The Adventures of Tanis Thalin: To Rule a World
Chapter Fifteen

Tanis jolted upright from his sleep and looked around the tent he was in and saw his foster father sitting with a tall stranger. Confusion spawned in his mind as he listened to the account of the battle unfolding. Tanis jumped to his feet and search for his weapons. “How dare you betray me!” screamed Tanis at the top of his lungs at the men seated across from him.

“Who betrayed you?” asked the man speaking to the elf king. “You were protected from what was coming. Your father is an astute man who is very good at keeping himself and his people safe. That includes an ungrateful young man who has grown too powerful too quickly.” said the unknown stranger.

Tanis looked closer at the man in front of him trying hard to pierce the shadows and darkness surrounding the stranger. The man was tall, standing about six foot three or four, and slim of stature. The man looked as frail as a fallen twig on a winter morning. The black cloak the stranger wore covered his body and face completely making any further identification impossible. The deep red bands around his wrists looked as if stained there by vast amounts of blood shed over many years. The man moved with a grace that marked only the most skilled of warriors but this illusion was dissuaded as the man appeared to stumble upon the cleared smooth ground.

“Sir, Father, tell me what has befallen our brave men and women. How did the battle go?” asked Tanis. “The men and women of your command acquitted themselves well little one. My people helped to even the odds and keep the balance in check. We have not yet attempted to take the great city. I felt it more important to take the surrounding fields and paths and force the lord of this land to come to us, rather than lay siege to a city that can not fall.” said the dark stranger.

“I fear my manners are lacking today. My friend, this is my foster son Tanis Thalin, My son this is Gargomel. Gargomel is the leader of the Faerimouth people. They are warriors of the fairy folk and usually do not involve themselves in the petty wars of men. You were knocked unconscious because they fear and despise weapons and armaments. They fight with weapons wrought of the power that you yourself were taught as you grew. They are not a force to be trifled with and when you did not drop your weapons and avert your eyes, I took action to protect your life. They are part man and part gargoyle. They are intelligent people and well schooled in all the arts. They are shunned by those they protect, and hunted by men as demons and portents of evil. I assure you they are neither demons nor evil. They come to help us in our darkest of hours and they come at my request. It is they that I had told you were coming.” said the king.

“Father, you mean that you knew they were coming from the beginning? Why did you not say something? Why did you not tell me that these fair folk were coming to join us in battle? I would have welcomed them with open arms as brothers and allies. Why did you hide their presence from me?” Tanis inquired as they sat around the fire. “What difference would knowing have made to you? Would you have done anything different? They came at my request and do only as they feel appropriate. They do not take orders. They do not take commands. They only do what they will and then they go. Gargomel remains only to speak with me and to introduce himself to you. I fear though you have not made a good first impression upon him though as he seems a little upset right now.”

“You misunderstand me old friend,” began Gargomel and was then suddenly interrupted by the sounds of chaos outside the tent. “They come! They come!” came the shouts from outside. Gargomel spread his leathery wings to full stature and Tanis saw that what he mistook for a cloak was indeed his folded wings. The horned, scaly face of Gargomel at first caused Tanis to shudder in an uncontrolled fear. Tanis spied his weapons under his cloak and spoke to Gargomel, “Sir, I mean you no offense, but allow me to fight at your side this day. We may need every blade and sword we can muster. Leaving my blades behind may not do us the justice that your people fought so hard to obtain.”

“Take them up and follow me, youngling. You are right to ask my leave but now we must fight. I fear if they brought forth all their might against us that we may need the might of the dragon hoards to save us.” Said Gargomel as he stepped from the tent and looked at Tanis.

It was as Gargomel feared. The Dark Lord rode at the head of the coming army and it appeared as if every breathing being not with Tanis had taken arms against him behind the great Dark knight before him. Even Gargomel was taken by the enormous force flooding the field and coming toward the army of men and elves. “I fear what we have accomplished yesterday is about to be undone,” said Gargomel. “You fear quickly for one made of stone,” quipped Tanis “look to the heavens and behold my own present to our forces.”

The pair looked where Tanis pointed and beheld the approach of many winged beings flocking down toward the army. The look of confusion upon the elf king and Gargomel’s face was almost humorous to Tanis. “I had thought that your approach yesterday was the approach of my friends early. By the way, Didn’t one of you order dragons?” laughed Tanis as the shapes grew into the form of hundreds of dragons, led by the familiar face of the great wyrm.

