《DAWN OF THE DRAGONS》 CHAPTER ONE: RED HARVEST Tor¡¯gyyl. A world teeming with sentient races and the scores of civilizations they''ve carved out upon its lands and within its seas. Humans and elves, warriors and wizards, scholars and barbarians¡­ These and countless other beings both unfathomable and inscrutable call Tor¡¯gyyl home. But among all these multitudes, the millions of denizens who vary in shape and hue and might, our gaze falls upon one lone individual ¨C a man who dwells in the kingdom of West Kruna. Felix Eldraco . ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Felix was working in the field when they came, just a common farmhand earning a living through the strength of his back and the sweat of his brow. Such things as wyrms and ogres were the stuff of children¡¯s stories, and nothing more. Then the dragons¡¯ forces arrived. A dark army charging towards Burden¡®s Rest. Packs of vicious kobolds sweeping into the fields to slaughter those caught outside the town¡­ Felix¡¯s old life was over. Around him other farmhands scream in fear, unable to understand what¡¯s happening. Then they scream in pain, as the grotesque creatures begin their slaughter. The murderous eyes of a kobold met his gaze , and the kobold¡¯s blade flashes at his neck. Felix in a mad attempt at survival raised his hoe that he had been using to farm the field with, just in time to block the death-dealing blow of the Kobold! The Kobold gave a low growl, the creatures eyes narrowing at the man¡¯s successful block. Felix fearing that the Kobold would call for its nearby allies, lunged and started attacking the Kobold, fighting for his life. The Kobold sneered and chuckled at his clumsy attempt to fight back, suddenly the Kobold charged and slashed at Felix¡¯s chest. Felix abandoning his earlier attempts, jumps back in time as the blade harmlessly cuts the air, only a hair¡¯s breath from his exposed chest¡­. The Kobold continuously slashed and stabbed at Felix, but Felix now put into a defensive position just kept on dodging the swinging sword. The Kobold growing impatient of the battle, raised both of its hands holding the sword above its head ran towards Felix. Felix¡¯s eyes brightened as he saw his chance to end the murdering Kobold, Felix raised his hoe using it like a lance or pike, charged towards the running Kobold. The Kobold realizing the danger to late, felt the metal end of hoe plunge into his stomach, as the life left its eyes it gazed at the human before it in disbelief. The kobold falls to the ground, and splutters out his last breath. For the moment Felix was safe, and part of him yearned to run, to leave the madness far behind. Then he heard one of the other farmhands crying out for help, he quickly dismissed the thought of running away and grabbed the fallen Kobold¡¯s sword, dropping the bloody hoe and rushed to the farmhands aid. With a swing of his newly acquired sword he put a swift end to the Kobold that was attacking the poor farmhand. The farmhand grateful for saving him, gazes at him and grabs the now dead Kobolds sword, joining Felix, in the fray to rescue the other farmhands from the Kobolds. As Felix and the other farmhand rescue the others, and vanquished more of the Kobolds, the rescued farmhands join Felix¡¯s counterattack arming themselves with the very swords that was meant to kill them. The kobolds are weak and cowardly. They sought to murder defenseless people, not battle with armed men and women. Now, as he, Felix, rallied the other farmhands to fight back, the Kobolds began to falter. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A roar of primal fury tears from Felix¡¯s mouth as he charged. Victory! The kobolds flee before him, many casting aside their arms in their haste to escape his vengeance. He moved to pursue them, to cut them down in their flight and make them pay in blood for those they had slain. Then a stocky, armored figure shoves his way through the other kobolds. His blade lashes out once, twice, and two of the kobolds fall lifeless to the ground. He shouts something in a bestial tongue, no doubt a warning of the grim fate that awaits deserters. The remaining kobolds stop running, and slowly begin to line up behind their chieftain. It¡¯s was clear what Felix had to next . He had cut the chieftain down, and strike fear into the hearts of his followers¡­ Felix and the kobold chieftain charge at each other, there swords clash against each other, their blows raising small gusts of wind at the power behind each other swings. Kobold chieftain, arrogant in his belief to be far superior than the human man before him felt sure he could slay the puny man. Felix dived in and rolled underneath the kobold chieftain¡¯s sword, slicing the legs of the Kobold. Roaring in pain and fury at the blow, the kobold chieftain kicked