PROLOGUE

The Skarian Empire once occupied a substantial portion of the continent known as Simanorion. The vast empire had originally been composed of humans, from the western continent of Agradorion, but grew to contain citizens of many races.

Their professional army was unrivaled, and all nations who had once opposed them on the continent had been subjugated or annihilated. Within a few centuries of war, they had laid claim to lands throughout the continent and founded a great many cities in order to secure their hold over it.

After retaining nearly complete control of the continent for several centuries, however, the strength of the Skarian Empire dwindled. Their focus had turned back to their homeland in the west and the majority of their armies were called home to defend it. This caused their territory in Simanorion to shrink, for not only were the remaining Skarians too few to hold it, but many of its original peoples were beginning to unite in order to reclaim it.

The Skarians ceded much of their land to their allies. However, their closest allies, the many elven kingdoms who resided in a giant forest known as Nilduras, chose to retreat within it and abandon any land to which they had claimed beyond its borders. They preferred not to take on such a responsibility and face the many conflicts it entailed. Their wish was simply to remain at peace and return the land to nature, or whoever was in need of it.

Much of the land outside the forest was left vacant and the elves rarely left their woodland homes, choosing to focus inward and ignore the troubles of the outside world. Any who entered its borders from the lands beyond were hunted down and killed to the point where those who found refuge in the lands around the forest didn’t dare approach the treeline.

Despite their hopes of avoiding conflict by shutting themselves off from outsiders, however, the elves did not obtain peace by secluding themselves. As the years went by, the many kingdoms and federations fought over the vast forest. It seemed that as the opportunities for expansion outside the forest were forgone, many elven leaders sought to expand within Nilduras

Outside the forest, the territory held by the Skarian Empire shrunk until there remained but a few strongholds. They who had dominated the continent for so long now struggled to retain the remaining bastions of their decaying empire.

Most of the Skarian settlements on the continent of Simanorion were spread out and secluded, with the exception being those located within the heartland regions of Daetur, Simanor and Cerlonac. Beyond these regions, the few remaining Skarian strongholds were cut off from one another as the territory which the empire had ceded was claimed by rising nations, few of which were on good terms with the Skarians.

As chaos returned to many parts of the world, the Skarians seldom took the risk of sending troops between their strongholds. Most often, they would travel in small groups on the backs of their great eagles, avoiding the dangers of the world below. But the eagles were few, and even travel by air could be dangerous, for many other nations were also able to tame great birds.

These many species of great birds were much like common birds but big enough to be ridden by humanoid creatures. These were referred to by the same name as the regular sized bird they resembled, preceded by the word “great”, as in great eagle or great owl.

The great birds of the world didn’t follow the same proportions as their regular versions relative to one another. Great hummingbirds, for example, were still smaller than most, but only half the size of great eagles.

These impressive creatures were usually tamed with the help of certain people who were said to have been blessed by the elven goddess of fauna, Nirdalune, with the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. In most cultures, this was referred to as the Gift of Nirdalune and allowed them to form bonds with animals and obtain their services willingly. This process was sacred to the elves, who despised races who forced animals into labour.

In this new age, the Gift of Nirdalune had become less common, however. This was true for most peoples of Simanorion, aside from the elves and a few other races. Thus, those who had it were considered a valuable and precious asset, which often led to conflict.

Thankfully, the Skarians still held major strongholds in the Simanor Mountains, giving them access to hundreds of nests and allowing the few who had the Gift of Nirdalune to tame new eagles. Nonetheless, they had much fewer great birds than in the prime of their empire, limiting their ability to travel between the isolated settlements.

Though the decline of the Skarian Empire slowed over the years, its remnants continued to collapse as more forts and cities were abandoned to the various factions which were growing within Simanorion. One such stronghold was the fort of Firildor, which was under siege by an army of barbarians, known as the Eshgirs as our story begins.

*****

It was in the year five hundred fifty-four after the Fall of Dundalir. The Fall of Dundalir, which marked the beginning of Skaria’s decline, was the point from which the Skarian date was counted in this age, differentiating it from the previous age, which they referred to as the Age of the Golden Lion. Firildor was now one of the few remote Skarian outposts to withstand the slow decay which had followed this battle.

