"The Flag-Bearer Wars" relaunched

[Darconus]

Hello, there. I'm Darconus. I started writing this story as a sequel to the "Fall of Valhalla." Looking back, I realize that it wasn't very good, So I took it, reworked somethings in the story, and I'm relaunching it. I'm starting a new thread so that the other thread won't be so confusing. Enjoy.

Prologue
Immediately following the events of "The Fall of Valhalla"

The armies of Utgar awoke on an island in the midst of a vast field of lava, deep with the underworld of the Volcarren Wastes. The Obsidian Guard walked away, their allegiance with Utgar finalized, they had no reason to stay. Concan, his body healed, but weak, crashed amongst the Utgar army. He knew his fate.
"This is what Ullar meant. He knew this would happen."
"Knew?" Brunak said, moving up behind Concan, "You lead us to our doom, Kyrie." He spat the last word.
Concan turned, "I was doing the will of Utgar. You failed him when you ran away from the battle. I at least fought to the bitter end."
The ground suddenly began to shake. Concan turned his head in time to see an Orc grut lift into the air and vanish.
"What was that?" he asked.
The orc riding Grimnak spoke, "His name was Ornak."
*****

Denrick's body was prepared for burial. It was carried to Weston, and buried in the Field of Heroes. Morsbane knelt by the grave, "You will not hear this, but I am sorry to have doubted you. You have proven yourself beyond any doubt. You saved Valhalla."
Morsbane looked up at the knights and elves gathered together, "Sir Gilbert, you served with Denrick the longest, would you like to...."
Sir Gilbert floated into the air and vanished. The knights of Weston looked at each other in horror, wondering why Gilbert had been taken, and to where. Morsbane looked at the shocked faces in the gathering.
He was about to speak when Acohlar the Elf Wizard was raised into the air and vanished.
******

The Einar city of Mato stood on a mountain overlooking the plains of Izumi. Hatamato Taro, lord of Mato, stood on a balcony. His servants rushed back and forth, preparing for the feast of the hundredth day. He turned and walked through the great hall to his throne and sat down.
It was one of the holiest days for Einar, the hundredth day marked the first finding of an Einar Wellspring. Mato would be in celebration for nearly a week. After the week was out, Einar would begin the pilgrimage of Ein, in which they would wander their own territory for a month, prepared to fight anyone they crossed who did not belong there.
As he was preparing to give an order, Hatamato Taro was lifted into the air and vanished.
******

In the northern forests, Laglor the Alphallon lay bleeding. His leg had been ripped off. He was blinded in one eye. Standing over him was an Elite Onyx Viper.
“Not so tough, are you, monkey?”
Laglor coughed, “You were lucky.”
The Viper sneered, “No, your friends turned their backs on you. It’s a good thing they did, or they would also be dead.”
Laglor was preparing to die when he lifted into the air and disappeared.
******

The five who were taken stood in a dark room. They could see each other, but nothing else. A cool wind blew through the room, area, cavern, whatever they were in...
"What is the meaning of this?" Acohlar spat.
Laglor finally noticed that his wounds had healed. His leg had been replaced by a wooden one, and his bad eye had been replaced by a mechanical replacement.
A voice boomed above them, "You are the chosen five. I am Odin, lord of Valhalla. I have chosen you five for a special task. You will bear the flags for your general. You each have the skills necessary for this task. I have grown tired of the endless bickering in Valhalla. You five will help end it all."
Ornak raised his hand, "If you think that I‘m going to serve you..."
Odin silenced them all, "I have my reasons for choosing you. Return to where you were. Overcome your first obstacles. You will see why you were chosen."