at Felix¡¯s body, Felix who was still in the roll position had no time to react as he felt the powerful kick hit his back. Felix¡¯s felt the breath kicked out of lungs and was stunned, the kobold chieftain smiled smugly at the fallen human, sure of his victory. Felix realizing death was almost upon him used the rest of his willpower and closed his eyes hoping for the best as his sword plunged towards the gloating kobold chieftain. The kobold chieftain expression twisted from, smugness,shock, respect, anger, as he felt the sword strike his heart! Felix hastily scrambled up from his fallen position, already recovered from being stunned, his back aching and his arms shaking from fatigue. The kobold chieftain suddenly bellowed in defiance, but blood and strength flowed together from his wounds. The blade drops from his hand, and his eyes widen as if in disbelief. He grunts something in his unintelligible language. Perhaps a word of congratulations to a superior warrior. Perhaps a bitter curse. Then he falls, toppling over like a felled oak tree. The other kobolds are in flight before he hits the ground. They don¡¯t get far. Suddenly Felix hears the clattering of hooves, the rattling of arms and armor. Sounds which went unheeded during his battle with the chieftain. Now he sees a group of horsemen, the town¡¯s guards back from patrol, as they ride down the surviving kobolds ¨C dispatching them with thrusts of their lances and swings of their gleaming swords. The guard captain wheels his horse round and faces Felix. ¡°The town! They''re in the town!¡± Felix looks up towards Burden¡¯s Rest in the distance, and see the dark mass flowing amongst the shining white buildings. The battle isn''t over yet. The others look to Felix for guidance, even the guard captain. His men have trained to fight packs of bandits, not wage war. For better or worse, Felix¡¯s actions of slaying the kobold chieftain had placed him in charge. Felix then calls for the remaining farmhands to grab what weapons they could from the dead. Then he begins marching towards Burden¡¯s Rest, to rescue it from its enemies or else die alongside his fellow townspeople. CHAPTER TWO : FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH Burdens Rest is in pandemonium, its streets littered with corpses and awash with blood. A dozen little battles rage across the town square, bands of men and women fighting for their lives against hideous creatures far more fearsome than the kobolds Felix slew in the fields. They are twisted beings, unholy blends of man and beast. Something across the square catches his eye. There, where the enemy are thickest, is a huge pink globe, pulsing with eldritch light. An ogre stands next to it, towering above the other monsters, his hand pressed against the strange sphere. He nods his ugly head, then moves off in the direction of the keep. Many of the creatures follow in his wake. For a moment Felix¡¯s gaze lingers on the object, but there is no time to ponder what he saw. Felix and his companions plunged into the chaotic fighting, determined to do what he could to turn the tide. Felix orders his fighters to secure this end of the square, so he could push forward without getting flanked. Chaos favors the monsters and their bestial savagery. He had to impose order on the battlefield if he wished to push them back! Felix and his companions swiftly ended the lives of the creatures around the square. Satisfied that the area was safe Felix and his companions marched on¡­. Suddenly, a monster¡¯s body crashes through the window of a nearby tavern that was a little further up the street from the group. A grim figure leaps out after it, a crimson sword in each hand. Roland the barkeep, a retired adventurer, has evidently lost none of his skills. Felix charged into the fray, supporting him as more monsters approached. Back to back Felix and Roland fought the monsters that sought to destroy them. The small skirmish was quickly dealt with, Felix looked glanced back the retired adventurer . Roland gave Felix a grateful smile and told Felix he could handle himself now. Felix nodded and continued onwards his companions following closely behind him. As Felix and his little band of fighters carried, on he heard the distant cries of a battle ahead. Felix hastened pace and his gaze fell upon the scene of a desperate battle . The town¡¯s blacksmith stood in the doorway of his forge, protecting those who sought shelter in there from the murderous creatures. The blacksmith¡¯s hammer dealt mighty blows with each swing. But some of the creatures had seized flaming torches, and were going to try to set fire to the building. Felix Had to stop them before it was late. With shout, he and his companions plunged into the battle, Felix gave a quick ordered and told his fighters to get rid of