Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 16:01:14 -0600
From: Corey Perez <cperez@gmotion.com>
Subject: Eternal Dream-17 (Gay,male,Fantasy)series

	I'm a bit old fashioned in that I believe in duty, honor,
compassion, and integrity that transcend one's personal needs and desires.
To me, these things are critical to create a functional society.  When you
give your word, keep it.  When you love, love with your whole heart, hide
nothing away.  When you speak, speak truly.  When something must be done,
do it.

	These ideals are part of what drives this story, as well as my own
life.  This is not just a story about heroes, villains, monsters and
wizards.  It's struggle between duty and selfishness, honor and treachery,
compassion and cruelty, integrity and deceit.  It's about a young man who
finds a world where his fondest wishes are made manifest, and his dreams
are real.  He must hold onto his ideals and dreams while still fighting for
the very survival of everything he has come to hold dear.

	Loosing ones innocence is no reason to lose ones ideals and dreams.
For a time, I forgot this truth and became bitter and angry.  I hated the
world and humanity for being less then they could be.  Less than they
SHOULD be.  Eventually I realized that almost everyone is at least a little
jaded and bitter, that's why they didn't live up to their potential.  They
let their dreams die and so, like me, had become part of the problem.

	Duty, honor, compassion, integrity, these are ideals that we have
let die in our country.  We treat those who are different as if they are
lesser than ourselves.  We do not honor our word, or our fellows.  We
struggle not for what is right, but only for what we think is best for
ourselves.  We love, only when it is safe, and cast aside those that do not
please us. We judge people, not on who they are, but only on what they
appear to be.

	I say these things not to condemn, but to express my sorrow for
humanity.  Once I held to my heart a dream of a better world, a place where
people taught one another how to care about each other as much as they do
for themselves.  A world where we help each other make the most of
ourselves, and give each other the motivation to carry on.  Not a perfect
world, but a world where we worked toward the goal of bettering ourselves,
not just our personal situations.  That's the real reason behind his story
I suppose.  I wanted to share my dream with the world and hope that some
people share it.

	For those of you who asked me what my inspiration was, I hope that
answers your questions.  :)

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to everyone.

Corey

Cperez@gmotion.com 1/1/2004

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	Unlike many of the people from the world of my birth, the people
here understand that war, while never pretty or desirable, is sometimes
necessary.  To them, war is not a tool to gain power, resources or enforce
ideology.  It is a means by which they defend their lives and families from
the domination of a dark god and his twisted children.

	The soldiers are happy to protect the people from bandits, and
maintain the peace.  They do not enjoy war, for not only is it harsh and
destructive, but it keeps them from their duties at home.  Most of the
people who oppose the war with the orks that has waged off and on for the
last thousand years are not against the suppression of the orkish threat,
but only against the soldiers it draws from domestic security duties.

	Those who do enjoy the thrill of battle, or who feel that the orks
are a more important threat, gravitate to the ranks of the Border Knights.
These men and women maintain a close relationship with both the Elves and
the Griffins who stand at their sides and shed their blood together.  Even
the most militant of these people still manage to promote peace with other
races, because they understand the concept best phrased "If we do not hang
together, we shall all hang separately."  ----------- Journals of Andy
Nickels

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	The liberation of El'Analon was simple if brutal.  Long ago, before
the Exodus that drove the elves to this land during the War of Power, they
had learned many things from the Children of Hurin.  These beings, whose
racial name was lost in the mists of time, were the greatest of the world's
builders and shapers.  They were capable of awe-inspiring architecture and
soul touching beauty in their crafts.  Before they were lost to the fury of
the War, they passed some of their secrets and skills on to their elvin
friends and allies.

	Thus it was that when they built the city of El'Analon, it was as
much a dedication and memorial to their lost friends as it was a home.  The
city rose into impossibly delicate spires that reached dizzying heights.
Many of the cities structures, including the walls, were not built but
grown from the living bones of the world, shaped by the magic of the elves
along the guidelines laid down by the Children of Hurin. Each of these
magnificent buildings had incorporated into them enchantments that kept the
structures strong and repaired damage as it occurred.  They also contained
powerful wards and defenses that could be called upon to lash out at
invaders and enhance the might of the cities defenders.

	In ancient times, it was these types defenses that had allowed the
Children of Hurin and their god to hold the forces of Kerlack back as the
elves escaped.  Though they had meant to follow their allies into safety,
the death of Hurin closed the way before they were able escape with the
elves.  In the here and now the defenses the elves had based upon those
ancient magics were now used to their full effect upon the orks which
soiled the city.

