Surface- Iron Hills Region

Free Lands- Outside the Town of Valeforge

Four Days later...

Jacob looked down at the camp that held almost three thousand men from Niamphis and Yhieburg and mercenaries from the Slavers Union. Another five hundred were stationed in the town of Valeforge about a five miles to the southwest, three Cohorts had been dispatched to deal with the troops there and secure the town. Jacob was with the remainder of the Fifth Legion here to attack the camp.

For some reason, they had decided to split their army to blockade the city of Mabus from the outside world. It was the slow path of siegecraft, but still effective. Thanks to the Black Blades, the invaders did not have any siege weapons, they had managed to capture or destroy three caravans coming south with all the siege weapons destined for Mabus.

After that, the leadership of both cities had wizened up and increased the number of guards on the caravans to discourage the raiders. It had not discouraged the Black Blades, they just saw it as a challenge, and they had overcome the challenge spectacularly. Three more caravans and all their guards had been destroyed since then and it had forced the besieging army to change their tactics or they would have to fall back to their cities. That is what Jacob had hoped for, but instead, they had captured a few towns or villages ringing Mabus and set up camp to wait out the city.

"That Fifth Legion is ready to advance, our scouts have silenced their sentries and the Cohorts we dispatched toward Valeforge, should reach the town within minutes." General Riptide reported as he approached. The Dawn Guard ringed the small corpse of trees Jacob stood in as he studied the distant camp.

Jacob gave the man a feral smile, "Then let's get to work. They came here for blood and battle, I would hate to disappoint them." Jacob told the man as he moved off the hilltop and toward the waiting army. The hostile army was about to get a very rude awakening.

Elder Tesh glared out his window at the soldiers of Niamphis and Yhieburg, as they 'patrolled' the streets of Valeforge. Tesh snorted, they were drunk bastards the intimidated and abused anyone who offered even the least of resistance to them. The had promised they were only there temporarily until the city of Mabus surrendered.

Tesh snorted again, the city of Mabus would never surrender too Niamphis and Yhieburg, even with the backing of the Slavers Union. Mabus had too much bad blood with the Slavers Union, and the city would become a graveyard long before it capitulated to the invaders.

Suddenly the two drunk idiots were riddled with crossbow bolts and the man they had been harassing gaped as a long line of black-armored soldiers started going door to door to every house on the street. They talked to the occupants before moving off, anyone that harbored a soldier from Niamphis and Yhieburg stepped aside and a couple of the soldiers would go in. Within moments they would reemerge with weapons bloody dragging corpses out or dragging battered soldiers that were quickly tied up.

Someone suddenly nocked on Treshs' door causing him to jump and quickly make his way down the stairs to the front door. Opening it a large Orc with blackened armor filled the doorway, "Evening Sir I am Sergeant Blackfang, do you harbor any soldiers of Niamphis, Yhieburg, or Slavers Union mercenaries?' The Orc asked abruptly and Tesh shook his head. 'Thank you, sir, I would advise you to stay inside and barricade yourself in. We are rounding up their soldiers and they will all be gone by morning. Thank you for your time." The Orc stated and turned to go.

"Wait, who are you and why are you helping us?" Tesh asked quickly.

"We are part of the Fifth Legion from the Empire of Night and we are helping you because its the right thing to do. Now if you will excuse me, I have much to do." The Orc replied before leaving, a group of soldiers closely following him as he went to the next house on the street. Jacob watched as waves of crossbow bolts rose and fell on the enemy encampment. Dozens if not hundreds were already dead as the Cohorts of the Fifth Legion emerged from the nearby forest and slammed into the small army trying to organize.

Screams filled the night as the Fifths Mages started unleashing magical attacks on the packed and disorganized ranks of the troops from Niamphis and Yhieburg, the mercenaries from the Slavers Union were slightly better, but not enough to make a difference. The crossbowmen and mages were concentrating their fire on any troops that were organizing, breaking up the troop concentrations and scattering them.

Suddenly it was like watching someone step into sand. The Cohorts slammed into the disorganized mob that had been an army, the number of dead and dying multiplied by the hundreds within moments and what remained of their courage fled. The opposing army was broken and the few survivors fled into the woods.

A messenger came riding up and saluted quickly, "My king, General Riptide sends word that they have found some odd items in the camp below that you might want to take a look at." The private stated before waiting for further orders. Jacob quickly dismissed him, he was sure the man had more important things to do than wait for the king. Jacob signaled Thorgron to organize the Dawn Guard as Jacob mounted Star as they formed up around him. Entering the camp, Jacob saw the Legonnares looting then moving the corpses of the dead. The few captured soldiers would be stripped of anything of value before being turned over to the leadership of Mabus. Those were Jacobs standing orders currently, considering the sheer amount of corpses, most the hostile army had been killed and not captured.

Jacob ducked down after two of the Dawn Guard proceeded him into an elaborate tent. General Riptide, half a dozen Legionnaires, and a bound and gagged man were present in the tent. Besides them were the regular items Jacob had come to expect from an officer in command, a cot, small mobile writing desk, a trunk, and a small table, nothing out of the ordinary. "General, you requested my presence. I assume you have news of something?" Jacob prompted the man who was studying the bound man.