the torchbearers first . As his companions took care of the torchbearers Felix rushed to the blacksmiths aid, the blacksmith and the people sheltered in his forge a gave a small cheer at the sight of Felix and his companions. Felix slashed the back of the creature that had been attacking the blacksmith and then plunged his sword into the creatures stunned body killing it. Felix looked around to see if the blacksmith needed anymore help, the blacksmith gave a grunt and shook his head Felix glanced at the man and nodded turning back to the battle. As Felix fought his way through the battle¡­. In the midst of the fighting he saw a woman get knocked down to the ground. She tried to get up to her feet, but her injuries were too severe. Felix fought his way to her side, and grabbed hold of her arm. If he could just drag her out of the melee¡­ The blacksmith that Felix had helped suddenly shouted and waved his hand over Felix realized what he wanted and lifted the injured woman, running with all his might towards the building. The blacksmith held out his arms and Felix gently gave the woman to the man, Felix gave a grateful nod and ran back into the fray . The monsters fall back before his assault, until he almost was at the great pink globe which had caught his gaze earlier. Once again he felt his eyes are drawn to it. He sensed its power. A twisted creature, its torso like that of a man but its lower body that of a huge scorpion, stands next to the sphere. He places his hand against it as Felix saw the Ogre had done earlier. Felix was so close that he could see the monsters eyes glaze over as he touched the orb . Then he pulls the hand away and his malevolent eyes focus on Felix . He points in his direction and yells. The other monsters roar in answer and redouble their efforts, fighting even more ferociously than before. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The scorpion-man scrambles towards Felix, his pincer snipping at the air and his spear thrusting at his throat. Felix dodged to the side just as the monster¡¯s spear passed, it was so close that it just nicked the side of his throat leaving a little cut. The twisted monster roared with fury and charged at the man, Felix felt goosebumps cover his skin as the monster scuttled towards him its tail slamming into the ground where Felix had stood seconds before. Felix rolled out of the just in time, any seconds later and he would have been impaled by the scorpion like stinger. Felix charged at the monster his blade aiming for the twisted beasts belly, the monster cried out in pain as it felt the blade Felix held, slice through its unprotected human half. the hot blood of the monster splurted out and splattered Felix. Enraged at the blow that the man had given him the monster swung its tail and caught Felix off-guard, the hit sent Felix hurling into a nearby pile of crates. Felix felt a jarring pain on upon impact and cried out in pain blood spurting from his mouth. The monster grinned with malicious glee at the pain it had managed to deliver on the young man. Felix groaned his head sagging as dizziness from the pain stunned him. The creature slowly scuttled towards the fallen famer enjoying the sight. Suddenly a shout from the crowd caught the monsters attention and a flying hammer greeted its gaze, the hammer slammed into the twisted monsters face, knocking it off balance. The Blacksmith had thrown the hammer! Felix in his dazed state, saw this and grunted forcing his body up, with one last charge he lunged inwards and struck the monsters twisted heart. With that blow the scorpion-man collapses, two of his spindly legs snapping beneath him. Around Felix, his companions were finishing off the other monsters, but he barely notice them. Once more he feel drawn to the pink sphere. he stepped towards ignoring his injuries and pressed his hands against its surface. It felt smooth, warm and- Burden¡¯s Rest is gone, stripped away like the dying fragments of a dream. There is only darkness, a great void on all sides. Two blue lights appear before him, suspended in the air, burning in the air, burning like a fire? No¡­ Not lights. Eyes. A dragon emerges from the void, a huge black creature somehow darker than the darkness itself. it glares at Felix, its emotions inscrutable behind those blazing eyes. Scaly talons are clawing at his mind¡­ Felix quickly pulls his hand away and he realizes he is back in the town. The darkness and the dragons are gone, he had little understanding of magic but even his untutored mind realized that the globe had a connection with that creature, that it somehow allowed the Ogre and the scorpion-man to commune with it. Felix swings his weapon at the glowing sphere, eager to destroy it before it can cause any further harm. But though it looks fragile, as if it was made