Chronicles of Fardel: The Rise of Syphon

Kephiyr walked silently toward the meeting hall, Ember and Bear at his side. The attack on Farmell had taken it's toll. The leaders were already discussing what should be done next when Kephiyr slowly opened the double doors.

"We're all tired, so I'll make this as brief as possible. Call on all our allies, I'm sending a messenger to Legionor to challenge Kelpon in a prearranged battle on the Iren Fields. Winner takes all, it ends here." Kephiyr said in a quite impatient tone.

"Winner takes all? You're going to put all our hope on the outcome of one battle?" Melek interjected.

"Let's hear him out, he's lead us well thus far." Eloff said.

"I have a plan, we can win this fight, but I require every able bodied man to be there, even the Jarls."

"Me on a battlefield? I haven't fought since the war of the peoples." Melek said hastily.

"You can be in a more supervisor position, help organize the fight. But your presence is required to lure him into the trap."

"Fair enough, let's hear your battle plan." Melek said in tone that said he still didn't like it.

"We meet on the Iren Fields, army against army, man the towers that still stand with archers. Also man the old slave tunnels with reserve men to come from behind. Ember can use fire to cut off their escape."

"Manning the towers is a suicide mission, they're bound to die." Melek interjected.

"I know, that's why I'm going to be in one myself. I won't ask my men to take a risk I refuse to." Ember looked at him sternly, this was obviously news to her.

"When we're you gonna tell me this!" She yelled at him. "We may have magical power on our side, but they outnumber us at least three to one! If you're there, I'm there." Bear said the same.

"No you two will be alongside Melek I can't risk your lives."

"Oh but you can risk yours? Leave me a widow, to live out the rest of my days in sorrow? If I'm not there you aren't." Ember said and Kephiyr sighed and made no reply.

"This is a risky move Kephiyr, battling a larger battle hardened enemy in open ground? Looks like suicide." Eloff said and stood up and patted Kephiyr on the shoulder, as if to say drop the matter.

"What would be our next move then!?" Kephiyr shouted. "Stand around and wait for him to muster his armies and hope they break over us!? And what happens when they don't? What happens when we're the ones that break? He gave Farmell a good fight, that was just a test run. They may have retreated but that wasn't much of their strength. He could break us completely next time and now he knows it! I say we use that confidence against him! Get him in open ground, and draw up some plans to squeeze his numbers so they won't matter."

A silence fell and they all looked at one another, none of them wanting to say it. Cipher and Phex stood by, whispering into their ears to move forward with the plan.

"Do you really think they can do this Cipher?" Phex looked at him questioning.

"This is what I was told, we will have several legions. All I know for sure, is Ember will do something impossible, or so I'm told. And when she does Elohiym has a surprise in mind that we will play a part in."

"Any details further then that?" Phex asked already knowing the answer.

"Since when have you known Elohiym to give details?" Cipher laughed.

"Never, but this doesn't make sense."

"Well if there's one thing I know about Elohiym, He likes to do things that don't make sense. Remember years ago, He started fire, but before sending the fire He drenched the wood so completely, not even an elemental elf could have caught it on fire. Or how about the time He sent only a few warriors, the leader of which wasn't even a warrior, against thousands. Just trust, it doesn't have to make sense. What's the use in faith if it makes sense?"

"Fair enough, so I'm guessing we have to somehow keep Kephiyr alive in that tower?"

"No, Kephiyr isn't our charge."

Phex sighed, obviously wanting to say something, but knowing it wouldn't matter. He dropped the matter and continued whispering in their ears.

At last Eloff spoke and the rest gave him their attention.

"This doesn't make logical sense, but I feel in my spirit that it is the right move. Let's follow his instruction, you have me at your back Kephiyr." Slowly every other said the same and they sent word out to their allies to meet.

Soon they met with workers on the Iren Fields. Opening the old slave tunnels they repaired steps and put new doors on the openings. They also fixed the towers so that they would be easily defended. Reinforcing the doors and making the steps more treacherous so that it would be more difficult to mount an attack.

Bear stood close by Kephiyr looking grimley at their prospects.

"Do you really intend on manning these towers yourself?"

"Yes, and I think I have a plan for separating their strength. We'll use the phenix, start a fire in the midst of their armies. Ember should be able to keep Carlon from putting it out. Then our reinforcements can sweep up the further half while we take out the close half."

"How much do you think they outnumber us?" Bear asked.

"Well, Mel and Orlo haven't used much of their strength yet. So possibly four to one. Now our former battles are turning to bite us back. None of our allies have gone without taking large casualties. I wonder now if defending and wearing his numbers out slowly would've been better."

"But you forced him to use his power, and you've poisoned him. We could wait until he succumbs to the poison."

"We could, but I've seen some things in a dream that makes me sure this is the right course. I'm hoping it was a message, otherwise I suppose I'm making a foolish mistake." Bear looked at him suspiciously.

