Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Hidden among the clouds high overhead, Legion watched the Illuminar reach the cliffs, having raced far ahead of the fleeing host. He witnessed the fiery whirlwind die. He was sure now that the flame that burned a route through the evil wood was conjured by an Illuminar, using the wand of Fire. He devised a plan to recover that wand, most powerful of the gifts of the Demon Lord, along with the other two wands that were lost.

Having observed his enemy reach the end of their road, he now turned downwind and raced eastward again until he came again to the forces fighting in the narrow groove in the overgrown forest. He landed among his troops.

“Find the leader of the Gathâni who fight under the emerald banners,” Legion told a commander of the wolf-riders. “Attack with as many as it takes to capture him. Focus your entire force on that one individual. He must be taken, and taken alive.” Legion smiled a wide, cruel smile. “I have a use for him.”

“Yes, Lord,” the commander answered, spurring his wolf-mount away leading of a large host.

As the sun rose at his back, Legion climbed into the air again. He watched the dust clouds that marked the edge of battle. The Gathâni were trapped against the cliff. It would be just a matter of hours until they would be driven over the edge, to perish in the chasm below. There was a problem with that plan, however: One goal would be accomplished, but another would be hopelessly lost. The Gathâni would perish, but so would the fate of the three wands. Legion did not want to spend days on the rocks at the base of the chasm pawing amongst strewn corpses in search of his precious Zori. He could not risk losing the wands of power to the depths of the western sea, and that might happen if the wielders went over the side. That wouldn’t do. But Legion knew the hearts of the Gathâni, with their stupid love and loyalty toward kin. It was that flaw in them that guaranteed his plan would work. He would recover the Zori very, very soon. He looked at the waving emerald banners of the opposing force below him and laughed.