of glass, it does not shatter under his blow, only a small crack appears in its surface. Felix stands back exhausted and watch¡¯s the network of cracks spread across the sphere. The glow within it dies, fading out like the last embers of fire. Pieces fall from it, like¡­ like the shell of an egg. A blue reptilian foot crashes through the surface, clawing away a big section of the shell. Another follows. Then a snout, a miniature version of the one he saw in his vision, but for its color. A few seconds more and a dragon whelp stands before him. Shaking the last pieces of its egg from its scaled hide. Its curious eyes fix on Felix and holds his gaze for a moment. The the beast lunges. Felix hastily raised his weapon, but its not going for him. Felix looks to the side and sees the scorpion-man¡¯s pincer just inches from his leg. The dragon¡¯s jaws are clamped around it, thwarting the strike. Another snap of its azure jaws and the scorpion-man finally succumbs to death. The dragon whelp looks up as if seeking his approval. Felix¡¯s companions stand behind him, clearly unsure of what to do. Silence reigns in the square, a stark contrasts to the clamorous battle waged there mere minutes ago. Then a voice from the crowd breaks it. ¡°The Children¡­ We sent them into the keep when those things attacked.¡± The image of the ogre heading to the keep flashes in Felix¡¯s mind. He instructs some of his followers to keep an eye on the dragon, and lead the others towards the building. Felix hoped he wouldn''t be too late¡­ CHAPTER THREE: STORMING THE KEEP The keep is the most defensible position in Burden¡¯s Rest, but centuries ago, even so quite a settlement had to be prepared to resist invasion from its rivals. That¡¯s why the children and others incapable of taking up arms were sent there, in hope that the keep¡¯s guards could protect them. Now they¡¯re in danger. Whether the enemy intends to slaughter the helpless out of spite as a final act of brutality against Burden¡¯s Rest, or hopes to gain control of the keep and hold it against the townspeople, they cannot be permitted to succeed. As Felix heads towards the entrance, the huge doors begin to close. The creatures hold the hall, and are trying to bar him out. Felix breaks into a sprint. He had to get inside before they could shut the doors, else the was keep going be lost. Felix and those of his companions fleetest of foot barge through the gap between the doors, smashing the bestial creatures aside. Felix became breathless, but charges into them for all his worth, fighting to give the others time to enter. The hall is now secured the foul creatures swiftly killed, Felix then begins to search the keep. He makes it up to the upper floors, but the enemy have entrenched themselves on the staircases. With a curse He switches his weapon to his left hand, so that he could fight his way up the clockwise spiral. As Felix got closer to the end of the clockwise spiral staircase, he heard the distant shouting of young children. After beheading the last creature he ran towards the shouts he had heard before. A remarkable scene greets his eyes. The children and the enfeebled, those sent away from the battle, must have taken spears from their armory. Now they¡¯re holding a doorway, keeping the monsters at bay with a forest of jabbing steel. Their bravery won¡¯t be in vain. Felix runs to help them. With a leap he lands on of the creatures backs and begins hacking away at its neck, ending its life with a slice at the throat.. The rest of the creatures already put down by his companions. Now that the current danger was over¡­.. The children began to babble at him with dozens of excited tongues, explaining that the mayor lured the ogre away so they would only have to hold off his minions. Felix instructs most of his companions to escort the children to safety in case any more monsters are still lurking around the keep. Then Felix leads his hand-picked warriors in search of the Ogre. As Felix moves further up the keep, a savage growl reveals his location. Felix comes out onto the battlements to see the brutish Ogre facing off against Solus Tullian, the mayor of Burden¡¯s Rest. Mayor Tullian, wounded and gasping meets your gaze as the Ogre swings his club. He smiles, knowing by Felix¡¯s presence that the children were now safe, that the monsters had failed to hold the keep against the townsfolk. Then the club smashes into his side, launching him over the ramparts. The Ogre gives a rumbling laugh then turns as he hears you approaching. ¡°Was fun,¡± he declares, gesturing to the empty space where Solus Tullian plunged to his doom. ¡°Do it again, To you¡± Felix yelled in fury, the smile of the doomed but brave mayer haunting his thoughts. He and his companions run forward their eyes blazing with anger. The Ogre staggers against the battlements, his hulking body covered with wounds. One of Felix¡¯s companions raises his blade to finish him off but Felix hold him back. He had another death in mind for this monster. Casting his weapon aside he grabs one of the ogres legs. Its thick and immovable as a tree trunk. But his comrades understood his intent. They all secure a grasp and with a mighty heave the Ogre is sent howling over the edge. