The Saga of Zammar the Great #1 - Torst

Ren crouched to pick the flower, a purple one...Browallia Bluebells she recalled, loves shade. It was hard to find a sun loving species in the valley, but Ren didn't mind. She liked the shade and all of the shade loving flowers. Her eyes followed the great cliff face in the distance, she had to crane her neck before she could see the top. There she gazed at the massive overhanging rock that covered almost half of the valley, blocking out the sun and elements. It was more than a few hundred meters higher than her current elevation, and jutted out mostly unsupported for almost a kilometer from the cliff edge. Slanting upwards, the ledge reached its highest point towards the far edge.

With a sigh, she added the Bluebells to her basket. A few strands of hair, long, silky and deep black, rustled by the wind covered her eyes, green eyes. She sighed again, brushing them off to the side. Her thoughts were drawn to the stories of the outside world; the vast mountain range that separated this valley from the rest of civilization, remembering the tales of all the fascinating creatures and amazing culture outside the great cliff walls. Ren wondered if she too would ever see them with her own eyes. She wished, for a moment that she could fly.

No, she couldn't leave. Turning around, Ren gazed across the great valley. She was standing on a ledge that jutted out of the cliff face and was part of the forest on the right edge of the valley. Her favorite spot. From here she could see everything. The other side of the valley was an almost identical mirror image to the one she was on. There too, a great cliff face was capped by a massive overhanging rock. The two rocks reached for each other overhead, separated by a gap that spanned the central portion of the valley. Since the valley ran from West to East, this gap was the only strip of area touched entirely by the suns light. 

Gazing downwards towards the road, Ren spotted a farmers family trudging along the thick road, their pack mule straining under its burden. She felt sorry for the animal, and the family...but Pa always said that you can't give too much to the poor because they will become dependent and unable to live on their own. She followed their progress until they reached the Pillars of Augenmar then lost attention and looked to the city of Torst. Her city. 

How could she ever think to leave it behind? Torst, the first and only multiracial city in the world. Built into the side of Mount Romsdalen at the end of the valley, beyond the great overhanging rocks, Torst had stood unharmed for centuries. Its great outer walls glinted in the rising sun, casting a shadow on the roads in front. These walls, made of smooth white stone rose over fifty meters, hiding and protecting the city behind. Above them, Ren could make out the middle levels, built higher into the mountain and protected by an even taller wall. She had to crane her neck to see the final level with its great domed cathedrals and spires. On either side of the city was an immense statue.

The Great Warrior on the left and the Great Intellectual on right. The unknown founding fathers of Torst. The warrior's mighty arms rested on the pommel of a massive greatsword that had been thrust into the ground, straight but for its jagged edge. His muscular chest popped from below a strapped leather tunic and a stone cape hid his back . A symbol of the cities might.

The Great Intellectual looked visibly more feeble, hunched over in a long robe. He held a book in his hand and was reading it with a crooked finger, a long beard flowed from the hooded face. His presence indicated the wisdom and intelligence of the cities citizens. The two had protected Torst since they together joined forces to found it in a world teeming with hatred. Or so the legend went.


 Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Oi, Ren you here?" It was deep, with a bit of an exotic accent. Caribbean, Ren had decided. She turned around and waved.

"Right here, just give me a second." Cody smiled and walked up with his hands cupped

"Look what I found" He opened his hands, but they were empty. The look of surprise on his face was priceless and Ren giggled as he fumbled around the ground looking for his lost treasure. "I swear, I found one of those rare toads but he got away!" He squatted down like she often saw the poor people do and started carefully scrutinizing the ground.

"It's okay Cody, it's almost sunrise; we should go home now. " He looked up and gave her a cheeky smile, his long curly dark hair bobbing in unison as he stood back up. Cody's skin was darker than her own, he read around a thirty on the Whiteness meter, while she was an eighty. Of course, most black people would insist on using on a Blackness meter, in which case the numbers would just be reversed. Ren didn't think it really mattered, but it seemed to matter to some people.

They walked through the forest following the stream that curved downwards towards the Meander river. Cody was talking about his grandma and her pies but Ren didn't pay too much attention. Even in Torst, it was rare to see people of more than one race together. How had she ended up friends with Cody? The memory always slipped from her mind. There was a vague notion of a dark room, an image of a young Cody in the corner crying quietly, the lights flickering, the feeling of unbearable fear. Even the thought of it sent a shiver down her spine...But she really could not place the details any more than that. Once, when she had asked Cody about it, his eyes grew large and, shaking his head he had started murmuring to himself. She never asked again.

They had left the forest now and were treading the main road. Ahead of them rose the Pillars of Augenmar. These were five natural stone pillars made of thick rocks that rose straight upwards. Four of them supported the end of the overhead ledge. The central pillar stood as high as the outer walls of Torst. Together, the five of them created an arc in front of the city. At their base, large gateways had been erected with the main road diverging into smaller roads to each of these gates.

"Well, I'll be off, bye Ren!" said Cody walking on the path to their right that led to the black quarter of the city. Ren waved him goodbye and took the central road. She was the daughter of nobility, and the central path led to the middle level where she lived. Upon reaching the gates, she had to show the guardsmen her status card before they saluted and let her in. It was still almost a kilometer to the city gates and Ren soon lost herself in thought. So far, life had treated her well. She was well cared for, and comfortable in every regard...Many would have wished for a life like that. Yet why did she never find herself to be truly happy?

What was this feeling of emptiness inside her? It was as if a dark part of her life had been taken and locked away. Why did she not remember her first meeting with Cody or for that matter, what was this feeling of connection to him? What were the monsters of her nightly nightmares and why did they haunt her so often? Should she pick up some milk at the store before going home? These thoughts often haunted her lonely walks. So often had she walked lost in thought that it seemed the guards at the city gates to enter the city seemed to expect it, and checked her status on their own accord.

The great central gate was usually kept open during the day, Torst had stood for centuries without threat and the people had grown accordingly lax. These guards had never done more than chase away bandits.

Ren stepped into the bustling marketplace that occupied the area behind the gates. Sprawling in a large square decorated by a fountain showcasing a group of multiracial children playing football, the market teemed with life. In the shadow of the fountain, children ran amok in groups. The picture hardly resembled the statue, with each group being a different colour blurring through movement. To her sides rose tall walls that separated the central portion of the city from the poorer areas to either side. These ran all along the length of the lower level, past the market and housing area to the tall stairway that led to the middle level. Ren headed straight for the stairs dismissing the idea of getting milk; she was too depressed.

As she reached the seemingly endless staircase, she forced herself to clear her mind by repeating a series of prayers. Gods will shall guide me she thought, he will show me what I must do and he will teach me all I need to know, no more no less. His devices are well beyond my fathoming. Arah is the greatest she thought.

