Side Story: Twilight Omens

Side Story: Twilight Omens

A Thread of Fate was plucked.

Jurot managed a moment of respite against the onslaught, managing to slide under the Elder Flame Wolf, bringing his shield up as a paw slammed down against it. Thunder rumbled as the Elder Flame Wolf fell back, the thunderous force of Jurot’s magical shield forcing it away from him.

The Iyrman hopped onto his feet, gripping his axe tighter in hand. For once, he was not within his rage, having already used his rage earlier in the day to slay the beasts which they had come across.

The Elder Flame Wolf glanced back, noting how its allied were falling under the blade of several other Iyrmen, as Jaygak skewered a Flame Wolf, fire enveloping her for only a moment, before she stepped through it, her blade piercing another Flame Wolf. Bloodseeker tore the creature apart with ease, and she cackled in utter glee.

“Jurot!” Jaygak called, tossing the Flame Wolf aside as Kitool smashed the skull of another with her own staff, which was still keeping track of the Elder Flame Wolf.

“I am fine,” Jurot said, circling around the Elder Flame Wolf, it keeping pace with him. There were seven other Iyrmen about, each of them killing the remainder of the Flame Wolves, another facing a second Elder Flame Wolf.

One Elder Flame Wolf barked, and quickly, the pair of them darted in opposite directions. Jurot abandoned his own, instead following the Elder Flame Wolf which wasn’t under the effects of Kitool’s staff, and the other Iyrmen followed suit.

A Thread of Fate was plucked.

“We will set up camp here,” an older Iyrman said, looking out across the land. He was one of the ten leaders, members of the camp council, an Orcish Iyrman who was in charge of over a hundred Iyrmen, each at least Experts.

Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool had been grouped with seven others. Eight martials and two casters, a Priest and a Bloodmage. That was the smallest unit which was formed out of the hundreds of Iyrmen, commonly known as a squad.

The ten groups of ten, known as a company, began to form the camp, which required half of the ten groups to dig a pit, and the other half to plant down wooden stakes which would form the walls of the camp. The camp itself was formed atop a small mound, with a forest in the distance, and hills further onward.

It required a few hours, and though there were some creatures which bothered them, the Priests, Bloodmages, and two members of each squad stepped out to defend the camp, assisted by the company’s council. The company’s council were all formed formed of the older and more experienced Iyrmen, though none were family members of any Iyrmen which formed part of the ten squads they were overlooking.

After a set of minor scuffles, the tents were put up, and the camp was made. Wooden walls around them provided some security, and though the council took refuge within the camp, the most junior member of each squad was set out on watch for an hour shift, to be replace by the next junior member. There were twenty members total which made the council, from the Captains of each squad, typically the most experienced Iyrmen from their squad, to the ten leaders who took command of the entire company.

“We will be dealing with any and all creatures which will come from the third week onwards,” the Orcish Iyrman said, he who ranked the highest in the entire camp. “We will dig out another metre into the earth, and the pit will be expanded by another five over the course of the next three days.”

“Jurot!” Jaygak shouted, unable to wrestle the giant Amber Python off of her. Fortunately, Kitool was by her side, and the young Iyrman punched the creature, filling it with some of her inner energy, causing it to spasm and freeze, allowing Jaygak to slip free.

However, Jaygak wasn’t shouting for her own sake, as the Amber Python, which had flung itself towards the Bloodmage as she was preparing her spell. The magic was flooding through her veins as she summoned forth her magic, holding the diamond in hand.

For a moment, there was something cold in her heart as she called the words of magic, her fingers slowly shifting to summon forth the magic. The Amber Python was so close to swallowed her whole when a raging Jurot leapt up and wrapped himself around its head, shutting its mouth and jaw. It flung its head backwards, trying to knock Jurot off, but the Bloodmage closed her fist and the magic formed.

A small, ball of magic, almost the shape of her fist, shot forward towards the Amber Python. It was nearly clear, but the air vibrated constantly as it shot towards the creature, slamming it across its front, causing it to spasm, before it crashed against the other Amber Python.

“Okay?” Jurot asked the Bloodmage he was matched up with.

“Okay,” she replied, simply, sighing in relief as the Iyrman had come just in time to assist. She had been near the camp, and the trio were around to defend her and the Priest. The Amber Pythons had managed to slip through the other Iyrmen and had approached her, but luckily the trio had managed to deal with them.

A Thread of Fate was plucked.

After the waves and waves of creatures which had come to attack their camps, the Beast Wave was beginning to die down. The last few days of the Beast Wave were usually far simpler, though the Iyrmen remained on guard.

As bread was being baked, and the meats of the various creatures they had slain were being roasted and grilled, the leaders had come together in their tent. There were small badges being passed around, each with the patterns of the members of each unit, those who had been chosen for the Vanguard.

One kept a hold of the badge in hand, staring down at the pattern. A circle, formed of Iyrman blue, and diamonds, formed of lapis blue. If yesterday he had not thrown himself on the Amber Python, successfully wrestling it to the ground, perhaps his badge wouldn’t be in the Iyrman’s palm at this time.

“Have you made your choice?” the Orcish Iyrman asked. The one to send as part of the Vanguard was extremely important, but it needed to be finalised today.

The Iyrman, rolling the badge in hand, sighed.

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In case you didn't care too much about the Omens.