Chapter Thirty Three
Andrew hurried along the wide path towards Regdlin, along with the rest of Green's soldiers. The medium sized town was perched atop Qawars Hill, which was about a thousand feet tall. Green would have the advantage of the high ground at least.
The hill itself was highly defensible. The main way to its top was by stone steps on the western side. Other than that, there weren't many other ways to climb up the steep hill. But there was no question that Blue had the more mighty army. Would the hill's defenses be enough to save Green today?
Night fell, and it seemed darker than usual. A dark day, an even darker night.
Green woke his army at the crack of dawn, and had every company and platoon assigned a position on the hilltop so that the town, which was situated in the center, would be ringed by Green's army. The line was to be defended fiercely. The men were to give no quarter.
Scouts dashed into Green's tent.
"What have you seen?" Green asked.
"Eaguars, hundreds of ferocious eaguars, coming our way. And, monstrous blue machines as well, like something from a nightmare!"
"So Blue is deploying his tanks. Make haste to Sergeant Fasshoner. In his custody are flaxen containers filled with the sap of a cecibill plant mixed with the venom of a garnuck in a special volatile concoction. They make a highly explosive mixture. The Forklant riders are to be armed with these bombs and are to target the machines, immediately!"
The tanks needed to be stopped before they made it up the hill to the line of battle.
"Yes sir," said the scouts, and hurried to the task.
But after the lengthy aerial battle of the day before, the majestic Forklant birds in Green's arsenal were vastly reduced in number. And after the first cecibill-garnuck bomb was dropped by the bird riders, wrecking the treads of one of the humongous machines, Blue deployed his fierce heli-soldiers once again, this time to defend his tanks. Therefore the Forklant offensive was not very effective, and the majority of Blue's tanks continued up the hill towards Regdlin unscathed.
But several of the monstrous machines smoked and burned, no more than empty metal wrecks, as their drivers and gunmen bailed.
Blue unleashed his trained blue eaguars on Green's men. They dealt a huge psychological blow to Green's entire army, who mostly originated from villages near the forest. They were conditioned from birth to fear the ferocious eaguar. The creatures shook the moral of Green's men to its very foundation.
Then Blue's infantry charged. His gunmen were more than a match for Green's demoralized bowmen, even though Blue had the lower ground.
Finally, King Blue himself led a regiment of tanks, his most prized machines, up Qawar hill. He rode in his blue Lamborghini, machine gun and rocket launchers blazing. He had the car made bullet proof, and had also put on rugged off-road tires. He stood in the car, silver crown with a huge blue gem set in its center resting upon his long azure colored hair. He personally led the charge of his tanks, which were in his eyes, one of his finest accomplishments.
Blue's machine's chugged ever so slowly up the hill. But when they finally reached the top, they unleashed incredible firepower onto the battlefield. Such firepower that was unprecedented in all the Immortal Realms.
Greens were falling; injured, maimed, and defeated, all over the place. Holes were ripped through their flesh by the metal bullets of Blue's men. Bodies were blasted apart by tank mortars.
King Green called an emergency meeting with his top staff.
"Our men our demoralized. Blue has the lethal tube weapons. And he also has these monstrous machines. If something drastic isn't done, this battle, and this Realm, will be lost."
"It is time to sound the Silver Horn of the Forest," called out General Loben Tel-Tunn. "It is our only hope."
"But what right do we have to ask the animals to die for us?" asked Yantry. "This is our war, not theirs."
"Yes," spoke up another soldier, Commander Norfwood. "Must the creatures suffer for the wrongs of Men?"
"No, this is the forest's war as well," said King Green. "We know that Blue cares nothing for life of any kind. He is only concerned with what will bolster his power and influence. If the Realm of Green goes to Blue, the forests are sure to die, with the creatures of the woods and wildlands soon to follow."
"Don't we need permission from the High King of the Light to use the Silver Horn?" asked Commander Norfwood.
"Yes, we do, but the High King is here," said Green. "King Mwistinil, I request permission to use the Silver Horn of the Forest. Quick, the ritual. The hour is late, the need is great. The sound of the Horn, shall decide our fate."
."Let the call be heard, on the blast of the third. On the winds be borne, the sound of the Horn," Teltibane answered.