After passing the upper gates on the middle level, Ren walked to a small viewing garden, which stretched across both sides of the gate, and found a terrace to look down on the city from. From the high vantage point, the racial segregation in the city was evident. There was no law for it, the founding fathers made sure of that. But there was unwritten consent, well enforced by both good citizens and the various gangs that ran the poverty stricken lower level. From her vantage point, she could clearly make out the beginnings and endings of each section. There were no walls, but the differences in architecture were apparent. The higher your whiteness rating, the closer to the North end of the city, gradually getting darker as you reached the south side. It all blended seamlessly behind the semi circular outer walls, broken in half by the central ones. She imagined taking a whiteness meter and reading it, pointing the 100% North. It would be a perfect fit. Still she thought, it was amazing. That so many different races of people could live together in one city under the rule of one high council.

The middle level hosted many large mansions with plentiful gardens. Paved pathways snaked through the gardens to the houses, clear streams flowed through cutaways on their sides; courtesy of re directed melt water from Mount. Romsdalen. Ren's house was located towards the back of the level. Her father, Commander Ansari, was the military commander for Torst. His exceptionally important position had got him a beautiful house at the back of the level; the councils often called on him for advice from their chambers on the upper level. A busy man, often too busy for his daughter. Ren had grown up wanting to impress him, knowing that he had wanted a son to carry on the lineage. Upon walking inside, she found her mother deep in the morning prayer. A reminder that the sun had risen and she too must devote a few minutes to Arah, the one and only god.

Her day passed ordinarily. After the prayer and breakfast, she had to attend her weekly sword mastery class. Her father had made her do so from a young age. Today was an exceptionally hard practice. She was finally upgraded to a fully steel sword which felt infinitely heavier than the wooden plaything she had wielded beforehand. Maybe she thought, this was heavy to remind us that taking another life is a heavy burden...Probably not though, I'm just weak.

Sword mastery was followed by another prayer and finally some extracurricular home schooling on mathematics, languages, history and racial studies. Around five in the evening, her father arrived home.

Commander Ansari was a burly fellow, with a rectangular face sporting a thick moustache and a head full of graying hair. He greeted his wife with a hug before turning to Ren who was putting away his work coat.

"Brenda, how fared your swordsmanship class today?" His hard voice weighing on her shoulders, applying some hidden pressure to impress.

"It was alright, I suppose, the sword was heavy." Her reply felt weak.

"You are years late in using that sword, do not complain to me about weight." He walked away to the kitchen table to await his evening tea while scanning through the days paper.

Ren exchanged a glance with her mom, sympathy in the green motherly eyes was clearly evident. Mrs. Ansari cupped her daughters face affectionately in her hands and then blew across it...A way of passing on your prayers, love and support. This was followed by a slow touching of foreheads, Ren closing her tear bound eyes in the the cool soft touch of the veils silk.

Hours later, as she sat alone in her candlelit room sketching out the flowers from her expedition in the morning, she heard a knock on the front door. Getting up, she made her way down the stairs to answer. 
"Who goes there?" yelled her father. The answering call stopped Ren in her tracks. It was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard. The harmonic overtones filled her ears with ecstatic pleasure, it felt like heaven itself was forming a melody of words. This was the song of god, laid plain so that man could understand. 

This was not what halted her though, for with the voice came a flood of memories. Memories that had been locked away deep inside her for years. Accompanying these, there was pain, and fear. 

It must have been around ten years ago. She had been seven then. Claire used to walk home with her, but she hadn't come to school recently, so Ren found herself walking alone. Mother had asked her to buy a pack of milk from the market so Ren made the long descent to the lower level. While walking on the main road, near the housing area directly beneath the stairs, she glimpsed a flurry of movement in one of the dark branching alleys. Being a curious seven year old who had always desired a pet, she decided to investigate. Unfortunately, like most seven year olds, she also suffered from a complete lack of navigational skills. She was soon lost. 

The four legged shadow had flickered past often, so fast that it was impossible to make it out. She started getting scared. Tears flowed from her eyes as she cowered behind a demolished wall, curling up in a fetal position and gently rocking her body. She heard movement, and a looming shadow blocked the sun. She screamed. It didn't last long. With a slight whack of something scaly and sharp, the owner of the shadow had knocked her out.

The first thing Ren noticed when she came to was the red stain on the ground next to her face. Then second was the dull flickering light. Third was a quiet sobbing coming from the corner to her right. She slowly crawled to her knees. Apart from a dull ache at the back of her head, and the fact that her dress was ripped, she was okay. The boy crying in the corner didn't look okay though. Fully naked, blood streamed from a wounded temple down his darkly coloured skin. He didn't look sad to her, just terrified.

She approached him cautiously, realizing now that the entire room was small and covered in the red stains. "Hello? My name is Ren, it's nice to meet you." The boy continued sobbing. She creeped forward slowly "Hello?" She said laying a hand on his shoulder. He screamed and pushed her back.

"GET AWAY!" Ren landed hard on her bum, shocked. He was already back to sobbing.

She heard movement from the other side of the room. Turning around, she noticed that the end of the room too had a concrete wall. A wooden door was shut on one side and next to it was a long glass window so that she could see outside. It looked just as dark even though the light wasn't flickering, so she couldn't see far. She did see a reclining chair, like the ones at her tooth doctor's. But this one was covered in red liquid, the liquid was flowing on to the ground and through a drain. Is that blood? Ren wondered No, it can't be! No one can have that much blood she decided, and besides that chair is for helping people not hurting them. The shuffling sounds were coming from the left of the chair but she couldn't see what was making them.

Suddenly a figure appeared out of the darkness walking towards the glass screen. Ren stumbled backwards, wide eyed with fear. She thought it was a man at first, tall, slender and walking upright on two legs. However, once it got closer, she saw that it clearly wasn't. The creature had no hair on it's head, but was covered in some sort of thin brown fur. Huge, deep black eyes stared out at her from an elongated oval face with a sharp chin. Large pointed ears adorned the side of its strange head, but neither a nose or mouth was visible. Long arms held a metallic scalpel similar to ones the doctor had, but in a strange indescribable shape that she had never seen before. It tapped this scalpel slowly against the glass screen while cocking its head and staring at her.

Ren was anchored to the ground, her body stiff with fear. But this trance was soon broken from the sharp howl that emanated from the young boy in the corner. He had started screaming. Ren joined him in creating a vocal cacophony that reverberated through the small room. She ran to the opposite corner from the boy and tried making herself as small as possible. As if in response to the screaming, a hidden mouth on the creature opened, revealing a set of long needle-like teeth as it made a loud sucking noise.

It had started walking down the outer room towards the door when a loud and abrupt bang caused the creature to halt. Looking up, Ren could now see a new source of light, like a large doorway with the door blown open. Bright sunlight shone through and there, in the gateway stood the silhouette of a big man, cape blowing in the wind, hat tipped low over his eyes. His colossal shadow seemed to add a darkness to the room, the greatsword on his back swung gently as he walked over the broken door right to the creature. Had he not noticed that it was there?  Ren tried to scream, to warn him to run, but to no avail. Her voice refused to obey.

