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  His hand moved away from the knife as all thoughts of violence vanished and he bowed his head in reverence. Her followers called her Gaia but to him she was far more than a goddess.

  In his mind he pictured her flowing auburn hair, her golden eyes and all the best traits of an elven woman in her features and movements.

  “Rise, defender of the forest. We have much to discuss,” said Gaia.

  He rose unsteadily and moved out of the bushes without a sound, keeping his eyes lowered in respect. “Do you have need of me?” he asked.

  “I will always need men like you Laisarus, those with pure hearts and minds. Come walk with me,” she said, motioning him to join her.

  He moved beside her as she began to walk through the small Riverlands reserve, her hands gently touching the trees she passed. Her touch left behind new shoots and flowers bloomed where she walked at a touch of her feet on the ground.

  “You felt the disturbances in the north?” she asked.

  “Yes.” The pain still lingered even now.

  She stopped and looked him in the eyes. “Three gateways have opened.”

  “More tainted?” he asked.

  “No, humans. They have not been corrupted. She turned away from his penetrating gaze. “The Emperor is going to order you to escort a diplomatic mission to the humans. I need you to go if we are to prevent another…”

  “I understand. We must stop it from happening again, if we can,” said Laisarus. He reached out instinctively to comfort Gaia but his hand passed through her ethereal form.

  She moved out of his reach. “I sense great evil coming and the world will not be the same if we survive it. We will need the help of these humans in the dark days ahead. We also need to contact the dwarves and renew our friendship with them. I have felt disturbances beneath Stronghold for a long time Laisarus. Evil is growing stronger behind the dwarven wardgates.”

  Her last words reached him as she disappeared into the forest, “Amelia is going with you.”

  His heart skipped a beat as he considered the meaning behind her words.

  CHAPTER 8

  Ravager

  War drums pounded the air and bonfires roared skyward. Black shapes shifted and swirled around the fire like smoke and baleful eyes moved like sparks. The shaman called into the night in a foul language, holding the offering by its foot. The terrified animal squealed in terror before the shaman slashed its throat and threw it into the fire. It twitched violently as the flames enveloped it before disappearing beneath the ash.

  The shaman called out again raising his blood covered hands into the air as he pleaded for an answer. Finally the blood magic began to work and the shaman was taken by the power of a Ravager, the goblin god of hunger. The voice of Ravager roared out from the shaman’s mouth, “Kill, Eat, Devour,” making the air vibrate.

  The shaman reached into the flames and grabbed the burnt remains. Sinking his teeth into the flesh, the shaman was overcome with ecstasy. He passed the carcass to the highest ranked trainee who took the next bite. The charred meat was passed around among the shaman trainees, each taking their share until even the bones were gone.

  Around the fire warriors sliced blades across their toughened hides, drawing blood to wet their weapons. Blood madness overcame one of them and he raced into the forest in search of something to kill.

  The Shaman raised his unharmed hand and pointed a clawed finger towards the edge of the forest. In the distance white fires burned unnaturally against the night. “Kill, Eat, Devour,” the god commanded.

  Thousands strong the warriors ran through the forest and crossed the open sky. They became silent as they closed the distance on their prey, swiftly surrounding the base.

  The shamans and their trainees protected by honour guards led the warriors in an all out attack on Base Two.

  CHAPTER 9

  Gabriel

  Gabriel tossed and turned in his bunk, unable to sleep. Rumours had finally reached him that his father was dead. He didn’t want to believe that the man who had raised him, who had been friend as well as father, was dead. Coming so soon after his mother’s death the weight of loss was too much to bear and he felt tears form in his eyes.

  The only picture of his parents he had left had been damaged with the gear his father had given him. He wasn’t sure whether the damage was deliberate or an act of sabotage but he had to assume the worst.

  His father had asked him to spy on General Allister and report back to him or General Esperanza.

  While his father had no proof of any wrong doing on Allister’s part he had picked up a feeling of resentment at having the operation taken over by his father.

  If General Allister knew why he was here then Gabriel knew he was in serious trouble.

  Finally, unable to sleep or break the vicious cycle of thoughts he hopped out his bunk and grabbed his rifle from the locker. As quietly as possible he moved between the sleeping rows of soldiers to the barracks door.

  Before he left he caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror. His short military haircut had grown beyond regulation length and the blonde hair was beginning to curl at the ends. Ration cuts had left his young face almost emaciated over the last few weeks. Only his blue eyes showed his spirit would never give in, his father’s eyes.

  Outside he shivered as his sweat evaporated in the slight breeze. He thought about going back for a jacket to cover his skinny frame but an electrical flash in the distance caught his attention. He squinted to make out what it was and realized the fence lighting was out in a section leaving the area in darkness.

  When he saw a second flash he realized that it was coming from the electric fence on the perimeter. The red warning light began flashing on the pole and a siren began to wail from the centre of the camp. Moments later the red light was extinguished in another flash of light.