	The stones themselves rose up to crush the orks upon the command of
the Queen, for with the sword in her hands she was able to unleash the full
power of El'Analon upon the invaders.  It had been King C'ominar who had
decided that the elves were better off fleeing the Horde than standing
against it without the humans, and dying as a people.  Now that the Horde
was elsewhere, and an opportunity to retake the city as a base to operate
troops in the ork's rear area had arisen, the Queen felt no compunction
about turning the city loose.  It took less than an hour to kill every ork
in El'Analon, and then the city began to cleanse itself of the blood and
corpses of its enemies.

	None of these had any effect on the half-elvin woman who made her
way through the chaotic fighting.  None of liberators bothered her, for she
was one of their own, and no ork dared stand in her way.  They all knew who
she was.  She walked through the early fighting and later cataclysms the
city itself unleashed with equal aplomb.

	As far as she was concerned it wasn't a disaster, though it was
admittedly disappointing to have the elves recover their capitol.  Neither
she nor her son had yet been able to crack the various defenses on the more
important buildings, and of course now access to the Great Library was cut
off.  Not that it was much of a loss since they Histories had suddenly
stopped.  Though she would have liked to devote the city to Kerlack, or at
least raze it to the ground, at least the Horde wasn't loosing anything
important.  Besides, every soldier here was one less keeping Ter'Zhull from
crushing the Host of Man and bringing ruin to their Kingdom.

	So, since there was no longer any reason for her to remain in the
area, she would return to the Pit of Kerlack.

	There was still much to do.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	The Horde broke through to the plains of Meredo eventually.  The
elves had delayed their advance longer than anyone could have hoped, and
the Host had used that time well.  The former camp had been protected by
defenses designed to delay any attack long enough to get the troops
organized to defend themselves.  Now those defenses had been expanded and
deepened.  Rows of trenches filled with sharpened stakes, barricades and
breastworks warded the approaches and would force the orks to break up into
more manageable portions that the pikemen could keep pinned.  Pit traps,
fields of caltrops and other hazards would make movement in the killing
fields difficult and dangerous.  Stakes had been laid out in the fields to
give the archers an easy way to judge range and rate of closure, and stores
of pitch and a substance that reminded Andy of napalm.  A mixture of the
two was placed in a container which the War Wizards prepared that would
explode when about 10 feet off the ground, spraying the freshly ignited
mixture over a large area.  They assured him that it would burn hot and
CLING, raising walls of fire that would break up the ork charges nicely.

	Ranging patrols of Sky Knights kept tabs on the orks, watching for
any flanking maneuvers, while the elves continued to harass the orks.  The
Host was as prepared as it could be.  The only bad thing was that Andy knew
it wouldn't be enough.  There were just too many orks, and too much magical
backing.  Even though they would not win here, Andy and ever other member
of this force knew that they would bleed the orks badly and force them to
take time to reconsolidate before they chased after the humans.  Time that
would allow this force to make it to the pass where, according to the
reports coming into the command tent, the units already there were building
up a nasty welcome for their foreign visitors.

	Andy had been asleep in his pavilion when Nathan arrived bearing
word that the Horde's arrival was imminent, and that the general staff
would be awaiting his arrival in the command tent.

	Sleep was instantly banished from his brain at the news, and he
quickly rose from bed, forgetting in his haste that he was completely nude.
The cool air quickly reminded him however, and his embarrassment was
evident.

	Nathan smiled and indicated simple, but well made clothes that had
been laid out.  "If I may Your Highness, I would be happy to assist you in
getting ready."

	"It's really not necessary."  Andy said, blushing.  "I can dress
myself."

	"Of course you can Your Highness."  The boy said as he bowed, still
holding his eyes on Andy.  "But it is our purpose to help you so that you
can get ready quickly and still look your best.  Appearance is important to
the image of a Noble Your Highness."

	At a loss for words, Andy nodded his consent and Nathan began the
process of dressing him.  The young page was both quick and efficient in
his dressing, but nonetheless it still felt uncomfortable to Andy.  Perhaps
it was the way he could feel the page looking at him, or maybe it was how
he noticed how soft the boy's hands were.  When Mistress Gena, who usually
did this, dressed him it seemed very detached and professional.  With
Nathan, Andy felt almost guilty, mostly because he found himself enjoying
the attention.

	The dressing finished, Nathan proceeded to brush out Andy's hair,
and prepare appropriate accessories, including making sure that the
Prince's swords were close at hand.  Grooming finished Nathan bowed and
asked leave to depart.

