Orbis

Chapter 1: The Firvonian Charge

The city of Nactin was in flames. The smoke that rose from the raging fires choked the stars of their light. Nighttime had never been so dark. Nor, had it ever been so bleak.

Of course, this was in part to due with Nactin's new, self-proclaimed ruler. A demon with the ability to send armies into a state of panic. His name was Raleisa. The demon of the sand. His eyes were a toxic green. His scaley hide was painted the color of sand. His wings were not unlike a dragon's, thick and long. He soared over the smoking city, firing off heavy blazes of green flame. Flames that burned through metal like it was paper.

Suraj watched all of this destruction from a distance, atop of his horse. But, that was soon to change. He wore held his iron helmet, which was bisected at the top by blue fur, in his left hand. In his right, he held his blade. His grip was usually loose. But that night, it was tight. Making his knuckles pale enough for people to mistake him as a Northener. Though, he was certainly not a warrior from the illustrious kingdoms in the North. No, he was a proud warrior of the last Eastern Dynasty. Remembering that, gave him confidence. He raised his sword high and stuck his helmet on his rounded head, ready for battle. His soldiers cheered at the sight of their commander's vigor and the thundering of horse hooves shook the Earth.

"Tonight, we save our Allies! Tonight we save those who have saved us! Tonight we kill the demon of the sand!" He roared as he turned his horse to face his men. They're previous cheers only heightened in volume, and his mouth curled into a smile. Time to pay our debt. With that, Suraj charged, and 400 soldiers followed. They made their way down from the dune upon which they had arrived, and the wind helped them along their descent. God is with us today.

The crackle of the flames was drowned out by the cry of war as the army of Firvo rode into the flaming city. Most of its inhabitants had already evacuated, but some unfortunate civilians had been left behind. Suraj's priority, however, was the destruction of the demon. The people came second. The roads and the paths carved through the city were fortunately not burning. So, the army spread out throughout and around the city. Surrounding Nactin and snuffing the demon out simultaneously. However, Raleisa wasn't too bothered by the disturbance. In fact, he enjoyed the company.

The demon raised his hand at the army below. His form was shrouded by the smoke corroding the sky. So, none of the Firvonian soldiers expected the hail of fire. But, when it came, it devastated the ranks that had entered the city. Green blasts of flame hit the cavalrymen and burned them to a crisp. Chaos unfolded in the once proud and confident army. Raleisa couldn't help but laugh. Is that all they got? What a joke.

He dove to the ground to see the fruit of his magic. It was worth every amount of energy he had expended. Charred bodies and body parts lay around him and the smell of burnt flesh permeated the smokey air. He heard a cry from behind him, and he turned to find one man who had miraculously survived the flaming onslaught. A man with a blue-furred helmet. Raleisa walked over to the man, who's horse had burned and fallen atop of him. Suraj struggled under the weight of his horse until finally lifting the horse enough for an escape. He crawled out and, upon seeing the approaching demon, rose to face him. Sword held in hand, a white-knuckled grasp, Suraj roared.

"Die! You MONSTER!" He charged forward, raising his blade high. And, with all of the strength and speed he could muster, he swung the blade upon Raleisa. It bit deep into Raleisa's body and split him in two. Or, at least, it should've. But, instead, Raleisa had simply held his hand out and caught the blade. The man's face contorted from an expression of rage to one of shock. And then, sorrow. As Raleisa snatched the blade and cast it aside. "Wh--what are you?" Suraj asked, the words feeling dry and hoarse. Raleisa sighed in annoyance.

"You idiot. You already answered that yourself. You know what I am. You so passionately claimed it earlier, that I am a 'monster'. I don't deny it. So why do you even bother to ask such a stupid question? Is it because I have rendered you stupid? Is it because my presence is so terrifying? If so, nod. Hell, I might let you live. I think it's flattering. The notion that I am--no, that I envoke such a reaction. It's a sign of success. Don't you agree?" Raleisa asked. Speaking prolifically and eloquently. Like a royal or a king even. Suraj could do nothing but attach his mind to a few words. One sentence in particular. 'I might let you live.' If that was true, then he could survive this nightmare. He could see his daughter again. He could see his wife again. So, in accordance to the rules that Raleisa had clearly lay before him, Suraj simply nodded. Raleisa already present smile, grew into a larger grin. "Good, you have some sense. So, feel free to take your men that are surrounding the city, and leave. I'm just passing by. I won't come back. So, you have no need to worry about me."

It took a few moments for Suraj to respond to these words. But, once they registered in his brain, he simply sprinted off. Out of the burning city. He gathered his men and gave the order to retreat. The 200 men who had bore witness to the destruction that Raleisa had unleashed upon the men who had entered the city, were not opposed to Suraj's command. So, they took to the dunes, galloping away from the forsaken city. None of them bothered to keep formation. They were all too scared. Gathering together in won't clumped group. One large target. Raleisa smiled. All too easy.

He rose into the air, high above the smoke, and watched as the Firvonian army struggled to climb over the dune. He then raised his hand outward, aiming it at them. And, without uttering a single word, a large mass of flame formed in front of him. Large enough to rival a small dragon. The Firvonian army noticed this and panicked, attempting to scatter. But, they were far too late. Suraj watched the ball of death approach and he realized what Raleisa had actually done. He tricked me. He made me gather my men for a retreat. I made his job easier. He thought as the flames began to engulf the Firvonian army.

He really is a monster