The trees were still thick and full of life this low on the slope you could begin to see the signs of the mountain encroaching and beginning to dominate the landscape. The smell of pine and the colors of spring along with the fresh mountain air, slowly breezing from the pass to the west. Soon it would fill the with fierce cries of battle. From men and beasts alike and I couldn’t seem to get the lump of fear out of my throat

    Our unit’s scout, Larry, just returned informing the captain the beasts are 10 minutes out from our hastily prepared ambush spot. Larry just happened to spot the dust getting kicked up from the brutes trampling up the slope towards us. Three of them he reported. Seems that they have started to respect our ability to be a thorn in their side. The captain’s hands are a blur of signals that only half of us remember from the quick training we had of old armed forces hand signals. I think the gist of it means keep quiet, wait for the signal, and don’t do anything stupid. 

There are ten of us in our re-con and hunting team in this back water area of the mountains. Three against ten, our Captain has guts. Most men would have ran for cover and prayed their tracker didn’t bother to notice so few of us. Captain Darius felt every opportunity for a victory should be taken. So here we were hiding behind the cover of the trees next to a hunting path into the mountains. Our captain and his brother ducking behind a boulder that just barley hid the two burly men’s large frames. Darius was defiantly a farm boy. Broad shoulders, thick limbs, and dust blond hair I’m sure the girls back at the camp enjoy ogling at. He looked like a figure out of a fantasy book. Light Plate armor covering his bulging frame, a menacing two handed sword with the beauty of an essence crystal in the blade and dark blue glyphs running along the weapon to give the steel an unbreakable strength. A light incandescent blue glow coming from the soul stone in his chest let us know his spirit stirred for battle. His brother, Flax, was the spitting image of our captain, with the exception he preferred a sword and shield style of combat and was a head shorter. These were our most seasoned warriors in this unit they had fought in small engagements around our region. Their soul stones were bolstered from the essence of our enemies and this gave the rest of us confidence to stand our ground today. The rest of us were arranged four to the north and four to the south of the path. A ranger paired with three soldiers was our line up on each side. Our orders were to let Darius and his brother engage and to then swarm them in a pincer move. This was a simple strategy that us newly trained soldiers could hopefully handle. Today I was among the soldiers on the south side of the ambush point. 

The seconds ticked away, our ranger and scout, Larry, standing to my left was checking the five arrows still held the essence he cultivated in them when he made them in camp a week ago. My soul had not decided its path yet. Some warriors chose to use their essence to empower their arrows with strength, being left with agility for their body and stamina for their armor. While some chose to learn to place their strength in their weapons. There were even a rare few that could manipulate the world with the might of their intellectual essence. This caused a start when we first were taught that you could make balls of fire shoot from your hand or lightning arc to the ground from the sky. The disciples taught it was easier to give strength to living things like wood in arrows than to slugs of metal. They taught us how to share our essence with the stones inlaid in armor and swords. They taught us many things and those willing to listen learned. Whatever path you chose to walk your soul tended to grow, more able to follow your desired path but made it much harder to break from the path you chose. The seasoned warriors of our camp told me around the fire that it would get easier as my soul stone absorbed the essence of my slain enemies. My soul now was weak when you compared it to those of Darius and Flax. Theirs in turn was weak when you compared it to the creatures tromping towards us now. I griped my sword and shield close to me I could hear the clink of armor and the tromp of heavy boots now. They were coming. I saw Captain Darius give us a last nod of confidence as he and Flax prepared for the attack. 

As the sounds of the brutes got closer my palms began to sweat. This was my first real taste of battle. At night when I was falling asleep I dreamt of this time. I would be a hero strong and fearless. Now, facing the moment, I was shaky, my mouth was a desert and it took all my strength to steel my legs so they didn’t buckle. I could see them now. Three large, sun-tanned hulks. Their long faces and yellow, blood shot eyes darting all around. I could see the slight tusk like teeth peeking out from their lower lips. They were seven feet of pure muscular bulk covered in hides.  They had scrapes of armor that looked as if they were thrown on haphazardly. They looked completely terrifying. Their axes stowed on their back with large handles visible over their shoulders. The prominent soul stone lodged in their chest was spinning with a dull red glow. They wanted all to see the power they wielded. What great essence they had hoarded from their fallen victims. When they were first seen in our world people didn’t believe their eyes. It was like dark fantasy creatures had come to life. That was the beginning of the end for our life as we knew it.

As the hulking forms the beasts thundered closer sight must have been too much for my fellow soldier on the other side of the path. There was a crash of armor, one of our boys must have passed out from fright. At the sound the noise the creatures skidded to a halt. There was no mistaking the sounds of metal smashing into the rocks of the hill side. The beasts were ten feet from the ambush point. I watched two hulking warriors begin to peer into the trees trying to discern the direction of the noise. They quickly unsheathe their brutal looking axes, with beautiful walnut sized essence stones in them. Their tracker pulled his crossbow out and in one quick motion loaded a shaft. I knew this was a bad sign. 

