Knock. Knock.Bam. BAM!

Clawvis rose from his sleep.”How are you master?” asked the

bed. “My body aches. My soul came back to it too quickly,”

groaned Clawvis. “Are you okay?” inquired the copper mirror.

“Just moving my joints, easing the stiffness from them’” exhaled

Clawvis.

BAM! BAM!

Kosar is at it again, I see. “Door.” “Yes, master?” “Open

up and let that idiot in. My head is already pounding without it

having to mimic his infernal racket.” The door open swiftly as

the goblin was in mid swing and he plummeted, surprised, face

first into the floor.

The mage casually looked over, “What is it, Kosar?”

“Master. There is an army against us!” Kosar stuttered as

he staggered to his feet. Eyebrows furrowing and shaking off the

grogginess, Clawvis replied suspiciously, “An army you say?”

Turning toward the mirror, Clawvis request, ”Show me this army

if you would.”

“Yes, master.” The mirror’s surface shimmered and colors

began to form. Slowly,figures emerged. The first was a man

covered in thick furs over silken robes emblazon with chains of

metal and jewels. He rose above his army on a magnificent white

steed. Gathered around him were presumably the officers of his

army. As the man’s features became more focused in the mirror a

smile grew on Clawvis’s face. He recognized their “leader.” He

sighed deeply to himself. “Oh what has dear Corvin gotten

himself into this time? And what is this,” he waved to the army,

“at my doorstep?” He began to chuckle to himself. What is he

doing here? And what is this army for?

As he was looking at the gathering army in the meadow

surrounding his Tower, a shining light suddenly reflected off of

the army. It appeared and disappeared as quickly as a lightning

strike. “Mirror, follow that light,” Clawvis directly hasitly.

The mirror scanned the horizon until it found its source. His

eyes widen as the mirror focused in. “Oh, no. Not her. This is

going to be quite a day.”

Clawvis’ attention fixed on a lithe woman with a thick

braid of raven hair trailing down her back. Dark eyes and a

sharp, if not almost a beak like nose were prominent features.

She and her surrounding cohort were in full battle gear. At

first when he saw Corvin and his army it may have been a joke,

but not with her here. The only reason why she would be present,

was if ordered. So, apparently the king is tying up loose ends.

Corvin’s officers saw Angela,the Shining Lady, and her

cohort appear on the battlefield and briskly rode toward the

notorious battlemage. Not to be outdone, Corvin charged forward

to greet Angela before his soldiers could welcome her. Corvin

reached her far ahead of his soldiers and valiantly approached

her cohort. He stopped a little way off and waited nervously for

permission to come closer. Although he was the king’s nephew,

Corvin knew never to get between a cohort and its mage. The

stories about them, what they had faced and most importantly

what they had done, unnerved him. Wild dogs in his mind. Angela

gave a curt nod and the cohort gave way, forming a armed

corridor. He pranced his steed toward the standing battlemage,

looked down at her and smiled.

Corvin spoke first. “Angela, Good to see your hair managed,

rather than looking like you been struck by lightning? So, what

brings “my lady” to my battlefield?”

“I was ordered here to destroy a wayward council member.”

“Clawvis? By whom?”

Bored with the conversation, Angela retorted, “The King of

course through his usual means.”

“Don’t you get tired of battles and demons?”

“Yes, but it is far better than to leave them in your

(cough)capable hands.”

“Angela, your services aren’t needed? As you can see, I have

this whole situation under control.”

“I see,” Angela said as she inspected the end of her braid, “

but you are extremely unprepared.”

“Unprepared?” He scoffed. “What am I afraid of? Do you think I’m

going to run from candlesticks and bookshelves? That doddering,

old man seems to be a breath’s distance from death. I would be

more surprised if he could do magic than breath without

coughing. What is the worst that that kind of mage could do to

my army?

“Corvin,” gesturing to his army, “how are they suppose to

fight demons?” the battlemage earnestly questioned.

Demons? What are you talking about demons? He uses infusion and

rituals. All my army has to do is storm the tower and avoid his

traps. I have enough people here to make sure that happens even

if I do lose a few.

Exasperated, Angela raised her voice. “An infuser? Where did

you get your information? He is a summoner.”

