Chapter 11: Retreat

The land has become deep rolling hills that will give the Allies a better chance at stealth until the last possible moment. The dragons, which are well ahead of the troops, seek out enemy patrols and demon dragons so their position will not yet be given away.

By the time they reach the enemy force it is dark, and the enemy is bedded down for the night. There are two demon dragons amongst them, but they seem to be sleeping. The Alliance Forces of Light lead their horses around by the reins, and position themselves to hit the enemy from two sides. Through hand signals by the light of the moon does the forces know to mount their steeds.

It is the same for the charge. By now the thundering sound of the Allies' horses can be clearly made out through the chill air. Just as the two demon dragons are lifting off the ground, the Dragons of Light hit them full force, knocking them back out of the sky. Their fighting silences all other noises. The chaos it creates is the perfect distraction, for when the Allies hit the enemy lines most of them aren't even looking at them.

The initial slaughter is horrific. Not a single one of them has the chance to mount their horses, until finally a group of the dragonmen comes out of their tents and start organizing their forces.

Allan watches one lift his staff towards the blackened sky and lets loose with a powerful bolt of energy. Allan hears one of his dragons scream out. He thinks it is Kaleidoscope. By this time Allan has his bow in his hand, and lets loose with an arrow that sticks in the side of the head of the sorcerer dragonman. It is good to know that they can at least die like everyone else.

The pitched battles, which can only be seen through the bonfires, the bolts of power from the dragonmen and the moon, have been going on for hours now, and everyone, both man and creature, is exhausted, but Allan knows they will never get another chance like this one.

Allan presses and urges their forces on beyond endurance, until at last the sun starts to show itself on the horizon. Allan orders a full retreat.

It is a slaughter. It is true that the Forces of Light lose easily one thousand troops, but the enemy is now less ten thousand for sure.

"The ten to one kill ratio is decent, but the only reason we were able to reach such heights is because of the surprise of the attack. Rest assured the enemy will not be caught napping again."

Now that the dark forces know their enemy has enough dragons to be effective, they will start massing theirs. The enemy soldiers aren't the only things that are attacked. The Allies hit their supplies and their ability to move them. It won't stop them, but it will definitely slow them up. Probably making their time of arrival the same as the main force. You have to take the good with the bad, and you have to know how to make both assets.

The Allies ride double-time back to their main camp. They lose another couple handfuls of men to their wounds on the way back. By the time they reach their camp the enemy is only four days away. Not only that, but the camp has been attacked by several demon dragons. Casualties are low, but most of the tents and piles of supplies are now ash.

Allan finds Emma standing on a hilltop overseeing the camp. As Allan rides up to her the sun is just going down behind her, and she glows with a brilliant radiance that gives courage to the embattled troops, and it reminds them what they are really fighting for.

Allan gets down off his horse and hugs Emma, "How are you, my wife?"

"I'm fine, my husband."

"And your family?"

"They are fine also. How did things go?"

"Is there something wrong, my beloved?"

"Oh, Allan, I thought I was going to die. I thought I would never get to see you again. I was standing on this hill when the demon dragons attacked, and one dove right at me. I was so afraid. I dove to the ground. I looked up and saw the dragon spewing fire at me, and just before it hit me I became surrounded in a red crystalline structure. It was like I was standing inside a ruby looking out. A red beam of energy went back up to the dragon and killed him. He fell over there." she says pointing. "Do you see him?" asks Emma, reliving the terrifying moment again.

Allan hugs Emma close until she stops shaking. "I see it, my beloved. It was the ruby that Stephen gave you. It is the Sacred Ruby of Balance, and it has magical properties. Don't rely on it for most other combat, but it should protect you from dark magic and things out of balance."

"Really? What a wonderful gift Stephen gave me."

"And priceless, too, so watch it close."

Emma looks down and grasps the ruby that is now hanging as a necklace. "Marvelous. So how did we do?" she asks, as she looks back up at Allan.

"Not bad. We had a ten to one kill ratio or so, but we lost some good men."

"Go see to your men, husband. I will be down in a second to help with the wounded."

Allan looks at Emma curiously, but doesn't say anything. As Allan is riding off he looks back and he sees Emma watching the sunset. It is the most spectacular vision he has ever seen. As the sun drops and the angle of sunrays and shadows play across Emma's delicate face, each new version of her is prettier than the last. Plus the outline of Emma standing on the hilltop with a mild breeze blowing her brown peasant dress about renews Allan's heart and lifts the darkness of battle from his spirit.

Come to find out it was Kaleidoscope who was hit by the dragon sorcerer. "She has an ugly wound and can barely fly, but with her magic she will heal soon enough."

After doing the numbers, it doesn't take Allan and the other commanders long, to realize that they will not be able to stop the enemy at this time. Allan orders a full retreat all the way back to the coastline. He hopes by that time the rest of the dragons, elves and minotaurs will have reached this continent.

"Break camp. Get everything we can take. Anything we cannot take we will destroy so the enemy will not use it against us."

Rax sets to organizing the withdrawal, while Allan goes and gets a few minutes sleep. Minotaurs are truly hardy folk.

Emma is mounted at Allan's side. They ride up and down the camp making sure everybody is getting ready to move out. They figure by the time the last of their force pulls out, the enemy will only be a day or two behind them.

Emma and Allan spend their time helping families pack up their hopes and dreams. The people come to look upon them as family, and all soon fall in love with Emma. You learn much about people as they are forced to leave their homes because of pending doom.

Every minute Allan spends among these gentle and good people, the more he is willing to fight and die for them if necessary. Everywhere his eyes look he sees hope. With every instance he sees of people helping other people, and seeing the strength of a family unit, the more his mind wanders to the future for Emma and he.

"A cottage with an ocean view out our front door. Off in the far distance is rising the grandeur of majestic mountains, and everywhere I look, fields of beautiful flowers. Maybe we'll have a little garden out back and a safe wondrous place for our children to play. You know, I've never even seen an ocean." Emma says the last as if she isn't sure she ever will.

"You know, babygirl, that sounds almost just like our home in Scotland. The only thing really different about what you described is that most of the flowers only come around twice a year."

"We have a home in Scotland?"

"Yes, it sets in the region dominated by the Clan Crag and our family Clans. It is home to the Rock Clan, and the birth place of the Secret Society."

"What is this secret society I have heard mention of several times now?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, only if you are being asked to join into it do you learn any specific knowledge of it. The only reason we mention that it exists at all, is because it keeps people guessing and on their toes, especially royalty and other world leaders."

Emma thinks about it for a moment and seemingly lets it go, "Can mom and dad come live with us at our home in Scotland?"

"Of course. The winters can be rather harsh there, so maybe we will spend winters at your village."

"Do you think the village still stands?"

"Well, it is overrun for sure, by now, but all things can be rebuilt."

"I would like to see it again."

"Oh, and Emma."

"Hmm."

"If your combat skills and mental awareness reach the potential that I believe they can, one day you might just be asked to join the secret society."

She looks up at Allan from atop her new brown mare and smiles. She nods her head as if all things are progressing as is meant to, and then they set about helping the people get ready to retreat to the far northern coastline.

Allan is lifting a heavy trunk into the back of a wagon that belongs to an old woman, who is now taking care of her eight year old twin granddaughters. The father has died in the attack Allan led against the western enemy forces, and the mother is either dead, gone to the other side, or hopefully just lost amongst the masses of other refugees.