{pictures}
Aaron POV
As little Aaron sat there by the fire staring out by the broken wall, he pondered as the snow fell gently down, for as each flake that fell, it reminded him of the distortion the goblins brought! For while, he hid in hidden chambers with other children, with blazing alarms and fiery rain, they watched as their precious wall that kept the monster at bay, fell like loose rubble!
[Aaron!] said a voice that interrupted Aaron thoughts
Hearing the loving voice, Aaron turned around in excitement only to be broken-hearted, as he realized the voice of his mother only came from deep in his mind! But as he stared at the burned mess that was once a loving home, He heard a scream that came from the frozen trees just beyond the broken wall.
A sound all too familiar to the people of Aelmor, for just outside those walls, herald monster raids and chilly cold! But somebody had to fix those walls! The brave men who chose to risk life and limb to fix those walls were herald as heroes, but while they died, somehow the adventure or mercenaries that came to aid them "survived" every time.
As Aaron walked past destroyed homes, and melted streets he passed crying children and mourning parents. With a tightly closed fist, he cursed the existence of goblins with his very heart! While his eyes examined down plains and blown out pieces of zeppelins, Aaron approached the broken wall. As he looked out from the safety of his perch, he stood among empty shell casings and bloody limbs! As he stared at the bloody snow and burned ground, he saw the fringes of something black and red hiding behind a frozen tree!
With deep blue eyes the boy stared at the abomination that shouldn't exist! As the creature looked at the boy curiously, the boy stared in horror, as dozens of multi-colored creatures showed themselves within the tree just behind the red one! Screaming from the sight of such monsters! The boy closed and rubbed his eyes, only to open them to the sight of empty frozen woodlands!
Hearing the young man screaming, the adventurers came running, only to hear a tall tale in their minds form the boy! While they shook their heads to the boy, the boy insisted till they showed him that there was nothing there! Seeing the kid so desperate, A random adventure stood there in between the falling snow and dying sun, with arms raised he yelled:
[See their nothing here!]
But just as the death words left his mouth, two blackened reddish blades chopped off his head! Seeing their companion head sprinkle
Down its juice, the men fired their weapon into empty space and frozen leaves with deserted bushes!
Seeing nothing but the smoke of their weapon, while only hearing out their discharge, the burley looking man said to everyone present:
[get back behind the wall!]
But as they moved, a man who was busy welding the wall failed to notice a green alien, as it dragged him into the forest! Hearing the man panic and scream, the adventures by the boy refused to move! Seeing the men not doing anything but huddle behind the broken wall, the boy said:
[What are you guys doing? Aren't you supposed to fight for our people?]
Ignoring the boy pleading questions, the burly man told his subordinates:
[cover this hole in the wall! Don't even one of you dare leave!]
Seeing his men complying to his orders, the burly man turned to leave as the boy rushed him!
[go save the men outside the wall!] pleaded the boy! As more men screamed in the background
Annoyed the burly man grabbed the boy by the collar and slapped him while saying:
[you're acting like a child! Those men knew the risk when they came to work on the wall! Just as we did when we agreed to help protect them! Look boy! The men of your two-bit town should be glad that we are risking so much just to keep the women and children safe!]
Hearing this, the boy rubbed his cheek and said:
[two-bit town… TWO BIT TOWN! This is my home Damnit!]
[Ya.. A town that shouldn't exist anymore!] replied the burly man
[you….] replied Aaron angrily
[sigh… kid, I assume you just got in town a few days ago, so I will be honest with you… these raids are common, in fact they have been happening on and off for a few days now! But the people of this town are too stubborn to leave!] said the burly man
[I Know! That's why you guys are supposed to come in and protect them!] replied Aaron
[You don't understand… After the war with the goblins, many adventurers, mercenaries and governments lost a lot of resources… resources needed to fight monsters! Don't you get it! The war cost us too much! That is why we're here risking our lives for your town's pennies!] replied the man
[pennies?] questioned Aaron
[YA! Pennies! Do you really think anyone would come protect this shit hole! With the poultry amount of money your town is offering!] replied the burly man
[just for money… is that truly all that matters…] whispered Aaron
[Of course! It is how this world works! Grow up kid and realize you people are only worth what they pay for!] said the man as he strove off to another hole in the wall.
