180 Years Later

The battle field was set. Now the waiting game begun. Those slow; painfully slow moments passed by at just the same speed they always did. However, to the five thousand or so warrior knights, three hundred cavelerymen, hundreds of archers. The half dozen mages dispersed throughout the troops. The time went by as if it weren't even moving at all. Excruciatingly slow. Even the Grim Wargs seemed on edge. The huge hounds were disfigured from many battles and hunting parties. For not many wounds could take down a Grim Warg. Their paws the size of a large stew bowl, with razor sharp retractable claws. Their teeth like nine inch daggers and four fold as sharp protruding down past their lower mandible. Fiercely trained and even more loyal, they needed no chains. Standing as tall as a fully grown man's chest and terrifyingly powerful, but deathly agile. These beasts can take down mountain trolls and forest sprites with little effort. So seeing any number on the enimy side was a terrifying prospect. Let alone 3 of them. In the heat of battle they maintain focus better than the most seasoned fighting men. Following only commands given telepathically by their Paladin masters. They say that the Grim Wargs can even speak back if some of the rumors are to be believed. But none the less, they stood stoically awaiting orders.

The only ones who seemed to be unshifted by the panics of the coming war, that grips any battle hardened man were the Paladins themselves. They stood as still as a gargoyle. Eyes scanning the beautiful green hillocks and parts of the forests edge that were visible, for the first signs of the onslaught they knew would bathe this picaresque land scape in blood and entrails of more people than they wished to think about.

Paladins, being of Devine Essence have powers of magics developed specifically for the battle field. They stand taller than most men. Hulking over the rest with their stature, and the massive full plate and mail armour they wear seems to vibrate slightly through the air. Almost audibly. Armour so heavy that they have to have ethereal runes inscribed within each piece at forging just so it's weight can be lifted. To the Paladins, it's as if they are wearing nothing but a light tunic and trousers. Drawing their strength from their belief and righteousness of their connection to their chosen God's. These elite warriors can turn the tide of any battle with their weapons of legend and their devastating magics.

A voice is heard amongst the chatter and clanking of armour being tightened and adjusted. A high pitched voice belonging to a young man barley of fighting age with scarce enough hair on his top lip to issue a razor. Whose Helmut hung so low over his brow it needed constant readjustment. "D-do you think there'll be many of them Paladin Sir?".

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Followed very quickly by a hard clang from a spear being wielded by the section commander, making sharp Impact with the back of the young man's Helmut. "Shut up and don't make him break focus! Him and his pet here are the only thing that's going to win us this war! Your job is to make sure you stay out of his way, and take at least one Ram down before they take you down! You got me?!"

The section commander hurried off and made sure that his lines werent broken and his men were facing the right direction. Spear at the ready for its next unfortunate victim of discipline.

The young man looked back up at the stoic Paladin and shifted his gaze side ways at the massive Grim Warg at his side. When the beast turned to look at him, he snapped his gaze away so fast his Helmut needed to be readjusted again. The beast seemed to him to be humming. Every muscle and fibre slightly tenced; ready for the faintest sign or scent of the invading force. The Paladin ran his gloved fingers through the stark white fur of the beast. Stark white all over, except the left ear. That was completely black. The beast seemed to relax it's posture but stood still, ever ready. "Have you ever swung a sword boy?"

The voice was, mystical and deep. Like it had a faint sence of an echo, or something was projecting his voice further than normal.

With a start, the young man turned to look up at the Paladin who hadn't taken his gaze away from the tree line for an instant. Wondering if he had even seen his mouth move when he heard his voice. "Y-yes Master Paladin sir. Well... just wooden one's with my cousins when I was just a boy, and these last moons at the barracks whilst training for today, sir."

"Mhmmm." came the low rumbling reply. "What's your name boy?"

Hesitating for a time that was innaprotrate for such a question. The boy seemed taken aback that he would be even addressed by someone of such importance. "Talix, sir" the voice squeaked out. For the first time Talix had seen, the Paladin took his eyes away from the tree line to steal a glance at the boy. He noticed the colour of his eyes. A hollow blue that seemed to look past the point of focus and beyond. He could tell this even through Talix's blùd shot eyes and the tears that we're slowly streaming down from them. With straggling hair the colour of the sun. The build of a serving boy, and the posture of a hard working one at that. Talix was drafted in to the Kings foward knights the week he became of age. His mother was held back while the boy was taken away from her on his 14th sun cycle. Talix left with out trouble simply saying "I'll see you when I'm a hero" trying to help his mother feel better, and turned away before she could see the tears pouring out of his eyes. He knew he would never see her again.

Perhaps he asked out of interest. Or perhaps the boy just needed to break the deafening silence he heard. Even though the lulling din of his enviroment forced him to raise his voice louder than even he had expected. "Master Paladin? Sir? May I, please know your name too? I-I've never met a Paladin before."

Without the motion you'd expect to see from someone so over encumbered. The giant figure turned to the boy and looked him dead in the eye, and without moving his lips, he spoke and the boy heard. "I feel you will soon find out, and if you don't. Then it will never have been necessary for me to tell you."

The Grim Warg stiffened. Followed instantly by the Paladin. Their attention drawn to the tree line. The Paladin spoke with his voice this time. "Be at the ready young Talix. Keep your shield arm strong and don't loose your feet.... they're here."