The Kingdom of the Emerald Hills

Dreaming:

The apprentice walked cautiously behind the master.

He had quickly learned to never let his guard down. Even around his own.

It was the nature of the world, especially in the absence of light.

His path had become his nurturing mother. Teaching him things he could have never believed. He had found her faith so natural to accept.

'This is where you die today, young one.' whispered the ancient.
'This is where you are reborn, Sutra.'

----------------

The howling roused him from his light sleep. Sutra shifted in the tree canopy, cradled in the nook of a baobab.

He wondered how many of his missives reached the eyes and hearts of those who claimed allegiance to the crown.

Looking to the stars, he managed to tabulate a rough estimate of time.

Time to move.

------------------

Perched high in the sky, the gods this day granted the dark figure merciful cover; thick clouds vieled his journey north.

Reaching a strong river, he kneeled; glad for the break. He had been walking for hours now.

The cold water was a welcome diversion from his nearing task. Splashing the clear water on his dirt stained face, he managed to drown his worries for a moment.

Peering up from his own suspicious reflection, he caught a glimpse of a trotting red fox. No, he focused harder. Not a fox. A coyote.

A red coyote. In the forest?

"Loki seems to have found favor in you Sutra..." spoke a familiar voice.

A wicked smile formed on the squires face.

"And the company of a wise knight..."

Sutra stood and turned on his heel to find him self alone.

Was he still hearing things, he mused.

He couldn't remember the last time he was ever really alone.

The curious yip of the wild beast caught his attention once more. The red canine seemed to patiently perch on a tall mound along the river.

"Follow the red coyote..." spoke the spirited voice.

A childish spark of curiosity drove him to a chase.

Sloshing steps through the running water quickly brought him to the other side of the river. Eagerly leaping at the mound the sanguine colored animal trophied, vines provided a secure handle.

The ground quickly gave way under him.

It was not an oblivious fall he suffered. He was still at the rivers edge. A fall of about four feet unto solid ground assured his survival for a couple moments more.

Laying on his back, Sutra bellowed out a thunderous melody of unchained laughter.

The coyote crept up to the edge of the broken ground, peering down at the amused man. A quick yip and the dog was gone.

Slowly rolling to his left side and propping himself unto his elbows, the sharp sensation of pain struck him oddly.

A broken rib or leg? He wondered.

Sutra sat up and dusted himself off, checking for any broken bones. Nothing out of the ordinary.

His mind settled down for a moment.

Slowly standing, he began to examine the odd structure he had accidently found.

The moss and layers of grassy soil found caked on the odd material seemed rather fresh. Less than a years worth of growth.

He broke off a piece of the underlaying 'earth' and studied the yellow-white porous material.

Bone. Sun dried and aged...bone.

To his amazement, he found an imbedded row of death, two large eye sockets, and a long snout. He had found a skull.

A really, really large skull.

Slowly climbing out of the odd fixture, he stood off to the side and peered over the incline the coyote must have disappeared over. There he noticed similar growth of which made it's home on the skull.

The outline was distinct now.

It was more than a hundred yards long, at least fifty wide, this morbid grave.

The skeletal remains of a flying wyrm.

The remains of a dragon.

It was then that he realized, he was traveling north. As north as the kingdom could go.

To the land of the Finder's Keep.

To the land of no dragons.

S
[con't]

_________________
The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do service for his sovereign, is the jewel of his kingdom. -Sun Wu

The warning bell tolled as the lone figure approached the mighty walls of the keep.

The whining sound of taught bow strings seemed to harmoniously sing.

Wielders of majicks, swords and shields, and the darker crafts prepared for the onslaught.

The dark figure carried an unfurled banner strapped to himself. The tear and eye were unmistakeable.

Alice's forces had come to quash the last remnants of any resistance.

---------------

Two hours before:

Sutra leaned against the stoney guard tower at the top of the south-east wall of the keep.

He studied the horizon. The tree line swayed in unison. The forest knew something. As if it wanted to warn the people of Finder's Keep.

