Chapter One: The Escape.
The human slaves, all once proud merchants and warriors of the now destroyed Kingdom of Halvoor, were being herded out of their pens and barracks and Kor'Rath'A'Gor, the prison camp overseer, barked out the daily orders and the listless men went about their tasks. Not that they had a choice. Unknown to the Orcs, a rogue-mage, Kilan, had slipped into the camp in the dead of night and had met with the former Officers of the men, the lords and the other leaders and they all hit on a plan. The human rogue-mage had set up a portal in a natural cave underneath one of the barracks. and the grilling leading into the cave had been loosened and reshut as not to attract the attention of the Orcs guarding the camp. The men went about their business and Kilan, dressed in prisoner rags, winked at the human who had volunteered to create a diversion so everyone could portal out safely. "Aye, tonight" whispered the prisoner to the mage. "Go about your tasks! Mealtime is over you worthless slaves!" shouted an Orc guard, Kilan quickly vanished into the brickyard, where the slaves were covered in clay and the Orcs could not tell who was who. At exactly sunset, the prisoner made for the wooden wall and tried to climb over it but did so shouting as to attract the attention of the Orc guards. "Stop him!" shouted Kor and the Orc guards ran to try to shoot him down as the prisoners made thier way into the escape barracks. Lt. Fromold of the Imperial Army removed the gate and men began to jump into the cave. The brave Lt. kept watch at the door as the men filed into the hole. No signs of the Orcs. "I guess our guy must have made it!" whispered a human soilder, "he'll make it to the border and we'll reunite someday and tell our grandchildren the tale." said another. "Silence in the ranks!" whispered an Imperial Officer. Soon, the last Officer was in the hole and the grate was sealed. The Mage motioned to the men and they followed him down a steep tunnel to a large chamber with a portal leading to a forested area. "That forested area you see lies within the boundaries of the Elven Realm. Get to an Elven lord and pledge your sword to him because that's the only way you men are getting home." said the Mage. Everyone jumped through the portal in one leap and the mage leap through as well. "Only 102 Orc camps to go!" said Kilan to himself.
Chapter Two: The Forest Realm.
The trees soared to the heavens and the men were amazed at the sight of it all. "No wonder the Elves want to keep everyone out, this is amazing!" said an Officer. The twin suns shone through the canopy and the grasses swayed with the breeze. "Keep your eyes upwards. The Elves live in villages in the treetops." said Lord Tyrus. "Form an orderly formation!" said Lord Tyrus, the former General of His Majesty's Imperial Horse. He protected himself from discovery by posing as a thief and a vagabond and did not reveal himself to the other Officers until everyone was safely out into the Elven Realm. The men formed up and began to march. "Hold!" said an elven voice in their language. "We are escapees from the Orcs!" said Lord Tyrus. "Do I care? You are trespassing in the Realm of the Elders of the Forest. You must leave, at once!" said the scout. "We only seek an audience with your Emperor." said Lord Tyrus. "Fine! Follow me and don't touch these trees, these are our ancestors!" snapped the Elf. "Little good it will do you! The Emperor knows how much you love to cut down trees for fire and farmland. He will give you some food and clothing, and then you will return to your homes." said the scout and he rode ahead of the human column. After two days, the column came to a large lake and on the island in the middle of the lake was a crystal palace. "The boaters will take you to the other side" said the Elf. The men loaded up into the boats and the men crossed the lake to the island. The scout talked with the Emperor's Gaurds and they nodded that the humans may pass. Lord Tyrus and his other Officers strode in to meet with the Elvish Emperor. "Your Majesty, the Speaker of the Heavens." said Tyrus as he kneeled. "You may rise, what occasion brings you to our Realm and my Palace?" asked the Emperor. "We seek clothing and weapons so we can retake our fallen Kingdom from the Orcs." said Lord Tyrus. "Did you not hear?" asked the Emperor. "I did not your majesty." said Lord Tyrus, fearing the worst. "I am already allied to the Ten human Kings. I will give you armor, clothes, food and weapons and a rearguard of 200 of my archers." said the Emperor. "I thank you, my Majesty." said Lord Tyrus. "The Orcs had the nerve to invade our Realm and burn our beloved ancestors so we put aside our animosity for a common good." said the Princess, Lyrica. She had been clothed in a white robe were she stood with her brothers and sisters. "We thank you for your efforts on our behalf, lord?" asked Lord Tyrus. "Princess Lyrica." said the elven Princess. "Our healers will try to heal your men but they have no expirence with humans." said the Princess. "We have a military doctor in our ranks that can assist them." said Lord Tyrus.
The rest of the evening was a diplomatic fencing match with the Princes. They wanted to know why humans lived in opposition to nature while Lord Tyrus explained that the Kings hired Forest Wardens to maintain the Royal Forests for hunting and timber. "No farmer, either free or bond, is allowed to cut away the Royal Forests" explained Lord Tyrus to the Princes. "Unless the wood is dead." he added. "But men had left the plains a long time ago to settle in our Realm and then you founded your Ten Kingdoms." said Prince Vessarian. "The tribes that left the plains did so with the education from the hill dwarves of how to farm. Without that, we would still be raiders and herdsmen." said Lord Tyrus. "But that was thousands of years ago." said Lord Tyrus. "3,450 years ago, when my grandfather was ruler of this world." said Prince Vessarian.