	"Where is Mistress Gena Nathan?"  Andy asked.

	"She is helping the others pack and prepare to depart so that the
pavilion will be waiting for you when you arrive with the rest of the Host
Your Highness.  I volunteered to help cover some of her duties as I am of
little use in packing."  He smiled.  "Will there be anything else Your
Highness?"  He asked.

	"No, thank you Nathan."

	"It was my pleasure Your Highness."  Nathan responded with a grin.

	Ten minutes later, when Andy walked into the command tent, his
appearance raised eyebrows all around.  Over the clothing he wore a suit of
armor unlike any that these warriors had ever seen.  It was armor he was
familiar with, the armor of a Samurai.  Done in shades of blue and white
with gold trim, the armor was both beautiful and exotic, but fit perfectly
with the paired swords that rode on his hip.

	"Interesting attire Your Highness."  General Anastona said in an
overly casual manner.  "Were you perhaps planning on joining in the
battle?"

	Andy grinned at the General's tone and shook his head.  "No
General, I know better than to get men killed trying to keep my hide
intact."  He removed the helmet and mempo, and hung both from a hook on the
back of the armor designed for the purpose.  "This is the result of a spell
I worked out.  It's weightless and incredibly strong.  I figured it was
better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

	The officers and guards visibly relaxed at his declaration.  It was
good to know that the Prince was willing to take precautions like armor,
and not reckless enough to go charging into battle and endanger others in
his quest for glory.

	"I'm glad you are here Your Highness."  Anastona began.  "I'm
afraid that the orks have been exhibiting behavior that's rather
disturbing."  He gestured to the map table that was not focused on the
local situation.

	Andy looked over the images of the assembling Horde and began to
notice things that did not jive with what he had learned about ork tactics
from these officers.  "They are forming up."  He said quietly.  "I thought
they didn't bother to form units."  He looked up at Anastona.

	"Indeed Your Highness."  The General responded gravely.  "In the
past they have acted more as a mob than an army.  I don't know where they
gained the discipline but it does not bode well for us."

	Andy shifted around uncomfortably.  "I wonder how well trained they
really are though."  He mused.  "I can only imagine that this must be new
to them, and profoundly unnatural."

	Anastona nodded as he considered the idea.  "It does run contrary
to their nature.  Perhaps we can take advantage of this and throw them into
confusion.  It might make our withdrawal easier to accomplish."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	Indeed, the orks were somewhat on edge.  The will of their warlord
must be obeyed, but that will filled many of the warriors with confusion.
They did not understand the need to remain in place, or follow a certain
person, or fight a certain way.  It seemed ... wrong.

	Ter'Zhull was well aware of how fragile his Horde's combat
discipline was.  In fact, he wasn't counting too heavily on it at all.  He
was sure that eventually his warriors would come to understand what was
expected of them, but in the meantime he would settle for the panic that
the image of a disciplined ork force must have been instilling in the
humans war leaders from the moment they began forming up.

	It was hardly important.  After all he Horde was more than enough
to grind this force underneath their might.  Breaking their morale would
have been merely a sweet bonus.  With a snort of amusement as the idea of
the humans running in terror, he turned his mind back to the task at hand.

	"Order the advance."  He snarled.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	"It's begun."  Someone said quietly.

	Andy watched the map as the orks began to slowly move toward the
Host's lines.  They game at a deliberate pace, maintaining formation almost
like a truly well trained army.  But the weeks of training he overseen with
the general staff had clued him in to small discrepancies that revealed the
true level of an enemies training.  By the way these orks moved, it
confirmed his suspicion that they were not as truly well trained as might
have been feared.

	"Well, that answers that question."  Anastona murmured.  He and
Marshal O'meneri were the only members of the general staff still in the
command tent.  Dera'Lione and Sky Marshal Aram were both already in the
field, prepared to personally lead their units into battle.  "If we hit
them hard enough, Your Highness, they should shatter like glass."

	Andy grunted something that sounded remotely like an agreement.  He
took a deep breath and sighed.  "It's time for me to get this show on the
road."  He said.  "Marshal, are the Bladedancers ready?"

	O'meneri inclined his head in agreement.  "They await you near the
forward supply point Your Highness and have already formed the gestalt in
preparation."

	Andy nodded his thanks.  "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I'll
just be off taking care of my part of the fight.  Marshal, General, good
luck."  Turning on his heel, Andy moved with purpose to meet with the
gathered Bladedancers.