But it seemed this man didn't need her warning. The creature started hissing, and vocalizing sounds. strangely its voice was exceptionally low and entire phrases of speech seemed to just disappear. Though she could see its mouth move, the sentence cut off and then restarted a moment later. The sounds were harsh and indescribable, was this some monstrous language? All the while, it backed up against the glass window. It seemed terrified. Why, Ren wondered, would a monster be scared of a man?

The man continued to approach, undeterred by the creature's hissing. "How many others are in this coven?" No answer. "What are you doing here? What do you intend to learn?" His eyes soon fell upon the reclining chair covered in red liquid. Ren could see the back of his long hair, black strands swirled as he suddenly turned around and saw her. The eye contact they held had lasted long seconds, and she began to see a deep rage boil to life behind the dark brown pupils. She cowered, this man was scary.

"You dare to take our children?" His voice was calm as he stepped towards the monster, who now started recoiling and protecting itself with long arms. "YOU DARE TO HARM A HELPLESS CHILD!?" As quick as lightning, a muscular arm shot out from behind the cape and grabbed the creatures face. The man lifted the monster into the air.. Even in the dark, Ren could see the rage in his eyes. Veins pumped across the thick forearm. The creature squirmed in his grasp making all manner of sounds and trying to free itself, scratching at the mans hand without success. The grasp was too strong. The sounds paused for a moment before it said something that sounded strangely human "sssex."

There was a slight pulse in the mans forearm followed by a loud crack. The creature stopped struggling and simply hung limp. The man did not drop it. Ren saw his mad anger, forearm still pulsing as he continued to squeeze the monsters face. Suddenly a loud explosive noise ricocheted off the walls as red, black and green liquid splattered across the window. The creatures entire head had exploded under his pressure! it fell on its knees and crumpled into a heap of tangled limbs. The long neck capped by a bloody stump. The man simply stood there staring down at the crumbled body.

The boy screamed.

When Ren looked back in his direction, the man had entered the room and was calmly walking towards the boy. Ignoring the sobbing, he gently lifted the lad and caressed him in one arm. Turning around, he started walking towards her. As he walked, Ren could more clearly make out his outline. Though the hat covered his eyes and threw a shadow over his hard jaw line, his large chest showed from beneath a furry leather tunic and muscular legs popped out from beneath an armored kilt, seeming to shake the ground in tandem with his long stride. There was something about this man that calmed her, held her gaze. She felt comforted as he kneeled on one knee and picked her up with an arm. Resting her head against the hard chest, Ren felt safe.

They had left the small cell and were walking by the reclining chair when scuttling noises caused her to open her eyes. This room was long and narrow, windows and doors adorned both of the long walls showing many small cells just like the one Ren had been trapped inside. The chair and a few tables full of strange tools occupied the center. 

Suddenly, the entire place darkened. There, in the doorway through which the man had burst stood a new monster, casting a long shadow.

This one looked a lot less human. Four long legs thrust out from an upright torso in the center. Sharp spikes adorned the knee caps, shoulders and elbows. The long sinewy arms displayed muscle definition and were capped with talon like hands. The face was smaller than its counterparts; the entire head was. It curved backwards into an oval like shape hooking upwards to create some form of decorative crest that was capped in a trident. As it stepped forward into light, Ren noticed that this monster was not furred, instead reptilian scales ranging from dark green to purple covered the entire body. It strode into the room fearlessly until it saw the corpse of its fallen comrade. The four eyes on its face flickered back and forth between the man and the crumpled body before a snarl escaped, revealing a mouth of needle like teeth.

"This one's dangerous" The man whispered as knelt to place the two kids on the ground. "Run, and hide. I will come back for you."  Ren nodded and quickly grabbed the boys hand to escape. Not a moment too soon, for the creature had charged at the man. Turning around, Ren saw the two in battle. Their arms were locked as both strained to push the other away. She took the boys hand and ran into the small cell opposite from the one that had held her prisoner. The room was identical, except that there was no red stain. Rather, the entire room was drenched in flowing red liquid, giving off a rustic smell. It seeped through her shoes and she felt the cold on her foot. Blood was meant to be warm wasn't it? This can't be blood she reasoned.

Then she saw them. In one corner of the room lay four naked headless bodies piled two high. They were all around the same age as herself, a young boy on top of a young girl. The other corner had the heads, eyes gouged out and covered in blood. Amongst these, Ren recognized just one...Her friend Claire. Seeing poor Claire's lifeless body and head seemed to make the entire experience real to her. She felt the truth thunder through her body, ripping apart everything she had held dear and believed. 

The world started blurring, knees weak and arms heavy, Ren crumpled to the blood soaked ground into a fetal position. Silent tears streamed out of her eyes. She felt a soft touch on her shoulder "It's okay, we're okay don't be scared. The bad one is dead, that man killed it." It was the boy. Ren didn't answer, she wasn't scared. She felt something else, as if the world was drained of all happiness. Like happiness was a dream never dreamt. 

Long minutes later, the room was bathed in light as the door was thrown open. She felt strong arms lift her into a cradling position. The man carried her outside and she heard snippets of conversation with the boy. " How long?"
"I dunno, maybe a fortnight. I think they were saving me for..." A pause, then sobs.
"I see, how about her?"
"Just got 'ere," whimpered out between tears.

She felt the man whisper in her ears "At least you, I can save." Before darkness.

Ren had woken up the next day feeling a bit emptier and not knowing why. She soon learned that there was a boy staying at her house for a while...His name was Cody, he was pretty black and covered in cuts and bruises. Despite this, they seemed to connect and became friends pretty fast. Moreover, the biggest change to her was the sudden urge to become more devout. She now felt, for some unknown reason, that god had a most important part to play in her life, and hadn't missed a single prayer since.

The rushing flood of memories overwhelmed her, and she sat on the stairs sobbing, oblivious to the formalities being exchanged on the lower floor. It took many long minutes before she started wondering why she had forgotten it at all, and that she should go ask this man. Walking down the stairs, the main entrance clearing slowly came in to view. She let out a loud gasp when she saw him.

He turned around, brown eyes piercing through her skin. "Why hello there, pretty lady!" Taking a low bow, he kissed one of her hands. "I am Zammar, the greatest lovemaker of all time! Pleasure to make your acquaintance! Would you like to come with me to the anniversary festival next week? I promise to make it a romantic evening you will not forget!" But Ren simply stood there dumbstruck, her hand burning where he held it.

"Hah, Zammar looks like you're losing your game, you did do a good job of creeping her out though." Her father said. 

"I don't quite get it with women good sir, I think it has to do with my height. " replied the man.

"Why? Have you never had a woman before? Surely with your...stature..."

"Nay my good sir, I guess 5'8'' really is not tall enough to please them."

