Ethia's Crusades » Places

         Yveine listened to him as she stood up.
“Yes my lord.” She responded, indicating to Althea to spread that message around. Her eyes glanced around to the troops, mentally making note of their spread to see what the Lumens could do alongside them. She also didn’t want them in direct combat because that wasn’t what they were trained for, but that didn’t mean they would completely stay out of the way.
“Etoile!” Her face flicked over to the sight of Aino’s scout already running back towards them, stepping forward as he reached them and sank to his knee. “It’s the orcs Etoile! Eloen met me halfway to update me. They’ve attacked Menolyn, the entire village is on fire and we haven’t been able to locate any survivors.”
“Join the formation and follow them out Sudryl.” She said, touching his hand as he stood up before adding “We need to establish--” Yveine froze as Elterys’s voice suddenly rang out in a thunderous boom. And while it may have rallied the soldiers, her Lumens instantly became more guarded and alert. She voiced the thought that rang through all of her people’s minds. “I’m assuming they’re close enough to have heard that.”
“Without a doubt Etoile.”
“There goes the element of surprise.” She muttered, watching as her Lumens spread out in the given formation. While all out conflict was always certain, she had hoped to implement more advantage to their side. The orcs were brutish and slow, but with a big enough onslaught they could be a problem. Then a thought struck her. “Sudryl, send a message across the group tell them to have alternating bursts of bending light around them. It won’t be enough to shield the army completely, but it’ll keep their numbers confused.”
Sudryl bowed, turning to make his way back. The Lumens had already spread out into the net, disjointed in their lining but covering the radius. Aino stood at the centre, patiently waiting until everyone was arranged, then closing her eyes a moment before speaking out-loud “Flectere lux” Around her body, she bent the light making her entire form appear hazy, almost invisible unless you focused intensely. Those words were echoed by other Lumens, creating a fluxing wall of hazing spreading gently across the group until it was nearly impossible to be certain how many were there. As they covered the five miles needed, those that weren’t creating the haze eyeing the local plant-life and reaching for weapons.
Althea had returned by that point, helping Yveine back onto her horse before getting up behind her. Yveine clicked her tongue for Aranea to come back up before turning back to Elterys.
“They won’t break that magic until your soldiers make their move, so until that point the orcs won’t be able to see the full extent of the army. After that, we’ll keep things surrounded so they can’t try any sneak attacks.”
The Lumens all began to move forward, slipping between the trees and along the path at a quick pace. They soon made their way over to the scene, seeing the full state of the devastation and the quickly amassing orcs. Aino made a few motions and the group spread out wider, waiting on edge for the guard’s attack so they could stop holding the haze.

         

Roughly seven miles away from the small Elven force, the motley Kregosh tribe was in the process of sacking the lovely village of Menolyn. The raggedy band of orcs number a score of scores, and had quickly overwhelmed the village's militia of twenty seven in a hopeless battle. Yet the orcs had been shocked at the supposedly weak elves actually marching out and attacking them. Weapons they did not have in plenty, but they wielded the very fabric of existence. Stone and fire and water all obeyed the words of the Elda, and many an orc died. Yet these brave few were overwhelmed and crushed. Thus, the village was sacked. Blood crazed orc warriors ran aroud cutting down children, women, all in an orgy of death. The end had come to the ageless. And it was brutal. This was the smoke that dominated the sky, as the now 6 score orcs burned the well built elven homes.

However, all this was unknown to Elterys, but he knew something was up. Quickly whipping back towards Yveine, his eyes narrowing as he listened to her talk to her Lumens. Then he began barking orders. "On your feet! On your feet right now! Leave the fires, we march in three minutes!" Turning back to Yveine, "I need you to send your Lumens in a net five miles wide going out towards that smoke. The Guard will follow. Then stand back once we get there. I will not risk your people in open conflict." Keeping an ear open for a response, he began collecting his belongings, throwing them into his pack, and slinging it over his shoulders, until only his helmet lay on the ground. Picking it up with both hands, he placed it on his head, and thus entered a prince of battle from a bygone age. In his eyes was fire, a fiery rage at those who would dare despoil his homeland. Reaching into that sense of power and magic all elves possess, he murmured "Voce magna" and then he spaced his feet apart, lifted his spear, and yelled, his voice magnified by his spell to be a hundred times louder into the boom of thunder "DEATH! DEATH TO YE WHO STAND BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ELDANOORE!"

Roughly seven miles away, every orc's head snapped up in alarm at the sound of that booming, god-like voice, and they nervously looked around, until their chief, a massive brute whose name sounded like a series of grunts and snorts to those not fluent in orcish, raised his weapon, a massive club, and said "Didn't we just kill some pointy eared elves? Well let's kill some more!"