The fortress was located in a region of Simanorion between the Noriondir Mountain range and the Sea of Pellion called the Karst of Ramdur. This was made up of hundreds of large, pillar-like mountains created by the process of karst as water from nearby mountains carved into the rock. These mountains reached up to five hundred meters in height and turned the land into a forest of tooth-shaped peaks through which many rivers passed, both above and below ground.

Danger was present in every corner of the Karst of Ramdur, from the large cave networks, to the thick vegetation on the ground, to many craggy paths which travelled up the pillar-like mountains, and to the settlements built atop them.

Most residents of this region had built their homes on the large plateaus atop the mountains in hopes that altitude would provide safety. Though true in some cases, it was often proven wrong. These altitudes were especially dangerous near the coast, where great, white-bellied sea eagles preferred hunting in the more open areas they provided. These high altitudes offered much better visibility than the canyons below, which were filled with lush vegetation.

Since the decline of the Skarian Empire, the danger in the Karst of Ramdur had increased further as two large coalitions of barbarian tribes entered the region, driving out even the fierce bands of orcs, which had spread terror throughout the region for years.

The first coalition of tribes, the Eshgirs, had come from the Grasslands of Daradeth, in the south, to escape famine. A rapid growth in their population had led to over hunting and wiped out several of the herds on which they had depended, forcing them to leave their homes in the plains.

Seeking a new home, they entered the Karst and soon captured the largest Skarian city in the region, Hombadril, making it their capital. They renamed it Shara Gur, meaning fallen city in their language.

The following years, they took over several more Skarian settlements, leaving only a few in the south, which they had not spotted upon entering the region.

The other coalition of tribes had arrived from the north a few years later, due to their lands being invaded by a large empire, known as the Arshaks.

The new Arshak empress sought to create an empire which rivaled that of the Skarians in its prime. Thus, they had begun by travelling northeast and chasing the barbarian tribes out of their homes in the Vargal Tundra.

After losing several battles, the tribes attempted to flee west, but were cut off by the Arshaks. They were then forced to escape south, through the Gorodim Wetlands, which eventually led them into the Karst of Ramdur.

These northern barbarians were known as the Vargals, after the region in which they had originated, a name which they gladly accepted as they swore to one day reclaim their homeland.

They chose the city of Doralak to be the centre of their new territory, after conquering the ancient, dwarven stronghold and forcing the survivors to join their ranks.

As the Vargals began expanding their territory, they pushed the Eshgirs south, causing them to take over most of the remaining Skarian strongholds, until there remained but one in Ramdur. This last remaining fortress was known as Firildor.

Nonetheless, it seemed that it too would soon fall to the Eshgirs, for it was under siege and there were few left to defend it. It was clear to the remaining defenders that they had little hope of surviving as hundreds of barbarians gathered below, along the banks of the Quash River.

Soon, the barbarians slowly made their way up the narrow path which spiralled up the mountain across from the one upon which Firildor had been built. The bridge connecting the two mountains near the top seemed to be the only access to the fortress.

The Skarian defenders prepared for what was expected to be the last battle of their lives. Leading the Skarian defence was general Edakor, a wolfkryn whose large body was covered in grey fur, a long tail protruding from his armour.

Many races of Simanorion were referred to as kryn because they shared a similar morphology. For example, bull headed men, or minotaurs, as some called them, were referred to as bullkryn.

Kryn had the heads of animals but bodies that varied from being identical to those of humans to having most features of the animal, such as fur, scales, claws, tails, or hooves. Many kryn had bodies which looked almost identical to that of the animal to which they were related but were able to walk upright and communicate using humanoid languages. They also varied in size in a way that often corresponded to the animal to which they were related, elephantkryn being exceptionally large while foxkryn were short and slim.

Some races were referred to as vryn. These had a different morphology which included the torso and head of a human and the body of an animal below the waist. They sometimes also had some features belonging to the animal on their human bodies, such as horns or scales.

The humanoid body of vryn typically protruded from the location of the neck of the regular animal to which they were related, meaning that they had the same number of legs as the animal would, as well as their two, human arms, above. The most common of these were horsevryn, which were known as centaurs in some cultures.

There were many kryn in General Edakor’s defending army, most of which were other wolfkryn, bullkryn and leokryn which were also known as lionkryn. There were also several sheepkryn, the species which had populated a large portion of the Karst of Ramdur centuries before.

