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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1472213" data-attributes="member: 15043">The Battle... Part ThreeXanadu gave a deep, draconic growl as he watched the melee ensuing below.  As the demonic army had surged down the hill, he had launched several fireballs at it, keeping his word to Lucius that he would not leap into the melee... keeping the cover that he was merely a wizard hiding in the woods alive.To his chagrin, however, scarcely anything was diverted his way... none of the spellcasters moved away from facing the Imperial front lines, none of their archers were lured off.  They all focused dead ahead, on pounding the Imperial lines......the same lines Xanadu could see bending, stretching far beyond what they were intended to do.The plains behind the hill were now ablaze with color from Xanadu’s perspective, as the Imperial cavalry, eight thousand lances, was slowly coming out of the woods.  Its ranks were still disorganized, as knights and auxiliaries slipped among each other, all looking for their commanders.  In the midst, Xanadu could make out Lucius on his white charger, directing, shouting.Its good, in a perverse way, they’re pressing our lines so hard, Xanadu thought, looking at the cavalry slowly arranging itself.  They are so focused on the chaos before them that they can’t hear the racket forming on the other side of the hill behind them...He glanced back to the Imperial lines, and winced as he saw soldiers fly airborne from directly in front of the dragon, which was flailing and slashing about through the Imperial ranks.  They need more time, he looked back at the cavalry, desperately organizing itself.It was then he made his decision... orders or no orders, he was, as Lucius would say, “wading in.”  He stretched out his wings, and shed his alter self spell.  It felt relaxing, in a way, letting his wings feel the breeze.  He then folded them up, and snaked through towards a nearby clearing... nearly 200 yards long.  Starting at the far end, his snaked out his long frame, and began a trot... which broke into a canter, and then a gallop.  At the far end of the clearing, his wings stretched out, and dust rose in the air as the first downbeat lifted him skyward.“Sanjer!  Fill in that gap!” Santac snarled, taking only a moment to glance at the Imperial captain the order was directed two.  He didn’t need to keep his attention there to make sure the young man obeyed... he trusted he would.  Instead, Santac’s attention returned to the ice spider to his front... and his blade quickly found a way to shatter its skull, sending the mongrel mounted on it flying through the air.Santac’s instincts screamed for him to turn, and he could feel the air beside him stir quickly.  His blade only had a moment to spin, and block a vicious katana swing from another mongrel next to him.  Santac instinctively pulled away from the surprise assault, avoiding the flashing form of the creature’s washizaki narrowly missing him.  As the creature whirled, its blades heading towards another assault on him, Santac felt a shadow sweep over him, only seconds before the flash some something silvery and massive danced before his eyes, and his assailant sailed through the air, far away.  The air around him seemed to explode in a full draconic roar, as he looked and saw the powerful form of the enormous silver dragon Lucius had brought with banking, and diving down on the mongrel army yet again.  The air in front of the beast seemed to shudder and turn white, before a blast of energy lanced out into the middle of the mongrel formations, freezing spiders, mongrels, and demons alike.   “Bless ye...” Santac murmured, his eyes switching back to search for threats here on the ground, “even as ye nearly made me crap my pants.”Elenya watched as Xanadu’s form circled above the battlefield, lancing massive holes into the mongrel ranks as they continually reformed to charge again and again.   No demons had gotten as close as the vrock and bebilith, and now she stood on the carapace of her fallen foe, yelling down what she saw to the other nurses.“Tell everyone in Tent Six to get ready for a good number!” she barked, spotting a group of soldiers hauling in numerous badly wounded comrades.  She made the count at 15... enough to overwhelm Tents Five and Six, the two closest.“They’re out of brandy over there!” Lady Holgren shouted, her arms and front apron covered in blood, “Where can we get some more?”“Ask the folks in the First Tent!” Elenya pointed, “They should have some left!  If they don’t... I feel sorry for those soldiers.”  She then turned back to the battlefield.  Scurrying behind the shifting Imperial lines were robed men... spellcasters, she knew, alternately providing protection spells and wards, as well as lobbing missiles of magical power and force into the enemy ranks.  As she watched, a group of mongrels pierced the Imperial line at one point, and dashed in, hacking down one of the mages.