“Ardolf! Wake up! This is bad!” shouted Akira as he burst past the sleepy guard patrolling next to Ardolf’s tent.
“What!? Is the enemy attacking?” asked Ardolf as he sat up from his cot, straight and alert.
“No,” said Akira shaking his head.
“Then why are you waking me up so early in the morning?” asked Ardolf grumpily.
“It’s worse than anything you can imagine! The demigods have returned!”
“What!? How do you know that?”
“That doesn’t matter! We need to go to the General right now and warn him. If we do nothing we’ll end up fighting a losing war with both the humans and the demigods!”
“We can go and tell the general but there is no guarantee that he will listen to something like this…” said Ardolf as he stood up and began to put on his armor and buckle his sword belt around his waist.
The two jogged to the general’s tent where they were forced to wait to see if the general would see them.
“Tell him the information I have is as important as life and death,” said Akira agitated at being forced to wait for over five minutes.
“Just keep quiet. The general will see you when he is ready…” said the guard in front of the tent.
“Send them in!” came the stern voice of General Blaez from inside the tent.
Akira pushed aside the tent flap and entered the dimly lit tent. This was his first time seeing the general up close.
“What is this information that is of such great importance?” asked General Blaez as he stood behind the map table staring at the surrounding terrain that had multiple markers indicating where large portions of the enemy army had been scouted and were starting to gather again.
“General the demigods are back! We must inform the grand elders of this and ask them what they want us to do!”
General Blaez looked up from the map, his eyes stared at Akira taking in everything about him.
“Where did you get this information?” asked General Blaez.
“That well…it came to me sorta like a vision?” said Akira.
Ardolf standing next to Akira facepalmed at the answer. If he knew this, he would not have come to the general.
“What? Have you been training in the shaman arts?” asked General Blaez.
“No…”
“I see…out of the respect I have for Grand elder Wulfric and your high level of contributions during this campaign, I will not reprimand you this time for bringing useless and unfounded drivel to me. Next time you have a nightmare don’t come to me and try to tell me that the sky is falling. You may leave,” said General Blaez dismissing the two with a wave of his hand.
Akira wanted to reply but Ardolf put a hand on Akira’s shoulder and the two left the tent together.
“It would have been nice if you told me that you were basing this information off of a dream,” grumbled Ardolf.
“It was not a dream. The information is 100% accurate I just have no way to prove it yet. But I have to let the grand elders know about this,” said Akira as he walked off leaving Ardolf behind.
“Where are you going now?” asked Ardolf.
“To talk to Redbeard.”
“That’s pointless he is not in a position to make the general accept what you have to say.”
“I’m not trying to get him to convince the general.”
***
“So you want me to help you go behind the generals back and contact the grand elders? Do You know how much trouble I’ll get into if this turns out to be nothing but a fantasy of yours? This is not some small prank that can be shrugged off. ”
“I know how serious it is. That is why I tried to get the general to listen but he said I was having nightmares. I am only doing this because if I do nothing the entire Earth tribe could be caught in another great war and this time wiped out!”
“Fine… I’ll take you to see Udolf, he is one of the core shamans from the Redmoon clan. We can have him send whatever message you want to the grand elders. But whatever happens after is on you. I nor your grandfather can protect you from the consequences of causing a panic if the information turns out to be false,” said Redbeard.
The two of them walked to a large tent near the middle of the 1st beta pack encampment.
“Uncle Udolf, I am sorry to bother you but can I come in?”
“What is it Red?” asked a scratchy old man’s voice. A few seconds later the tent flap was pushed aside revealing a large framed old man with snow-white hair that had lost all of its color.
“Uncle, can you send a message back to Grand elder Wulfric?” asked Redbeard.
“Did general Blaez give permission?” asked Udolf.
“Not exactly…”
“So you didn’t ask…? Whatever, I know you wouldn’t come to me for unimportant matters. What is it that you want me to send to him?”
Redbeard pointed to Akira who stood behind him. Udolf inspected Akira for a few silent moments and waited expectantly for Akira to speak.
“This message, ‘The demigods have returned. What are the Grand elders’ orders for the army?’” said Akira with a grim face.
“You can’t be serious…If I send this… the panic that it will cause will engulf the entire earth tribe. No wonder you didn’t ask the general for permission.”
Both Redbeard and Akira just stared at Udolf with unblinking grim faces, neither showing any sign that this was a prank.
“Very well, but if I am asked later I will not hide who it was that gave me this information,” said Udolf.
Udolf moved to the center of his tent where a large cushion was situated and sat down on top of it crossing his legs and began to start a slow chant after his breathing had calmed down.
