“My long-sword crashed into the dark-gray carapace of the massive kipucka, barely leaving a dent in it. Those beasts armor was damn hard.
Next to me, the royal scepter-sword of His Highness King Yrkanis came down in a blur and didn't do much more damage either, but that didn't matter.
The Matis' forces were spurred on by the presence of their king.
Who, among them, side by side and back to back, fought against the invaders and showed as little mercy to the enemy as any of them.
Resplendent, wrapped in his heavy, leaf-green and earth-brown, intricately lacquered armor, King Yrkanis ran at the front of his army of loyal Guilds, towards the enemy.
Only a short time before he had praised the Matis for their efforts and perseverance during the camp construction and had given words of encouragement.
For only half of the camps had been completed. Terrible explosions had shaken three of the six construction sites and destroyed all efforts that had taken place up until then. There were rumors of sabotage by Kamists, the Marauders, or even the Black Circle, and perhaps a failed experiment was also to blame for the still smoldering fires. Nobody knew.
And for the time being nobody would be able to find out anyway.
All ways to the construction sites were overrun by Kitin, thirsting for Homin blood.
Angry and frustrated by their own fear and inability to get past the invading army, the Matis Guilds and those who affiliated with them had responded to the king's call.
They came to listen to his speech. As he stood in the center of the royal pavilion, near Yrkanis City-Gates, his words were not those of a defeated monarch.
No, they kindled the tired spirit, directed our anger, turned our wrath towards those who held us captive in our own cities and united those present under his glorious leadership.
Against the true enemy, the Kitin.
His fiery speech was surpassed only by his call to follow him then and there.
To battle.
At first we were surprised, thinking he was speaking figuratively.
But soon we had to run to catch up with our king as we followed him out of the city and towards the enemy.
Soon we encountered the first small groups of the Kitin vanguard and dispatched them.
It almost seemed too easy.
And it was.
As soon I would face horror of a magnitude I had never seen.
A small cadre of homins supported the king's three Royal-Guards in their efforts to protect him. I was among them. No greater honor was given to me on that day, as to fight side by side with my liege against the terrible enemy.
Our respect for the king grew with every blow he dealt and with every drop of sweat that ran down his forehead.
Of course I knew that he had once, at a young age, fought against the Fyros and his traitorous uncle Jinovitch, the murderer of his father. But still, I was deeply impressed by his skill and endurance in close combat with the beasts.
Momentarily distracted by his formidable form I dropped my guard and a huge claw came hurtling towards my head. Yrkanis gave a shout and stepped into its path. Diverting the the terrible blow that surely would have sent me to the muddy ground. Then thrusting forward several times, into the body of the great Kincher that had come so dangerously close, he disposed of the creature.
The huge insect crumbled as the King withdrew his impressive weapon from its dead carcass.
The great royal scepter-sword was certainly not easy to wield.
For it was almost as tall as the king himself. Its two long blades constantly emitting streams of green poison. Where they pierced through the beasts carapace, they drank the blood of the monsters and converted it into streams of ever new deadly liquid. Which eventually forced the insects they had wounded to their knees, even if their wounds were only superficial. Enhanced by Karavan technology it was a truly unique weapon. A sign of the Goddess Jena's favor on the house of Yrkanis.
He swung the blades high above his head and let them whirl around as if the weapon weighed no more than a feather. In turning towards his next enemy he nodded at me. His face stern and admonishing upon my mistake, but nevertheless with respect.
The respect of one warrior for another. I felt the rush of blood to my face as I blushed fiercely beneath my helmet. I barely managed to nod back, but he had already engaged another beast in front of him, fighting at the side of a Fyros warrior. I too turned towards my next foe, for there were always more of them.
More than once during the hours of the fight, a skillful, swift action by the King saved my life or that of others fighting beside him. And just as often, every Homin who stood with him could return the favor. So numerous were the monsters that rushed at us. Again and again we covered each other's backs, or beat back claws and mandibles that came too close to the vulnerable flesh of another Homin.
At the same time a veritable magical storm raged around us.
Homins unleashing the powers of the Sap within them.
Their graceful movements almost out of place in the midst of so much horror and death. But these intricate dances the Magi performed spelled either salvation to an injured friend or damnation to our opponents.
Magical energies filled the air with the pungent, mixed smells of charged Sap, burnt flesh and the viscous blood of dying Kitin.
