Hopkins marched forward, her fiery red hair blazing and her green eyes sparkling with vengeance. Her sole mission was to kill Zarda and take his blood. Just like her father's life, her patience was wearing thin. She was desperate for the cure and was willing to do whatever it takes to obtain it.
Unbeknownst to them, Hopkins and Campbell ventured towards the tree line shielded by powerful runes. As they moved ahead, expecting to navigate through the familiar forest, they were suddenly overcome with dizziness, pounding headaches, and struggled to breathe due to the mystical energy surrounding them.
Hopkins fell to her knees, frantically clutching at her shirt as if it were suffocating her. Campbell, fortunately, had the strength to grab her by the back of her shirt and drag her away from the enchanted treeline.
"They have placed a hex on us, preventing us from advancing. This appears to be the animals' territory. We have located it, now we need to find a way to enter." - Hopkins gasped
"Campbell replied, 'No, they haven't cursed us. It appears that they have etched magical runes into the trees. The magical forcefield is keeping them hidden and protected from intruders. All we have to do is burn down the treeline and push through.'"
As Hopkins thought to herself, the soldier was correct. She stood up again and issued commands. The soldiers behind her swiftly moved to their designated spots. Some of them brought out the chemical bombs loaded on the military trucks, ready with fabric wicks for ignition. They lined up a group of vials side by side and lit them one by one in rapid succession. Taking cover, everyone ran to safety except for Hopkins, who stood a safe distance away to witness the unfolding spectacle. She remained steadfast and motionless, positioned just within sight of the show about to take place.
The bottles burned slowly at first, but as the wick neared the chemicals inside, the fireworks began. Explosions tore through the treeline, creating a gaping hole that set the surrounding trees ablaze. Despite being showered with burning tree shrapnel, Hopkins remained unaffected and only grew more ignited.
A malicious grin stretched across her face, a look of pure insanity. She ordered her men to grab the heavy artillery and shoot to kill anyone they found.
High in the tree tops, Lord Asger and Lady Sindri observed from a safe distance as soldiers entered their Sanctuary of Havardr. Asger had some of his stronger warriors concealed on the ground nearby, ready for any ambush. Meanwhile, warriors from the kingdom of Arvid stood in the treetops, armed with bows and arrows just like their counterparts. Ayaan, Luca, Gille, and Hamish - the four warriors trained by Zarda - kept watch from a nearby hill with Eindride the seer, hidden among the trees for camouflage.
The forest was eerily quiet. The soldiers were puzzled by the absence of any animals. Hopkins had forewarned them that the creatures were aware of their presence. With this knowledge, the soldiers knew the animals could be lurking anywhere, ready to strike at any moment.
Hopkins was nervous, she was a terrible soldier and even worse leader. Calling for Campbell she ordered him to bring the tank through. The young aoldier waved in the largevtank and the second group of soldier marched in behind.
The humans were getting closer to their target location, with Asger signaling to his warriors with a sparrow-like whistle. This alert spread through the woods, prompting each fighter to prepare for battle. Ayaan gripped his staff tightly and began to spin it rapidly in front of him, focusing his energy on the approaching humans. His invisible power enveloped the men, allowing him to manipulate their thoughts. By planting the idea of being consumed by ants in their minds, he drove them to madness. The soldiers screamed, swatted at themselves, and dropped their weapons as they fled. Hopkins, witnessing the chaos, was horrified and puzzled by the scene unfolding before her, noticing a similarity in Campbell's reaction.
"Are they insane, or are there additional runes? They are behaving as though they have encountered ants or something even worse," she exclaimed.
Ayaan was pleased with the reaction, so he decided to change tactics and made a small group of soldiers suddenly feel sick to their stomachs. They all began violently vomiting clear liquids at the same time, in extreme pain they dropped to the ground and crawled behind the truck just like the first group of soldiers had done. Once they were behind the truck, they found some relief from the relentless attacks. Furious, Hopkins grabbed a gun and started shooting into the seemingly empty forest, hearing the sound of bullets hitting bodies. This spurred her on, and her bravery motivated the soldiers to also start shooting, no longer willing to wait for the attack to come to them.
Asger signaled to his archers, prompting them to release a barrage of arrows. The unaware soldiers below were swiftly eliminated. Meanwhile, Hopkins and Campbell, having missed the initial attack, began shooting among the treetops.
"They are hidden in the trees above us, start firing into the canopy," yelled Hopkins.
The chaos of battle erupted as her men unleashed fury in all directions. Asger swiftly descended upon a soldier, tearing into his throat with brutal ferocity. Blood dripped from his teeth as his primal instincts took over, driving him to attack anyone in his path without hesitation. Meanwhile, Lady Sindri, protected by her rune necklace, skillfully avoided the chaos around her. Elevated in the trees, she channeled her magic through chants that struck fear into all who heard. Utilizing the power gained from crystals, she levitated soldiers into the air and hurled them against the trees, the sickening sound of bones breaking and cries of pain filling the air. Hopkins, consumed by rage, commanded the soldiers in the tank to unleash destruction upon the battlefield.
The Tank created another large hole in the woods as it advanced towards Ayaan and his colleagues. Eindride, the seer, walked away from the battle scene with ravens following and cawing loudly. Hopkins requested more chemical bombs to burn down the forest, desperately searching for any sign of Zarda. Unable to find him, she decided to burn him out. As the bomb exploded with fire, her only thought was "burn baby burn".