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Felix then returns to the Town Square and witness both happy family reunions and the wailing of the children who find themselves orphaned. The blue dragon whelp is still there, his head darting around as he absorbs the sight of the new world in which he finds himself. He bounds over as he sees Felix, causing the fellows he had left watching over him to leap out-of-the-way. His forked tongue darts out, cleaning the blood off of Felix¡¯s cheek. One of the children walks up the dragon, wonder eclipsing fear in her young mind. ¡°Is he yours?¡± the girl asks. ¡°I¡­ I suppose so,¡± he replies. ¡°Whats his name?¡± The question seems absurd, but after what Felix witnessed today his threshold for absurdity was rather different from what it once was. ¡°I¡¯m going to call him¡­ Solus¡± he says. The girl nods in approval. Then she reluctantly returns to her nervous parents, who are urging her away from the dragon. Now that the fight¡¯s over a tide of weariness washes over Felix. His muscles feel like they are made of lead, weighing him down and threatening to make him collapse. As if sensing this, Solus turns, presenting Felix with his flank, his long neck stretches round and he nudges Felix towards his back. The townspeople are looking on at the bizarre scene. Felix¡¯s face reddens slightly at the thought of the comical spectacle he must be presenting. Then he shrugs. If ever people needed a good spectacle to distract them, it¡¯s now. He climbs onto Solus¡¯ back, hoping he won¡¯t buck him off too hard. The dragon shifts slightly as if to make his position under him more comfortable. Then he begins to trot around the square to the delight and cheers of the townsfolk. And to think that this morning he was harvesting turnips¡­ Later that day a company of the kings soldiers arrives. Their commander asks to see the mayor, and instead is brought to speak with Felix. With Solus Tullian gone, Felix appears to have been made the unofficial leader in Burden¡¯s Rest. By the time the commander reaches Felix the townspeople have filled his ears with such exaggerated tales of Felix¡¯s exploits as to put Felix on par with the great heroes of legend. An impression which is only heightened when he sees Solus curled up beside him. Once he¡¯s overcome his trepidation at the sight of the dragon, the commander explains what¡¯s been happening beyond the town. He tells Felix of a vast army which has invaded the kingdom, a dark horde lead by dragons. Where they came from is a mystery, but they struck suddenly ¨C wiping out several of the kingdoms smaller settlements. The commander¡¯s orders were to secure Burden¡¯s Rest and then enlist aid for the Fallows. A larger portion of the dragons¡¯ army is marching for that town and all able body fighters in the region are being sent there to bolster its defenses. For a moment he consider refusing. Burden¡¯s Rest is his home, he gladly fought for it, but he was no soldier. Why should he march off to the Fallows, to fight for a king he¡¯s never even seen? Then he thinks back to Solus Tullian, giving his life to save the children, he thinks of all the innocent blood spilled today. And so Felix heads out from Burden¡¯s Rest, perhaps never to see its gleaming buildings again. Across the countryside lies Fallows, the town he now sworn to defend. Felix¡¯s companions are filled with confidence, and gladly follow where he leads. They sing a boisterous war song as he marches. He wished he could share their enthusiasm. But he had touched the egg. He saw the dragon, a creature a hundred times deadlier than anything he had fought in Burden¡¯s Rest. Felix knew that far greater challenges awaited Him. CHAPTER FOUR: THE ELVEN BARD The shortest route to Fallows takes Felix through Faedark Valley. Most merchants and nobles avoid this road, since it runs dangerously close to the camp of the notorious Bloody Fingers. Those vicious cutthroats usually make a living by hiring themselves out as mercenary guerrillas in distant war torn lands. When outbreaks of peace force them to return to their native kingdom, they prey on wealthy looking travelers to earn a little coin through robbery or ransom. Under normal circumstances he would take another path. But time is of the essence, and he doubted whether even such hardened criminals as the Bloody Fingers would relish a fight with his doughty band of