28. The Darkest Hour
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The battlefield was chaos. When the first wave of monsters slammed at the shield wall, the soldiers were pushed back, but they managed to keep the line.
But many Blood Vultures jumped over the shields and avoided spear points, landing just behind the barrier.
Skylar and the rest of the soldiers were ready for them.
There was nothing but slashing and parrying and blood splashing all around, and very soon, Skylar's sword and hand were sleek with it.
The air reverberated with painful cries of men and shrieks of beasts.
With his huge mass of muscles and claws, Zephyr was a frightful sight, and Skylar made sure to cover his sides and back while he was tearing the howling monster into shreds.
But even though they might stand a chance against the first wave of monsters, it became clear they wouldn't hold it for long when the armoured infantry reached the line. The shield wall stretched when soldiers tried to push back against relentless force, but it was no use.
"How much longer?"Skylar cried, hoping the Spirit would hear her.
"They still haven't got far enough,"the voice replied in her head instantly.
Skylar cursed, slashing at another Blood Vulture.
And then the shield wall broke.
The men fell with painful cries while the silent figures in black plates were hacking through the soldiers as if they were a mere obstacle on their way.
"Fall back!" Skylar roared. "Retreat! Back to the forest!"
The soldiers hastily drew back. The shield men bravely covered the retreat of lighter armoured units, and Skylar forced herself to turn her eyes away from the slaughter behind her.
When the last of the decimated units reached the woods, they cut the ropes, making the trees fall, obstructing the way behind them.
But it only slowed the assault a fraction.
The armoured figures were like a dark mass of water – relentless, unstoppable, and crushing everything on their way without mercy.
"We have to do something now!" Skylar growled when they reached another fortified position prepared beforehand.
They didn't have much of those left.
"Not yet,"the Spirit replied, its voice cold and devoid of any emotion.
The archers were firing at will, but most of the arrows were useless against heavily armoured infantry. The ballistae got much better results. But they only had two of those, and reloading took far too much time.
The enemy was almost at them again when the ear-splitting shrieks filled the air.
Skylar looked up, and the blood froze in her veins. Over the tree crowns, a mass of winged monsters was circling their position.
"Incoming from above! Shields up!" Skylar managed to shout a moment before the creatures dived down toward the soldiers. They were fast and powerful.
Skylar raised her shield in time, but it didn't help her much.
One of the monsters bashed at her at full speed, throwing her off Zephyr.
She hit the ground with her back and lost her sword but managed to keep the shield.
The creature was already on her, the sharp claws trying to slash at her, the batlike wings beating rapidly, pushing her hard into the ground, and a long snout full of sharp teeth snapping inches from her face.
She struggled to keep the shield up. Her previously injured arm was shaking from exhaustion under constant pressure.
The monster's stinking breath blowing into her face made her insides twist with nausea.
She tried to reach for the dagger on her belt, but the creature was on the way.
Skylar grabbed her shield with both hands and smashed it upwards into the beast's muzzle.
The monster shrieked in pain and shifted its weight backwards.
Skylar swiftly drew her dagger, and with a guttural, animalistic roar, she plunged it into the creature's neck.
Warm, stinking blood splashed at her face, and she could taste it in her mouth, which made her shiver with revulsion, but she kept stabbing until the beast stopped moving.
She shoved the body off her and got back to her feet, spitting and trying to wipe the blood from her mouth.
She looked around, and her breath caught in her throat.
It was a disaster. The winged monsters destroyed whatever order the soldiers had.
The whole clearing turned into a series of duels where every man had to fend for themselves.
It was chaos and slaughter. The air was thick with the stench of blood, cries of dying, and shrieks of monsters.
Skylar closed her hand on the gem hanging on her neck.
"Do it now!" she cried.
"They haven't got far enough,"the Spirit repeated.
"I don't care! If you don't do it now, there will be nothing left to save!" she yelled, picking up her lost sword and raising her shield against the enemy's black soldier coming her way.
"As you wish," the voicesaid.
And then, the world around Skylar exploded.
On the other side of Shawcross' lands, the situation looked quite different. Skylar's family domain was full of forests and hills, slowly turning into imposing mountains. The perfect place for irregular warfare using small units to make ambushes, sabotage, and hit-and-run tactics.
Queen's army was not faring well. The soldiers were undisciplined and scattered quickly at a slighted sight of direct danger. Gawyn used Colart's best scouts and tracers to prepare the whole scene to the tiniest details.
Even their horses were of a different breed, sturdier with solid legs that could wander through the harsh terrain without the risk of injury, unlike the beautiful and fragile animals that Queen used in her elite guard unit.
And, of course, Elinora also entered the battlefield, surrounded by the most robust and most experienced company, with a new General in command.
Gawyn watched from his hiding place while the soldiers entered the clearing facing the opening canyon.
He waited until enough soldiers marched out of the woods and then whistled the signal.
The forest behind Queen's forces exploded with movements and cries of pain when yet another company was reduced drastically in numbers by the sneak attack.