Feeling that he had bested her, Corvin condescendingly

replied, “No, my lady. Where did you get yours? I have never

seen him with a familiar, nor have I ever seen him engage in

such activities. Could it be? That the once "Shining Lady of

Tirroush” is wrong? No wonder the king requested my aid.”

Momentarily, Angela looked confused. Was she wrong? Every

scouting attempt she had done over the last several weeks had

shown gateway use to the demon realm. He was the master of this

tower. He was strong enough to create such portals. If he was a

infuser wizard and not a summoner, then who was? How were the

portal energies remaining? No, shaking her head mentally to

clear the doubts from her mind. I am right. Clawvis is a

summoner and he was waiting for us. I have prepared, studied and

performed the sacrifices and rituals needed for the aid I am

about to receive. Angela bowed her head and thought, In her

name. Amen.

Corvin officers finally arrived. “Good day, my lady.” As

soon as the officers started coming near her, she could feel her

cohorts’ eyes shift toward them. The officers felt the same

apprehension that their leader did. The cohort was composed of

veteran soldiers, who had seen things only mages were privy to.

The effects were on their faces as clearly as their scars. The

cohort’s armor was a thick grayish dull metal, each with its own

story etched in scratches and scorch marks upon its surface.

What manner of beasts could have made such marks and what

battles had these men fought together?

The nearest cohort, Jacob, cocked his head without looking

away from the oncoming soldiers. Angela slowly nodded and smiled

to him. The cohorts relaxed a bit. She looked to the nearest

officer, asking, “What is the name of your regimen?t”

“Covin’s Immemorial Regiment, M’Lady.” She looked back to Corvin

with a raised eyebrow. “You named the regiment after yourself?”

“Yes, of course I did. These men are from my land and their

leaders were given to me by the king himself. This is my army.”

Corvin was tired of this conversation. “Officers, get your

troops to their positions. This battle should be won by

nightfall or you will lead from the from the next morning.”

Angela looked down at the nearest Officer and gave him some

advice. “Officer, be wary of what may come this day. Things are

not as they should be.” The officer nodded and went with the

others obviously excited that the Shinning Lady spoke to him

directly, but uneasy about her words.

When Clawvis saw the escort around Angela and Corvin, he

started to smirk. The difference between their battle tactics

was astounding. Angela had a cohort of men trained to defend

against all obstacles, including other mages, as they stood as

the personal guards to this particular mage. These before him,

he knew, were survivors of many battles. They trained in one

squad and fought as one entity. Their dull grey heavy set armor

was hard to mistake. Corvin’s soldiers, in contrast, were as

green as the grass upon which they stood. They had unmarked

leather armor. Clawvis wondered how many had ever seen a battle

before today. “They will be fighting each other more than me.”

he mused, which will give me the time I need to prepare.

His smile faded. He knew of Angela’s hatred for him. Her

methodical battle strategies and unrelenting determination to

win were not lost on him. He thought for a moment. His defenses

wouldn’t last against what she would bring. He needed his

Triumph Scenario. He was going to use that which he had paid so

dearly for. I have to get to my glade; to the one prize that

will solidify my safety. But first I must create a distraction

so that I can get there in time.

Clawvis got dressed and went to the window. Opening it, he

closed his eyes and started to breathe meditatively. He began to

feel for the breeze in the air. Clawvis found the ones he was

seeking. Breaking a smile, he grabbed two wind spirits from the

air and spoke:

Wind of sky and air

Be my tower’s breath

Use my fire

To cause them death.

Clawvis firmly set the wind spirits down one on each side

of the giant window. Papers began to fly off his desk and every

bookshelf, as the two wind spirits condensed into nondescript

forms. The two spirits howled in acknowledgement. Their forms

endlessly moved, but their positions never changed from the spot

in which they were placed. Clawvis turned, beckoned Kosar to

follow and hurried as fast as he could through the door and down

the stone staircase.

Corvin surveyed his army of a thousand soldiers as they

marched into battle formations. Twenty platoons marching in five

distinct parties with two platoons leading each. “See Angela,“

Corvin smirked as his soldiers rushed into position. “With my

soldiers, this will all be over soon.”

Unable to contain herself, Angela started to laugh. “You’re not

sending these men, are you?”

