MysidiaDrakkenbane

The bandits kept coming and it didn’t look like they would be letting up any time soon. The leader, the brother of the one Mysidia killed, kept calling for reinforcements, and like magic, they kept showing up. How long could ONE Warden hold out for? It seemed she had the stamina of a warrior running through her blood. Oh…if they only knew the truth..

But truth be told, nearly an hour into the fighting, the beads of exhaustion started to form on Mysidia’s brow, and she began to feel herself grow dizzy with it. Between the heat, the spell casting, swinging her one handed blade, and defending with a large round shield, it was apparent that five hundred years of sleeping did nothing to keep her in shape.

One of the men got a lucky shot and slashed at her thigh, she cried out, dropping to her knees. Saying a quick healing spell, she began to feel her skin stitch itself so that she could continue on her fighting for survival. Sparks flew as she used her blade to block an oncoming blow from one of the larger men.

She yelled as she pushed back and the leader was actually surprised as the tenacity and ferocity the Warden fought with. There was just no giving up with her.

There were three men standing around her, including the leader, and Mysidia could see more coming in the distance. Austforbeer and James were no where to be found. They were knee deep in getting the wounded to safety.

Mysidia began to see the severity of her situation. She didn’t think she could hold out for much longer. Her eyes scanned the crowd for someone to help her and the tears of desperation clung to her eyes.

It was the same situation all over again…

In the thick of summer, nearly 500 years before, the Rydian army had pushed back the Iksar all the way to the mountain ridge. The final battle would determine the outcome for the Empire, one way or the other.

Each side had rounded up as many as they could find. For the Rydians, their numbers had suffered greatly between the invasion years prior and the war itself. Mysidia had rounded up elves, humans, and barbarians to help her. She was pooling in all of her resources just to keep afloat and they appeared to be working.

The dust clung to the humidity nearly choking out the sunlight. The stench of sweat and stagnant earth filled the nostrils of the men and women willing to die for the Rydian cause. Sweat poured down the face and neck of Mysidia as she trotted her horse, Thaeja, through the lines of troops.

Her speech was unforgettable, yet no one wrote it down for posterity. And the fighting began as it always did and continued well into the evening hours. Bodies of the injured came pouring in and the Healing Team Mysidia set up was working over time to keep the warriors upright. When Team A was exhausted, she switched out with Team B and kept it going. There was constant buffing and healing going on from the support teams she had set up.

The Rydians were winning and the Iksar were ready to retreat into the caves they once came from hundreds of years ago. The morale of the Rydian army was high and the whoops and hollers of the fighters could be heard dotting over the sounds of the Iksar screams and the metal clanging. Lightening bolts shot from the wizards fingers. Roots sprang up from the ground to hold the Iksars in place. Wolves, bears, and tigers swarmed from the Shaman, Druids, and Beastlords and arrows danced their silent song across the sky. It was an impressive sight.

Mysidia sat proud on her horse and witnessed the glory of her kingdom. Kryimsson rode up on a large grey charger and sat close to Mysidia. He too had a very large proud grin on his face.

“We are making history today, brother.”, Mysidia said. “Soon, our dream, our home, will officially be ours once again.”

“The Tribunal is pleased to see justice done.”, Kryimsson said nodding.

“Tunare is overjoyed, I’m sure.”, Mysidia said.

“Coming down to join in on the fun? I hear the Iksar are down to their last 3 commanders.”, Kryimsson said grinning.

“In a bit. I was going to ride down to see if Mardock’s team needed anything.”, Mysidia said.

Out of the corner of her eye, she looked up towards the horizon and saw what only could have been a mass black cloud of evil. Her face blanched as she saw the gathering oozing over the plains below her vantage point.

“Gods…what the hell is that?”, Kryimsson asked looking at the moving mob of blackness.

“I’m…not sure…”, Mysidia said as she tried to peer closer. For a moment, the mass moved as though it were compiled of separate entities, but for the majority of it, it moved slowly and fluidly as though it were made of black ooze. Once the land was touched by the blackness, it was no longer seen since the mass had stretched back that far.

Machene thundered up the mountain pass to get to Mysidia. His armor was blood stained and his horse panted under the summer heat. He wiped his brow with the back of his gauntleted hand.

“Orc! Thousands of them! We must pull back, Mysidia. We can’t fight the Iksar and Orc together. We need to pull back and regroup.”, Machene said.

“Orcs? Here??”, Mysidia said confused and shocked. “What are they thinking…?”

Mysidia sat on her horse and her eyes darted around on the ground as though she was thinking quickly, and she was. She looked up sharply at Kryimsson and Machene.

