A Kings Legacy

A King's Legacy

Chapters 20 & 21:

First Battle & Final Battle.

Cortist was idly poking at his small campfire with a smaller twig, lost in his more depressing thoughts, though, it was hard to blame him. The panther had spent the days since the attack completely alone, per his new "Master's," orders... Death had given him a single condition to fulfil so far, and that was simply avoid contact with anyone. Cortist didn't think it was too much of a request at first, but after a week had passed, he realized exactly how terrible solitude could get. The panther was always one to strike up a conversation wherever he went, but now found himself with nobody to talk to for the first time in his life. His mind often wandered to his questions, combing over his family's condition, his kingdom's fate, and how badly he was missing his fiancée incessantly. Cortist wasn't certain his head was built for this solo existence, and wondered how his younger brother had ever handled it the way he had. Still, Cortist had mostly managed to keep his mind busy on small tasks since the demon had escorted him to that forest.

After the deal was made, the young panther suddenly found himself back with his healed father and his brother in the arena tunnel, although both were unconscious at that point. The demon had been resting forward with its sword in the dirt, as if in waiting. When Cortist looked up to the monster, the creature turned and sliced opened a fresh scar into the darkness from before. The mage nearly jumped out of his hide when he heard that same dark voice of death from before speak clearly into his mind.

"He knows where to lead you. Stay hidden until I call, my child."

The demon turned to give the mage a wave, gesturing for him to follow. Cortist gave his family one final glance in worry and apology before he faced his fear l, and stepped into the darkness, the scar closing behind him almost immediately. Cortist couldn't see a thing, despite darkness usually not hindering him... It was more like... There WAS nothing to see... The mage stumbled in his uncertainty, and felt a terrifyingly cold and stony hand wrap around his wrist. The panther squeaked at the unexpected touch, but felt himself simply being lead forward without pause. The panther had little choice but to follow the demon at this point, but his mind was certainly wondering what fresh nightmare this monster was leading him to. After what felt like only a few short moments, the mage ran right into the demon when he abruptly stopped without notice. The demon didn't budge, but Cortist lost his balance and fell backwards.

When the panther landed firmly on his rear, something finally came Into his sights as a new scar was opened before him, one presumably leading to a forest of some kind if the vegetation was any indication. The mage stared in awe, feeling uneasy at looking upon the world from such a dark window. The demon spoke in his hollow voice this time, giving the mage instruction.

"Go. Seek no one. Talk to no one. Stay put. Do not interfere. You will be called soon." Cortist gave the demon an uncertain look, and glanced back to the scar shortly after. The panther rose to his feet, and walked towards the light, wondering when the obvious trap would spring. When the mage reached the tear, he extended a single arm through, and felt the humidity of the forest on his fur. He let out a small gasp of disbelief, and turned back to the monster once more as he locked his eyes onto the glowing, golden orbs that he assumed were the demon's own. The panther saw the orbs bob up and down once, signaling the thing had just nodded at him through the darkness. The mage took a heavy breath in, said a silent prayer, and stepped into the obvious trap.

Cortist found himself standing in the middle of a lush variety of greenery. Streaks of sunlight cascaded through the dense branches above, highlighting random details of the flora as tiny insects danced within the rays. It really did simply lead to a forest after all. Cortist turned back to ask something, but found the scar was already gone. The panther finally looked around to get his bearings, and decided the best thing he could do was simply obey what he had been told. It was better than being ordered to do something awful, as the panther had half expected to be. Instead, Cortist Venatus spent the entirety of his time since the attack alone, surviving in that forest off of his wits, his skills, and the same magic he had always wielded. Cortist didn't feel any different after making the deal, but by the time the demon had returned for him, he certainly felt lonely, and bored. The monster abruptly carving a scar right beside his campfire certainly wasn't the unannounced company he desired, however.

"Come. You should see." Cortist scrambled to his feet as his initial surprise wavered. The mage quickly spoke, admittedly happy to have someone to talk to at last.

"See? Where are we going?" The demon simply held it's hand out, not answering the mage. Cortist grumbled a bit, but extinguished his campfire with a quick water spell, and reluctantly took hold of the chilly hand, returning to that total darkness as he felt the demon guide him through the scar once more. They walked several paces before the creature stopped, Cortist was more prepared this time, and stopped as well. The demon made another scar, but this one seemed different to the panther.

For one, it seemed a bit high in the air, a good distance over what looked to be a small village in a more arid landscape. There was a winding river running along the west border of the town, and the sun was just about to start descending passed the horizon. The panther placed a hand against the scar, and found he couldn't pass through this one. The mage gave the glowing orbs another glance, and heard that raspy voice answer him.

"To watch only." Cortist frowned a bit, and turned back to the scar as he asked a more verbal question.

"Watch what exactly?" Cortist received no answer, so the mage studied the image a bit closer. There appeared to be a small dust cloud approaching the town... There was also something on the other side of the river, something that was moving. Cortist squinted, trying to make out more details when the demon started slashing open more windows around him, each one offering a different perspective, each one showing a different area of the battlefield. The panther watched in speculative awe, there was an army of orcs stationed between two great, stone walls, and an approaching force of fiends headed off by two larger ones, likely demons. There was going to be a battle. The panther still didn't understand, and was about to express that when the demon turned, and sliced open one final scar for the mage to look through. There was a great pillar of stone raised near the river, and a bit behind the formation of orcs. Cortist's breath caught in his throat when he recognized two of the three figures atop that pillar.

Aster! The prince! They really are alive! They are saf- The mage's blood ran cold at the realization. They were a part of this battle. They were going to fight those numerous fiends. They were anything but safe, and Cortist was helpless here, to watch only.

