Some hours before it went dark. Inside the Moonshine estate. Vilcet just spoke with his guard and walked back to his room were his family was.
He passed the five Goblin guards that still stood silently in front of the door. They even bowed their heads a bit, surprising Vilcet even further.
"Since when did Goblins behave so good and even show that much discipline. Was it my grandson that made this possible?", he asked himself wondering if those are different Goblins from the times they had fought with them.
Vilcet entered and saw ten golden haired Elves with his family, shocking him almost drawing out his sword.
" What is going on here? ", Vilcet asked prepared to cut down those spies.
"We meet them outside the Moonshine gate. They wanted to meet Silvana, saying they saw her enter this place. We took them with us, since they mistook Schajana for Silvana and since then they didn't leave Schajana's side.", Milisiana explained to her husband.
Vilcet looked closer and it looked like a mother protecting her young ones. Schajana was the biggest and oldest. The others varied from a bit younger and smaller, as Luschila till a more grown teenager girl like Yvonna. Those were pupils of Silvana, which made them almost all female. Only females can become high priestess, so the youngest one who was a boy stood out the most. But Vilcet didn't care. He walked to Milisiana telling her about everything the guard found out.
"It can't be. Even if we had such a bad relationship. To try to exterminate us for no reason what so ever. Are you sure it wasn't a mistake? ", Milisiana asked in disbelief.
"I want to be wrong, but I don't want to risk our lives. I ordered the evacuation of all our people. We will hide somewhere in the forest.", Vilcet said looking pained. All of his work and parents work will be for nothing. The Sunshine family will destroy his family's legacy inside this village.
" To think they hate us so much. After the death of Lydiana and Burke, who are Yvonna's parents, everything changed. They probably blamed us. But we don't know what happened to them. There bodies were never found.", Milisiana said teary-eyed. The others were shocked. Yvonna was the daughter of the eldest son of the Sunshine family and the eldest daughter of the Moonshine family.
" I know that you feel pain, but we need to leave now. Grab everything that we would need and then we will leave.", Vilcet said trying to hurry everyone up.
Everyone knew it was almost impossible to hide completely, because so many civilians they have to take with them. They aren't trained for long marches, which will endanger them even more. But the Moonshine family is known for their cavalry, who ride on white stags. They are strong and majestic with their antlers. But those will have to carry the weak and sick for now, making them unable to be used by the soldiers. They decided to use speed over fighting power, hoping to reach somewhere safe.
Everyone was packing up, as Galia and Schajana whispered to each other.
Vilcet looked at them, wanting to ask what is going on, but Galia spoke first.
"Gub come in. ", She said suddenly. Everyone looked at them confused. Galia whispered something into the ear of Gub. He was the smallest of the guards.
Gub suddenly nodded and dashed out without further ado.
"We won't go aimlessly into the forest, hoping to survive. We will go back home.", Schajana suddenly said shocking everyone.
Vilcet knew he couldn't count on strangers and wasn't surprised by their decision, but the next words from Lunara shocked him to the core.
"You don't think they will accept all of us?", Lunara asked, as if they were talking about everyone.
"Do you think Rosch will care about Radan's opinion? He will do it however he wants to do it.", Schajana suddenly smiled.
"But he isn't with us and even more...", before Lunara could end her sentence she looked surprised.
"What am I saying? I am his mother, as long as I am in Roschar's territory, everyone will listen to us. No, even one of his females would be enough.", Lunara told herself. She was just back for a short time here in Treetops City and already forgot, her status in the Goblin village.
" She is right. We will find refuge there. ", Lunara suddenly said, sounding completely sure about the idea.
Every Elf inside the room was shocked and their mouths wide open. Vilcet wanted to say something, but this time even Milisiana stopped him.
"We should trust the capability of our grandson and his wives. We don't have another choice."
After that everything went fast. Almost all things that were important, were packed inside bags and all civilians ready. Vilcet had a secret passage through the huge tree and further into the ground, leading out of the village. He gathered all people of his, but in small groups without making to much of a suspicious move.
The sun was almost completely set and guards outside knew that the fight could start at any moment, but they had to fight. Their families were behind them, slowly leaving the village.
After a while the last civilian went through the passage inside the mansion and the first soldiers went through. Schajana and the rest went after the last civilian and only Vilcet waited a bit longer looking at his trusted guard.
"Lumen, you always act as my guard even though you are the General of my troops. Go fight with your man outside. I know you want to, you even brought our stags to the exit of the tunnel, hoping to buy time. You truly are my trusted brother in arms.", Vilcet said patting Lumen on his shoulders. Leaving inside the tunnel, trying not to cry. He has fought countless battle with him, seeing in him more than just a subordinate. He truly was like a brother for Vilcet.
More and more soldiers went into the secret passage after Vilcet. Only Lumen turned around walking back to his subordinates outside.
"Guys, today I am not your General.
I am your brother, I am your friend, since today we will die together.
But we will be standing tall, protecting our families till the last drop of our blood has been dropped on the ground.
That our families will have enough time to flee.
And now, WHO IS WITH ME? ", Lumen shouted at the end of his speech. He, who looked like a normal Elf, right now was shining brighter than a king. His men shouted, their blood boiling. 30 soldiers taking on more than a hundred, was a story from a fairy tale.
The midnight moon was shining brightly down on the thirty silver soldiers, as the gates opened and a mass of golden soldiers stormed the place in front of the mansion. Arrows surprised the Golden army, killing many instantly.
