Prologue

As he walked the ruins of the village in which he was born, smoldering remains of houses and markets, the bodies littering the streets. The men sliced nape to chop and the women were almost too much to look at; stripped completely in a pool of blood while semen seeped out of every natural hole in their body. Only few inhabitants survived, those wealthy enough to own a basement. As they heard him rummaging through the wreckage of the town looking for survivors they came out and many retched at the sight and smell of the village. They looked upon him fearfully as he was dressed in his black battle scarred armor. He realized the King’s men had just done this and likely had been dressed in full battle armor. He resolved to remove his helmet and as it came off old family friends recognized him and began to weep and cry out that he take revenge on the vile men that did this to them. He knew that he would have to gather as much of an army as he could to fight the host that was scorching the land of Carliath. An old man approached him as he was consoling the wife of a man who gave his life to protect her, “Virones,” he said grasping him on the shoulder “you are the bravest warrior I have ever seen come out of this village. Keep this image in your mind when you face them, do unto them ten times the horror you see here. Make all other men fear the mere mention of your name.”

Virones nodded and rested his hand on his one handed longsword made in the fashion of the boat lords of the east. “Yes, elder. I will leave a legacy that warriors that come out of this village ravage armies, drink blood, and eat their enemies armor to gain strength.”

The elder shook his hand and nodded. Virones hugged the grieving woman and walked silently in his armor to his large black horse, donned his helmet again, and started riding North to raise his army of revenge.

Chapter 1

Virones Lannes, as he’s known to his allies and army, to his enemies he is known only as The Shadow. Three years ago he had seen the destroyed remains of his childhood village and home. In that time he raised an army of families who all had their own personal missions against the King and the atrocities he had committed across the land. His family had ruled over that village as a pseudo-Dukedom for generations and for the most part been overlooked by the royal family. That is until King Xallion rose to power and wanted to show by sheer force that he was not to be trifled with and that he would take the other four kingdoms to unite Carliath under his rule alone. To do this his army destroyed everything in their path as a show of force to other villages they might come to.

Virones’ army consisted of 10,000 warriors four of which serves his commanders and led their own battalions, they also each wore enchanted armor similar to his. Virones’ armor is the Shadow Armor, helping him attain his name. It is lighter and stronger than most normal armors and only appears outclassed in toughness by one other armor, it never makes any sound when he moves and allows him to almost blend with the shadows around him allowing him to almost disappear. It even has a large black cloak made especially to go with it and sharing in the enchantment helming him blend in more and sneak into and about enemy camps that have split from the larger army at night so that he can start the ambush.

His next in command is known as The Flame, but to Virones and the others he is known as Thinorad. Thinorad wears the Scorching armor, a brilliant bright orange color resembling a flame, the armor is impervious to any amount of heat, Thinorad had actually made a habit of charging through fires to scare his enemies and put of a show. The armor can also shoot fire at a short range and for a short time if Thinorad has absorbed a fire into the armor.

Winter leads her own battalion of female warriors who in likelihood could outfight most of the men in the army. Winter, or Nycenea as she was referred to by everyone else, wore the Ice Armor. It is a bright, light blue and can freeze any enemy if she focuses on them long enough. She usually charged in beside or just behind Thinorad, a rapier in each hand, for an interesting combat match on of her freezing people and Thinorad melting them with his fire.

The next commander was the nine foot tall monster of a man known to his enemies as The Stone, or he would be known as that if he let anyone escape his brutal wrath. To his friends he was Marvahnus. His is the Boulder Armor, a very dull grey in color made to look like the boulders it was named after, the strongest armor ever forged by a mortal man. Swords, axes, arrows, and any other weapon that impacted the armor shattered. The man is fierce and terrifying in battle screaming axe raised letting out a battle roar that made even the giants beasts of Carliath cower with fear.

Lastly there is the coward Gaichgo, or as the few enemies who heard of him referred to him as, The Snake. His armor is the Venom Armor, this dark green armor gave him the ability to poison any weapon he touched and let him use his silver tongue to escape any situation that he deemed unsavory.

Those five are the commanders of the army that had been raised to defeat King Xallion’s army and take revenge, they were not interested in taking the kingdom over they just wanted the king’s head for themselves to make him pay for all the wrong that he had done them.

As their armor differed in talents and abilities so did their weapon tastes. Virones wielded his one handed longsword, the same sword he grasped three years ago when vowing to kill all the men that burnt his childhood village, Thinorad carried and two-handed broadsword with the hilt wrapped in a brilliant red leather that even after years of use never seemed to wear or lose color, Nycenea dual wields rapiers allowing her ample protection and outstanding offense, Marvahnus wields his two headed great axe, and Gaichgo although preferring to stay out of combat carries a long bow and a short sword, but he is far more proficient with the bow than the sword.

The five commanders were gathered in Virones’ tent discussing battle plans over a large map of Carliath. Scouting bands had just returned informing them that another battalion had broken off from the main host and only numbered about 5000 men. They were also close, only over the next two rises which meant they could strike, and soon.

“We’ll see which direction they are headed when they march tomorrow. Five thousand is still half of out force and we cannot afford to lose any one.” Virones said trying to remain calm. They had killed countless battalions in the last three years and it seemed that the main host only got larger while they had only lost men and seen hardships. No matter how many they killed it seemed that they were doing nothing to thin the ranks and tip the odds in their favor. It was demoralizing and he could tell the only things keeping his troops bound to him were the never ending treasures they could take from their enemies and their honor, which Virones doubted every now and again.

