Obsidian
an excerpt

Chapter 1
Ulric Blademaster, of Crimson Keep on the far side of Moloch Peak, stared down into The Abyss. He lifted his sword into the air and screamed over the winds.
“Ready!” he cried. The Abyss drifted closer and closer and closer. He cried again, “Loose!” His voice barely carrying to the archers standing on the wall, but the message was passed along and a rain of arrows flew over his head, causing the bulkhead of Orion Castle to rest briefly under shadow. The wood and steel bit into flesh and bone but The Abyss advanced still more, trampling it's fallen. He shouted the command again and again as the archers pulled arrows to their cheeks. More of The Abyss fell and still the bodies were ignored and trampled.
“Fire at will,” he screamed, over the roars of pain and pleasure, letting the archers off their reins. His eyes scanned the horde in front of him, searching for the magic-users, the leaders of The Abyss, the only ones who could do any damage at this range. There, he thought. He could see the vague purple glow of demon magic surrounding an ominous figure. Ulric looked behind, meeting the eyes of Gaspard, the Kip's master archer. He signaled, over there. The old master nodded and put an arrow to bow, sighting down the shaft. Gaspard stood here for a minute, maybe two, then released the missile along a perfect arc, another arrow already set in the bowstring. It sailed into a midst of Demons striking the one preparing to cast the spell. The Demon screamed in pain and ...
***
“Hey Lucas, get over here!” The dice fell from Lucas' hand as the shout startled him.
“Dammit, Mark!” He looked across at his opponent, Piers, “I guess I'll be right back.”
“That's cool man. Take your time,” the other man continued sheepishly, “I'm in no hurry to lose my Horde Commander.” Lucas grinned knowingly, trying to contain his laughter.
“Sooner or later, I will finally kill that thing.”
“Sure man, sure,” he replied, grinning all the while.
Lucas just laughed and shook his head as he walked off towards the front of the store. He stopped to put a fallen model pack back on the shelf and then, satisfied with his work, he continued his journey. The shop was situated on the top floor of the Hellmouth Shopping Center on Isaac Anthony Blvd.. It occupied four rooms. Entering from the mall, the first room was the sales floor where the display cases and merchandise is kept. It also contains the sales counter and cash. Through a set of glass sliding doors was the largest room, the play room. This room contained movable tables for terrain set up and shelves for house armies and storage. The other two rooms, in the back, were the storage room for extra stock and the workshop where all the new terrain and custom shop models are made.
Lucas reached the sales counter, where his best friend mark was working cash.
“What is it?” he asked.
Mark flicked his head toward the exit, “That girl's been staring at the store for fifteen minutes.”
“Seriously?” Lucas looked out the doors at the girl. She looked about the same age as them, that is to say seventeen years of age, with dyed black hair, highlighted blue. It was cut short to about her neckline. She wore glasses and was dressed in black jeans and a black sweater. On her feet were black hightops. She sat on the bench directly across from the store and was staring at the vendor.
Lucas thought aloud, “I wonder what she wants? Or better yet, what's her problem?” As if she had heard them the girl got off her seat and stalked toward the shop. The two boys just stared at her advancing form, unsure of what to do. As she entered she scowled at the two friends.
Mark stammered out a, “Welcome. How may I help you?” The girl looked up at him and scowled. She reached behind her and pulled out an Obsidian model case.
She sighed and said, “I need an opponent. Someone good too.” Lucas looked at Mark, who was frozen, mouth agape. He looked back at the girl and volunteered.

“I'll do it,” he said. The girl turned to him and looked him up and down, analyzing him, inspecting him. At last she looked back at his face.
“Are you sure you're good enough,” she coughed, “I mean you're about the same age as me. In my neighborhood no one even close to our age has ever beat me.” Her face changed to that of someone who was assured of utter victory.
Lucas grinned, “ I assure you, I am quite competent.” He turned around, “Hey Piers. We're going to have to postpone our game.”
Piers stuck his head out the door, “Sure thing man. What do you want set up?”
“Just put my models on table B. And I'll need...” he paused and turned his head to face the girl, “What's your primary unit race?” The girl looked at him in confusion.
“They're all Elves, why?”
Lucas just smiled at her, “You'll see.” He faced Piers again, “Then I'll need Vladimir from my model case. I'll get the terrain from the back.”
Piers nodded, “Done.” His head disappeared from the opening.
Lucas looked back at the girl, he said only two words, “ Follow me.” He entered the games room and took a right turn, the girl right behind him, Piers moving stuff silently in the background. Lucas pushed the secret door open, and lead the way into the back rooms. He stopped in the workshop. He started pulling some boxes off the full wall shelf.
“I didn't catch your name by the way.”
She gave him a smug look, “I didn't give it.”
“Will you?”
Her face changed to an amused grin, “If you beat me.”
Lucas shook his head, “Alright, fine. The same applies for me then.” He sighed and turned back to the job at hand. “Alright, how many points are we playing?”
“100, 000.” Lucas looked sharply at her, it was a strange look. She pouted at him, “What can't take it big boy?”
Lucas grinned, “Oh I can handle it. It's just been so long since anyone's played more than 25,000 points with me. Alright we'll need some more stuff then. Be right back.” He turned and walked back into the main area. “Piers, the game has changed, I need the Keep configuration. Put out Vlad's Troop, the full archer complement and the Commandos from my case.”
Piers looked up in surprise, “Does this girl know what she's getting herself into?”
Lucas smiled, “I don't know. She won't tell me her name but she seems pretty confident in her skills. Just set it up, it's been a while since I've had a challenge. ” He went to return to the workshop but paused, “She's set up a prize of sorts. It seems that the winner gets the other's name.” He turned and left. She looked up when he entered. Lucas started moving the boxes from the base of the shelves. “Come on give me a hand here.” The girl looked at him for several seconds and then started moving the boxes away from the shelving unit. It took about five minutes for the all the various cases and boxes out of the way. Lucas reached under and pulled, he released and pulled again. Finally the object he was holding started to move. What came out from underneath was a large black trunk with sinister stenciled letters boldly displaying two words, Crimson Keep.