"bah, I refuse to believe that no woman has attempted to court you in a way or another. "

"Well there was one, it was fun...but it turns out she had preferences for the other, far superior sex..."

Ren didn't understand. This was the most beautiful human being she had ever seen. Just looking at him made her rethink the implications of existence itself. How could any one share a world with a man so glorious and not be buried in the shame of inferiority? Was this gods most perfect creation? The flawless template with which to compare all lesser people to? How long had it taken to carve out the perfect proportionality; every sinewy fibre in his musculature seemed to be a work of art. The long hair, silky black, fell across a chiseled face with an indescribable grace. Brown eyes looked down at her, an immeasurable kindness glittering within. With this man alive, Ren knew that she had nothing to fear from any monsters, the horrific weight of her past seemed to lighten in his presence. 

As she stood there, in a state of utter idolization, Commander Ansari became serious. "Why are you here?" Causing the man to drop her hand and turn around.

"They're coming." His voice hard, face betraying no emotion.

The commanders eyes widened "How many? How do you know?"

"Legions, I've been tracking their movements. You'd best call a council meeting. "

"Aye,"

Zammar turned back around to face her again. " Pleasure again ma'am, maybe some day I'll grow a couple of inches and then you may find me worthy of your hand." Then followed her father out of the house. Ren continued to stand rooted to the ground, the principles of reality were slowly starting to rearrange themselves in her head.
"Bbut your height is perfect..." she whispered, slowly realizing that he was gone. Already, she wanted to see him again. Wait, they had mentioned something about...about something coming, what? enemies? Was it the monsters she had seen? She had to know!

*

She breathed slowly, careful not to disturb the graceful drapery that adorned the circular walls of the small council chamber. Climbing up the side of the building had been much harder than she remembered, maybe she had gained weight? But she had managed to sneak in before the meeting started. Now she patiently waited, hidden behind the thick curtains. It wasn't long before she heard the creaking of the large door followed by a jumble of voices entering the room.

Torst's small council consisted of the military commander, chief of coin, the high magistrate and four elected representatives of the people. These four were determined by varying levels of whiteness readings, covering the scale in intervals of twenty five. Ren couldn't specifically hear the voice of Zammar, but she knew he was there. His presence was massive. Seats were scraped as the group sat and the usual formalities exchanged until a loud gong, signalling the start of a small council meeting to the citizens of Torst, rung reverberating through the room and out to the city streets. 

As per tradition, the slow, calm voice of Magistrate Tolkyen started. "We gather here today in a most hurried manner for the eleven thousandth, two hundred and forty ninth meeting of Torst's small council. The topic on the days agenda is a potentially imminent invasion, the first in four centuries since the fifth great racial war brought threat upon our livelihood. Commander Ansari, you may speak of what you know so that we all may learn a thing or two." Loud whispering followed his announcement before a cough from her father interrupted it.   

"Dear friends, our long held suspicions seem to be proving true. Indeed, the very monsters that ended your beloved daughters life, representative Oomphasa and kidnapped my own forcing her through a most terrible ordeal, appear to be amassing an invasion force. For twenty years now, we have suffered under fear of their stealthy attacks, being unable to trace their hives while our people continuously disappeared. But now it appears that they prepare to brave an attack on our walls." 

"How know you of this imminent attack Commander? We had agreed that this enemy is one of the darkness, one who kills in the shadows for no apparent purpose but to bathe in bloodshed?" The South asian accent indicated that this voice belonged to Representative Mahmoud. 

"The nomadic warrior known as Zammar, who joins us in this meeting, has ascertained the gathering of the enemy in vast forces with their eyes set on this peaceful valley." The commanders announcement was met with a cacophony of voices." Ren made out words such as "commoner," "sacred meeting," "ten years," "dashing," "attractive," amongst it. The yelling continued for a good few minutes before the soft voice of the Magistrate brought it to a halt. 

"Friends, as you all should know, Zammar has been of invaluable use to us for these past twenty years. He has risked his own life countless times in pursuit of this enemy, obtaining much needed information on their purpose, behaviour and species. He is also the only human who has seen live specimens, I believe we would be wise to hear what he has to say." 

"Thank you kindly, Magistrate," The beautifully melodious voice throwing a blanket of silence over the arguing of nobles. "We have long believed that this enemy hunted in small packs of two to three individuals. However, I have reason to conclude that even as we speak, a vast armada flies to rain destruction upon us."

"We were wrong to consider these monsters stupid. " He continued. "In my pursuits over the last ten years, I began to see that the truth is quite to the contrary. It appears that they have spent this decade studying us, our bodies, weaknesses, culture and languages. In fact, the only way I know of this approaching armada is because they knew enough English to threaten me."

"So, you do not provide any empirical evidence for this threat? How do you know the creature did not simply lie to you?" croaked Representative Oomphasa, his voice brimming with fear.

"It is easy to know they come, good sir. All one has to do is look at the stars"

"The Stars? What do the blasted stars have to do with this? " Commander Ansari asked. 

"We had already discussed that these creatures may be unearthly in origin. This, I have confirmed. They come now from beyond the dark side of the moon, the satellite known to our astronomers as Titan hosting their home. It is easy to tell of their approach, their massive armies blacken the night sky star by star. Empirical evidence? Why just go and take a look at the previous months star charts! From what I have gathered, they come for Torst specifically because of the caverns hidden beneath Mount Romsdalen...and the human population in the near vicinity for food and experimentation of course."  

Zammar's declaration sparked more outrage. The star charts were summoned and consulted, many arguments ensued. Ren stayed hidden behind her curtain, for the many long hours of endless bickering. Finally, there came a point where not even Representative Mahmoud could deny the words of Zammar. Torst was going to be attacked and there was no escaping the truth of it. She was scared, but excited.

A long silence had fallen over the gathering before it was interrupted by Commander Ansari. "It seems we can not deny the threat of this invasion, what then shall we do about the defense of the city?"

"Defense? Are you insane? I thought it was a given! You must evacuate the city! Torst is not prepared for such a siege, commander. There is still time enough to make it to the free city of Kampalla, they will harbor you as refugees. " Zammar replied hurriedly. 

"Run?! Never! Besides, Kampalla only accepts people of a blackness rating above 65, most of Torst will die stranded outside the city walls! Nay, we will stay here and fight." The commander said. 

"They will take you as refugees! Have faith in the goodness of human beings Commander! You can not fight, you know not this enemy!" 

"And you know not this mighty city of Torst! That has stood through countless battles for millenia, it will not fall now. Do not underestimate the strength of these walls, Zammar!"

"I know not this city!?" There was a loud clap of feet stomping the ground followed by a long sound of a sword being drawn from its sheathe. Finally, the air filled with a deafening clang, as if a heavy metallic object had been thrown onto the stone table. There were gasps all around the room. 

"The Greatsword of the Destroyer! How came thee upon this ancient blade?" Commander Ansari exclaimed.