More to come!
The human slaves, all once proud merchants and warriors of the now destroyed Kingdom of Halvoor, were being herded out of their pens and barracks and Kor'Rath'A'Gor, the prison camp overseer, barked out the daily orders and the listless men went about their tasks. Not that they had a choice. Unknown to the Orcs, a rogue-mage, Kilan, had slipped into the camp in the dead of night and had met with the former Officers of the men, the lords and the other leaders and they all hit on a plan. The human rogue-mage had set up a portal in a natural cave underneath one of the barracks. and the grilling leading into the cave had been loosened and reshut as not to attract the attention of the Orcs guarding the camp. The men went about their business and Kilan, dressed in prisoner rags, winked at the human who had volunteered to create a diversion so everyone could portal out safely. "Aye, tonight" whispered the prisoner to the mage. "Go about your tasks! Mealtime is over you worthless slaves!" shouted an Orc guard, Kilan quickly vanished into the brickyard, where the slaves were covered in clay and the Orcs could not tell who was who. At exactly sunset, the prisoner made for the wooden wall and tried to climb over it but did so shouting as to attract the attention of the Orc guards. "Stop him!" shouted Kor and the Orc guards ran to try to shoot him down as the prisoners made thier way into the escape barracks. Lt. Fromold of the Imperial Army removed the gate and men began to jump into the cave. The brave Lt. kept watch at the door as the men filed into the hole. No signs of the Orcs. "I guess our guy must have made it!" whispered a human soilder, "he'll make it to the border and we'll reunite someday and tell our grandchildren the tale." said another. "Silence in the ranks!" whispered an Imperial Officer. Soon, the last Officer was in the hole and the grate was sealed. The Mage motioned to the men and they followed him down a steep tunnel to a large chamber with a portal leading to a forested area. "That forested area you see lies within the boundaries of the Elven Realm. Get to an Elven lord and pledge your sword to him because that's the only way you men are getting home." said the Mage. Everyone jumped through the portal in one leap and the mage leap through as well. "Only 102 Orc camps to go!" said Kilan to himself.
Chapter Two: The Forest Realm.
The trees soared to the heavens and the men were amazed at the sight of it all. "No wonder the Elves want to keep everyone out, this is amazing!" said an Officer. The twin suns shone through the canopy and the grasses swayed with the breeze. "Keep your eyes upwards. The Elves live in villages in the treetops." said Lord Tyrus. "Form an orderly formation!" said Lord Tyrus, the former General of His Majesty's Imperial Horse. He protected himself from discovery by posing as a thief and a vagabond and did not reveal himself to the other Officers until everyone was safely out into the Elven Realm. The men formed up and began to march. "Hold!" said an elven voice in their language. "We are escapees from the Orcs!" said Lord Tyrus. "Do I care? You are trespassing in the Realm of the Elders of the Forest. You must leave, at once!" said the scout. "We only seek an audience with your Emperor." said Lord Tyrus. "Fine! Follow me and don't touch these trees, these are our ancestors!" snapped the Elf. "Little good it will do you! The Emperor knows how much you love to cut down trees for fire and farmland. He will give you some food and clothing, and then you will return to your homes." said the scout and he rode ahead of the human column. After two days, the column came to a large lake and on the island in the middle of the lake was a crystal palace. "The boaters will take you to the other side" said the Elf. The men loaded up into the boats and the men crossed the lake to the island. The scout talked with the Emperor's Gaurds and they nodded that the humans may pass. Lord Tyrus and his other Officers strode in to meet with the Elvish Emperor. "Your Majesty, the Speaker of the Heavens." said Tyrus as he kneeled. "You may rise, what occasion brings you to our Realm and my Palace?" asked the Emperor. "We seek clothing and weapons so we can retake our fallen Kingdom from the Orcs." said Lord Tyrus. "Did you not hear?" asked the Emperor. "I did not your majesty." said Lord Tyrus, fearing the worst. "I am already allied to the Ten human Kings. I will give you armor, clothes, food and weapons and a rearguard of 200 of my archers." said the Emperor. "I thank you, my Majesty." said Lord Tyrus. "The Orcs had the nerve to invade our Realm and burn our beloved ancestors so we put aside our animosity for a common good." said the Princess, Lyrica. She had been clothed in a white robe were she stood with her brothers and sisters. "We thank you for your efforts on our behalf, lord?" asked Lord Tyrus. "Princess Lyrica." said the elven Princess. "Our healers will try to heal your men but they have no expirence with humans." said the Princess. "We have a military doctor in our ranks that can assist them." said Lord Tyrus.
The rest of the evening was a diplomatic fencing match with the Princes. They wanted to know why humans lived in opposition to nature while Lord Tyrus explained that the Kings hired Forest Wardens to maintain the Royal Forests for hunting and timber. "No farmer, either free or bond, is allowed to cut away the Royal Forests" explained Lord Tyrus to the Princes. "Unless the wood is dead." he added. "But men had left the plains a long time ago to settle in our Realm and then you founded your Ten Kingdoms." said Prince Vessarian. "The tribes that left the plains did so with the education from the hill dwarves of how to farm. Without that, we would still be raiders and herdsmen." said Lord Tyrus. "But that was thousands of years ago." said Lord Tyrus. "3,450 years ago, when my grandfather was ruler of this world." said Prince Vessarian.
More to come!
