[TheNickelKnight]

"Do you think we can beat him Veldrin?" Rafe's breath came out in pants, the runes etched into his skin flashed violently as he absorbed another spell, staggering backwards from the sheer intensity of the attack. Rafe Ward, one of my oldest companions sunk down beside me, sipping what little water remained in his canteen, and checking his quiver. I gently rolled a pair of red dice across the floor, studying them intently as Rafe popped up to fire an arrow killing the spellcaster who'd attacked him and then dropped back into cover. I finished bandaging the gash in my shoulder. I shook my head as the dice landed on a pair of 3s. "I'm afraid not, but the Red Queen doesn't seem to think we'll all die either." Rafe groaned. "Any idea who will make it and who won't?" I shook my head again. "No. Any idea where Lord Kalian is?" Rafe shook his head. "None. He was with Caoimhe, and Elwin when we got split up. Syrian and Ottilie are holding the portal for Marius. I caught sight of Cameron and Theo trying to make their way up the old shipping channel with some of the knights, the only reason I could figure they'd do that is regrouping with Kalian." I nodded. Rafe flushed two more targets from cover using a fireball, then followed up with two arrows. One hit, one kill, the other went wide as I pulled him back into the trench. A boulder bigger than I was sailed over the ruined wall we were hiding behind. If he hadn't moved to shoot he would have been dead. "We need to move before that thing closes the distance!" I yelled as I raised my head just enough to stare out across the hellscape that lay before us. A large warrior, nearly two meters in height was making his way across the field. Lesser creatures parted before him, and he waded through scuffles killing both friend and foe alike as he went, fortunately he was slow. "It's a Telfahrian berserker" I said as we began moving off towards where Rafe had seen Theo and Cameron. "We can outrun that thing" Rafe said "but it would be better to shake it before we join up with the others. Assuming we find Kalian he still can't make them submit yet." I nodded. "He's at his limit, but Ottilie says he's remarkable for an eight year old." Rafe laughed. "Ottilie thinks everything Kalian does is remarkable." I sighed. There wasn't much arguing that. "You know, Rafe, if she heard you say that she'd part your head from your shoulders." Rafe shrugged. "I've lived a long time, and besides, you said we all weren't going to make it anyway." 

We were making our way slowly down the trench for a while now, between advancing waves, trying to avoid Arimus' army of thralls. Rafe and I launched countless surprise attacks as we went. We got closer than I would have liked, but he was trying to conserve his arrows. Between his swords, and my poisoned blades we made short work of most of the thralls we came across. Most were human, and even with Arimus' powers to strengthen his thralls when there were this many they only had basic intelligence. We did encounter one elf who begged us to kill her through pained whispers even as she hacked away at us. She had none of their usual graces. It was bestial sword work. She was no match for Rafe. The problem with battling Telfahrian thralls, at scale, was that the more you killed the more effective the remaining thralls became. They fought in waves, and by the time you cut most of them down the remaining thralls were the culmination of their collective skill. Arimus' powers were so vast that he could unleash entire armies of enthralled warriors, not just a handful. Then again, when even the gods feared you, what were the likes of Rafe and I to do? From what we knew Arimus hadn't appeared yet, but we knew he was descending to the field even now. How did I, a Knight of Tsern, become involved in a familial dispute between the Telfahrian royal family? My bad luck. It was Arimus' final push to lay his nephew, Kalian, low. To end him, and destroy his brother Marius' claim to the throne. I didn't understand their laws, or their world, but they had put mine to the torch in search of Marius' wayward progeny. Today we hoped to return Kalian to his father, and if we succeeded Arimus would fail. 

Tsern didn't stop me from throwing in with Kalian when Ottilie first appeared at the door to my tavern. I was his first retainer that did not owe my allegiance to his bloodline. I was a Dark Elf, born an orphan, raised in a combat pit as a slave, and escaped to the surface. I'd done various jobs, mercenary work, served on ships, fought to defend towns and then at some point, I had decided I wanted a tavern. My tavern, the Eternal Shade, was probably gone now. Arimus' thralls had likely burned it down. Would I go back there when this was all over? I didn't know. Most days were just one battle to the next. Tsern bid me to follow Kalian however. It was the first time I recalled sensing fear in her. Knowing that Arimus would be the end of everything if he won. I followed Kalian because he needed me, even if Ottilie did not trust me at first. I brought the others into the fold. Some were friends from my past, one was an enemy, and another a figure of legend. In the end though, I had come to call them all friends. This is our story.