Whispered Spells and Elvish Steel - an Anthology of Fantasy SD Shorts

Part 4 - The Last Word

Finding the outpost proved much easier than she thought.  It was merely a matter of finding the man-made park's largest tree.  And there it was, standing in the very center of the green space.  Rhyl snorted.  If the Elder races were anything, they were predictable.  Slipping through the crowds that were heavier than normal at this hour thanks in no little part to the cold rain falling outside, they moved into the green space.

"Stand where you are, Ash elf," a hard voice almost immediately commanded.  "Your kind isn't welcomed on any ground claimed by the Elder races."

A quick hand on Carter's shoulder pulled the human to a halt between the two Ash elves as Rhyl looked to either side.  And in doing so, her sharp vision quickly picked out the quartet of wood elves cleverly camouflaged against the trees around them.  All four held powerful crossbows aimed directly at them.

Sorn and Rhyl exchanged a quick look after the blunt warning.  Then Rhyl was talking.

"Shadowborn throng the city, wood elf," she tautly reported.  "All we want to do is warn the Council before your positions are overwhelmed."

One of the armed wood elves instantly scoffed, his voice marking him as the one who had spoken.

"Don't take us for fools, Ash elf," he snarled.  "Our sentinels report no unusual activity.  And our wards are strong enough to handle the odd vampire or golem that attempt an attack.  Unless you three want to become pincushions, I'd suggest you,..."

Abruptly the wood elf's voice trailed off as he caught sight of something behind Rhyl, Carter and Sorn.  It was enough to make Rhyl turn and look over her shoulder in curiosity.  And she felt her blood chill at what she saw stepping into the market's main doors.

Vampires, and lots of them.  And along with the lean, angular creatures in rain-soaked clothes were  rough-featured golem, and blank-faced zombies, their dark company a stream of malevolent intent pouring into the building.  And their goal was obvious as they began to march straight towards the man-made forest.

"Switch to ironwood-tipped arrows," the guard leader tightly commanded as the four wood elves hastily began modifying their weapons to deal with the deadliest of the Shadowborn advancing on them.

"And us?" Rhyl pressed with a hiss, returning her intent gaze to the guard leader.

"Go," the wood elf growled, jerking his head towards the big tree at the park's heart.  "The Council needs to know!"  Then his crossbow was coming up and firing in one smooth motion, the wood-tipped quarrel catching a vampire dead center, the Shadowborn flaring into incandescence with a shriek.  Normal humans standing or walking nearby, instantly scattered with a volley of screams.

That was the trio's cue to run.  Jumping into motion, they ran flat out through the undergrowth towards the big tree.  Where, already  prepped for battle, a full dozen wood elves met them in camouflaged armor and crossbows.

"Wait!" Rhyl cried out as they burst out of the undergrowth to find twelve crossbows aimed at them.

"Bah!" one of the wood elves growled.  "It's just a pair of Ash elves and a human, like Taolain said.  Hurry up, Ashies.  Make the call!  We're about to have a lot of company and soon you won't get your chance.

Nodding, Rhyl stepped up to the tree where, on top of a wooden pedestal, a massive wooden bowl filled with clear spring water sat.  She quickly waved a hand over the bowl while chanting the activation spell.  A heart beat later the water darkened until the image of a high elf appeared in the uneasily shifting fluid.

"Greenhorn Station!" the high elf cried.  "We've lost contact with the sentinels around your position.  What's going on there?"

"The Shadowborn are attacking, high elf," Rhyl grimly reported.  "They've knocked out your sentinels and are now advancing on the outpost."