Ducking, jumping and spinning, these Homins spread death and life around them in equal measure.
Raging fire burned the insects to ashen husks.
Ice froze their movements and pierced their flesh.
Shock-waves burst their carapace and made them crumble like paper crushed between hands.
Poison spilled onto their bodies, making them sizzle and jerk in their death throes.
Magic sent them fleeing in terror to give a moments respite to an exhausted warrior or slowed down their frantic movements, so a sword could find its target more easily. Some beasts fell asleep, right in front of the pikes of Homins, only to be butchered mercilessly.
Again and again the battle cry of the Matis could be heard:
"Jena Aiye! Yrkanis Aiye! Maita Aiye!" - “Blessed be Jena! Blessed be Yrkanis! Blessed be Matia!”
Finally we reached the newly established Royal Observation-Camp of this region, which was located in one of the gorges of the so called “Torbak Hills”.
From the tops of these hills A Homin has a good view over the plains below. To the south, the view reaches as far as the Kitin-Hive know as the “Tunnel of Woe” and to the north one could spot the high cliffs of “Hidden Source”. To the east, a man or woman could gaze out across the misty lowlands of the “Grove of Confusion” and to the west, the “Knoll of Dissent”. A well chosen place and an excellently fortified position.
But what we beheld on that day nearly made the blood freeze in our veins.
The plains and lower hills were crawling with the pale bodies of the monstrous insects from the darkest depths of the Prime Roots. Between them, almost lost in the crowd, roamed normal-colored representatives of their species. Which were just as eager to kill everything that came in front of their jaws and claws.
From the Hive in the distance they poured onto the plain, like an unholy, chattering liquid-like mass of spoiled molasses. All other animals of these parts of the Verdant Heights were either dead or deep in hiding. Nothing alive moved, except the monstrous invaders and us.
Everywhere we turned there were Kitin. Their numbers uncountable.
Many a Homin was close to despair in view of their sheer superiority.
But King Yrkanis once again raised his voice and encouraged his subjects to endure.
Calling upon them not to give up and to fight for their freedom, their lives and that of their descendants. For everything they held dear and to show Atys that Matis never give up!
His words and courage in the face of such an overwhelming force, gave many of us new will to fight and after a short rest to regain our strength, we once again marched out.
To decimate the number of beasts until none where left to stain Matia's bark.
Two armies clashed in violent battle.
Their only mutual aim, the destruction of the other.
The huge army of Homins almost a laughable force against the masses over masses of Kitin.
But the Homins had the advantage of their magic and tactics.
Keeping close together, so that the healing Magics of the Magi could reach us all, we slowly made our way forward. As soon as a wound opened up, healing magic closed it and let the fighter regain strength to strike down his enemy. Light blue orbs of energy flickered in high arcs above the Homins' heads, bursting on one of them and spilling healing magic all around. Others formed the healing Sap into great, glowing, blue blobs that splashed from Homin to Homin, reviving spirit an flesh.
At the same time the War-Spells again thundered through the insect ranks.
Snarling and roaring, almost like the monsters they killed.
Leaving only death and destruction behind.
In all this chaos, Yrkanis fought at the side of his subjects.
He nodded briefly and gratefully when he realized that the sword or shield of a Homin had saved him from pain or worse. But he never paused or gave any sign of weakness in the face of such straining, prolonged combat.
Eventually we reached the edge of the forest and returned to the lowlands of the “Majestic Garden”. Narrow terrain, a natural bottleneck, into which the Kitin seemingly did not yet dare to enter in force, despite their large numbers.
But this day would come soon. We were sure of that. If we could not defend this last, natural border, use the terrain to our advantage and if we could not push back the enemy, we could at least stop the monsters here. Or die trying.
As we fought to prevent the Swarm to push into our heartlands, we heard reports of massive Kitin forces gathering to the south, in “Fleeting Garden”.
Thus once again a two-front war would be fought in the Verdant Heights.
To make matters worse, the supply of the camps had to be maintained. The soldiers of the royal army stationed there would not survive for long without supplies. So volunteers were sought to drive supply missions right through the swarms of huge insects.
I will help. I will do this too.
If it means the survival of my people I will carve foodstuff from the bark with my bare hands and I will carry as much as I can to the Royal-Outposts. I'll probably loose some pack-animals and even some mounts but I will help. I will not be stopped by fear, as I was when I was younger.