Run.
Hide.
Escape.

The people were not listening. Captains barked orders to small patrols. Bowmen strung their bows. Swords and arrows were checked and rechecked.

Demonstrations of fire balls, produced in the hand of an experience wizard entertained the gathered children.

Soon, the one's too young or old to wield a sword would be placed in the depths of the protective keep. Soon, those able to kill would see one of the greatest battles they would live to tell.

"The people are ready for your inspection my liege." spoke a familiar face.

It was good to see that not all his missives were lost to the sands of time.

He stood at the tallest peak nestled in the high walls.

His eyes studied every capable face in the force any experience veteran would consider a make shift militia at best.

Sutra had always loved overwhelming odds.

This one was going to be such a day.

"I am not going to embolden you with words of heroic nature.
I am not going to promise you that you will be a hero today.
I'm not even going to promise that you will see the sun set.

But what I can promise you is something grander that glory.
Something greater than the empires riches or the adoration of nations.

I can promise you that you will keep your dignity.
You will remind those who wish to raze your lands, kill your sons, who want to enslave you mothers and wives, sisters and daughters, why you are free.
You will remind them of the pain and tribulation you suffered to ensure your right to never submit.

Today, they will know that this is the Duchy of Finder's Keep.

Today, you will keep your freedoms.
Today, they will take their last breaths."

Sutra nodded, and walked off.

----------------------

The keep doors blew open with such tremendous force, that it knocked the men bracing it back a yard or two. Alice's majicks were stronger than anything the keep had seen in ages.

Yet the keen eye of the keep's archers ensured that her sorcerors did not enjoy the fruit of their labor for too long. Arrows found their marks true. Over and over again.

Sutra knocked another arrow and took aim. A warrior fell with his arrow lodged through his neck.

The familiar druid rushed to the door with a great bear behind him. The ursus was a sight to see. Sutra's heart was glad to know that not all of the woodland creatures had given into Alice's corruptive lies.

The dark general slowly strode towards the splintered doors. Clad in bright armor, the dark Anti-Paladin made his presence known to the entire contents of the keep. Their only exit was now cut off.

------------------

One hour before:

Sutra sat with the keeps captains and considered hurried tacticts. Sending out waves would ensure constant pressure on their enemy. Widdling down their numbers was key.

"And what happens if our keep doors are broken down?"

The question was grave, forcing thoughts of a dark wave of enemies pouring into the keep.

"We will mend it as best as possible. If and when it falls, we will exploit the path that leads to the west of the battlefield. It was meant as an escape route for situations like this." confirmed one of the keep engineers.

"Good, then we will let them think that taking the entrance is our doom, then we will surprise them from behind." reiterated the confident monarch.

The silence in the room was thick. War was upon them. It was a good day to fight indeed.

--------------------

The rumbling earth split the ground as a stone golem rose at the destroyed gates frame. The keep fighter's cheered. The Red Knight was true to his word, he provided help in the most dire of moments.

"My liege, there is confusion among the shadows..." shouted a pious voice.

Sutra turned and ducked at the wall to focus on the female monk who spoke to him.

"They don't know when or with whom to go with! They need to be organized!" she pleaded before rushing off to join the fight.

The time for using the escape route had come. Quickly rushing along the wall, Sutra reached the small group of masked faces waiting for a chance to prove their valor.

"You, you, and you! Go!" Sutra quickly organized the masked ones into groups and gave them explicit instructions to be followed at his command.

They nodded eagerly and rushed off to the secret exit.

Sutra caught a glimpse of a dark shadow standing among the rushing crowd of warriors and magicians.

His familiar bow with blood dipped arrow head instantly made him unmistakeable.

It was his knight come to join in the fight.

Sutra squinted as a bright ball of fire lit a stack of dry hay ablaze. He searched for the familiar face but was unsuccessful.

No time.

