“Draw your arms brothers! For today is the day we fight, today is the day we remember all who have died to give us this chance. Their sacrifices will not be in vain. We will have victory and through this we will find our salvation in the Lords eyes!” Powerful roars erupted from the crowd of thousands of soldiers. Captain Lutheren, head of the assault, was a strong well put together man, of experience. Aged well into his thirties Lutheren still held the command presence and shear power that his much younger superiors could not hope to upkeep. He wore long blonde hair that reached to his shoulders, neatly kept but still caused the occasional lap in vision. Strongly built with a wide chest, muscular upper torso and legs; he was an intimidating man. Which was needed these days; intimidation was far more useful than charm or persuasion with the moral of the troops so low. Always standing at the front of all his battles Lutheren was distinguishable by the golden coat of arms across his armor, symbolized for his family, ready to lead his men even at the cost of his own life. So many times had an officer been shot down by a wayward arrow or a deliberate, and unlawful, premature attack. Lutheren still stood fast, and today, this battle would be his dawning glory, his rise to the annals of modern history.
It had come down to this. Sepulars pass a wide field in the middle of a valley between two large peaks apart of the Scultuplas mountain range was where Lutheren now found himself. Many battles had been fought and thousands of lives both military and civilian had been lost to reach this point, critical as it was. Only seventy miles from the kingdom of Theranol’s capital Neuandral and a strategic chokepoint between the northern Olindar invested lands of the Tuladune plains and the human kingdoms. The Olindar, disgusting and evil creatures, were nothing more than a disease, a blight upon the entire world. None knew where they had come from as well, none cared to find out, they simply came, destroyed and burned everything they found, and thus the wars came to pass against these Olindar the damned. No mercy would be spared here at Sepulars pass and none would be given, all Olindar had to die just as the Olindar insist all of Humanity had to die. Lutheren looked over his shoulder, he could see in the distance thousands upon thousands of Olindarie soldiers marching towards he and his men. They were singing chants in their black tongue and drumming war rhythms.
“Tulka nu son to fultu con ku ka son to fu!”
“Sunka wrata son to fultu con ku ka son to fu!”
Lutheren’s brow twitched with rage, they were taunting them. From what the Sages of the Mystic Order had translated the Olindar spoke:
“Come to us man, be damned”
“Die with us man, be damned”
It was well known that the Olindar would sacrifice one of themselves if it meant they could kill two men. They taunted all of the soldiers to come and die foolishly and the Olindar would sacrifice everything to do so. Lutheren became infuriated and could barely contain his outward rage; quickly he turned back to his troops and channeled his anger into motivation.
“Turn your eyes northward men and gaze upon that which is your enemy! Here they come, ready to war, ready to die to kill us all. They are fools! They no not the power of man they no not our will and our courage. These beasts, these Olindar, shall die here today. Their corpses will litter this valley and we will wash our faces in their blood!” Lutheren paused for a reaction and their reaction was grand, ten thousand men roared and chanted ready to die for their homes, their land, and their families, it was a glorious sight to behold. Lutheren smiled and spoke once more.
“You are all the bravest men I have ever had the pleasure of serving over! No serving with! We are all brothers here today and although many of us will be condemned to this valley all of the beasts will be slaughtered here, our Lord shall send their evil into the abyss where they truly belong! The Lord shows no mercy for these beasts and neither shall we! Fight on my brothers fight on! We will persevere and rise on top anew! Today is our finest hour and we will revel in it. Warriors, Crusaders, Sage, and Woodlands stand strong for united we cannot fail!” A strong breeze kicked in and blew through the valley blowing Lutheren’s cape and hair with it, all the men roared again greater than before, they were ready, they were ready to fight.