	As he began to pass the various soldiers and few remaining support
personnel, Andy noticed that many were watching the coming horde as they
went about their duties.  It was an unnerving sight, all those orks moving
in formation, and he knew it had to be having an impact on morale.  With a
small sigh, he focused on the bloodstone pieces worked into the spell armor
he wore and established a link with every member of the host still here.

	"Ugly isn't it?"  He asked rhetorically.  Andy noticed that most
people, still unused to the new communication system, jumped slightly at
his unexpected comment.

	"All those grunt troops, moving like real soldiers and coming right
at us."  Andy chuckled nastily.  "It looks damn impressive, but it's all
just a show.  They know less than the average conscript here about how to
be a soldier.  All they are is a group of individuals who don't know how to
work as a team.  They think that they can intimidated and frighten us.  But
we know the truth; we know that their bluff will only serve to bite them in
the ass.  'Cause when the hammer comes down, they are going to shatter like
so much cheap pottery and fall into chaos."

	A savage grin formed on Andy's face as he continued toward his
destination, and the tone of his words carried that smile to the listening
soldiers.  "We all know we aren't here to beat these animals."  He said.
"We are here to beat them bloody, break their cohesion, and scatter their
troops.  We are going to knock them down and kick them in the balls over
and over again."  Andy heard a chuckle ripple through the Host, and his
grin widened.  "And after we have them on the ground and whimpering, we are
going to leave them here.  Battered and bleeding and aching for payback,
and we are going to lure those stupid son's of bitches straight into the
meat grinder our fellow soldiers are getting ready even now."

	"We won't beat them here my friends, but they WILL know they have
stuck their ugly snouts in the bear cave, and they are going to learn that
when you fuck with elves and humans, all you get it a lot of hurt for your
troubles."

	Through the Host, and even among the normally reserved elves, a
great shouted cheer rose.  Thousands of voices spit their defiance in the
face of the invaders, and dared them to come get some.  Andy allowed the
sound to wash over him, as the orks seemed to hesitate slightly before
coming on once more.  Forgetting for a moment that he was still
broadcasting Andy snarled.  "Come get some you bastards!"  Hearing his
words shouted out loud by those around him, Andy shut down his bloodstone.
With one last look around, he entered the space that had been set aside by
the elves.

	Here the Bladedancers waited for him.  Each elf was in a
comfortable position, be it sitting, standing or kneeling.  All had their
eyes closed, and if one took a close look, you could see that every one of
them breathed in exactly the same way.  Andy was quite willing to bet that
their heart rates were synchronized as well.  Sitting down in the midst of
these elves, Andy began to control his breathing, and concentrate on his
heart, trying to guide his body into the same patterns as those around him.

	As far as Andy understood, the ability to form a Gestalt to build a
great power level was a trait that only elves shared with Orks.  Unlike the
orks however, the power of the Gestalt could not be focused into one being,
and it required a deep meditative state in order to properly link.  Earlon,
however, explained that a Sorcerer was supposedly able to draw upon any
form of magic.  Which means that theoretically, he should be able to join
the Gestalt and become a focus for it.

	All tests, so far, had born out Earlon's statements and now the
final test had arrived.

	By gathering the combined strength of the Bladedancers, Andy hoped
that he would have enough raw power to overwhelm Ter'Zhull and keep him
from interfering in the coming battle.  After their brief contact, courtesy
of the bloodstone sphere that had been found among Lady Emelia's effects,
Andy was positive he could pick Ter'Zhull's mind out of the Horde and focus
the Gestalt's power into an incredible attack that would remove him as a
factor.

	Andy felt his mind slip into the Gestalt effortlessly, and knew
that he would succeed in his mission.

	Failure was not an option.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	The Host's defiance momentarily surprised the Horde.  The surprise,
however, was quickly replaced by excitement as they dimly realized that
THIS enemy was going to stand and fight.  The orks began to move more
swiftly, causing some of their formations to begin coming apart.

	Then they hit the outer defenses.

	Instinctively bypassing the spiked logs that warded the Host's
flanks, the orks began to funnel into the open ground in front of the human
encampment.  The lead orks suddenly found themselves unable to walk
effectively as the 2-3 inch spikes of the caltrops, which the humans had
generously spread throughout the tall plains grass, pierced their feet and
lamed them.  Howls of pain went up as tendons cut, or orks tripped and fell
onto the spikes that impeded their advance.  The injured lead warriors
tried to slow down and take their time, but the pressure from those behind
them drove them deeper and deeper into the caltrop field or trampled them
where they lay.