Alongside General Edakor was his advisor and closest friend, Arolim, the younger brother of King Neabrok, of Val Cadalir. He was a tall and powerful leokryn, who had advised Edakor for years and fought alongside him in many battles, most of which had been fairly desperate, given the condition of the empire. Somehow, they had survived thus far, but it seemed they would finally meet their ends this day.

Also supporting the general was Dassenar, a young, elven commander who had recently arrived in Firildor, on his journey east. Edakor had only known him for a handful of years but trusted him and had great respect for him. Though he had risen through the ranks in a fraction of the time it took most generals due to his connections in the highest ranks of the empire, Dassenar had earned his position in Edakor’s eyes. He was a natural leader and an excellent tactician.

Furthermore, Edakor respected Dassenar for his incredible skill with a blade. The elven warrior’s prowess never ceased to impress the wolfkryn as he fought with grace and deadly precision.

Dassenar fought in the ancient fighting style of his ancestors, who had lived in the central region of the Forest of Nilduras. Like the original elves of this region, Dassenar had dark-red hair, which resembled the colour of a full-bodied red wine.

The young commander had been sent east to order the evacuation of the last remaining Skarian settlements, but his timing had been unfortunate, the Eshgir forces blocking any escape route as he and his warriors arrived in Firildor.

The three leaders were standing on the battlements, above the main gates, as the barbarians slowly made their way along the path which spiralled up the pillar-like mountain. The Skarian forces had gathered near the large gates of the fortress in a solemn march.

Edakor had chosen to exit the large, stone walls and defend the bridge. His reasoning was that a chokepoint battle would be more advantageous to the Skarians, for their numbers were insufficient to fully man the fortress walls.

Thus, the Skarians were standing by the gates, waiting to hear from their leader. They were organized in several large, rectangular formations, their traditional, black armour shining as a light rain fell upon it.

The standard Skarian armour was made of iron, which was painted black and outlined in golden coloured copper. The most recognizable part of this armour was the corinthian-styled helmet. Though small changes had been made over time, Skarians had worn corinthian helmets for ages.

In the front of their helmets was a sharp, triangular shape, resembling a spearhead, which rose like a crown. Though it was seldom used as a weapon, this pointed spike was known to have been used in desperate situations. This same shape was used for the circlets worn by lighter infantry or archers.

Skarian soldiers had initially worn long, wine-red capes which were attached to either shoulder, but many had since adopted the Simanorion style, in which the cape was a bit shorter and was attached to only one shoulder, covering half the wearer’s back. The bottom edge of the cape would typically be cut in a diagonal line toward the middle of the wearer’s body.

Skarian shields typically had one of three shapes. Some were small, heater shields, while others were taller heater shields, and a third variety had a teardrop shape. This allowed the Skarians to get in organized, defensive formations such as shield walls or schiltrons. Skarians were known for such defensive formations and often set up large, circular schiltrons across the battlefield to hold certain positions.

On the Skarian shields were rearing, winged lions, which were made of copper, giving them a golden colour. This made the shields a bit heavier but the head and front legs of the lions often served to inflict damage in the same way a shield boss normally would.

Matching the dark, wine-red capes were long flags attached to lances. These floated in the wind as the foot soldiers marched forward to gather in front of their commander.

Seeing as most of the defenders had gathered, Edakor began his speech.

“Today you do not fight for Skaria. Skaria has abandoned you.” He said, his arms extending outward to remind the soldiers that this small force was all they had left and there would be no reinforcements.

Dassenar turned to him, glaring with his piercing, hazel eyes. He too felt that the situation was dire but understood the decisions of his superiors and did not resent them. He wished that reinforcements could have been sent to Firildor but knew that most of the Skarian armies within Simanorion were already engaged in other conflicts, defending the heartland.

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“The allies of Skaria abandoned you long ago.” Continued Edakor. “And now, it seems even the gods have abandoned you. So, you must look to those who still stand by you. The warriors, humans, elves and kryn who have been by your side as our civilization crumbled and doom fell upon our lands. It is for them you fight today.”

Edakor paused, signaling the Skarian warriors near him to open the gates with a subtle nod to the side. They quickly made their way to the mechanism and Edakor continued his speech as the large, black doors creaked open. He frowned as he spoke, his tone conveying his indignation.

