Free The Wizard's Council by Cody J. Sherer Page B

seemed to matter to James now. In his mind, there was no negotiating with the Galimdorians. His thoughts were interrupted by a door opened up across the room. A shorter man in a cloak entered the room and pulled out an envelope. The enveloped glided across the room and landed in James’ hand. He began reading it immediately.
    “What does it say?” Melissa asked.
    “It is from Rolin. He says that we need to prepare for an attack. Their army has been too small to significantly hamper the forward movement of the enemy. The Galimdorians should be here in two days’ time.” James handed the letter to Melissa as he made his way for the exit.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I need to warn the Carmalians. This is hardly the time to leave them in the dark. Ready the students, war is coming to our doorstep.”
    *
    Sev nocked an arrow as he crept through the brush. The Rangers under his command followed his lead and nocked arrows, as well. According to their intel, the enemy camp was not far from their current position. Sev was the first to notice one of the enemy guards. The orc was no taller than five feet tall and stockier than the average dwarf. Though not menacing compared to a troll, orcs were one of the strongest races in the land. Riverton must be their target , Sev thought as he snuck up on the lone orc. He placed the arrowhead up against the orc’s neck and released the bowstring. The orc stumbled forward, and Sev grabbed him by the collar with his free hand. He pulled the orc into the bushes and motioned for the other Rangers to follow him.
    They all crept forward until they could see the camp. As Sev had expected, the camp was within raiding distance of the small human town of Riverton. The Rangers often used the town for trading and gathering information from the outside world. It was vital to the survival of the Druids, Rangers, and elves alike. Sev readied another arrow and aimed it at the largest orc he could see. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the orc in the neck, killing it within moments. Sev’s Rangers unleashed their own barrage of arrows, taking down three orcs and two goblins in the process. They readied another set of arrows as Sev pulled out his short swords. Several goblins rushed at him. Like most goblins, they were slightly less than four feet tall and had thin builds. Their brownish skin was lighter than the dark-green orcish skin, but their features were similar. Each had black eyes, small noses, and teeth that resembled miniature daggers.
    The Rangers let loose their second volley of arrows as Sev dispatched three goblins. Half of the Rangers put away their bows and pulled out melee weapons. They lined up so that each Ranger archer had another melee Ranger in front of them for protection. Each of the Rangers in the front row took up a unique fighting stance that Sev had developed for each weapon. The spear holders all dropped to one knee and placed the spearhead facing the enemy with the other side against their rear boot, allowing the archers to fire over their shoulder. Each of the swordsmen took up a fencing stance, leaving their archers with more room to fire. Sev drove his sword through the jaw of a nearby orc as the Rangers closed in on their prey.
    Orcs and goblins were pouring out of the three large tents in the middle of the camp. The outer tents were either decoy tents or their occupants had already been slain in battle. Sev ordered his men to shoulder their bows and join the fray in full force. His men quickly complied and were at his side in moments. The half-elf took down two more orcs as he slowly made his way toward their leader. Orcish Shamans were easily recognizable by their spearlike staff and the large tattoos that covered their bodies. Their apparel varied greatly by tribe, but all of them were known as the leader of their tribe. The chieftain was the second-in-command. Both of them were standing outside of the largest of the three tents. Sev’s attention was