Adrian nodded his head but never took his eyes off the captured man, "Yes my king, this was one of the captured soldiers. He has an item we could not remove and other items that were not equipped or in his inventory, we thought best that you were aware of. He is also a member of the Slavers Union." Adrian stated as he gestured toward the small table that held a short sword and an orb of some sort. Jacob moved over to the table and pulled up the stats on both items there.

Spoiler: Spoiler Name: Short Sword of Chaotic Stinging

Level: Epic-Scalable

Damage: 120-145

Properties: Deal 50 random Elemental Damage upon striking a target

Properties: Increase Resource Regeneration by 10%

Properties: Increase Primary Stats by 10%

Properties: +10% Increased Experience gained from slaying beings or followers of Light/Darkness

Requirement: Chaos Acolyte or Chaos Bound, Level 10

Durability: 800/800

Description: Everything has an end, this type of blade was forged to assist the followers of the Lady of Chaos with attaining those ends.

Quality: Exceptional

Increase Durability by 20%

Increase Base Damage by 20%

50% Chance that damage that would destroy this weapon will be ignored

Name: Chaotic Anchorstone

Level: Artifact

Description: Unknown Jacob turned from the two items and analyzed the man before him.

Name: Unknown (Local)

Level: 48

Class: Chaotic Blade

Health: 100/4,525

Stamina: 100/3,280

Mana: 100/2,560

Jacob studied the man who studied him right back. There was an intelligence there that he had not seen in most of those that were in the Slavers Union. Jacob removed the gag from his mouth, "What are you doing here? What is the purpose of the Chaotic Anchorstone?" Jacob calmly asked him.

The man smirked, "You will know soon enough King of the Empire of Night. Have you thought of the Lord's proposal? He wants you to join him sooner rather then later Jacob, if you make him wait too long, you will annoy him. Then he will have to provide you with an incentive to join him." the man's eyes bulged as Moonlight cleared its sheath and neatly severed his head.

"General isolate any captured Slavers Union members then I want orders issued to the Tenth Legion to fall back and meet us outside of Mabus, at rally point bravo. I want scouts sent out and I want all approaches watched and monitored. If a bear shits in the woods, I want to know about it!! Next, send a message to the leadership of Mabus and see if they are willing to meet. Finally, I want a message sent to General Nadal, update him on what has happened here and tell him the Slavers Union might be compromised and in league with Chaos." Jacob snapped out as he pulled the Spark of Chaos off the corpse of the Chaotic Blade. Adrian saluted and quickly moved out as Jacob moved to the nearby trunk and placed the sword, necklace, and orb inside before closing it again. Things just might have gone tits up Jacob thought as he lifted the trunk and shoved it into his inventory.

Surface- Iron Hills Region

Free Lands- Outside the City of Mabus

Jacob, Nadal, Generals Riptide and Gragerious stared at the tactical map. "Both camps were destroyed, of the ten thousand men they brought south, they have just over five thousand left. The survivors of the camps we hit outside of Valeforge and Drakestone have reached the northernmost camp outside the village of Petersbrook, but they have done nothing. They have not fortified the camp more, they are not packing up the camp in preparation to leave, as far as they are concerned nothing has happened." Nadal stated causing Jacob to frown. More Chaos Acolytes had been found at the camp outside the village of Drakestone, they had been critical in covering the retreat of nearly a thousand men, but a dozen Acolytes and five hundred mercenaries had been killed doing it.

"They got to be setting us up for a sucker punch, the question is where?' Jacob mused and the three other men nodded. 'Have the Black Blades reported any large troop movements coming from the north? Anything odd?" Jacob asked the Drow who promptly shook his head.

"Mabus has closed up tighter than a frogs asshole and the guards replied that the leadership of the city was currently indisposed." Adrian put in causing Jacob to frown and look at the city.

"Have our spies given us anything about what is going on inside the city?" Jacob asked Nadal who nodded.

"They reported that the city is on lockdown despite no hostile army is within sight of its walls. That traffic between the inner and outer districts of the city has been suspended and guards are running around everywhere. All inbound Portal traffic has been suspended, but not outbound. They are trying to make contact with the local Thieves Guild to figure out what is going on, but with everything going on, even they are nervous about talking to outsiders." Nadal replied and causing Jacob frown to turn into a scowl.

"Send another message to the city leadership, if they refuse to meet in the next 24 hours, we are leaving. Have the Portal Anchors been set around Drakestone and Valeforge?' Jacob asked the two Legion Generals and they nodded quickly. "Good because we are leaving at nightfall despite whatever the city says. This whole thing stinks of a trap, I want scouts left here though with enough supplies to survive on their own for a while." Jacob commanded and the Generals saluted before leaving, but the Captain-General stayed.

"You think Mabus has joined Chaos?" Nadal asked and Jacob nodded.

"I think they might have compromised the city and whoever is in charge there might be dancing to their tune. Once we leave though...We will be out of the trap. Make sure our spies know to be very careful once we leave, I have no idea what will happen, but they have to be prepared for anything." Jacob told the Drow who saluted as Jacob left the tent.