6. The Reinforcements

The two soldiers who had gone for backup returned with a reinforcement of 100 soldiers, all of whom were equipped with the latest in magical armor and weaponry. They were a formidable force, and their leader, a towering figure with a voice like thunder, introduced himself as Commander Grimbold.

"Alright, men!" Commander Grimbold bellowed. "We have a mission to complete. We need to find Eryndor, the walking plague, and bring him to justice. Or, at the very least, put an end to his bad luck."

The soldiers all cheered and high-fived each other, eager to get started. One of them, a young recruit named Sean, turned to his friend and whispered, "I've heard that Eryndor's bad luck is so powerful, it can curse an entire army. I hope we're not walking into a trap."

His friend, a grizzled veteran named Bob, just rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Sean. We've got the best magic and the best training. We can handle whatever Eryndor throws our way."

Previously when the five soldiers approached the kingdom and enquired about Eryndor the bad luck magnet, the soldiers were met with a mixture of fear and avoidance. Many of the civilians scurried away, not wanting to get involved with the walking plague. But one man, a sly-looking fellow named Jack, approached them with a sly grin on his face.

"Ah, you're looking for Eryndor, eh?" Jack said, rubbing his hands together. "Well, I can tell you that he's currently participating in the sword tournament. And I can even point him out to you."

Jack pointed his finger towards Ravenswood, who was still competing in the tournament. "That's him, right there. Eryndor, the greatest swordsman in the land."

The soldiers all nodded and thanked Jack, who smiled to himself as he walked away. What they didn't know was that Jack had bet 100 gold coins on Eryndor winning the tournament, and he wanted to make sure that the real Eryndor had a chance to win.

Currently, the three soldiers who had gone after Ravenswood had caught up with him and were beating him badly. Ravenswood had a black eye and was cursing himself for his bad luck.

"Why did I have to fight Eryndor?" Ravenswood shouted, as the soldiers punched and kicked him. "Why did I have to tempt fate like this? I'm a lord, for crying out loud! I have a title, a castle, and a reputation to uphold!"

Just as the soldiers were about to deliver the final blow, Ravenswood managed to convince them that he was truly Ravenswood, and not Eryndor. The convinced soldiers helped Ravenswood to his feet, where he stood, wincing in pain.

After becoming acquainted with the sequence of events, the 105 army soldiers started investigating the whereabouts of Eryndor, they finally found out that he had indeed run away into the forest. Commander Grimbold commanded the army to start searching the forest, and they all set off, determined to find Eryndor and put an end to his bad luck.

As they searched the forest, they encountered all sorts of dangers, from giant spiders to ferocious beasts. But they persevered, driven by their mission to find Eryndor.

Unbeknownst to the army, the Lich, Xandros, who lived in the heart of the forest, had already recovered 90% of his health and had summoned his army from the Netherworld. Xandros was a powerful and malevolent being, feared throughout the Netherworld for his dark magic and his army of undead minions.

Xandros, the Lich, cackled with glee as he surveyed his undead army. He turned to his trusty skeleton sidekick, Steve, and said, "Ah, Steve, my faithful companion, the time has come to launch our attack on this world. We will conquer it, and all will bow to my greatness!"

Steve, the skeleton, nodded his skull enthusiastically. "Yes, my lord! We will crush all who oppose us! But, uh, do you have a plan, my lord?"

Xandros waved his bony hand dismissively. "Plans are for the weak, Steve. We will simply march in, destroy everything in our path, and claim this world as our own. It's not like anyone can stop us, after all."

Steve looked uncertain. "But, my lord, what about the whole 'being a Lich' thing? You know, the whole ' undead and evil' vibe? Don't you think that might, you know, put people off?"

Xandros chuckled. "Ah, Steve, you worry too much. My charm and charisma will win them over. Besides, who needs friends when you have an army of undead minions at your command?"

Steve shrugged. "I suppose that's one way to look at it, my lord. But what about the whole 'conquering the world' thing? Don't you think that's a bit... ambitious?"

Xandros's grin grew even wider. "Ambitious? Ha! I am a Lich, Steve. I am a master of the dark arts. I will not be defeated. And besides, I have a feeling that this world is just ripe for the taking. The inhabitants are so... soft and weak. It will be like taking candy from a baby."

Steve nodded, though he still looked a bit skeptical. "Yes, my lord. I'm sure it will be a piece of cake. But, uh, just to be on the safe side, maybe we should, you know, scout out the area first? Make sure there aren't any, you know, heroes or anything?"

Xandros laughed. "Heroes? Ha! I am the greatest villain this world has ever known. No hero can stand against me. And besides, I have my trusty undead army to back me up. We will be unstoppable!"

But little did Xandros know, the army of the higher world, led by Commander Grimbold, was indeed closing in on the forest, searching for Eryndor. And they were not going to be easy to defeat...

"Ah, perfect," Eryndor said to himself, as he entered the cave. "This will be a great place to hide out for a while. I'll just rest here for a bit, and then I'll be on my way."

Little did Eryndor know, he was walking right into the heart of darkness