Rushing back to the gate, the blazing eyes of the dark one froze him in his footsteps. Something dark and sinister, something familiar flowed from the dark anti-paladin.

A forboding sensation of majestic regal emanated from the figure wielding the polearm that had impaled many of his men and women.

Sutra took aim and fired a glowing black tipped arrow expecting it to penetrate the thick hide of metal armor. The arrow struck hard causing the man to reel a step back.

Nothing.

He was protected against projectiles, Sutra realized to his horror. The visage was soon blocked by the motion of moving rocks. The golem had replaced the door with itself.

Good.

Sutra rushed back to the walls, eagerly rejoining the fight.

Today, Alice would now that the Keep was just that.

A keep.

S
[con't]

_________________
The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do service for his sovereign, is the jewel of his kingdom. -Sun Wu

Frostt awoke with a start. The sounds of marching feet and clanging metal startled him from his needed slumber. The soothing smell of his new forest home was quickly being replaced by the pugnent smell of sweat and fear. Crouching low from his perch nestled high within the trees of the forest, he quickly surveyed the open fields before him. An army was quickly approaching the keep. The last stand was about to begin.

Confusion began to set in for the half-demon. While he had no allegiance to either side and would fight for whoever paid the most, he had in fact pledged his allegiance to his older brother, who was nowhere to be found. So the quandry came to what he should do. Should he fight for either of the two sides, and risk angering his brother? Should he fight for both sides and collect spoils from them all? Or should he just sit back within the distance and watch? After a length of time, Frostt decided to sit back and watch. At the very least he could amuse himself from time to time and see who he could spot within the outlying treelines.

Comfortably he sat upon his perch as the attacking army closed in upon the keep. Projectiles of both arcane and fletched types began to hurl over the walls from both sides. Warriors fell at the walls, and from the walls, and within a matter of moments the doors to the keep were splintered in a fiery blast. Very quickly an imposing figured clad in black and eminating an aura of raw, evil aura advanced upon the open doors where it the figure was quickly met by a stone golem. The half-demon continued to watch to battle with ever growing amusement, until something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Movement within the scattered shadows of the trees close to him. A masked figure, with his bow drawn. Curiously he watched as the figure knocked and arrow and loosed it into a foe from the attacking army.

Frostt watched as the army began to panic, blindly firing off arrows and spells into the trees. Curiousity struck the half-demon, and now he would have his fun. As silent as the night itself, he decended upon the figure kneeling within inches of its back. Immediately he knew this figure was no pawn. He knew that if he played his game too long, he might get a greater suprise than he bargained for. Sneaking back into his cover, Frostt began to play voice games. Changing his position to throw his voice out in different directions. "Why do you hide within these trees? Why are you not perched upon the wall with the rest of the archers?"

The masked figure lowered his bow quickly looking about, yet gave no sense of fear. " Why do you hide within these trees? Why do you not fight at all?" came his reply. "I care not for either side in this battle. I only fight when needed, and right now i am not needed." proclaimed the half-demon. Frostt caught a glimpse of the figures eyes and an overwhelming sense of familiarity came over him. He had seen them before, somewhere else.....

"You seem familiar to me, and yet i cannot place where or why. Rest assured you can continue to do your job without further inturruption, i have had my fun." And with that Frostt vanished, going further from the figure to contemplate this new sense that was washing over him.

_________________
Frostt Bloodstorm
"If you want peace, prepare for War"

The invisible fire erupted from his left arm again.

He stared at the thick gray cover above.

The battle was over. Thick columns of black smoke hid undiscovered horrors waiting to be accounted for in the approaching dusk.

His eyes sluggishly focused on the fluttering banner.

The blue crest and black tower remained hung on the keeps banner pole.

Next to it, the welcoming sight of the red heart crested ankh fluttered just as defiantly.

He smiled.

The shouts of the living and the screams of the dying reverberated throughout the thick stone walls.

The pain racked him again, this time, an odd weightlessness in his right side. Slowly he tucked his chin into his chest and noticed protruding bone and sinew planted in an obscene wound.

