Chapter 3: Spring Hills Forest…

Directly to the East of the Oasis there's a forest full of illustrious wonders. Elves, Dwarfs and Druids share this massive forest and call it home...

~Spring Hills Forest Druids~

- Master Gravf!! Master Gravf!!!!

(Master Gravf) Calm yourself... What's so important to you that you must scream my names through the loft of the building??

-Master. Root Town has gone into lockdown and is on high alert right now... A third of their army have suited up in battle regalia. The Dwarven Rite will meet in the morning... Madam Waep sent an emissary to deliver the message.. She said be on the lookout for changes coming among the Elves...

(Master Gravf) Is that all she said??

-Y... Yes, Honorable Master...

(Master Gravf) Have the Sensory Master, Master of Information, and Resilience Master come to the Ancient Court..

The Master was abruptly hit with interesting news. He pondered as he walked towards the Court..

-Its been quite some time since anyone of the three factions made any moves on one another, so why now??

Furthermore, who could have stirred such trouble with the Dwarves of Root Town? Better question, how'd they get down there and out without being caught?? What did they take?

(Sensory Master) The Elves of Ash Trunk have started to wake up half of their army..

(Master of Information) Head Master, one of my young sorcerers has been relaying to me directly. The situation is backwards it seems.

(Master Gravf) Explain..

(Master of Information) Well they are suiting up to mount an invasion, but a Dwarf leader was there meeting with one of the Elvin leaders...

(Master Gravf) Resilience Master. Go prepare our defenses. And summon the Flame Sister, along with the Wicked Riders...

(Resilience Master) Yes, Master... What are we preparing for? Don't you think it's too early...

(Master Gravf) NONSENSE!!!

Emissary!!!! Get word to High Mountain, have them send everyone to go over and aid Madam Waep. Time is of the essence...

-Aye... Master I'm gone....

The emissary left in a flash...

(Master Gravf) I'm going to meditate and think about our next course of action. Maybe I can figure some things out on my own. I need you two keep eyes and ears to both sides of this...

The Resilience Master was hard pressed trying to find ways to think like the Old Master so he can lend aid now.

(Resilience Master) The Master's mood went from calm to more active than I've seen it in all the years I've been at his side...It'll be fine I'll just do as he says..

The Resilience Master stands in front of a stone catacomb door. The thick door had no handles, no sign of movement, it seemed more like a sealed tomb than a doorway for passage...

-Thoomb-Thoomb-Thoomb-

He gave three wraps...

-Someone yells out

-Another yells out

The Master waited a few seconds then a subtle rumble seeped out from inside the catacomb. Some dust and rock crumbled pierced the air, while the door slowly opened...

He walked down a staircase and directly in front of him was a room-sized pool filled with white flames. The flames sparkled and danced as deep as the eyes could see...

He summoned Flame Sister and her Wicked Riders...

-Sister of truth, Brothers of Sorrow

Come to conquer, Come to siege...

Step into our world...

Great Fire Fly of Tomorrow...

He displayed a glass vial filled with blood and he reached over the pool letting five drops loose into the flames. Before he could pull his arm from over the well it flared in a rage, causing his arm to be seared a bit. The Master turned to walk off but noticed something to his immediate right written on the wall was a set of orders...

*Do Not Jump In Well*

*Only Use Exact Droplet Amount*

*Never Put Limbs Over Pool*

The Resilience Master had become so complacent and comfortable over the years he forgot about these trivial rules. Now he has a scar to prove it, he walked out laughing at himself with his head in his palm...

-A glorious battle is looming and I'm already injured. Ha. Ha. Ha.. Yes... This is what I've been waiting for. Now let's go see the defenses...

-Master Gravf!!!! Master Gravf!!!! News from Madam Waep!!!!

(Master Gravf) What is it?

-Madam Waep is on her way here...

(Master Gravf) What? Don't tell me... Have the Masters assemble in the Court. NOW!!!

Master Gravf walked down to the court and Madam Waep had just arrived...

(Master Gravf) What happened? Why'd you abandon your precious Canopy Lake??

(Madam Waep) Th... They were already on the move and planning this long before last night and we had no clue..

(Master) You said they were just mustering some of their forces. How could they have moved on you so quickly and I sent High Mountain to help. Did they arrive??

(Madam) They arrived. And still it was over in one decisive moment.. I don't know what happened but the ground pulsated and bubbled causing all of our land to crumble and collapse. The reinforcements mostly died, the only people left are here with me...

(Master) You only have a handful of people?!!

-Correct... Gravf they hit us from underneath and we couldn't sense them. I don't understand because we have fields of sensory plates under our lands for that situation since the Dwarves live in Root Town...

-TeeHee- TeeHee-

Everyone turns around in the direction of the laughter...

-Clack-Clack-Clack-Clack-Clack....

A short figure is standing in the Ancient Court hallway and behind her four normal size figures walk in...

-Madam Waep & Master Gravf, what am I walking into?

The whole room started to turn but only Master Gravf and Madam Waep continued. The rest of the room stood still and didn't make a sound as if everyone was put on pause. Both of the leaders took a knee and bowed their heads...

(Master Gravf & Madam Waep) Flame Sister..

(Flame Sister) Get up and explain, before I allow your followers to see you bending the knee... WAIT... Shush... Yeah I thought so...

-Warmonger there's a spy outside, go and retrieve them...

One of the figures accompanying her darted around the corner and came back within a few seconds.

(Warmonger) Here Lady FireFly...

He tossed the person down at their feet. The perpetrator tumbled roughly and landed on his face...

(Flame Sister) You're the one causing all this trouble huh? Where are you from??

He turned over with a huge creepster grin from ear to ear...

(Master & Madam) SAN'HALO!!?? What are you doing here?? Where's Grada?? Why isn't his dog on a damn leash???

(San'Halo) -Mmmmuuuuaaaaahhhhhaaaaaahhhhhh- You have a Fairy here and you have the nerve to ask me questions?? And the only questions you have are about Grada? Aren't you gonna bother to ask what I did to cause your troubles??

He just laughed in their faces as a powerful entity was in their presence...

To be continued...