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"The Calm Before The Storm" (Elf Village) Long and his group ran out of the building, and emerged onto a battle scene. It was war. The Dark Elves were attacking in full force, and they had many minions with them. The good elves were holding there own, but they were being swarmed. "Damn!" yelled Colt. He pulled out his sword, and shouted some orders to his soldiers. "We're getting picked apart!" "How can we help?" asked Long. "Start fighting" said Colt. "But first. . ." He waved one of his men over and whispered something. The man nodded, left quickly, and then returned a few seconds later. He had in his hands Radcliffe's sword, and four visors. "Put these on" said Colt. "They will alow you to follow the Dark Elves movements. They won't spped your body up, just your eyes. Use them to know what you are attacking." They nodded, and slipped them on. Radcliffe took his sword, and swung it around to make sure it was okay. When he was satisfied, he leapt off the porch, and into the battle. Yin charged after him, and Drake followed slowly behind that. Long decided to stay close to Drake, just in case the young man would need his help. The first thing Long realized was that the Dark Elves seemed to be darting in and out of combat, never staying too long. They had decided to let their minions and mercenaries do most of the fighting. That would make it easier. He swung a roundhouse kick at the nearest opponent and he fell to the ground. Long followed up with a punch at the man's chest, and he was unconscious. Long turned, and he found a Dark Elf darting toward him. He stuck his fist out, and the Elf ran into it. Long smiled, spun, and found that he had guessed right, that another elf was there. That elf fell to the ground, as well. He looked for anyone that might be in trouble, then he looked for Colt, to see what the leader of the elves was doing. He wasn't doing much. It seemed that Clemente was leading the battle. He was directing troops to different positions, and his strategy was working. The elf army was slowly driving back the Dark Elves and their minions. Long saw Clemente point at him to go to the front of the elf formation, and acknowledged him by complying with his order. He flipped over a group of downed bodies, and ran past some of the archers, who were preparing to send another volley into the Dark Elves. He slid past the elf formation, who were not moving, fighting the Dark Elves and the minions, and moved to the front of it. There, he moved with them as one. They fought together, mowing down the Dark Elves and their minions, one by one. Soon, the Dark Elves decided to leave, and so they regrouped and retreated. The elf army let out a whoop of joy at that. Long's group followed them for a bit, but then let them go, as the fight was over. He walked back to the village feeling quite good about himself. When he got there, Radcliffe and Yin were already standing on the porch, talking with Colt and Clemente. Willadean emerged from the building then, and smiled. "You all did so well" she said, as Long stepped up onto the porch. "Thank you." Long walked past her, and kept going until he reached Clemente. He stood there looking at the man, and then he smiled. He held out his hand, and Clemente shook it. "Anyone who can turn a battle around like that, deserves a congratulations!" said Long to the elf. Clemente simply nodded in response, then he turned and walked back into the house, leaving Long and his friends looking confused. Long turned to Willadean, who answered his unasked question. "He was once a Dark Elf" she said, turning her gaze to the ground. "Him?" asked Yin. "Yes" she answered. "He did not abide by their methods, and so he left them. He died his hair, and his complexion eventually changed to that of a regular elf. Something to do with being around us for so long." "Wow" was all Long could say. Willadean nodded, and they all followed Clemente into the house. Long saw, through a half-open door, that Drake was still unconcious. He had been hit hard on the head with the flat of Colt's sword. It had knocked him cleanly off his feet, and had knocked him unconcious. The elves had applied some healing techniques, but he still had to wake up on his own. They saw Clemente sitting in a chair at a desk in the corner. They all sat in the living room, and Colt started talking. "After this fight, we have large advantage" he said. "We have you guys, and we dealt the Dark Elves a major blow. I think that it may be time for us to start our final offensive. We know the loction of their hidden village, and we now have the forces to attack it." "Wait" interrupted Radcliffe. "We never agreed to help you fight. We just helped you defend your village. We got caught up in it. But we don't have to fight this war for you." "I'm sorry," said Willadean. "If we took to many liberties in assuming that you would fight for us." "That's okay" said Long, hushing Radcliffe with a wave of his hand. Radcliffe seemed to object, but Long just threw him a look, and so he quieted down. No one had confirmed it, but Long was the 'leader' of their group, and no one questioned it. "We will fight to help you. Just tell us when and where, and we'll participate in the attck." "Tommorow morning, a few miles to the west" said Clemente, walking into the living room. "We'll be moving en masse." Long nodded, then took that cue to leave, as the elves seemed to just stop, as long as they were in the room. Long motioned for Radcliffe and Yin to follow him, and they walked into the room where Drake was, and then they closed the door. "I don't appreciate you cutting me off like that" said Radcliffe. "We never agreed to this. We can't keep fighting wars for everyone else." "What do you mean 'for everyone else'?" asked Long retorically. "We are fighting against the Temple for vengeance and survival. We are going to fight against Highland for our survival as well. They can be particularly blood thirsty. This is the first war that we will be fighting for someone else." "It's still wrong" argued Radcliffe. "We are not mercenaries, nor barbarians. We should fight for ourselves. Once we start fighting for others, our path will