"The spear broke two ribs and ripped enough meat out of ya to make a good stew..." muttered the hurried keep healer. Her job was no where done and time was not on her side.

Her hands felt warm on his gaping wound, her mouth began to form the words of the incantation. Quickly, the welcoming warmth become a painful searing.

He didn't remember the last time a battle medic had to make a rushed heal. The slow kind were always much more pleasing.

Slowly, Sutra peered passed the pretty girls face and formed the outlines of familiar shapes.

Those closest to him, loyal to the crown stood over him. Watching and waiting.

"Did we win?" asked the freshly awakened monarch.

They eagerly nodded, saluting each other in the reminder that they indeed lived to fight another day.

"And what of her..." a flash of engulfing darkness and a pair of stark white eyes peered into his thoughts. "...general?"

"It was his spear that felled you my liege." voiced an anxious bystander. Their voice seemed to be laced with something unfamiliar to him.

Something that felt like anger. Confusion. Distrust.

"Aye," interjected a second voice. "when you suffered the wound, you managed to fire a volley of arrows..." the familiar face gazed at the others with a hint of discomfort before continuing. "at their warriors....and ours."

"What!? Nonsense! I don't remember any of that! I remember taking out their blasted wizards and feeling a sharp pain, and darkness. And now, here I am, laying prostrate and eager to rejoin the fight!"

The small audience stood motionless. The silence was overwhelming.

Had he turned his bow on his own? Preposterous he convinced himself.

The pain in his right side momentarily subsided. "There, sort of better for now, you'd better get it checked on before you leave the keep." Her pretty smile reminded him of why he wanted to be home again.

"Thank you m'lady." With that, she was gone, attending other's that had some hope of making it till sunrise.

"Ready the men! We march south..." a racking cough emanated from the resting shadow.

"Back to Tanglewood."

The men understood and silently nodded before joining the jilted fray of surviving populace, their orders easily unmistakeable.

The Court of Hearts was not defeated this day. They had a second chance.

A second chance at redemption.

Found only in the royal forest of Tanglewood.

---------------------30 minutes before-------------------

"Come on you cowards! Come and take it!"

The last push was forced back out of the keep walls. The Alician's managed to break the lines, entering the fortification with a small number of bloodthirsters. It was quickly repelled and a new defense was mounted.

The dark shadow hoovered at the door unable to get around the towering mound of living stone.

He brought death to those who veered too close to the gates. He had managed to bring down more than a handful of the keep's best with only a polearm.

This anti-paladin made a feared general indeed. Sutra would consider what his purpose was in this most recent theater of war, but now was not the time.

"Watch the shade at the gates!" barked the excited archer. His arrows struck true over the course of the fight, his mind capturing every kill in the name of the kingdom.

He never noticed his excitement would be his undoing.

He had ignored his own advice.

The polearm had range. It quickly punctured his right side. The dark one twisted the sharp poisoned blade with sadistic glee.

The gapping wound was a reminder that even the crown was not immortal.

The last arrows he released found enemy throats and hearts true.

Even the ribcages and spines of those who had kneeled to him hours before.

Oh the pleasure of gifting death to the heretics, of burning the faithless.

Soon, she would come.

And she would find him wanting.

---------
S
[con't]

_________________
The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do service for his sovereign, is the jewel of his kingdom. -Sun Wu

Eager to get back to the keep I run through the forest of tanglewood

hoping that I am not to late to join the fight.

Reaching the edge of the forest and finding a battle field.

I see People everywhere impaled with spears, shot with arrows and bolts,

men stabbed and cut with knifes and swords of all kind.

Broken swords, shields, polearms, arrows, and people lay everywhere.

Obviously to late to join the fight I run into the city and seek word of

Sutra. Only to here he is going to leave the city to pursue those who

rebel against there home.

_________________
1. Napolean
2. George Patton
3. Robert Edward lee
4. Genghis Khan
Honor the great generals of old