"You mean to say, you're putting all these lives, and the outcome of this war based on a dream? What was the dream?"

"Well it wasn't much of a dream, more like just a voice with a white picture. It told me to challenge Kelpon to open battle, and after victory to present myself before him."

"Present yourself before him!? Do you have a death wish!? Psychotic plan, a horribly outnumbered battle on open ground, then talk face to face with the King. You've gone crazy!"

"I know it looks that way, it kinda feels that way, but it isn't. I can't explain why it isn't, but I just know."

Bear sighed and pushed him down jumping into his lap. She liked his face and looked at him sadly.

"I don't want to loose you, but if you're determined, you better know I'll be at your side."

"Very well, but you watch yourself."

"I'll watch myself as much as I watch you."

A messenger was sent to Legionor and he met Kelpon in his bed chamber. Kelpon's strength was fading, he had maybe two months left if he was lucky. His bed chamber had all the officials in with him and they brought him food and other accommodations to make him comfortable. The floor was made white spinel, at various intervals star sapphires were placed. To the left red curtains were open by a large balcony. Kelpon sat up looking suspiciously at the messenger.

"What is it you want? I've tested your might, I know that I have you where I want you. What does Melek want, a surrender?"

"Nay, he wishes to challenge you. Bring your full strength to the Iren Fields and we will bring ours. The loser surrenders, you may keep your crown but must put aside your campaign."

"Ha, we outnumber you by a lot. He wishes war on open ground? I'll wipe you up like I would a spill. Tell me, has Melek slain my assassin? Or has he put aside his hate for the assassin?"

"Ollen has been pardoned."

"Ha, no respect at all. Pardoning his sons murderer for assassinating his enemy. I will agree to the terms, but when I win, if he yet lives I want Ollen tortured to death over several days. Now be gone before I kill you and send my own messenger in your stead."

Sometime later Kephiyr stood with the on the tower, Ember and Bear at his side. Fifteen other towers were manned. Twenty thousand strong stood in ranks not far from them. Another five thousand hidden in the tunnels ready to ambush the enemy. He looked across the field at sixty thousand men, he sighed, an anxious pit in his stomach. Abeh and Ollen were in the ranks of the tunnels. Effen, Ethoras, Nolan, Celan, Eloff, Feldor, and Delador stood at the head of the main army.

"Once a majority of the army gets under the towers, send Esh to light the field on fire behind them. Then as we begin to fire on them have Esh set the fires around the towers to help keep them out." Kephiyr said in a strained voice to Ember.

Ember glanced at him nervously as the opposing army began to advance. She called Esh to her and the phenix perched on her shoulder. She whispered in her ear and she ruffled her wings. They watched silently as the opposing army under the towers, fifty thousand of them marched forward while the other ten thousand held back. With a flash of light Esh ignited the fields cutting off their reserves with a line of fire that stretched for miles. As the army stalled for a mere moment at this volleys of arrows began raining down from the towers. Esh quickly flew by again lighting fires round the towers for protection and cutting a second line of fire through the midst of them.

Kephiyr released Alnen's power and Ember focused her power on the arrow. Using the wind she caused the arrow to fly in circles, cutting through man after man. Kephiyr then flew a red flag and the skin changers took to the air carrying large rocks over the army and dropping them down onto them. After the skinchangers were out of ammo the main army advanced and the battle became heated.

Effen beheaded a man and then severed the arm of another. With an evil grin he turned his sword into a whip sword and twirled it through the crowd. He then wrapped it round a man and pulled with all might effectively ripping the man to shreds.

Ethoras was close behind Effen taking shelter in his twirling sword while he loosed arrow after arrow into the opposing army. After he had spent all his arrows he unsheathed two long curved blades and flipped them in his hands. Effen took his place as the archer. He spun his swords round with ease slicing clean through any that came near.

Nolan held a long staff with a two foot blade on either end. He twirled it round killing men on either side of him. Twisting his weapon in the middle he broke it into two swords and hacked through the crowd. Severing a man's midsection followed swiftly by another man's leg. At that time Effen had spent all his arrows and Nolan took his place as the archer.

Celan was not far from the three of them wielding a spiked ball on a chain. Swinging it round and round and doing little tricks with the chain for fun. The ball met a man's face, and then with one smooth motion he yanked it back, ducked, and hit a man behind him in the chest. Wrapping his leg round it he twirled it round and sent it forward into another man's neck. But from out of nowhere an axe met his stomach and Celan crumpled to the ground. Effen quickly beheaded the man that killed Celan. And dropped by his side, embracing his father. Celan looked up at him in tears.

"I'm proud of you son." Celan said just audible enough to hear, then his eyes darkened. Effen wept bitterly and unleashed a fury on the enemy.