"I have held it a long time now, Commander. Think of he who wielded the sword as the founding father of this city! What would he say, to his great wall broken now by your many doors? The creation of which destroyed both his dream and this city's defenses." The rage in Zammars voice created a heavy atmosphere in the room. The resulting silence was deafening. Ren held her breath, fearing that it would betray her hiding place, but she was saved by the always soft voice of the Magistrate. 

"We will not evacuate this city. Torst will stand to fight these enemies and drive them off this world. Ignoring the problem will not rid us of it, and we can not allow them a stronghold here from which to attack others. Additionally, Zammar you underestimate the natural defenses of this valley, the willpower of its people, and the cunning of it's strategists. If you alone can destroy the many covens you have run into, we have a good chance of a successful defense. The women and children will hide for the duration of the fight in the mountain caves, in case the city walls are damaged. "Commander Ansari, you must prepare the strategy for defense. Gather all four Marshalls, Torst will stand united against this unworldly threat. "

"All four? But magistrate, never in this cities history have all four fought together."  Replied the commander, and he had a point. Since the start of the second racial war, Torst had divided its military by race. The only race that fought in any given fight was the one involved in war with the attacking race. 

"Never has Torst faced a threat to all her people. Zammar, we require your help, you must coordinate with the Commander to teach the people and soldiers of this city everything you know about these monsters." The pounding of his mallet dismissed the meeting.  

*

A month passed since Ren had snuck in on the council meeting. The city was brimming with excitement and the slightest taste of fear. The imminent invasion had been announced. The existence of this enemy was a new thing to the city members and it soon evolved into a culture of its own. Even as leagues of men eagerly lined up to join the defense battalions, children played games of war with new toys; depicting epic battles between armored humans and the monsters. People walked around wearing shirts depicting cartoons of the enemy, accompanied by propaganda posters that spoke of their monstrosity. Thanks to the efforts of Zammar, they learned a lot about these mysterious creatures. He held many lectures in the great coliseum, showing massive drawn pictures and teaching the people of their enemy. 

They called themselves, roughly translated into human speech, The Und'kal. This race consisted of two very different creatures - significantly more different than the human races. The difference wasn't just in colour but in appearance, intelligence, biology and function. The first was what Zammar called the Intelligent class, they were two legged, slender and mammalian in that their body was covered in a layer of fur. Though physically frail, these seemed to be the masterminds, and the only ones that could speak our language. Ren remembered with a shiver the one that had been experimenting on children, Zammar claimed that they possessed man-like intelligence...But she didn't believe that anything so horrific could be as smart as a human. Or maybe she just didn't want to believe. 

Next was the warrior class, this was the four legged reptilian creature she had seen in the door way. These were supposedly extremely dangerous, albeit not the most intelligent. They used the talons on their hands to slash, cut and pierce, and were well protected from attacks. He had never seen them use weapons, but they didn't really need any to kill a man either. 

Though his information proved infinitely useful, Zammar warned that he had never seen anything like an invasion force, having only fought a group of up to four individuals. He emphasized that a horde of them will probably act differently and that the soldiers should be prepared for anything. He taught them of weaknesses in the enemies natural armor like plates, and even personally supervised their training against dummies. 

Zammar seemed to like Ren, just the thought made her blush. It was sort of funny how ignorant he was of all the women in the city swooning over him. Yet it made sense, since any time he talked to one, they simply fainted and he felt guilty for not being tall enough or too forward or some other obscene reason. But Ren knew what her part was, she had to be the one woman he could talk to, the one to save him from his deep loneliness. Through spending a lot of time with him, she had grown accustomed to his mighty presence and wasn't too scared any more. It had been hard to accept, but she knew that she would never be good enough for him, despite that...there was a deep longing to know the mysterious  man a bit better...To see him smile at her. 

She found him once, staring up at the statue of the Great Intellectual. Upon approaching, she noticed that lonely glint in his drop-dead gorgeous eyes that was often there. She simply went and stood by his side for a few minutes until the excited chatter of a young group of soldiers walking by interrupted his trance. He looked after them, the loneliness in his eyes was replaced with a hint of remorse? or was it pity?

"This city has long forgotten the horrors of war. " He said, his melodious voice quiet.

"Isn't it good that we have been at peace for so long? " asked Ren.

"Yes. The problem is that Torst has forgotten all of her fallen sons. Look at them, dreaming of glory and boundless heroism. Do they believe that they alone will return unharmed in the grandeur of immortalized greatness? That one day, they will become those very heroes which they grew up reading and fantasizing about? Why do they not see how precious their own lives are?"

"I think, it's just easier to be excited than it is to be scared. " she replied.

There was a short pause before, "and what of you, Brenda Ansari, are you scared?"

"I am...But I have faith that god will guide us through this challenge."

Zammar looked up at the sky, a long pause before a reply so soft that Ren strained to hear it "Your god has no place in the wars of men." He looked down at her, the eye contact sending chills down her spine. Such emptiness in those beautiful eyes, what terrors had this man faced in a lifetime of loneliness?

"I want to fight too, I've been training my swordmanship." she said.

"It is a good thing then, that the ancient laws of man forbid women from doing so." His words hurt, she had hoped at least he would support her vision. "War is no place for a woman Ren, you must take care of the city's children - that is your duty." He had walked away then, leaving her stunned for words. Why did every body underestimate her? Did she not have every right to defend her home as well?

*

Another month passed.

Ren had listened in through the door when her father, the four marshals and Zammar discussed the strategy for battle.

"Madness! What point is there in the great walls of Torst if you do not even use them in battle? Take the fight to city streets, the larger enemy will be too encumbered to maneuver their forces." Zammar cried.

"You said so yourself, the walls of Torst lost much of their defensive ability with the construction of four gates. Moreover, we must stop this enemy within the shadow of the wall, for there is no desire to cause any damage to the interior of the city. It would ruin the livelihood of many poor citizens." Replied the commander.

"We will use the Pillars of Augenmar as funnels, forcing the enemies forces to divide. While our forces located directly in front of the walls, combined with the artillery from wall top, can pick them off easily" Marshal Delgadillo said.

"And while they delay themselves in trampling each other, the heavy cavalry's charge from behind will break their forces, providing relief to our front lines and sandwiching them before the pillars." Marshal Lewis added.

"We have already long discussed this strategy Marshal, the issue remains that this valley is wide. For us to employ the soaring wedge formation in the charge, it will be easy for their reserves and wing to flank and destroy the cavalry." Commander Ansari said.

"I have thought of a solution, Commander, " Marshal Egwu said, " If the valley is too wide, we shall make it smaller. Allow me and another to command forces to hide in the forests on the sides of the valley, laying in ambush. As our cavalry charges, we too will entreat them with a taste of our blades, forcing our enemy bound on all sides. With their forces lost in confusion, this battle will soon be won."