End of Prologue

Chapter 1: Returning

Laglor, the Vydar Flag-Bearer, materialized in the air. The Elite Onyx Viper was waiting. Laglor hit the ground and merely looked at the viper.
"Where did you go, monkey?"
Laglor closed his eyes and a harness molded around his shoulders. Two spokes shot up into the air and the Vydar crest appeared on a flag between them. Atop the spokes appeared two guns.
The viper cocked its head sideways in surprise, "Nice trick."
Those were its last words, as Laglor mercilessly gunned it down. Noise echoed through the forest around him and dozens of Gorillanators appeared.
"You were going to let me die?" Laglor said, though it wasn't really a qustion.
Before anyone could answer, Laglor turned his guns on the first Gorillanator that had appeared, "I will not suffer things like this. I will not tolerate disloyalty. You follow me now. I represent Vydar."
********

Utgar's army still waited on the island in the lava lake. Concan had tried to fly away, but the magic of the curse had brought him right back to the island. When one of the minions attempted to flee, a bolt of lightning hit it and threw it into the lava.
Ornak materialized from where he had been taken. He began to walk to the head of the column of warriors.
Concan walked over and grabbed him by the collar, "Where did you go, Orc?"
Ornak looked down at Concan's hands, and then wrenched them loose of his neck, "You will never touch me again, filthy kyrie. I lead Utgar now. Odin has chosen me. You are returned to Jandar, worm."
With that, Concan disappeared. Ornak turned to study the army of Utgar. A flag appeared in his hand, bearing the emblem of Utgar, "Follow me!"
He turned his back on the army and waved his hand before him. The lava field ripped open and sunlight shown through. A green field lay before them.
"Is that..." a minion started to say.
"Yes, Odin returns us to Valhalla. That, is Uthaur, our new home."

*****

Sir Gilbert and Acohlar reappeared at the same moment, both dropping from the sky like angelic beings. Gilbert looked out over the gathered masses of Jandar and Ullar.
“Where did you two go?” Morsbane asked.
"We return," Gilbert exclaimed, “Bearing more than news.” A Jandar flag appeared in his hand.
Acohlar nodded, a giant leaf, symbol of Ullar, appearing in his hand, "Odin has called us to a great work. Valhalla is to be redeemed through the work of the flagbearers."
There was scattered applause. Many people in the two armies were unsure about this sudden change.

*****
Inside the walled city of Weston, Sir Gilbert sat at the head of a long table, Acohlar at the far end of the same table.
Gilbert rose and garnered everyone’s attention, “Jandar and Ullar, Odin has called forth my brother Acohlar and myself to be flag-bearers for us. He also called forth a member of Utgar, Einar, and Vydar.”
Acohlar stood, “The spirit of Ullar informs me that Utgar has been returned to Valhalla, and has been given Uthaur as their new land.”
Syvarris spat, “You mean that after all the fighting I did there with so many Aubriens that Odin has willfully turned the land over to Utgar?”
“I’m afraid so. But do not worry, Syvarris. They will not stay there long. With the new powers we have as flagbearers, Utgar will seek war with us very quickly.”

*****

Hatamato Taro reappeared on his throne. His gathered servants bowed. His second-in-command, Ni-ani, knelt, “Where did you go, my lord?”
Taro laughed, "Call forth the ninjas and samurai. Odin has given me a new strength. No longer will Einar be squire to Utgar. Valhalla will be ours. We will celebrate the hundredth day, and march on our enemies. The pilgrimage of Ein means more now than ever before."

End of Chapter 1

[deadeyedan42]

YES! HE'S BACK!

I'm adding this to the book!

[johnny139]

To quote deathsaurx...

Originally Posted by deathsaurx

Yay.

[deathsaurx]

Originally Posted by johnny139

To quote deathsaurx...

Exactly.... Again.

"Yay."


Nice to see you back, Darconus.

[Fallen Templar]

Originally Posted by deathsaurx

Exactly.... Again.

"Yay."


Nice to see you back, Darconus.

Ditto

[Darconus]

