The Fortress Team followed Hanjar to the north and found the Fortress. Orbak sent Jeefef and Malnar to do some scouting alongside a male Gryphon. Hanjar sent his best scout with them, and they checked out the whole area, only darting in to get more details when it was determined to be safer. Malnar observed the symbol on the banners. It was similar to the Realmfleet Symbol, yet different. It was an equilateral triangle with a circle on each vertex and a circle in the center. Once they had scouted for long enough, they returned to the main team. \u201cThere are snipers at each tower along the wall, three in each,\u201d reported Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI found rather large Trolls in each of the four tower inside,\u201d continued the Gryphon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd the symbol looked a lot like the Realmfleet one,\u201d finished Jeefef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot to me, it didn\u2019t,\u201d interjected Malnar. \u201cDaddy, the triangle\u2019s sides weren\u2019t made of hands in a handshake, the vertices were all circles instead of one circle, one square, and one triangle, and there was a circle in the center.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026The One Ruling Three,\u201d growled Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBingo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, the Overlord is flying the banner of Intrag, are they?!\u201d Orbak then punched his fist. \u201cWell, they\u2019ll learn how big of a mistake THAT is!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA mistake?\u201d asked Hanjar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy law, anyone foolish enough to fly that banner is spitting on the progress my family has made since those barbarous times!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd you view this as an affront to your person?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, boy, do I!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Then you should focus on the Overlord. We\u2019ll hold everyone else off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I think I\u2019ll take you up on that offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow should we do this, Daddy?\u201d asked Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want all flight capable people to bombard the sniper towers. The four towers surrounding the central one house units called Defenders, working as the last line of defense for the Overlord, should the walls be breached. Fliers, keep the snipers busy so our strongest can breach the gates. Once we do, join everyone in keeping the Defenders busy. I\u2019ll be going after the Overlord. Once the Overlord\u2019s behind bars, the fortress is yours, Hanjar. You may pick whoever you wish to be Overlord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Agreed.\u201d Hanjar then offered his front right foot. \u201c\u2026You DO shake hands to signify agreements, do you not?\u201d Orbak then took Hanjar\u2019s foot, and they shook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone gathered at the gate as the snipers aimed their weapons at the team. Orbak looked around, then called to the Overlord. \u201cLet the Overlord come forth!\u201d he demanded. \u201cLet justice be done upon him!\u201d They all waited for half a minute before the fort\u2019s gate opened. An Elf man on horseback came out and made his way to Orbak. The horse was nose-to-nose with Orbak as the Elf dismounted. \u201c\u2026Nice horse,\u201d muttered Orbak to the Elf. The horse snorted as the Elf approached the Under-king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am the Overlord\u2019s Emissary,\u201d he introduced himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince when do Overlords have emissaries?\u201d asked Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince the fort is going to be a new castle for a new country here,\u201d answered the Emissary. He looked out at the team. \u201cIs there none in this gang with the authority to treat with me? Not you, Orbak. It needs more to make a king than fancy trinkets or a rabble like yours. Any hick from the country can make such a group.\u201d Hanjar gave the Emissary a Look. The Look was so intense that the Emissary stepped back as if a sword was being drawn at him. \u201cI\u2019m a herald and ambassador! You cannot harm me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd we won\u2019t until your errand is done,\u201d assured Orbak. \u201cUnless, of course, your Overlord sees sense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is YOU who fails to see sense! You and your fellows! Can you not see that fighting Oyed will only lead to our extinction?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd treating with him won\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see you refuse to understand. Very well, I will simply give my Overlord\u2019s terms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd they are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Gryphons must surrender these lands utterly. Any who do not leave must pay tribute to us in order to continue living here. This fortress will be rebuilt into a castle, and it is here the Overlord shall be King of these lands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou demand too much!\u201d snarled Orbak. \u201cTell the Overlord this; he and his forces are to abandon the fort and these lands, never to return! I will not have a symbol of oppression flown in any Realm!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven one your family concocted?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cESPECIALLY one my family concocted!\u201d He converted his scepter into sword mode, causing the horse to whinny and rear up in fright before abandoning the battlefield. The Emissary dashed back into the fort as the gates opened just enough for him. A door outside the Central Tower\u2019s balcony opened and the Overlord stepped out. It looked like a two-headed Troll to everyone, but he was far enough that it was hard to make out any details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMoruk nak kanit!\u201d roared the Troll\u2019 left head. As it spoke, it felt like the words were slicing into everyone\u2019s ears. \u201cKanuk lak eltak! Morkut rak gahatan!\u201d Once everyone recovered, Hanjar turned to Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat was that?!\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAncient Black Tongue,\u201d explained Orbak. \u201cOnly members of the Emboramii family know it. Either one of my family\u2019s taught the Overlord, or he\u2019s not really two-headed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I\u2019m one of those Emboramii\u2019s that don\u2019t know it; the language\u2019s a pain in the ass to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m rusty at it,\u201d muttered Malnar. \u201cI\u2019ve forgotten how the noun-declension and verb-forms work. I still know the basic vocabulary, so I could understand his barebones meaning. From what I could glean from the vocabulary, he said something along the lines of \u2018You made a mistake coming here! We are stronger than you! You will die horribly!\u2019 Gotta admit, he\u2019s quite the wordsmith when it comes to Ancient Black Tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRemember the plan, everyone,\u201d Orbak called to the team. \u201cI will handle the Overlord. You focus on the Defenders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDefine \u2018Focus\u2019,\u201d snarked Hanjar. Orbak raised his blade to signal that he was going to give an order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCHARGE!\u201d he shouted. The instant he did, a hidden Gryphon army flew out of the rocks and started bombarding the fortress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Fortress Team followed Hanjar to the north and found the Fortress. Orbak sent Jeefef and Malnar to do some scouting alongside a male Gryphon. Hanjar sent his best scout with them, and they checked out the whole area, only darting in to get more details when it was determined to be safer. Malnar observed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,237],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-4111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-4-trials-of-light-and-dark","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4111"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4112,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4111\/revisions\/4112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}