300 A Hero Unknown
Vurfin saw several elven archer lines appear out of nowhere just as her ears picked up faint footsteps heading her way! The sound seemed to echo around her cavernous room, making her skin crawl as she stood waiting for an attack. Vurfin stayed low between two rows of stalagmites as she waited for something to happen, which wasn’t long in coming when she heard another set of steps, accompanied by the rustling of cloth. She peered over one of the gaps in front of her, careful not to show herself too much while trying hard not to make any noise. Several pairs of feet entered through the tunnel entrance ahead of her and began walking quietly toward her. “What do we have here? Are you a divine beast aiding Skjor?”
“No,” Vurfin grunted softly as she realised there was no point in hiding if the elves had already discovered her. She kept her breathing soft so that it wouldn’t give away her intentions. “I’m just some dumb monster.” She spat before sitting back on her ass as though she were completely unthreatening. Her face didn’t even twitch or react at all to their approach! ‘Damn… They’re probably going to shoot me anyway!’ Vurfin thought grimly. But then they halted right in front of where she hid!
One of them moved forward slightly so that he could see past the other two. After a moment, he looked down at the boar and nodded slowly. He tilted his head sideways, looking at Vurfin curiously. The elven warrior opened his mouth but paused when one of his companions waved a hand in his direction, motioning him to stop talking.
“There are no enemies this far behind our lines. She’s clearly a god’s divine beast with a strange personality. Leave her be. We need to reinforce the front lines.”
The other elves nodded, but as they gathered to leave the room, Vurfin chuckled. She tapped the ground with her hoof, channelling her ability to make the stalactites fall on the elves! Screams echoed off the walls as the elves were impaled by Vurfin’s trap!
‘That should buy Harik’s warriors some more time to recover, but what happened to the dwarves I saw?’
Meanwhile, Skalr grumbled as his eyes flickered open. The faint sounds of battle carried through the open tent flap, causing him to become alert. ‘What the hell happened while I was out?’
He rose from his bed, dressed only in trousers and boots before making his way outside. Several Skardians stood guard in a ring around his tent while others sat nearby sharpening their blades and preparing their armour for war. There was also a group who were carrying wounded soldiers and bandaging their wounds so that they could get back into battle again! It was clear they weren’t expecting any trouble anytime soon either because they hadn’t even put on their helmets or grabbed any shields!
Yet the sounds of battle persisted in the air. Skalr frowned as he glanced around, noticing that they were currently camped out in the ruins of an old stone fort. ‘This isn’t where we set up base camp…’ he thought worriedly to himself as he headed toward the place where the noise seemed to be coming from. He made his way past several other tents until he found Ania sitting atop a rock staring at a large map laid over a table with Allyce beside her. The two women had been arguing loudly about something as he approached, but when Skalr came closer, both of them turned and stared at him, obviously startled at having someone walk up behind them unannounced! “Why have you come here? You should be resting.”
“Because I heard fighting going on,” Skalr answered before taking another look around the area to see if anyone else was there too. They looked relaxed though which caused his worries to decrease slightly as it meant they must not be under immediate threat.
“Ah, that’ll be the defence at the walls.” Ania frowned as she glanced at Allyce. “This is Skalr, a runelord. Skalr, this is Allyce. She’s another Oracle of Lord Exile.”
Skalr heard the venom in Ania’s voice as he eyed the winged beauty standing before him. He performed a slight bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Allyce.”
Allyce smiled brightly as she returned his gesture. “Why didn’t you tell me there was another hero besides Bjorn and Fjora? And he’s one of Exile’s too! My, my. Your connection with him is particularly strong.”
Ania’s eyes went wide as she studied Allyce’s expression before looking at Skalr in disbelief. “A… hero?”
Skalr sighed as he shot a disapproving glance at Allyce. “Yes. What Lady Allyce says is true. I’m sorry for the deception, but Lord Exile forbade me from telling you. I was assigned to make contact with you and provide you with whatever aid you needed.”
