Prologue The Continent-Island of Farica, 8529 A.R. (After Ragnarok) Skaan was tired of dealing with It All. It All encompassed the frequent raids on the human settlements and his mate fighting with him, the incompetent orders from his superiors, and his children bickering constantly. “Do you have to go tonight?” his mate Donni asked. “Can’t you go tomorrow?” “You know I can’t do that” he replied. “I have my orders.” “Go then!” she yelled at him. “It’s not as if you care how I feel!” Skaan shrugged and left before she started throwing things again, thinking as he did, where have these mood swings been coming from? She can’t be pregnant; we haven’t touched each other in weeks. Yet she keeps switching on me before I have time to adjust to the first mood, much less the next. “She knows I can’t stay and yet she keeps trying to get me to disobey orders. Does she want me to get court-martialed? If that happens, she can kiss her cushy lifestyle goodbye, because they’ll have me drawn and quartered if I came out guilty; which I would!” he ranted, switching to speech as he walked down the corridor to his departure point. ******************************** About 15 minutes later… “All right everyone! Suit up!” Skaan yelled. “Tako, Roch, you’re with me. The rest of you” he said to the remaining 3 party members “Sovran is your party leader.” “Yes, Sir!” They replied in unison. “Captain Skaan!” came a shout from across the clearing. Skaan turned and saw an officer approaching from across the field. “Yes, sir?” Skaan responded, coming to attention. “The general has new orders for you Captain” said the officer, who Skaan could now see was a Major. “The general wants you to take your sons Rei and Tori with you on this mission, get them some experience.” “But they’re only kids!” Skaan protested. “They are both 3 and 4, respectively, that’s plenty old enough to raid” said the Major. “Are you disputing the general’s orders, Captain?” Skaan snapped to attention “No, sir!” “Better” said the Major “now get to it!” All six members of the raiding party replied in unison “Yes, Sir!” ***************************** 2 days later, at a small human village called Surf, just after dusk... “Seven o’clock and all’s well!” rang out across the meadow outside the village. “No sign of Leevak forces in section six!” The same rang out for sections one through five soon after. “All right! Rotate guard! Prepare for night watch!” the Militia Captain shouted from the village square. As the guards came back in from the walls, there came a shuffling sound from the meadow. Looking out, the Captain, whose name was Stefan; saw a single humanoid form crossing the meadow on foot. “Who goes there? State your name and business!” he shouted. He’d been expecting a Leevak raid for weeks now and so he was on edge about anyone not from the village. “State your business!” he called again. The figure, which Stef saw was a man, looked up at him, and he saw that the man had stripes on his face and very pronounced canine teeth. “Leevak! Leevak in section six!” Stef shouted. The guards immediately rushed to the wall on section six, leaving the rest exposed. “Back to your posts!” Stefan shouted. He was too late, though. The Leevak force had already swarmed over the wall and was attacking the guards from behind. ********************************* Skaan ran into the village already swinging his ax at any humans he saw, militia or not. He saw a knot of pitifully armed humans trying to fend off a pair of his men with bows and swords, and smiled. That was the reason for such small parties of raiders. Leevaks when full grown were about three times stronger than the average adult human, and were about five times as fast on foot. His men had already broken down the wooden wall in several places to further cripple the town’s defenses, and were even now busy dealing with the militia fighters. Skaan gave the order to withdraw, taking any supplies available with them. Moments later the raiding party was running back across the field toward the ship that was waiting to take them home. Roughly an hour later, the ship was halfway between Farica and the small island of Surf. Skaan looked over his men for injuries and suddenly noticed something wrong. “Where’s Rei? Does anyone know?” he asked. Tako spoke up “I saw him in the village slumped over a cart. He had an arrow in his back. I’m sorry, Captain. I didn’t have time to grab him. The humans have gotten much better lately.” Skaan sat down heavily, his eyes not seeing anything. He was the youngest. The baby. He didn’t even belong on this mission but the general insisted on it. He didn’t even want to come! The general killed my youngest son! Chapter I 15 years later, in Surf village… “Hey Rei! Come on! We don’t want to keep Stef waiting forever!” “Yeah I know, Kasei. I’m coming.” Rei stood, slowly unfolding his limbs from the crouch he’d been in and striding over to Kaisei. Kasei was his only real friend besides Stef, who’d raised him from a child. Kasei was an elf, but well liked in town, unlike Rei. He stood about 6’1” and had black hair and amber eyes. His smile caused the village girls to faint. Rei on the other hand, was almost two inches smaller, with vivid red hair and emerald green eyes. His smile made most of the villagers run away in fear, probably because of his fangs. Both were well built young men, though Rei had been physically mature for almost 13 years now. Apparently Leevaks grew much faster than humans or elves. Kasei was over 60 years old and just now reaching maturity. They headed for the practice field out behind the town hall. Stefan was there waiting with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “What took you guys so long? Kasei, I told you come right back! And you” he said rounding on Rei “didn’t Kasei tell you I told you to come right away?” “Yes, sir.” Rei said with a smile. “What are you smiling about?” Stef demanded. “Well, sir, it was because I was following your orders that I had to disobey the other set,” Rei said, smiling. “What are you talking about?” Stef demanded, almost in a fury now. “Well, you told me to help bring the food in from the delivery ship, to the exclusion of all else except defense of the town, since I’m so much stronger than the other villagers. That’s what I was doing.” Rei explained. Stef looked skeptical “Really? Kasei, is that right?” Kasei straightened, “Yes, sir. That is what he was doing when I arrived; I had forgotten your previous command. I’m sorry, but the blame is mine.” Rei waved that away “Not at all. You were just doing your job. Not your fault the cap’s such a stick in the mud!” He laughed. “Enough! It’s time to begin this exercise already!” Stef bellowed, seeming about to explode. “Get onto the field! Take your positions!” “All right, all right! No need to screech at us! We’re going.” Rei walked onto the field and took his position. “Yeah, no need to shout, Stef. You might have a heart attack! After all you’re over forty!” Kasei leaped away to his spot, laughing as Stef spluttered in complete apoplexy at this remark.