"Then I will trust you, friend to protect mine and my mens backs." replied Marshal Lewis

There was general agreement to the finalized strategy from the marshals and commander. Ren smiled, never in all her ears of silent eavesdropping, had she heard the four marshals get along so well.

"So, Zammar, what think you of our defensive design?"

There was a long pause, " I think you are fools. You wish to employ the very method with which these walls have been defended for centuries, but you forget a most important fact. The enemy you face now, this enemy is not human. Nor will it act like one. At the least, use the walls to your protection. Damage to the city is a better option than the entire city dying. 

"Worry not good sir, this tactic has held this valley intact for a thousand years, it will not fail. Moreover, the Pillars make an excellent location to combat the foe, encumbering their movements and forcing them through little by little. The walls would be hit by the brunt of a massive force."

A pause and then in the softest manner, "I fear that your constant failure to adhere to my counsel will spell the doom of both of us." She heard the scraping of a chair and the heavy thud of footsteps approaching the door, unable to hide in time, Ren dumbly stood aside as the door was thrown open and the great man walked out. He did not look back at her.

Her hair was cut short now, short enough to pass for a young boy who liked long hair. The hard part had been hiding her ever changing body, but fortunately the tunic and chainmail of foot soldiers was loose and draped over her chest in a straight line. It hadn't been hard to join the forces, recently the atmosphere had grown fearful and the number of recruits was reduced. Conscription had finally been enacted. She simply pretended to be the son of a noble, forced to join. As such, she did not have to live, nor train with her fellow soldiers. Despite this, she had never attended swordsmanship classes with more vigor.

She had been placed in the reserve, fortunately. This meant that hers would be the last line of defense, and also the best protected. Standing right in front of the walls, behind the main army. Cody was placed in the reserve battalion in front of her own. She had been training a lot with him, he seemed to be the only person who understood her determination to fight.

For two weeks, thunder and dark clouds heralded the battle. The night sky, hidden behind a layer of dark grey, rendered the enemies progress impossible to monitor. Then one evening, the sky cleared and, looking up, Ren saw stars. All of them. That next morning, the scouts returned. They brought news of the enemy's encampment at the end of the valley, preparing for siege. Though it had been too dark to truly see their size, it was plain that the army was large.

The Great Warhorns of Torst sounded.

When her mother went to help with the evacuation of the orphanage, Ren took the opportunity to arm herself and join the battalion. Everywhere she looked, the unlikely mingling of excitement and fear was evident. The air filled with the chattering of youths, shouting of officers, crying of mothers and jostling of swords. Streets brimmed with people running in all manner of directions, soldiers towards their battalions, women and children up the stairs to find shelter in the caves.

She watched her own battalion as they waited to be stationed. She didn't know these people. Yet they all seemed to know each other like brothers. Two months of bonding, bleeding and sweating had resulted in an incredibly diverse army. Looking around, she saw a black man high five a white, a brown boy looking up to a white man, and a group consisting of at least one of every race laughed at some unheard joke. Never in her life had she seen so many multiracial groups of people. Everyone's trying to be brave she thought, for their friends.

By the time they were stationed, the entire army had been arranged and the sky hinted at a setting sun. Ren was posted a few men in front of the wall directly to the left of the central gate, on the right end of her battalion. To her right was a large gap through which messages could be brought to the front from the Commander on the wall tops, and then the next reserve battalion on the other side of the gate.

Due to the slight slope before the walls, Ren had an excellent vantage point of the battlefield. All across her vision, to the pillars of Augenmar, stretched a massive army, flying just one flag - the black and white crest of Torst. She was stunned silent by the magnitude of it. The army must have consisted of hundreds of thousands of men, surely such an army could not be defeated! She looked through the ranks until she saw Cody, talking to a Chinese fellow next to him. She'd keep an eye on him.

A sudden hush fell over the entire gathering. She looked forward, and a shiver of fear ran through her spine. In the distance, she could just make out a galloping line of darkness. They had entered the valley now, and moved with incredible speed; covering the distance much faster than the fastest chariot. But the valley was long, and they remained far. All she could make out was a line of darkness followed by some sort of mist that hid most of their force. The human army was suddenly plagued by an atmosphere of dread. They were about to fight monsters.

Then she heard her fathers voice, calling loudly from atop the wall. "Soldiers, nay, men of Torst! Our beloved city is threatened! Will you answer her call?" Loud yells followed by shield bashing. "Men of Torst! The forces of darkness ride towards our home, will you defend it?!" More loud yells, Ren yelled too. "Then I say to you, men of Torst, have courage! Fight with the conviction of a man defending his home! Show this unearthly monstrosity the power of our just strength. Show them the conviction of our boundless hearts! Show them the sting of our steel and the bite of our fists. Show them that our blood does not spill easily; show them that we are the men of Torst!"

His speech was answered by the cheering of a hundred thousand men. War drums began rhythmically beating accompanied by a heroic fanfare. The music seemed to elate the army. Ren felt like anything was possible.

"It makes you feel invincible, doesn't it?" she jumped at Zammars dazzling voice.

When had he got there? Why was he standing next to her looking towards the fast approaching enemy? His bare muscular chest jostling through the strapped leather tunic, abdominals clearly visible. She felt her face going red. Did he recognize her? No, he can't have. Too stunned to say anything, she simply stood there eyes cast down to hide her identity.

"After all, how else can you ask a man to march to his death?" He sounded melancholy. She looked up and followed his gaze.

 Her hands started shaking and her knees trembled as she reached for her sword. The enemy was just a few kilometers from the pillars now, she could make them out. Hordes of the  galloping warrior class, completely bare of weapons comprised the front lines. But amongst them she made out some other creature, spider like with six legs, but with a long horizontal torso and no visible neck, it stood about as high as a fully grown prairie horse. On their backs rode the smarter Und'kal, sitting tall over their compatriots. The formation to their attack, for there was one, seemed well beyond her understanding. She looked back towards Zammar, but he was gone. A moment of panic. She felt alone. 

Then she saw him. There, on the central pillar of Augenmar, the tallest, and only one not supporting the valley ledges. His scarlet cape undulating in the wind, wrapping around the colossal greatsword sheathed across a bare muscular back. His silky hair flung into a whiplike frenzy. Mighty arms crossed. Eyes staring straight towards the approaching horde. The setting sun glinted off his muscles, casting a long shadow that fell upon the city of Torst and her soldiers, as if to show that it was under his protection.

The entire army silently gazed up at him. Remembering the legends told of the Great Warrior who came to city in it's time of need. The Und'kal too seemed to notice this man. They saw that this must be the greatest of all humans, looking almost scared, their horde started slowing and came to a halt a hundred meters or so from the pillar. Even with her excellent vantage point, it was impossible for Ren to make out the vast majority of the army. A low mist hung over it, obscuring all but the first fifteen or so rows.

