Rifts of War

Chapter 17

North Altia

Liha, Nelsera region, Empire of Light

Green season, 3000 A.E. of the Imperial Calendar

It had been quiet. Far too quiet for far too long. Word of the invasion spread like wildfire throughout the west coast. Wyvern riders flew from Lashil flew in all directions. The first to hear were the people of Tesi and as soon as they did, the city garrison started fortifying the walls and preparing for a siege. They assumed that they had enough time as Lashil was a great distance away on foot.

Around the same time, general Nasir Quinvalor of the second army heard the news. This was a very troubling matter, one that would most likely escalate if not taken care of. His ears were among the first to hear of emperor Canus' orders to invade a foreign land on the other side of the rift. He also heard the news of Yilindar's conquest and subsequent demise. To say Nasir was saddened by this news would be a lie. In truth, he didn't much care for that pompous bastard. One of the reasons he chose to station himself so far away was so that he wouldn't have to hear the constant babbling from both his and his ilk's mouths. Though not even the Tubal mountains could muffle the utter chaos the empire was going through.

While Ylindar's fate didn't trouble Nasir much, the events that transpired afterward greatly did. The humans, as they called themselves, came through to the other side and began their attack, destroying the seventh army and killing general Drannor Crax. Nasir was fond of the man. Stoic, steadfast, reliable. His soldiers, the Executioners, were a formidable force.

In the following days, the humans took the territories of their Rosian vassals and turned them against their masters. Not only that, but they also captured the forts of Godo and Mundus and killed general Delsaran Bryora of the fifth army. As Nasir heard these reports his expression changed from angry to worrisome. How? That was the question Nasir kept asking himself.

The inquisition spoke of great weapons and war machines that eclipsed the power of dwarven ingenuity and elven magic. The second general knew better than to trust those silver-tongued snakes. However, that would certainly explain their rapid progress. And the loss of Lashil proved that their navy was just as deadly if not more so. Nasir knew that it was only a matter of time before came. He wanted to march out there with his forces. To gather every able-bodied soldier and drown the invaders in iron and fire. But he knew that would be suicide.

As he was contemplating his next move, one of the inquisition's spies provided him with a book written by First General Laeroth Leobell's scribes. It detailed the humans' weapons and their way of war. How Laeroth could know was anyone's guess but Nasir couldn't care less. The most intriguing part was the defense strategy. It went against almost everything they were taught over the cycles. But if it would help them so be it. He handed the book to his captains and instructed them to spread the knowledge down the chain of command. He also told them to make copies and send them north to Nelsera. If general Tasar Daris of the nineteenth and Alpharan Sylvaris of the twentieth armies could get ahold of this, the west coast might just make it.

Still, it wasn't those regions that worried him the most. Down south, bordering with the wastelands, was Forth Orkos. For almost two thousand cycles brave soldiers of the third army stood there to protect the empire from the vile greenskins. But now a greater threat was approaching. If Godo and Mundus fell, then Orkos was destined to follow.

"Castien.", Nasir said out loud as he stared out through a window, "Hold them off, old friend. Give us time."

---

Fort Orkos

General Castien Olar, commander of the army, the Blackspears, stared out into carnage with defiance. His scarred face never twitched and his eyes never wavered. In his long life, he faced hordes upon hordes of beasts that dared to even come close to his righteous empire. His father, general Gautlin Olar, defended the very walls Castien stood upon against the greatest threat the empire has ever known. The Great Horde.