Lord Draille Icewind lead his army through the rocky outcroppings of the humans homelands, at the front of the caravan of troops he lead personally with his cold one knights. The sky was pouring great sheets of rain and the Cold ones grunted and protetested at every step.
Draille kicked his heels into the sides of his personal mount, Malaice, and edged his regiment onward. He didn't want to be here just as much as his reptilian steed, but he would be damned if he let his Cold One stop him from marching on.
Malekith himself had ordered Draille and his Black Arc to this forsaken land to recover an artifact of some power from the tomb of High Elf that had fallen long ago, before the sundering. Even now as Draille rode onwards he could hear the sounds of the Black Guard marching behind him. Sent by Malekith to assist the recovery, Draille was certain it was to ensure his own loyalty and that the artifact recovered was dilevered directly to the Withc King and no-one else. One of his sorceresses walked with the black guard, her dark magics being used merely to keep the rain from her robes in the meantime.
At last the valleys opened up to a clearing in the hills, a human watch-tower overlooked the area but was long since abandoned. The guards within slain by the dark elf raiders that discovered this tomb but lacked the expertise or any desire to investigate it.
Draille's army fanned out to cover the clearing, the tomb was in sight, but something caught his notice. Through the curtains of rain there were figures just visible. Draille squinted to see better and wiped the rainwater from his eyes.
From the sky, a winged beast swooped down and landed alongside Lord Draille. It was a Dark Pegasus, it's matted hair soaked by the downfall, it's eyes glowing red with fury, atop it rode Klaive Icewind, Draille first son and heir to the Black Arc.
"Father, a force comparable to our own lies ahead. I swept down to investigate further, but their arrow flew true and would have struck me down if I had flown any closer."
Draille was about to respond when e thunderclap pierced the air, and at once the clouds began to depart above in an ever increasing circle filling the dark valley with a sudden burst of blinding sunshine. The Dark Elves covered their eyes until they could adjust to the light, and soon enough they could clearly see their opponents across the field. Resplendant in their shining armour and with bright silk banners flowing in the wind, it was their hated cousins the high elves.
A female mage held had her hand raised to the air, she brought it down at the order of a well armoured elf weilding a greatsword.
"Druchii!" He spat at the Dark Elves true name "You have tresspassed on a most ancient burial ground. The humans have guarded this place in our absence for many of our lifetimes in respect. What you plan to do is beyond recompense and we will not allow you to do this."
There was a long pause, the banners of both armies flutterd in the wind.
"but, we do not wish to fight you here. There lands are sacred and no elven blood should ever be spilled on this field. We ask that you leave this place and never return, and we will spare your lives."
Draille grimaced with anger, somehow the elves had learn of Malekiths plan, or devined their coming. In any case he wasn't going to be ordered around by some High Elven weakling and especially not if he returned home to face Malekith's wrath at his failure.
"What say you?!" The High Elf shouted once more interupting Draille train of thought. A figure rode alongside Draille's regiment, pulled by two grunting cold ones. "Why father, I think they want you to respond to them." It was Shaleth, Draille's second born son. "Well then, let's give them our reply." Draille grinned and pulled his sword from his scabbard. He raised it in the air breifly and brought it down, pointing squarely at the High Elf commander, and at once the Black arc army opened fire.
"By the time we are finished, this land will no longer be sacred. It will be yet another place of their defeat." Draille shouted and lead his Cold ones onward. He would lead the attack personally, the head of the High Elf general would be his.
The sky was once again blackened, not by clouds or rain but this time by the black bolts of the dark elves. Draille and his regiment of Cold One Knights moved forward and readied themselves for a charge against the High Elf general and his unit of spearmen and Shaleth rode alongside in his chariot. From behind the cold ones a score of dark riders rode fast fowards, unloading their crossbow bolts into a nearby reaper bolt thrower and its crew, felling the crew with at least a dozen bolts each.
The bolts of two Dark Elf reaper bolt throwers flew true and struck down the crew of another reaper bolt thrower, leaving the High Elves without any ranged firepower. Draille laughed as he saw the high elves fall and their precious machines go unmanned. It was their fault for failing to take the initiative, the should have attacked when they had the chance.