  Gabriel ran as fast as he could towards the fence. Behind him he heard the sounds of his bunk mates trying to get dressed and ready for combat. In the distance he saw a giant man standing by the fence and almost called out to him. But as Gabriel closed the distance he noticed that the man’s eyes appeared to be glowing red.

  Crouching low Gabriel moved for the cover of some crates. More silhouettes moved about the fence and Gabriel realized that a section of it had been torn down. Keeping low he crawled closer to the creatures to get a better look at them.

  A goblin towering above the others pointed in different directions and the shadows behind him followed his silent commands.

  Suddenly a spotlight fell on the creature and it cringed. Gabriel was stunned. It stood over six feet tall and was completely black except for its eyes that glowed red every so often. The goblin appeared human-like but had long sharp teeth and large ears flat against its bare wrinkly head. A sheen seemed to surround the creature in shadows moving with it as it walked forward and raised its weapon, a staff made of twisted wood mounted with a skull.

  A machine gunner fired at the shaman from a nearby guard tower but the bullets seem to slow down and twist away before they reached their target, sending grass and dirt flying up around the goblin.

  As the shaman waved its staff in circles, intricate patterns of green light began to glow along the staff’s handle and the skull’s eyes lit up from within. A green fog grew around the skull until the goblin finally drew back its arm and lashed the staff forward. The fog flew through the air towards the tower, dripping green drops. When it hit one of the legs of the tower it wrapped around it and condensed. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then the metal girder began to sizzle and creak as the acid ate through. Men hastily climbed down the tower as it leaned ever more to the side and finally collapsed. Those few soldiers that reached the ground safely and cleared the tower were overwhelmed by swarms of goblin warriors.

  Getting a grip of his fear, Gabriel realized that the shaman was the greatest threat and had to be taken out first. Without a second clip for his rifle he realized he had no chance against it so he glanced around for anything he cou
ld use. Seeing a mortar unit under attack he raced towards them in the hopes of reaching them in time, but they were overwhelmed in seconds.

  Firing as he ran Gabriel killed one goblin that was waving a severed arm around but the other two ducked behind the sandbag barrier until his clip ran out.

  When they realized he had run out of ammunition they climbed over the sandbags and ran to intercept him. The first goblin brandished a battered machete and the other carried a rifle stolen from a soldier.

  Gabriel stopped and knelt down to set the bayonet on his rifle with trembling hands. Finally it clicked into place and he prepared to meet them.

  The first goblin swung the machete in a wide arc and Gabriel managed to duck under the blade and stab it in the chest. Blood welled out of its mouth but it grabbed hold of Gabriel and dragged him down to the ground, snapping the bayonet off the rifle.

  Crushed by its weight and held immobile by its strength Gabriel struggled weakly as the goblin tried to bite his neck. The second goblin arrived carrying the rifle awkwardly. Raising the rifle it brought the butt down on its companion’s face and shouted, “Mine!”

  The wounded goblin roared in anger and flung Gabriel away. Unsteadily it got to its feet, still holding its machete. The left side of its face was a mess and appeared to have almost caved in. The second goblin changed its grip on the rifle to use it as a spear.

  Gabriel crawled away, nursing his bruised chest, and watched as the two goblins swiped and stabbed at each other until each had several slashes and stab wounds.

  Gabriel finally overcame the pain and staggered to his feet. Seeing his chance he ran towards the mortar dugout again. Behind him the goblin with the machete turned to look and the other immediately stepped forward and stabbed it in the throat. As the blood poured out its neck the machete flashed through the air and buried itself in the second goblin’s head.

  Both goblins fell to the ground as Gabriel jumped into the dugout. Looking back he saw that both remained unmoving. Relieved, he quickly assessed the condition of the soldiers in the dugout. Only one man was still alive but in a serious condition, bleeding severely from a gash in his leg. Gabriel saw a rucksack and emptied the contents on the ground.

  Spotting a medical kit he opened it and grabbed the spray on bandage and alcohol. Liberally he poured the alcohol over the wound causing the man to stir and moan. Gabriel sprayed a fine mist of the chemical mixture on the wound. It quickly built up a protective barrier, coagulating the blood and sealing the wound. Seeing no other wounds on the man Gabriel searched the rest of the rucksacks for grenades but found none.

  More goblins poured through the opening and Gabriel grabbed a rifle, checked the chamber and fired at the charging beasts. Two went down under a rain of bullets and the third stumbled and fell but got up as the clip ran out.

  Searching for another weapon Gabriel grabbed a handgun from a soldier’s holster and shot the goblin as it threw its spear. The spear veered out of control and narrowly missed Gabriel, striking a mortar munitions crate behind him. The spearhead snapped off the shaft and the crate shattered spilling long thin mortar shells across the floor.

  The shaman spotted Gabriel and pointed the staff at him. The skull’s eyes glowed green and blue sparks began to fly from it, finally a jagged line of lightning fired from the staff missing Gabriel by a yard. The hair on his arms stood up from the electrical charge in the air and the light blinded him as he huddled in the cover of the dugout.

