The Patriarch

Prologue

Looking back towards his cloaked companions, and then back at the twenty-foot stone tower and wall, Kerukas tosses the magical sphere up into the sentry tower, and before it reaches its destination, the half-elf, or birk, pulls out two grappling hooks from his pack. Gathering the strength from his powerful body, he launches the three-pronged hooks up through the air and into the stone tower.

At the sound of the magical blast, the five hidden half-elves dash out of a small bush and through the clearing, to the base of the sentry tower. Kerukas, the largest and strongest of the birk band, easily climbs up one of the ropes, hand-over-hand, towards the top of the sentry tower. Climbing over the lip of the wall, the large half-elf finds that the magical orb did its job.

The three elves at the top of the tower have been blinded by the shining light that the orb expels in a split second. Taking out his handaxe, Kerukas chops down the three blind guards, before proceeding to he help his companions climb over the wall.

As he helps the first two, Rin and Fednin, over the wall, the hatch to the lower floors of the tower pops open, and more elf guards start climbing through. Just as Rin and Fednin are able to climb themselves over, Kerukas chops his handaxe down into the skull of the first guard. As he yanks his axe out of the skull, Rin and Fednin come to his flanks, Fednin with his longsword and Rin with his shortsword, and pick up shields from the dead guards around them. Between the half-elves and the hatch stand five elves, each holding a longsword and shield. Coming from the hatch are more guards, but the tower is only wide enough for four abreast.

Two more cloaked birks come to the aid of their companions, Stosk, with his rapier drawn, and Jagder holding out his bow.

"Move back Rin!" Stosk shouts as he runs forward and takes Rin's place.

"You dirty half-breeds!" Yells an elf guard before he lunges a stab at Fednin.

Before the intruders could organize themselves furthermore, the other three first elf guards rush at their opponents.

One guard lunges a stab at Fednin, which is easily blocked by Fednin's own shield, and he chops down onto the guard with his own blade, which is also stopped by a shield. The guard then swings his shield arm and jabs his opponent across the face with his shield. Before the guard can stab at the defenseless Fednin, an arrow shaft suddenly appears, protruding from his chest, and then another nearby, as the guard falls backwards. An elf guard pulls his wounded friend back, and then takes his place and chops down at Fednin, getting blocked as well.

--

Kerukas, waiting to sink his axe into another elf head, immediately chops down on the first elf guard to reach him, but his block is stopped by a shield-although still leaving a hole in the shield, and a gash in the elf's arm-. Before being able to retract his axe, the "birk" is stabbed through the side by one of the elven blades. Gritting his teeth together to fight the pain, Kerukas punches the elf guard away with a backhand, and is able to yank his axe out of the other's arm. Before chopping down on the elf guard again, his opponent swiftly stabs him through the heart, stopping the large birk instantly.

Pushing the corpse forward, Natil, the last of the birks to climb over, takes Kerukas' spot and cuts-down the elf guard in front of him with his shortsword.

--

Rin and Jagder, standing behind their companions, fire into the ranks of the elves. Rin shoots down the guard about to finish Fednin, while Jagder takes him and shoots an arrow into the skull of the elf that Kerukas had punched. Rin and Jagder both take aim and shoot at the elf about to lunge at Natil, downing him immediately.

--

Stosk, standing his ground to the left of Natil, parries each and every attack from his elven opponent, and in the first small opening, digs the point of his rapier into the gut of his enemy. The elf, trying to stand his own ground, half-heartedly stabs at his half-elf killer, but Stosk just leans to the side, dodging the attack, and stabs his raper through the mans heart.

The last elf, standing above the hatch, drops his weapons after seeing all his comrades downed by this marauding group of half-elves. Suddenly, Jagder shoots an arrow through the lone elf's throat, silencing and downing the elf.

"He could've yelled out," was all that Jagder said.

"Quickly, we must continue on our mission." Rin alerts his companions, as they all climb down the ladder to the bottom of the stone sentry tower.

"You all know what to do," Rin begins, "run fast, and into your chosen alleyway, and don't forget the location of the rendezvous." Rin reminds his fellow half-elves, as they all prepare to dash out of the tower and onto the streets of Tobaro.