Orion's First Sociologist

Chapter 1 New World?

   A frosty breeze cut through the morning mist and fell upon the fortress. The cool air brushed against General Todius' face as he made his way to the edge of the fortress wall. “Riengard”, he shouted loudly into the open.
   Todius slammed his hands on the wall's edge. “I know you are out there, show yourself coward”! The surrounding troops tensed up, anticipating a break of the silence from the morning fog.
   Todius' irritation became visible. “Do you think we are going to just let you waltz into Pandorus. Well you got another thing coming! Every single one of these men would lay down their lives before letting you set even a pinky toe into this land!”. The surrounding troops began to get rowdy. “Yeah bring it on Riengard”! “We will send you packing with your tail between your legs”! “The United Pandorus Coalition would never fall to a simple band of misfits”!
   A soldier frantically rushed to Todius and saluted. “General Todius, urgent report from the western wall sir”! Todius yanked his head over to look at the soldier reporting. “Well spit it out, ” he shouted.
   The reporting soldier flinched a little then gave his report. “Sir, a count of one thousand men have been spotted at the western front”. Todius' face turned bright red, infuriated with the terrible news.
   “Western front! A thousand men! Just one day ago I received a report from the Northern front that General Ace was defeated by Riengard and he was on his way here”. The reporting soldier tensed up again and saluted. “Additionally sir, the rebel Riengard has been spotted among them”. Todius pushed the reporting soldier and the other troops aside and started making his way to the western side of the fortress. “Blasted fools. Everyone to the western fort, double time”. He yelled ferociously.
   Another soldier panting heavily stepped into Todius' path. “General Todius. Sir, urgent report from the southern fort”. Another soldier stepped in Todius' path. “Urgent report from the eastern wall, General Todius Sir”!
   “What the heck is going on”! The shout echoed throughout the entire fortress and beyond its stone walls. All of the surrounding troop's ears were stunned. “My ear! My ears are ringing”! “Only morning and already getting one of General Todius' famous shouts. This is going to be a hell of a day”! Above them in the lookout tower, a soldier made a stressful alarm. “Single militia spotted breaking fog! Single militia breaking fog”! Todius looked up at the soldier in the lookout tower. Then out into the fog along with the rest of the troops.
   Riengard slowly and calmly emerged from the fog. “General Todius, you seem to be in disarray”. He then stated proudly and confidently, “Might I be of assistance”.
   Todius slapped his hands back on top of the stone wall and smirked. “So the weasel finally decided to show himself. I don't know what tricks you have been using but, I know there is no way you defeated all four of the advancing Generals! General Ace in the north who has slayed hundreds of thousands of men with his mighty lance, General Cocoa in the west who has never missed a shot with her bow, General Jackson in the south who once split the ground with his heavy axe, and General Cloe in the east the best swordswoman in the entire world. Each of them were hand chosen as the greatest warriors Orion has ever produced”.
   A feeling of joy and excitement engulfed Riengard. The feeling showed on his face as he raised his sword to the right. “Oh of course General I'm using tricks. I could not possibly be standing here before you, yet in three other places at once. Not until I get what I want from Pandorus”. He sighed loudly.
   Todius nodded his head and smiled. “Exactly all lies and now you are here with scraps of men left”! The troops in the fort surrounding Todius were now feeling at ease. “A simple trickster”! “Right a few bandits defeating four thousand well trained soldiers, ha impossible”. Riengards smile faded and he lowered his sword.
   “I am afraid that part of this story is no trick at all”.

