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A war cry rang out through the verdant green valley, as a torrent of arrows clashed upon the shields of the Ju'Rin horde. Dozens of phalanxes marched up the hill, as the Na'Rin swordsmen charged one by one into the horde. The Ju'Rin were strong, though the Na'Rin's Sentinels were among the longest lived warriors in creation. They cut a swathe through the spearmen, leaving a gap in the right flank.
Upon the hill where the Na'Rin commanders stood, Denitzii watched with a grim satisfaction as his loyal soldiers pushed back their cousins as though there was no contest between them. However, he noticed a pile-up of the Ju'Rin's cavalry behind the gap that was steadily increasing in size. He was preparing a charge.
"Archers!" He called. "Fire on the horsemen!"
The bowmen behind him swiveled on the balls of their feet, and sent another volley to their left. As the Ju'Rin cavalry made for the ill-prepared swordsmen, the barbed death fell onto them, slaying the front quarter. Though it was a small percentage, it delayed the effects of the charge long enough for the Na'Rin to scatter the spearmen and charge the cavalry, catching them without the advantage of a charge.
At the same moment, Denitzii's cavalry appeared to the side of the combatants, 500 Na'Rin clad in the finest armour crafted by the city of Iniracebela. With another shout from their leader, they began a charge headlong into the side of the Ju'Rin's left flank, shattering the spearmen there. With the left flank freed up, the swordsmen there charged into the center group of Ju'Rin, and routed them effortlessly.
Seeing the battle's end in sight, Denitzii mounted his horse and charged into the melee between N'Khufu's cavalry and his swordsmen. With a flick of the wrist, he took the head of a horseman, and a simple parry, jab and another fell to the ground. Since he was born he found combat to be an untaxing thing, and he found it difficult to understand why others found it so tiring. A thought occurred in the back of his mind that it was due to his status as a half-god, but he set that aside. Thiliazari had made it clear he would only truly control that power when he broke the pommel. He hoped today would be the day it broke.
Soon enough, N'Khufu's cavalry fled as well. Denitzii took the brief moment of respite to reform his ranks. Nine hundred swordsmen, as well as 150 cavalry. It was not much, but enough to finish off the archers and win the day. He turned around and prepared to move when a blunt object hit him square in the chest. He flew off his horse and into the blood-stained dirt behind his men. He scrambled to his feet to see N'Khufu rush into the Na'Rin soldiers, and begin to swing his mace like a madman, crushing the skulls and ribs of any who dared to get close.
Denitzii attempted to move closer, but was still gasping for air. As he collected his breath in just a few crucial moments, N'Khufu had killed almost half his men. Denitzii attempted another charge, and swung his sword towards the Ju'Rin Chieftain's neck. N'Khufu brought his gauntlet to the side of his face, and deflected it. He jabbed with the spiked tip of his mace, which Denitzii blocked with his shield. The tip caught inside the shield, and N'Khufu flung it aside. Another swing of his mace caught Denitzii in the side of the head, leaving a large dent in his helmet. The Na'Rin fell to the ground, the world a blur. He raised his hand, and in a desperate voice called out an incantation. The blessing of Thiliazari fell upon him, healing the fatal gash and standing him up to fight again.
A feint to the leg caught N'Khufu's attention, and Denitzii brought the sword to the chest and with a stab created a slit in his opponent's armor. He jiggled the sword, attempting to cause as much damage as he could. N'Khufu punched him in the gut, hurtling him into his surviving troops, leaving the sword stuck inside the Chieftain's chest.
Denitzii attempted another spell given to him by Thiliazari. He called the name of the spell, and a hundred beasts appeared in the land surrounding them. They charged the Ju'Rin with wild abandon. N'Khufu knocked them away like a child's playthings, until a bear got a swipe as his head, knocking away the helmet and neckguard.
Denitzii took his chance, and sprinted towards N'Khufu, ripping the sword out, and swinging it with all his strength, muttering a prayer to his god under his breath. N'Khufu brought his mace up to guard, and the two weapons locked for a brief moment.
The Na'Rin and Ju'Rin in the valley no longer saw their two leaders, only a glow of angelic light, blinding any who looked at it for more than a moment. When it finally dimmed, they saw what the two had seen already. The jewel on Denitzii's sword fell to the ground in many shards. The pommel had been shattered.
Denitzii felt imbued with a power unlike any he had known before. He looked at his opponent, and with a word a stroke of blue light struck N'Khufu in the gut, bowling him over. As he attempted to stand, another word brought a crack of holy lightning down onto his back, singing him. N'Khufu rolled away, attempting to stand. As he got to his feet, Denitzii shouted another word, prouder and more confident. A blinding flash of light robbed N'Khufu of his vision, and as he attempted to collect himself, a slash of Denitzii's blade beheaded the chieftain. The head hit the ground, followed shortly by the vessel that contained N'Khufu.
The Ju'Rin watched in awe and terror, until Denitzii turned his eyes to them. They ran into the wilderness, off to whoever would accept such bastions of darkness as them.
Without a word, Denitzii rallied what was left of his soldiers and began the long march to the portal to Iniracebela.
Thiliazari congratulated Denitzii for both breaking the seal and defeating N'Khufu. His people were growing in power, and he should do the same. In a moment, Thiliazari became more than he was before. He felt truly powerful, perhaps strong enough that he could truly have a say in the goings-on of the world.
He then turned his head to the horses that Dentzii had used as mounts. His goal was to protect the wildlife, not use them for war. He needed a special mount for his people that was stronger and smarter than horses.
He crafted them first in his mind. They were to be reptilian in nature, aesthetically similar to the dragons of legend. They would fly, they would have special abilities unlike other mounts. But most importantly, they would be intelligent. They would have their own language, but would speak both Common and the language of the Na'Rin. They would be the Drakon.
First would be the Plains Drakon, an emerald green in color. They would breathe no fire, but would be the fastest. The blood-red Desert Drakon would be the strongest. And the Golden Drakon that would inhabit Iniracebela would be the smartest, and would be the mounts of the Na'Rin.
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Topic: Third Lords of Creation (Read 28384 times)