The message was near instantaneous and Akira could see Udolf grow tired as he sent a message to a shaman stationed at the clan caves. Akira was amazed at the mental strength that Udolf had to be able to send a message such a long distance without any help from another shaman.
“Phew…the message has been sent. If we are lucky we will get a reply within an hour or two,” said Udolf as he took a big bite of bread from a plate next to him.
“We would like to wait here for the reply is that ok?” asked Redbeard.
“It’s fine,” said Udolf between taking a few sips of water.
Several minutes passed by with Udolf and Redbeard swapping tales of their battles during the last few fights with the Beorin army.
Five minutes later Udolf stopped talking and his face scrunched up as if he was concentrating with all of his body to listen to something that Akira and Redbeard could not hear.
His face paled as he received the message.
“What did they say?” asked Redbeard.
“They believe you! It seems Grand elder Dùghall’s visions have been getting worse and worse. I have been told that the army is to stop everything and return to clan caves immediately. ”
“Let’s go inform the general!” said Redbeard as he stepped forward and helped Udolf stand up so that he could walk to the general’s tent.
***
“So you ignored my orders and went behind my back to do this?” asked general Blaez.
“Sir! This matter is more important than the consequences of disobeying orders,” replied Akira.
“Since I can not disobey the Grand elders’ orders we will head out immediately. Since you feel so strongly that you are right I am sure that you will agree that if this matter turns out to be false the person that will take the full brunt of blame will be you along with whatever the Grand elders deem fitting as punishment.”
“I am prepared to receive whatever punishment as long as the earth tribe is able to escape annihilation.”
“If this is true there will be no need for punishment as I am not such a prude like grand elder Tormoid. You will instead have my utmost respect. But as it stands right now you are an insubordinate officer that should be demoted back to a common warrior. You are dismissed,” said General Blaez waving Akira and the others away.
***
“Why are leaving now? The humans still have half of their original army! If we don’t crush them now they will just continue to cause us problems,” complained Frang as he packed his meager belongings into his bag.
“The grand elders gave the general a direct order. There is nothing we can do,” said Akira.
“How do you know?”
“I just overheard a few officers talking about it earlier,” said Akira.
“Damn it, I didn’t even get enough contributions to get promoted!” complained Frang.
***
The grand elders had been in a meeting when a frightened shaman had run into the room and delivered a message to Grand elder Wulfric.
Everyone stopped their heated discussion and waited for Wulfric to read the note. Five seconds passed before Wulfric stood up and held up the piece of paper for all to see.
“This message is from the lead shaman of the 1st beta pack. Grand elder Dùghall I am certain that the contents of this piece of paper is the reason for your visions,” said Grand elder Wulfric.
“What is it did the army really encounter defeat?” asked Grand elder Àaron.
“No, it is much worse than that! The Demigods have returned!”
Silence swept through the cave as the grand elders were shocked beyond belief.
Grand elder Dùghall mulled over his past visions to see if this was true.
He was startled at what he now saw. It was as if a strong wind had blown away the fog of vagueness that had hidden the meaning of the visions. Now the warning signs were clear as day.
He knew this was the correct answer and deep down he must have had a feeling it was like this with the preparations he had started. A weight he did not know he had been harboring was released from his body only to be replaced by a new and heavier worry.
“I did not want to think that it was possible so it may have clouded my judgment but now that it has happened. The visions have all become so clear now. The Demigods are back and I feel that this time it will not be a short stay,” said Grand elder Dùghall his voice breaking through the silence.
“What are we to do!?” asked a panicked Grand elder Garnal.
“Everyone! Calm yourselves, we are the representatives of the Earth tribe and must present ourselves accordingly. Immediately send a reply back to them and tell them that the army must return immediately!” said Grand elder Dùghall.
“I propose that we have a vote on whether we should follow Grand elder Dùghall, or stay and fight the Demigods,” said Wulfric.
“I second this motion!” said grand elder Carl.
“Very well, all in favor of leaving Halrverold, raise your hand,” said Grand elder Dùghall.
Every single hand went up.
“Did we even need a vote? Staying here with the Beorin empire trying to wage war and now the return of the Demigods? Only a fool would stay,” said Grand elder Tormoid.
“Since everyone is in agreement, We’ll need to start gathering supplies and as many ships as we can. If there are not enough we’ll have to build more. We must be ready to leave by the time the army arrives.”
“We need to inform our allies of this! This does not only affect the Earth tribe but every one of the demon races!” said Grand elder Seoc.
“Of course we will inform them of this. There is no need to say that,” said Grand elder Dùghall.
The heated discussion continued on as the Grand elders planned for the unknown future.
