Neb An Dee Ten Empires
So elfie strength be crushed, city smashed to rubble, an King of Stars be dead. Great celebrations last for many days an nights as Goblyns take final revenge on those who had tormented them so long. There be enough delicious elfie for all dee Goblyns of Nezzar to eat until dey full, an so much treasure taken from crumbled Tower that it spill out of Milashekhaad’s temple into dee streets, an Goblyns have more shineys den dey know what to do with.
But Neb worried, Goblyns bring news of great activity beyond dee mountains that encircle Nezzar. Beyond mountains be immense hills an plains, filled with huge numbers of pinky hu-mans. They call themselves land of Ten Empires, an Neb know that for all dee strength of Kingdom of Stars, deez hu-mans may be bigger threat. Because you see, in many ways hu-mans is most like Goblyns of all pinkies. Dey is very numerous, dey spread out an grow, dey is even prone to chaos an mayhem. Dey have ability an tendency to move quick an decicive, unlike elfies or dwarfthings. So when Neb hear of strange happenings in Ten Empires, he wary.
Neb send out many scouts into Empires, an all come back with same story, villages emptied, fires burning day an night, smoke filling dee air, an everywhere men in armor riding, thousands an thousands of dem.
Message clear, hu-mans is already learning of fall of Kingdom of Stars, an all ten nations be rallying to destroy Goblyns before they grow any stronger. Hu-mans move fast, Neb know he have only a few days, maybe a week before pinky host reaches him. It be bad situation, one in three Goblyns be dead from war with elfies, an with all Ten Empires combined, hu-man soldiers will outnumber every Goblyn an Goblyn-child in Nezzar. If Goblyn nation to survive, he must move quick an clever.
Celebrations be brought to sudden end, as wardrums shake dee city again. An before they is done pounding, city is emptying. Because you know when I say hu-mans is most like Goblyns because dey move fast, I not suggesting they act fast as us, because no one move like dee Goblyns. Goblyn host form ranks as it rush down valley, past elfie vale, to narrow outlet to hu-man plains. Goblyns call it dee Bloody Gates, a crack in mountains circling Nezzar, broken an rocky, cramped between two bladed peaks named Thunder an Flame, land so poisoned with blood of enemies of Nezzar that nothing ever grow there again. There already be thousands of hu-mans there advance troops of Empire’s army. Goblyns sweep dem aside. Some knights is foolish an try to hold us back, but most just run, after seeing comrades thrown down an torn to pieces.
Neb let dem run, an not pursue out into plains. If he do he know he could run wild an burn hundreds of hu-man cities, smash armies an destroy whole empires before he crushed, but he know he eventually be crushed, an that not acceptable. Instead he split army into four parts. He leave a handful to keep any hu-mans from approaching, and to scale Thunder an Flame to find dee Goblyn works carved into dee mountainside, as set fire to ancient war beacons built into Flame’s slopes, an shake dee mountain’s with Thunder’s drums. Dee second group he send back into valley, to chop down trees an drag dem back to Gates. Dee third group he send to ruined Kingdom of Stars, an each comes back with as many stones as they can carry. Fourth he send to make mortar. Almost every tree in pass is chopped down, an every stone from Kingdom of Star is carried away. Trees an stone an mortar is piled together, an two days after Neb arrive at dee Gates, a massive wall stretch from Thunder to Flame, high an thick, with one mighty gate in dee middle, made from whole, solid oak trees, an set with unbreakable Goblyn runes. Greatest rune of all be set in center of gate, buring eye of Milashikhaad, wide open an furious, drawn by Baltasar in Goblyn blood. An good thing, because on day three, army of dee Ten Empires descend on Nezzar.
It be terrible sight for Goblyns in Nezzar, unending waves of armored hu-man soldiers, stretching past sight, siege weapons rolling in dee back, thousands of armored knights riding before dem like heralds of dee tempest. But it must have been worse for humans, to approach a vision of hell, dee razor peaks shrouded in smoke, dee sky blacked from dee mountains burning, dee air quivering from dee drums in Thunder’s slopes, an sharp with dee voices of Goblyns, screaming an laughing, dee wall an mountains crawling with hundreds of thousands of monsters, calling out for pinky blood.
Hu-man host be led by Knights of dee Ten, an order of hu-mans that be source of Empire’s unity, an field dee most powerful army. Even dee rulers of dee Ten Empires be subject to orders of Grand Master of dee Knights. They call together council of hu-man kings, an decree plan of assault. Each empire be given stretch of wall to assault, however they see fit. Knights of dee Ten declare they will break dee Goblyn’s gate demselves.
Next day assault begin, but get nowhere. Wall too high for pinky siege towers, an it sloped so they not even able to get close enough to drop bridges. Hu-mans can clamber up wall, but it be slow-going and treacherous, an Goblyns rain missiles an magics and rush down on dem an throw dem to tumble back down wall. Neb’s works not be like normal wall, that be hard an firm but able to crack. It be a massive pile of stones, held together with sticky mortar an braced with entire trees. Catapults an trebuchets slam stones into it, but dey just sink into face of wall an do little damage.