===

"My prince..." Mollis spoke from behind the lion, " It is time. The enemy forces will be upon us before the hour is up. Our troops are in place, as are the orcs. We should get to our positions as well... Whatever you've managed to gather, we can only pray it will be enough at this point." The royal lion turned, dropping his hand from an older orc's shoulder as he did so. His energy levels were higher than he felt he could hold at that point anyway. He had been drawing what he could from those that wouldn't be fighting that day to help provide energy for the mage to set the stage, and in order to give Mollis as much firepower as possible for the actual battle after. The pair had been working endlessly to prepare as much as possible, and it was time to see the fruits of that effort, whichever way the battle went. The hare was their only true competent mage on hand, and was truly the key to their victory. The prince spoke, feeling a bit jittery from the excess power coursing through him.

"Thank you... You've already handled so many preparations. We would have stood no chance without you... I am sorry in a sense, but I am glad you are with us. If we survive and I get my crown back, remind me to make you a high mage." The rabbit managed a carefree laugh before he replied, despite the looming trouble.

"I'll hold you to that... In truth, my prince, it was an honor serving the crown more directly... I admit, I had my reservations about your father after the war with my country and the famine that followed... After what forced me to join your ranks in the first place... But when I hear you talk about the future you wish to build? Well... Even a bartered child such as myself sees hope in a world like that..." The hare trailed off a bit, but picked back up quickly, changing the subject. "Shall we go? I still need to talk with Aster a little before all of this." The prince smiled at the hare and nodded, happy those two were making up a bit, despite everything. The three would be standing together through this battle after all.

===

Stahl was sitting behind Aster with his arms wrapped tightly around the boy, holding on to the last few minutes the pair would have together until the battle was won. Aster didn't like the idea of not fighting beside his wolf, but Stahl had agreed, the shield needed to stay with the king, and the swords were needed on the front lines. Aster protested firmly against the separation, but finally yielded after the order came from Captain Rix himself. Personal feelings had to be put aside... But that didn't make it any easier for the human. Stahl was in the middle of trying to cheer him up, and had even managed to do so slightly, despite the enemy nearing their field of vision at the far edge of the horizon. The wolf finished his most recent statement enthusiastically.

"You've done nothing but improve since we've met, Aster. Your shields are only stronger... You can hold them easier, you can stave off hits better than before, AND you even have two of them now, that opens up a world of possibility for their uses. You're going to be fine, my love." Aster grumbled a bit, pointing out the flaw in that logic.

"Yes, I probably will be fine while I'm completely separated from most of the battle, fighting alongside our biggest cannon in this fight... I worry for your sake. I won't be able to reach you from over here... What if you need someone to watch your back?" The wolf nuzzled into his mate softly.

"Aster... Yes, something could happen, but this isn't my first fight against these things. We have a solid plan, and we have the muscle to pull it off. I can't promise victory, and I can't promise something won't get the better of me, but I can promise to give everything I have to make it back to you after all of this. Trust our plan. Trust our king. Trust our comrades to have my back this time." The human sighed again, knowing there was no answer to truly ease his mind, but grateful his wolf had made the effort. The boy tilted his head back, and gave his beast a kiss. Aster jumped in surprise when a booming voice interrupted the pair.

"YOUR PRIORITIES BEFORE BATTLE NEED WORK. BOTH OF YOU." Captain Rix was walking up to the pair, his heavy axe held easily in his left hand. Aster and Stahl both started to stand, but was stopped when the bull held up his right hand, and instead took a seat cross-legged in front of them, settling his bulky fist against his leg as he allowed himself to rest for the first brief moment since his return. The captain didn't have time to waste, and said what he needed to say.

"PANTHER SON... I HAD HOPED FOR MORE TIME BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS... DO YOU KNOW MY FATHER'S GREATEST SHAME? HIS MOST THOROUGH DEFEAT?" Aster was pretty caught off guard by the question. Captain Rix wasn't exactly prone to discuss his family matters. Aster thought back to his education under Javis, but couldn't think of any real marks against the Rixator name. The bovines were a long and noble line of respected and revered warriors. The boy gave the bull a puzzled look, and shook his head as he answered.

"No Sir..." The captain huffed just a bit, feeling a bit annoyed that he had to tell the story.

"IT WAS DURING A BATTLE AROUND TWENTY YEARS AGO. HIS ENTIRE BATTALION WALKED RIGHT INTO AN ENEMY'S TRAP... ABOUT NINETY PERCENT OF HIS FORCES WERE BURIED ALIVE BENEATH EXPLOSIVES WHILE THEY WERE RENDERED HELPLESS TO EVEN MOVE. HE BARELY SURVIVED HIMSELF... THE SHAME MADE HIM WANT TO CHOOSE DEATH, BUT KING ALOCER WOULD NOT ALLOW IT, INSISTING HE HAD DONE HIS DUTY, AND THAT THE WEAPON RESPONSIBLE WAS TO BLAME." Aster looked on a bit confused. He had never heard of any such battle... His eyes went wide as it registered. Twenty years ago... That was when King Alocer had toppled the last human kingdom, his birth father's kingdom... One of the few wars the boy was not allowed to study in his youth... Captain Rix huffed once more as realization flashed across his subordinate's face before he continued.

"YES... THE WEAPON RESPONSIBLE FOR VICTORY OVER ONE OF ALORA'S GREATEST GENERALS WAS THAT SHIELD. YOUR FATHER BROUGHT MY OWN TO HIS KNEES, AND DROPPED A MOUNTAIN ON TOP OF HIM AS HE KNEELED. HE TOLD ME MUCH OF SUCH POWER, AND I'VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING I COULD TO GROW IT, AND KEEP IT ON OUR SIDE SINCE I FOUND OUT IT WAS AMONG OUR RANKS... I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRUST YOU WITH THE SECRETS TO YOUR OWN STRENGTH NOW. I NEED YOU ON HIGH GROUND, AND I NEED YOU READY TO END IT IF IT STARTS GOING BADLY. THE PRINCE DOES NOT FALL, AND YOU ARE MY SECRET WEAPON TO ENSURE THAT, EVEN IF I DO... EVEN IF THE REST OF US DO... BUT KNOW THIS, PANTHER SON, IF YOU EVER TURN THIS POWER AGAINST MY KINGDOM, I WILL FIX MY MISTAKE OF TEACHING IT TO YOU SWIFTLY, AND WITHOUT MERCY." Captain Rix flared his snout and huffed as he gave his one and only warning to the human. Aster felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of ever finding such a mighty beast his enemy. The boy chose his words carefully.

