FF: Two Worlds (Chapter 28: Cry Havoc)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

-Two Worlds-
Cilia

Chapter 28: Cry Havoc

We had secured the outskirts of the city in less then two hours. Their
perimeter guards fell quickly under the pressure of our attack. Still as the
dwarves entered the City from the other side, fate took a turn for the
worse.
-The writings of Ranger Knight Cordelia Moondancer.

Tark pulled his sword from the body of the ogre at his feet. The fighting,
all around him, was hard, but not impossible. The enemy was coming at them
in waves, but they were dug in now and would not leave easily. Making their
way slowly forward, they were almost at the first of the city's many large
squares. A large statue, which usually stood in the square, lay on its side.
"Archers, take out that line," he ordered in his usual calm voice as
he indicated the row of goblins coming towards them. "The rest of you,
follow me after the third volley." The first round of arrows flew, followed
by two more volleys and then they charged again, pressing outward. The first
line of goblins was gone, thanks to the skill of his archers. However, it
seemed as soon as they felled a line, another rose to take its place from
behind it.
"Watch your sides," he ordered as he parried an attacked from the
left, then another from the right.
"General! We got Grey Dwarves coming in!" one of his archers shouted
and no sooner did he finish the warning, a volley of crossbow bolts rained
on them.
"Take cover," he said in a higher tone than usual.
"To late, sir! Its an ambush!" somebody shouted.
"Fall back!" he ordered, as the fighting grew harder. This had
become the routine, attack-retreat, attack-retreat. "Archers, lay down-"
"We're surrounded, sir," one of his archer reported. Tark looked
around and confirmed, then salvation arrived.
"Attack!" The voice of the armies most feared general rang out
across the square. The gray dwarves looked around as the voice echoed
throughout the buildings. By the time they had pinned down the location of
the owner, death was upon them.
"I want at least five able to speak when we're done," Buffy shouted
to her soldiers as they cut a path into the ranks, scattering the dark
dwarves.
"Grimm, take out the crossbows," she shouted as a bolt zipped past
and hit one of her soldiers, who fell down next to her.
"Take them out now! Cordelia, help him, Stjar'a, keep her covered,"
she ordered.
Cordelia knelt by the wounded soldiers and placed her hand over the bolt.
"Now this might hurt a bit," she said. When the soldier nodded, she pulled
the bolt out. The soldier, true to her training, did not cry out.
"Um. Cordy?" Stjar'a asked, a little confused, as she kept a
watchful eye on her surroundings.
"Sshh." Cordelia shushed as she placed her hand over the wound. Her
hand looked to be surrounded by static electricity as the tiny bolts passing
from her hand to the wound, healing it.
"Can you stand?" she asked after a moment and the soldier nodded.
"How did." Stjar'a asked. Cordelia just smiled as she extended a
hand and helped the soldiers to her feet.

"Tark," Buffy greeted as when they reached him and his soldiers,
fighting to hold the square.
"General," the drow nodded.
"Grimm is outflanking them, so what say we press forward and take
these guys out?" she asked with dangerous look in her eyes.
"Lead the way, my General," Tark said with a slight bow. They
prepared to charge back the way Tark and his men had been driven.
"Cordelia, is she okay?" Buffy asked before they moved.
"I'm fine, ma'am," the drow said with a salute.
"Good, can you fight?"
"Yes, ma'am," the drow answered with a snarl as she picked up her
sword.
"Good, now Tark, if you'd please give the order?" she asked
politely.
"Charge!" the drow ordered with a small flick of his sword.
"Oh come on, Tark." Buffy huffed and raised her sword. "CHARGE!" she
shouted at the top of her lungs and they were off.