"Und'kal, I am Zammar of the Humans, we wish to speak. There need not be bloodshed tonight." His statement carried across the dead silent air easily. There was a long, anxious pause before an intellectual class Und'kal atop its strange steed strode forward from the army.

" 'uman, I be the Khazimat of this...Dertan...war group...yes...war group...We are Und'kal. But this you know. We come, driven away from own home world...name is Ghekyal, by giant beast of the...deep. Fly across great empty to this star...sun...Your world, we will take." Its voice was harsh, the speech constantly interrupted by strange clicking sounds. Though clearly it was not made to speak like a human, Ren understood perfectly. Maybe these creatures were in fact as intelligent as Zammar claimed.

"Khazimat, greetings. You come seeking refuge, we can help you. None need die here tonight. Our races can do great together, let us unite forces." Zammar replied. Ren didn't like the idea of joining forces, but upon seeing the warriors up close, she really didn't want to fight either. It seemed most of the army agreed.

The enemies hissed and grunted at each other before the Khazimat replied, " 'uman, you will be spared...Give up your strange...fighting limbs...serve us...as... masters...yes. We...promise, only eat weak and old...rest can live if they good servant. Else suffer destruction." Loud murmuring followed his statement across the human army, but was interrupted by Zammar.

"We will not serve you as slaves, nor will we surrender any of our own, Khazimat. The terms of this agreement are co existence, we can live side by side and benefit from one another. Great things can be accomplished Khazimat."

" 'uman, you do not agree. You do not wish to be spared? Very well...we break you. "

"I warn you to reconsider Khazimat. You do not want to make an enemy of mankind."

" 'uman, your race is weak. We crush you with ease."

"I disagree, Khazimat." The hint of a smile, "You pit yourself against mankind, the greatest species ever to grace the web of existence. The crucible of our survival, on this cold and harsh planet, has been achieved only by vast quantities of ingenuity, immense diligence, boundless willpower and infinite compassion. There is a spark, Khazimat, within every human. It is the endless fascination with every thing that is, the burning obsession with everything that can be, and the monumental ambition to achieve every thing that can't. It is the desire to see what hasn't been seen, to answer questions that haven't been asked, to hear what hasn't been said, to learn what hasn't been taught. It is the power to dream, the capacity to imagine and the determination to realize. It is the impulse to care, the instinct to protect, the inclination to save another, the aptitude to empathize. It is the heart of my people." 

The Und'kal started at him in silence, did they understand the long winded speech?

Zammar unsheathed the greatsword strapped across his burly back. It must have been a foot thick, at least seven feet long- longer than he tall. The hilt alone must have been a foot and a half, the gem adorned crossguard glinted in the setting sun. The sharp edge of the blade curved into a jagged edge, its colour indicating a gradient from light blue to aqua. He thrust the weapon into the pillar in front of him and spoke with both hands resting on its pommel. 

"Khazimat, you say that your people run from a monstrous beast. Look around at mine. Humanity does not wait for the great engines of evolution to determine our faith. We are it's own masters. We do not change ourselves to suit our surroundings. We change them to our every whim. Millenia ago, our ancestors skulked through the plains of Afrika, carefully hiding from countless predators. Look at us now, not a corner of this world remains untouched by our reach, not a beast that does not fear us. It is a short matter of time before the heavens themselves give their mysteries up to our conquest. A day will come, Khazimat I promise to you, when humanity rules the stars. 

"The only thing that has ever held us back, is this incessant insistence on creating divisions amongst ourselves. We hold each other back through trivialities like the colour of a friends skin. But look, Khazimat, you have accomplished that which I failed many lifetimes over. You have united our race like never before. Before you stands the mightiest army in this worlds history. It is an army of unity, one not fighting against, but by the side of brothers. I warn you, the resolve of humanity has never been stronger. Attack us and I promise your people will remember you, they will remember you as the fool that doomed them. They will remember you as the fool that made an enemy of mankind, the conqueror of worlds. 

His long speech was met with a still silence. The Khazimats eyes had grown even larger, and he seemed hesitant. He started articulating sounds with the Und'kal nearest him. But before he could reply, the air filled with loud sequential explosions. It seemed to Ren that the sky itself was torn asunder, the sound of thunder exploding overhead. Looking up, she realized that her father had ordered the artillery strike. The sky filled with the smoke and shouts of cannon men. 

The Und'kal seemed confused at first, until the first cannonballs landed. In an explosion of smoke and dirt, limbs of enemy troops could easily be seen flying into the air. Upon realization, the Khazimat hissed loud, barred his long needle like teeth, and suddenly their entire army was charging. Zammar turned around to face the commander on the wall top, his eyes betraying his rage, before pulling his greatsword from the rock in front and swinging it in an arc overheard as he jumped from the pillar top into the oncoming horde. 

Two armies clashed. Only now, did Ren understand the horrors of war. 

She watched as an eight foot tall warrior class lifted a man with one hand and ripped his head off, dropping the limp body on to the ground with blood gushing in a fountain, before multiple spear wounds brought him to his own demise. She saw another warrior swing his clawed arm, lacerating three lines well and through a mans Breastplate, his guts spilled through the cuts. She saw a bloody man, his left arm missing, charge towards an enemy from behind, gaining station on its back before stabbing it multiple times with his blade...He was crushed under the Und'kals weight as it fell.

She saw how the bravest soldiers, who had trained for months in how to defeat this enemy, panicked and gave their life much too easily. She saw courage, as friends were avenged with adrenaline filled zeal. She saw caring as men helped the injured at great risk to themselves. But then, she saw this in the Und'kal too. She saw them mourn an allies death in a raged frenzy, saw the fear in their eyes when a cannon ball landed too close, saw something akin to caring as they helped their injured to retreat.

All of a sudden, balls of fire began dropping from the sky. Looking up, she saw winged beasts, as big as the biggest eagle. The entire body black, bat like wings but with a reptilian snout and no legs what so ever. On their back rode some of the intellectual Und'kal, lobbing balls of fire off the side into the killing field below. Fear took hold of her. How can we defeat an army that rules the skies? But then she saw as one monster was pierced by a storm of arrows and nose dived into the raging battle below, the archers on wall top! Strangely, the balls of fire dropped unexpectedly, no pattern clearly visible...Yet their foot soldiers seemed to always know when one was coming and would quickly side step to avoid it. She saw as human soldiers started mimicking this movement to escape, most were too slow.

The cavalry! they would be arriving soon to provide relief. She looked up towards the end of the valley, straight into the path of the setting sun. The mist had begun to lift. Her sword dropped. Silhouetted against a scarlet sky, the Und'kal stretched past the horizon. The volume of their army easily occupying the entire valley. There was a new monster. Interspersed between ground troops, massive four legged creatures lumbered forward. Giant horns adorned a scaly demonic face with barred fangs atop a short neck. On their backs was a giant black gondola like contraption, level with half the height of Torsts outer wall.