"My shield serves our prince, my Captain, I want it to be useful for his reign. If it can really stop our enemies, let me learn how." The bull took in a heavy breath, and closed his eyes as he told the boy everything he knew about the technique that once nearly killed his own father, only to be used as a last resort.

The Captain's father, the late General Brutus Rixator, was a bull of few words, but he was adept at studying opponents, and especially so learning more about the techniques of the few opponents that had ever bested him. As such, he had passed down quite a hefty bit of information from the library of the fallen human kingdom about that shield to his son. The captain had since been polishing the boy's skills with that information without him ever knowing it. He knew a second shield could form from the start. He knew the boy's emotions made it stronger all along. He knew of the many uses and attacks it had, and even had some speculated uses that hadn't been tested yet that he wanted to... But he also knew what he was teaching the boy now could be used to bring entire armies to their knees... Quite literally. It would make the human a true threat to Alora if he ever turned on them. The bull had been carefully watching the human to decide how much to coax from him in time, but time was no longer a luxury, nor was caution.

===

"It's understandable to be nervous. It is your first real battle against fiends on this scale, after all." Sir Corper was growing tired of watching the tiger pace back and forth, and felt he needed to say something. The cub needed to be conserving energy before battle, but that sentiment was often wasted on the young. Oust replied confidently.

"I am not nervous about that. They are living things that can be killed. I'm anxious to see how I actually stand up to such opponents. I didn't have much chance to back at the Selection Grounds..." Oust paused for a bit, and glanced towards the ground before him as his brow furrowed. The bear gave him a moment to say it, but gave a little coaxing when the cub faltered.

"...But?" Oust sighed, figuring he may as well tell the bear... He was making the effort to be a bit more open towards other beasts lately.

"Do you... Do you ever feel like no matter what, you won't be strong enough when it matters the most? We can train endlessly, but when it's time to call on that strength, it seems to never be enough... That likely isn't a problem you have though." The tiger got a bit quieter towards the end. The bear surprised him by actually letting out a laugh.

"Hahaha! Oh, I've experienced feeling helpless before. Believe it or not, you aren't the only one, and most of us have felt that at some point... Though... You were helpless to a lot of things growing up, weren't you?" Oust felt like he was just punched in the gut. Helplessness... That's what that feeling was. The bear continued. "That stuff can follow you around, and always make you feel like you aren't enough to matter, until you stop letting it. Rely on the strength you have proven to bear by surviving, and stop being helpless now. Matter now, claim your strength. Know you are enough to make a difference... We are going after the big ones, after all... Even I may need some help against both of them at my age." The bear flashed another smile, trying to cheer up the grumpy cat. Oust almost let himself smile too, but just couldn't find it in himself to do so before such an imposing task. The tiger heard the crunching of hooves behind him, and turned to see his captain heading his direction with a handful of fighters. The bull called out to him shortly after.

"GOOD! YOU BOTH SEEM READY. HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS, TIGER? IT IS YOUR FIRST TRUE BATTLE... SIR CORPER, ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WANT THE CUB WITH US? HE MAY BE BETTER OFF FACING THE SMALLER ONES. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE SLOWED DOWN IF HE HESITATES..." Oust gave his captain a bow, and answered for himself.

"I will not falter. Let me be of service." Sir Corper spoke immediately after.

"I trust his ability. He caught my eye, after all. I'm sure you've had similar students?" The bull flashed a huge smirk at the bear.

"IT SHOULD NOT COME TO IT, BUT YOU MAY JUST SEE A PEEK OF MY OWN PUPIL'S REAL POWER BY THE END OF THIS!" The bear only chuckled, realizing this was quickly becoming a contest for the proud bull. Oust was puzzled. The bovine had been training the human more than anyone else the week prior to the village, so was he the pupil in reference? Did that mean the runt had been holding back during their fight after all? The tiger found himself feeling a bit uneasy at that possibility, but shrugged it away for the time being as he took his place beside his teachers, and steadied his thoughts. It was almost time. The fiends were nearly in range.

===

Chief Crag was talking with the husky Dally when Stahl made it to his place on the field alongside their ranks of other orcs. Stahl had a small force of beasts with him, most of which were the ones he had been training under the Captain's orders. Their battalion was focused towards the end of the wall on the right side. The husky paused mid conversation to give the wolf a wave, gesturing him over. As Stahl approached, the other canine spoke whimsically beneath that feathered hat.

"Ah! So you are among those I'll be fighting alongside? That's reassuring! The Aschefells always make for a grand tale after the battle is won! The people love cheering for you wolves!" Stahl grumbled to himself silently at the remark, but answered in turn.

"I'll do my best to live up to your stories, the honor is mine. Good luck out there." The husky flashed a cheery smile that seemed out of place amid the pending battleground, but happily barked out his own answer over the approaching rumble of the fiends.

"I owe you for playing that trick on you with the song, so I'll try to keep up!" Stahl only nodded at the smiling fool. Chief Crag spoke to the wolf after.

"Thank you again for the aid... You could have ran. We would have accomplished little compared to what your mage and prince did alone... That bloodskill of his certainly comes in handy. To think he could channel half a village of energy through the rabbit... I can only have faith that our plans will work, and our tactics will crush those soulless abominations." Stahl agreed. The prince really was something else. The orc continued on. "And also, thank you for your help in our forge today. You and that fox really saved our skins... We even got our needles in time." Stahl gave the chief an inquisitive stare as he asked his question.