“Then, what about all those nights you vanished into the forest? Bjorn raised quite a bit of concern about it.”
“Lord Exile was descending in secret to meet with me. He was giving me pointers on how best to help you. I don’t know why he wanted to keep his presence from you.”
“Then, you’re not a runelord? Everything you’ve taught Bjorn so far has come from Exile?”
“Ah, I really am a runelord. I have been long before the new gods descended on Skardia. However, runes are powerless without a suitable god to give them power through our faith. I was the perfect match for Lord Exile, and he sought me out because of it. I’ve been tasked with spreading rune magic across Skardia once again.”
‘I’d always known that he was important somehow,’ Ania thought to herself as her eyes began darting around nervously like she was trying to hide something or find someone hiding in a corner. ‘But that means…’ She growled angrily before forcing a smile onto her face. “Is there anything else I should know?”
Skalr shook his head. “No. I believe that is everything.”
He could sense a wave of intense anger and embarrassment from the princess. ‘Lord Exile has pissed her off. What’s going on between them? This isn’t a normal reaction.’
Allyce sighed softly as she glanced back down at the map and ran her finger along the coastline until she reached its end at the bay where they were currently camped out. “Skalr, do you mind if we speak privately?” Allyce asked while glancing at Ania briefly.
“Of course.” Skalr nodded politely. He then bowed deeply towards Ania. “Good day, Princess.” He left quietly but not before turning to Allyce. “Keep me informed of your movements.”
She waved him away with a dismissive gesture but still gave him a warm smile. “I will.”
The moment he was gone, both women looked at each other and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew he was a hero,” Allyce said with a bitter tone. “It seems I may have ruined one of Lord Exile’s plans.”
“Don’t be sorry. The only plan of his I see is a way to keep some distance between us. Honestly, why did he have to go this far?” Ania complained as she stared at Skalr’s departing back.
“The heart of a god is a fickle thing. They have a great capacity for love, but only when they remember we exist.” Allyce sighed. “So, what will you do about Skalr?”
“There’s nothing I can do. He’s powerful and has been a great help. It’s not his fault that Exile made him do this.” Ania groaned. “Forget about Exile and Skalr for now. What did you want to talk about?”
Allyce smiled. “Nothing that concerns either of our missions right now. But… we need to make preparations. We can hole up here for a few more days, but after that, we’ll have to retreat again. My scouts have spotted another elven force coming to reinforce this one.”
Ania turned pale instantly as she frowned in concern. “That doesn’t sound good!” She clenched her hands tightly into fists and bit her lip anxiously before exhaling sharply through her nose. “Damn it! Why do the elves seem determined to kill us? This isn’t over yet though. We’ll kill them all for this!”
“You don’t mean that,” Allyce chided gently while taking the princess’s hand reassuringly. “We both know how dangerous they are, but that’s no excuse to threaten an entire race. You’ve already risked too much out here, Princess. Your duty lies with your kingdom first. I think we should consider evacuating you with a small escort while the rest of us hold the elves off.”
“No.” Ania shook her head stubbornly. “I won’t abandon my people.”
Allyce gave Ania a stern look which seemed to remind the younger woman that there was something more important at play than herself. “This is not open for debate. Our orders are clear. Return to a safe city as soon as possible. The only way to avoid you being targeted is by having you escape.”
Ania glared at Allyce and tried to get away from the older woman, but she stopped when Allyce gripped her arm firmly.
“Don’t do anything stupid like run into battle alone, Princess. You’re just going make things more difficult for me.”
“Why should I listen to you? Why shouldn’t I join the battle? I can save lives!” Ania snarled angrily in response.
“Because you have more sense than that!”
They stared each other down as they argued fiercely until finally Ania broke eye contact and hung her head in shame as tears began falling down her cheeks. When Allyce took her hand again, she raised her face to meet Allyce’s gaze and wiped her eyes dry before letting out another sigh. “I can’t believe Lord Exile has given up like this. Why would he surrender these lands?”