A Whole New World

by Prisoner 24601

Khargrim and Shamus

"I did it! I got her!" Boasted the Human archer as Twilight stumbled in mid-air and plummeted down into the forest below. There were cheers from his comrades, and snarls of resentment from the greenskins.

The glee was interrupted as Welles and Bloodblade approached, side by side, amazingly. Welles looked to the archer and the rest of his compatriots. "Well done, Albus. Good shot. But it means nothing unless we can get to it before either it gets away, or Bloodblade and his Orcs find it first. Ringley."

A man in light armor stepped up, "Yes, General Welles?"

"Gather a scouting party find the creature. The rest of you, make a base camp at the bottom of this cliff. I have a feeling we'll be here for a few days. Oh, and Ringley!"

Ringley, who was already departing, turned and replied, "Yes, General?"

"Keep it alive. I want to ask it some questions."

"Yes, General Welles."

And with that, Ringley and his scouts disappeared into the forests, and the rest of the army started scaling the cliff face.

"GORETOOTH!" Shouted an enraged Bloodblade.

"Y-yes, Warbearer?"

"You let a HUMAN shoot down that mysterious and valuable creature? A HUMAN, GORETOOTH?!"

"Y-yes, Warbearer. A thousand shames upon me."

"No, Goretooth. A thousand shames isn't enough."

Goretooth was shivering as Warbearer Bloodblade came closer to him, a deranged look in his eyes. "W-what is enough, Warbearer? W-what do I deserve?"

"You deserve your head on a stake! You deserve for your body to be burned and every signifying of your once being to be scattered to the four winds of Tao'Hun!"

"A-are you going to do that, W-Warbearer?"

"No, Goretooth."

Goretooth sighed in relief.

"Just killing you will be enough." Bloodblade said as he swung his axe, cutting Goretooth's cry short while at the same time freeing his head from it's shoulders. "And let that be a lesson to the rest of you," he continued, nudging the body off the cliff with him foot almost absent-mindedly, "If you let a human take that creature from us. You'll ALL end up like Goretooth. Is that what you WANT?!"

They replied in unison, "No, Warbearer!"

"Then Redfoot! Send scouts down there. FIND THAT CREATURE! There is no time to be lost!"

"Yes Warbearer!" Said Redfoot, running off much as Ringley had done.

"Blackaxe!"

"Yes, Warbearer?"

"Take the Bloodguards. Follow the humans. That thing may have gotten in our way back there, but dammit, I came here for a battle, and by the Titans I'm getting one. Make a camp north of them. Don't attack until I arrive and tell you to."

"Yes, Warbearer," and with that, Blackaxe and the rest of the Orcs departed.

The human army and Orc army had both left the overlook, and now only General Welles and Warbearer Bloodblade remained.

"You know this is not the end, Bloodblade," said the human.

"I am aware. As I told Blackaxe, that... thing... may have gotten in the way of our fight back there, but trust me, when this is said and done, only one of us will be climbing back up this cliff alive."

"It is an inevitability, Bloodblade. Eventually, this twenty-year conflict between the two of us will end, and the victor will be named once and for all."

"Ah, you were always one to reminisce Welles, weren't you? Why, I remember out first encounter, Twenty years ago."

"On the seas. Just south of Madre Island. You were a Captain, I was a First Mate."

Bloodblade chuckled, "I boarded your ship, killed your captain, and we fought for the first time. Took half an hour of parrying and blocks before I realized it was a lost cause, and fled to my ship."

"And I haven't let you forget it." Added Welles.

They both laughed. "Ah, Shamus Welles." Said Bloodblade, "To be honest, I'm going to miss you when I plant your head on a stake in the Black Citadel."

"And I you, Khargrim," Said Shamus, "When your Skin is dried and displayed for all to see in Ravengarde."

They laughed again.

"Ah," said Khargrim Bloodblade, "It is so odd."

"What?" Asked Shamus.

"That we are a man and an Orc, hell-bent on killing each other, yet there are times like these, when we simply talk, reminisce... be friends, as if nothing has ever happened between us."

Shamus sat down on a rock. "You, know, Khargrim," he said, "I've never thought about it much, but, you're right. We're mortal enemies, no one can say otherwise, yet, somehow, at the same time, we're... friends. how odd."

"This history, this... friendship, as you call it... It is the only thing stopping me from grabbing you right now by the scruff of your pale and fragile neck, and tossing you off this cliff myself."

"It's the only thing keeping me from severing that Green head of yours and wearing it as a trophy."

Khargrim Bloodblade thought hard. "Well, I think that is enough. We may be friends, but, at the same time, we are mortal enemies. The troops are waiting for their Warbearer, and their General. I suggest we get a move on."

"Agreed." Said Shamus, getting up.

"Best of luck on the battlefield, Shamus. I have no doubt you'll be needing it."

"You, too, Khargrim."

********

Twilight woke up again. Her wing was in excruciating pain, and she could only compare it to how Rainbow Dash must've felt when she broke her wing on a regular basis.

Rustling was the first sound that caught her ear. What was it? Where was it coming from? Who was making it?

"There," She heard something whisper. She assumed it was one of the taller, paler creatures, given the tone of the voice.

She looked in the direction of the voices, just in time to see a n arrow be flung at her, meeting her abdomen, before going completely black.

She only heard one more thing: "General Welles will be so pleased." And then she was unconscious.

Comments

[Spc jacko]

Let that be a lesson to her. Never ever try to stop a fight between two grown men, they will get you.