	Fortune truly shown on these lead orks, for not only had they
discovered the gifts that they humans had left for them, but they also were
the first ones to find the pit traps that had been laboriously dug by the
humans to provide them with a place to rest.  Permanently.

	The cunningly concealed trapdoors that covered the spike-filled
pits popped open when the lead orks were only a quarter of the way across
the outer defense perimeter.  Hundreds of orks fell to be killed or
hopelessly maimed.  Their fellows continued their advance, pressing still
more orks into the pits, killing ever more of the Horde.

	Word of the traps and caltrops worked its way through the Horde and
the progress of the ork's advance slowed as the warriors bunched together
milling around.

	Ter'Zhull began to curse as his army disintegrated into a
directionless mob.  He raised his arms, and began to focus his will and
bring his troops back under control.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	Andy had been waiting for just this moment.  As he sensed the ork
Shaman's mind focusing to reorganize his Horde, Andy sent a thought to
Marshal O'meneri who would begin the attack on the orks once he was fairly
certain that the Gestalt had engaged Ter'Zhull.

	Andy gathered the combined will of the Gestalt and sent a tether
rushing toward the growing point of energy that he recognized as the mind
of the shaman warlord Ter'Zhull.  When that tendril of energy contacted the
ork's mind, the full fury of its power stabbed forward.

	The timing of the attack was less than perfect from the orks point
of view.  Ter'Zhull had just begun to touch the minds of his warriors at
the most primitive level when the assault struck him.  His instantaneous
fear and pain traveled along that link into the back-brain of every ork in
the Horde.  These unfortunates began feeling nagging doubt and a slowly
building panic.

	That's when the arrows began to fall.

	Upon the command from Marshal O'meneri, every bow in the possession
of every human and elf was fired in one massive salvo.  Thousands of arrows
seemed to blot out the sun as the missiles arced into the air to slam into
the ork vanguard like a hurricane of death.  Again and again the soldiers
sent sheets of arrows into the sky, moving so swiftly and smoothly that the
second volley was being fired by the time the first had hit it's halfway
point.

	Normally, orks would have taken the arrow attack without pause.
Casualties were, after all, the natural consequence of fighting.  But that
small seed of doubt that was still being fed by their connection to
Ter'Zhull caused them to hesitate, and then halt completely.

	Seeing their warriors falter, the various war leaders among the
Horde began to take steps.  Some screamed and threatened, while others used
a few graphic examples of how disappointing Ter'Zhull tended to be somewhat
more risky than facing down a few humans.  Others, especially those in
Ter'Zhull's inner circle, began to realize what was going on and decided to
bring out their surprise to knock these humans back on their heels and
stiffen the spines of their warriors.

	The orders went out, and the reserves deployed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	"I'm sorry, what did you say?"  General Anastona asked of the
communications officer who had reported the unbelievable.

	"Sky Marshal Aram confirms it sir."  The young soldier replied
nervously.  "The orks are deploying what appear to be heavy cavalry. "

	Anastona refrained from cursing, no matter how much he wanted to.
The last thing he needed to do was show these troops how upsetting he found
that news.  He turned and regarded Marshal O'meneri with a raised eyebrow.

	The elvin Marshal returned his colleague's look with his own steady
gaze, and inclined his head slightly.

	'Well, that tears it."  Anastona thought to himself.  'He
recognizes what deep shit we are in, and knows that I'm the best one to
handle it.  Lucky me.'  He took a deep breath and considered.

	He looked at an image of the forming ork cavalry.  Their steeds
appeared to be larger, more powerful versions of the Hounds created from
the shaman's twisted magics.  Ork warriors, usually those who displeased
their masters, were condemned to be warped by shamans into creatures used
to track down fleeing prisoners.  It appeared as if they were now
attempting to duplicate some of the tactical flexibility of the human
cavalry.  What was truly disturbing is the fact that the orks were showing
tactical innovation at all.  Orks that learned were bad business.

	There were several options he had to respond to this new threat.
He could unleash the Paladins and the rest of the cavalry to meet these new
warriors.  Unfortunately, they were needed for the shock that would allow
the infantry to drive back the orks, and harass them as they pulled back so
that the infantry could begin the withdrawal.

	Alternatively, he could try a new tactic.  His conversations with
His Highness had been very interesting, and the Prince had let slip
possible responses to cavalry charges in one conversation about how to
utilize their horsemen.  The Prince's comment about a "Pike wall", several
ranks of exceptionally long pikes, and how it HAD been used in the past to
protect infantry formations from mass charges and heavy cavalry had
attracted the General's interest.  The Prince's odd use of tense aside, it
seemed fairly feasible, but unfortunately would require well-disciplined
troops (which he had) and extremely long pikes (which he did not have).
Besides which, it was too early to be revealing any real surprises yet on
what they were capable of.  Such revelations would have to wait until there
were ready to make decisive use of them.

