“Now…to business,” replied General Dukker. “The druids have reformed their order once again and are even now working with the allied races to defeat us. However, they are still holding a grudge against the guardians, so we do not need to worry about them for the time being. I will do my best to fuel the discontent between those powerful groups. Meanwhile, together we will launch an attack that will not be suspected by our enemies. First, Lieutenant, tell me who it is we are facing on this southern end of Landen.”
“General, the elven army is stationed along the southern cliff and the place they call South Gate. The army of Aran is guarding the western cliff as well as the eastern shores of Lake Lachlan. The giant army is defending the northern cliff along with the North Gate.”
“Lieutenant, where is the army of Landen at? They are the ones that I am most concerned with because of their vast cavalry.”
“Mistress Kana’s messengers brought us word right before you called for this meeting. They tell us that there are nearly one hundred and fifty thousand horse riders gathered together in the heart of the country.”
“Excellent. Now we can make our plan of attack. Let me share with you what I have learned in my travels. I have also learned that the guardians have been rather busy while we were camped here preparing for our attack. They have flooded the Nairi Canyons, which killed several of our fellow high elves. Queen Kishi was not there when it happened because she was with General Jaali in the north preparing to attack the giant army.”
Shouts of joy and elation filled the air when they heard news that their queen had survived the treacherous attack by the guardians. This assault cast out any doubt in the high elves’ minds that the guardians would not take sides in this conflict. They were concerned that this might bode poorly for them if they did not have a better way to counteract the powerful beings than to cause discord between them and the druids. Dukker could sense their concern that he secretly shared. We may have numbers and strength on our side, but they have six of the seven Elementals on their side. If the guardian gets involved personally, we are doomed.
“I share your sense of elation at the news that our queen lives and is fighting alongside our brethren in the north. However, there is more good news. The fabled giant wolves have joined the battle on our side. They will be joining with the high elves and orcs this evening. They will act as their steeds as they attack North and South Gate before the sun rises tomorrow. Now, I have procured for us some unusual beasts that will act as our steeds. You all know that my steed is the last giant spider in all of Tuwa, but he has been busy, ” said the general darkly. A large group of spiders the size of horses came into the firelight. Dukker’s beast towered over them being twice their size, which meant that these were his children.
“We could use these beasts to scale the cliffs!” shouted Lieutenant Linfilian.
“Astute as ever you are, Linfilian. We will use these creatures to scale the cliffs and to lay traps for our former brethren. Also, we will attack from the air,” continued the general as several large griffins dropped from the sky and landed with a thunderous thud! They were as long as a horse and as tall as the spiders. However, it was clear that they were still quite young. There were only six of the fearsome beasts, which meant that the commanders and the lieutenant would be riding them.
“Commanders, you will ride these beasts into battle so that you can better see the battlefield. They are still wild, so you will need to control them with magic until they are used to you. These beasts will be difficult to bend to your will, however, once you have their trust they will be willing to fight for you. The griffins do not have any armor, so make sure you stay out of missile range at all times. Since we only have a limited number, please do not take risks when riding them.”
They discussed exactly what they would do and when they would do it. After they had determined the best course of action, the commanders and the lieutenant learned how to work with the griffins. Then the entire high elven army was called together to hear what the plan of attack was. While they were listening to the arrangements for several different contingencies, Mistress Kana arrived on an unbelievably huge black dragon. She landed with a resounding thud! She stood on top of the dragon’s back and raised her arms into the air to get their attention.
“My dear friends, I have come to wish you luck as we begin the cleansing of Tuwa tomorrow,” said Kana boldly. Her dragon reared its head back dramatically and sent a blue mist shooting out of its enormous maw. As the mist settled on each high elf, their skin became dark, and hardened in a way that would afford them protection from many magical attacks. A collective gasp was heard as the high elves examined themselves. The air around the army had a dull glow in it. They had been given a very special kind of protection from the dragon’s breath. In fact, their skin now possessed similar protections that the giants had.
“We are ready to begin our campaign on the morrow,” said General Dukker with a bow. He really did not care for this guardian at all, but he knew that he had chosen the winning side in this battle.
“Now you are truly the most fearsome fighting force in Tuwa!” shouted Kana. “Now, I will be attacking the western cliffs at the same time that you are attacking the southern end. Also, I have already met with your queen and bestowed upon her and your brethren the same gift I have given you. They too will be attacking at the same exact time in the north. I have some other troops attacking from the east over the lake, so in a few hours the country of Landen will be under siege on all four sides!”
Cheers rang through the air as Kana and her black dragon took off once more and headed west. It was clear that she had already stopped at the orc encampment because they could hear their chants of praise as she flew over them. The high elves looked at one another in awe of their new appearance. They could all feel the foreign magic coursing through their veins as they continued to examine themselves. There appeared to be several alterations that were not visible on the outside. General Dukker took advantage of this opportunity to go to his commanders and lieutenant. He needed to explain to them what just took place. It would be easier to tell them so that they could pass along the information to the rest of the troops.
“I need to explain to you what our mistress has done to us. She has not only changed our complexion, but she has used a powerful bit of magic to give our darkened skin magical protection. Another benefit from this gift is that we will now be able to command the spiders and griffins with our thoughts.”
“Those are some truly amazing gifts!” exclaimed the lieutenant.
“I need to explain the difference between the communications you have with your griffin as opposed to the spiders your comrades will be riding. These magnificent creatures are very independent, so you must be resolute in your commands or they will not obey you. Do not give them any reason to distrust you because it would be the last thing you ever did,” explained the general in a darkly significant tone. “I will teach you command spells that you will need to know in order to control these beasts. You can communicate through your mental link, but the orders you give must be clear and concise.”
“This means that we can read their thoughts and that they can read ours?” asked one of the commanders.
“Correct. With the spiders, your troops merely need to speak mentally to them as though they were speaking aloud,” continued Dukker. “Now, I must warn you about one of the dangers of riding a griffin, and that is if you are shot while in air; then you will likely fall to your death. You are the pride of our army, so be careful on the morrow. Try your best to survey the battle from a distance. You too can communicate with the spiders, so you will be able to give your commands from the air to your captains below on the ground through their steeds.”