The First Challenge

Lux trained for seven days, and then the challenge began.

Lux was to battle five of Jonak's greatest warriors, so that Sorrow-Field could be sure that Lux was the heir of Solar-Shadow, the ancient king of the elves.

"This is not how this was supposed to happen! Lux, back down, we can go to Highaven, gain their loyalty, and then we can come back here, and gain the Blighted-One's affiliation some other way!" Said Birch.

But Lux would not back down. "Wizard! Can you not see that this is the only way? My people are a violent people, either I will win their loyalty in battle, or I will not win their loyalty at all! It is the only way."

They were quiet for a moment, and then Birch spoke. "Ah… Very well. But do not lose this, or all is lost!"

"Of course, Wizard."

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The first challenge was held in the camp's main clearing, beneath a tree.

It was a polearm fight, and so Lux used his Trident.

His opponent, Gol, was a small, quick moving hunter, and had chosen to use the quarterstaff in battle.

They began to circle each other, watching for movements. The first move was taken by Lux, jabbing his trident at Gol's heart. But Gol was quick, and dodged the attack, following with a flurry of strikes, landing almost all of them on the bigger, slower warrior.

Lux, now heavily bruised, was given an opportunity to strike soon after that, and took the chance to impale the hunter's leg, staking him to the ground with his trident, before beating the Gol half to death with the hunter's own weapon.

This is how Lux won the first challenge.

Sorrow-Field

While those things occurred in the Black Crown, Birch and Lux returned to the desert, and began working to combine the two tribes of Blighted-Ones.

They were welcomed back to Camp Jonak first by the children and their mothers. Lux picked up one of the boys and kissed him on the cheek, and carried him to the center of the camp.

The warriors of Jonak were training, and the hunters were preparing a meal. Some young men were attempting to swoon a group of females their age, with varying degrees of success.

Sorrow-Field, Jonak's new leader, came out to greet them. He said hello, and proceeded to look at Lux's new sword with the interest of a man who had known blades his entire life, and had just seen the work of the greatest swordsmiths in history(which he indeed had).

"A fine blade, Lux! Tell me, is this why Birch took you from us? You are a lucky man, friend!"

Lux answered. "Yes, I am indeed, but the sword is only part of why Birch took me out of the desert."

"Oh?"

Lux continued. "Birch was sent to locate the heir to the throne of the sun, the king of the Elves. His master, the Tri, showed him me! This is the sword of Petlex, son of Uger!"

But Sorrow-Field laughed. "You? King of the elves? We have been cut off from our cousins for generations, why, the sight of us would likely make them flee for the bushes of their paradise!"

Lux countered. "Ah, but our stories show that the king was amongst those to be trapped here with the plague. I am his heir, this blade is proof enough, look at the hilt!"

So Sorrow-Field looked at the hilt, which was inscribed with a rune of magic designed to protect it from all but it's owner's hands. It was a rune used by the great Solar-Shadow, who ruled Injanok, capital of the elves before the plague.

But Sorrow-Field was a man torn between religion, and politics, and wanted the power he held as chief of the Jonak Tribe, so, instead of embracing the king, as was the traditional greeting to give Elf-Kings, he suggested a challenge, to prove that the blade was a true relic of Solar-Shadow.

Birch cried out, but Lux agreed.

End Book IV: The Painter and the Sword of Petlex.

Begin Book V: The Crusader Army

The Songs of Bloodthirst

The two warriors, one tall, and one short, one with an axe, one with ñågå in both hands, entered the home of Uredi, leader of the council. They entered with weapons high, singing a song about old wars. They charged the dwarf, and their blood lust overcame them.

They chopped and slashed, smashed and thrashed, and all throughout, they sang. "Death and blunder, victory and plunder! Golden powder, gory shower! We shall slay, till we fall under!"

When they had completed the destruction of Uredi, they took the rod, and killed the other barons in much the same fashion.

"Shadow yonder, I do ponder. Is it death, is it somber? I shall go, slash, cut, and stomp, so the TRI need not!"

They sang these songs because their age had returned, the age of glory, honor, and death.

They sang, for the unholy hordes had forced the world into the age of crusades, an age once ended in the pyrrhic battle for Black Crown.

"Song of death, song of LIGHT! Let us sing thee, all through the NIGHT! Conquer, Defeat, Victory in war! The time of peace, is no more! We shall awake, from secret slumber, to kill the killer, the chiller, the storm!"

"All shall fall, before our feet, gashes in their heads! Death will be death, unlife no more!"

They sang this way, drunk on blood, until they lay unconscious on the ground, blood surrounding them, and covering them. The council had been turned into red pulp.