-

Al'x and Joyce moved through the deserted streets of Necris. They could hear
the sounds of pitched battle from the other side of the city, but so far,
they had met little resistance. The war wheel had little blood on it.
"This isn't right," Al'x said as he looked around.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Joyce said as she, too, looked
around and saw nothing.
"Whar be da fiends?" Gymli asked and gripped his axe tight in his
hands.
"They could have gone underground. We were not silent in our
approach," Ziel suggested with the crossbow held close to her chest.
"No. they've got. something waiting out there," Al'x said as he
knelt. The army pulled up behind him.
"Al'x, what is it?" Joyce asked as she knelt down beside him.
"The ground. touch it," he said, running his hand over the stones.
"Ew. It's covered in something," Joyce said as she placed her hand
on the ground.
"Acid," Gymli said with a disgusted look when he smelled his finger.
"Oh shit!" Al'x cursed.
"What?" Joyce asked as her eyes flared.
"I want everybody to retreat," he said calmly. "Get them out of
here."
"Why would we be a." Gymli trailed off as huge stream of acid spewed
from the shadows.
"Cover you're eyes! Al'x ordered and raised his shield over them.
"The dragon they council said wouldn't be here?" Joyce asked and there was
an earthshaking roar.
"I'm thinking so! " Al'x said calmly as acid rained down around
them.
"Why dint we see it!" Gymli demanded when the spew stopped.
"It's hidden in the darkness, moving through the shadows." Al'x exclaimed
and stood up. There was a crash as the dragon's tail collided with and took
down several dwarves.
"Gymli, take the dwarves and go. Tell Einar we have a problem," Al'x
ordered. "Joyce and I will stay and try to draw the dragon away from you."
"Aye laddy. I mean, General," Gymli saluted and made a run for the
army.
"Ziel, I need you to-"
She nodded, "I know. Sing the song of the God of War,"
"Yes, ah, good. just stay safe," Al'x said as he turned around to face the
dragon, or at least where he thought the dragon was.
"Joyce, pierce the darkness, if you please?" he asked as calmly
inspected the edge of his sword.
"With pleasure," Joyce replied. She gathered the fire in her hand
and threw it towards the direction of the acid attack. There was a loud roar
as the ball of fire connected with the dragons skin and engulfed it before
fading. She gasped at the shear size of the creature in front of them. Its
body was easily a hundred feet long with a tail equally as long. On a long
neck rested a menacing head, twenty feet above the ground. It grinned an
evil grin as it flapped its wings and swung its tail towards the dwarves
again.
"'eads up, laddies'," Gymli bellowed. The dwarves were scattering
away from the dragon as fast as their little legs could pump, the tail
almost upon them. The dragon roared in pain once again, as its tail
connected with a wall of fire that appeared to guard the dwarves' escape.
"Dragon!" Al'x shouted at the top of his lungs as he walked away
from the retreating dwarves. The black dragon turned his head and spotted
Al'x.
"You are known to me, little man," it said in a booming voice.
"I guessed as much. It was I that killed one of your clan," Al'x
answered as the first notes of Ziel's song started drifting towards them.
Joyce looked at the scene before her, Al'x decked out in the magnificent
gold armor staring up at the gleaming black dragon. They were going to need
some help.

-

Cordelia looked like she had been hit in the stomach when the full force of
the dragon's chaos hit her. Now that he wasn't hiding himself, his chaotic
nature was in full force.
"What the." Buffy cursed as she watched her friend go down.
"Cordelia, pull yourself together," she ordered. They were securing the
square they'd just retaken and she didn't need one of soldiers throwing up.
"No. something wrongs," Stjar'a said and knelt down next to her
lover.
"Something. dark. coming.big" Cordelia said in a ragged breath.
"Ah great," Buffy muttered.
"Stjar'a, go find Theris. Go find her now, and tell-"
"DRAGON!" a scout shouted as he came running towards the soldiers.
"Easy there," Buffy said as she caught the man.
"Dragon. Black one. The dwarves retreating towards us," the scout
reported.
"Who is fighting the dragon?" Buffy asked as she took a quick stock
of her soldiers.
"Al'x Sun," the scout shouted as he ran on.
"Number One, get the soldiers ready to move out," Buffy ordered. She
was not going to let Al'x get himself killed. She looked down at her friend.
"And where is that goddamn High Elf?"
"I am here, general." Theris said, as she made her way into the
square. "What's happening to her?" Buffy asked as she looked around.
"She is sensing chaos on a whole new scale," the High Elf explained
as she ran her hand over Cordelia's forehead. The pain appeared to lessen.
"Theris, please don't." Cordelia whispered.
"I must Moondancer, it is my duty," Theris answered in a soft voice.
Stjar'a looked at the silent exchange between her ast'one and the high elf
and frowned.
"General, I must ask you to escort me to the dragon," Theris asked
as she stood.
"I was just planning to go there myself, if you would care to-"
Buffy was cut off again.
"They've breached the perimeter! They're breaking through!" a scout
shouted as he came running.
"Damn," Buffy cursed. "Squad, you heard the man," she then turned to
Theris, "Sorry, Theris, but we've got to hold the line," Buffy said.
"Cordelia, can you walk?" she asked and looked her friend over.
"Yes, General," Cordelia saluted, but threw a concern look at
Theris, which did not go unnoticed by Stjar'a. "Stjar'a, take her to the
healers," Buffy ordered and cut of Cordelia's protest with a raised hand.
"Lets move out," Buffy said and they were off at a run. Theris
looked after Buffy's soldiers until they disappeared around a corner and
then turned towards the direction of the dragon. She sighed as she rose into
the air.