And I will stand beside my brother and sister Homins, no matter what nation they belong to. Against the Kitin.
For the Homins! Kill the beasts!
The seasons had turned to winter and while the verdant Heights lay dreaming under a blanket of snow, the enemy of old still lurked in out lands and held some of our kingdoms' outer regions in the firm, cruel grip of its claws.
Once again forces of Homins would venture forth to fight the looming threat of the Kitin.
Ranger-Scouts had brought information that was of particular importance.
They had identified where the beasts were they had broken the bark to the surface, where their reinforcements were coming from to penetrate deeper into the regions.
So, the Leaders of the Nations again called their subjects to attack the beasts directly.
This time with the goal to once and for all drive them from their lands.
Two groups were formed in Matia from those who were deemed themselves ready for this dangerous undertaking.
A group of the less experienced magi and fighters, barely a few weeks or month arrived from the refugee camps, led by his Royal Highness himself and his bodyguards, were to cleanse the region of the “Fleeting Garden” of the Kitin.
Another group, consisting of experienced Homins, would penetrate into the heart of the “Grove of Confusion” to destroy the strongest of the monsters.
Given the small number of experienced volunteers and the vast superiority of the Kitin, some expressed doubts about the success of these undertaking, but we had at least to try. Only if there were only about 30 of us, as opposed to the hundreds that had fought at the start of this war.
Many were lost forever to the merciless and relentless attacks of the Kitin. Lost on lone foolish forays, never to be seen again or found slaughtered days after their vanishing. Their pride had been their downfall. That and their impatience.
I admit to being angry at those who refused to heed the call to arms and stayed behind in the city. But many were just too exhausted and too scared to once more stride into battle. I myself had my doubts if I was to lay my fate into the hands of only these few Homins. But my conscience demanded that I gave my best, to protect those I loved and the country I had sworn to protect.
I joined the task-force led by Sorum, the leader of the Guild "Disciples of Jena", who would leave for the dangerous Grove. Many of this guild were with us that day.
Arriving there, our eyes fell on huge masses of pale, chitinous bodies scuttling through the snow and our hearts sank.
But thanks to her tactical skills, Sorum led us to split small groups of the monsters from the main formation and get rid of them.
Our fights were hard and exhausting.
Again and again the Kitin threatened to overrun us but with dogged determination, courage and unfaltering strength, after hours of fighting, we achieved the impossible.
The almost endless hoards of insects thinned out.
All of us fought on doggedly. Chop after chop, spell after spell, there were fewer monsters and though I had taken part in several battles in the last few month could not remember ever having killed so many of them in one day.
How the world has changed since my arrival in the New Lands from Borea.
Back then, I had only just been able to reach the Tower-Bridge Way when the Beasts struck for the first time. I only heard stories about the heroic deeds of the great warriors of that time and imagined how it would be if I myself would be powerful enough to face the Kitin with my sword and my magic without fear. Just like these Homins did.
Over time and with much training I had become stronger and more skilled, but not strong enough to be of any real use. A few times since then the pale Kitin again had emerged from the depths in small forays. Never in a great swarm, but still dangerous enough.
Although I was able venture further out, my powers and skills were still too small to take on the real challenge. To go to war without fear.
Today my magical power was not far from its zenith and my skill with the long-sword was almost masterful.
But still, I was terrified.
At the sight of each group of white, bluish albino insects charging towards me and my companions, my heart almost stopped, only to nearly jump out of my chest moments later.
I had chosen the one handed sword and a heavy shield for combat.
As I thought I would be able to strike with more precision and faster than with the long-sword.
I regretted my decision the instant a huge Kipucka crashed against my shield and I inefficiently poked at it from behind. Heavily armored insects, almost three times my own size, … my weapon seemed like a needle, laughable.
The monsters claws crashed into my shield, and only with the greatest effort was I able to prevent it from ripping it away from my arm. Not to mention my arm from its shoulder-joint.
Then it screeched in pain and shuddered to a dead stop.
I felt the terrible cold of the spell that froze its blood and heard the sickening crunch as the tip of a huge ice crystal pierced the beast from below. I braced myself against the massive body of the huge insect as it collapsed on top of me. I had no idea who had cast this spell, but I thanked Jena for every magus who fought at my side at times like these.
