Blade(Part 1): Dawn

Chapter 10: Anorae

Anorae and Cytheris both crawled up the sand dune before the beach on their chests. The two arrived at the top of the pile of sand, and widened their eyes at what they saw. Hundreds of ships were on the horizon, all flying black flags embroidered with the eagle snatching a snake in its talons. It was Skaola's sigil. A few were already on the beach, with soldiers climbing off it. Large vehicles were also loaded off the ships. Tanks that hovered above the ground with two cannons on their turrets were prepared for combat, and large walkers that had four insect-like legs with machine guns on their noses also climbed onto the shore. There was already a giant invading army on the beach, much bigger than the army that marched there to defend Acran. The Skaolans weren't the only ones invading, though. Along with the soldiers from Skaola, there were also draconians with scales that matched the color of the ocean. They were from Efryae, on Orathan's southern landmass. The ocean-scaled draconians wore light armor that had a black color, and carried blades made from glass malakyte. Anorae never imagined that she would ever see a draconian of another kind at all in her lifetime. Now, she was about to fight against them.

"There has to be a hundred thousand of them down there," Cytheris estimated. "Do we stand a chance?"

"We have to," said Anorae. She noticed another draconian with ocean scales standing with the Skaolans. He was bigger than the rest of his kind, standing at a foot taller than the rest. He wore heavier armor, and had horns on his head that were a foot long. A nasty scar stretched down the side of his face that rendered his left eye useless. The draconian carried a huge teal greatsword with a serrated edge, and his armor was dented and scarred from countless battles. The sight of the larger ocean-scaled draconian actually brought unease to both Anorae and Cytheris.

"Who is that?" Anorae whispered.

"I'm sure our fathers will know," Cytheris hoped. "Why don't we get back to them, Princess?"

"Good idea," Anorae agreed. "But please, just call me 'Anorae'."

"Of course," said Cytheris. They both went back down the sand dune, to King Atreus and Lord Thesean.

"A few of their ships have already landed," Anorae reported. "But there are hundreds more coming this way."

"There are a hundred thousand soldiers in total, Skaolans and ocean-scaled draconians from Efryae," Cytheris added, picking up her spear and shield. "They also have their own war machines. We're outnumbered, my King."

"Efryae?" King Atreus gasped. "What are the ocean draconians doing here? Were they armed?"

"Yes, father," Anorae answered. "They fight alongside Aziz's forces. There was one that was bigger than the rest. He had a scar across his face that blinded his left eye. Does that sound familiar?"

Both Atreus and Thesean looked to each other and said, "Crathas."

"Who?" asked Anorae, reaching down and picking up her mithril shield.

"He is the King of Efryae," Atreus enlightened. "He led his kind against ours during the Dragon War under the guidance of Funulal."

"You asked Aziz's emissary if Efryae was conquered or if it submitted to his rule, Princess," Thesean reminded. "It seems you have an answer."

"If Crathas is here, or if any of his kind is here, then he must have made an alliance with the Skaolans rather than bending his knee to them," Atreus guessed. "Is the enemy army just now climbing off their ships?"

"Yes," Cytheris answered. "As far as we can tell, they are not ready for a full-scale attack at the moment."

"And they outnumber us by half?" asked Thesean. Cytheris nodded her head.

"An even fight," said Thesean. "We should attack now, my King."

"Yes," Atreus agreed. He turned to his soldiers and roared, "To the beach!" He charged forth, with his fifty thousand soldiers behind him, and Anorae followed him, drawing the Blade of Posidas. The sky-scaled draconians rushed over the sand dunes, roaring as they went down the slopes of the sand dunes. The soldiers of Skaola and the warriors of Efryae had terror in their eyes when they looked forward and saw what faced them. Unprepared and weary from sea travel, they scrambled to gather their forces and prepare for the draconians' attack. Half of the Skaolans drew their curved blades, while the other half drew their rifles. The ocean-scaled draconians then armed themselves with their glass blades, and rushed to meet Atreus' army. The King of Acran gave another roar as both armies clashed. The sky-scaled draconians thrust their spears forward from behind their shields, protecting them from the khopeshes of the Skaolans and glass blades of the ocean-scaled draconians. Anorae jabbed a Skaolan with the edge her shield hard enough to shatter his ribs, then swung her sword at an enemy draconian, cutting straight through his armor. Another Skaolan then rushed at her, swinging his blade, and she stabbed the Blade of Posidas through his chest. As she pulled the heavy sword out of the enemy soldier, another ocean-scaled draconian rushed at her with a glass mace. He leaped into the air, and Anorae raised her shield. Before he landed, he was impaled on a glass spear from Acran. Anorae looked beside her to see that it was Cytheris who killed him. They both rushed forward together, with Cytheris running her spear through every attacker she saw, and Anorae taking their heads off with her makhaira.

"First battle?" Anorae wondered, slamming her shield into a Skaolan swordsman.

"Yes," Cytheris answered, killing a Skaolan and ocean draconian with a swing of her spear. "What about you?"

"The most action I have seen in six months," said Anorae.

"Anorae!" Cytheris suddenly screamed, rushing in front of Anorae with her shield in front of her. Fire from the staff of a bald Skaolan Mage was blasted at them, and deflected by Cytheris' shield. She struggled to keep her shield raised, and felt her strength fading from it.

"Give me your spear!" Anorae shouted, over the roaring flames. Cytheris handed her the long shaft, then Anorae rolled out from the cover of Cytheris' shield and hurled the spear at the Mage. The spearhead went straight through the spellcaster's face. The shaft went all the way through his head, coming out the other side of his skull. Cytheris then drew a short, straight xiphos made from mithril. Anorae then noticed King Crathas stomping towards them with his serrated greatsword in his hands. He towered above Anorae and Cytheris, and they both felt dread rush through them as the King of Efryae raised his long blade, swinging it at Anorae. She raised her shield to block his attack, and felt the greatsword crash against it. Cytheris then rushed forward, thrusting her short blade at Crathas. The King of Efryae grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the side before swinging his greatsword at Anorae again. She ducked under his swing before slashing at his leg with her heavy sword. The Blade of Posidas cut straight through the King's armor, and the ancient draconian gave a roar of pain from the flame-enchanted blade. Crathas then kicked Anorae right in the chest, sending her rolling across the sand. The King then stomped towards her again. Anorae felt a throbbing pain in her chest. Her mithril armor protected her from more serious damage than a possible bruise, but she felt too much pain to even move. She raised her shield as Crathas raised his greatsword. Before he could bring it down, a long, glass spearhead was run through the back of his head. It was Cytheris. As the King of Efryae dropped to the ground, Cytheris pulled her spear from his corpse, then reached her hand out to Anorae, and pulled her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Cytheris asked.

"I'm fine," Anorae assured, with a hand on her chest. "It's a fleabite, nothing more. You?"

"I've had worse wounds happen than from being thrown," said Cytheris. They both looked around to see many of the Skaolans and ocean-scaled draconians dead, and the ones remaining being cut down by the warriors of Acran. Some were slashed with the sky-scaled draconians swords, whether they be a xiphos, kopis, or makhaira. Others were bashed with their mithril shields before being impaled with their glass spears. The Skaolans' war machines were destroyed, and the King of Efryae was dead.

"It's over," Cytheris sighed.

"No," Anorae corrected. "It is only the beginning." There were more battles in this war to come, each one which would test the hearts of Acran's warriors. It wouldn't be a war for survival, like the Dragon War. It would be a war for freedom.