   A group of Riengards men emerged from the fog escorting four prisoners. The prisoners were placed on their knees next to Riengard. Each of them looked up to Todius then back to the ground in shame. “I cannot believe we lost to these low lifes”. “Forgive us Todius we have been bested”. Todius looked down at the prisoners and was shocked. “Ace, Jackson, Cocoa, and Cloe it can't be! What vile tactics or sorcery”?
   Ace shook his head with a look of disappointment. “I hate to admit it but, the battle was as fair as a battle could be”.
   Todius' mouth dropped. “There is no way! You all had to have been deceived somehow. What say you Jackson”? Jackson kept his head down and ignored Todius. Riengard laughed loudly. “Well sir Todius, I will admit the battle against General Jackson was a little unfair”. Riengard's men escorting Jackson laughed loudly. “Why don't you explain this one Darius”. Darius, the man escorting Jackson, settled his laugh and placed a hand on Jackson's shoulder. “You see, this one's riding gear was not checked properly. As soon as the battle started he fell from his horse and his leg was stuck in the saddle straps. The lucky guy was dragged around for at least ten minutes before I caught up to him. Without this guy barking orders, his battalion couldn't tell up from down. Made for easy pickings, ha”! Todius grinded his teeth together and then shouted out in anger.
   “Even that is no excuse for how a band of militia defeated four thousand of the best warriors from all over the world”!
   Riengard closed his eyes, shook his head, then placed it in his hand. “The answer is in your own words”. He slowly opened his eyes and met gaze with Todius. “All of the once beautiful butterflies that sat behind those comfy walls without stretching their wings. Have slowly had those wings clipped. Effectively reducing them to worms for morning pickings”.
   Todius slammed his fist down on the wall, “Enough of your sly tongue weasel, speak plainly”! Riengard shrugged his hands and shoulders then calmly said, “Simply put you all are no longer the greatest warriors in the world”.
   Todius began to mutter as he descended the wooden ladder. Then down the stone and cobble stairs to reach the large wooden northern gates. “I cannot believe the nerve of that weasel. Insulting me and every warrior in the United Pandorus Coalition. We were hand picked by trial combat between all five of the kingdoms. I will show that arrogant fool the heart of a real warrior”. He reached the gates followed by the rest of the troops that were on the wall with him. They all had serious looks on their faces. “These insults cannot go unpunished”. “On my pride as a warrior I will make him take those words back”.
   Todius signaled to the gate guards to open the gates. Then reached his left hand out. “Bring me my weapon, the Splinter” he shouted. Two troops carried a large war ax from the weapons room and handed it to Todius.
   “Splinter as requested Sir”. A smile went across Todius' face as he lifted the large silver and leather hilted war ax in the air only using his left hand.
   “Men! Follow me to restore your honor! Our honor! To battle”!

   He screamed earnestly and charged through the gate and across the bridge over the moat. The troops poured out behind him like running water, all screaming with pure conviction in their hearts.
   As Todius and his troops reached the grassy field. Sounds of explosions echoed behind them. The troops and Todius were unphased, too distracted by the target ahead. Todius pointed to Riengard and yelled out, “For the honor of the United Pandorus Coalition. You will fall by this blade”! Riengard smirked, feeling confident. “And so the puppet dances at the tug of its strings”. He and his men along with the four generals faded backwards into the fog. Memory of the plan being explained flashed into all of their heads.
   “Vile fiend, you may have defeated us. But, you will never pierce the fortress walls”. “General Cloe speaks true, father, I mean General Todius will never cede that fortress”! Darius threw his short ax into the ground in front of Jackson. “Father huh? You sure he won't trade your life for that little fort of his”? The question irritated Cocoa, making her shout out. “General Todius would never risk the fate of the entire world for one man! Even if it is his son”! Riengard stood up from his chair in the corner of the tint and emerged from the shadows. “And what of you General Ace? Do you believe the fort can be taken”. Ace made eye contact with Riengard. The anger and disappointment from his defeat glared in his eyes and rang in his voice. “That fortress was a joint effort between every kingdom on this planet. To call it impenetrable is an understatement”.
   A short stocky in stature man wearing a black apron, clutching a blocky hammer entered the tint and interrupted Ace. “I will admit that the fortress is truly a work of art. Exterior walls are 8 feet of stone, rising 23 feet into the sky. Eight lookout towers, each 30 feet tall. A man-made moat surrounds all 1200 feet of the wall. Four wooden gates north, south, east, and west. Each 4 foot in thickness. All operated by the latest technology, the pulley system”.
   A look of confusion reached Darius' face. “A pulley system, what is that Erlin? You mean like how this guy's horse pulled him around”? Jackson turned his head in disapproval.
   Erlin responded with enthusiasm, “Not exactly. A pulley system uses rope and counter weights in order to move large objects”.
   Darius scratched his chin, “Yeah I think I get it”.
   Erlin began to pace back and forth while explaining further. “Moving on, finally the fort has one wooden bridge at the northern gate. Also operated with a pulley system”.
   Cloe glowed with pride and sat up. “You see! All of this was for nothing. No one gets in or out of fort Pandorus without our say so”! Riengard waved his hand and some of his troops began escorting the captured Generals out.
   “So Erlin, do the prideful children speak true? Will this fortress not fall to your might”?
   A grimy smirk blushed Erlin's face. “You can bet your last nice thought! Once I'm done, fort Pandorus will be a bed of rocks!
   As Todius and his men continued the charge. They heard the sounds of horses and hooves stomping the ground. “You cannot escape me Riengard”! They finally reached the fog only to find the four Generals tied up and gagged. With no sign of Riengard or his men. “The cowards ran away, bring the horses, we will chase them down and finish this”! The four Generals yelled through their gags trying to get Todius' attention.
   Todius walked over to them and kneeled down to remove their gags. “All is forgiven thanks to you all, Riengard barely has any men left and is on the run. We will capture them”! The gag fell from Cloe's mouth first and she shouted. “It is not a retreat”! The stress on her face put fear in Todius' stomach. “What are you saying”? The gags fell off of the rest of them.
   “On horses they fled to the left and the right”!