She felt more scared than she had ever felt in her life. Why were these monsters invading her beloved home? Why didn't they seek shelter on some other empty world? How could god let this happen? Was this really just a trial of faith? As despair filled her, she looked for the only relief in the endless battle, the only man who could protect her.

There he was. Having fought deep into the enemies army, an empty path stretched behind him to the central pillar, it was bordered by a high wall of Und'kal corpses. He swung his greatsword, with only one hand, in a wide arc, cleaving the heads of at least five enemies, side stepped an enemy lunge, grabbed said enemy with one arm, crushed its neck. Shifted around the body, upper cut with the sword, ripping two warriors in even halves. Stepped on their falling bodies, flying into the air, came crashing back down with the sword swinging in a large arc overhead, filling the air with dust and limbs as he handed, only to continue to slaughter with no respite.

Watching him was like watching a dance. It was deadly, and mesmerizing. She noticed that the entire reserve seemed to watch the colossal man. It filled them with hope, it filled her with hope. Even as she looked on, he approached one of the massive lumbering creatures. With a short run, he used his muscular legs to propel himself into the air, latching onto the massive pillar like limbs. He then swung himself into the air until he was above the monsters face, his greatsword overhead with both arms on the hilt. He swung it in a massive arc, directing it to the center of the demon like face. As the sword made contact, he traveled behind it through the creature, cleaving the monster in half before landing on the other side. He stood back up and turned around to watch it take one step, displacing half of its body from the other half and then simply fall apart, crushing numerous foes under its weight. As the last rays of the sun fled the battle, they silhouetted the man. Zammar the Great, Protector of Mankind.

The seconds seemed to take minutes, the minutes hours. The gateways between the pillars were deathfields, littered with corpses, doused in red and black blood. Ren saw with fear, the human forces starting to bend more and more, to give more and more space to the enemy. She knew her time to fight would be soon. The sword in her arm felt heavy.

The march to the front was exceptionally long. It seemed to drag on, delaying the inevitable. Her battalion had been called on to reinforce the center left gate, where the enemies had attack had been highly concentrated. She watched Cody marching in the battalion in front. Then prayed for strength. So many good men of Torst had already died, but she would fight with her life. To protect home. She raised her sword and joined in the war chant of the marching dead.  

The Front Lines were a mess. The ground, covered in corpses, guts and limbs had been made muddy by blood. Fire fell from the sky, the shouting of men, snarling of Und'kal, clashing of swords, screams of the dying filled the air. There was no order here, none of those glorious formations she had seen in her fathers war books. Only bloodshed. She saw a massive warrior charging towards her and raised her shield. He was stopped by two soldiers thrusting their spears under his pits. His scream of pain reverberated through her bones as he fell, just another in the sea of bodies.

Through the smoke, she saw a familiar figure facing a massive warrior alone. His long curly hair bobbing in the air as he lunged with his sword. He missed. The enemy, taking advantage of the opening, thrust a taloned arm through his torso. She watched in horror as the man was lifted into the air and brought face to face with the Und'kal. Then with a sickening crunch, the talon pushed deeper and through to the other side. The sword dropped, taking an eternity to reach the ground, leaving his arms limp.

Ren felt the tears streaming to her eyes "NO CODY NOO!" she yelled in anguished fury. With a zealous war cry she charged at the monstrous enemy. Every intention to kill. The Und'kal, alerted by her senseless shouting turned to face her with a monstrous grin. He tossed aside Cody, and beckoned to her-one talon dripping blood, Codys blood. Her foot snagged a dead body, the hard mud rushed to meet her face. Lying there,she saw endless corpses, they seemed to go on forever. Bodies of humans and Und'kal, locked in eternal conflict. Cody's gone, she realized, forever.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, then a sharp pain accompanied by a crunching sound shot through her shield arm. Then the laughter of the Und'kal warrior as he gazed down on her. The pain blurred her vision, she felt herself drifting, was it over now? The last thing she noticed was the hot splash of liquid on her neck, and the decapitated monstrous head that landed right in front of her own. Darkness. She dreamed she was flying.

*

The ground was cold and hard when she came to by the sound of morning birds. Her entire body ached. She moved to get up, but a sharp pain shot through her arm bringing back all of the memories of the night. The raining fire, war cries, corpses, blood, smoke, shouting and Cody's limp body pierced by a monstrous arm. Cody. Mom. Dad.  

"There's a reason men don't let women to fight in war, Ren." The most beautiful voice she had ever heard, soft with compassion. "It's to protect them, from the most terrible of things." 

It took her a painful minute to stand. Her left arm had been expertly propped, supported by a strange wooden splint and bandaged with silk. They were standing on some high ledge, Ren had been taken care of at the back edge, near a wall. At the end of the ledge, Zammar stood. His tattered scarlet cape blowed in the wind, the Greatsword on his back glinting in the sun light, wiped clean of blood. She walked to his side, beautiful brown eyes, devoid of emotion looked down at her. 

They were above the great valley. The valley was peaceful looking, not betraying any signs of the gruesome battle of hours past. Apart from the long lines of Und'kal corpses running from the pillars where Zammar had made his stand. She followed one of these back to where the two armys had clashed. There, the ground was strewn in bodies, sunlight glimmering off swords and armor. So covered was the ground, that she could not even make out where the roads were meant to be. She noticed, with dread, the amount of human corpses. Vultures swooped down, enticed by infinite free meals. The Central Pillar had a crack running down it's center, chunks had fallen off the sides and lay on the ground. She took a deep breath for courage, then stole her eyes from the ground, and looked towards her beloved city. 

Ren fell on her knees in despair. There, outlined on a canvas painted red by the rising sun, nestled in the the long shadow of snow capped Mount Romsdalen, doused in the blood of her heroes, her gates torn down and broken, her tattered arms flying lazily in the smoky air, the mighty human city of Torst burned.   


Authors Note:

Hello! This is part 1 of "The Saga of Zammar the Great". I hope that reading it was worth your time. I worked really hard and long on it, but I'm not the best writer by any means. The writing has a lot of room to improve, I'm sure you can find many grammatical errors and criticize the hell out of this story. I also should probably have read the entire thing over more than twice and scrutinized it better...but my head hurts =[

I really hope that anyone who reads this tale takes the time to tell me what they thought. You can criticize the writing (nicely), but I also want to hear your opinions on the story...Where do you think this is going to go? What did you expect to happen, your favorite parts, opinions on characters, Major themes, etc. 
Though I suppose the entire thing is a bit cliche...And it's longer than a short story, shorter by far than a novel! 

Yes, there are a few call outs to some of my favorite authors/stories etc. Wondering if anyone notices them :D

Still, writing this has been a learning experience. Creating a universe is a hard thing to do. There is a fine line between being too in depth and detailed, thus losing the touch of the story and having just the right amount. Oh well, this story has only started. 
Please look forward to part 2!