“Virones, you forget I can take on a hundred at a time!” Marvahnus stated ending with his hearty laugh. He was almost right, but after a while the constant punishment of blades him did takes it’s toll, more on him than his armor, and he was one of the most important aspects of his army.

“Marvahnus, I know you could take out the entire camp yourself right now, but not everyone is wearing your armor. What if your axe somehow missed someone’s neck?” Thinorad asked him smiling and clapping him on the back as much as possible being dwarfed by the man.

“You saying you wouldn’t just burn him to a crisp eh?” Marvahnus joked back. The men were close friends and fought side by side when they could combing their strengths. It was always a fearsome sight seeing The Stone break swords and The Flame burn the unarmed men alive in their armor while taking limbs off as they screamed.

“Virones and Thinorad are right,” Gaichgo started, “We need to keep our mortality rate as close to zero as we can. We can’t just make more soldiers like our enemies.”

Shut up you sniveling coward. You actually believe in that child’s tale?” Nycenea said regarding Gaichgo with contempt, “They are just using force to conscript everyone they find and training them as they go. Even poorly trained they will have numbers and sometimes that is all it takes.”

They had all heard the story of The Many Men, magical soldiers made of clay and dirt but only Gaichgo would outright say he believed it to be true.

“Nycenea, leave Gaichgo alone. He’s only stating what all of us here fear to be true. That Xallion has found the secret to making The Many Men and that is how he has made his army so large.” Virones said berating her, “But they will bleed just like men born naturally.” Her demeanor softened as he let the commanding side of him show.

“I just don’t believe that King Xallion or ‘The King of All” as he’d rather be known, would look to a story used to frighten babes to raise an army,” She stated with a hint of fire still in her voice.

It was no secret she regarded Gaichgo with contempt; she saw him for what he was, a coward, and she hated it. Anyone from her village who couldn’t fight or chose not to were shunned and sent to live in exile at the base of the mountain that loomed to the north of her village where the savage northerners from Stlinchyle were known to raid. The people of the village made and expedition every three months to see if the exiles had survived and proven themselves worthy to come back, but they never did.

“We’ll go with Virones’ plan to wait until we know which direction they are headed. He and Gaichgo can take a small scouting party, stay a bit away from them and watch their movements.” Thinorad said upholding his leader and friend’s plan and adding his own addition to try and appease the rest of the commanders.

“Aye sounds like a plan. Gaichgo, grab your five best archers and meet me in ten minutes on the western end of the camp. Make sure it is only five we need to keep the group small to avoid detection.” Virones ordered happy with the new plan.

“W-wait do we really both need to go? Surely one of us will suffice.” Gaichgo managed to stammer out before Marvahnus struck him to the ground with the back of his hand.

“There’s being a coward and then there’s a disloyal fuck. Everyone here knows you were volunteering, Virones, our friend and leader to go alone into a camp of 5000 men. Now stand up and gather your archers or the next hit will be with my axe!” The large man seemed larger as he boomed these orders. Gaichgo scampered out of the tent humiliated.

“Think that was a bit much? True he is dishonest and I trust him about as much as I believe I could throw you, but we need him and to keep morale up and killing a commander of an entire battalion of archers is not the way to do that.” Virones said standing as tall as he could but even at his tallest he was comically short compared to the giant man.

“Aye sir, perhaps it was. He just lives up to his nickname too much for my liking sometimes.” Marvahnus said eyeing the tent flap Gaichgo had just exited from.

“Stuff the sir shit. We are too close for those pointless formalities” Virones said to his friend, his smile returning. They were all his friends even the cowardly Gaichgo though he sometimes felt less of a friend than the others.

“Some of us are closer than others.” Nycenea said giving Virones a sly smile. They had flirted with the idea of becoming lovers but never gotten too far in their exploits as privacy was limited in the camp.

“Alright, you’re all dismissed. Make sure a watch is posted, we’ll be down 12 men tonight.” Virones said. As they were leaving he called, “Nycenea, stay back a minute,” She turned towards him. “While I enjoy the sentiment, try and keep our private affairs private. You are far from the only woman in the camp but you are the most attractive, and we can’t afford dissent to spread through our ranks.”

“O but I’m sure we could afford to spread something.” She said coyly getting ever closer to Virones, “Beside the women from my battalion and village spread their legs for your warriors enough.” She said a hint of sarcasm in her voice. It was true that her women warriors while fierce fighters did also tend to take that ferocity elsewhere making some of Virones’ own men unable to walk straight the next day.

“Nycenea I swear when we have the time and means I’ll spread your legs as wide as they go.” With that said he kissed her quickly and continued, “But I have to meet Gaichgo with my five best rangers.” They left the tent side by side and parted ways for her to set up a watch and for him to begin his mission.

It took all of two minutes for Virones to gather his rangers and meet Gaichgo at the west edge. He looked back on the camp, because they knew enemies were close no cooking fires had been lit and they had supped on salt beef and cheese washing it down with water from a nearby stream. With that reflection done Virones led his small scouting party towards the enemy camp.