torches were lit. Battle standards hoisted. This military campaign was one of the empires' greatest endeavors and one of the rare occasions on which the empires worked together. There was generally a ceasefire for this period.
The remaining generals from other empires watched their troop movements. Whereby Baran said to Lucius: “Have we made the right decision, old friend?”
General Lucius: “Do you remember the goblin campaign of our empires? When I told you I had a really bad feeling about it? I don't have a bad feeling here. No, all my instincts are yelling at me to wait in this position. Whatever happens there, our empires will emerge strengthened. Just like they always did. “
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The two of them stood a bit apart from the other generals and older, battle-experienced blue-blooded men who stayed to watch what was coming.
In the magical forest, on the other hand, a guttural language could be heard, as a scout of the lizards told their glorious Lord Har'Thok, how the warm-blooded animals or the scaly ones brightened the night and soon afterwards the language of the people could be heard, it did not take very long longer until the noise of the people reached the lizards and announced the beginning of the battle. The Har'Thok camp was already on the other side of the former river, which barely flowed a little up the way into a seemingly endless hole in unknown depths.
The lizards sent their best swimmers and divers to explore where the water was going, but none of them returned. It is as if the ground itself has swallowed them. In his tent, their lord sat on a throne made from the bones of various powerful creatures that he killed on his way to the top of the tribes. He dismounted from his throne, whereupon he went in front of his tent, as a result of which a suddenly unnatural silence fell everywhere in the camp and with the arriving lizards. The Lizardmen Warchief raised his massive ax and a loud roar ripped through their ranks! Everywhere between the trees in the magical forest, torches could be seen in the distance. Smaller airships that were already fighting the flying lizards gathered in the sky. On the other side of the people, the battle cries of the people echoed until the first emerged from between the trees. Ballistae, catapults, and other war machines peered through between their lines of battle. Cavalry gathered on the flanks, while the front was filled with spears by light infantry. The rows of lizards worked almost endlessly deep into the magical forest, from which more and more streamed into the open space. From the forest itself there were only a few trees that had not been uprooted by the beast storm. Some of the lizards had piled up the dead bodies of the beasts for their king lizards. Torch piles and war fires burned everywhere, around which the lizards rallied.
The drums struck an ever stronger sound, which made the hearts of the lizards resonate. Har'Thok raised his voice to a roar, “War! War! War! Get your skulls and skins from the warm-blooded! "