-

Al'x jumped backwards as the dragon swung his tail for him. The time for
talking was over, now was the time for dodging. Luckily, its intent was
merely on crushing him, after seeing that acid didn't affect the armor.
"Joyce? Some help here." he shouted as he ducked a wing swipe.
"I'm coming," Joyce shouted back as she came running, sword at ready
and blazing. She jumped from the ground and attempted to strike the beasts'
neck.
"Joyce no!" Al'x shouted as Joyce was hit by a spew of acid,
slamming her to the ground. Joyce landed on her stomach, hard. She tried to
get to her feet, but slumped back down.
"Al'x Sun," a calm elfin voice said. "Step away please."
Both the dragon and Al'x looked at the source of the voice. The
green robed elf approached, floating above the ground. Al'x grabbed the
chance, lunged and embedded his sword in the dragon's side. There was a
bone-chilling howl when the magical sword pierced the dragon's skin.
"Foolish!" the dragon growled as it kicked at Al'x with his hind
leg, as a dog would scratch at a flea. Which was pretty much what our hero
felt like as he was sent flying into the nearest wall.
"Dark One. I am here to destroy you," Theris exclaimed as she
floated onto the acid covered battleground.

Ziel looked on from her hiding place, the song dying on her lips. Al'x was
getting up, but he had taken quite a blow. Joyce was alive, her eyes ablaze,
as she tried to get up, but with the dragon's acid covering her, she wasn't
going anywhere. The war song didn't seem to have any effect, so all she
could do now was watch. Her jawed dropped when the dragon swung with his
front claws but came up empty. Theris wasn't there, she was hovering next to
its head. The High Elf slashed at the dragon's head and it howled as it
tried to hit her by swinging his head towards her. A mighty horn came close,
but the High Elf was quicker.
"Ziel, I need. your help," Al'x said as he made his way over to her
and practically fell down next to her.
"Anything," the half-elf stammered.
"Take this," he said as he handed her a pouch. "Sprinkle the
contents on the ground,"
"What is it?" she asked as she untied the knot.
"A part. of an old. friend," Al'x breathed as tried to stand up
fully.
As Ziel sprinkled the content of the pouch on the ground, the
fighting grew harder and louder.
"Joyce, get up," Al'x whispered as he inspected the slash in his
armor. Theris was dealing her share of damage to the dragon as she blinked
in and out of its vision. Joyce was getting angrier by the minute as she
continually tried to get up and continually found herself unable to move.
"Take that crystal and break it over the ashes," Al'x instructed as
he pulled his sword across his palm.
"You. you're not going to try a reanimation here." Ziel asked as she
broke the small piece of crystal, shattering its glittering fragments over
the contents of the pouch. It was ash for the most part, but also some
splinters of wood.
"We need back-up and he's the only one I can reach at the moment,"
Al'x said, regaining his focus as he consciously blocked the pain. "I would
step back," he said as he thrust his palm into the pile of ash and crystal.
There was a flash from two places; one as Al'x's palm connected with the
pile and a second when the dragon's claw struck Theris.

On the other side of Necris, on the healer's cot, Cordelia screamed when she
felt the presence of Theris simply blink out. Stjar'a looked at her ast'one
and watched in horror as her eyes turned golden. Cordelia stood with a
purpose and drew her swords.
"They've breached the line," was shouted outside the tent.
"Cordelia?" Stjar'a asked as she reached out to touch her lover.
"Do not touch me, Drow," Cordelia spat as she stepped out of the
tent, leaving her ast'one stunned and confused.

-

Gymli felt like he'd just gone out of the furnace and under the hammer. He
had arrived with the army he was now in charge of leading to safety, but
moments later, the enemy broke through the makeshift barricades surrounding
the outskirts of Necris.
"Fight," he shouted. The rest of the army took up the battlecry. The
Elf armies had been temporarily stunned at the attack, but they quickly came
to life. There was another battle shout as the rest of the dwarven army
fought their way towards their brethren.
"Gymli," King Einar greeted as he cleaved his way towards his men.
"Your highness." Gymli nodded, but the rest was drowned out when a
hoard of gibberlings charged through the breach, waving their swords and
spears. The pair suddenly found themselves alone, separated from the rest of
the army.
"Argh!" the king shouted as he swung for the nearest gibberling.
"Clear!" a powerful voice shouted and the dwarves obeyed. Lighting
bolts struck all around them, hitting the fiends, but none touching them.
When they looked up, they saw red haired human girl, in flowing red robes
smiling down on them.
"Thankin ya, lass," The king said.
"Don't mention it," the girl nodded and was gone.
"Who be dat?" Gymli asked as he watched the girl walk up to a fallen
dwarf and help him stand.
"The Red Mage, my wife," a blond girl exclaimed proudly as she came
to halt next to them. "Now let's move. They're trying to break the siege
line," she shouted as her drow soldiers caught up with her.
"With pleasure, Gen'ral" the King nodded as they followed.

