CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Larias tried to deny the magic in their voices with a shout of his own, horrified when found his voice merely blended with theirs and did nothing to diminish their power. He roared with all the energy of his godhood, negating the effects of their cry, if not the effect of seeing them. Then he slid from his creature's back, pushing it away from the battle scene and concealing himself behind a tree as the serpent vanished silently into a thicket of saplings. *           *           * Elven commander, Tanalir, glanced toward the place Larias hid, a frown marring his features. Fortunately for the god, he had more important things on his mind. The beasts had landed and were advancing on his troops. There was no time to investigate the figure he might have glimpsed at the clearing’s edge. He had to survive and bring enough troops through that the reinforcements he had sent for, found they had som...

Beneath him, the muscles of his mount grow tense. It crooked its head around, regarding him with one eye, while observing the forest ahead with the other. Again, its tubular tongue touched his cheek and this time Larias sensed apprehension. “It will be all right,” he told it. “This time I won’t be seen…” He stopped, suddenly aware that he had been seen when he had not wished to be, and that he had felt the arrow’s touch even though it had exploded into fragments before piercing his chest. Now that… There was a sudden cry of fear from the trees ahead. Larias frowned. Warriors did not cry out like that, no matter what race claimed them. In spite of his fear for its safety, he nudged his creature forward, urging it to the edge of the place the elven fortress stood. At the edge of the clearing where it should have stood, Larias turned his mount sideward so that he sat at the very edge. What he saw made his stomach turn. Dark creatures descended from the skies, their once-feat...