The High Elves shouted screams of anger and abuse, and now they began to fight. Two mages of great power walked forward and cast their damnable magics against the Druchii lines, only being barely stopped by the efforts of the witch Malekith had 'provided' Draille with. But the magics of these tow individuals far outweighed what little magical talent this witch had, and soon she brought out one of her prized dispel scrolls to prevent the a powerful spell from being cast. If that were not all a unit of Ellyrian reavers swept through the trees next to the sorceress and filled her with their arrows.
"Blasted witch" Thought Draille. "I needed her alive, not just for this battle, but she was to open the tomb as well. Now this task will be all the more difficult."
The arrows of the high elves bounced harmlessly off the armour of the Cold one Knights as they struggled to move forward. The Cold ones had become confused with the sounds of battle and the thunder of magic and refused to charge forward. Draille kicked Malice hard in the ribs, who then growl in discomfort. "Cursed beast, if I lose this battle because of you, I will feast on your filthy heart!"
The Chariot moved forwards, leaving muddly wheelmarks as it went, it's scythed wheels flashing in the bright sunshine. Shaleth swept down from above and charged a regiment of High Elf archers. The archers fired their arrows at the Druchii noble and his dark pegasus in vain, all of their arrows bounced harmlessly from Shaleth's dark armour and the hide of his pegasus. In return five high elves were scewered on Shaleth's lance and his pegasus's horn. The champion of the unit struck out with his sword, slicing the Dark Elf noble down his midsection. Shaleth grimiced with pain and refused to scream out in agony. As his attention was turned, the HIgh Elves began to run through the trees. Kicking his pegasus into a gallop he followed them and one by one, strcuk them down with his sword.
Meanwhile, the Dark Riders swept forward and raked the High Elf General and his accompanying spearmen with fire. They cowered like vermin behind their shields, but still three of them were struck down. The bolts of the reaper bolt throwers once again whistles through the air, striking down nearly all of the Ellyrian reavers who had killed the Sorceress. The Bolts of the Dark Elf warriors flew into the remnants, striking down all but a high elf noble whos steed was clad in fine ilthimar.
The Black Guard and the Corairs moved forward, taking shelter behind the tomb.
The High Elves moved their calvary from behind the woods, a regiment of the High Elf silver Helms. They rode forward towards the dark elf warriors, but the Dark Elves, seeing that they were greatly outmatched in this particualr battle, wisely decided to withdraw, leaving the Silver Helms withing the sights of Draille's corsairs. His favoured warriors.
Two great eagles flew from behind the High Elf lines and swept down behind the Dark Elves. They lined themselves up against the reaper bolt thrower, who crew was now hastilly reloading.
The High Elf noble who had been with the Ellyrians charged at the Reaper bolt thrower on the right flank. The crew were not cowards and bravely stood to defend their war machine, but did little but die with honor.
The magics of the High Elves were now no-longer interupted by the dark elf sorceress, and the two powerful mages had free reign over the battlefield. They struck out at the Cold one knights with a powerful spell, but still the knights held, and not one of them fell. Another spell struck the corars, killing almost a quarter of them, a final spell stuck the Black Guard, killing six of Malekith's favoured. If nothing was done about the High Elf magic soon, there would be no Dark Elves left to fight.
Draille finally managed to rally his cold on knights around him and the cold ones were goaded into a charge. His son followed as they headed towards the High Elf prince and his bodyguard of weakling spearmen.
Draille was at the forefront of the charge and edged on further, adn was bitterly dissapointed when the High Elves turned and fled rather than fight. The banner of murder flared into life, and it's dark magics pushed the cold ones on further, hastening their charge, the High Elf general and the spearmen were mercilessly cut down in seconds. The General had only a moment to glance back before his head was removed by Draille's keen blade. "
The Cold ones moved forward and rode into the mage who was too frozen with terror to run. Draille sheathed his sword and hung the High Elf General's head on the blood runes of his cold one, and raised his bloodied gauntlet. "You will pay dearly for the damage you have done today."
