7. Tiruk
Tiruk is three days ride from Trivium into heavily forest area that similar to Dark Valley' an ideal place for any Elves. Tiruk is also popular for its many caves within the forest that leads down to the old abandoned mines. This land used to belong to the Dwarfs before Man push their borders back. The dwarfs fought back with great casualties on both side for sometime before they accepted the defeat. Man build an outpost there during the infiltrations but once they ceased, the outpost was deserted.
"Jedi, how can you take an order from a Dark Elf? I thought the Judas has something with Canaan. Did they not forcibly your people out on the order of the Council to close Judas Horse." General Noah is riding Jedi while his men are doing the needed on the assignment given by Cedi. Cedi have already send Malech and Medi to Aleria.
"That was a long time ago. Like you, I have been paid too. I am here for the golds. So is Tiruk. I need warriors to charge more. So its a fair deal." The General laughed at the reply given by Jedi. Then he stopped and held up his hand.
"There are others on the same trail." The General dismounted and looked into the ground. "Wagons. Probably four or five with many more warriors on foot. I guess they are heading for Tiruk, but are they friendly or enemy."
"There are siege machines. I seen them when I worked as a mercenary for Lord Netsu. See those deep tracks; they are deeper than those made by supplies wagon. More to it, the tracks are wider. They are also Orcs pulling the machines."
"Its must be my age. I could had seen them when I was younger." That made Jedi laughed on the remarks made by the General. It did not take them long to find them. The two of them looked from the nearby hill area to see the column marching there; a column of Man warriors with most of them on foot and heavily armed. There are the two siege machines with four supplies wagon. One thing about Man is that they cannot do without food and drinks unlike us elves, we can survive for days without it.
The Man column stopped at the forest edge to rest for the evening and soon the feasting was to began. They are not as disciplined as the ones I met before; maybe they are more like mercenaries looking to get a quick victory over some elves hold up in the forest. Well, I would give them a sample of the elves fighting methods. The Man warriors are camped in a square formation with the four sides guarded by sentries, but they left the machines and wagons at one side of the camp. The machines are guarded by twenty guards but only two are standing as sentries. The twelve Orcs are chained next to the machines. These are the large breed Orcs and more to it they are as strong as any Oxen. If they had used oxen, they would need ten oxen each machines.
Orcs unlike oxen are temperamental, and when irritated, they get unmanageable. Its like ruffling a hornet of bees; they go berserk. That was what happen at the Border Outpost.
Jedi told the General what he has in plan, and they went to their separate destinations.
Jedi sneak up to the siege machines and he looked at the sentry guarding the Orcs. The sentry is standing at a distance not because he fear the Orcs catching him but the stench from the Orcs is foul to any Man's smell. The Orcs are chained with iron shackles at the legs and there is a long chain that looped past it to the machines like a harness to the oxen. The Orcs are sleeping next to the machines they dragged with their bodies.
Jedi took out his sickle and creep up to the sentry. He placed the sickle on the sentry throat and ended the life. Jedi then made his way to the second sentry a distance across the machines. He passed the other guards who are sleeping nearby, and soon he did the same to the last sentry. Jedi then went over to the machines, and looked at the harness that holds the chain to the machine. Its look simple enough to remove if you have the strength of two. That was not his target but the machines itself.
He took out from his pouch some potion that they used to start the fire during camping. It burns fast and long lasting on any surface. He poured in a volume of it onto the machine and then lit the fire. He was running to the next machine when the flame on the first machine starts to spread and soon the Orcs are awaken by it. He did the same for the second machine before running for cover. It did not long for the Orcs to panicked on seeing the burning machines still attached to their chains, and they went into a frenzy trying to escape it. They got up and ran in different directions but the chains held them back. This got them to pulled at the chain in which they also ended up pulling the machines. The Orcs took to pulling the machines in search of a way to snuff the fire or break free.
Meanwhile the General has reached his destination which is the horse temporary corral guarded by three sentry. The General did not removed any sentries but he shot his three arrows tied with burning trailing vine into the horses corral. The horses reacted to the burning vines and start to kick at the corral fencing. There was about sixty horses including those pulling the wagons, and they gallop out in fear of the fire. It was a total chaos at the camping site that night and no one noticed the two warriors retreating back to the forest.
The duo soon greeted by the thick forest of Tiruk,; a competitive forest where the trunks of the trees are tall and high to get at the shine with its thick canopies of tree leaves and intertwining branches spread out to mark their dominance on the height. Due to the thick canopy above, the ground level growths are sparse but they are spread in roots and vines that climb the heights with the aid of the trunks to get their own fair share of sunshine. It with this that the cover under the forest is both damp and dark like that of the Dark Valley.
As each habitat have their preys, the predators here are also varied by size and ferocity in their attacks. The noted silence of the forest tells a different type of predator exist which is scarce in Dark Valley if there is a comparison. There are hardly any bird sounds as most of these breeds has been made extinct by the slithering predators that move both on ground and on the trees.