The trees were engulfed in fierce flames, inching their way across the forest floor. Warriors and soldiers scattered to avoid the fire, as well as their leader's madness. Serenely, she wandered through the trees in search of Zarda. Much to her dismay, she realized he was nowhere to be found.
"You believe you've outsmarted me, but I'll kill your new friends. If you come out of hiding, there won't be a place for you to return to," she said with a smirk.
After hours of battling in their usual manner, the three special warriors who had been separated by fire finally unleashed their powers. Hamish the bison and Luca the coyite joined forces. They wielded their staffs together simultaneously, sending vibrations and sparks through the earth as they focused on positive thoughts took control. The ground trembled, and large grey boulders emerged, shedding dirt as they rose. Hamish was manipulating the ground to his will. Luca then was able to animate the rocks into living beings. The colossal rock creatures groaned and cracked as they stood tall, obeying Luca's command to crush any soldiers in their path. With a slow, thunderous stride, they easily dispatched the humans, causing screams of terror to fill the air. Hopkins watched in horror as she screamed at a group of men to release the xx-mutants waiting by the base. The soldiers in the distance struggled to hear her orders, but they understood enough to carry them out swiftly. Unfortunately, for them they realized soon, the xx-mutants didn't attack their own kind. They went straight for the humans instead, the plan was a set back. The soldier closest to the cage was attacked by the large rat creature, which tore off his cheek with its sharp teeth. Blood and screams spilled out as he was being consumed alive. It was his own fault for trusting Hopkins. Unaware of the tragedy unfolding behind her, she continued to move forward. Bullets whizzed by, the sound of crashes and booms echoed, creating a chaotic cacophony that overwhelmed everyone's senses.
Hopkins relying on her best men to be successful. She hadn't even stopped to think if they were injured or even alive. Amidst the chaos of battle, Campbell had been wounded, thrown into a tree by Sindri. Luckily, Campbell was still alive, although unconscious and bleeding from a broken rib and severe cuts on his side.
Hopkins was puzzled as to where she went wrong. Everything went silent, as if fading away. Asger seized the opportunity to capture the greatest monster Zarda had ever spoken of, just a foot away. He lunged and tackled the unsuspecting scientist, binding her hands and taking her captive. He called for a few close warriors to help gag and restrain her. Sindri, safe in her protective bubble above, watched with delight at the capture. Her eyes were always on Asger to ensure his safety. She quickly descended from the tree and rushed over to join them.
"Give her to me, I know just what to do with her" said Sindri menacingly.
Summoning the two ravens, Visindi and Zandy, who had accompanied her in the trees using magical runes, she asked for their help in transporting the hostage. Hopkins now a prisoner herself, was at the mercy of the high lady. It was her actions that had attracted the humans in the first place, resulting in the deaths of countless innocent animals and soldiers. She was a despicable human being, and those who caused harm deserved to be punished.
The sounds of battle began to diminish as soldiers and warriors fought. Gille, known as the red hawk, bided his time before unleashing a devastating attack. He honed in on his inner motivation, fueled by the thought of spilt innocent blood. Raising his staff high, he let out a piercing sonic scream that caused those around him to crumble in agony. Some soldiers fled, while others dropped to the ground in pain, experiencing seizures, nosebleeds, and excruciating headaches. The force of his attack was so intense that it caused some to lose consciousness. Gille ceased his assault once he noticed the battle had come to a halt, with only the sound of retreating soldiers breaking the silence.
Hopkins called for assistance, but her men ignored her pleas. They had deserted her, just as she had abandoned them before. Alone and being dragged by her arms by two ravens, with Sindri close behind, they were making good progress when a gunshot suddenly pierced the air. Sindri halted, sensing something amiss, and ordered the ravens to take Hopkins to Hellir, where she would be placed in the same cells that Zarda had once occupied. Quickly, Sindri raced back to help her king.
Just before the gunshot rang out, Asger and his soldiers quickly checked the bodies, stabbing them in the chest to ensure no one was still alive. After gathering their wounded and deceased comrades, they moved them aside. When the females and young ones learned that the battle was finished, they rushed out to tend to the wounded and prepare the dead.
The soldiers' bodies were stacked for cremation. Asger moved slowly through the forest, meticulously checking each one. He approached Campbell, who was regaining consciousness and immediately understood Asger's intention. As Asger raised his blade to strike, Campbell swiftly fired his handgun, the bullet piercing Asger's heart. Asger's eyes widened in terror, blood gurgling from his mouth. Campbell, frightened, fled towards the military trucks without looking back. Asger, clinging to life, collapsed to his knees and fell face-first onto the ground, lifeless in a pool of his own blood. His soul had left his body. Sindri rushed to his side, mourning for her fallen king. The others in the vicinity soon discovered the reason for the sorrowful screams of their high lady.
Sindri looked up for Feginn, Mercury, and Harper to assist in moving his lifeless body to Hellir, where she believed the crystals could revive him. She was confident they could heal and restore him.
Sindri cried out, "Please assist me in bringing him to Hellir immediately. Let us handle him with care as we move him. Once we place him on a stretcher, it will make the long journey much easier."
The local witch nurse, a female badger, quickly returned to their medical hut and fetched exactly what Sindri required. She then dragged the large stretcher back for them to carry Asger's body.
Sindri's heart shattered when she realized her mistake. Thinking her king was out of harm's way, she now mourned her deceased lord. Tears streamed down her face as she observed three powerful warriors lifting the king's lifeless body with care. They began the solemn journey down the familiar path to the caves of Hellir. Even in death, the king was being taken to the one place he swore never to return to, showing how life had a cruel sense of humor in bringing him back.