Struggle for D'Hara- Torak

[Anthony]

Captain Torak, looked out into the night. Something felt very wrong to him. He sat with his thoughts. He had received a message from Alaric a couple of days earlier. The Mother Confessor did not give him a answer. He was now headed back to camp, but first he would try to find some treasure. He had also sent instructions that we would be moving the camp. That being out in the open would do more harm then good. They had been assaulted twice already, and according to the captured wizard another attack would come soon. There was something pulling at Torak gut about that. Why would Rahl attack from the North? If he were planning the attack he would have come from the east. To pin them up against the mountains cutting off escape by coming up from the south. It was this feeling that forced him to double the guards to the south and east of the camp. Wizard Drabic and the generals were furious, they hated that a captain was left in charge and not one of them. Alaric trusted him beyond any other. They were like brothers. They meet many years ago he a young recruit and Alaric a lieutenant at such a young age. Alaric had taken a liking to him, taken him under his wing. The others in camp insisted that the information given to them was correct. That him taking men to guard a gut feeling was only weakening there defenses. Especially the new wizard they had found. Well he had found them. He was from the old world. He was journeying to the wizards keep to speak with them about wizard business. Torak didn't much care. What he did care about was that the wizard was powerful. Much more then Drabic and had both sides of the gift, or so he said. He said that he would stay a while and help the army. In exchange for sanctuary. Apparently he was hunted by men from the old world. A group for some reason, he could not use magic on to protect himself. Torak's mind continued to wander. Caska. An ancient city once a powerful and well guarded city. Caska. That is were Alaric would take them. Were they would build there defenses and prepare for the full assault on the peoples palace.

[Anthony]

" What is that" Torak started.

Fires. A number of large fires appeared in the distance to the south.

" Sound the alarm. Damn that lying wizard. I'll have his head. Sound the alarm an army approaches from the south. Wizard now would be a good time to show your worth."

"Very well."

The wizard lifted his arms and a ball of fire appeared in his hands. He loosed it towards the army, it grew and expanded. He then send a array of what looked like black lightning towards the camp. Spell after spell being unleashed by this wizard of the old world. Torak was impressed the shear amount of things coming from this wizard was staggering. Torak had no idea of the things he was casting but they looked devastating.

"Riders approach." Yelled a guard. "They are our men."

"Bring them." Torak yelled back.

The soliders arrived. "Captain, there is a army of close to 100,000 men down there."

" Where is Alaric?"

"He is the one who set the fires sir. He took the rest of the men to set fires to warn you in case we didn't make it."

The army of the Free peoples of D'Hara were well trained. They responded quickly to news of a army on the brink of attack.

The opposing army began to advance. With out commanders to guide them. The soldiers did what they new attack. They were still skilled soldiers and new what they were supposed to do.

Alaric had planned for attacks to come. They were so out in the open he new they must have some sort of defenses. He had ordered ditches dug and oil to be place in different areas surrounding the camp.

"Archers." Torak called "Loose!" The archers let go thousands of arrows wrapped in cloth, so that they could be lit on fire. The fire arrows fell killing many man but more importantly lighting the oil the had been spread out in the field. Men panicked flesh burning screams emanating from the advancing army, as the fire began consuming them. The fire served to purposes. Not only did it kill but it also separated them. Casing confusion. Torak was surprised by how well it worked. Surely the commanders of the enemy army new how to react to this. To keep their men together and focused. But none the less it was working beautifully. Drabic appeared next to him and began casting spell after spell along with the other wizard. It was more then obvious that Drabic was no match in strength for the other wizard but even the wizard stopped once or twice to marvel at the creative ways Drabic wielded his gift.

***

Alaric rode slumped on a horse he had stolen towards his camp. The battle was underway. It looked like his men were routing the enemy. Good he thought. At least something good will come of this. Alaric knew he wouldn't make it back to camp. He had lost so much blood. He fell off of the horse and resigned himself to death. He stared at the stars. Waiting for deaths embrace.

"Sir! General! Pick him up we have to get him to Drabic. He can heal him!"

[Anthony]

"Sir. We have a problem."

"What is it private?"

"Sir. We are being attacked from the East as well. They are being shielded by magic. And our forces are being desemated by a wizard."

"Shit. Drabic go the the east defend our men and stop that damn wizard from killing all our men."

Drabic ran yelling for men to rally to the east.

Torak new this wasn't good. They were going to get pinned in. His only hope was to escape to the west. To the Deep nothing. But he would make them pay a dear price. He sent more soldiers to the east. The army to the south was posing less trouble then that to the east. But a wizard began casting spells upon them. This wizard of the old world laughed manically at the attack. And cut him down with ease.

"They didn't expect you to have a wizard with both sides of the gift." He said. " They sent someone to hold out against Drabic. But Subtractive cut through his defense as if nothing was there."

[Anthony]

The wizard Cronos cast manically at Torak's side. But suddenly the spells were being repelled. It appeared the enemy wizard had changed his spells to account for Cronos.

"Interesting. Well I can change my tactics as well." With that ground around the incoming battalion began to crack. Fire and lava began to emanate from the ground. Powerful gale force winds began to gust at the men, greatly reducing their advance. But they still came. "Your turn Torak."

Torak gave the command for the first platoon to charge. Ten thousand men charged the on coming wave of troops. Shielded by Cronos. Men collided in a fury of death. Now this is what Torak new as war, men vs men. He knew wizards were necessary, but that didn't mean he didn't prefer this.

Both groups were well trained. Life long soldiers. Torak's forces were beging to cave in the middle.

"Torak your middle." Cronos pointed.

"Yes I know. Wait."

The advancing army witnessed the weakness and concentrated it's forces their. But as they did the left and right flanks began pushing in surrounding them. Now this wave had men on all sides. It was a killing spree.

"Sir" A messenger came running. Our defenses to the east are not holding. Drabic says he can't hold our much longer." It had been a couple of hours since Drabic had gone to fight the other army. "Begin to have our camp retreat towards the south. We will retreat together combing our forces."

The army began a strategic retreat. They continued the fight allowing for groups to begin the journey south. They slowly gave ground to the advancing army. Knowing that they would soon leave them behind.