"Jedi, look there. I fear we may have trodden into some undiscovered forest, or they have grown here without much of ours killing it." The General points to the reptiles which are hanging on the branches and there are some in the bushes. "I thought we made them almost extinct during the Serpent Clan War."
"Near extinction and total are two different values. If you recalled, we fought the ones at the clearing, they were Serpent Man Creatures. I think our mutual enemy is back in force or becoming a new force." Jedi held onto his horse as it starts to feel the fear of these reptiles. "General, I think we need to walk. Our mounts may be not compliant to go further."
"I sorely agreed." The General laughed at his selection of words, as he dismounted from his horse. He took off the shield and sword that he need for the coming fight. Jedi did the same with his long handle sword and shield. Jedi held back his mount as he unsaddle the sleeping blanket. He cut it into strips and wrapped them round his legs and arms.
"Do the same, General. It may stop the bites from piercing your flesh. Then he took up some to wrapped on the blade of the sword. He proceeded to pour some of the earlier potion onto the cloth there and lit it up. "It will light up our path and also deter the reptiles."
"I would do that my good blade." The General picked up a long thick branch with some dried leaves. He placed that against the burning blade of Jedi. It flamed up into a large torch and gave out more light. "That would be do for now."
Both of them walked in and the flames kept the reptiles away. Their walk was long not for the distance but on avoiding any hidden reptiles in the bushes or overheads. They soon find themselves at a stretch of clearing that runs for some distance across in front of them.
"I thought it would never end." The General threw the branch he was holding, as it almost reached the end of its length. Jedi's blade still burns and he thrust the sword into the ground to smoothe the fire. He walked forth to looked at the clearing and bend down to picked at the soil. "Who would clear a path this wide in a forest and it looks to run for some distance."
"Judas people, General. There is a powdered potion on the ground. Its an old potion used by the warriors to repel reptiles. I think we found the settlement." An arrow hit the ground just before Jedi.
"I think they found us, Jedi. Look." There are ten warriors armed with the same long handle sword as Jedi. They are wearing the same armors as the Elite Guards.
"No, we could not accept you. You are an enemy of our House now when you come with him.Take your swords and your life to leave now. We would not hesitate if you are still here." Jedi looked at the ten warriors and back to the General. That was what he feared. The General has eroded the trust of these warriors.
"You leave me no choice. I now demand the challenge from your best. I am calling you to a personal Warrior Duel with me; Jedi of Judas. Fight me for your honor." Jedi knows his way of the Elves. A Warrior Duel challenge cannot be set aside or you are branded a coward and removed from the bands of warrior. The ten warriors whispered among themselves.
"Our leader accepts your challenge." One of the warriors step forth to face Jedi. "I am Zeca of Judas. I accept your challenge".
"As the one been challenged, I can call on the weapon. I call on the use of the long sword. Our weapon of choice as Elite Guards. Long live the Elite Guards."
"Jedi, I am used to that. You may not recognised me, Jedi but I do of you. I am from the Company 1. So this is not of a personal duel but one between old Company honor. They are all from Company 1. We led the people to sanctuary when yours ran to hide. I even hear you all served for gold." The other warrior swing his sword with wide arc swing from the left to the right and then he swipe it upwards.
Jedi held onto his sword in front of him with both his hands and looked at his men. He almost missed the attack coming at him by Zeca. The warrior sneak in and thrusted the sword in from the upswing to come down hard. Jedi had to raised his sword handle up to block the coming blow.
"Good reflex, Jedi. Never knew you still had it." Zeca came in again with another swing from the left and this time Jedi saw it coming. He stepped back and block it and then swing his sword with an upwards swing towards Zeca' head. The sword missed the General as side stepped to avoid the swing. Both warriors withdrew back and re-assess their strategy. Zeca came forth again with a forward thrust but there was a shout from behind the Judas warriors.
"Cease the challenge. I command you all." The figure stepped forth to the clearing. It a lady and she is not any lady, but Councilor Belli; a senior lady who commands the influence in the Judas House. "Have we not killed enough of our own to add in more to the list? I remember you; Jedi of the Elite Guards."
Jedi falls to his knees and bow to the Councilor.
"So its true that you have allied to Man. I find there is not need to speak to me anymore. Be gone." The Councilor turned her back to the warrior. "Come, my loyal guards we go back now."
"Please, Councilor Belli. I beg of you to hear me out." Jedi plead to the Councilor. "I have not betrayed the House. I am am above it. I am trying to restore the House." But the Councilor is past hearing his plea, as she has walked back into the forest. Jedi looked down to the ground and for a long time, he actually felt the loss in him. Its not about gold but of honor.
"Jedi, we can leave if you want?" The General hand tapped the warrior's shoulder but Jedi shook his head.
"No, General Noah. You go on back. I have to protect my House. The column of mercenaries are probably still coming for them. My House needs me." Jedi stood up and grabbed his sword before running after the Councilor. Jedi disappeared into the forest leaving the General standing alone in the clearing.
"Shucks, he did not leave me his fire potion." The General then proceed to puffed at the embers on the branch he discarded earlier.
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