As heavily armored melee fighters our main task was to keep the beasts from reaching the magi. With our axes and swords, we hardly caused any damage to the hard shells of the insects, but our valiant efforts bought time for the Magi. For these beasts were vulnerable to magic.
Some Kitin were more resistant to magic, but these in turn were not as heavily armored.
Groaning I heaved the carcass of the Kipuka off myself. As I straightened up and looked around, something crashed into me from behind and terrible pain shot through my left shoulder.
A flying, dragonfly-like Kipesta had come up behind me unnoticed and had pierced the shoulder joint of my armor with its stinger. As I jerked away from it and it withdrew its weapon we came to face each other. It hovered only a foot or two away from me. Its translucent wings blurring in the clear winter air. The beast was longer than I was tall.
Its gruesome, eyeless head nervously twitched up and down in front of me, almost level with my helmet. As if searching for something.
From its wide open throat emerged squeaky, shrill noises.
The giant dragonfly's writhing, vile purple-ish abdomen whipped forward again to force another stab through my armor. My shield hanging useless on my wounded arm I managed to parry its thrust just in time with my sword. My shoulder was numb and bleeding heavily. Blood flowing down my armor, staining its golden finish. Even Erouk'An wasn't completely impervious.
Suddenly warmth and glowing, energetic bands engulfed my body. Bright sparks almost blinded me but the numbness disappeared from my limbs and new strength coursed through my body.
Once again, I did not know which of my comrades-in-arms was responsible for my rescue.
As soon as my right arm obeyed my will again, I ducked and crashed my shields edge into the disgusting skull from below. Pushing forward, beneath it, I rammed my sword into the insect's long, segmented abdomen. Its body was as broad as my own upper body and as I forced my blade up and forward it cut the beast open lengthwise.
It gave a terrible shriek and crashed to the ground.
But there was no time to take a breather.
Just a few steps away, I spotted a warrior in heavy, black-and-gold Tryker Armor engaged in a desperate struggle with two lumbering, black and white colored Kinrey, both easily triple his size.
Screaming my defiance I ran forward and rained down blows to distract one of the monsters from the tall warrior. I managed to draw it away from him.
Thus our struggle continued unabated.
The battle raged over the entire valley and lasted for hours. We even scoured the pathways of the deep forested, labyrinthine ravines that gave the region its name.
Once in a while, during short breaks in the action, someone who was in contact with the task-force around the King by means of Karavan technology, called out their status.
The young Homins fought excellently and pride filled the hearts of us "old warriors". We who also fought here for the fate of our homeland. We were proud of these young refugees, for they had proven themselves ready to serve their king and risk their own lives for that of their compatriots.
One day, we might fight side by side here or elsewhere on Atys.
Then they would think back on the day they had faced a great challenge for the first time and had achieved victory, in the face insurmountable odds.
Reports also came in from the Lake Lands, the desert and the deep jungles of the Zoraï.
All managed well but in Zoraï, the fighting was heavy and the number of Homins who took up arms low. Their success was uncertain.
Finally we managed to eradicate the last of the monsters. I don't know how long we fought. It felt like days and also, somehow like only minutes had passed. The battles had passed in a blur of motion and magical lights. Everyone giving all that he or she had got, to win the day. To endure once more and to safe the people of the Four Lands from annihilation.
As I later heard, some of us went to Zoraï, to fight at the sages side and save The Witherings too.
Me, I admit to being too tired to be of any service to them.
I went home and slept for a whole day.
Only a few weeks later, reports came in that a vanguard of the pale monstrosities had again been sighted in the lagoons of Aeden Aqueous.
Worried, I closely followed the reports from the Lake-Lands and finally the news came that large numbers of the beasts were indeed invading again.
As quickly as possible, the Royal House mobilized all guilds willing to fight for the allied land and we teleported to the Karavan Shrine in the region of the archipelago known as "Dew Drop".
As we arrived we beheld a gruesome sight.
Protected by the magic of the shrine we could watch without danger, as the undulating coral banks and gentle dunes of the lagoons were filled with a huge number of Kitin.
A nasty advance force as it seemed, an attempt to get near the capital of the Trykers.
Determined, we faced the monsters and immediately began to clear a field around the shrine. The battle had already been raging for many minutes ,when a contingent of Trykers and quite a surprising number of Kamist-Warriors arrived from the desert and jungle. Led by some Rangers, neutral scouts who stayed out of the Homins' conflict of faith and only watched the movements of the hereditary enemy.