“Remnova!” Elenya barked, motioning for the girl to come up to the top of the creature.  She did, though it took her a few moments to get over the nausea of climbing a freshly killed demon.“Remnova,” Elenya grabbed her and looked into her eyes.  “Take over.  Watch the front, keep the nurses informed. Take this,” she handed the girl the sword she’d used to kill the vrock. “But ma’am,” Remnova said quietly, “I don’t know ho...”“They need a spellcaster there,” Elenya pointed to the gap where now a few enemy magic missiles were impacting.  She knew if someone didn’t get over there fast, they’d realize there was a gap, and start lobbing far more powerful magic to that area.  “I’m going to cover that gap.  If any of the mongrels get close... you have to stop them with this,” she motioned to the sword.  Remnova gave a frightened nod, and Elenya patted her on the shoulder.“Good.  Be brave,” she said simply, before clambering down the side of the beast, and dashing towards the gap.  A lightning bolt had already been prepared, and its thunderclap dispatched the five mongrels busy looting the body of the dead mage.  As quickly as she could, Elenya flipped through her book to the section Xanadu had clearly marked as “Protections,” and began reciting... fear dancing in her eyes.“Dammit,” Lucius hissed to himself, as he watched the cavalry desperately getting itself organized.  Cavalry in some ways are like both a delicate pudding and a warhammer.  They must be carefully prepared to be ‘served’ properly, but once they are, they can crush through opposing ranks with ease.  Xanadu’s saying was one of the first things Lucius learned during their dirt and rock battle sessions.. and one he was learning again first hand.He looked back in frustration... it’d taken nearly an hour for the whole of the cavalry to reach the plain, and it was now twenty minutes into waiting for them to align themselves up.   His plan had been simple... four massive wedges.  From the air, they would look as four arrowpoints of horse, pointed into the rear of the enemy army.Each wedge would have the knights and Imperial cavalry as its core, their lances providing the reach and power to crash through the initial mongrel ranks, before swords and steel would come to play in destroying their disorganized formations.   Each wedge had a different target point on the mongrel line to strike... the one Lucius was leading (which eventually Quin would take over) was to strike straight at the red dragon...And Luke’s Dragonwings would head towards the balor.  Alone.  His plan hadn’t taken into account that beast, and it was far too late to modify them ad hoc, without risking wasting more of the cavalry’s time.She cantered his horse up towards the crest of the hill, till he could just barely see over it, and grunted with pleasure.  Xanadu’s silvery form was easily seen in the mass, manning a massive hole in the center of the Imperial line, keeping demon and mongrel alike at bay.He’s not going to be able to sweep in and protect you.. Lucius thought quietly.  He’s fighting for his own life in there... its up to you...  Somewhere deep in him, the fear upwelled again, as he saw Siabrey’s face fleeing before his eyes.  He shook his head viciously... no... he couldn’t think about that.  Not now.  Carefully he brought his mind back into focus, and reined his horse back around, riding the few hundred yards back towards his cavalry.  With a smile, he looked down their ranks... finally perfect, clean... nearly parade ground in quality.  A few nervous whinnys from horses was the only noise that came from them.Now’s the time to make a speech... a brave comment... something... his mind raced, but no words came to his head.  Instead, the fear crept back.  What if this isn’t the best course?No... it is. his mind fought with itself for a few seconds, as he stood there, looking.  I need to do SOMETHING his mind raced back to the problem at hand, and simply, instinctively, he pulled out Ik Mataar from its scabbard.  He hefted the bastard sword aloft, and opened his mouth to say something... but his mind grabbed the thought and tossed it away before he could speak.  He stood their for a second, but finally decided what to do.  He reined his horse around till it faced the enemy, and lowered Ik Mataar as he tapped his spurs gently into Lightning’s flanks.When cavalry charges pell mell... they lose their ranks, they lose their forest of lances.  They must start slowly... Lucius’ mind recalled, as the noise of thousands of hooves hitting the ground slowly filled the air around him.  The cavalry’s simple trot carried them for a few moments, till he spurred Lightning again, and the trot built into a canter... then a lope.Just shy of the crest, he spurred Lightning hard, and uttered his only word of the moment, “Yah!”  As his charger finally broke into the gallop it had a long time to prepare for, he looked to his right and left, watching as the Imperial ranks held their lances high, unmoving, despite the bouncing and jostling of their mounts.  