“Do not expect to survive. This will be your last battle. So, you have but one choice left. To die an honourable death, fighting valiantly or to die a coward’s death as you allow despair to take hold of your hearts.” Once again, Edakor paused, looking down at the column of Skarian soldiers in their impeccable formation. He took in a deep breath, pushing his chest out and lifting in chin in a proud stance.

He now spoke in a much lower tone, his voice growling. “Your hearts are Skarian, they will not be so easily crushed with fear!” He paused once again, looking his warriors in the eyes.

“Now show these barbarians why it is you who should be feared!” Edakor took a deep breath before yelling. “Forward, guardians of Ramdur!” As he yelled, the wolfkryn unsheathed his longsword and turned toward the bridge behind him, lifting the blade toward the Eshgirs across the way.

As Edakor turned, Arolim let out a chilling roar in typical leokryn fashion and the soldiers responded in a loud cheer, many other leokryn responding with roars.

Just over a hundred and fifty Skarian pikemen marched out of Firildor, forming a defensive position at the far edge of the large bridge that spanned the deep canyon between the column on which Firildor was built and the one around which the stairs spiraled.

Around two hundred archers followed, wearing lighter armour and light iron circlets, lined in copper and painted black to match the rest of their armour. They wore black hoods and walked in highly organized formations. Most were elves, as their race was especially gifted in the use of bows.

The barbarian horde amassed on a large plateau, located twenty meters below the top of the mountain which they had climbed. They prepared to charge across the bridge, battle cries and drums cheering on their vanguard.

Back atop the ramparts, Dassenar had rushed to the northern edge of the wall for one last goodbye before entering what he anticipated would be his last battle. He stopped, looking out into the distance, then whistled, catching the attention of an ornate hawk-eagle, which flew over to him and landed on his arm.

The young elf’s chiselled, angular face, which was typically lively and handsome, seemed to melt as he looked into his companion’s piercing, yellow eyes. He remained silent for some time, reminiscing about the many memories they had shared. Hearing the loud drums in the distance, however, he knew he had no time to linger on the ramparts.

“Farewell Aelarforon!” Said the elf as he watched the beautiful creature soar into the sky. Dassenar had chosen the creature’s name himself, a few years earlier, back in Dalgrion, a city within the Simanor Mountains, in Skaria. It meant king of the mountains, which made him feel that it was fitting for the hawk-eagle to begin a new life within this mountain range. His life would likely not be easy, for he was far from being the apex predator of the treacherous, local ecosystem, but there was little more Dassenar could do for him.

Arolim waited with his claymore resting on his shoulder as his right hand held the grip in a very relaxed manner, staring across the bridge. The large weapon was decorated with a golden lion, its head on the rain guard while its wings decorated the cross guard and its lower body created grooves in the handle which were designed to fit the tall leokryn’s fingers.

The rain had turned into more of a light mist, whirling in the wind. The fog forming along the great mountains, which were lush with vegetation, gave the scene an earie aspect, further convincing the aging Skarian warrior that this would likely be his final battle.

The Skarian uniform did little to block out the cold, damp air, which even penetrated through Arolim’s fur. It was clear that the frigid air was getting to most of the warriors around him, some were even shivering. Their muscles were likely numb, making them slower.

The garrison of Firildor wasn’t equipped for the cold, for the Karst rarely reached freezing temperatures, even at high altitudes. However, the Karst was very humid, making temperatures even above freezing point feel much colder as the cold penetrated through even thick fur. A problem for which they had yet to find a solution, other than grit.

Thankfully, the Eshgirs would also be affected by the frigid wind, their fur and leather clothing often following their traditional style, which had been designed for higher temperatures. The Eshgirs believed that wearing clothes that are fairly open and show one’s skin was a sign of great confidence and that enemies were intimidated by this. They had likely adopted this mindset from their age-old rivals, the bullkryn tribes of Daradeth.

The eager barbarians soon charged forward, crashed onto the pikes as a wave onto a rocky shore. Most were simply impaled, while some were cut down with swords and a few simply backed up from the pikes in fear, creating a cluster of barbarians in front of them.

