The elementalist tried her hardest to stifle a giggle but it slipped out at Prince Birch's reply to the ranger, "Hehehe!"

"Something amuses you, my lady?" Princess Cauladra turned towards the Elementalist.

Alyson merely nodded, "Prince Birch's assessment of drow is rather accurate, your highness. The other," She paused glancing over in an inconspicuous individual recording history off to the side for a moment, "Prince Willow was referring to is a certain chronicler of Validor."

"A Drowling is a Chronicler of Validor?!" Princess Cauladra replied to Alyson's response in pure disbelief, "Has the Order of Validor fallen so far that they had to recruit such creatures as that?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine, your highness." The elementalist responded.

Princess Cauladra just sighed and shook her head.

Meanwhile, War Scribe merely giggled in glee as she continued to record all of the events as they transpired.

*****

Finally Lazheros stepped forward and as he did the Alter self spell he cast earlier to lead help with Captain Andaerean and his company faded in full view of everyone. No longer was there an elf but the bronze man. "My apologies for the deception but it was necessary to remain untouched by the Huorns wrath against the skirmish with horde. Captain Irzen had come up with a similar strategy back in Westfall with some minor changes there were very few causalities. The end result drove the enemy back and the return of Prince Yew but more importantly the warlord, Gruumasht is NOT alone, under his command is a half-orc, Barakas. Once a mere torturer, now turned warlock-necromancer, so even if you slay the forces of the enemy, make very sure that fiend cannot raise an army of undead to throw at any of you."

"YOU?! ARE THE BRONZE MAN OF LEGEND!?!" Prince Birch clapped his hands against his forehead in pure disbelief, "NO WAY! OUTSTANDING!!!" The wayward prince immediately seized Lazheros hand and shook it so vigorously that the Cleric thought his arm might fall off, "It is an honor to meet you, noble dragon! AN HONOR INDEED!!!"

Alyson and Captain Lion felt like they had just witnessed a very awkward scene unfold before eyes.

Sunrider and Ash let an audible gasp in the presence of the Cleric of Bahamut. The king had heard many a tale of the Bronze Man and his travels with the legendary champion, Madeous Khyng . "Well, it would seem that my sons have made many allies in their journeys through the long years. Your aid is most welcome!"

The crown prince stepped forward, "Somehow I knew there was more than meets the eye with you, amandil. None of our people serve, the platinum dragon here, at least not to my knowledge but there are dragonborn that have been seen to the north of Winter Marsh, mostly silver I believe but they won't engage unless given a true reason to."

"Ah, just like their draconic ancestry, silver dragonborn are noble and true, however, I think I can persuade them to come to your aid and it would give Gruumasht and Barakas pause just enough for us to gain the advantage." The bronze man surmised.

"The more our allies grow in number," Irzen added, "The more I like our chances for victory."

"Yes and--!!" The elven king was about to continue when the royal guard captain came bursting in, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sire!" The royal guard captain gasped, "The Enemy is nearly here! It is nothing like anything I've seen!"

Just then the horns of battle rang throughout the capital entire sending the common folk running into the tunnels, and in the far distance drums, drums of the war and death boomed in the distance.

"Lord Irzen, we shall implement all of the tactics you suggested! To arms, may Corellon Larethian grace us with his might and blessings!"

"But which option, Sunrider Elven King?" The Swordsman asked, "You have neither the time nor the numbers to try them all. Which option are you going to use?"

"We will utilize the first option you suggested, Captain Irzen." Sunrider told him giving the go ahead to prepare for combat to his officers. "Captain Andaerean is the cavalry ready?"

"Yes sire."

The elven king turned to the dwarf captain, "Is yours ready?"

"Aye, my lord! My sappers have ambush points all set up as we speak and the tinker gnomes have added a bit of spice to the mixture on the catapults." Mandur gripped his hammer.

The crown prince bowed and left for the front lines with Andaerean behind him.

Lazheros turned to the king, "I will remain on the wall for support and heals. I will not engage unless I absolutely need to while the elementalist can provide support on the front with the crown Prince and Captain Irzen."

Prince Birch was still shaking Lazheros' hand vigorously and had not yet let go.

The Bronze Man withdrew his hand and said, "Prince Birch of East Port, your brothers will require your skills to bolster and aid. Of which do you choose to help first? Ash and his army outside the city walls, or do you prefer to stay with Willow and the archers on the walls with the catapults and tinker gnomes?"

"That is an easy question, Lord Bronze Man," Birch beamed from ear to ear, "I shall stand by the side of my brother Ash as we ride into battle at the head of our mighty army. We shall slay many an Orc this day!"

In a wild flourish, Birch unsheathed his sword and brandished it for all to see, "OFF TO BATTLE AND GLORY!!!" Prince Birch stormed out of the room following after his brother, Crown Prince Ash.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Sunrider Elven King," Irzen apologized before he turned towards The Bronze Man, "Lazheros, you will be needed to engage the enemy once we have encircled them. When we do that, we will signal you to launch your attack. Please look for that signal! You must strafe them from the air. The success of my strategy and our very lives will depend upon it. Understand?"

"Let me rephrase what I just said, Captain Irzen, I WILL NOT engage the horde unless I have no other option left," Lazheros raised his voice slightly, "Alyson and her elementals will wait for the signal."

"And let me rephrase what I just said, Lazheros," The Swordsman replied without raising his voice as he calmly placed his hand on the Cleric's shoulder, "Perthenexio is good at what he is. You are better at what you are and you know it. Do not let your pride stand between you and the lives you could save by helping us directly in battle. And I will leave the matter at that."

The Swordsman quietly walked away and began to follow after Captain Mandur and Captain Andaerean.

"Don't be too hasty asking for Lazheros to directly involve himself, Irzen," Alyson pointed a finger at the swordsman, "Not everyone here KNOWS what he is, got it? Leave the Red Dragon issue to me, you just focus on the battle with Captains Mandur and Andaerean."

Irzen stopped dead in his tracks but did not look back at Alyson, "I am not being hasty, Alyson, I am being desperate. I know the enemy we face. A lot of brave people are going to die this day. And more still will die if Lazheros fails to intervene directly. Alyson, you are good at being a Human-Dragon hybrid but Lazheros is better at being a full-blooded Dragon. I do not WANT to SEE him at his full draconic fury, I just fear that we are going to NEED him at his full draconic fury to win this day."

Without another word, Irzen continued to follow after Captain Mandur and Captain Andaerean.

Sunrider, tenth of his line was in the middle of having his armor put on when he heard the bronze man raise his voice. Even for an elf, there was something not quite human in the way he replied to the swordsman.

*****

Now the elves could see the horde approach in the distance and the very size of it spanned the entire width of the southern valley itself. A blanket of death and destruction with only one goal to conquer, enslave and destroy.