"About that... What are those things anyway? Why are they so important?" The chief looked at the wolf, and pointed to one of the many black marks that covered his greenish skin. The one he motioned to appeared a bit red around the edges still, and the ink appeared darker than some. Chief Crag spoke in that gruff voice of his.

"Before any great battle, all orcs that will fight take another mark. This is a very important tradition for us. It tells the story of each orc, and helps us easily identify the younger among us in the throes of battle. We protect our young, so they may live to someday protect theirs. There are many marks with many meanings. This one is for unity, more or less, or at least, our word for it. Unity is what I am taking into this battle with me. Those needles are how we apply these marks permanently... I assumed your human would have told you?" Stahl's puzzled expression grew even more apparent. The orc simply chuckled to himself before he answered.

"I suppose you'll find out soon enough." Stahl wasn't sure if he had time to think on that, considering the foe was just out of range and rapidly approaching, but the wolf did give the orc a glance in a new light.

`One before any great battle huh?' Stahl marveled to himself. The orc had well over thirty of the black marks upon him. Chief Crag tightened the grip on his mighty club, and steeled himself for the thrill of the fight to overtake him once more. Stahl gave another glance over towards the husky, and saw the canine had drawn a steady handed rapier back eye level. His cheerful expression had melted away, leaving in its absence an alert and analytical veteran readying for the pending clash of armies. The wolf realized then he was truly the least experienced among the three, maybe among most of the front line orcs fighting beside him. Stahl unsheathed both of his swords and took his position, standing firmly and confidently beside such worthy allies. The fiends would reach the front lines where they stood ready in mere seconds. The noble beast was ready.

===

Just moments before the battle started, as Milky idly strummed a tune on their lute nearby, Rust was dutifully following his prince's order. The fox had the important task of watching over Lady Alice herself, and so the fox had received a bit of help to move her outside near the wagons waiting at the ready to make a swift retreat if necessary. Rust knew it wasn't the most important job, but he accepted the responsibility regardless. The young fox stayed close to the resting cat, standing guard like a true, noble knight, just like his uncle's were. Rust heard a familiar cough, and turned to see his mentor, Tan, approaching. The orc looked a bit different in his light armor, and certainly a bit too old for such attire, but Rust knew the smith had a few tricks left to use if needed. The orc reminded him of his grandfather in that way, older, but reliable, and never to be underestimated. The fox smiled up at his mentor, and gave a light nod. The orc suddenly held something out to the fox dangling by a short strap, and started speaking in a tone filled with earned respect.

"Every defending warrior deserves a worthy weapon... And this one was crafted by the best blacksmith I've ever seen for his age. I just touched it up a little... Don't use it unless you have to, young Rosten."

Rust recognized the dagger immediately. It was the very first thing he had forged with the orc's guidance, but it appeared his mentor had been busy. There was a burnt orange scabbard that fit smoothly over the blade now. The orc had adorned ivory colored stones along the sides of the sheath with touches of black metal, making the clash of orange and white from the scabbard meet the red steel, and black handle of the dagger itself. There were decorative holes punched through the sides of the sheath, allowing a glimpse of the crimson blade to peek through threateningly. In one single weapon, every color of the fox's fur was represented. It was custom made to be his. The young fox accepted the gift in awe, and slowly pulled the blade from the hilt. It slid effortlessly once a small bit of force was used to bump it free from the hilt. As the crimson steel slid from its holster, the entire blade shimmered reflectively beneath the last golden rays of the setting sun, casting a warm glow back upon his bewildered expression. Rust saw three large black markings on the sides of the blade, and ran his fingers over the symbols. Tan smiled as he spoke three words.

"Bravery. Determination. Heart." Rust looked to the orc then back at the blade. He couldn't believe the orc had given him something that undeniably took up so much time and so many resources. Tan gave the fox his own mission then. "Should you ever find yourself lacking any of the those, draw your blade, and look upon the markings there to remind yourself that you've already shown me you possess all three. May your blade guide you true, through all of your battles, young Rosten."

The orc gave the fox a small bow, and Rust scrambled to return it, still speechless as the dagger trembled in his hands. The fox began to squeak out a response of overwhelming thanks a short second later, but the orc simply ruffled the fur on the cub's head, and walked off without a word to stand on the edges of the village, keeping an eye out for stragglers. The cub could barely hold in his pride, or his tears in that moment, and dutifully returned to Alice's side, sheathing his new weapon as he attached it securely around his hip. The fox listened to Milky's song for a few chords longer, still stricken and humbled by his new blade before a loud explosion interrupted the strumming beast without warning. The battle had begun. The first trap had been triggered.

===

Mollis stood his place on the battlefield in deep thought. The hare was perched on a raised pillar of stone near the rear of their defenses, about thirty feet into the air with Aster and Prince Tyfin. Mollis took a deep breath and made a final pass-through to ensure everything was ready. His timing, and his ability were the determining factors for how this all started. The hare had been laying rune magic in the ground before them throughout the morning, and quickly went about using his anima magic to manipulate the rocky soil to create two thick walls of stone, nearly six feet deep and twenty feet high, to run along the battlefield, coming to form a bit of a funnel between the approaching army, and their defenses. Nearly all of the combined forces were within the three formations at the ready within the raised walls leading up to the river, stationed a good measure behind those runes. The fiends would overwhelm them if they were allowed to encompass them from three sides, so this was their best way of avoiding that. The Aschefell wolf, the musician Dally, and the orc chief were stationed among that front line. A number of archers were laying upon the twenty foot walls on both sides, ready to provide what support they could, but staying low and out of sight for the time being. The hare gave this central part of their defense a final once over to ensure everyone was in position, and turned to his left.

Behind that wall, also remaining out of sight, was Captain Rix and his select force of warriors. The bull had expressed his worry about the two larger fiends he had seen breaking through their ranks too easily and overwhelming them, so the captain offered a solution. The goal was to split them away from the larger force, and have a small force committed to keeping them from re-entering the fray as they dispatched the pair on the other side of the wall. Fiends were mostly instinctual, they seemed to have only one purpose that drove them, to kill, and to eat. Nobody knew the reasoning, but only greater demons ever acted on anything beyond that. As such, a distraction was often enough to bait them away. The orcs and beasts could only hope it would work, and adjust if it didn't.

