Excerpts 4: Charge!!!!

The following are some brief exxcerpts that highlight the more violent side of the series.

“A mage” the lieutenant growled. He said this as people began crowding into the keep. He was almost swept away by the volume of terrified fighters coming in. “Don’t stand together! Don’t stand densely!” the lieutenant warned but it was too late. Through the crowd of bodies he saw Rook emerge from one of the towers. The last thing the lieutenant saw in the living world was Rook gesturing in his direction and then a fireball coming his way…

Up on the hill, the five Chazzans were shocked when a scorighter teleported into being right beside them. One of the five was a talented mage, but the scorighter recognized him for what he was by his necklace of orbs, and slew him first. The Chazzans scattered and hurriedly drew their weapons to defend themselves. The first of the four tried to sever his head. The scorighter did not parry, instead he ducked his head and stopped the sword by grabbing it in his teeth. His return stab finished the human. As two more men came at him with their swords, one from either side, demon jumped back with astounding speed and grace. Before the two realized what had happened they were both attacked by the scorighter who now fought with two blades.

The Chazzans were holding out against the tide of demons. There were many breaches in the wall which provided the demons many ways into the Chazzan line, but they were so narrow and well defended that the demons simply could not make any headway. The spearheads of scorighters had enjoyed limited success, but the Chazzans were too skilled to be pushed back. It was clear that if the demons were to engage the Chazzans then they’d need to break down more of the wall. The portable rams scrambled to see to this. The Chazzan legionnaires fought by holding their large shields in front of their bodies to keep themselves safe while stabbing out at the demons from behind their protection. In this way they could keep themselves safe while still striking the enemy down. This tactic worked against the servants, but scorighters had an annoying tendency to press against the shield and force the legionnaire back, thus compressing the Chazzan line. Though very well organized, the chaos of the fighting was causing the Chazzan soldiers to grow more disorderly.

A horn of Verrelinorian build rang out, and the Verrelinorians charged the demon army. Across the field, at the exact same time, the oran horsemen charged the demons. Like a mighty pair of jaws, the two cavalry forces closed in on the vast bar of demonic soldiers. On Karylia’s signal, the surviving valkyries fired their bows at the demons. The arrows thudded into their victims seconds before the Verrelinorian riders collided with them.

“CHARGE!” Usor’an roared. On his orders two thousand torch-armed scorighters, or the “arson squads”, rushed at the city. Anar and his guards dashed into the city and were lost in the streets. “I want every scorighter in the city! Kill everyone you find! But don’t touch that human, he’s mine!”

One notable man had survived the barrage of manipulated arrows by hiding behind the parapets of the keep walls. He now rose up and drew a short sword in a ring of steel. He rushed at Rook with his blade raised above his head. Rook didn’t even look at him and gave a subtle gesture as he watched the fort from his perch and the men who fled before him like terrified mice. The man who was charging Rook had a bolt of mageforce shot into his chest. His armor cracked like glass and he fell to the ground a dead man.

...His conclusion was that a powerful group of mages were causing havoc within the city and needed to be stopped. So now he watched the trees, on the lookout for mages.
“Seen anyone?” Talvar asked. “I’m thinking of going into the city and having a look for myself”.
“Ther city was attacked by what sounds like a highly talented mage”.
“What makes you think it was a mage?” Talvar asked. “What makes you think it was only one man? Survivors describe worms with a dozen long legs that can spew fire from their very limbs”.

“The valkyries ascend the plateau my king. We are attacked”.
“It’s about time” Usor’an snorted as he closed the book.

“You’re Anar” Fury said, “the boy with the sword. I am Fury, Usor’an’s daughter”.
“I am Anar as you said” Anar said, “and you are under arrest”. With that two lawmen stepped up behind her and clasped her shoulders.
“I am” Fury began, “a destroyer!” She leapt into the air, throwing both men back. In a flash Fury drew one of the lawmen’s swords and killed them both, opening their throats. Anar jumped back and engaged Fury with the sword of Rarend.

“The oran wing is broken” the cultist said.
“Good” Usor’an said, “And it’s only a matter of time until the Verrelinorians break. Then we surround the hill and break the walls down on all sides and overwhelm the enemy. Send a message to Usor’verten. Tell him to organize the troops, get them back in formation. We need to repair the damage that the cavalry charges did”.

The hundreds of demon riders were being pushed back by the massed spearmen, who were sweeping them away like a giant broom. Kelpies turned around and retreated away from the spears. Verrelinorian and Chazzan horsemen cut down the demons as they backed off from the thistle of weapons. Demons that were originally simply pulling back were suddenly being ripped apart and forced into a full retreat.

"The demons broke the column and surrounded us before we could organize" sobbed Dashadu. "The whole army is gone".
"Who's left?" Saldella inquired.
"Nobody! The whole army is gone, obliterated by demonic weapons!" Dashadu wept.

Then something completely unexpected happened. It caught everyone off guard and sent tremors of terror surging through all those present. It happened so quickly that it took Anar a few minutes to fully comprehend what had happened, and even longer to accept it.
Fifty Higharc men were suddenly engulfed in flame that burst from their flesh, an event that could not have happened naturally. It took them a minute to burn to ash. Anar at first believed himself to be hallucinating, but it happened again.
“What in Eray is going on?!” shrieked Nuda. “Fall back…” then his head fell to the floor, decapitated by an invisible blade.

“The fighting” Jacob replied, “I can honestly say I wasn’t ready for it. I never thought I’d ever have to see this kind of misery. There’s blood on everything”. Jacob demonstrated by scratching his hair, then showing Talvar his fingernails which had collected dried blood which stained his hair.