As Aaron sat there contemplating life, a man all dressed in white smiled as he looked out to sea of black, for even the moonlight was swallowed by the darkness of the forest. But while looking out into that forbidden sea, the man raised his hand and formed a little ball of light. As the little ball of light floated in his hand, his pet fairy dragon drooled with anticipation!
Seeing his pet's delightful face, Mr. white gently scratched its under chin, while he ate the ball of light hole! But as the ball light entered its stomach it caused all the skin of the beast to glow! Its fairy-like wings grew ever larger on its back, while its once calm eyes now blazed with the fury of the sun with pure orange. But as its stomach grew from the intense heat, the dragon could no longer contain the mini sun that was growing inside! With a swollen gut, the dragon tossed out the sun from within his belly and launched it into the sky!
As the sun in the air exploded out in radiant light, the aliens in the forest stood behind their trees, as they surrounded the small town! But knowing they were spotted the aliens didn't run nor hide, they simply stared at the defenders on the wall!
[umm… It looks like there are more of them now… day by day they drag people into those woods… and day by day they come back with even more… but as the days come and go, the town defense dwindles, while the monsters grow ever stronger… this town… is lost!] said Mr. white to himself, as he looked out to a sea of monsters.
[Mr. White! How many men did we lose today…] said Abdon
[10… we lost 10 today! To that damned invisible hunter! Damn you Mr. Black! You had one job! Why did you go and let them… sigh, report to the captain we are abandoning the town… We only came to find the metal one, but it looks like he's not here…] replied Mr. White
[Are you sure? If we leave… those monsters will] replied Abdon
[I know… the only reason they haven't already taken the town is because we are here… if only we got here sooner… we might have been able to catch the metal one.] replied Mr. white as he stared off into the distance
A few days earlier: Breder short POV
As Breder stared into the cold town that laid half destroyed in front of him, he felt a shimmer in the area around him, as Blacky showed himself to say:
[the town's defense is weak! We can claim it anytime!]
{good! But let's not take it just yet.} replied Breder to the confused Blacky, as he came back from scouting the town
{If we take it now, then the gains will be few… no! Let's slowly bleed them out! So, they will call for aid! For what we need now are more hosts! Not to conquer lands!} said Breder
{having said that… Blacky led your team to capture 6 humans for now! And you have my permission to kill the strong! Right now, we need quantity over quality…} continued Breder
As Blacky left with his small team, Breder turned and said to Collins:
{take your team to the outskirts of the dwarven town just south of here! Don't raid the city or get anywhere near it! Just capture 6 of them! Do you understand! And just to be clear, they look just like humans but smaller that's all!]
Nodding, Collins ran off with his team. As Breder looked to Ilzec he said:
{you were to take your team and bring me back 6 of any quadruped animal or monsters!}
As Ilzec bowed and left with his team, Breder entered the hollow out tree, and supervised Elphe as she made the place more like home, for the face huggers on the back of the three carriers. Of course, she wasn't the only one hard at work, for Breder had others dig out tunnels throughout the forest going in all directions, after all one must always have an escape plan, when one wishes to engage the world!
But while Breder sat there nice and warm, Waltin on the other hand sat on the cold hard steel of the prison floor!
[Lord Ander please! I already told you everything!] screamed Waltin as his blood slowly escaped his body
[That you did, but I'm a little confused as to why you would serve house Augustine. After all, they are not one to take failure of any kind lightly… So, it's no wonder you would be so desperate to hide your dealings in my city. But I do wonder… was the goblin war all part of his plan…] replied Ander
[I… don't know! I really don't know! They just started attacking our ship! Like I already told you!] screamed back Waltin
[there… There, like I said, I believe you. After all, if it really was part of his plan, he wouldn't have told someone like you anything. Now then seeing that you can't give me any more useful information…] replied Ander
[Wait! No! I told you everything!] screamed Waltin as a bang ranged out into the halls
As Ander stood above the corpse of Waltin, a young lass came running in to report:
[Sir Ander, a ship bearing the emblem of house Augustine is landing at the platform right now!]