The hare gave a glance over his shoulder, and looked over the river and back to the village behind him. The rabbit wanted a final reminder as to what was at stake here if he messed up. The mage took a deep breath, and took three paces forward, standing near the front of his platform. Many of the smaller fiends were already sprinting forward quickly, enticed by the scent of their prey, and the hare knew the time had come. The rabbit knelt down, and placed his hand on the first of two smaller runes. These were the triggers for his larger spells weaved into the field, and the first one needed to be timed as perfectly as possible.

Mollis stood firm as the first of the smaller fiends raced across the larger runes, their exact placement marked by a smaller cherry tree on either side. The faster of the creatures propelled forward at astounding speed, and was only a few short leaps from the line of orcs when the first of the smaller hidden runes activated under its step, sending a small explosion echoing between the stony walls to signal the time had come. The allied forces stood their ground as one by one, more of the smaller traps took care of the fiends before they could ever reach them. When Mollis saw the two larger ones nearing the first rune with a swarm of the smaller around them, he steadied his focus. Just a split second before the first of the two large bodied fiends crossed between the tree markers, Mollis shouted the key, and channeled a hefty sum of magic into his trigger, setting off the rune.

A row of several stony spikes jolted from the earth twelve feet into the air as a glowing circle appeared where the mage had planted the rune. The spikes pierced multiple fiends at once, and even caught one of the larger ones through the spine, stifling the brunt of the charge and only leaving smaller spaces between the spears for the fiends to filter through to reach the army between the walls. The goal was to help prevent the bigger ones from charging, and to slow the speed at which the steady flow of enemies could descend upon the army. The plan had worked, and Mollis had even pierced into one of the larger ones, rendering it immobile. The larger fiend's heart had been missed though, as it still only struggled around the spire as it roared in pain.

Two archers began firing from the left wall immediately, attempting to draw the attention of the larger fiend that was still free. Their arrows did almost nothing to hurt the creature, but their plan had worked, and the fiend turned its head just in time to see Captain Rix coming from behind the wall. The bull held up his axe, and gave the creature a large, mock wave, making sure he was seen before ducking back behind his cover as the larger fiend charged over his direction, splitting off from the horde of smaller ones. It seemed most was going according to plan so far.

At that point, nearly all of the smaller explosive runes had already been triggered, so the hare gave a wave of his hand, and dismissed the last few remaining so the army could safely advance and engage. Mollis reached his hand forward once more, and spoke in the language of the gods, reciting his incantation swiftly. The sound of thunder roared over the battlefield, and Aster recognized it as the same signal used back in The Selection, only this time, it was to signal the charge was safe. The army of orcs surged forward to meet their ravenous opponents at last with a bit of hunger of their own.

===

Just as Stahl was about to connect his sword to the first fiend to reach him, a shout of an anima spell filled his ears just before he looked to his right and saw Dally swinging his rapier in a wide arc, sending bolts of lightning flashing outwards to strike the majority of nearby fiends, the one he was about to stab included. The arcs of lightning jumped from fiend to fiend as they got progressively weaker with each transference, but dropping over fifteen instantly, and leaving even more writhing on the ground stunned. The husky flashed the stunned wolf a smile in delight as he plunged the end of his thin blade into the closest fiend still moving.

The carefree husky had just earned a new degree of respect from the wolf. Competent spellblades were a rare occurrence, but a welcomed ally. The wolf turned his attention back to the next wave of fiends approaching, and readied himself once again. Chief Crag eagerly rushed forward to bludgeon on his own targets with a hefty laugh, and the wolf realized both of them were actually having fun here. He was fighting beside two battle-crazed lunatics... Two skilled lunatics though...The wolf flashed his own smile, and raced forward himself, eager not to be entirely outshined by his comrades.

Stahl was a bit faster than the orc, so he caught up quickly. Chief Crag was crushing fiends with every swing of his club without fail, so the wolf figured he should match that pace alongside him. Stahl lunged forward, and pierced the heart of the nearest one as the pair began advancing as he cleaved through the writhing monstrosities, taking step after step and swing by swing with perfect accuracy with both swords. His polished movements and practiced swordplay never failed to cut down those that charged toward him from a steady flow of monsters that hungered for his flesh. The orc chief and the husky both smiled cynically at the sight.

The archers stood on their walls, and began firing upon the trickle of fiends, providing invaluable support at thinning the overwhelming size of the large force. Despite that assistance, there were still too many making it through the spiky pillars too quickly, and the front lines were starting to feel that pressure. Stahl heard another incantation, and saw Dally rushing passed him. The husky was inches away from a fiend lunging towards him when the canine drove the tip of his rapier into the dirt. Thin icicles formed into spears, and erupted into an arc from the earth where the blade pierced, skewering a good deal of the approaching fiends, and giving the vanguard a short reprieve. Dally stood, his face less than a hands length from the agape, toothy jaw of the lunging fiend suspended before him by the stalagmites. The husky turned with another large grin as he tapped his blade against one such icicle and flaunted.

"Not bad, right? I've definitely killed the most this time Crag!" Stahl was in disbelief... He was gloating... And Stahl had though he was cocky... The chief grunted his sour response.

"Did YOU make those kills? Or did your magic? It's not the same when you don't get to feel them break! It should count as half in my opinion!" The husky turned his nose up mockingly as he huffed his reply.

"Sooo... Still a sore loser then... Got it." The musician turned back to Stahl and spoke another seemingly misplaced statement.

"I've got to give it to you Aschefell, you haven't disappointed yet either! I bet this will make a fantastic song! Let's see... The ashen wolf, on their darkest day, fought by orcs, with grand swordplay... I think it has potential, you?" Stahl stared on blankly... Surely this wasn't the time for this... He was writing a song? NOW? Chief Crag huffed as he raised his club for the fiend approaching him. He gave his criticism with a grunt as he crushed it with a heavy swing down.

