For the elements fought, day in and out,

The cry of war at which they shout,

The doom of life they have shone,

Can only be thwarted by Sorcerers Stone

The air filled with yells as the arrows penetrated the oncoming horde of Skeletons. "Man the flanks, set… fire!" shouted Artanis at his archers as they loaded their bows. Twang! The air filled with screams as the arrows hit their targets. "Artanis, we have spotted the enemy's Crystals." Gradox shouted up the steep incline to Artanis. " Good, prepare for their first wave!" Artanis was worried, for the oncoming horde was strong, and he had not but archers. "We cannot let Mount Guard fall", he shouted, "open fire!"

Another wave of arrows screamed thru the air, hitting the Skeletons head on. Artanis was a tall man, with flowing gold hair and eyes of pure blue. He was lean, yet as tough as a giant Golem. He was an archer, the best there ever was. He could fire his bow without looking, and kill three men at once. He was sworn to protect Mount Guard from all, and that's exactly what he intended to do. Even if it meant losing his life.

"The enemy iss sstrong my lord. My men are not faring to well," hissed Doraxe, the Skeleton's Commander. " Very well, Doraxe, send word to Menardi to release the Gargoyles!" cooed Saturos in his deceivingly melodic voice.

"Yess ssir, right away."

"Oh, and another thing" Saturos said humbly, whipping out his sword

"Don't tell me were losing!" With a quick strike he felled Doraxe.

"Time for a new general" he scorned as he turned sharply away. "It is just a matter of time before we take the stones, and then to the lighthouses!" he laughed in his charming and deceiving voice. "Just a matter of time."

The skeletons army was advancing slowly butt still advancing none the less. Artanis was running out of arrows and men. "Blasted that Idom for being called to duty at MayFlank" he shouted. Without his brother, he had almost no footmen. And without footmen, he could only fire from a distance. " This isn't good," he thought to himself.

He knew he couldn't win, but he had to hold them off as long as he could. "Get me a crystal!" he ordered to one of his men. "At least I can try," he thought. Holding the mysterious purple crystal to his chest, he summoned the god Jupiter. "Aies dom naid! Aies Dom NAID!" He roared from the mountain's cliff. Just then a huge clash was herd, as if the hevens were fighting. The clouds began to darken as the swirled into magnificent pinnacles over the lying battlegrounds. Out of the pinnacles flashed brilliant bolts of pure light, striking the ground and the Skeletons with a SMASH, sending flaming debris everywhere. Screams filled the air as Artanis' men loosed another wave of arrows at the ranks. Over and over this happened, each time thousands fell to the lightning. Then there was another crash, this time it being the first wall collapsing into the second.

Men screamed as the gargoyles flew thru the ranks and destroyed whatever got in their way. Firing his bow as fast as he could, Artanis quickly slayed five gargoyles, but there were too many. Over and over the waves of Skeletons and gargoyles smashed against Artanis' men, each time killing more and more archers. Suddenly a loud scream was heard, and as Artanis looked for the source of sound, he saw Gradox falling down with a sickening thud. He was dead. "My best man, DEAD! We wont be able to hold much longer. We are running out of crystals!" these thoughts raced quickly thru his head.

After all of his lightning summoning, he only had enough magic to summon one more spell.

"Traei Domino Feias!" He yelled as if he had no more breath. A huge blast of wind soared down the mountain, knocking the Skeletons off the second ledge and smashing them at the bottom. They kept coming.

Artanis was now surrounded, his back to the sheer stone mountainside, his right to the remaining bits of the second wall, and the rest dead archers and Skeletons. The last half hour of fighting seemed to have flown by, and now he was the only one left. "It would be foolhardy to run, or to attack. I am trapped!" he disgustingly accused himself. Just then the Skeletons parted and a dreamy smell came to his head. A melodic voice entered his mind and seemed to shake it like a baby sleeping. "Give up, and we'll spare you." it seemed to awaken every thought in his body.

"I'm not going to fall for your tricks!" shouted Artanis

"You don't even have to look at me, just give-"

"NO, I will look at you, and I will not give in!" Artanis roared. Artanis drew his bow and pointed it at the foggy looking man. "I'm not a fool, I'm an archer of Jupiter! I can easily kill you, you excuse for a mage!

"Enough!" screamed Saturos, the melody in his voice fading.

"I have had enough of your taunts, Artanis, you are a mere child compared to me! You will die a most painful death!" with that he drew his sword, raising it above Artanis' head.

Artanis shouted, knocking the sword aside with the blades on the tips of his bow.

He fired his arrow, striking Saturos in the shoulder. "AAARRGGH!" he screamed, throwing Artanis against the stone wall with a loud smack. A searing pain shot thru Artanis, and as he looked down, with horror he saw a spike of rock jutting through his chest. Artanis knew what he must do, and as the last bits of life seeped out of him, he drew the Arrow of Jupiter. Notching it in his bow, he pulled with all of his remaining strength. As he loosed it, Saturos pulled the arrow out of his shoulder, and swung at Artanis. The arrow ricocheted off Saturos' blade and flew high into the air, exploding into a million sparks, missing Saturos entirely.

Artanis lay there, badly wounded from all of the fighting.

"It's all over." he thought to himself, "It's all over."

With that Saturos slashed his sword down, this time not missing.