Lucius brought Ik Mataar back up, and slashed down with the sword... a visual command, as no verbal one could now be heard over the thunder of the hooves.As the ground shook and quaked underneath, Lucius looked to the left, and saw the forest of lances lower, settling into a long line of deadly pikes, crashing down the hill at breakneck speed...Xanadu wasn’t sure when he first knew the Imperial cavalry had begun to move.  All he knew was that after he had managed to snap off the legs of a bebilith that tried to attack him, he could feel the ground tremble underneath.  Beneath the noises, screams and shouts of the battlefield, he heard... even felt, another, deeper noise.  Something large, powerful, and massive.He had a few spare seconds to glance up as his foreclaws ended the bebilith’s existence, and the ground was now genuinely shaking underfoot.  The combat around him seemed to die down, as everyone seemed to be trying to find the source of the noise, of the shaking.  From above the hill, beyond the enemy’s army, Xandu first spotted a single man on a white horse...and then more riders, and then more.  Within seconds, the entire hill was ablaze with the fiery light of sunlight reflecting off of shields, armor, and lances.  A new noise, a frightening roar, scream and shout, arose from behind the mongrel army, as the Imperial horse charged home into their unprotected rear.Elenya wasn’t sure what was happening, primarily because her big concern was to her front.  A massive beast, writhing in flames with massive batwings, was tearing apart the front to her foe.  Five other mages had come to her side, and all were hurriedly trying to apply protection and ward spells against it, to little avail.  It was just too powerful.The beast had evidently noticed them, however, and swung its attention in that direction.  As it lumbered forward, it brushed aside the Imperial footsoldiers that bravely tried to impeded it.  Its target was the spellcasters who kept decreasing its effectiveness.  They should have been easy prey.As the beast lumbered closer, Elenya finally had enough.  She’d also practiced with a spell she knew Lucius liked that was in Xanadu’s book, and now she brought its somatics and verbal commands into existence, and a small bead formed in her hands before lancing out at the beast, enveloping him in an explosion of flame.Dammit! Lucius snarled as he hurtled down the hill at breakneck speed.  The balor, it seemed, had decided to lumber towards several spellcasters... one of whom was already lobbing fireballs at the beast.  Luke didn’t know much about demons, but he knew their resistance to magic was ungodly, and he could only imagine that the beast was merely annoyed by the mess.He held Ik Mataar aloft again, and then pointed the sword to the left, wheeling his horse away from the main charge.  As he looked over his shoulder, he could see Quin’s sword aloft, indicating he had taken command.  Behind Luke, strung out like a necklace of pearls, were the Dragonwings, their bows raised.“Shoot him!” Lucius shouted as they galloped alongside him. “We need to get his attention!  I’ll ride up, and gauge his range with that... thing he’s carrying!”  The other riders nodded, and 15 arrows lashed out towards the demon.The balor growled in annoyance, as a slew of arrows skittered off of his thick, magically protected hide.  These humans were everywhere!  And they were all slashing at him!  The other spellcasters had followed the same idea as the first, and a slew of fireballs had exploded around him, singing his hide.  That was not pleasant... now sixteen riders were bearing down on him from behind... and his magical sight could see they all bore magical weapons... which did not bear good for him.  Oh well.... his fullblade would see some extra blood on it today.“He’s turning!” Luke shouted as the Dragonwing’s reined up as he asked.  As he drew closer, Luke could literally feel the air around him shift, and he wheeled Lightning hard to the left.  A massive crunch rose from the protesting ground, as the balor’s 15 foot long sword slammed into the ground only feet from where Luke’s mount wheeled.  He charged back up the hill, towards his dragonwings, shouting, “Its about 20 feet!  If you stay further away than that, the blade won’t hit you!” Unless he throws it.“Gah!” Elenya snarled, as it became entirely apparent the mass of mages using fireball were not doing as much damage as she had hoped.  The beast had absorbed seven full fireballs with seeming ease.  Indeed, it seemed to be distracted by swinging at some rider on a white...“Oh god,” Elenya whispered quietly.  Why is he doing that?  Her mind suddenly entered a panicked mode.  Ok... fireballs aren’t working, and Luke is facing that thing!  I need to help him!  What kills demons?!  As her mind finally reached an answer, she grabbed one of the mages.“Bring me a priest!  A high ranking priest, like an Archbishop, a High Priest, or something!” she bellowed in the same tone she used with her healers.  The man started to protest, but her green eyes told him that would be unwise, and he dashed off.