"No! That's too vague! It makes it sound like we were helpless! Maybe just make a single verse about him?" The husky rolled his eyes and kept speaking as if they weren't standing in a battlefield. Stahl cut down another fiend in the meantime.

"Oh, right, because you should always be the star of the tale, right Chief?... You can share the credit you know." Stahl finally let out a laugh, despite the task at hand. He spoke his swift response, yielding to the lighthearted mood the two were setting.

"Aren't you the one keeping count of who killed the most, Dally? Maybe you're trying to hog the credit?" The wolf flashed him a brief grin, and the husky lunged to pierce through a nearby fiend with a huff. All three laughed a moment later, carving through their enemies all the while. The rest of the vanguard nearby thought all three had gone absolutely mad as they struggled against the few fiends that made it through to them.

===

"INCOMING! BE READY!" Captain Rix shouted as the larger fiend barreled towards the end of the wall. The bull waited with his axe at the ready, and gave the command as soon as the creature ran through the opening. "NOW!"

As the bull swung his mighty axe through the back leg of the monster's left side, Sir Corper stepped forward and delivered two swift strikes to its front left leg, forcing it to drop as the bone snapped, and the creature flipped face first over itself from the sudden loss of balance, shrieking all the while as it stirred up the dust around it. The creature flipped quite a few times at the speed it was charging, putting a short distance between it, and the two beasts that had wounded it.

Oust got his first clear look at the opponent then. The fiend easily stood at twelve feet tall on all fours, and its massive, rounder body made the tiger wonder if it's weight wasn't in the thousands. The creature looked similar to a feral boar, but off, as if all of its facial features were just a bit shifted from where they should be... As if they were painted on. Something about that offset made the tiger's fur stand on end, but he would face this opponent regardless. Doing so with a bit of caution was never an unwise thing, however, as the two orcs going for the kill would soon find out the hard way.

As the pair of warriors made it to the writhing mass, they swiftly went to strike for the heart of the fiend, one raised a spear, and one raised a sword. The fiend let out an odd little snort, and the next thing the tiger knew, he received his answer for the shifted features in the most uneventful way possible. The fiend's face split open without warning, and the divided flesh slid open wider as if it were a blooming flower, revealing a circular formation of sharp teeth at the center with a writhing, barbed tentacle for a tongue. The skin which made up the false petals expanded outwards into stretching flaps of flesh with teeth pointed inwards, and closed firmly around the first orc's head, crushing it quickly with a popping sound as the body went limp. The encasing flesh latched around the fallen orc's shoulders, and started undulating, forming grotesque slurping sounds as the orc's body shriveled from the action, everything inside of it being sucked through the hole where its head used to be. The petals started drawing the carcass in further and further with a wet and crunching swallowing sound as the fiend swiftly made its way through the appetizer.

The second orc dove towards the abdomen to strike, but the creature's stomach also split apart on the underside with a huff of heat, revealing a long, oversized, grinning mouth of sharp teeth to unfold from between the creature's front legs, to its back. Something that looked like intestines shot out a short ways and wrapped around the second orc's neck, snapping it effortlessly as the tendril drew the body back towards the new mouth. The teeth gnashed through the steel armor and the thick bones like they were merely eggshells, even devouring the sword with no trouble at all, and within seconds, both of the warriors had been completely consumed. The fiend shifted, and its missing back leg writhed wildly for a bit until a fresh appendage burst through the skin. The front leg snapped back into shape, and the fiend rose up, and snarled through both mouths this time as it turned back towards the bull. Captain Rix huffed in his disgust as he yelled his warning.

"THE LARGER TWO ARE LOWER DEMONS. THEY WILL KEEP HEALING, WATCH YOURSELVES!" The demon charged at the bull with its mouth gnashing hungrily, impatient for a taste of beef. Captain Rix darted to the right at the last second, burying his great axe into the side of the creature with a swing brimming with the full strength of his might. The bull cut an impressive slash along the creature before his axe cleaved itself free. The demon turned on the bull immediately, stepping forward to charge the beast again, but stopped abruptly as Sir Corper snatched a hold of a back leg and gave it a rough twist.

The knee broke from the socket with a grotesque pop as the demon let out another squeal in pain. The bull rushed forward to land another blow, but the flailing tongue from the first mouth shot out suddenly, and wrapped the tendril around his left arm. The demon would've taken it off completely had Oust not reached out just in time to cut the bull loose with his sharpened claws. The demon withdrew its flailing, severed tongue, and kicked with its good back leg, forcing Sir Corper to bring his arms up and release the broken leg as he blocked the attack. The bear was knocked backwards from the force of the sudden strike, doing a flip as he rolled onto his back, over his head, and back onto his knees, his powerful claws digging in the earth to brace himself and to stop his trajectory. The bear stood dusting himself off and grunted as the fiend's leg spasmed back into place with a crunch and the gash on the side sealed itself up. The demon put a small bit of distance between it and the warriors briefly. Sir Corper spoke as calmly as ever.

"This is getting us nowhere. We need a decisive strike before we find ourselves its dinner." Captain Rix grunted, pulling the amputated tongue free from his wrist as he answered.

"IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, I'M ALL EARS!" As the bull shouted his response, the demon charged at a nearby orc with the fewest marks on his skin. The orc turned to flee, never facing such a gruesome opponent before, but tripped over himself in his panic, falling to his knees. The demon barreled over him, never slowing as the mouth on its underbelly opened up wide, and the tendril of intestines shot out and grabbed a hold of the orc. The demon drew the screaming orc into its mouth, and clamped shut around him with a squelch of blood squirting from between the teeth, leaving a trail of dripping, bloodied mud in its wake as it slowed its charge to choose its next target. Oust was horrified by the sight, but steeled his resolve and thoughts for a moment, remaining calm as Sir Corper had been. That was when he realized it always attacked by charging.