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I saw the warrior on the right stagger slightly and I just caught the fletching of an arrow sticking out of his shoulder as he made a deep grunt. At that very moment Captain Darius and Flax shouted a fierce battle cry and charged from their hiding spot next to the path. The monster with an arrow in the shoulder made a causal swipe with his Axe and broke the shaft in his shoulder off and squared up to the charging men. The other beast turned and charged into the trees. 

Larry, being the reliable man he is, let fly his arrows straight into the tracker.  This was our cue to spring the trap and storm into the fight. We would be taking the tracker it seemed. He had just unleashed his quarrel trying to catch Larry who miraculously dove for cover and dodge the bolt that would have surely killed him. My whole world turned to tunnel vision with the tracker being my sole focus. He was the target and I had to get him before he reloaded. I sprinted threw the trees dodging roots and loose rocks. With my heightened adrenaline I moved faster than I’ve ever thought possible. To my dismay the beast was faster, He reloaded in the blink of an eye and let fly. I heard a shout of surprise and pain from my right. My single minded state wouldn’t let me notice my comrade going down in a tumble. I burst from the trees onto the path right next to my target. I found my footing and made a good thrust at the tracker. He was slowed only slightly by the arrows sprouting from his back and chest. I scored a solid hit on my him. My blade only sank a few inches into the bulky chest, just to the right of his soul stone. It was like stabbing a brick wall, my whole body shuddered at the impact and I heard something crack.  That had to be a good thing I thought. My target grunted and took a step back from the impact. There was no pain in his eyes as he dropped his crossbow and pulled a short sword out. I almost lost my footing as the rage and hate of the behemoth beat on my soul. Luckily my fellow soldier charging next to me kept his composure and made a mighty slice at the free hand of our target and a splash of red appeared on the beasts shoulder. Thankfully to Larry’s quick actions, the tracker sprouted two more arrows in the chest and a third whistled by missing the beasts head. Larry was out of ammo and was coming to assist spear in hand. My fellow soldier Sam moved to flank the brute as I barley managed to put my shield in the path of the sweeping cut from the short sword. The hit so thunderous I lost all feeling in my arm and heard something pop as I was knocked to the ground. I saw a blurred motion from my left and the lean powerful form of Larry burst out of the trees, spear in hand, to make a graceful thrust straight into the throat of giant looming above me. Sam saw this opening and went in for the kill with a stab to the back of the spine. With a sicken snap the light in the trackers eye went out the stone that was in his chest cracked. His essence flew from him and into those of us surrounding him. We felt the thrill of strength flowing into our bodies, our senses and muscles growing if only by the smallest fraction. This must have been the weakest of the group I thought from my position on the ground under my shield. I saw the giant sway and then like a felled tree, collapsed on top of me with a resounding crash. I was trapped under 300 lbs of muscle.  The pain in my left arm coupled with the fact that it wasn’t obeying my commands let me know I was in a bad state. I saw Larry and Sam dash away towards the sounds of fighting. I heard the screams to the north of me. The thunder of steel striking steel behind me.  But I was too busy trying to wiggle my way out from under this over sized beasts bulk to look. My stomach was screaming I was going to be sick from the warm liquid starting to cover my left side and the popping jolts from my shoulder every time I moved.

As I gave a mighty wiggle I finally extracted myself from under bulk of our fallen enemy. As my mind cleared I saw the corpse of the other beastly warrior, face down in the dirt not far from the trees.  He has a sword sticking out of his side. Flax was groaning on the ground not far from the dead beast.  He had a giant dent from what looked to be a fist in the center of his breast plate. As my remaining senses came back to me I felt stronger, more fluid. My shield was laying useless on the ground since my arm refused to pick it up. I heard shouting from the woods further on and knew anyone standing would be needed.

I darted forward, sword in hand, ready to face my demise. I came through the trees to see Captain Darius, with a mighty effort, block the chop of a large twin, bladed Axe. Sparks flew and I saw slash marks crisscross the bulk of the monster they were battling. Its hazy, red soul stone flickering madly in the shadows of the trees. Larry and Sam chopping and stabbing at the body of the bulky beast.  They were trying to bring it down before it over powered our fearless captain. Dashing with a wild cry I leapt from a fallen log and flew at creature of my nightmares from behind. I focused the whole of my essence on my sword willing it to destroy anything in its path. With a crash and a scream of victory I felt my blade slide right into the creature. The beast gave a roar of fury and I was thrown off.  So powerful was the throw, I heard the tip of my blade, which was lodged in the beasts chest bone, snap off as I was hurtled away to crash into a tree.  As I fell to the ground the world flickered before my eyes and darkness descended.