Delador held a large war hammer, he caved in a man's head with it, and then broke another's spine. With a little grin he charged forward and tackled another to the ground, standing over him he struck him repeatedly in the stomach. He then swung it round hitting a man in the ribs. But before he could swing it back again a man slashed him through the heart and he fell dead.

Feldor immediately avenged his father's death hacking him to pieces. He continued to chop at him with his axe long after he was dead. Then with a shout he charged forward killing twelve men with nearly lightning speed. The final man lost both arms and a leg before the axe was embedded in his face. Effen quickly grabbed Feldor and pulled him back a ways as he screamed in fury and fought him to get free.

"Let me loose you fool!" Feldor yelled.

"Nay, you must stay with the rest of us, you get too far out there you'll be surrounded." Effen replied pulling him back.

"So let me join my father, I'll take as many as I can with me!" Feldor screamed a fire in his eyes and voice that made the blood of the men run cold.

"Brother!" Effen yelled spinning him round and looking into his eyes. "We need you!" Feldor softened just a bit and then gritted his teeth and turned toward the enemy.

"Fine, but they'll regret his death! I suppose the longer I live, the more I can kill!"

Eloff released a ball of lightning into the crowd and then spun his sword and staff round. Every time his staff met someone a miniature explosion would send them flying. He raised his staff up and slammed it down sending a shock wave of fire that threw the closest men into the air and set the furthest men on fire.

Kephiyr then raised the red flag again and the skinchangers took to the sky having more rocks and flew toward their reserves. Dropping them on the reserve army behind the flames, they whipped round and joined the main fray as various beasts.

"That's the signal!" Abeh shouted and lead his men out of the tunnels to clean up the reserve army. Before the army realized what was happening, Abeh's army was on them.

Abeh beheaded a man, and stabbed another in the guts. Ducking under a sword that was meant for his neck he stabbed third in the kidney and then through the heart. He flipped his sword in his hand and cut the sword arm off another man followed swiftly by his other arm. He taunted the man for just a moment and then beheaded him.

Ollen weilding both of his swords flipped over a man severing his head at the brow in the process. He stabbed a second in the groin and then cut him in two. With a little grin he stabbed a man in the chest, then kicking him off his sword he spun round and slashed another through the heart.

As Kephiyr sent arrow after arrow down suddenly all the fires went out. Carlon had used magic to suddenly suffocate all the fires. Men began pouring into the towers killing all that manned them.

Bear went into a sudden blood lust and ripped several men to pieces ignoring the blades that attempted to kill her. She'd simply swing her tail round at those round her slicing them open while she mauled each man to death. However with a sudden burst of energy Bear was thrown against the wall. A blast from Carlon's staff knocked her out cold.

As Kephiyr came to her aide Carlon sent a spike of ice through his heart and he fell dead. With a horrible scream of terror that echoed in a shrill tone Ember put fear into Carlon and then threw him out with a great gust of wind. She quickly pursued him but he glided away in terror. She then ran back to Kephiyr and laid hold of him. Using the wind she flew the three of them out of there and to the palace in Farmell. She broke into the room of visions and laid Kephiyr on the floor weeping.

The was small ten feet by ten feet and a single lantern hung from the ceiling in the exact center. The walls, floor, and ceiling were a crystal gold. Yet it was as if a rainbow of color had landed in the room and the walls depicted different landscapes and the floor and ceiling coincided. They changed rapidly so that one could barely tell what the pictures were.

Ember's tears hit the floor and she began focusing every ounce of her power, while drawing from the magic of the room. The scenery flipped faster and faster and then suddenly everything went black and she was floating. She looked up to see a greyscale version of Kephiyr standing next to two sentinels. The room was gone, it was as if she was nowhere.

"Where am I?" Ember whispered.

"You are nowhere, this is, more or less, a space between all realities. Only a few have ever seen it and lived to tell about it." Cipher replied.

She glanced round to see several lights, appearing as though they were stars. So many that she could only guess at the number. Yet it was as if the lights had no power to illuminate the darkness.

"What are those lights?" Ember asked.

"They, are other realities, in which similar dramas are playing out their course." Phex said, and as he said it several lights suddenly went out while several new ones suddenly burst into flame.

"You were trying to save his life, were you not?" Cipher asked and pulled Kephiyr toward his front.

"I was, is it possible?" Ember replied.

"All things are possible, and indeed had it not been planned that you would succeed you would not be here. And he would already be ushered into the great everlasting light." Cipher replied. Ember smiled and wept. "In fact because you have done this, the sentinels have been given a temporary time to be physical and assist you in the battle. Now be at peace." Cipher said and touched Kephiyr's heart. With a wave of his arm they were back in the room and Kephiyr gasped for air. Moments later they heard trumpets in the sky which seemed to descend upon the ground. After a few minutes the elven horn of victory blew and the battle had ended.