be lost." "You couldn't be more wrong" said a weak voice from behind them. They all turned to see Drake rise to a sitting position on his bed. He was slowly shaking his head. "We must fight for others, or we will lose our paths" said Drake. "If we fight purely for ourselves and for vengeance, we will soon succumb to vengeance, and will be as bad as the Temple of the Silver Moon and Highland. We must help those in need." "I agree" said Long. "And that is why we will aid the elves. Besides, the Dark Elves may provide us with a lead on the Black Star Squad. One of their new members ressembles the elves. We will fight to save them. We could win their freedom. That and if we do, I'm going to ask them for a favor." "What would that be?" asked Yin. "To get a guide" answered Long. "I've had it up to here with your lame and worthless directions." Long laughed, and soon, Drake and Radcliffe joined him. Yin just stood there, looking like he was about to strangle Long. Yin was about to make his thoughts reality, when all hell broke loose. A huge explosion rocked the building, and they were all thrown to the ground. Glass from the window rained everywhere. Long scrambled to his feet, and saw the others do the same thing. Drake was a bit slower, as he was still aching. Radcliffe drew his sword, and Yin dropped into a battle stance. They saw that there was a large hole in the wall, and that outside was the Black Star Squad surrounded by the entire Dark Elf army, along with their minions. Long turned to Radcliffe and smiled. "Well, you got your wish, Radcliffe" said Long. "Now it's a fight for our survival, not someone else's." Radcliffe shook his head, and waited for the Elves and the Black Star Squad to make their move. Long fell into a battle stance beside Yin, and Drake dropped into his unorthodox stance behind them. "Oh look" said Lyonel Kingsley, the leader of the Black Star Squad. "It's the four idiots who think they can defeat the Temple of the Silver Moon." Yin snarled, but did not charge. Long was about to move to hold him back, but was surprised at Yin's self-control. He was usually more temperamental. "Come out, and we won't harm the elves" yelled Lyonel. Long nodded, and walked out. Radcliffe and Drake followed, but Yin was slower to allow himself to believe them. He did follow, albeit a bit reluctantly, when Long gave him a glare. They advanced toward Lyonel, but he stopped them with a raised hand. He nodded to the Dark Elves, and they sawrmed the building. Long moved to protest, but Radcliffe held him back. They watched in horror as Willadean and Colt were dragged out. Colt's throat was slit, and blood was steadily pouring out. Willadean was getting dragged along by her hair, but was otherwise unharmed. "But you said. . !" started Long. "That we wouldn't hurt them" finished Lyonel, smiling. "But I don't speak for the Dark Elves." Clemente finally exited the building, flanked by two Dark Elves. He motioned for them to set fire to the other buildings. Normal elves were fleeing left and right. The soldiers had been broken with the sight of their leader dead, and their strategist leading the enemy's army. They were also fleeing. Long shook his head in disgust, but realized that it was the only way they could survive. "Now then, about you four" started Lyonel. "I think I have a way for you to prove yourselves." He began a slow walk around them. He made sure to stay very wide, so not as to give them any opportunites to strike out at him. He finished his circle, and nodded. "You will fight us for your lives" said Lyonel. "One on one. If you can defeat us all, then you are free to go." "What about Willadean and the other elves?" asked Long. "If you win, then I will insure tha safe passage of the elf you call Willadean" said Lyonel. "But no others. Let the games begin!" "Wait just a second" said Yin. "You guys have more than us." "Then make due" said Lyonel. "Whoever can win against one of us, will go free. One of you will just have to survive to fight to twice if he wants to live." "They won't have to" said a voice off to the right. They all looked in that direction, and saw a very commanding man. He was very muscualr, and held a broadsword in his left hand, and a metallic shield in his left. Long almost did a double-take when he realized who it was. It was the Highland soldier that had tried to escape with Radcliffe and the gang. He seemed quite a bit larger without his armor, like the armor had only been a few centimeters, but seemed a few inches thick. The soldier approached the group, and stood beside Yin. Yin looked him over, and smiled. Drake did the same, and Radcliffe kept his usual passive gaze. The man pointed his sword right at Lyonel. "This seems like fun" said the man. "Maybe I'll stay to help." "How did you escape?" asked Drake. "The dummies blew a hole in the wall, and knocked the bars down in the prison" answered the man. "Some shraphnel cut up my armor, but the rest of my gear was untouched. I'll help you guys to repay the favor of helping me almost escape." "Glad to have you" said Long, and then to Lyonel. "I think that we are set to fight. When ever you are ready?" Lyonel scowled at the man, but then smiled. "This just means that we will all have to fight. It will get us ready for when we take this worthless hell-hole over." Long fell into his battle stance. He motioned for Lyonel to come. "Bring it." Lyonel shook his head. "No. We will not fight just yet. The first battle will be Corinth against a warrior of your chosing." Long looked to Yin who nodded. "We chose Yin, of the Buddha's Temple." Yin stepped forward. Corinth did as well. The Dark Elves had long since dispersed, pursuing the elves to catch and kill them. Two of them still stood off to one side, flanking the traitor Clemente. Willadean lay before them, bound and gagged. This allowed for a very large battle area. The non-combattants stepped back, leaving Yin and Corinth to battle. They began circling each other. Faking and using stutter-steps to gauge the other's reaction time. Finally, after what seemed like a few minutes, Yin gave a cry of rage, and charged. Corinth smiled, and met him head on.
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