Rolling Shadows - Chapter 4

Anier was a beautiful country. It had dense forests, tall and majestic trees, stretching down valleys and up mountains. Rivers abounded with fish and birds sang in the trees. However Anier had lived in the shadow of the Dark Elf empire for generations, the shadow now threatened to consume them. It headed towards them as sure as a wave heads up a beach. In a large forest clearing soldiers gathered, joined by warriors from Sunmut – a small neighboring country that was legendary for its people's fighting capability.
Ahead of the troops was a large rock, a platform from which they would be addressed. Behind this was a tent. It was small, white, round, with a cone shaped top. Within in was Legate Ku'tay. She ran a hand across a curved horn as she strapped amour pads around her legs and thighs. The fur once brown had begun to whiten. Behind her an attendant brushed her long tail. Ku'tay strapped on a leather skirt, then a breastplate. It was heavy but the weight was second nature to her now. The armour was intricately patterned with eternal knots on the circular parts that covered the breast themselves. She was passed a helmet, placing it on her head her horns stuck through the holes.
“My weapons.”
One by one the attendant passed Ku'tay her weapons. First a dagger. The dagger's handle was perpendicular to the slightly curved blade. Ku'tay slid the blade into its scabbard. She was next passed two throwing blades, they had leather bound handles, a central blade with irregular shapes coming of it, the idea being that no matter which part hit the enemy it would be effective. Though designed as throwing blades they could also be used in each hand, working in concert to devastating effect. These Ku'tay strapped to her thighs. Finally she was handed her last two weapons. These had long curved blades and short handles, they were usually used in pairs. She gave the swords a flurry of swings and pushed them into the two scabbards on her back.
“I am ready.”
“Your people are with you lady.”
Ku'tay pushed aside the curtains of the small tent. She stepped up on to the rock to overlook her people. The force before her consisted of over five thousand troops. Proud and hairy fauns – women all of them.
“Today,” she yelled, their was hushed silence, “we fight against a far superior enemy. This day will be long remembered. It shall either see the defeat of the dark ones or secure us our place in
remembered dead. Neither of these is more desirable than the other, either way we will have done our duty. We march!”
Mass applauses erupted.
They marched through the forest keeping their lines as best the could as they headed through. The forest tapered away into grasslands and ahead of the army was a wide empty field. Some of their number were unnerved at walking across this plain with little cover. It was a strategically weak place. Nevertheless they continued their advance.
The army had been brought together for a preemptive strike, it would at least mean they had a chance of choosing the battleground. The Dark Elves had been methodical in their war. They evaded, quashed rebellion and insured their new territory was secure before they moved on. Terror was their main weapon, they would most-probably not expect an attack, thus the army had to march to where the Dark Elves were. The sky was blue as they marched with only a wisps of cloud.
As night began to fall they entered another forest, got out what supplies they had with them and sat eating and drinking, quietly around small fires. The moons came out and their reflected light was all there was the army laid down to sleep.
Of course it was not the entire army that slept. Some of their number were assigned to sentry duty. The sentries patrolled around their encampment, others took up stationary positions and some removed their amour to more easily climb the trees and keep watch from above. As dawn neared Corporal Gel'kotan was on duty. She caught site of a bird flying below the trees, she followed it with her gaze. Her stomachs rumbled and she lifted her spear.
“Stop,” she suddenly heard an order. It came from Sergeant Rer'kane who came towards her. The Sergeant had red fur with brown streaks across it in cloud like shapes on her hindquarters. She placed a hairy finger over her lips. When the bird was gone she spoke.
“A spy.”