On the other side of the battlefield, the corsiars also charged. They struck the Silverhelms with great ferocity, striking down three of them, but losing two in return. The Strength of the Corairs attack was such that the Silver Helms fled in terror.
The Silver Helms steeds took them far and the corsairs could not catch them on foot, instead they charged on to the High Elf arch mage who they had forgotten in their terror. The corsairs had lost a lot of their number to the magics of this female elf, and they drew their blades intent on revenge.
The last Dark Elf reaper bolt thrower took aim and fired at the Great Eagles now descending upon them, the bolts struck true and one of the beasts was pucnhed from the air, falling to the earth in a cloud of blood and feathers. The other evaded the attacks and now hurtelled towards the crew with an even greater fury.
The Black Guard headed from the other side of the tomb, and charged inot a unit of Lothern Sea guard. The fury of the Black Guards' attack was great, and they brought down three of the Lothern's number. But the spears of the Lothern struck true and felled even more of the black guard. It was only the determination of Malekith's chosen that kept them fighting.
The high elf battle line was collapsing. Their magic users were about to be cut down mercilessly in combat, their general had been slain and they were fast becoming outnumbered by the dark elves. Still they fought on, a regiment of shadow warriors slipped through the trees and moved towards the tomb. The mounted hero rode behind the dark elf warriors and fired his magical bow. Three warriors fell to the earth with arrows through their hearts, another two fell from the arrows of the shadow warriors, leaving them with half their number. The warriors held though, and soon they would have their revenge.
Lord Draille picked up the weakling mage in one hand and crushed his skull with his enchanted guantlet. These Elves were weak, they were no challenge at all. He was thankful to live amongst the druchii and praised the strength of his own people. He could see his corsairs surround the high elf archmage. The archmage summoned forth a firely sword and demanded a challenge from the corsair's champion. The champion laughed and said that he had no time to fight with weakling girls and let his elves attack. The corairs blades slashed at the arch mage, wounding her badly, but still she held. She raised her flaming sword and struck down two corsairs in return. Enraged the corsairs flew forward, and the mage and no choice but to run. She would have been caught too if if were not for the Silver Helms who rallied and came to her aid.
It was now the final stange of the battle. The Black Guard were fighting a losing combat, and were only saved by the dark riders rushing into the flank of the Lothern they were fighting. The panicked High Elves ran in terros and were once again struck down, this time by the bladed spears of the Dark Riders. The Black Guard pulled together and turns to the battle. From the original twenty that started the, only four remained.
Klaive flew down from the skies and struck the Silver helms from the back as they pressed against the Corsairs. The Silvers helms were mercilessly scewered by Klaive's attack and despite killing two more of the corsairs, they broke and ran, to struck down by Draille's firstborn son.
The fight was over, all that was left was to be mopped up. The high elves were fools to face the army of a Black Arc. Their own cowardice sealed their fate.
The skys blackened again with rain as the corairs and warriors of Draille's army now worked hard through the night to open the tomb. Lord Draille held up the beaten high elf mage in his guantleted hand. "You will open the tomb now, witch!" The mage struggled to open her eyes, her face was swolen and bruised from Draille's 'encouragement' "Never... you'll have to kill me first..." "I will kill you when have opened the tomb, until then you will have the misery of your painful existance!" The mage spat in draille's face, and in his rage he threw her into the thick marble slabs of the tomb's walls. Her head cracked against the wall and she fell to the floor, sobbing in the rain.
"Damnit, men. Get this tomb open. I don't care if you hack at it all night, I don't care if we beat at this thing until hell claims this world! We will get what is inside!" Lighting flashed breifly in the black of night, the corpses of the High Elf soldiers, now looted of all their valuables, now sank into the muddy earth.
The remains of the Black Guard stood watch over the proceedings. Their robes and cloaks flapping loudly in the strong wind.
"Perhaps..." Thought Draille. "Perhaps if this item is worthwhile I would do well to claim it for myself." He looked back to the black guard. Only four of them left. He could deal with them without any trouble if needs be.
And so ends the first battle with my Dark Elves that I have won. Hope you enjoyed the story
sorry, 't was this phrase that put me off...