“Kryimsson, gather as many men as you can spare and form new ranks on the right flank. Machene, ride hard to Xerbius’ troops and have him meet me behind the new ranks. I will ride to the rangers and have them replace the wizards at a further distance so they can still hold the left flank. The two of you will meet me there. GO!”, she said and snapped her horse into a hard charge down the mountain.

There was no way in the nine levels of hell she would pull back, not when she had come so far..since THEY had come so far. She waited her entire life for this moment. Her people waited longer. She couldn’t give up now. All those lives would have been lost in vain.

She thundered down behind her troops and rode Thaeja hard towards the rangers. She almost reached them when Thaeja reared up, throwing her from the saddle. She got up and was about to mount when she saw what caused Thaeja to rear.

A thick band of orcs came charging towards her, weapons at the ready. Before Mysidia knew it, she was surrounded and fighting for her life. This was different than all the times she had charged into battle. Her back was against the wall, proverbially speaking, and she had no one around her to help her. Everyone was starting to get confused with the Orcs being around. At least the good news was, the orcs didn’t discriminate against the Iksar, either.

“Your age is over, Rydian. Throw down your weapons and die mercifully.”, the orc sneered at her.

“I will do no such thing. I will die fighting for what is rightfully mine!”, Mysidia screamed as she began to carve her way into the orc hoard. Sweat beaded off the dirty blonde strands that hung in her face. Tears came down her cheeks as she knew deep within her heart that today was the day she would greet Tunare in the afterlife.

Machene had made his way to Xerbius and had delivered the message. He was riding back when he caught a glimpse of Mysidia surrounded. She was no longer holding her own and was in grave danger in losing her life.

A scream tore from Machene’s lips as he charged his horse into the hoard around her. But it was no use, the numbers were far too thick and he could only watch pitifully as Mysidia was overrun. A large orc kicked Mysidia down and his hammer met the side of her head. Mysidia lay limp and motionless.

And as quick as it happened, it was over. “The queen is dead, long live the queen!”, an orc mocked. The rest of the details were inconsequential, not that Machene remembered much after that anyway.

The stories that were passed down stated that the Rydian army was run through and everyone had scattered to the four winds for their own survival. What wasn’t spoken of was the Beastlord named Belle Darkfury that scooped the barely breathing Mysidia and took her to safety to nurse her back to health.

And it seemed the cycle was about to repeat itself and Death came back to claim the life that was cheated from him 500 years ago.

Mysidia had a blade at her throat and she was using all of her strength to try and push the blade back, but the leader of the bandits was much stronger than her and it was taking all her strength just to keep herself alive. She had closed her eyes, waiting the fate that she knew was coming. She said a prayer in her native tongue.

What she thought was going to happen, didn’t. She heard a muffled cry from one of the bandits and both leader and she turned their attentions towards one of the other men in the bandit group. A very large barbarian slashed the human across the back of his knee and used his boot to stomp down the human in front of him. Using the human as a stepping stone, literally, the barbarian walked over the bleeding body and with a quick twist of his ankle, the barbarian snapped the human’s neck in half.

“Ah, no need to be prayin’ to Tunare now, Siddie. I dunna think she would be too ‘appy with ye tossin’ around frivolous prayers.”, Kryimsson said and grinned.

“Kryimsson!!”, Mysidia cried out and her heart filled with extreme joy. Her insides wanted to burst out with the elation she felt. Kryimsson took one swipe and cut one of the bandits in half. Then he pointed to the leader of the bandits and pointed to the blade that was at Mysidia’s throat. He moved his hand casually in a “shooing” manner to get the leader to back off.

The bandits had their hands full with the Warden. They knew full well that with a properly armored warrior, there was just no beating the two of them. They all dropped their weapons and ran off towards the hills.

Mysidia bolted and flew right into Kryimsson giving him a huge hug. Tears of happiness fell off her face as she sobbed. She held on to Kryimsson as though her life depended on it and just sobbed like a broken hearted child.

“Siddie, it’s alright. Calm down now.”, Kryimsson said in a soothing tone. He knelt down to look into Mysidia’s tear filled eyes.

“I..I thought you were dead…”, Mysidia said confused. “I…I saw your grave… I saw it! I did.”, she said between sobs.

“What ye saw was a headstone with me name on it. I have been to strange places, Siddie. Places most don’t know about. The Tribunal sent me on a pilgrimage for me to pay for past sins. When’a come back, the place had changed. I figured everyone else started over, why not me? They buried some other man in me place. New world, new life.”, Kryimsson said giving a brief explanation.

“Come on. Less’ get ye out of th’ heat. Yer face is beat red.”, Kryimsson said. Mysidia jumped into his arms again and he carried off towards the hill of the wounded.

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