_____________________________________

It could feel it. It had found it's prey. It could already taste the flesh, the sweet, sweet flesh. In a matter of hours, the creature would have it's fill of blood, of souls…

The Warlock Circle

Gem had a dream.

She saw Uredi, with raw, red skin, pupil-less eyes, and bull horns.

She saw Crid, the size of a flying insect, with giant eyes and wings.

She saw Lub, bound to livestock and a snake.

She saw a serpent with the face of Iny.

She saw Claoony, much the way she saw Crid.

She saw Ira, with the flesh of Uredi, and goat horns.

She saw Blo, sleeping, and looking like Uredi, with ram horns.

They stood in a circle, surrounding a metal rod.

They began to chant, and the rod glowed red, and an image of the Leviathan appeared.

"I see that you have the item. You have done well. My courier will be in your chambers at sundown tomorrow. You will give the rod to him."

Uredi spoke. "Oof cooursi, gria' ooni. Wi well da 'hes." He snorted.

The dream ended.

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"Plain-Walker!"

Gem shook the man awake, and then woke Jue.

Plain-Walker queried. "What is it, Gem?"

"I had a vision!"

"Of what?"

"The council of dwarves."

"What about them, Gem?"

"They had a rod, and spoke to a great sea-beast."

"A sea-beast? What were the talking about, Gem?"

" The beast told them to give a rod they had to a "courier" who would take it to the beast."

"Anything else?"

"Well… The dwarves looked like demons…"

Jue spoke. "So, the ogurrs didn't take the rod, the dwarves did…"

Gem spoke. "What do we do now?"

Jue responded. "We take the rod before the courier gets here."

__________________________________________________

Jue and Kor snuck through the halls.

"Soo, Madam, Wha' es soo empoor'in', 'ha' ya cadn't wae' 'ell moorneng 'a 'ill mi?"

"To show you, Kor, I want you to see it for yourself."

"Bah! Yar such a sicri'evi pirsoon, ya knoow 'ha'? E's always ac'eoon we'h ya, viry rarily da ya 'alk!"

"True."

"Bah!"

They came upon the council chambers, and looked through a window, and saw before them a sight not seen for several millennia. They came upon a warlock circle.

Kor was furious. "My own liadirs, silleng 'hir soouls 'a dimoons?! 'His es a desgraci 'a my pioopli!"

He went in, and cut out slabs of earth where the circle had been made, and destroyed the circle.

"Coomi we'h mi, Madam, wi shall kell 'hi whooli loo' oof 'him!"

Jue smiled at the dwarf's readiness to take out the warlocks, for it was an emotion which she knew, and embraced, and she had a master that honored her interests.

"Of course."

"Grand!"

The Chamber of the Barons

The group went into the Chamber of the Barons.

There were seven old dwarves, sitting in a line, on stone thrones.

The one on the far left was the biggest, with a body looking to be comprised entirely of muscle, and his face looked like the face of a man who would attack you if you made the slightest wrong move.

The dwarf second to the left was adorned in a fine silk tunic, silk pants, wore a gold crown, a silver necklace, and a bronze ring.

The dwarf third to the left was the oldest dwarf in the room, and was sound asleep.

The dwarf in the middle was the tallest dwarf, with the tallest chair, the longest beard, and the hardest skin of all the barons, he appeared to be the head baron.

The dwarf furthest to the right was surround by dwarven women, and had a flask of wine in his left hand.

The dwarf second to the right was the shortest dwarf, with the smallest chair, no beard, and the softest skin of all the barons, he looked at the dwarves to either side of him, and looked sad.

The dwarf third to the right was the fattest dwarf, and had a plate of meat on his lap, and a jug of beer in his hand.

The middle dwarf spoke. "Wha', pray 'ill, da ya wan'? Spiak queckly, and spiak frankly, foor wi da noot 'aki kendly 'a noonsinsi."

Jue replied. "Of course, sirs, but you will, of course, exchange greetings before continuing to business, after all, it is custom."

The dwarf to the far left stood up, with an angry look on his face, but the middle dwarf gestured for him to sit down. He then spoke again.

"Ah, E suppoosi 'ha' yar regh', soo li's gi' e' dooni. Yar namis?"

Jue spoke. "My name is Jue, the girl is Gem, and the man is Plain-Walker. Your names?"

The angry dwarf stood. "Ira."

The dwarf beside him stood. "Crid."

The old dwarf was still asleep, so the middle dwarf stood. "'Hi slipir es Blo, and E'm Uredi."

The dwarf with food stood. "Claoony."

The short dwarf stood. "Iny."

The dwarf with the women stood. "Lub."

They all sat back down, and Uredi spoke.

"Noow, s'a'i yar buseniss."

Jue spoke "We require lodging, we will be heading up the mountain, and we need rest."

Uredi spoke. "And why shad wi gran' ya loodgeng?"

