Long ago, when peace still reigned on the land, and the clash of swords did not disturb the peaceful lives of its inhabitants, Ferthren lived. He was a resident of the mighty human kingdom of Sellen. Sellen was located in the south of the land and was rarely attacked by any enemies, for its power and strength were unrivaled. Sellen housed the greatest warriors and knights. Most owed their fame to battles and wars with sea creatures. These battles began many years before the time I described at the beginning. Many battles and wars were fought to save the land.
The common enemy of the Eternal Alliance was Zerdran, called the Dark King. He had many subjects, and his army was vast. He gathered it in his dark fortress of Kirgrad, located in the eastern part of the land, near the Dark Mountains. No one knew Zerdran's past, but some of the sages believed he had once been apprenticed to the greatest warrior in history – Tunrar. Zerdran learned quickly and grew increasingly stronger. Soon he became as powerful as Tunrar, and, knowing his strength, he decided to rule the land. He fought a fierce duel with his master and defeated him. Zerdran cut off Tunrar's head and kept it in his cold fortress to gloat over his victory over his master. After the battle with Tunrar, Zerdran fled east to the Dark Mountains and hid there. They searched for him in vain – and in his citadel, he, using his power, created an army of orcs. Orcs were dark and ruthless creatures – they hated their master and served him only out of fear. Orcs were durable and fast, which is why they quickly became the Alliance's worst enemy.
The Eternal Alliance, or Astra Tar in the elven tongue, was composed of elves, humans, and dwarves. They shared a single goal: to defeat Zerdran and prevent him from gaining power. The Alliance was headquartered in Sellen. There, they held meetings regarding the deployment of troops and attacks on the enemy. The Alliance fought Zerdran for a very long time, and for the first five years, neither side gained an advantage. The first battle, called the Cursed Battle, because it was the beginning of everything, took place when Deron ruled Sellen. He was also the leader of the Eternal Alliance. Deron was the father of the valiant Ferthren.
When, after five years of war, no one was victorious, Zerdran resorted to a terrible act: he decided to steal the secret Walaka Stone, the first thing the Alliance had created before vowing to fight the Dark King. The Walaka Stone was located in the High Tower, Ilreanen. The greatest treasures of the land were kept there, and no enemy could penetrate, for the tower was protected by a magical force field. Zerdran, however, stole it. Or rather, his subjects. The leader of these devoted followers was Mardrog, the Dark King's best and most ambitious disciple. Mardrog had received a portion of his power from his master. Zerdran was still strong, but not as strong as before. However, he knew that once he had the Walaka Stone, nothing would stop him and he would regain his lost strength. Mardrog managed to steal the Stone, but the Alliance quickly learned of this—he also knew that Zerdran's forces were now significantly weakened. This was the perfect moment to attack.
Deron divided his forces. He gathered a vast army, which he had already kept for the time being. This army numbered over 20,000 soldiers. It included elves, humans, and dwarves. It was undoubtedly the largest army the Alliance had ever assembled. The Army of Doom, as it was later named by the sages, marched into the Dark Mountains, to the fortress of Kirgrad, for the Eternal Alliance had long since learned the location of the Evil One's seat. The army spared no effort, for it had to reach Kirgrad before Zerdran's dark servants could bring him the Stone of Valak.
The second retinue, numbering only six members, was tasked with retrieving the Stone from Mardrog. It included the largest and fastest warriors in the land. It included two elves—Kirian and Erethron; three humans—Ferethrin, Taren, and Nementor; and a dwarf named Bird. The six of them were to reach Madrog as quickly as possible.
"Be careful and return as soon as possible," said King Deron. He whispered to his son. "Take care, Ferthren.
" "I will not disappoint you, father," said the warrior. The procession set off quickly, following Mardrog's trail. First, they headed for the High Tower from where the Stone had been stolen. Then, finding the enemy's tracks, they set off eastward, straight for the Dark Mountains. The company rode incredibly fast on their swift steeds. They stopped only for meals in the evenings.
"We are very close to our destination. If all goes well, we will catch up with Mardrog in less than two days. And then Zerdran's reign will end," said Ferethrin.
"Don't forget the Wolfwood, which crosses our path," said Bird. "If we don't reach Mardrog before we reach the forest, woe betide us."
The Wolfwood lay in the center of the earth. It stretched all the way to the Dark Mountains. It was so dark that it was impossible to move through it. Mordrag, however, thanks to his power, could unleash Zerdran's light. This allowed him to pass safely through the forest and reach his lord. The procession quickly moved on, eastward. They were some nine miles from the forest. However, Ferethrin found ever fresher traces of Mardrog along their path. They followed the impassive Tamer Road, the Eastern Road. The journey became increasingly arduous. Finally, they stopped stopping; the mounts were giving their all and were nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Suddenly, they saw the hazy outline of trees on the horizon.
"It's over..." Kirian said dejectedly.
"Indeed," Ferethrin said, pointing to a dark spot ahead. "It's the end of our pursuit. They are there."
The speck proved to be their target—Mardrog's entourage. They caught them just as they were about to enter the forest.
"We come by order of the great king Deron. You are commanded to deliver the Wallak Stone into our hands." They saw that Mardrog had once been human, but no longer. Constantly poisoned by his master's hatred, he had become a disfigured, sinister creature of evil.
"Tell your master," he said in his crimson tongue. "That his reign will soon end. No one will command Great Vargargar!" he roared and rushed toward the forest. Ferethrin managed to stop him, but Vargargar stabbed him with his dark sword. A moment later, three of Kirian's arrows were embedded in Mardrog's body. The battle began. Mardrog had a dozen of the strongest orcs with him. Ferethrin, though wounded, did not retreat from the battle. He slashed with his long Knardass, Kirian and Erethron killed with elven arrows, Bird fiercely held his axe. Taren and Nemetor, the two brothers, were slaying orcs with two long, strong swords. Finally, the battle was over. All the orcs in Mardrog's band were slain. Kirian and Bird were seriously wounded. Only Mardorg remained alive.
"Give me the Wallak Stone," Ferethrin said decisively. Mardrog, almost dead, nodded painfully and whispered, "Never..." Then he threw the stone into the air, and it shattered on the hard ground.
"You will pay for this." Mardrog managed to draw his sword and strike Ferethrin. "We'll take you to the dungeons of Sellen."
"Let's put him out of his misery," Kirian suggested. "That's for the best."
Suddenly, Mardrog stood up quickly and ran toward the forest.
"Leave him alone." There his destiny will be fulfilled. He has lost his power, so nothing can save him. A moment later, a piercing scream and a loud wolf growl could be heard.
"This is the end of Mardrog," said Ferethrin.
"But also the end of the Stone," said Bird. "What do we do now?"
"We will gather the remains and take them to Sellen. There they will care for the Stone. Let us return home. We have fulfilled our task.
The war at the gates of Kirgrand was fierce, but Zerdran was unable to stop Deron's army, even though he also had a vast force. He was defeated and imprisoned in the dungeons of Sellen, and his fortresses were destroyed. The orcs were wiped out, but some managed to hide in the Western Mountains and there they multiply. The Battle of Walaka was over, but that certainly did not mean the end of the Great Wars between the Alliance and Evil."
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