	The only other option available was to open up earlier than planned
with the War Wizards.  He had intended to wait until the ork shamans had
begun enhancing their troops and using the awesome power of the Wizards to
begin smashing those enhanced warriors before they made it to the human
lines.

	Unfortunately, waiting was not an option.  As the ork cavalry began
to move, it was clear they were going to attempt to flank the infantry
lines.  The reserve was available to fight them off, but it would be
dangerous for morale to allow a flank attack in unchallenged, and Anastona
was not even willing to guess what those creatures might be capable of,
especially not when mounted by powerful ork warriors.

	Reaching his decision in seconds, Anastona turned and began to lay
out a plan of attack for his Wizards.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	The appearance of the cavalry, and their charge toward the human
flank started to dispel some of the despair that continued to plague the
Horde.  The warriors began, once more, to advance against their foes.  The
rain of arrows continued, and the caltrops slowed progress, but the Horde
made progress.  Stepping over the bodies of their fellows, they moved with
the inevitable power of a glacier, stopping for nothing, until they hit the
inner defense perimeter.

	Spike filled trenches, backed by breastworks created only narrow
approaches that were the only way to get at the pike blocks of the human
infantry.  Archers continued to hammer at the ork tide as it swelled
forward onto the waiting pikes.

	Screams and bellows filled the air as flesh met steel and man and
ork alike died.  The orks would be pushed onto that forest of points by
sheer pressure from behind them.  Most died horribly as the humans expertly
manipulated their weapons to cause lethal or crippling wounds.  The ground
became slick with blood and other detritus, causing even more orks to fall
and be trampled under the feet of their fellows.  Occasionally a warrior or
two would manage to get to the soldiers in the front ranks of the human
infantry who were armed with tower shields and swords.  If those warriors
killed the soldiers in front of them, the opened a breach into the human
lines and began to kill those armed with pikes that could not defend
themselves at this range.

	These warriors would die, killed by the other swordsmen who would
finish them off, or Wizards that used tightly focused spells to designed to
deal with just these eventualities.  However it was accomplished, the
survivors would step grimly forward to fill the breach, and the killing
resumed.  It was in this way that the orks would win.  Attrition would
eventually take its toll as humans died.  There were far less humans than
there were orks, and each human death wore away their ability to hold on.
Sooner or later fatigue, or just a simple mistake would create an opening
and the orks would pour into their rear area and the slaughter would begin.

	Aware of this reality as they were, the soldiers didn't even
consider them.  Consummate professionals, these soldiers knew that death
comes to all eventually.  They were determined that when they went down,
they would not go alone.

	The ork cavalry charge was less than 300 ft from the flank when the
holocaust began.  Normally, they would have been tasked to slow the charge
of the ork warriors, but those Wizards on offensive duty now bent their
magics to destroy this attack.  Over and over they rained lightning from
the skies, exploded balls of fire in the midst of the charging foe and
hurled stones that swept riders from steeds or shattered those steeds,
throwing the rider to his death.  Rocks blew up with massive concussion
waves that left craters in the ground large enough and deep enough to act
as trenches, which caught many riders in their deadly grip.

	Most of these Wizards rode upon the backs of griffins, allowing
them to make the most of their spells, and they kicked the guts out of the
cavalry charge.  The ork formations broken, the Sky Knights who had
accompanied the Wizards joined the fight.  They rained arrows to pick off
stragglers or break up knots of troops, or swept down to pluck riders from
the saddle with griffin talon, or run them through with a lance.

	Within minutes, the uncontested power of the Sky Knights and War
Wizards not only defeated the charge; they had utterly destroyed the unit.
Those minutes had, however, allowed the ork infantry to make contact with
the pikemen unopposed by the traditional barrage.  Weary, but determined to
lend what support they could, the War Wizards drew upon whatever reserves
of strength they had to rend the ork forces with fire and death.

	It was at this point that General Anastona released the Paladins
and heavy cavalry of the Border Knights.

	Sweeping in from BOTH flanks, the two forces converged on the ork
force like a crushing vise.  As one, the lances of the cavalry dropped into
position with a sound that punctuated the steady rumble of the hoof beats.
Orks turned to look for what had caused the earthquake that they could feel
through their feet.  The sight they were privy too was one that most beings
only see once; flashing steel, flowing movement and a final crash as those
mountains of flesh and steel slammed into them like a tsunami.