"I would never have thought that such a gracious host would need a reason to have guests. After all, the hospitality of the Barons is a thing of legend."

This effected Uredi in a way that would not affect many, and so he agreed to let them stay the night.

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That night, the group planned out their attack on the Ogurr village. Plain-Walker and Jue would strike from the main gate, and Gem would sneak in and take the rod while the Ogurrs fought at the gates.

They had dinner, and went to bed.

The Huntress and the Dwarf

Kor and Jue talked, as Kor took them to see the Council of Barons, the rulers of the dwarves.

"Soo, wha' brengs ya 'a 'hi Black Croown?"

"A hunt."

"Ah, ooff oon anoo'hir advin'uri, ari ya? Soomi 'emis E wesh E was s'ell wandireng 'hi lands oon yar hun's. E' sims as 'hoough noo'heng ivar happins aroound hiri anymoori."

"Then why don't you join us? I know I would like another fighter along with me, and more company is always nice."

Kor shook his head "Noo, E havi a da'y 'a proo'ic' 'hi Dwarvis oof 'hi Black Croown, E can noo' semply liavi 'hi place en 'hi hands oof a bunch oof yooungs'irs 'ha' faen' whin a lady knoocks oon 'hi dar, ef ya knoow wha' E mian."

"Mmmhmm…"

"Gad."

They reached the Chamber of the Barons.

"Gad luck, Madam."

"And to you, Kor.

The Black Crown

They traveled about a week , following the thief's trail around the place known simply as the Desert. There they saw many tents, but they dared not stop, lest they lose the trail. Eventually, they came upon the place Jue identified as the Black Crown.

The Black Crown was an area home to two species that had a serious distrust of Humans: the Dwarves, and the Ogurrs. It was a group of three dark mountains that formed together like a crown.

Jue snarled "The Black Crown! I should have known Ogurrs would involve themselves!" She spat on the dark soil before her. "Well, I suppose it has been awhile since I tried my hand against an Ogurr, perhaps they've gotten better." Jue turned to her companions. "But first, perhaps we should say hello the the Dwarves, eh?"

Plain-Walker agreed, so Jue took them to the entrance to the dwarves' domain, a dark hall of iron, she then knocked on the door. She knocked again. Then again. and once more. Then a short, hairy man opened the door looked a Jue, and fainted. Jue laughed, and called into the room past the door. A bigger dwarf, reaching Gem's chin, came, looked at the first Dwarf, and looked at Jue.

"Cursi e'! Ya da 'hes iviry 'emi ya coom hiri! Havi ya noo mircy, Madam? E Mian, coomi oon! 'hi lad was oon hes fers' wa'ch, and ya win' and knoockid 'hi lad uncooncioousi!"

Jue replied. "Sorry, Kor, I only knocked. Can we come in?"

"Ooh, feni, coomi oon en."

"Thank you."

"Da noo' usi 'ha' poole'i ac' oon mi, Madam, E can noo' s'and e' whin ya da 'hi poole'i ac', Madam."

Jue laughed. "Alright, Kor, I'll be myself."

"'Hank ya, Madam."

The Story of the Demons

The creature had found what it sought. A bridge, capable of granting the creature protection from the holy river. The creature hungered. It must eat. It must kill…

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After a night's rest, Gem and Plain-Walker followed after Jue, as she sought after the thief's path. after a span of fifty-some seconds, she found the trail, and they set off after the thief.

"Plain-Walker," Gem began. "What, exactly, are the Brain-Eaters?"

Plain-Walker looked at her, and replied "The shells of demons that could not enter this plane without a host. They are the remains of those unlucky enough to die before the unholy army of the demons."

"Yes, but, why are they here?"

Plain-Walker thought about this for a time, before replying.

"Gem, Demons have almost always spread death, fear, and misery for the sake of spreading death, fear, and misery. The Brain-Eater hordes kill because the

Dream-Flayers give them that drive, the Dream-Flayers give them that drive because death is what gives them life, gives them joy."

Gem processed what Plain-Walker said, and then asked another question.

"Almost always? What do you mean by that?"

Plain-Walker replied.

"At one time, demons were no different from you and me, at one time, they served good, and lived in harmony with all." Plain-Walker paused, and took a drink from his flask. "But then one day, a powerful figure in the land, the sixth lord, staged a coup d'état against the master of the lands."

"What happened to him?" asked Gem.

"He, and all his people, failed, and were banished to a plain of torture and death. There, their bodies transformed, and some became spirits. The creatures that inhabit the flesh of the Brain-Eaters is one of the kinds that became spirits."

"So, they kill for vengeance?" Gem asked.

"Once, perhaps. but they have avenged themselves a thousand times over. They kill because death is all they love."

They continued on in silence.