“Why wouldn’t I send them in?” Corvin snidely remarked.

“Because you don’t send soldiers to attack mages. You are bring

kindling to combat a forest fire. They’re going to get

slaughtered.” Upon hearing this the back row of soldiers turned

in wide eyed fright. The soldiers surrounding Angela just looked

straight ahead at the battle to come. “Why are you even here

Corvin? You are no battle mage. You have no escort and you bring

an army like this as if it were a casual skirmish with a band of

rebels and not the crucible that will begin here today.”

“Angela, I am just as high a Council member as you are and you

cannot tell what to do.”

“I’m telling you if you send them in, they’re all going to die.

It will be a waste.”

“If you argue with me any further I will take this up to the

council. You stay here like a good King’s servant, silent and if

and when we need your support, we will ask for it. In the

meantime enjoy the show as my men win this day. Remember my name

carries more weight in the king’s court than yours does.” He

said with a sneer.

“Be careful, Corvin.” Angela smiled warningly. “That maybe the

only weight you have here today.”

Corvin could only glower in response, as he turned his gaze

toward the coming battle.

Clawvis walked down the steep stone stairs, with Kosar

following several steps behind. The steps were solid and

unyielding, from granite that seemed without cut nor carving. It

was if the very mountain itself gave up virgin rock for this

sole purpose. He walked softly, with his head bowed. Each step

was just as precise as the next. A whisper followed each breath.

After each step was passed, it seemed to vibrate to life. Each

vibrating step inspired the stones next to it to hum, and then

to sing, until soon from humming to singing, so now a great

chorus could be heard throughout the keep. Clawvis whispered as

he took his final steps to the base of the tower.

Many into one and one into many.

Let the difference that divide dissipate.

Let the singularity propagate.

Standing at the end of the staircase were two polished

ceramic suits of armor, each positioned next to a small roughly

hewn well. Touching each stair guardian on its shoulder, he

repeated, "It’s time. Your master beckons your protection."

Instantly, flame ignited life within them. The fire crackled a

response, "Master’s beckoning is answered." The stair guardians

wore twin armor designed with colors of pitch and crimson. Their

armor was jagged and sharp as if made from volcanic obsidian.

Each raised a booted foot and slammed down on a button in the

floor beneath them. Oil started to gurgle up from both wells.

Banister-like protrusions formed in the walls edging the stone

stairs, like ramps going back to the mage’s study. The stair

guardians started cupping pools of oil in their hands and

whispering words of fire to the oil. The handfuls of oil began

to burn, move, grow arms and legs, and come alive. Placing each

burning ball on a banister, the stair guardians spoke aloud to

them in tandem:

Hold yourself tight.

Be the bright flame tonight.

Don’t spill nor miss any target within your sight.

The handfuls of oil held themselves together into balls,

with arms wrapped tightly around them so nothing would spill.

Their little legs waddled along without any division of thigh to

calf; just two long shiny limbs, as they hurried up the

banisters. Reaching Clawvis’ study, they were gleefully greeted

by wind guardians, who were eagerly waiting to fling them at any

who would seize their home. Kosar gasped as he looked back and

saw the stairwell wreathed in flame, snaking its way up the

staircase. Two fire vurms came to his mind. The sound of his

name broke his thoughts as it echoed from a distance in front of

him. His master was ahead of him and waiting. Not the best

position for me to be in, if I want to remain breathing.

Corvin’s army started to march forward through the meadow

towards the tower. Ringing the tower, was a long forgotten moat

that had since dried out and became overgrown with grass. As the

army on all sides reached the midway point of the meadow, the

front lines suddenly stopped. Angela stretched her neck to see

what was happening. “Why are the soldiers stop?” she thought to

herself.

A young girl had appeared in front of each major platoon.

Each looked no more than six years old and was covered head to

toe in leaves with what looked like a white tunic underneath.

They stood there unarmed and waiting in silence. A couple of the

foot soldiers from the main battalion in front of Angela and

Corvin approached the girl. When they were mere feet away she

spoke. “You are trespassing on my master’s land. If you are

friend please wait to be greeted by my master, if you are foe

please just leave. Are you friend or foe?” One of the soldiers

spoke back before any could realize what was happening. “Get out

of my way, you dirty brat.”