  When he could finally see again he peered out of the hole and saw the shaman advancing on his position. Checking the dugout again in desperation he saw the mortar shells and the spray-on bandage. Working quickly he bound the mortar shells around the top of the spear shaft using the spray-on bandage. Checking on the progress of the shaman he saw that it was being followed by a dozen armed warriors.

  Grabbing the unwieldy spear he pulled back his arm and threw it towards the shaman. It fell short, bounced and rolled to a stop two yards away. The shaman laughed at him and began to form an acid cloud around its staff. As the shaman drew back its arm to cast it Gabriel picked up another handgun lying on the ground and started firing at the mortar shells. The first shot missed completely and the next two were deflected by the shadow shield but the fourth bullet hit a mortar.

  The concussion sent shrapnel flying in all directions, cutting down the goblins around the shaman. For a second the shaman’s shield held up to the explosion but as the fire and heat washed over him he lost control of the fog in an effort to protect against the explosion. Immediately the acid condensed at the end of the staff and collapsed on the shaman.

  The shadow shield disappeared instantly as the shaman screamed in pain and dropped to the ground.

  Gabriel turned away from the horror of the dissolving body. Checking the gun’s clip he discovered only five bullets remained.

  Gabriel cringed as a massive explosion erupted in the middle of camp, lighting up the sky. Munitions exploded randomly as they were ignited by the heat. Slipping the gun into his pants he grabbed the empty bag and filled it with mortar shells, the spray-on bandage and alcohol.

  Searching more carefully Gabriel found a stash of rifle clips and stuffed them in the bag as well. Loading the rifle he shouldered the bag and climbed out of the dugout.

  More goblin warriors continued to pour through the hole in the fence as sporadic gunfire tried to hold them back. Gabriel levelled the rifle and charged them, firing and moving at an angle to avoid the spears thrown at him. Six went down before he dropped behind the cover of a goblin’s body to reload.

  He ran again until he was ten yards from the breach and decided to hold the position. Behind him he continued to hear gunfire and hoped it was the rest of the barracks killing the goblins he had missed.

  A spear landed next to him so he returned fire hitting the goblin in the head several times. Moving to single shot mode because of the distance and heat radiating from the rifle barrel he took up a sniper position and began taking more careful shots to conserve ammunition. Spears piled up around him and a few goblins managed to fall within a few feet of him. In a quiet period Gabriel moved the bodies to provide better cover and while he waited he made another two mortar bombs. He threw one next to the opening in preparation for another shaman.

  When a shaman finally arrived it passed through the opening and stood looking around as if expecting to be attacked. Gabriel remained absolutely still until the shaman moved closer to the bomb.

  Moving slowly Gabriel aimed and fired at the bomb. The resulting blast knocked the shaman off its feet into the steel pole of the fence. But it was only stunned and seconds later managed to get up. Ready to throw the next bomb Gabriel hesitated when he saw that the shaman was no longer protected by its shadow shield and that its staff was lying by the fence. As the shaman reached for the staff, Gabriel aimed and fired at its head. The lifeless body collapsed on the ground.

  Gabriel surveyed the opening and saw dozens of eyes staring at him from the darkness. Reloading the rifle and setting it to automatic now that the barrel had cooled down, he ran the last ten yards to the breach. Spears flew at him but miraculously they missed. When he reached the shaman’s body he dropped to the ground and used it as cover. As the enemy converged on him he sprayed the darkness with gunfire reloading automatically as the clips emptied. When the last bullet fired and Gabriel could find no more clips he glanced around for a better weapon than the handgun and spotted the staff lying on the ground.

  The eyes became shapes as the goblins moved in for the kill. Gabriel grabbed the staff and his hand turned icy instantly. As he stood up and raised the staff above his head he felt the cold working its way down his arm. The goblins came to an uncertain stop nine feet away. Gabriel, pretending to know what he was doing, waved the staff at the warriors. Several stepped back in fear but one threw a spear straight at his chest. At the last moment symbols on the staff glowed with a green light and the spear was deflected. The cold had by then crept even further through his body, r
eaching his shoulder. Drawing the pistol awkwardly with his failing strength he fired the last five bullets in the gun killing two goblins and wounding another. The goblins fled in terror as a few more spears were thrown at him and veered away.

  When the last of the goblins disappeared into the night the cold finally reached Gabriel’s heart and it stopped beating for a moment. The staff slipped from his hand as he passed out on top of the shaman’s body.

  CHAPTER 10

  Cane

  Cane focused his gaze on the cleft in the valley below and his helmet zoomed in until it was as if he were standing in front of it. With the dawn just breaking over the horizon infrared vision transitioned into full colour mode. His breath hissed in and out of the air cleanser sifting airborne dust and bacteria out of the air and cooling it down so that even when he exerted himself the air would be able to lower his temperature if the camo suit’s cooling failed to keep up.