	The tremendous force the horse's weight transmitted to the knights'
weapons letting those lances drive completely through a body.  So tightly
packed were their foes, that frequently a single lance would sometimes kill
two or more orks.  When those lances broke, or became stuck in the bodies
of the warriors they killed and maimed, those knights would drop the lances
and draw swords and axe, and lay into the orks.  Momentum and sheer
ruthlessness carried the two cavalry formations into each other, completely
cutting the ork vanguard off from the bulk of the Horde.

	Passing each other, expertly guiding their warhorses around each
other, the two formations interpenetrated and kept riding, each going the
way their fellows had come from.  The shocked, and disrupted Horde was
unable to pin the horsemen down, and so they retired from the field to
return behind their own lines to prepare for another charge to begin.

	The pressure behind them suddenly relieved, the remnants of the
vanguard turned and fled to join the rest of the Horde.  The pikemen took
the opportunity to kill many of the fleeing orks as they turned to run, and
would have pursued their foes if not for the sharp commands from their
officers.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	It had been too soon to commit the cavalry of course, but there
hadn't been a choice in the matter.  The support of the War Wizards had
been insufficient to stem the tide of orks that were on the verge of
overwhelming the infantry positions.  Reports said that the Prince and the
Bladedancers were still deep in their gestalt, so he had to assume that
they were at least keeping Ter'Zhull too busy to intervene.  At least
something was going according to plan.

	In the meantime, he ordered the reserves forward, and rotated out
the pikemen already in place back to get some rest, and reorganize.  His
staff's estimate was about 2,000 enemy casualties, which was a pretty good
opening to the battle. It would take the orks a while to get their shit
together after the pounding they just got, but they would be back.  They
always came back.

	The War Wizards were also heading in to rest.  They knew to take
any opportunity they could to restore whatever energy they could in these
little lulls.  Eves moved among the wounded, healing where they could, and
relieving fatigue and pain from those who weren't.  It was times like these
when the alliance showed its wisdom.

	In what seemed like an eye-blink, the orks were once more advancing
against the human lines. This time, however, they were well aware of the
traps and caltrops.  They were slowed slightly in avoiding the pits, but
the carpet of bodies that littered the field mostly negated the caltrops.
Once they were through the outer defense perimeter, the War Wizards rose
once more, to strike at the orks.  With little time to rest between their
attacks, fatigue was beginning to plague their minds in spite of all the
elves had been able to do for them.  Their attack was magnificent and broke
up the advance into pieces the infantry could manage, but they would not be
able to repeat the performance for a while.

	The infantry managed to drive off this attack as well, and once
more the orks retired to reorganize and prepare for the next assault.
Human losses were not as severe as they were in the first round, but the
support of the War Wizards would not be available for a time.  Normally,
the Wizards would have been used sparingly in order to give them plenty of
time to regain their energies, cycling them in and out of combat to make
their abilities last as long as possible.  That hadn't been possible this
time, and it was going to cost the Host in the long run.

	When the Horde returned, they did not face the wrath of the human
mages, and it was at this time that the ork shamans chose to intervene once
more.  Dark energies ran through the ork warriors, increasing their speed
and strength driving them into frenzy.  Many turned on each other in
mindless fury, but most slammed into the human lines like a hammer.  Men
and ork died as the berserk warriors wrecked havoc in the human formations.

	Faced with the possibility of a breakthrough, Anastona sent in the
reserves to bolster the line, and once more cut the cavalry loose, hoping
that they could pull the pressure off of the infantry.  As the reserves
went streaming into their support positions War Wizards, many exhausted by
their mass expenditures of power, rose once more to throw what they could
into the teeth of the oncoming horde.  The massive explosions tore holes in
the ork ranks that simply filled in once more as others flooded in.  The
spent Wizards returned to their rest, or simply passed out from the
exertion.

	Piles of corpses were used as breastworks by the infantry, and the
orks climbed over the bodies of their own dead to get at the humans who
stood in their way. The carnage only increased as the cavalry made its
charge.

	This time the orks were prepared for the charge.  Though the
pressure on the infantry decreased dramatically, the horsemen were not able
to blow completely through the orks this time around.  Forced to stand and
fight, the cavalry did as much damage as possible while trying to
disengage.