The tiger looked to where the first orc victim had been devoured, and saw the metal spear lying in the dirt. Oust thought back to a trick he had seen the human use to stop a heavy opponent during their training, and made a quick decision. The tiger sprinted off with lightning speed, rapidly closing the distance to crouch down and snatch a hold of the spear before changing course back towards the fiend. Oust barreled towards the creature just as the demon chose him as its next course. The creature screeched loudly, and charged towards the tiger in turn, the two running directly at each other as the gap between them shrunk at an astounding rate. Oust braced the spear with both hands, and held it forward as he advanced.

Just as the demon's upper mouth started unfolding once more to latch onto the tiger's head, Oust lunged forward, thrust the back of the spear into the earth below, and leaned back with it, bracing with everything he had as it pierced into the charging demon's chest between the two mouths raggedly on impact. The demon's front half lifted off of the ground and over the tiger a bit as the rod sharply bowed under the weight. The bottom mouth opened up once more as the demon screeched over the tiger, its jagged teeth spewing globs of orc blood and slime upon him as the intestines shot out, and snatched a hold of his leg. Oust had underestimated the creature's reach. He had missed his mark, and the jaws of the monster were closing in around him.

As Oust felt the tendril tighten up in attempt to draw him in, Captain Rix collided with the side of the creature in a full on charge. His head was lowered, resulting in his ebony horns goring into the demon with ferocious impact, knocking the fiend onto its side mere milliseconds before Oust became its next meal. Oust heard a sharp cracking sound on impact, and his captain was flung a short ways away after the fiend sharply rolled with the bull's horns still stuck inside of it.

The tiger released the spear, and quickly reached down to slice off the tendril gripping his leg with a quick swipe of his claws. As the demon went to open its upper mouth to counterattack, Sir Corper rushed in, and swung a hefty arm over the base of the bloom before locking his hands together and leaning back against the body, doing his part to keep it pinned. The bear was barely managing the headlock, but the mouth was forced closed. The barbed tongue caught on the petals of flesh, and wouldn't let it extend more than a few inches. Oust quickly realized his teachers had given their all to keep him alive, and make him another opening. The tiger would not waste it, he would likely not get another.

Oust quickly went to work, finally getting a chance to accurately rend at the flesh beneath the demon's neck. The tiger made passes with his claws as quickly as possible, tearing through corded tendons and spurting veins as entire muscles were sliced apart with ease by his ivory tips bearing down with the force of his overpowering strength. Oust felt a larger bone against his grasp, and jerked back hard, snapping open access to the ribcage through the clavicle. The fiend squirmed in attempt to stand, but the tiger reached over with his left arm, and struck the spear sticking out from its chest roughly, making the demon squeal in pain as it writhed and lost the footing it had been trying to regain. Oust turned back towards the hole he had torn though its throat, reached a pointed right hand back, and jabbed forward as hard as he could into the wound of the beast, piercing through the chest cavity as he felt around for the heart amidst the black blood flowing out around his arm.

The larger mouth on the belly started to open again, the tendril having healed since the tiger had last cut it off. Right before the demon could strike with the regrown, fleshy tongue, Captain Rixator, having recovered from being thrown, leapt atop the demon, forcing its larger jaws shut with his great weight just long enough to swing his axe forward and sink it into the crease of the lower mouth, pinning it closed around the troublesome tentacle. The bull was shouting before Oust had even realized that he needed saving.

"YOU WANT TO HURRY IT THE FUCK UP HERE TIGER?" Oust was frantically reaching around inside of the creature, desperately seeking the heart. He was already buried shoulder deep, almost half of his body coated by the gushing, black blood when he finally felt a pulse brush against his claw. He slashed at it, but couldn't get quite deep enough to get a grip. He snarled out to the bull.

"IT'S JUST BARELY TOO FAR... I CAN'T REACH..." Oust saw the captain hand him something from the corner of his eye, and got a real look at the bull for the first time since the charge. Captain Rixator had a broken horn about halfway down his left side, and he was bleeding from that wound. The tiger felt odd shuddering at the sight considering where his arm was as the moment, but he couldn't help it. The bull was holding out his own, broken off horn to the tiger as a weapon while he held a demon down with only his firmly planted axe, and the sheer force of his weight. Oust couldn't help but think it... The captain really was a badass.

Oust snatched a hold of the broken horn with his left arm, and withdrew his right. He plunged back into the body with the horn in his fist, noting that the monster was already trying to heal up the wound. He shifted his arm upwards to where he felt the pulse before, moved his hand to grip the horn like a spike against his palm, and thrust forward as deeply as he could, forcing a torrential gush of black blood to flow out against his fur in heavy, dark clots. The demon gave one final ear splitting squeal as it tensed up its entire body, spasmed for a split second, and simply went limp as it quickly hardened into brittle ash, disintegrating entirely at last and releasing all three warriors from their draining roles. Sir Corper took a single step forward, shaking off a good bit of blood from his arm where it had splashed over him as he spoke in a clearly annoyed tone.

"Little messy there young one... But good work." The captain chimed in shortly as he stood, surprising the tiger by not yelling towards him for the first time ever.

"A little messy? That was a bloodbath. Not a bad kill for your first demon though." The bull strutted over, and gave the tiger a hefty slap on the back before he finished his statement with a smirk. "But next time, I'm bringing the wolf too." The tiger turned and gave his captain another look, glancing up at the broken, bleeding horn his teacher had sacrificed to save him. The tiger clenched the piece in his hand tightly, and offered it back to the bull in respect and gratitude as he made a small bow.

"I am sorry... Will it grow back?" Captain Rixator reached out, and took a hold of the broken horn coated with the black blood. He shook it off a bit, and tucked it into his waistband with a long and heavy exhale through his snout before he answered gruffly.

