Sir Chadwic smiled as he watched in the shadows. His lieutenant-mage, Lady Stephany, working secretly with Chadwic for the Dark Queen, cast a spell giving a slightly green aura to all of the knights under Chadwic. Chadwic then announced with Lady Stephany that the aura would show who the true allies of the elves were in the army. He instructed them to kill all others without the glow so that they might fight the forces of darkness without treachery.
Chadwic's plan was a great success. The large army, under Sir Jon's strict leadership, may have emerged the victor. Now, though, Sir Jon should be dead and at least half the forces would soon be with him. Turning on his heel quickly, Chadwic continued on his trip to the gate of the city.
King Mikalon was donning is battle wear when a servant rushed into his chambers.
"Magesty, the elves! The fight eachother in civil combat!"
What?" shouted Mikalon, taken aback. Although no agreement had been made to collectively defend the city of Sanado, Sir Jon had promised some of his forces to protect his people. "What is their status?"
"Their commander, Sir Jon is missing. Many of the commanders of the knights say that they are purging the army of traitors. Others say that the knights were attacked by their own in an act of treachery."
"And what of the elixer? Did the elves get it?"
"Yes magesty, Sir Ludwig, their second in command, reported that all the knights took it."
Hmm, thought the king to himself. Then the Queen did not lay down some enchantment. The king then left the tent. "Send my Shaman to meet me at the overlook point," the King commanded. The servant bowed, then ran from the tent and did as he was instructed.
A lone set of eyes watched as the heat residue of an invisible knight walked by the battle scene with only a chuckle. The princess, intrigued by this figure, followed it in silence. Upon arriving at the gate of the city, she saw the figure remove a dark pendant from its neck and threw it into the air. Recognising the pendant as a symbol of the enemy, Saraya aimed her bow at his head and waited for whoever he signaled to make their appearance.
A short while later, five warriors wearing the trappings of the Dark Queen's army came into view. She tried listening in on their conversation, but she could not make out the evil tounge they used. So, whispering a spell, she licked the tip of her arrow. Repeating this ritual six times, she nocked the arrow, aimed at the center of the group, and fired. The arrow magically spit into six shafts and struck each of the warriors full in the body.
Sarayaclimbed down from her tree and approached the group. She recognised Sir Chadwic, gurgling a curse at her. Removing the dagger from her belt, she ended his life swiftly, in accordance with the laws regarding treachery. Looking at his outstreached hand, she noticed a simple stone with a single green rune on it.
The princess gasped. She knew f this stone from her books on lore. Legend said it would grant the user limitless power or ultimate destruction, based on the whishes of its holder. Grabbing the stone, she said to herself aloud, "This is why the Dark Queen fights this war. The safety of the nation matters little in this respect. The Queen must not get this stone."
She heard a rustle in the bushes. Turning, the princess nocked her bow and aimed it with a deadly accuracy at the emergi ng figure. The figure seemed to wear the noght about him as hew approached her, chuckling.
"How thoughtful of you to come all this way to deliver the stone to me, dear sister."
"Prince Erick!" the princess exclaimed. "You're the traitor!?"
"In essence. I just realised much quicker than our bufoon of a father did that resisting the Queen was useless. So I fled the palace that I might live and rule this realm with a greater glory than our father."
"Pathetic weakling. Rot in the Abyss for your treachery!" The princess loosed her arrow into his forehead. However, Erik did not fall. In fact, he started laughing.
"You cannot kill me with your petty skills, sister. I have performed the ceremonies and incantations of the Calamites!"
Saraya turned as white as tha moon, then turned to flee. But Lord Erick took out his sword and struck her with the flat of his blade. The force of the blow sent her flying into a nearby tree, leaving her unconsious.
"A pity, sister. I expected more of a fight from our rangers," he said, removing the arrow lodged in his skull. The wound on his forehead instantly healed as if nothing had happened.
"The Queen will apreciate the other present I will give her," commented Erick, chuckling. He removed a bit of jet black powder from a pouch on his belt and threw it into the air, casting a quick spell. The dust ignighted ai a green flame ant the two disappeared from the forest.
King Mikalon wathched the unfolding battle while he waited on his shaman. He noticed that all the Knights fighting that had a green aura about them would only fight those without. So, turning to his shaman, he said, "Can you cast a spell so that all those present in this battle will glow green as some are now?"
"Yes, Milord. The spell is a simple one," he said, surveying the battle. Requesting that the king satep aside, the shaman lit a small stick on fire and threw it ofer the battlefield. After he mumbled a couple words, the stick exploded and all those under it glowed green. Confusion spread over the field as the elves looked about frantically.
"You have been duped by a traitor!" shouted the king. "Your ranks have been greatly resuced by the trick. The trraitor has been taken care of," said the king, hoping just that had happened.
Slowly, the knights resheathed their swords. Smiling, the king continued. "You're commander, Sir Jon, has also been reported as dead. So, you all have a choice. Meet them in the shame of defeat on the other side as you are, or avenge their deaths side by side with me and my men to defend our homelands!"
The king's speech was followed by shouts of anger. However, not a man left had chosen to flee the grounds and agreed to fight for King Mikalon, after confirming that the king's words rang true.
Turning to his shaman with tears in his eyes, he said to him, "Whith loyalties such as these, we may win the day!"
