Chapter 2

Tarron was a ranger of the empire, he was, in fact, a ranger captain. He was Married with a son, his Son's name was Aaron, and his wife was Ireana, Aaron was about twelve years old, and Ireana, who was the same age as Tarron, was thirty-seven. Tarron had been stationed by the empire at the Gates of the southern ashlands. The gate commander was a kind elf man named Sillonus, and he was Tarron's immediate superior.

"How many?" Tarron asked.

"Well, on the south side we have Too many, they're lined up all the way down the hill, waiting for their leader to give the order." Sillonus said, and then walked across the top of the gate to the northern side. "And on this side, we have a decent hundred retereaters from the fortresses that were lost."

"Did the messenger get through?" Tarron asked.

"You can look for yourself, Tarron." Sillonus pointed to the leader of the northern crowd, an Orc, the ranger messenger's head already on a spear.

"Dammit, we can't get the civilians out at all?" Tarron asked.

"We sent a ranger out with his wife, and they were slaughtered the moment they set foot outside the door." Sillonus responded

"So, we keep the civilians safe for as long as possible, or aid comes from the empire." Tarron replied.

"I've told every other ranger this, Tarron, but you. I never got the chance: I won't blame you if you take your family and slip away in the confusion." Sillonus said.

"Why?" Tarron asked.

"Because family is important, and our loved ones, at least in my eyes, are always more important than duty." Sillonus said.

"Why are you allowing this?" Tarron asked.

"Because it would be your choice, and so long as our bodies still draw breath, our choice is our own." Sillonus said.

"Then it's my choice to remain here and try to help fight them off." Tarron replied. And the war horns Blared on both sides of the gate.

"Here they come." Sillonus said. And the battle began.

The Rangers were no match for the overwhelming army. Tarron found himself fighting alone with Sillonus and Aaron, who Tarron had given a Dagger several months prior for his birthday. Aaron was fending for himself pretty good, which gave Tarron some relief. But not enough.

"Arron!" Tarron said, killing an enemy soldier trying to make his way to his son, "Aaron get inside!" Tarron told him

"Father, behind you!" Aaron yelled, and Tarron quickly wheeled around to just barely parry an attack from behind, Tarron then used his parry to gain leverage he pushed the enemy soldier back and threw his dagger into his opponent's gut and got over to Aaron, killing an enemy who was about to kill him.

"Aaron, I need you to get inside, your mothers on the other side of the gate I'm going to get her, then we're getting you and the other civilians out of here." Tarron told Aaron, "I promise I'll come back." to which he got only a nod, but he then proceeded inside, and Tarron turned back to find the orc who was leading the northern attackers as he held a blade to Sillonus' throat.

"This yours, Ranger?" He said and slit Sillonus' throat.

"SILLONUS!!!" Tarron yelled in Anguish, and Immediately attacked the orc, The Orc was tougher than the rank-and-file soldiers, and eventually Tarron decided it was not a fight he could win, at least not while he had several other enemies attacking him too, so he slipped through the crowd, killing an enemy or two, but eventually getting to the other side of the gate, he got inside and silently barred the door.

He then turned to find three enemy soldiers Searching around, and Tarron did his best to maintain stealth to get across the room to the doorway he saw Ireana peek her head out of, looking to see if it was safe to move. She didn't see him cross the room, so when he appeared in front of her, she was about to scream, so Tarron quickly placed his hand over his mouth to stop her from screaming.

"We need to stay silent," Tarron said, removing his hand, "If they realize we're here, we're dead. Aaron's across the gate in safety, I've got a plan to get us across as well."

'What's the plan?" Ireana asked.

"Well, for starters I'm going to kill those three enemy soldiers searching for us," Tarron said.

"How are you going to do that?" Ireana asked, worried.

"Stealth is my only advantage," Tarron said, "remain here."

Ireana nodded, and went back to hiding as Tarron crouched down, as to not catch the attention of the enemies in the room. Tarron Approached the first one, and silently took him out, leaving two more. He moved to the second one, and Tarron took him to the floor, he put up a struggle, but it wasn't an Issue after that, the rain outside then began to pick up, as Tarron heard the crashing of thunder, Tarron then reached the final soldier, Tarron just Quickly slit his throat.

"TARRON!" Ireana screamed in fear, and then Tarron turned around to find Ireana being held by the man Tarron could only identify as the betrayer's illusionist holding a sword against her throat.

"Put the sword down, ranger." the Illusionist said, annoyed, Tarron threw it down

At the same time, the door bar Tarron put in place snapped, and the door swung Open, and Tarron felt the damage of a mace in his back, and Tarron fell face forward onto the floor, he was then kicked over, to see that it was the Cudgel who had attacked Tarron from behind. While on the floor, the cudgel lightly hit Tarron twice with his mace, and was about to deliver a killing blow when he was stopped, The Illusionist had thrown Ireana to one of the other soldiers and Blocked the Killing blow.

"Enough, The Ritualist wants him alive!" The Illusionist said.

Cudgel nodded, and kicked Tarron's left hand to the side, and crushed it with his mace. What surprised Tarron was that the Cudgel was wielding his mace in his left hand, all the reports said the cudgel was right-handed, in fact, the cudgel barely moved his right arm, but this view was quickly blocked out with a very light blow to Tarron's head that knocked him unconscious.

When Tarron next gained Consciousness, he found himself in the rain, beforeced to his knees, when he looked up, he saw Ireana and Aaron next to him Ireana and Aaron, in the same position.

"Tarron!" Ireana said.

"Ireana it's okay, we'll get through it!" Tarron said before he felt a gauntleted hand at the back of his head getting him to shut up, The Largest one there, The Ritualist, forced Ireana's head upwards, and slit her throat, and it broke Tarron's heart to watch.

"MOTHER!" Aaron screamed in Anguish before getting a similar treatment, he looked Tarron in the eyes, "Father!"

"I'm right here, son, I'm right here." Tarron said, as he watched in horror as Aaron's throat was cut open, his blood spilling, and mixing with the rainwater on the ground, all while the ritualist muttered something in a language Tarron could not understand. Tarron was next, and the ritualist repeated what he had said while killing Ireana and Aaron, and slit Tarron's throat, the last thing Tarron saw was the blood trickling from his throat.

"Come back to me, elf lord." The Ritualist said as Tarron's vision began to fade

"Your role in this story is not done yet, ranger." A woman's voice, one that Tarron did not recognize, said, "In time… the truth will be revealed."

And that was the last thing Tarron ever heard. Or was it?

Then Tarron found himself standing, in an unfamiliar location.

"Where am I?" Tarron asked.

"See for yourself." a man's voice said, as the spirit of what looked to be an elf man showed up, and Guided Tarron to the edge of what looked to be a small elven tower, walking to the edge Tarron saw snow flying past, a city and a fortress or a fortress city, in ruins.

"This isn't the ashlands or plains." Tarron said, "I've never seen this place in my life."

Tarron took a few steps back, noticing he had full use of his left arm and hand.

"What happened to me?" Tarron asked

"We are banished from death, cast adrift between life and death. A curse binds us together within the walls of Tiplella." The elf said, and Tarron looked at him in shock.

"If what you say is true… then how do we break this curse?" Tarron asked.

"We find the one who cast it on us… Dolga the Ritualist." The elf said. Tarron said nothing in response, only turning once again to gaze upon the city of the north.