The Battle

"Fire!" Prince Theo's order sends a rain of flaming arrows whistling towards the assailants side. Some lines collapse with men and beasts howling in agony only to be struck with additional waves.

Amid the chaos a roar of a werewolf cuts through the air, unleashing a deluge of werewolves towards the defenders.

"Spears!" Tolis shouts.

Tapered spears await the charging creatures. Red mist covers the frontline areas as most of the werewolves impale themselves upon the silver spikes, smashing, tearing of flesh, stabbing and wails prevail.

A few minutes later a carpet of bloody bodies and carcasses separates the remaining armies.

"Retreat!" Tolis issues command followed by a short movement backwards by the defending army as if inviting their foes to charge.

"Attack!" The invaders receive the order and hordes of human soldiers sprint towards their opponents. On reaching the piles of dead bodies many stamble.

"Finish them!" Tolis orders unleashing the remaining troops upon an enemy already in disarray.

From the resulting clash it becomes clear that the enemy troops are being vanquished.

King Tolis takes a break from fighting to inquire of the whereabouts of King Edric.

"His Majesty needs to know that his army is on its way to victory." He says to Prince Theo.

"He left us before the battle commenced." Theo tells in a regretful voice.

Back inside the palace Shella angrily slams her fist against the table her sixteenth attempt to open the box fails.

"What if she locked the sword in there so that no one can ever use it again!" Mila asks in a saddened voice.

"My mother used to tell me that . . . if I should go back to her house when my light turns into darkness." Shella mutters with a thoughtful expression. "When . . . light turns into darkness. That might be the code!" She exclaims out loud.

Adriel and Mila casts her confused stares until she starts moving the tabs on the box again.

"The image of the sun must align with that of the moon. With something that represents change between them." She says, hastily moving the tabs until the image of the sun and the moon are adjacent to each other. She them moves the tab with the image of a chameleon between them.

A clicking sound is heard before the box bursts open.

"Yeah!" Adriel shouts in celebration and rushes forward to grab the sword.

But they all gasp in shock when the contents of the box turns out to be a rolled up scroll.

"Damn it all!" Adriel shouts in overwhelming fury as Shella picks up the map from the box and unfolds it.

He paces back and forth, muttering curses under his breath.

"This might be lead us to where my mother is! If we find her we find the sword." Shella exclaims in awe.

"Incase you have forgotten there is an army of monsters outside the gates! How do we turn them back without the sword?" Adriel questions angrily.

"We show them that the sword isn't here." Princess Shella answers.

Adriel takes a moment to consider her suggestion before rushing forward and picking up the empty box.

"Come with me!" He says dashing towards the door. Shella hurries after him with the map in her hand.

At the centre of the vicious battle outside the gates, the empty box lands in between the armies, grabbing the attention of those nearby.

Gradually the hostilities die down as the generals and soldiers on frontlines shift their focus to the open box.

"Cease the fighting! We have opened the box! This useless scroll was the only item in it!" Adriel shouts from atop the walls while Shella holds up the rolled up parchment in her hand for everyone to see.

The two remaining generals of the enemy army look at each other, unsure what to do.

"Turn back the way you came or we exterminate you!" Tolis warns in a fearsome tone and the two generals vigorously nod the heads.

"We shall leave immediately." They accede, aware of the strategic defeat their army has suffered.

"I am going to throw a party to celebrate the victory! We have crashed their mighty army! Hooray to our victory!" King Edric who has instantly appeared in the battlefield yells in celebration, steering his horse forward to get closer to King Tolis.

"Zedon himself and his necromancers were not part of the army. It's obvious that was a tiny portion of his forces. We must read that map immediately and see if it will help us find the sword. Otherwise the walls of your city will not stand in the next battle." Tolis responds and Edric's smile fades.

"I appreciate your wise counsel, your Majesty. Let's get inside and see if that map bears the location of that accursed blade. Perhaps in it Shella might also learn the whereabouts of her mother." Edric says.

The Two kings and Prince Theo make their way back inside the palace, leaving the soldiers to celebrate the victory and gather the injured.