The sun came up bright and early next day. There was nothing deep or forboding about this. Yet the troubled words of the knight, who lay buried, Estheria��s backyard sent shivers down her spine. Kharlie was gone at early light to go make preparations. Everyone in the quiet town was at the mountain gates 3 miles from the last area and making makeshift blockades, Should the soldier have been right�K

��I have a bad feeling about this��, muttered Estheria. As she saw the dark smoke rise from the north in the mountains, they were coming no doubt.

Erkenak surveyed the blockade. Erkenak knew that Akaneth was a prime location for battle. Once many years ago a great battle had been fought here, its name now forgotten. The men guarded this area were overwhelmed by more then 1000 orcs. There were but 200 men guarding. Yet somehow they managed to push the orcs back. Mysticism aside Akaneth had many qualities for battle. Akaneth had only one entrance in which the enemys could enter from the north. It was a narrow passage that was littered with huge boulders and it was an uphill climb. Erkenak had placed 3 massive oblong boulders to block the passage. He had also positioned 10 of the town��s best archers at the top of the passage, and 10 fighters at the uphill grade. Near the boulders were 20 or so hiding places with fighters hidden within the rock crevices. And Erkenak 30 experienced men in which he had called up from various areas of the GrandPlains hid behind the boulder.

��If the last line should be breached�K all townspeople are to escape. Don��t wait. Or your peril will surely arrive.��

�� Why don��t we just evacuate now?�� asked a nearby towns person

�� The orcs at present can see our location�K they have the advantage�K at least for now�K I gander they can arrive at yer town in about oh I say 1 hour if they charged. If they saw a long line of migrating peasants out in the open, what do ye think they might do?�� said Erkenak.

�� I am willing to take that risk!�� Said another one.

�� A COWARD SHALL DIE A FOOLS DEATH�� Erkenak said holding his axe to the peasants head.

At present a great arousal was happening among the crowd Lithar thought that they were surely doomed.

�� Stop this in-fighting! We have more urgent business to attend to!�� said Lithar

�� And you�K ya little Certa whelp what are you going to do? You gonna go crying home to your mommy?��

from behind Lithar revealed a shimmering blade that had now been unsheathed.

��Relinquish the blade Lithar!!�� a kind but stern voice said.

��Estheria�K You are not to be here! A battle is brewing!��

�� Oh keep your damned comments to yourself you old toad!�� Said Estheria

Lithar was surprised. Was this his mother talking? He turned to see indeed his mother. However he almost did not recognize her. She was clad in mail and had a light helm held in her palm. Presently she fitted it on and took out her sword. Which shown like a ray of hope in a hopeless hour.

�� Lady Estheria of the Khlada-Mir citadel of the east!��cried Erkenbrand.

�� Correct�� said Estheria.

�� Long has it been since my last battle but I trust you could always use an extra blade��

��Mother?�� Lithar asked in astonishment.

�� I had always thought you hated battle! And from that showcase you put on yesterday night. I would have never even imagined in my wildest dreams that you would be encouraging are endeavor!�� Said Kharlie

Lithat sighed and said,�� I must tell you of our heritage�K come, daughter, son. Long ago on the whiteplains to the east, there was once a great citadel. This great city was the grandest of all the lands. Its structures were beautiful. Inside this great city there lie a temple of great renown. This temple was the high point of the citadel. Built on the crest of a tall cliff. Those that lived in the temple watched over those lesser then them. The temple took the form of of a giant tree carefully carved in Ivory. It was beautiful and in the day-time when one looked upon it, it looked so great that all that stared at it had to look away. Like a wine to delicate and delicious to finish in one swig. In there lie worshippers of Naura, god of nature.

This is where your great- grandparents came from. They were the rightful rulers of Khlada-Mir. However do not think they were ask great as the sounded. Deep inside the corruption of the temple ran deep into the city. Until one day it reached an unbearable limit. Your ancestors placed a magical seal upon the entire city to regulate who could enter. In particular, only Certa could enter. Elfs and Dwarves and Humans were driven out. Only us proud Certa could live in the citadel.

Outraged at the corruption, Naura struck down your ancestors killing them instantly. However, not before they could cast a curse upon there own children. The curse said that should the god of strife obtain the relic that bound all gods from controlling the multi-verse the Certa's own children would be sacrificed for the life of Naura. He had in effect cursed the god as well.

Naura in her sadness that a person could be so corrupt ordered all worshippers of her and all other men to�K dispose of the Certa.

Year after year there were more and more slaughters. Towns were torched ,cities were destroyed. Whole families wiped of there existence. There was a day until only the citadel was a safe place for the certa. For a hundred of years the Certa guarded it. Until finally after an orcish raid and a dragon assaulted the citadel, an army of 10000 knights 20 wizards and 5000 archers surrounded the citadel. More then 20000 people died that day. However, a baby was found in the midst of it�K that baby was me.

Naura learned of this and ordered those to kill us. However, a soft hearted soldier took me home and I found refuge in�K��

Throughout all this time Lithar and Kharlie had been listening to there mother in awe. However, the time for stories had ended.

�� THE SCOUT HAS REPORTED A BREACH��, said a soldier.

Erkenak gritted his teeth. �� its time��, He muttered in a whisper

At that moment a flame entered Erkenak��s eyes which Lithar had yet to see before.

The orcs had been seen climbing up the passage.

Kharlie had already headed over to protect the archers. Estheria had hitched a whitish horse with a strange silver mane and flown up the steps to the passage with her. Erkenak ordered the boulders to block the way. ��May Gallant preserve us..�� whispered a frightened peasent

Kharlie climbed up a rock and saw that there were not less then 10 scores of orcs heading this way. She drew her sword and waited with the 10 other men positioned there.

�� We wont survive this one!�� Cried one of them.

People were being irrational, blaming it on the Certa and even Naura. However, suddenly the orcs were no longer just looming in the distance. The clashing should of swords could be heard.

In the deep grade the orcish archers had a hard time shooting. However the human archers dropped the orcs as easily childs play. Even those arrows that missed often found another target. Then Estheria charged with her horse into the fray, relieving 2 orcs of there duty instantly. However, two orcs just took there place it was a hopeless battle.

It was a vailiant struggle but all was lost. The first force rallied while the archers gave them cover. The orcs were not rounding the bend. ��Kharlie? How much have you taken out?��

�� My tale lies at 2 yours?��

��17�� said Estheria

Kharlie looked in astonishment. Was this her mother she was talking to? However the time for talking was up. Between their constant running, and trotting, or jogging there was only enough time for panting. Ahead they saw the 3 boulders and the hiding spots. Kharlie and Estheria and 2 archers were all that survived of the rallying forces. They managed the reach the crevices before the archers mowed them down. It was a frightening experience. The arrows could still be heard whizzing past them. The orcs reached the boulders and began pushing shooting hitting yelling and anything else they thought could move the boulders.

Slowly but surely the boulders started budging then out sprang the fighters out of the crevices. Within seconds 20 orcs were slaughtered with not one casualty for the men. The men then climbed over the ridges of their hiding place and jumped back into the town. They prepared the 5 ballistas as the orcs also began to scale the cliffs.However the ballistas were there to mow them down. However like the tide washing over the sand on the beach. The orcs came on, an endless sea of hate and death. The boulders budged and a barrage of returning archer fire killed the men manning the ranged weapons.