Yantry retrieved an exquisite green velvet bag embroidered with silver from King Green's personal belongings. He removed a beautiful silver horn, engraved with pictures of various wild animals. Kneeling before his King, he presented it to him.
"Take the Horn, and sound its blast, from it the call, shall ever last," the whole tent recited in chorus, showing their approval and completing the ritual. The horn now possessed the power to do its magic.
The King took the silver horn in hand. He exited the tent and walked out onto the hilltop, long green cloak billowing in the wind. The sun reflected brightly off his golden blonde hair.
He surveyed his beloved Realm from high atop the hill. Its forests, its wild places. The beautiful Realm that Blue would decimate, if given his way.
He put the silver horn to his lips, and blew once. A deep, reverberating noise was sounded. The noise grew louder and louder, permeating everything. It travelled to all corners of the Realm of Green, to every forest, mountain, valley and dale.
King Yionaffe put the silver horn to his lips again, and blew with his whole being. This time a higher note left its bell, to be heard throughout the entire Realm.
He then blew the horn for the third and final time. A high, clear sound left its bell. The sound was heard once more in every part of the Realm of Green, one mile and hundreds of miles away alike.
The call had been sounded. Now it was up to the creatures to answer.
"What was that noise?" Blue asked his servants.
"It must be some sort of signal that Green is sending to his soldiers," answered Carrow. "Perhaps they are ready to surrender."
"They would be wise to surrender, before they are all crushed by my might."
"Without a doubt, wise ruler."
Minutes later, Andrew heard loud growling and roaring noises. Hundreds and hundreds of animals emerged from the surrounding forests. Fearsome and ferocious creatures, possessed of powerful natural weapons. They charged up the hill straight at Blue's men, who were by now most of the way up the slope.
King Green had protected the animals faithfully for centuries. Now, they would protect Green, and honor the ancient pact.
Glenvins snarled, and ripped apart Blue gunmen. Eaguar fought eaguar, and ripped into Blue's swordsmen.
A great swarm of scarlet Umlenzi descended upon the army of Blue, to sink their poisonous teeth into Blue flesh. And tens of other vicious creatures that Andrew had never even seen or imagined before joined in the fray.
The forest was awake, the forest was angry, the forest would fight.
But Blue wasn't about to give up yet. Not by a long shot. His tanks ripped huge holes in the ground, were moments before tens of animals were. He deployed his machine guns, which mowed down the creatures by the hundreds.
'It is time,' thought Andrew. He took the small bone whistle that had been dangling from a string on his neck for the past several weeks in hand. Such a small, innocent looking whistle. Who would think that it contained such power? He brought it to his lips, and blew hard.
Seconds later, a regal, imposing, and terrifying looking black winged horse, with a flaming mane, landed in front of him
. The brutal fire breathing Xelnia was ready for battle. It snorted, and steam left its nostrils.
Andrew mounted the coal black horse and entwined his hands in its red and orange mane as they took off.
He tried to guide it towards Blue's army, but there was no need. The Xelnia knew who the bad guys were. It flew down the front line, torching Blue's soldiers with huge bursts of flame, taking out fifteen soldiers with one breath. Then Andrew guided it to the tanks, Blue's most fearsome weapons.
The Xelnia engulfed tank after tank in flames, and one by one they blew up in huge explosions, as the fire hit their fuel tanks.
The Umlenzi also helped out with combating the machines. Blue had designed them with a small space in back of the turret for air to come in and cool the inside of the hot machines. But this space was big enough for an Umlenzi to fit into, and they exploited this. Without even touching the tanks themselves, they were able to take out the crews with their sharp teeth and poison.
Tank crews were bailing as Umlenzi invaded the machines.
The slaughter continued for hours, with Blue's machine guns firing nonstop, taking down hundreds of Men and creatures. And the thousands upon thousands of forest animals, who had heard the call of the Silver Horn, and honored the ancient agreement, tore Blue's soldiers limb for limb in return.
Night fell, and the slaughter slowed somewhat, then finally stopped. Andrew dismounted the Xelnia. It bowed, and Andrew bowed back. With a flap of its great wings the Xelnia took off into the skies, its task complete.
The second Lightless Day was over.