Chapter 2: Concan's Return

Saylind and Raelin stood on the highest turret of the castle of Weston. The kyrie warriors had spoken at length concerning the events surrounding Utgar's last march.
"I am certain that Khosumet was never the leader of Utgar." Raelin said.
Sayling leaned forward, looking into the distance, "No, Khosumet was merely the puppet. And there is the puppet master."
Concan, surrounded by a blue flame sped toward them. His hair and wings were their original color, but it seemed as though the black still drained from his armor. He crashed to the base of the turret.
Saylind lifted from her perch and swooped down, the Spear of Summoning pointed directly at Concan, "How dare you?!?"
Concan looked up, weeping, "Kill me. I know it's what you wish."
Raelin landed softly beside Saylind, "Killing him is not advisable. He knows much of what Utgar plans."
Concan shook visibly, "No longer. Utgar is lead by a single orc, Ornak. He calls himself the flagbearer."
The kyries froze, if only for a moment, "Flagbearer?" Saylind asked.
Concan nodded, trembling now, awaiting his fate, "So you can strike me down, I'm no more use to you."
Saylind moved as if to say something, but the air grew dark around her and she froze. Concan noted that Raelin was also not moving. He could feel the wind, but nothing around him moved.
"Concan."
He jumped at hearing his own name, "Who's there?"
"I am Jandar."
Concan bowed, his tears running down his nose, "Forgive me, please."
It was as if a hand touched his shoulder, "You were forgiven from the beginning. You cannot be held accountable, for you do not possess the foresight of the ancients. You were returned to me for a reason, Concan."
The kyrie continued crying, "I don't understand... what I did was unforgivable..."
A sense of calm washed over him, "I have spoken, and you are forgiven. The time is now that we must move forward as one army. Utgar remains a threat, but a new enemy rises to blot out the sun of Valhalla. You are my messenger for this task. Few will believe you, but you must warn them all."
Concan wiped the tears from eyes, "Who?"
"Einar!"
It was like a shout, a crack of thunder, a bolt of lightning, and in his heart Concan knew that Einar was marshalling an army to take Valhalla. The air returned to its previous color, and Saylind began to speak.
"It's Einar."
The two kyrie warriors exchanged glances. Raelin looked at him, "What?"
"Einar. They've gathered an army."
Saylind grabbed him by the arm, "You lie. You'll answer to Morsbane for this."
*****

Morsbane sat on Denrick's throne, Nilfheim knelt in a corner. Concan was lead in. His wings were tied behind his back and his hands were tied at his waist. Saylind threw him to the ground before Morsbane, drawing an angered look from the elf-wizard, "Was that necessary?"
Saylind spat on the fallen kyrie, "He betrayed us. He murdered me. Was it necessary? It's better than he deserves."
Morsbane ordered her away and knelt beside Concan, "I'm unsure if I should welcome you back or if I should simply expel you from all Jandar and Ullar lands."
Concan groaned as he tried to sit up, "I don't care if you hate me from now to Ragnarok, but understand this: Einar is building an army. They intend to claim Valhalla as their own."
Morsbane nodded, "And then they will take Volcarren, and then Thalenk... stop lying to us, Concan. I'd respect you alot more if you were honest."
Concan rocked back and forth, "You weren't lying..."
Morsbane snapped his head around, "What? You call me a liar."
Concan shook his head, "Never. I'd tell you how I know this, but I know you'll never believe me. Just prepare for war against Einar. Utgar will likely join them."
Morsbane drew back as if to hit Concan, "No. I refuse to beat an opponent unable to defend himself." He motioned to two sentinels, "Bring him. He shall see Denrick's grave."
*****

Concan, still bound, knelt at the grave of Sir Denrick. He wept again. "I am sorry. I have never been more sorry than I am at this moment. I knew you, for long years. We were friends. I hope that you understood that it was not me that killed you. I was fully given over to Utgar. I killed you, but Utgar controlled my motions.
"Still, that does not excuse me. I failed Jandar. I thought I could be stronger than he, and lead Utgar to a new golden age. I was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. For those few moments after the Sacred Gate riped me apart, after I succumbed to the horrible pain of that, I entered a state of clarity. I realized just how far gone I was. And then I was back in my body, plummeting onto an island in the middle of a lake of lava. Utgar returned wth me, and held my body as his own. I was conscious, but I could do nothing of my own accord.
"Then Ornak was taken from our army. He returned moments later, and I could feel Utgar leaving me and entering him. I was replaced by an orc, of all things an orc!
"But now I have been broken. And the others will not believe me but Jandar has sent me to warn them all about Einar. Einar is gathering their forces in hopes of taking Valhalla. And here I am telling this to a dead man. A man I killed. Forgive me, Denrick."
Concan forced himself up, "Morsbane. I am ready."