The girl cocked her head. “No. Friend or foe.”

“Get out of our way!” He screamed trying to frighten her off.

“No.” She spoke with a strange calm and did not move.

The soldiers decided to walk around her, but she kept

inexplicably getting in front of them, until one of the soldiers

in the midst of the platoon had had enough.

“What’s going on over there?” he shouted.

“There’s a girl blocking the path.” The soldier in front shouted

back.”

“Just move around her.”

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

“She won’t let us.”

“Then move her.”

Angela’s brows furrowed and she asked, “What is going on?

Why is there a child covered in leaves out here. . .” Her eyes

widen in realization. She screamed but it was too late. By the

time the word “No,” crested to her lips the damage was done. The

soldier had backhanded the dryad.

The dryad did not move, but merely turned her head, even

though the blow should have knocked her off her feet. Smiling,

she slowly turned back toward the soldier and said one word.

“Foe.” In one fluid motion, she raised her head and a shrill ear

piercing scream erupted from her face. All the other dryads

turned to face their shrieking companion. In unison, they cupped

their hands to their mouths, shook their heads and began to

giggle, before bursting into small pile of leaves to be carried

off by the wind.

The soldiers grabbed their ears screaming “Shut her up!

Shut her up!” One of them drew his sword and started hacking at

the shrieking dyrad with abandon. The scream stopped and the

dryad dropped to the ground as a pile of broken wood. Then,the

shaking started. The ground began to twist and quake. Cracks

began to form.

A explosion of tearing rock appeared from the ground about

25 feet away from where the shrieking dryad had stood. A great

beast, an elemental, erupted from the ground. It was a hulking

creature twenty-one hands tall and sixteen and a half hands

wide. It looked like it was made of stone and wood, but not

something constructed by human hand, but rather birthed from the

earth itself. Large hefty stone fists were connected to tree

trunk sized forearms. It seemed that the stone torso, legs and

face were connected by wood, like trees grows and connect

through ruined buildings in ancient lost cities. Just as the

amazement of seeing these creature started to wear off, another

elemental blasted out of the ground. All eyes followed this

massive form as it flew through the air. It shook the ground as

its landing made a small crater. The elementals turned to each

other and in sync said one word to each other, “Mage.” They

turned as mirror images and looked above the soldiers directly

toward Angela and Corvin. Screaming, they charged through the

army on route to the mages.

The elementals hit soldiers so hard that their heads

cracked like eggs smashing against slanted wood. A sharp crack

and a dull thud was heard as the skulls shattered and brain

matter splashed onto their nearest comrades. A soldier found his

luck had turned as he found himself alone in front of one of

them. The creature roared and drove the bottom of its fist down

upon him as a smith beats steel. One hit and the liquid remains

squirted from armor as pus is squeezed from a boil. There was a

single scream and then a sudden thump. Soldiers’ weapons were

useless. They could not find a single soft point to strike. It

was as futile as attacking a boulder.

The soldiers on the other side of the tower felt the ground

quake and heard the great roars coming from the other side. A

platoon captain trying to bolster his men, cried,”Don’t worry

men. The mages will defeat whatever that is.” He looked around

him anxiously, not really believing his words of encouragement.

One soldier could be heard, “Better them than us I’d say.” His

companions laughed at his jest. The laughter spread through the

platoon.

As if fate laughed at their joy, two simultaneous thunder

claps erupted from the tower. Giant arms split away from the

body of the tower and a huge maw opened from the room above. The

blast was so intense that even the elementals turn to witness

it. The tower’s top room windows began to glow a searing red

like eyes gazing at the army before it. Fire started to rain

upon them. The oil spirits sang and screamed as the wind spirits

propelled them at the army below. The flaming bombs seem to

burst upon impact, grasping any near enough, as the hands of

death pulling them into the next world. Soldiers caught in the

fire screamed and ran in any direction to find water or sand. No

one could extinguish the flames. They could only watch their

comrades scream and burn until they finally dropped. The smell

of blistering flesh and hair assaulted their noses, though

nothing compared to the onslaught that the oil smoke did to

their sight and lungs. Men were dying, not as part of a

courageous charge of story book heroes, but as trapped and

scared animals being slaughtered and knowing it will soon be

their turn.