The barbarians continued to push forward, slowly wearing down the defenders. As they suspected their enemies were beginning to tire, the Eshgir leaders sent forth some of their more elite troops to the edges of the battle, hoping to push through the Skarian defence on either side of the bridge.

What soon struck the Skarian defence were tall and robust warriors. Many were bearkryn with large paws and incredibly strong arms. There were also several bisonkryn, crowkryn and wolfkryn. A few of the warriors in this special unit were very tall and muscular humans who, in typical Eshgir fashion, had long, greasy, black hair with matching beards.

The large, Eshgir warriors charged at either end of the Skarian defence and broke through fairly quickly. Some were struck with pikes but simply broke the shafts and ran forward, sending the Skarian warriors flying back. The line was broken on either side, causing panic through the ranks of defenders. The next rows filled in, but the large barbarians charged forward, giving them little time to prepare.

Seeing the crisis, Edakor and Dassenar, who had been waiting in reserve with a dozen warriors each, charged forward to reinforce the defensive line.

As he began running, Edakor ordered one of his captains, a cheetahkryn, to gather any forces left guarding the fortress and have them come reinforce the bridge defence. The time had come to gather the full force of Firildor and make the final stand.

He ran forward, meeting the enemy as they broke through the back of the pikeman ranks. To his dismay, the wolfkryn met another of his kind a leaped forward, striking him with his longsword.

His large weapon was lighter than it might have appeared, allowing him to wield it with one hand at times and use the other to strike enemies with his sharp claws. With this versatile fighting style, he led the elite swordsmen through the ranks of pikemen, pushing the barbarians back onto the bridge.

On the left flank, Dassenar was equally successful but lost many swordmen, finding himself fighting alone amongst barbarians before more of his warriors pushed forward. He swung his scimitar wildly, the long, thin blade cutting through the poorly made leather armour of his enemies.

With a mix of furs and leather armour, the barbarians were ill equipped compared to the tough Skarian armour. Only well-placed strikes and the brute strength of their special forces seemed to be effective against the defenders.

Dassenar soon noticed the four members of his bodyguard had pushed forward to join him and decided to continue pushing forward in hopes of further lowering the barbarian morale and causing a mass route.

His bodyguard, composed of two elves, a harpy-eaglekryn and a human, had fought alongside him for several years, making them a deadly team. Dassenar lead them onward, his style of fighting involving long and swift movements that relied on precision to weaken the enemies and leave them exposed, so that the others would finish them off.

To Dassenar’s right, a male harpy-eaglekryn, named Saerion. He fought with a partizan-style polearm. He swung the weapon around, striking forward as he advanced and often, spinning, jumping, and crouching gracefully, in a style which resembled that of the elves.

Attached just below the spearhead was a dark-red ribbon, floating along as he swung his weapon. This was an eaglekryn tradition, which reminded Saerion of his birthplace, the island of Aquilea, though it was common among many peoples of Simanorion, much like the Simanorion cape.

The pole itself was made of a dark wood, which had been painted black. The sleek, simple blade had also been painted black, aside from the sharp edges, which had a golden colour.

To Dassenar’s left was Taelryn, a non-binary elf, who also fought with a partizan-style polearm, though theirs was more ornate. The blade had been decorated with designs and took on the shape of pegasi on the protrusions near the bottom of the blade, which resembled axe heads.

Taelryn had long, straight, brown hair and light-grey eyes. Their face was thin and angular, like most elves, and looked perfectly androgynous, conveniently making it hard to discern what their sex was. Unfortunately, many people still weren’t comfortable with or didn’t seek to understand those who didn’t conform with their views of gender binarism, despite the general views of the Skarian empire, which were often seen as open and progressive.

Taelryn had also attached a ribbon below the blade of their weapon. However, in their case, the tradition was from the elves of Vithrandel, a secluded nation in the southern Noriondir mountains. They had been raised among the Vithrandelians, who were known to be great warriors and tamers of the legendary griffons but chose to join the Skarian army at an early age. However, they still chose to follow the old tradition, which consisted of wearing a ribbon which corresponded that the god from whom one sought assistance or attaching it to one’s weapon.

The Vithrandelians practiced the ancient elven fighting techniques, but mainly remained peaceful, feeling no obligation to help those around them, much like the elves of Nilduras. Taelryn, however, did feel this was their duty and, thus, decided that joining the Skarian military would be a good way to do so. They had been welcomed among the Skarians, especially because they had the Gift of Nirdalune and proficient at taming eagles.