-

Tark was in trouble, of that much he was certain. Something had spurred the
dark forces into action and they seemed to be more organized. His soldiers
fought harder at the sight of King Vitor and the Red Mage standing solid as
rocks. They were dealing out death to whoever came close and his Queen
wasn't far away, standing on the broken barricades, rallying the drow to
push forward.
"Charge! 'N dont be aleavin no'un a livin," the voice of King Einar
rang out over the battlefield as the dwarves, along with General Buffy's
drow and mercenaries joined the fray.
"Wills! We've got a dragon out there!" the General shouted as she
fought her way towards her wife.
"I know," the Red Mage shouted back as a fire spell left her
fingertips, the air around the mage crackled with living energy.
"Yer Joyce's daughter, aint ya?" Gymli asked as he pushed his way
towards the pair. The fighting moved away from them as gibberlings and
goblins fled from the dwarven war wheel, cutting it's path through the ranks
with the sounds of crushed bones and squashed flesh following it.
"Yep!" Buffy shouted as she prepared to fling herself towards the
main fighting.
"Den I'm a stayin wit' ya," the dwarf answered as he followed her
into battle.
Buffy was pissed. It was the slayer that controlled her movements now.
Disarm, kill, move on, was the tempo as her soldiers tried to follow her.
"Slow it down girl! I don' wanna be aleft be'ind'," Gymli said and
then found his back pressed against the raging general's.
"You didn't have to come," Buffy shouted. "Division! Split!" she
ordered and the drows following her quickly split into ten groups of five
soldiers.
"Number One, you're with me," she said as she ran up to her second
in command.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, General," Xare answered as she
pushed her attacker away and then looked down at Gymli. "Xare," she
introduced herself.
"Gymli," the dwarf nodded as another wave of attackers began pouring
through the breach.
"Where are Stjar'a and Cordelia?" Buffy asked they all turned to
face their approaching attackers.
"Should be around here." Xare was cut off as a flash of movement
caught their attention and suddenly Cordelia was standing in front of them,
her back to them. They could see a bloodied sword in each hand and a torn
cloak flapping behind her.
".somewhere," Xare finished.
"Cordelia, get the hell back in line," Buffy shouted as a group of
ogres rushed towards them. Cordelia turned, her eyes were living, golden
fires, and her mouth set in wicked, feral grin.
"What the hell happened to Cordy?" Buffy asked in a small voice as
she watched her friend stalk toward the attackers and proceed to take them
apart.
"Her transformation is complete," Willow said as she joined them
with Stjar'a trailing behind. There was fighting all along the barricades,
but the roars of the dragon could be heard over it all.
"We'll sort this out later," Buffy said as she watched Cordelia hurl
one of her attackers onto the barricades. Her slayer sense twitched as she
spotted something, a lone goblin, throwing a spear. Her eyes followed the
spear and she watched in horror as it struck Queen Piratess in the back,
causing her to fall off the barricades. Grimm came running up with his
mercenaries just in time to see the Queen fall.
"Secure the Queen!" Grimm and Buffy shouted as they both rushed over
to her. The drows that had witnessed their Queen being struck down were
outraged as they made a protective circle and their ferocity intensified.
"Tessa?" Buffy asked as she knelt by her friend. Gymli, Tark, and
Willow stood guard around them.
"I'll be. alright," Piratess said in a weak voice.
"Can you stand," Grimm asked. "I. they need leadership."
"Stjar'a. knows what to do," Piratess whispered with a smile.
Stjar'a looked at her grandmother sadly, then reached for her pouch
and pulled out the tiara.
"Stjar'a?" Grimm asked as the elf placed the silver tiara on her
head. Buffy glanced around to see Cordelia gone.
"Here?" Piratess said as she handed Stjar'a her swords. Stjar'a took
them with out a sound then slowly stood.
"Someone get my grandmother to the healers," she said in a calm
voice which brought surprised looks from everybody present save Buffy.
"Grimm, Xare, make sure the Queen gets to the healers," Buffy
ordered as Stjar'a walked silently up on the barricades. Drawing the
attention of the drows who'd gathered around the fallen Queen.
"Willow, if you would please?" she whispered and the mage flicked
her fingers. "I am Princess Stjar'a of Necris, daughter of Prince Drek, son
of Queen Piratess," she declared at the top of lungs. Her voice reached the
ears of all the drow soldiers and the surface elves. Now everybody knew.
Piratess smiled to herself as Xare and Grimm carried her to the healers.

TBC... you'd hurt me if I didnt....