Before the angry shouts of the enemy's general would bring some order into his ranks, Gawyn and a few soldiers escorting him trotted out of their hiding, stopping at the mouth of the canyon for all to see.
"How are you finding Shawcross' land, Elinora?" Gawyn yelled with a smirk. "Such an abundance of beautiful nature, isn't it?"
"You!" the Queen growled. Her hair was messed up, and her face was gleaming with sweat.
She was not expecting such fierce opposition, nor was she used to chases through the woods.
"You have guts to show up here with hardly any soldiers. You might have won a few little skirmishes, but you can't run forever. General, seize the traitor, right now!"
The young man barked commands pointing his sword at Gawyn. Their company was decimated several times already, but they still have over a hundred armed soldiers.
Gawyn turned his horse around and forced it to canter into the canyon with his soldiers following. They made sure their pace wasn't too forceful, though, to make sure the enemy's company was following them.
It took them a while to ride out of the pass, and they entered a wide rocky outcrop ending up rapidly with a sharp cliff, hanging hundreds of feet over a ravine. Gawyn led his soldiers to the brink of a chasm and turned around to wait for their pursuers.
When the army finally arrived, Elinora's face brightened with a triumphant smile.
"Well, look at that. A little mouse finally got caught in a dead end. It turns out you don't know your wife's lands as well as you expected, hm?" she asked sweetly.
"Nah, I was just waiting for you to join the party," he replied with a smirk and drew his sword.
"What party? You have three soldiers with you! You stand no chance against us!" the young general scoffed.
But Elinora's smile faltered. She realised they might have walked into a trap, though she couldn't see what it was just yet.
Gawyn smiled. "Well, it's a surprise party. You were not the only one who was keeping in touch with our neighbour, Elinora. And so, I invited some guests from abroad."
He whistled, and the empty air behind him filled with winged shapes, soaring gracefully into the air.
Dozens of beautiful, winged horses circled above their heads, flying in a spotless formation.
The raiders wore glistening silver armours and helmets with bright blue feathers.
Some of them wield longbows, and others spears and tridents.
One shape didn't quite fit the group, though.
A sturdy white gryphon dived down and landed elegantly next to Gawyn.
"Long time no see, dear brother," Aliyah said. Her bright blue hair was plaited in loads of tiny braids and tucked at the back of her head. She wore light chain armour and held a vicious-looking bow in her hand.
"What's the meaning of this?" the Queen shrieked. The soldiers behind her looked up with fear. The Torringland Winged Cavalry was legendary, but no one had seen them in Lamyria for centuries.
"Torringland was not happy with the news that the King, who was working so hard to establish a good relationship between our kingdoms, was assassinated," Gawyn said calmly. "And they were even less thrilled when they heard that his murderer usurped the throne."
"That's a lie! I am the Queen! Lamyria is my kingdom, and you are the traitors!"
"Time to pay for your crimes, bitch!" Aliyah shouted, raising her bow toward the sky. The man leading the Winged Cavalry nodded, and the raiders began their assault on the enemy's army, which was partially trapped in a narrow canyon with nowhere to go.
The air filled with panicked and painful cries of dying soldiers. The young general was shouting orders, but an arrow struck him straight in the neck, and he fell to the ground with a sickening gurgle.
"It's over, Elinora,"Gawyn said, moving his horse to step slowly toward the Queen with his sword drawn. "Surrender, and I'll make sure your execution is as swift and painless as possible."
And then, among all the slaughter and chaos, the Queen laughed. It was an unexpected and disturbing sound, making the woman look like she was insane.
"Do you think you can stop me?" she spat. "That after I worked so hard for years, I let a brute like you take power away from me that easily?"
"Look around you," Gawyn replied, though he halted his horse. There was a dangerous glint in Queen's eyes that made him wary. "Your army is defeated. You have no way of escaping now. You made a gamble, and you lost. Now it's time to face the consequences."
"Escape? Who says I want to escape? I'm right where I wanted to be. But you are right, General. It is time to say goodbye now. I hope you've already made peace with your gods because you won't get another chance!"
A black dagger glinted in her hand, and before anyone could move, she plunged it into her horse's neck.
The animal squealed in pain, but instead of blood, swirling darkness flooded from the wound, covering the thrashing creature, while the Queen still sat on its back, utterly unmoved by its suffering.
The blackness bulged, and the terrible snaps of breaking bones pierced the air.
"What the hell is happening?" Aliyah cried.
"Stay back!" Gawyn ordered, trying to soothe his terrified horse. But there was no use. The air was crackling with magic, and something foul was entering their world, and both humans and animals could feel it. The General hopped off his mount and let it run away.
When the darkness finally disappeared, Elinora was sitting on something straight out of nightmares.
It was huge and covered in sickly green scales, like a lizard.
Its body was long and sleek, with three dragon-like heads baring their teeth at them.
The beast roared, shaking the ground under their feet.
Elinora's fair skin was now marred with dark veins, and her dark eyes glowed with madness.
"Now it's time for the party!"