Much like Dassenar and Saerion, Taelryn fought with the goal of, at the very least, exposing enemy weaknesses to the last two members of their team, the elf and the human, who followed on either side.

The second elf fought with a sword and a small shield while the human, a woman of Skarian descent, fought with a larger shield and a small axe. They followed the three others, finishing off any surviving enemies and keeping an eye on the battlefield up ahead.

The group of five deadly warriors managed to push the barbarians back on the left side then head across to the right side of the bridge, meeting Arolim and Edakor who were now fighting side by side, finishing off a few remaining bearkryn.

As the Eshgir advance finally seemed to have been halted and the Skarians were starting to gain ground along the bridge, the fate of the Skarian force was sealed as their back lines were under attack.

What Edakor and his advisors had failed to take into account was that a large force of kryn warriors that fight for the Eshgirs were races who were originally residents of the karst of Ramdur, before the Skarian invasion. Many of their peoples joined the Skarians but those who refused were chased away, forced to travel north of south and join the few settlements that would accept them.

Among these descendants of the original Ramdurians were kryn who had adapted to life within the karst and in the Noriondir mountains. Their ability to climb steep cliffs and jump far and high, gave them an incredible advantage over their enemies in such places. These were races such as the bighorn sheepkryn, ibexkryn and mountain goatkryn.

These kryn had the heads of the animals they were related to, but also similar legs with hooves, allowing them to position themselves on incredibly small ledges and balance on them.

It was these kryn who climbed the large mountain upon which Firildor was built, not needing the spiraling road around the adjacent one. They were able to go unnoticed as the Skarian forces were focused on the bridge and the last remaining guards had left the fortress, following Edakor’s orders.

The bighorn sheepkryn, ibexkryn and mountain goatkryn climbed onto either side of the large, half-moon shaped plateau in front of Firildor and quickly began killing the Skarian archers, who were caught by surprise.

Many archers pulled out their swords and fought well with them, but there were too many kryn rushing up from the chasm. They jumped incredible distances, leaping in at the archers, who barely stood a chance.

It was fitting that they be the key group of warriors who overthrow the last remaining Skarian stronghold in Ramdur. They who had be so wronged by the Skarian Empire in its prime. They had participated greatly in the campaign to remove the remaining Skarians from the region, but never had their skills been used so effectively.

As the backlines of the pike wall fell, Edakor knew the battle was lost. The only Skarian defence was now on the bridge, the last remaining fortress guards and a few archers, running in to join them for the final stand.

“Dassenar, you can still escape!” Yelled Edakor as his sword cut through a barbarian’s neck. “You must go now!”

“I will fight with you until the end, my friend!” Answered the elf. He had been fighting alongside Taleryn, while Saerion and his other bodyguards had gotten separated from them in the chaos of battle.

“No!” Replied the wolfkryn, angrily. “Go to Arendil and tell them that we have fallen.” Edakor stopped, leaping forward and biting into an enemy’s shoulder. The barbarian fell to the ground and Edakor struck another with the back of his sword hand. He hit the barbarians man square in the face and followed the motion to swing his sword at a third attacker.

“They must be warned that we have fallen.” Continued Edakor. “You need to take command of the fortress and have it evacuated immediately. They are alone in the east now. Their only chance in the long run will be to head west.” Before Dassenar could say anything, Edakor opened his large jaw, his teeth covered in blood, and yelled a war cry as he charged into the enemy ranks.

Dassenar turned to Taelryn, who was still fighting nearby, and said: “It’s time, Taelryn!”

The fortress of Firildor had lost the few winged mounts they had in the months preceding the attack. They had all died to Eshgir hunters, who rode great vultures, travelling in large kettles to patrol their regions of the Karst.

Thankfully, Taelryn had been able to use their gift in order to communicate with a great bird nearby and tame it over the few days since they had been trapped in the fortress by the Eshgirs below.

The method of communication being telepathic, they could only get a simple sense of the size and shape of the creature with their sixth sense, feeling its presence. It was only when they finally called for its aid, during the battle, that Taelryn saw the beautiful creature. They had tamed a rare bird, which was called a great brahminy kite.