"Everyone hold still and shields into the air. They knew we were attacking.", the Sunshine General screamed. After losing more than ten men in seconds, the Sunshine General became wary.
"Lumen, I should have guessed that you wouldn't fall for a surprise attack, my old friend.", the Sunshine General said happily facing his comrade.
"Broker, it will be your death today.", Lumen didn't say much, to a traitorous swine like him.
They chose to fight in front of the mansion, making half a circle with the mansion behind them. All 30 elven male stood proud and fully geared. The golden soldiers didn't use arrows, as they saw the shields on them and time was pressing the golden soldiers forward.
The fronts clashed and Elf after Elf went down. But the silver soldiers, with the mindset of fighting to the death took at least two with them into hell.
The half circle got smaller and smaller. Till only ten silver soldiers stood there. They have taken out around 40 golden soldiers, making Broker fume.
But before he could give orders, something happened that shocked Borker, who wouldn't think someone would do such a stupid thing, even with the possibility to surrender still on the table.
Lumen and his soldiers took a syringe out that looked like the one Rosch took. And hit their chests injecting themselves with the drug.
All of them suddenly screamed shocking the golden soldiers.
Six of the silver soldiers dropped to the ground instantly dying, while the other three and Lumen run into the golden soldiers.
Everyone of them didn't care about defending anymore taking one golden soldier out after another. The first and second silver soldier died after killing three and wounding one heavily. The other two even killed five golden soldiers.
Lumen was last and he went forward like a maniac. He took a sword from another dead soldier and started to slash his way up front towards Borker.
He slashed left and right, changing weapons with other dead soldiers, as if he was a god of war. He killed his twelfth golden soldier, as he was pierced from the side and front, going limp. He coughed up blood almost dying.
"Hahaha that's the spirit. The silver demon, really a fitting nickname for a terrifying General like you. I never understood General types like you and Karler, who liked to lead their troops up front and not in the back, like myself. If you go down, everything would be lost. Who would give orders? ", Borker said walking closer to Lumen smiling and clapping to mock his bravery.
But what he didn't see coming was Lumens hate and tenaciously for following his statement to take Borker down with him. With his last burst of strength and will, Lumen got on his feet holding his hand high up and slashing downward with absurdly strong force, that almost halved Borker from top to bottom, getting stuck around his groin.
All the Sunshine soldiers were shocked but reacted fast, piercing Lumen from the front, back and sides. Lumen gave in and collapsed with a smile, letting the silver demon smile once again upon death.
The Sunshine soldiers were shocked and got into panicking mode. Their General down and the Vice-General is on a mission. Who should lead them.
Lumen was thrown to the side, as the rest of the Sunshine soldiers went back to their estate.
After some time the Sunshine soldiers came back, but it was just 20 soldiers with a new leader.
"Seems to be a guy without military experience. But why only 20 soldiers, something isn't right.", Lumen thought, still breathing weakly. He is still alive, which showed his will and power as a veteran soldier.
"Guys, listen. I, Burtion youngest brother of the Sunshine lord was sent out to find survivors of the enemy and kill them. Let's just burn everything down to the ground. Why do I have to do such a boring job, while my brothers second son and he himself are going after the Moonshine family. Someone saw the stags were missing and they knew that they must have made it out somehow. Those 30 soldiers were only there for distraction. ", Burtion told his soldiers, who already knew that all. He just needed to make himself important.
Lumen tried to stand up and fight, but his body wouldn't move. He was completely exhausted and close to death. He had to watch how the buildings, he was born, trained and lived in, burned slowly to the ground. He just hoped that his family would be safe going to the Goblin village. To let sheer luck decide over their destiny is hard, but they do not have another option, hoping the Goblins take them in.
Lumen wanted to close his eyes and die, as he heard the Sunshine soldiers wandering into his direction. He knew he would die now, but what happened shocked him to the core. A youngling probably not even 1,30 meters big took the troop of 20 soldiers with their leader out in a minute.
It was Roschar and Lumen saw hope in that emotional broken kid in front of him.
"Isn't that the grandchild of Vilcet. I need to talk to him. Move mouth move.", Lumen inspired himself to open his mouth again.
Lumen talked with the kid for a good amount of time and seemed happy. He really was. The kid looked down on Lumen, while Lumen's last gaze on this world was the thankful face of Rosch.
"Haha. Such a weird kid. Didn't even talk, only listened. But I am weirdly calm. It is as if he really would save my family, no all of my people. Vilcet look, he may be a crossbreed, but damn you got a good grandson. Don't mistreat him, old friend. And my family don't be sad. I know you are strong and will survive without me. I..... Love..... You..... Lisa, Lurkas. ", Lumen smiled, as he thought about his family and their future.
Lumen and his thirty soldiers took down an amazingly amount of 78 silver soldiers and the General, which wouldn't be forgotten by the Moonshine family. Their sacrifice was what strengthened the wills of generations of the Moonshine family to come.
In the present. Rosch, Silvana and Yvonna saw lights in front of them. They traveled fast for two hours, sometimes Silvana was carried by Rosch since her leg was pretty beaten. She still didn't heal it, always healing Rosch's other wounds, since he is their only way to survive.
They went slower, but as they saw the Moonshine symbol they started to dash towards them without care.
Finally they were near them and screamed.
Silvana hugged her pupils, while Yvonna went to her grandparents. She missed them so much.
And Rosch stood in front of his females and mother kissing and hugging them. They were all shocked to see them, but much more happy.