warriors. However, Felix¡¯s hopes of a peaceful journey quickly evaporate. The sounds of battle, now as familiar to him as his own heartbeat, come from around a bend in the road. And something else¡­ Singing? He quicken his pace, and is greeted by the sight of the Bloody Fingers plying their trade. An ornate caravan lies damaged, its horses slain. Nearby are a few elven warriors, fighting for their lives against the bandits. The corpses of their kinsfolk litter the ground, showing that the battle hasn¡¯t been going well for them. Felix sighs. He had left enough bloodshed behind him in Burden¡¯s Rest, and more awaits him in Fallows. But he could not leave the elves to their fate. He signals to his companions, and joins the battle. The Bloody Fingers have stationed their bowmen atop a small ridge. They aren¡¯t firing into the melee, to avoid hitting their own men, but will rain their shafts down upon his forces as it approaches. Felix assaults their position atop Solus. The bandits brought along a few horsemen in case they had to chase down the caravan. They¡¯re charging towards the remaining elves, spears leveled. Felix moves to intercept them. He wagered their mounts will think twice about charging a dragon. In the thickest of the fighting dances an elf woman, somehow working a stringed instrument with one hand and a blade with the other. The song he heard was hers, the enchanting melody settling over the entire battle like a mantle. He fights to her side. The bard acknowledges his aid with a brief nod. Though she does not pause, and the melody seems to flow unbroken, her song transforms into a stirring call to arms. As he hears it he yearn to revel in violence, to deal death to all the bandits. Almost as soon as the last bandits fall, a war cry heralds reinforcements approaching from over the nearest hill. A scout or an unnoticed runner from the battle must have summoned them. There¡¯s also a rumbling noise¡­. A gargantuan beast arises over the hill, a grey-skinned monstrosity with long horns jutting from its snout. Atop it is a palanquin, where the two bandits sit. One clutches a long pike, the other is holding a set of reins, directing the creature as if it were a mere horse. Felix had heard rumors about the Bloody Fingers bringing terrifying beasts of war back from their foreign exploits, threatening to unleash them if the king¡¯s men ever tried to drive them out. It seems that an attack from a dragon-riding warrior also merits such emergency measures. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The beast roars at the heavens and charges.Felix yell for his troops to scatter. To meet its rush would be certain death. The other bandits follow in its wake, hoping to take advantage of the situation and pick his people off while they¡¯re out of formation. Felix had to bring down the rampaging beast, before his forces were overwhelmed! The beast bellows as it sustains a mortal wound. Solus takes to the air as it crashes around in its death throes. Either by good fortune, or because the dying beast wishes to exact its vengeance on those who brought it to this land, it gores and tramples a bloody path through the bandits before finally sinking to the ground. Solus brings Felix back down, and he somehow manages to avoid being sick as his stomach convulses with the sudden descent. The elven bard approaches. Felix prepares to bask in her gratitude, as befits a newly minted hero. Instead she berates him, striking harsh chords on her harp to accompany her words. ¡°Idiot! Why didn¡¯t you get here a few minutes sooner? They¡¯ve taken the artifact!¡± She finally calms down, the tone of her music changing along with that of her voice. She introduces herself as Medea and explains the situation. The elves have learned of the arrival of the dragons and are mustering their forces. For if his kingdom falls to the dark horde, the elves may well be their next victims. While their armies mobilized, Medea was sent ahead with a powerful magical artifact. Her mission was to take it to Fallows, in case the dragons attacked before the rest of the elves could get there in force. But the caravan was ambushed on the road, and one of the Bloody Fingers managed to make off with the artifact whilst Medea and the other elves were locked in battle with his comrades.Felix knew little of elves, and less of sorcery. But if this item is so important, he had to retrieve it. For all he knew it might make the difference between survival and destruction for Fallows. Besides, someone has to deal with the Bloody Fingers once and for all. Felix could not allow them to disrupt supply lines vital to the war effort with their raiding. Medea greets his decision with a cheerful strum of her harp, and her beautiful music accompanies the bawdy tavern songs of his troops as he march towards