The Orc War: A Summoner Fiction

The Jungle

James sat on his cot, carefully filling his pack, making sure to keep his lighter weapons near the top. He kept the hunting knife on his belt and a pair of quivers on his left hip. He swung his pack over his shoulder feeling it's weight pull him down a little in the soft soil. The last item he reaches for is his bow, the standard oak longbow that he had been given to replace the iron bow he had retired. The bow itself looked fine to any soldier, but Folcan saw the cracks in the bow he had not even fired once. He gave it two maybe three battles before it broke.

James walked back to the command tent where he was meeting with his squad as well as the elves. As he approached the tent he saw a creature he had never seen before. The large beast stood on two powerful legs, leaving it's forelegs to grab as it pleased and it's wings to lay at it's side. The colors of the creature were stunning, going from a deep rich golden color to a dark crimson at the tip of it's feathery fanning tail. The most surprising part was when the elf maiden Katrina emerged from behind it. "What the hell is that?" Still keeping his distance from the strange animal.

"This is Farnix, she is a demon, similar to the phoenix of legend. Except far faster and doesn't breathe fire." She said, attaching a saddlebag to it's side, "He's kind are quite rare."

Folcan approached the demon. Hand outstretched to touch the feathery head of the bird like creature. It snapped at his hand.

"Farnix!"Katrina scolded the beast, and it reacted. The demon was an intelligent creature. "You don't bite people, only orcs." She smirked, and the demon squawked, with apparent joy. She stroked it's head between the eyes.

"You know that she will stick out like a sore thumb in the jungle, right?" Looking at the flowing colors of the demons feathers. "Orange and red aren't exactly common in the jungle."

"She will be just fine, she can fly over us if necessary, she will be able to scout the terrain for us as well. She is incredibly fast."

"That may be true, however she will give away our position. As far as I know humans can't summon demons. That is a unique ability that will draw them to us. Put her back where she came from for now."

"But-"

"No!" James raised his voice at her, "This is my mission, you are just along for the ride."

Katrina had no response to this, she had no pull on the Commander, he was in fact higher in power than Ariant at the moment. Possibly more powerful than the entire Elven Council.

"Ah, there you are Commander!" exclaimed the Prince. "Are you ready for the expedition?"

"I am, however you do not appear to be." James replied, pointing out the fact the Prince was unburdened. "Everyone needs to share the load." James took the bags off of Farnix and handed them to Ariant. "It also looks like there is a load for you to carry."

As Ariant burdened himself with food and armor they began off, to Gilead for final preparations.

They walked a good distance from the jungle, but it's darkening presence pressed on their minds. Folcan kept an eye on the clear border between the plains they were trekking on and the dense thicket that formed a wall into orc territory. He scanned the edge for the red eyes he had seen before, every time he thought he saw them they moved, at an incredible speed to a point that he could not follow. The eyes did not belong to any orc, they were far too small for that, they were about the size of fox eyes. The eyes were that of scouts, that much he knew. The eyes followed their movement. "Put up your hoods!" Folcan ordered, "Cover your ears." He knew the difference that orcs used to hunt were the ears, he would not risk the lives of everyone in Gilead over the lives of two elves, powerful or not.

The elves and his men obeyed. James hoped that the orcs had not seen the elves in his company.

"Commander, may I ask why you are having us hooded?" The elven woman asked.

"They are watching. Look to the border, there are red eyes following us." Her eyes glanced to the jungle, she saw something move, she tried to follow it but it disappeared.

"What are they?"

"I'm assuming demons, small ones for scouting. Multiple, so that some can hide. While others keep an eye on us."

"How long-"

"I just noticed them."

"How long?"

"My guess is the entire journey." Folcan was tempted to knock an arrow and try to kill one of them, but it was better if they did not know he knew he was being tracked. Believe it or not it gave him the advantage of anticipating their attacks, it keeps him on edge.

"What are you two talking about?" It was Captain Ranstor, his hand on the hilt of his hooked blades.

"It is nothing captain." James pushed the lie through his teeth.

"What is it, Sir?" Pushing the question further, seeing the worry on the elf maiden's face.

"It is the Jungle, nothing more."

"We have made hundreds of treks through the jungle but none have had you like this. Now tell me so I know what to expect, Sir." He was forceful yet still respectful when addressing his Commanding Officer.

"They are watching us." James' voice was stern telling the young captain to drop it.

The small caravan peaked over a hill, the last hill on the path to Gilead. However as they crossed there was no Gilead to be seen. Only ash, and destruction. James ran towards the ruin of his village, leaving the group behind. Ranstor and Horace were close to follow, each drawing their weapons. James searched the ashes, and counted the bodies, twenty. There were thirteen survivors. None of the corpses was Arya. He felt great relief. "She made it. She made it." He whispered under his breath. James looked at the soft ground, seeing the tracks the orcs had made during their rampage.

The Commander could see the battle, the orcs swinging the clubs left and right, knocking the life out of so many innocent people. The fires, the screams. Folcan was in shock, he froze. Ranstor and Horace prodded through the ruins, looking for anything of use, while James sat there on his knees, holding his hunting knife. He stood, throwing the blade into the ground, making it stick out like gold against wood. "We will rest here for the night," he choked on the words that came out of his mouth.

There was one building still standing, it was his hut. He knew what lay beneath it, a bow capable of downing any creature, his Iron Bow. It lay there as the foundation of his new life amongst the people of Gilead, as a way burying his past. The weapon that had taken over a thousand lives in one day was what he slept over every night, he knew he had to take it up again. James looked around for a shovel, he found one in the rubble that had once been the walls of his village. He carried it to his hut, throwing his cot aside along with everything else. He dug into the ground like a dog digs into scraps, with fury and strength. Until he found the box, he brought the box up from the earth, his hands shaking, as he lifted the lid. Revealing the matted black Iron Bow. It's thick bowstring laying across the inside of the case. He lifted the bow and strung it, bending the bow with the renewed power that was kindled by destruction.

He exited the hut, leaving everything thrown around the small floor.