The powerful bird of prey had shiny, white feathers on its head with different shades of chestnut brown on its body and black at the tips of its wings. It soared through the air, preparing to swoop below the bridge.

“This way!” Said Taelryn to Dassenar, who had just cut down an Eshgir warrior.

Edakor moved forward, fighting off the enemies along their path as they made their way to the edge of the bridge which was opposite to the direction from which the brahminy kite was arriving.

The three warriors fought their way to the edge, where Edakor said: “May the gods protect you.” before turning and providing warding off approaching Eshgirs with his powerful claws.

The wolfkryn provided cover as Taelryn and Dassenar jumped off the edge of the bridge, Taelryn giving the command as they sensed the eagle passing below them. They landed on the eagle’s back and quickly flew south.

Since the Skarian archers had mainly been killed, Eshgirs were now approaching the battlefield on great vultures. Most were focused on the bridge, but a few spotted the brahminy kite flying off between the stone pillars and moved to pursue it.

Leading the Eshgir pursuit was a bald man with a large scar on his head, riding a condor. The great bird was massive, fitting two capybarakryn on the large saddle with the human warrior, who were both holding crossbows.

Slowed down by the weight of its two riders, the brahminy kite did its best to weave between the mountains, avoiding the crossbow bolts from the capybarakryn.

“Switch places with me!” Yelled Taelryn, hoping the strong wind wouldn’t prevent Dassenar from understanding them.

Taelryn, who had been sitting in the front, swung their body to the left, nearly touching the great bird’s extended wing, as Dassenar climbed over their right leg, keeping his body low to avoid getting struck by the powerful wind. As Dassenar moved forward, Taelryn slid back, pulling their bow from their back and shooting toward the great condor.

“We need to get to Daibelor!” Yelled Dassenar.

Knowing the climb to Firildor was likely too dangerous for it, Dassenar had left his mount, a black unicorn, in a small field nearby. He had chosen to sit him free, but had come to realize that he needed to try to escape east. He now agreed that it was crucial for him to reach Arendil and thus hoped to return to Daibelor and escape with Taelryn on the back of the unicorn. This would be a safer method of escaping, for traveling through the air was clearly far more dangerous. The great vultures of the Eshgirs were known to wait, perched on the cliff-sides in large committees, hoping to spot their next prey. Travelling through the thick vegetation would not be ideal for the unicorn, but it would offer cover, allowing them to travel more slowly once they were out of sight of their pursuers.

Taelryn was able to fend off the great condor, but several vultures swooped down from the sides, attempting to rip them from the brahminy kite’s back. Thankfully, they could quickly grab their partizan polearm from their back and strike at them. Taelryn even managed to land a hit on a vulture’s chest, sending it crashing to its death on the rocks below.

Dassenar and Taelryn soon arrived at the large field, where they instructed the brahminy kite land, having temporarily lost their pursuers.

Dassenar whistled and the majestic unicorn soon galloped toward him. Its horn had a matte black colour, which was as dark as its long, flowing mane but did not shine like the rest of its coat.

Dassenar quickly hopped on to the unicorn’s back and held his hand out to help Taelryn climb on.

“I’m not coming.” Said the elven warrior. “You’ll have a better chance of escaping if I draw them off!”

“That’s ridiculous!” Answered Dassenar. “You won’t be able to escape through the air. You might lose these Eshgirs but there are hundreds of vultures waiting throughout the Karst and Vargals on their ospreys, in the north.”

“You need to reach Arendil and have the fortress evacuated.” Said Taelryn. “This is how I’ve chosen to assist you in your task. Now go, we don’t have much time.”

“I could not have asked for a better friend, Taelryn.” Said Dassenar, staring at their light-grey eyes as he understood they could not be swayed. “You honour your people with your ardor and integrity. May your ancestors welcome you with pride, Edrissardras!”

Taelryn’s bottom lip jutted out and their eyes narrowed, filling up with tears. Their mouth opened, but they were unable to reply, the words sticking to their throat. They gave Dassenar a kind look and flew off on the brahminy kite.

Dassenar watched as Taelryn flew up, between the massive cliffs, the rays of golden sunlight peaking through the clouds and illuminating their great bird’s beautiful feathers.

Sadness filled the elf’s heart as he rode off, thinking of all the friends he had likely lost that day.