the Bloody Fingers¡¯ encampment. CHAPTER FIVE : IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE Felix¡¯s gaze sweeps across landscapes as he advances down the valley. The Bloody Fingers are no mere back alley thieves. Though their activities in their native kingdom are those of opportunistic bandits, he heard the tales of their atrocities in the service of foreign powers. Villages have been torched by their hands, the inhabitants strung up as a warning to those who would challenge their employers. He had to be wary¡­ A belt of trees stretches across most of the valley. He suspected that the Bloody Fingers cultivated it to break up formations of attackers, leaving them vulnerable¡­ A moment after he¡¯d enter, enemies drop from the trees and rise from the bushes. Ambush! Sadly the bandits were not expecting Felix¡¯s force to be so strong, with their battle ready wills the continued onwards. The camp sprawls before him, a collection of huts and tents, the size of a village. Around it stands a palisade of strong wood, the broad gates shut and barred. Felix wondered whether they¡¯re strong enough to resist a charging dragon. His troops pour into the camp with him spearheading their charge. Past the massing enemy fighters he sees a man clutching a long ornate box. A yell from Medea confirms that it¡¯s the stolen artifact. Felix starts fighting his way towards him. There¡¯s a blur of black and orange fur, and he finds himself borne to the ground, knocked off Solus¡¯ back. Atop him is another of their exotic beasts, this one resembling a huge cat. It¡¯s claws scratch against his armor, it¡¯s fangs chomp at his neck. Raising his weapon just time blocks the huge cat¡¯s killing blow the fangs screeching across the blades metal, Just above the growling beast he saw Solus diving towards it. CRUNCH! Solus chomps on its neck crushing its neck, the huge cat gives a pitiful whine as it dies. Solus helps drags the big cat¡¯s furry mass aside as Felix crawls out from under the corpse. He clambers to his feet and looks around for a glimpse of the man he was after before the creature lunged at him. Felix was just in time to see him clambering over the palisade with his prize. Felix turns to mount Solus and pursue him but stops when he heard a cry from one of your men. More of those beasts are on the loose and his troops are hard pressed to fend the savage creatures off. He could not let the bandit get away with the artifact, but his followers needed his help¡­ The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As if understanding Felix¡¯s thoughts, Solus gestures to where his quarry escaped. Then he heads in the opposite direction, hurling into the cat beast. For a moment Felix frozen in indecision. But Solus should be enough to turn the tide here. Felix turns towards the palisade, hoping he was agile enough to climb over it like the bandit did. Its only by instinct that he darts aside in time to avoid the blades that slash at his throat from the shadows behind one of the huts. A woman stands before him, her hair and armor crimson. That color also stains the long metal blades extending from her fingers. Though he has never seen her before, it would be hard not to recognize Bloody Alice from the descriptions which accompany the tales of her countless horrendous deeds. ¡°This is your doing,¡± She hisses. ¡°But you won¡¯t live to enjoy the victory!¡± With an alarming amount of speed Bloody Alice runs Towards him, Felix sensing the killing intent jumps backward just as her blades once again aim for his throat. With a slash of his sword at the charging woman, he cuts her chest, Bloody Alice cries out in pain and glares at Felix with hatred. ¡°Stop running around!¡­.Let me slice your throat and end your miserable life!¡± She then charges at him letting out a blood curling scream her blades ready for the final blow, Felix rolls onto the ground and quickly slides behind her back, plunging his sword into her back. Bloody Alice sprawls in the dust, her armor decorated with new shades of red. Thousands of victims have been avenged with the death of the bandit queen, and countless more spared the grim fate which might otherwise have been visited on them at her hands. The battle is all but over and Felix lends his sword arm to help finish off the remaining bloody fingers. ¡°The artifact?¡± asks Medea, an interrogative chord rising from her harp. ¡°He got away¡± you reply. The elf¡¯s eyes narrow and an angry series of notes claw at the air. He was beginning to feel like a performer in one of the musicals they put on at the harvest festival each year. ¡°He can¡¯t have gone far,¡± Felix says ¡°We¡¯ll catch him.¡± He leap onto Solus¡¯ back, his aching body rebelling at the exertion, and heads off in search of the bandit and the elven artifact. Why is nothing ever easy?