Knights of dee Ten, meanwhile, bring up tremendous rams crowned with steel an filled with magics, to shatter Milashikhaad’s gate. First ram be brought, an brave knights push it through blizzard of arrows an torrents of oil. It be black an forbidding, a rod of bitter iron hanging from twisted chains, dee breaker of many many gates. It roll into position, an knights pull back chains an send ram forward in first mighty blow against Milashikhaad’s rune--but nothing happen, except a tearing, shrieking sound as ram twist an snap in two along entire length, knights falling to dee ground in shock, crushed as ram collapse in ruin.
First day be miserable failure for Ten Empires, many hu-mans lay dead on dee wall, an none even touched dee crest. So begin great Siege of dee Bloody Gates. It last for three seasons, through icy winter an into next muddy spring. Hu-mans try every way they know to break wall, an nothing work. Inside besieged Nezzar, Goblyns is getting lean an hungry, but war spirit burn hot, dey not care if dey have foods as long as they is having hu-mans to kill.
An many hu-mans dey kill indeed, until plain before dee Bloody Gates be full of barrows and burial mounds, and hu-man encampment, with walls an streets an huts, be turned into a city of dee living an dee dead.
Hu-mans is impatient. Even when they know something be necessary, they can get tired of it. It be so with siege. Eventually hu-man kings be complaining an bitter to Knights of dee Ten, whining about all dee men that dying, an how cities at home be unattended an vulnerable. Grand Master curse pinky weakness, but know he must act quick or risk collapse of army. So when spring come, he prepare a final assault. Holy magics is gathered to neutralize Milashikhaad’s rune so it can be burned from gates, new rams is made from steel an iron. All dee Knights of dee Ten who still living, no matter age or wounds, gather for attack. All other hu-man armies mass an prepare to scale dee walls at once when dee Knights break dee gate.
Nebukhadnezzar watch pinkies prepare from wall-top, an know that it be time.
Nothing seem unusual for pinkies dat morning as dey prepare to attack, except dey notice Goblyns is hanging chains from dee many huge tree trunk dat stick out of top wall. But no one know why, an dey is too caught up in anticipation of battle to think about it. Finally attack be launched, an all seem to be going well. Dee Knights of dee Ten reach gate an begin to scour runes away, Goblyn’s defensive fire seem weak an inneffective. Armies tense an draw closer to dee wall in preparation. Knight of dee Ten is taking brunt of Goblyn fury. Dey is cut down, smashed, burned an hacked where dey stand, but more step forward, unafraid. Finally rune is marred, an ram brought forward. An dis time, as light of dawn soak dee plain, there be thunder of wood straining an breaking. A thrill go through massed pinky armies, an a great cheer erupt as dey surge forward eager an bloodthirsty to finally wreak revenge on hated Goblyns. Dey pour up wall behind shelter of shields, as Goblyn arrows an stones bounce off, ineffective. Finally, Goblyn gate collapse in with a roar, an host of dee Ten Empires rush to dee attack.
Over dee broken gates an into dee gaping tunnel sweep dee Knights of dee Ten, hooves pounding, sunlight shining off steel, dee Grand Master at dee head, sharp lance lowered. Deeper an deeper Knights of dee Ten charge into tunnel, until suddenly front ranks smash headlong into something solid and immovable. Horses scream an knights cry out in pain as more Knights pour into tunnel, pushing forward, slowly crushing dee bones of der comrades. Grand Master fight for breath through broken ribs as he slowly squeezed against cold stone wall. It not an entrance at all, he realize. It just a hole dug halfway through dee wall an set with a massive gate. Maybe he weep bitter tears as his men trample an crush themselves all around him. But who will know?
Because right then Neb spring his trap. Behind wall dee entire Goblyn horde is massed an ready, thousands of chains stretch from tree trunks down to dem, an at his order they pull, an huge levers begin to slowly push dee stone wall outwards. Stones begin to tumble down slope of wall, slowly at first, until wall suddenly give way.
Hu-man armies is sweeping up dee walls when they here huge thud from within stone, but they not have long to think about it when dee wall lurch beneath their feet, stones begin to slip, an without warning entire face of monstrous fortifications bulge out an collapse in avalanche that sweep out to swallow dee massed armies of dee Ten Empires.
Hu-mans cry in despair as life is smashed from dem. Thousands of Goblyns Neb had posted on top of wall shriek in laughter as dey ride dee stones down down down, to their deaths. Pinky kings be watching. Some old pinkies die in shock, some kill themselves in despair, others turn an flee in panic. A few stand an fight. None live.
Neb lead his horde over dee collapsed wall, over dee tomb of hu-man hopes. Everywhere there is bodies sticking from rocks, some calling out in pain. None still be alive when Goblyns is passed.
Neb lead army out onto plains, an he burn an burn an burn until there nothing left of Ten Empires, until all hu-mans is fled from lands near Nezzar, an entire world tremble at dee Goblyn’s whispers.