Ku'tay stood at the edge of the forest. She looked out at the plain in the twilight, the mountains in the distance. It began to get lighter until the sun rose over the distant mountains. The others awoke with the rise of the sun. They ate quickly knowing that they still had several hours of marching before they reached the enemy. They were about to move out when a private came rushing through the trees. She had been one of the soldiers sent out as a scout that morning.
“Legate,” she said with a bow of her head, “the manticores have out flanked us. They now occupy the plain,” the young solider didn't hide the fear in her voice well. However Ku'tay would have thought her foolish had she not been scared.
“They would not be lured into here,” Ku'tay said, “they would not give us that advantage.”
“Do we continue them ma'am?” her deputy asked, “through this forest to the other side.”
“If we do that they may follow behind us and we'd have a battle on two fronts. We turn and fight.”
“Yes ma'am.”
The fauns emerged from the forest. All once again dressed in full amour. They neatened into ranks as they walked. Their enemy was assembled ahead of them. Most of the manticores where standing ready, few were in the sky above. Their was a strange calm. In the battles of old the leader of each side would have approached and talked, trying, usually in vain, to come to a peaceful resolution. There was no hope of such a resolution here. The Dark Elves demanded obedience. Ku'tay would not lead her people to a life of living on their knees. She did not know what the delay was for, perhaps the dark ones wanted slaves.
“Steady,” she told her people.
Their was a hush, for just a few moments. The manticoes grunted. The faun army drew their weapons, they loaded crossbows. Ku'tay took her two throwing blades from their scabbards.
“Charge!”
The storm broke, some manticores leapt to the sky. Dashing forward fauns jumped, blades in each hand. They jumped through the air, over manticores twisting their blades into the backs of their enemies. Their foes spread their wings and picked up fauns and killed them by dropping them from a great height or smashing their heads together. The jewels in the paws of the manticores glowed disemboweling fauns that got in the way.
Ku'tay whispered a quick prayer, “if Sie'wel has to bring us foes could she not bring ones with honour.” She cut down two manticores that came towards, a dived out the way of deadly magical shot. Suddenly two beasts dived towards her, she threw the blades as hard as she could. They span and each embedded in the chest of a manticore. She pulled the large curved blades from their scabbards on her back. Swinging with ferocity she sliced one manticore and hit another with the butt of the hilt.
“Roc!” someone shouted, a barrage of bolts went hurtling to the sky.
The gigantic birds overhead had a wingspan of eighteen meters, and they carried the masters of the manticorse. They held withered staffs which fired down lightning. Fauns burst into flames as they were hit. They flames licked at manticores standing near them, Ku'tay took some small comfort in this being their final act.
“We cannot win,” a Sunmut warrior next to Ku'tay said. Her face bled from deep cuts on either side where a manticore had slashed her. However her voice had lost no conviction, she knew her trade well and death meant the release of duty,“may you die well.” Ku'tay could just see, amid the slashing, the warrior swing her weapon, the manticore dogged, and the warrior was hit by a magical blast, her blood splattered on those nearby.
“Stop!” a Dark Elf screamed.
The armies paused. It was as if some god had intervened. The manticores let go the limp bodies of fauns they had killed, and chewed on what remained in their mouths. A couple of the younger ones suspiciously floated faun meat to their lips. The fauns waited, blooded blades at the ready, or with loaded crossbows.
The Dark Elf who had spoken made her way thought the ranks of manticores, a black cloud surrounded her. Her face was a dirty yellow, she had boils and dark features, the changes made by her use of dark magic. She faced Ku'tay and looked over the remainder of the army that stood with the faun.
“Your army's gone!”
Amide the pain of the cuts, Ku'tay tried to maintain a sense of composure, she looked at her army with a gaze of confusion, “these that stand around me must be an illusion. We still have our strength and honor,” though her words had power their remained a hint of fear, fear that she couldn't possibly win.”
The remaining soldiers cheered at her words; Ku'tay moved closer to her nemesis. She pulled her weapons back to bring them forward with the full force of her might. As she did so they suddenly erupted into flames, she dropped them and bit back a scream that could have shattered glass – she would not give them that satisfaction. Her hands were horribly burned, the hair twisted and matted to blistered skin.
“You will not be in pain for long.” the Dark Elf's words were poison.
“May you find honor,” Ku'tay said to her people, “with what little chance they give you.”

The pain in Ku'tay's hands lessened, if only slightly. However now she had the agony of the claws of a Roc, cupped around her just drawing blood. She was just about able to turn her head to the side to see the landscape over which they flew. They were heading in the wrong direction, that much was clear. They landed in what had once been Sinjavia. The country was situated not far from the mountains where the manticores had dwelt all those years ago. As such it had been one of the first countries to fall. As she was walked through the city she saw fauns bereft of passion and hope. They were chained together and to a Dark Elf slaver. Others served their masters in death, for the Dark Elves also practiced necromancy. Ku'tay was brought into a small room where a Dark Elf sat enthroned.
“Kneel,” commanded the dark elf.
Ku'tay did not comply. She looked with contempt at the Dark Elf ahead of her, flanked to each side by a manticore. She was struck by a spell to force obedience.
“You have defied the empire! For this you will die.”
“I prefer to think that I...”
“Last words are not permitted.”
One of the manticores lifted his paw to reveal the orange jewel that gave him magic. It glowed, Ku'tay was hit hard in the chest.
“You will not prevail!” she said with some effort.
The dark elf raised her staff for the killing blow.
Ku'tay closed her eyes.
Nothing happened.
Ku'tay opened her eyes slowly, wounding if the death hit might still come. She allowed her lips to curl, in to quite a smile, as she heard a scream. Ahead of her the manticores were feasting on their master. Quickly realising that a slightly burnt faun might make a nice desert she decided it was time to move. With what strength she had she pushed herself up onto her feat. As she did so pain rippled through her blistered hands like fire streaking the heavens.
Her jaw dropped as she looked at the scene before her. A Dark Elf rarely traveled without a manticore. Now, as she looked around the city manticores made meals of their, apparently, former masters. For once the treatment of fauns had been almost a blessing, they were so bony that the manticores ignored them. She stood unmoved for a few moments before the plight of the fauns fully registered in her mind. They were still chained together, though now the chains had only a bone through them.
“My name is Lagate Ku'tay of Anier,” she said to the chained slaves.
“Netek,” one of them said, “the key is in his robe.”
The robe of the elf was blooded where flesh had been torn from the bones. Ku'tay's hands were covered in the blood as she looked for the key. Finding it she undid the bindings of the emancipated slaves.
“Thank you,” Netek said.
“I know your in great pain,” Ku'tay said, “but the manticores will see us as food soon enough, we need to arm ourselves.”
Netek nodded, “indeed. I believe I speak for everyone in this city when I say, 'we are all with you.”