requiem for lothorethiel (II)
she was trapped in the ridge and she knew it. she had seen it happening before, with a slight difference though: before, when the demons arrived in force from the sea and the southern lands, the elves were unprepared to face them. they didn't know their strengths and weaknesses, the weapons they used or the resources they consumed. by that time, the elven nation of lothorethiel knew only that the invasor was reckless, restless and bloodthirsty.
but they learned. as the demons ran rampant through the forests, killing all the life and levelling all the elven settlements on their wake, the elves learned. they learned how to fight them, how to pierce their heavy plate armours with arrows, how to disarm them in melee combat. they learned which poisons would stun or kill them, and which spellcraft was more effective against the demonic forces. unfortunately, the elves have learned this when it was too late, when the demons were truly unstoppable, and their path of devastation had reached to the northern shores and to the recesses of the angels' gate. the millenia-old realm of lothorethiel had thus fallen. its ancient king went missing, and the survivors' fate was scattered - some of them joined the angels in the defense of the northern gate, others fled to the contested lands on the southwest, and others banded together with the single purpose of hunting and killing demons.
and that was the purpose of the druid arienoë and her rag-tag band of survivors.
along with scattered folk from the contested lands - minotaurs, orcs and dwarves -, arienoë and her band of elves had won several battles. but as the demons were aware of their resistance, they started to send reinforcements to the southern lands - and those reinforcements were led by a great demon commander. arienoë didn't know his name, knowing him only by the "black beast". but she did learn - and she did learn it quickly - that he was more cunning and cruel than the other lieutenants she and her band had faced before.
and so she and her soldiers were trapped in that once verdant ridge, now covered with grey and black as its lush trees were burned down and its earth was charred and despoiled. after weeks of fighting, of skirmishes, of attrition, both leaders knew exactly how each one's warriors fought, how to defeat them, or how to win a battle. arienoë tried to push her chances by walking into the ridge and get behind the enemy lines - but her move was anticipated.
and once her chances were pushed to their limit, she faced but one choice - either keep on moving, fall into the trap and end up a fight she knew she couldn't win, or retreat, and risk being hunted by the demons. she had seen both situations happening before to know the outcome, so she was aware that whetever she decided to do, it would be risky. but she had to make up her mind quickly, for staying there was not an option. as defenseless as she might be in both scenarios, she was reckless enough to make a move against all odds, and she was also skilled enough to improvise and succeed. but in the end, she and her warriors were mortal - so that choice was a hard one.
but they learned. as the demons ran rampant through the forests, killing all the life and levelling all the elven settlements on their wake, the elves learned. they learned how to fight them, how to pierce their heavy plate armours with arrows, how to disarm them in melee combat. they learned which poisons would stun or kill them, and which spellcraft was more effective against the demonic forces. unfortunately, the elves have learned this when it was too late, when the demons were truly unstoppable, and their path of devastation had reached to the northern shores and to the recesses of the angels' gate. the millenia-old realm of lothorethiel had thus fallen. its ancient king went missing, and the survivors' fate was scattered - some of them joined the angels in the defense of the northern gate, others fled to the contested lands on the southwest, and others banded together with the single purpose of hunting and killing demons.
and that was the purpose of the druid arienoë and her rag-tag band of survivors.
along with scattered folk from the contested lands - minotaurs, orcs and dwarves -, arienoë and her band of elves had won several battles. but as the demons were aware of their resistance, they started to send reinforcements to the southern lands - and those reinforcements were led by a great demon commander. arienoë didn't know his name, knowing him only by the "black beast". but she did learn - and she did learn it quickly - that he was more cunning and cruel than the other lieutenants she and her band had faced before.
and so she and her soldiers were trapped in that once verdant ridge, now covered with grey and black as its lush trees were burned down and its earth was charred and despoiled. after weeks of fighting, of skirmishes, of attrition, both leaders knew exactly how each one's warriors fought, how to defeat them, or how to win a battle. arienoë tried to push her chances by walking into the ridge and get behind the enemy lines - but her move was anticipated.
and once her chances were pushed to their limit, she faced but one choice - either keep on moving, fall into the trap and end up a fight she knew she couldn't win, or retreat, and risk being hunted by the demons. she had seen both situations happening before to know the outcome, so she was aware that whetever she decided to do, it would be risky. but she had to make up her mind quickly, for staying there was not an option. as defenseless as she might be in both scenarios, she was reckless enough to make a move against all odds, and she was also skilled enough to improvise and succeed. but in the end, she and her warriors were mortal - so that choice was a hard one.
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