End of Chapter 2

[Taelord]

YAY! Drac's writing again. YAY!

[player_of_volleyball]

Man i love this stuff. Your stuff is so good and everyone should read this

[Darconus]

Chapter 3: Rise of the Einar Imperium

The Pilgrimage of Ein loomed with the rising of the sun. Hatamato Taro stood with his eyes closed, feeling the wind, listening to the myriad sounds. A river nearby flowed mightily, carrying water to all reaches of the Einar lands. The wind gave life, fanned flames. The sun, high above, was the giver of life.
Moments like this sustained him, mad him understand how he fit in with Einar's masterplan. There were bigger forces at work in Valhalla than Hatamato Taro, but Hatamato Taro was the catalyst that would spring the plan into motion.
*****

A Temple scribe stood before the congregated Einar warriors, "It is decreed by Lord Hatamato Taro, Magnificent Ruler of the Einar Imperium, that the Pilgrimage of Ein will signal the new beginning of the Einar Brotherhood!
"Odin, Supreme Overlord of all Valhalla, has gifted our leader with a new strength, and new abilities. No longer shall Utgar hold power and dominion over the lands of Einar. We will stand, and we will conquer!"
The masses of warriors cheered, but they were cut short as the scribe raised his hands to silence the crowd.
Everyone turned expectantly, awaiting the next words.
"So it is decreed."
*****

Hatamato Taro sat on his throne as thirteen samurai warriors approached. The worse only pants and carried their swords, as they had been instructed. Each warrior knelt before Hatamato Taro, again as instructed. The first warrior to kneel stood up. A golden armor slowly formed around his legs, and grew into a breastplate and helmet. The sword in his right hand transformed into a bow.
Hatamato Taro nodded, "Look at me, Kaemon Awa."
"Yes, my lord."
The other twelve warriors stood as wings grew on their backs. Hatamato Taro smiled at them, "You are now my Imerpium warriors. Make me proud."

To Be Continued

[Darconus]

Chapter 3 Cont.

The courtyard of the temple was abuzz with excitment. Einar Imperium warriors were sparring, and the samurai and ninjas had never seen anything like it.
The first two warriors had battled for nearly an hour. The second battle began in a more formal manner.
"I am Toshigawa." The warrior bowed.
"I am Karri." The warrior bowed.
In the blink of an eye both warriors were in the air, jostling for position, forcing each other down. Toshigawa appeared to be stronger, and was continually rising above his sparring partner. Karri caught him by the ankle and pulled down, throwing the warrior toward the hard stone floor of the courtyard.
Toshigawa stopped himself inches above the ground, a small cloud of dust forming under him, "You'll have to do better than that, Karri."
Karri smiled and hovered around the nearly-fallen warrior, "I'm waiting for you."
Toshigawa accepted the invitation and shot straight up. Karri moved to intercept him, but at the last moment Toshigawa changed course and shoulder the other Imperium soldier in the stomach. Karri doubled over and began a slow fall to the ground.
Toshigawa flew down and caught him, "You'd do better to be mindful of your opponent."
There was a flash of metal and Karri's sword was suddenly touching Toshigawa's neck, "As would you."
Toshigawa closed his eyes, "Indeed."
*****

Hatamato Taro paced back and forth on a balcony overlooking the city of Mato. His squire and the temple scribe stood at the door, "What word, my lord?"
Hatamato Taro stopped and looked up, "We begin the march in two days. I will lead the central column. Kaemon Awa will lead the left column. Einar has promised to send me a leader for the right column.
"Let it be written that Utgar, our former overlord, has raised an army as well, and he has created foul new creatures to stop our rebellion. His ghosts and zombies will make for excellent warfare."
The squire stepped forward, "What of Jandar, Ullar, and Vydar?"
Hatamato Taro turned to face him, "They mean nothing. We shall roll over them all. Valhalla is promised to us, and we shall take it."

End of Chapter 3

[Khanbob42]

Nicely Done!

So what about the Romans and Greeks? Are they going to be the ones filling in the right column? That would be pretty awesome.

Keep up the great writing!

[EINARS follower]

i cant wait for more