The human plan was sacrificial.
Knowing that they were on the losing side of The Ashen Crossing, Onitsuka, the Necromancer came up with an idea.
The humans would mount a final attack, large enough so that the elves suspected nothing wrong.
Whilst they battle, Onitsuka would summon an undead dragon to destroy all on the entire bridge, sacrificing the lives of humans, all to take down the elves.
This was Onitsuka's plan. A final cry for victory.
---
The dragon was made entirely from a skeleton. Its body was pure white and carried no skin or facial features. Around its body was a faint purple glow of magic, which helped it defend itself.
With every beat of its wings, the bridge stirred, and humans and elves alike were knocked from their feet.
Levian felt Diana squeeze so tightly around him that he struggled to breathe. He had to keep a tight grip on the reins, lest he be blown from his horse.
Ahead, he spotted Cassius, still pushing his horse through the commotion. The elf had his eyes set on a destination that he was determined to reach.
He glanced behind him and shouted towards Levian. "Don't get distracted, keep following me!"
Ahead, the Elves were torn between fleeing and fighting.
It was only when Sylvombre roared his orders that they were able to come to a decision.
"It's not a Dragon, it's still young. It's a Drah! A mere undead creature that can be defeated. ATTACK!"
Suddenly, the giant elf swung his greatsword in a vicious arc, sending a slash of red energy tearing through the sky, crashing into the chest of the dragon.
"GRNNKKK!" The dragon roared in pain, recoiling from the strike.
Noticing this, the other elves suddenly mounted their attacks.
Those with ranged skills and weapons struck at the dragon in the sky, whilst the foot soldiers kept pushing through the Ashen Crossing, cutting down the humans that tried to flee from the bridge.
It was a brutal scene, like those found in ancient artworks of war.
Levian kept pushing his horse forward, Nyx ready to swing at any passing moment.
Finally, after a viscous journey, they were close enough for the elves to hear them.
Cassius shouted. "Sylvombre!"
The Giant elf turned his head to see the two approaching horses. At first, his eyes were squinted, trying to figure out whether they were enemies or not.
Once he spotted the sharp ears of Cassius, he recognised the young boy, despite his now battered face and missing eye.
The giant elf's eyes then turned to Levian, then back to Cassius. His face filled with shock.
"Cass! Is that him? IS THAT THE TRUE ELF!"
Suddenly, a gust of purple flames roared from the dragon's mouths. A line of elves cast a defensive barrier, and the two forces collided with tremendous force.
Afterwards, every elf began to risk glances towards the two approaching horses.
Their eyes lingered on Levian... eyes that said, "Is that him? Have we finally found what we are fighting for?"
With a wide grin on his face, Cassius screamed. "Yes, he is the True Elf!"
Voices went silent across the battlefield for a few moments. All that could be heard was the sounds of fleeing humans being split apart.
And then, the crowd of elves erupted into violent roars. Roars of victory, despite the looming dragon above their heads.
The humans in their base watched with confusion on their faces. They muttered the words "true elf?" To each other in confusion.
Suddenly, the elves mounted an even more vicious attack on the dragon. Skills of all kinds crashed into, whilst simultaneously defending against the onslaught of fire.
Levian kept riding until he and Cassius had broken into the elf forces and stood beside one another.
Cassius slowed his horse down, staring at the chaos of the battlefield. His face was more serious than he had ever seen it before.
"Go on ahead!" The young boy shouted, taking both Levian and Diana by surprise.
"What?" Levian responded. "What about yourself?"
BOOM!
The bridge rumbled as the purple barrier defending the dragon had been broken by a strike from Sylvombre.
Cassius turned his horse around, preparing to ride into the heart of battle. "I must help my people. My mission was to bring you to the Elf Empire and I've succeeded."
Their ears then perked at a chant sung by all of the elves. One that filled them with spirit.
"True Elf, True Elf, True Elf!"
Cassius smirked and nodded his head towards his master, Levian.
"The elves will take you to the king, and I'll catch up once this battle is done. You can trust them like you would trust me, do not worry."
Then, the man shoved a fist into the air, igniting a spark of pride through his people.
"The True Elf is coming through on a horse!" He cried for all to hear. "You will know his name as LEVIAN BLADEBLESSED!"
The roars grew louder, and Cassius burst into the heat of battle, casting spells onto those who were injured, and aiding the mages in forming their barriers.
Levian felt overwhelmed by everything that was going on. All he could do was push his horse further across the bridge as demanded by Cassius.
As he rode, he received nods of respect from the elf warriors. Constantly he heard mutters of his name and title, and yet still, nothing made sense to him.
At the end of the bridge, two knights waited for them on horses. They both wore helmets, but Levian could sense the joy in their movements.
"Levian Bladeblessed, it's an honour to have you—."
"ARKKKKKK!"
His words were cut off by a cry from the dragon. It seemed to be losing the battle.
The two knights turned their horses and gestured with their hands for Levian to follow.
"W-where are we going?" Diana muttered nervously from her seat on the horse.
Levian was wondering the same thing. Part of him wanted to help in the battle of Ashen Crossing, but it was clear that the elves wanted him elsewhere.
"We're taking you to a chariot, it will be a smoother journey." The elf called from ahead. "And then we'll travel to Goldtree... the king will be waiting for you."
The King...
Levian had no time to process the words. All he could do was follow the knights off the battlefield and towards their destination.
---
Levian's Stats
Low-Gold
Health ~ 17 (golds gain 25 life force points for each stat increase)
Stamina ~ 14
Strength ~ 16
Agility ~ 12
Magic ~ 10 (Golds gain 25 Mana for each stat increase)
Defence ~ 8
[Life Force: 425]
[Mana: 250]
Don't forget to gift power stones if you're enjoying the story!