	The orks however, had other ideas.  Nearly as tired as the human
Wizards by their efforts and the draw from Ter'Zhull as he fought of
whoever dared attack him, they were still more numerous, and they joined
their powers together and tainted the land itself. Turf and firm ground
turned into a rank quagmire that sucked at the hooves of the cavalry and
slowed them.

	In the command tent, Anastona saw what had happened, and he knew
despair.  Without their mobility, the cavalry were vulnerable and the orks
knew it.  If the orks destroyed the cavalry, any hope of withdrawal would
go out the window, and they would all die here.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	It wasn't exactly true that Andy and the Bladedancers were in a
trance.  It was more accurate to say that they were elsewhere.  They were
well aware of what was transpiring on the field, and it drove them to an
intensity that can hardly be described.

	The surprise they had achieved had been complete, but even better
was the fact that they had caught the shaman while in the middle of a spell
when they mind is most vulnerable.  Andy had Ter'Zhull on the defensive
from the get go, and only the shaman warlord's greater experience and
training had allowed him to survive the onslaught.  Even so, he was
loosing, and he knew it.

	The gestalt had never imagined it might actually overwhelm and
destroy Ter'Zhull, but that now seemed the likely outcome.  The power he
could call was decreasing as the ork warriors died and the shamans expended
their power on their spells.  If they could destroy Ter'Zhull here, the
invasion would be broken!

	Then it happened.  The cavalry became trapped, and the orks began
to break through the lines.  The reserves, which had gotten into place,
stopped the break in for a time, but it wouldn't last.
	Andy felt Ter'Zhull's defenses begin to crumble, and knew that with
a concentrated push, he could be inside the ork's defenses and destroy his
mind.  But if he did that the orks would have time to get fully into the
rear area and the army would die.

	Andy made his choice, gathered his power and struck.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	Anastona saw the end clearly.  If they hadn't sent the rest of Host
to prepare the fall back position, or if he had held back the War Wizards
and taken a chance with using the reserves to stop the ork cavalry...  But
no, it was too late now for what ifs.  He raised his head and opened his
mouth to order everyone to arms when the world came apart.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	The method was crude to be sure, but subtlety was a luxury that
Andy could not afford.  The power of the Gestalt had tossed Ter'Zhull back
on his mental heels and left him reeling, as it struck deep into the earth
below the battle.  Andy reached into the stones deep down and wrenched with
all the mystical might as his command.

	With a shriek of tortured stone, Andy tore the earth asunder,
ripping open a yawning chasm in the midst of the streaming Horde.  Horses
screamed, men and orks bellowed as they were thrown to the ground, and
hundreds fell into the tear in that steadily widened.

	Orks, abandoning weapons, climbed to their feet and fled in shear
terror and the soldiers let them go, too frightened to pick themselves up
from the ground.

	Heat rose from the chasm as rock, energized by the power that had
seized it began to melt.  Tremors rocked the army to its core, and even the
orks that had not yet been involved in the fighting, turned and fled back
into the forest.

	The Gestalt dissolved as the sum of their power was expended in the
act of moving such a titanic mass.  Bladedancers collapsed, almost all of
them unconscious, as their link unraveled.  Andy found himself on his back
gasping in shock.

	Weakly, he reached out to grab the nearest attendant.  "Send word
to General Anastona to begin the withdrawal."  He gasped before he passed
out.

	"Of course Your Highness."  Nathan said quietly, stroking Andy's
forehead until he fell unconscious.

* * * * * * * * * * *

	E'rin looked over the reports which I'olias had brought him.
Andy's force had retreated in good order to the fall back point, largely
due to the gaping chasm that had persuaded the orks that there were better
places for them to be.

	E'rin had to agree that his belshatha's decision to save his men
instead of killing Ter'Zhull was the correct choice.  While it might have
brought an end to THAT warlord, the whole encampment would have been wiped
out, and the Horde would most likely have gone on without Ter'Zhull.  They
would have been less dangerous, but still enough of a threat to cause years
of damage.  Not to mention the conflict that would have erupted in the
Kingdom of Man to select a new King.

	Perhaps it was selfish in a way.  E'rin was simply glad that Andy
had survived, but he was honest enough to admit that to himself.  In his
heart, the fact that it gave everyone a fighting chance at victory was
secondary.  Such love is scary.

	But for now, at least, there is a future.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

	Well, there it is. The first major battle of the war between orks
and everyone else is over and everyone got hammered.  War is like that
sometimes.

	I hope you all enjoyed this.  It took me awhile to get the battle
mapped out in my head and described.  I have been, um... distracted
recently.

:)

Corey.