“My lord Tanis, I have brought the dragons’ clans to do battle for you. It would appear we are none too soon as the battle is about to begin. Dragons attack the armies of the dark knight and teach him a dragon’s fury!” screamed the great wyrm.

Gargomel leapt to the closest of attackers and a glowing blade appeared in his hands. “Well young one,” he called over the din of combat, “just don’t stand there get in here and do battle.”

The warriors of the light moved with speed never before imagined as they entered the fray with the dwarves of the Dark Knight. The enemy pushing hard toward the command tents of Tanis and his followers. The lead dwarf moved as if possessed by some dark force as he moved closer and closer to Tanis. Gargomel moved to intercept the dwarf and soon a one on one contest was observed by both sides as the battle came to a stand still while the two lords of their people stood locked in combat. The great axe of the dwarf met with the power wrought blade of the gargoyle again and again as they danced in the deadly game that is combat and all stood entranced as the two fought. The sturdy dwarf moved harder and faster into his foe and soon both were covered in each others blood. As the fight continued both dwarf and gargoyle slowed and soon it became one combatant trading blows with the other.

The dwarves watching this fight cheered and yelled their encouragement to their master while the elves and men screamed to Gargomel. The forms of their weapons spun and connected then parted and connected again. Again and again one tried to finish the other and soon both combatants’ endurance was spent. In an attempt to finish the combat, Gargomel lunged into the dwarf as the dwarf leapt into the great gargoyle. The effort of both seemed wasted as both men’s attack landed with chilling effectiveness. The power wrought sword of Gargomel pierced the proud heart of the dwarf just as the great axe of the dwarf severed the head of the powerful Gargomel. As the two fell to the blood stained earth, both sides of the conflict stood in wonder at the scene that had played out before them.

Tanis ran to the fallen body of the gargoyle and drew his weapon yet again. Looking to the dwarves he charged into their lines and slew several of the now stationary dwarves. Moving to follow the lead of Tanis, the troops he led moved into the lines of now confused and distressed dwarves. Men swung about themselves and the dwarves fell back still dazed at the loss of their leader. As it began to look as if the Dark Knight’s forces had been defeated a trumpet blast from the walls brought every eye to the great gates. The gates were slowly opening and advancing from the gates came the Dark Knight and his minions that were not yet fighting and to those who had already been in combat against him, it seemed he brought forth all the minions of darkness with him.

“Did you believe it would be that easy to defeat me? You have killed my slaves, the ones forced to fight for me. Now face my true might and power, now meet the shadow army from which you have so many times run and hid. Now you face my true legion!” screamed the Dark Knight as he led what appeared to be demons from the city into combat.

Tanis saw the knight riding forth and turned to face him. Dismay filled his face as he watch the demons spread onto the fields. “No more of this,” whispered Tanis and he lifted his arms above his head and closed his eyes. A dim light began to spread amongst the demons and men on the field and slowly grew brighter. Soon the light grew to blinding and none on either side moved wondering what new surprise came upon them. Tanis whipped his arms down and the field erupted in geysers of light enveloping many of the demons that had started fighting. The bulk of them still remaining with the Knight were yet unaffected but those in the lights wriggled and wreathed with pain and agony. Tanis opened his eyes and looked at the demons and soon all that were enveloped in the light were nothing but piles of ash before the men and elves on the field.

The Dark Knight’s smile was almost sincere as he watched Tanis approach him. The Dark Knight held back the remaining demons and rode forward toward the standing form of Tanis. The knight swung his blade and moved through form after form as he approached Tanis who stood still looking at him. The Knight laughed as he came within a few short meters from Tanis and drew back to execute a killing maneuver. Tanis saw him draw back and grinned as he pulled the small crossbow from under his cloak and fired at the now exposed form of the Dark Knight before him.

Time stood still as the bolt flew from the crossbow and found its mark just beneath the helmet of the Knight. Ever so slowly the knight stopped and his hand dropped the weight of the great sword he carried. Surprise showed on the face that could be seen beneath his helmet as he fell from his horse and landed face down onto the blood covered earth. Tanis moved forward and drew his sword to finish the knight and remove his head but saw there was no need for butchery. The Knight was dead. Tanis quickly turned to the rest of his army remembering the demons stacked against him and gazed in amazement as those demons that had emerged from the city with the Dark Knight now lay on the blood soaked ground wriggling in their own death dances. “The knight had obviously not trusted his own minions,” said Tanis to King Talis as he approached him, “He linked them to him even in death. Now his death is theirs. Bring together the men and elves that still live, Father. Tonight, we sleep in the city of the Dark Knight.”

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