Larek

Tensions were growing higher and higher. Most of the Fenlar forces had unexpectedly retreated, leaving the two Greenskin factions to fight amongst themselves. Already thousands had been killed, but things were only going to get worse. From the way things were going, it seemed a bloodfest was about to begin.

The Mountain Kingdoms War was reaching its climax. It was as if the Dijurobul and the Andirltan Factions were playing a game of chess - both of them carefully making moves, unwilling to take huge risks. However… battles were becoming more and more decisive, and soon it was obvious that a clear winner would emerge from the war.

I stood looking down on the giant valley full of thousands of enemy warriors. I had three thousand archers at my command - my job in this battle was to cause enough confusion for Andirltan’s main forces to assure our victory.

Two weeks since our alliance with Andirltan had been forged… one of the best decisions we have ever made. Six other small nations, including ours, had promised to yield their territory to the Andirltan Faction once the Mountain Kingdoms War ended. In return, they give us reinforcements - we received two thousand foot soldiers and three thousand archers to aid us in our battles.

“Ready…” I said slowly. The archers lit their arrows on fire and prepared to fire. Wait… wait… finally I saw Andirltan’s forces begin to gather north of our enemy. “Fire!”

Three thousand flaming arrows soared into the sky and began to fall down towards the Dijurobul forces. Five seconds later, another round of arrows were fired. As they did two armies of soldiers smashed into each other far below us, throwing everything into chaos and pandemonium.

“Soldiers!” I yelled. My two thousand infantry warriors, armed with simple steel armor and holding axes and halberds in their hands, prepared to fight in the front lines. A hundred of them threw ropes down the cliff and tied them to nearby rocks and trees. Grabbing the rope, they began to descend.

I myself tied a rope to a giant boulder and threw it off the cliff. Mouthing good luck to my soldiers, I grabbed the rope and fell down the side of the cliff. As soon as I reached the bottom, I jumped off and joined the fight - a general should always fight alongside his own troops. Cowardly leaders have no right to rule.

I’ve seen a few battles before while conquering in the name of Andirltan, but this was by far the most bloody and hectic. I scrambled around, looking for targets. As soon as I saw the bloody axe insignia of the Dijurobul Faction, I cut down the greenskin who wore it - Glitsnab had been training me nonstop for the past fourteen days. I was skilled enough that I was nearly his equal when fighting.

As an ogre loomed over me, his club raised high, I charged forwards and sliced off his legs. As he fell, an arrow impaled itself into his skull. I turned around to find Garul, loading another arrow and firing it at an unsuspecting goblin. Smiling, I tossed myself back into the fray, taking on three trolls.

Excalibur moved swiftly, piercing through one troll’s throat before they even realized who they were fighting. As one swung a mace around, I ducked and shoved my sword through his stomach. As he began to fall in pain I decapitated him easily.

The last one tried to run, and I yelled: “Garul!” Knowing what was happening instantly, the orc nocked another arrow and fired it through the troll’s back. As my enemy stopped suddenly, I ran towards him and sliced him in half.

Slowly but surely our forces began to push the enemy into a corner. As a goblin shot an arrow at me, I cut it in half with Excalibur and, with all my strength, threw my longsword at the goblin, who was instantly skewered.

War was horrible. Blood, corpses and the screams of the dying everywhere. Was this really what it took to unite our kingdom? As I dueled with an orc holding two swords, I saw in the corner of my eye an ogre - one of Glitsnab’s orphans - fall as at least a hundred arrows pierced his skin. As he did, a pack of goblins jumped onto him and began to tear him to pieces. With a roar, I pierced through my enemy’s right lung before going to avenge my comrade.

The goblins were still cutting at him with their knives when I slammed into one of them and snapped its neck. I turned to the next one, who parried my first attack with his knife but tripped when I stuck my foot out. When he faceplanted into the ground I stabbed at his neck repeatedly

The five remaining ones charged at me at once. With my bare hands, I ripped out one’s guts, before turning around and sending Excalibur through another’s chest. As I kicked the goblin off my sword the three descended on me.

My vision turned red as I went into a rage. Slashing again and again at one of the goblins, the creature fell to the ground in pieces. I parried one’s knife holding Excalibur with one hand, and with my other hand I grabbed his neck and began to strangle him. The last goblin lunged forward, but I stepped out of the way and broke his jaw with my longsword. Before he could get up I slammed Excalibur into his back. A disturbing crack told me that I had broken his spine.

The last goblin, still in my death grip, was choking and wriggling as I threw him onto the ground and decimated his small head.

There was silence around me as I stood there gasping for air, surrounded by dead bodies. The rest of the Dijurobul army had already surrendered - the five goblins were the last enemies. Slowly the warriors began to cheer. “Larek!” They shouted.

“Larek, the Goblinsbane!”

Serim

The battle was over quickly.

Already the elves were confused when the rebellion broke out, but they lost all hope as soon as our armies broke through the gate.

The former King of Ashait, Filvendor Miracyne, sobbed and begged for mercy as two soldiers held him on top of a huge cliff. “Please,” he cried. “Don’t kill me… I’ll tell you anything you need to know…”

I smiled as I looked at the pitiful face of the elf. “Tell me, elf, look behind you.” As he twisted his neck to look, I asked: “What do you see?”

Behind him was a hundred foot drop into the ocean. “W-what do you mean?” The elf asked, confused.

“If you don’t tell us exactly what we want to know, your body’s gonna be at the bottom of that ocean. Do you understand?” When the elf nodded, I smiled. “Good. Now… what does Fenlar plan to do?”

“Well… we were trying to take over the Mountain Kingdoms by inciting a civil war-”

I have a nod to the soldier on the right. He grabbed a whip and lashed at Filvendor’s back. The elf howled in pain. “I don’t give two shits about what’s going in the Mountain Kingdoms,” I whispered menacingly to the once-king. “I want to know Fenlar’s plans about Aubrerid.”

“I know nothing,” the elf started. As I nodded to the soldier again, however, he cried: “All right! All right! Well… when I was in the capital of Fenlar I overheard something… once they took over the Mountain Kingdoms they were going to use the Greenskins as suicidal warrior-slaves to… to burn the Aubrerid Empire to the ground.”

I smiled. Fenlar is certainly a formidable opponent. Let them bicker with the Mountain Kingdoms. Kingdoms are weak when they are at war… soon it will not be us, but Fenlar decimated. “Well then, thank you for your information.” I smiled sweetly. “We will treat you with the highest respect as a hostage… perhaps you will even return to Fenlar one day for a trade.”

“T-thank you,” the elf sighed in relief as I walked away. I smiled… I lived for that simple sigh. The belief that you were about to be saved. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any mercy to spare.

“Is that what you wanted to hear?” I snapped my fingers and laughed as my two soldiers threw the elf off the cliff.

His screams as he fell to his death were music to my ears.