The battle was fought with great strength and skill and more than once Homins of both faiths saved each other's lives. The beasts were tough and their carapaces hard. Strangely it were mostly just Kirosta and some few, smallish Kincher that were dispatched with efficient ease.
But just when we thought we had eradicated the attackers, huge Kincher and Kipuka emerged from the lakes nearby. An ambush!
Like a tide of dark, skinny legs and lank bodies they shot from the shallow waters and threw themselves onto our forces.
Where before only one Homin fought an insect at a time, while others held back, now several of us had to stand together to defeat one of the great beasts. In our carelessness we had allowed ourselves to be spread thin across the beaches and many Homins fell to the sands or into the surf. Incapacitated before they were within reach of the healing energies of their allies.
The monsters seemed to know that the healers were essential to the Homin army. They kept throwing themselves on the Magi and our melee fighters could only keep them off with difficulty.
As we fought on, some Homin had managed to slip through the ranks of the Kitin and had found far more than he or she had accounted for.
A massive figure loomed over one of the smaller islands that dotted the region.
A titanic Kibain.
This normally harmless worker drone of the Kitin Hives had grown to unimaginable dimensions and seemed to work the bark with its huge trunk and front claws. Again and again it spat acid onto the ground and dug up the dissolved wood. It was trying to create an opening into the Prime Roots.
We could not allow this and threw ourselves against the army of giant insects.
I was truly grateful for the healing energies of spells that embraced me time and again. That strengthened my tired and injured limbs and gave me the courage to carry on fighting. Knowing that someone always had an eye on me.
Side by side with Homins from desert, jungle and the lake lands I fought my way towards the threat.
When the giant's protectors had finally been eliminated, the magi concentrated all their power on it. Within minutes the beast fell into the water of the lakes with a loud screech and a huge splash.
Our cheers of victory did not last long though.
Others had already discovered three more of these titans right at the center of the Lake Lands. Just as fiercely protected as the first we had encountered, if not even more so.
We had to either split our forces or kill them one after another. A short but fierce debate ensued, but calmer spirits prevailed .And so it was decided to get to them one after the other, so as to be as quick as possible in killing the beasts. We were sure that none of them could finish its task in the time it took to kill the other two.
So we attacked, united against the common enemy.
What a glorious sight!
Homins of all nations, splashing through the cool, blue waters of the lakes. Hurrying towards battle. Hundreds of us. Rushing to meet the alien creatures and prevent them from gaining a foothold in one of the New Lands. Homins who sometimes fought each other bitterly, united and helping each other.
As I heard later, the humongous Kibain had risen out of the waters surrounding Fairhaven, while we were fighting in the “Dew Drops” Region. They had taken up positions in a rough triangle, on narrow, small islands in the middle of the archipelago.
The distraction had almost worked.
The beasts were more cunning than we had anticipated.
The united Army of the New Lands had to fight its way through the swarm's foot soldiers again to get to the huge burrowers.
We applied the same tactics that had led to our victory over the first one.
One by one, these bark-borers also fell victim to the swords and magic of the Homins.
Yet, as the last of them of them struggled to stay upright under the Homins relentless onslaught, four huge Exterminator-Kipuka suddenly burst from the waters surrounding us and rushed into the rear of our army. The Mages and Healers. Our backup was almost wiped out, if not for the quick reactions of a few, who managed to escape into deeper waters and as the monsters attention turned to easier prey, hurried to the aid of their comrades.
Half of the united army of the New Lands gathered at the beach of a smallish island.
While the other half still fought the Titan, we managed to get to the Exterminators by stepping and mostly slipping on a reef just below the waters surface. And just like the titans before, we defeated them one by one. Cutting the others off from supporting our victim by forcing it to one of the smaller islands, while some brave few of us distracted the remaining beasts.
Finally, as the last of the titans fell and the last of the Exterminators died, a huge cry of joy and relive came from the gathered Homins.
The threat to the lake lands had been averted and the enemy had suffered heavy losses.
Exuberantly the Homins fell into each other's arms and until late into the night the Tryker Capital played host to celebrations. We sang, danced and praised each other's courage.
Once again the New Lands were safe.
Now it only remained to be seen for how long.Lylanea Vicciona, Bard of the Four Lands