“Keep him pinned!” Luke called as he galloped up the hill, “I’m going to use some magic to try and get at him!”  As the dragonwings nodded, Luke’s own mind raced through panicked memory.  How do you kill a balor?With me! Ik Mataar’s familiar voice jumped into his head, and mentally Luke rolled his eyes.  Of course... but I need to weaken him first.  Fire, Ik?Maybe... you need to punch through his magical resistance though... you’ll have to concentrate hard, Luke.  How are you going to do this? the sword questioned.  “I’m going to use my dragonwing spell, and dive on him,” Luke said absently.  The beast seemed inclined to stay on the ground, despite its wings, and Luke being airborne would give him more ability to dodge blows and assaults.  Hmm... I’d have to say this is going to be my most interesting demon kill, the soul of the sword spoke happily.“I should say so as well,” Luke pulled out one of the dragonclaws and began the incantations.  “I just hope this truly is a kill for you.”Quin rode hard, and had only a few seconds to see the look of shocked terror and horror on the faces of the mongrels before they were literally bowled out of the way by the mass of Imperial cavalry.  Splinters flew about him, as lances broke, and the shing of hundreds of swords being drawn signaled the death of the mongrel army.  As Quin wheeled about, hacking and slashing left and right, mongrels dove away, screaming, crying, dashing about trying to flee.  With the seeming ease of a knife, the cavalry slashed and cut its way deeper and deeper into the mongrel lines.  Within minutes, Quin was near the fighting red dragon itself, now covered with a horde of Imperial troops cutting and stabbing at its thrashing form.   It seemed too easily, as he rode up below its neck, and as its distracted form desperately thrashed someone off, he slashed upward, cutting its jugular.“Here’s a priest, ma’am,” the wizard said breathlessly, dragging towards Elenya a man clad in the shining armor of a cleric, the scales of Tarantor emblazoned across his breastplate. “He’s an archbishop of Tarantor... only open person I could find.”  She nodded curtly towards him, before giving her new orders.  “You know how to call on the fires of heaven?” she asked directly.“Of course,” the cleric replied.  “Tarantor of course would grant his more devoted followers...”“Cut the bull****, and flamestrike that bastard,” she snarled, pointing at the balor.  The archbishop stood in shock for several moments, clearly not used to being ordered around in such a manner.  A meek, “yes ma’am,” came from his throat, just before prayers to Tarantor on High left his lips.Luke was already aloft, two leathery wings coming from his back as he soared, when he saw the light from above flash downward towards the battlefield, slamming down directly into the balor.  He had never seen a flamestrike before, but logic dictated that as the flames thundered down from the clear sky, they were divine in nature.  And as it was easily apparent that the balor was reeling from the blow, it was a good guess that some deity had seen fit to personally reach down and help his cause.Luke banked, Ik Mataar fiercely clasped in his hands, and angled downward.  The noise of the battle seemed muted this far up, and for a few moments, Luke was able to enjoy the feeling of air rushing, flashing over him at high speed, as the ground thundered closer and closer.  It might be the last thing I ever feel part of his mind tried to say, before his self control pushed it back.He didn’t know much about balors, but he knew that for most every creature, the neck, especially where it joined the head or the body, was vulnerable.  There were thin gaps in armor, creases in hide, vital organs nearby.  There was where he aimed, and as he screamed a battlecry, there was where Ik Mataar found a resting place, deep in the chest of a demon.Elenya had lost sight of Luke just after seeing the beast swing at him, and was altogether surprised to see a figure, with wings furled, diving on the balor soon after the priest’s flamestrike.  She was even further surprised when she recognized Luke’s red hair trailing behind, as he slammed Ik Mataar into the beast’s neck, the blade piercing deep enough and at the right angle that it tore into the creature’s heart with holy, magical power.  The beast gave a horrible rattle, a combination of a growl and a gurgle, and began to stumble.Then there was the explosion.  At one moment, the beast was seemingly hovering halfway between being upright and teetering over.  The next, a blinding flash thundered from its body, chunks of its flesh flying all around, crushing men and mongrels alike.  Flames seemed to wreath around the creature the area for a few seconds, building a pyre that stretched fully a hundred feet in all directions, before all was still... and Luke was nowhere to be seen in the choking black smoke that covered the unholy blight on the land...</blockquote>

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