Rahz and his team made it home right before the cruelest month of winter and were able to stay at home and enjoy some family time before the arrival of the war. During the first days back Rahz followed his routine and trained in the morning, did a couple of sparring matches against his mother to increase his dynamic vision and evasion and then gathered the energy of heaven and earth to increase his level.
Rahz couldn't stop thinking about the war and the things that were important to him, his parents, his friends and last but not least his village. On the morning of the 5th day, Rahz decided to spent the day with his Father and help him out in the blacksmith. Rahz realized that he had never shown interest for his father's work in the village and the upcoming War put into perspective what was really important.
Rahz asked his dad if it was OK for him to help him at the Blacksmith and his dad responded with a smile and nod. During his time at the Furnace Rahz was in charge of the billows and maintaining the temperature necessary to melt the Ore. His dad usually guided him, and little by little he was able to learn the basics of the trade.
Rahz's knowledge of materials and of the more theoretical aspect of the trade was lacking but his ability to create a weapon made out of copper was improving by the day. Rahz also became aware that being a blacksmith had its benefits. For example his stamina and strength were improving ever so slightly after his time at the shop and Rahz thought that maybe it was the secret for his father's strength.
With Rahz's help around the shop, Rhaen was able to complete the weapons of most of the elite a few days before the end of winter. The last couple of days, Rahz spent it at home while his parents went to the meetings and decided the cut off Level for the upcoming War. The meetings lasted a while but at the end of the discussions, the elders drew the line at the first evolution and they chose a person to stop Bhirl and Elder Bear from coming back and instead their duty was to be in charge of rebuilding Helgahvall in case the worst were to happen.
All the missions Rahz had performed during the winter were not for nothing, his report of bandits helping the Frostwolfs alert them to yet another enemy and their fail attempt at clearing Kobolds let the village know of the sheer amount of creatures that were inside those tunnels. No matter how strong Rhaen and Etta were there was no way for the village to survive the trial.
So..why not leave?
Barbarians were filial to their ancestor and the village was their home since they could remember. As a warrior race if they didn't fight for their homeland how could they face their predecessors in the afterlife. All they could do was to hope that Aya was able to complete her mission and that the bait was enticing enough.
At the entrance of the Frostwolf Clan a group of five individuals stood like all the Orcs were beneath them and that the Frostwolf clan were just a chess piece to be use to do their bidding. Naturally this were the top brass of the Dark Blade and the people responsible for the crisis now assailing Helgahvall.
At the front of the group was a good looking dark elf with shoulder hair and two swords at his side. If Aya were to be there she could quickly recognized him as the assassin who got away approximately 4 years back and the youngest member of the group that tried to start a war among villages Legolas.
Legolas had achieved his second evolution and was now consider a Nightshade. If Aya encounter him in this stated she would have no chance and probably would die before realizing she was dead. The last time they fought there was a two level difference in favor of Aya but now was the complete opposite and Legolas had achieved a second evolution while she had only managed to reach level 19.
The difference between the two was really simple, while Aya stay in the peaceful village of Helgahvall, Legolas was getting money and rewards from the Arena matches increasing his Level and gear. Both of his weapon unlike before were enchanted for sharpness and made out of Iron. In the years of planning he had recruited a few people all above the second evolution and made them the leaders of the bandit squad that he called the Dark Blade and promised them riches beyond believe if they cooperate with him in the upcoming War.
Legolas didn't tell them the specifics as at the end of the day they were bandits or mercenaries so he created a rumor that Helgahvall was sitting on a gold mine and that they would be splitting it 5 ways once the village was annihilated.
The Five people walk towards Chief Mogho's hut and were received as esteemed guess by the Frostwolf Elders.
" Are the preparations ready?" asked Legolas
Chief Mogho looked at the group of people and said "The Frostwolfs are ready but are you sure the five of you can suppress the Holy Witch and the Red Demon"
"What Red Demon?Last time we spoke about a Holy Witch and she shouldn't be a problem with the amount of troops we have going"
"The Red Demon is a Half Kobold/ Half Barbarian and has very terrible magic that can burn whatever it touches. He has killed many of our scouts this past season and apparently he can defeat people a few levels above him with his magic".
"What Level is he?"
"According to the information I got, he should be in the low 10's".
HAHAHA! HAHAAHA!
The group of bandits laughed at the Chief Mogho and said, "I heard the Orcs were fearless in the face of War and now I can see that it was all a Myth, what a bunch of cowards"
Chief Mogho's eyes started to turn red at the insults of the group and all the elders released their energies about to attack.
Legolas was quick to react and slapped the person that had spoken as an apology to the enraged leader. If Orcs decided to attack them there was no way they could come out alive, they were smack in the middle of Orc territory after all.
Seeing the quick reaction of Legolas appeased the Orc leader a little bit.
"Don't worry... The Red Demon will not be a problem, we are well prepare to handle it. Make sure to have your people ready to move in five days".
While the Frostwolf clan was getting ready so was the village of Helgahvall. As soon as the winter was finalizing they started to organize all the children, the elderly and everyone that was below Level 10 and had them migrate to the North West away from the Orcs and the Kobolds.
The village was left with 300 capable fighters that were determined to live or die with the village. Etta was now Level 26 and as a High Elf she was praying to Xeralis the Goddess of Nature to grant her strength.
Rhaen was the one responsible for changing the old style of training in the village and the one organizing the squads for the upcoming War. Rahz was trying to help anywhere he could and his responsibility was mainly setting up a few traps that they were going to use specifically on the Kobold side.
Elune kept on making healing potions and was able to created enough to give everyone one. This was her second time going through something like this and she couldn't help but try her best to help them the best way she knew how. The healing potions made by Elune were really magical as they would be able to heal a lethal wound or many smaller wounds immediately when used.
It might sound useless to some people since they only had one potion for each warrior in the battlefield but it allowed many healers to save valuable Mana to prolong the fight.
The days passed and the tension could be cut with a knife. Scouts reports were coming non stop about the advances of the Enemy forces and according to their estimates the Orcs should be within attack range within the next couple of days.
Rhaen received the reports and just when he was about to go home, a very Distress Aya appeared in front of him with a smiled on her face. "There is good and Bad news which one you want first".
"Let me hear the good first"
"He agreed to the proposal"
"What are the bad news?"
"He won't be arriving before the conflict starts".
Rhaen heard the news and frown but it was what it was, he needed to think of the best way to use his forces in order to buy sometime for his Ace to arrived.