"No." The bull rolled his shoulders once, gripped his axe firmly, let out a huff, and started towards the battlefield on the other side of the wall with determination. He called back to the tiger, the bear, and the remaining orcs with him in that usual, commanding boom that he called a voice.

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU LOT, BUT THESE FIENDS HAVE REALLY PISSED ME THE FUCK OFF." The great bull charged ever forward, a lack of rest, nor the great shame of a broken horn for a bull of his stature enough to slow that drive of his in that moment. Not a warrior there hesitated to follow his lead.

===

By the time the bull's team had downed the first demon, about a quarter of the smaller fiends had been dispatched by the front line fighters. The orc and beast army had taken minimal losses up to that point, and it showed no signs of changing anytime soon.

Stahl dove at the nearest target, cutting through the fiend with ease. The wolf noticed something coming towards him from the corner of his eye, and turned just in time to see Chief Crag swat the leaping fiend away midair with a hefty swing of his club. The orc turned and gave the wolf a smug grin. Stahl grunted before he tossed his words at the orc, driving his longer sword through the center of the squirming mass of another fiend.

"I had it." The chief laughed once before he answered, crushing a longer bodied one with a mighty swing as if it were an afterthought.

"Unity, remember?" Just as the orc finished his statement, the wolf felt a light rumbling beneath his paws on the earth, but it faded just a moment after. The wolf paused at the sensation briefly, but quickly had to resume his battling without delay as he cut through another mindless, charging enemy with skilled and practiced precision. Stahl glanced down at the ground beneath him warily after, certain he had felt something that unsettled his instincts greatly. The wolf had no time to worry about it in his current position though, and turned his attention back towards the battle at hand.

Another boom of thunder rocked over the battlefield, signaling that Mollis was preparing to activate his second rune. Stahl jumped back a few paces, and slowly began back stepping alongside his allies, fending off any advancing fiends as they did so. They were putting a bit of distance between themselves, and the spears of stone which now held back a large mass of the fiends as they climbed over one another to find passage through the narrow spaces. The demon captured on the spines was still squirming as it flailed against the piercing stone through its lower half briefly. The second rune was to bury all of them.

Stahl felt that rumble beneath his paws again, only this time, it steadily became stronger, causing visible vibrations around the battlefield as the smaller stones bounced against the earth below. The most unsettling clicking sound filled the landscape as the pebbles danced for their ascending visitor. Just as the second rune lit up to activate a short ways in front of the wolf, something burst from the ground near the pillars, shattering the glowing circle from the impact as the shining white light of the concentrated magic turned a violent red color.

===

Midway through speaking the second key, Mollis stopped abruptly as his trigger sharply changed colors. The hare's eyes widened in fear, and Mollis turned as quickly as he could, already shouting, praying the human would be fast enough.

"Aste-" The trigger rune flashed brightly three times, and exploded with the most consuming light, cutting the hare off before he had even managed to get his name out. Aster had a shield over the rabbit by the moment the first strobe ended. He had a second shield over Prince Tyfin just as the third flash finished... And suddenly, Aster was falling, or at least, he thought he was. His vision had been stolen by the flare, his ears were ringing from the sudden and drastic shift in pressure, and his breath had been claimed by the crushing force of the exploding rune rocking into him. All the human knew for certain was the familiar feeling of his shields still holding steady. He didn't know if it had been enough to spare the two beasts with him, but the light of those shields didn't fade until the earth below also stole his consciousness from him upon his abrupt impact. The boy's stubbornness could truly rival that of Captain Rix when it came to making sure that shield held for his friends at any cost.

===

Stahl covered his eyes as the dust before him swirled into the air, leaving a hazy smokescreen of dirt lingering over the center of the battlefield. The wolf squinted towards the place the new enemy had disrupted the magic circle, and his eyes slowly registered the shape rising higher and higher into the air. The last traces of light faded from the background, taking with it what seemed like their last traces of hope as the figure became more and more clear through the haze.

It had an incredibly large serpent like body, its scales made of the same rocky, black obsidian substance as the rest of the greater demons. The creature had glowing, wispy red eyes that shone brightly through the darkness, offering a looming gaze down at the orc and beast army gathered in defiance. The mouth on the creature was intimidatingly large, a circle of teeth that came to a meeting point at the center forming a cone like spear on the end of the massive frame. The serpent had to be holding itself nearly twenty feet in the air, with an unknown amount of length still buried beneath the earth. The serpent let out a roar that sounded oddly glassy, and pointed its mouth towards the nearest group of stunned orcs. The spiked teeth tilted backwards against the flesh, revealing a hole in the center around three feet wide. The serpent reared back just the slightest bit, and roared once more down at the orcs, shooting a blast of sand down at them with blinding speed.

Stahl heard the agonizing screams of the orcs unlucky enough to find themselves before such a demon as the sand cannon shredded their skin to pieces. As the dust settled, the wolf looked back to where the victims lay, and found himself truly repulsed by the sight of their skin stripped, bloodied corpses covered in a heavy layer of mud. The most disturbing part of the sight was the way their partially absent eyes bled, as if the tears of blood were the final act their body managed before meeting such a painful end. The serpent reared back again, and dove atop the bodies, catching several within it's crushing jaws as it burrowed back beneath the earth, causing light quakes to rock the area mercilessly. Stahl shuddered as his senses returned, realizing how much trouble they were in.

There was no mistaking it, this was the Earthwyrm, a nickname given to the mighty greater demon that ruled over the Crimson Sands. Many expeditions had been led to slay the demon in the last fifty years since the monster first made its appearance, but all had ended with decimated forces, and a few broken survivors deemed the lucky ones. Eventually, it was declared easier to simply avoid the creature. The Earthwyrm usually stayed near the southern part of the wastelands, and the prince's party had carefully mapped their travels to avoid going anywhere near its lair, but it seemed the demon had decided otherwise.

The Earthwyrm disappeared back into the craggy earth below with a grinding sound coming from its tunneling. The rumble only amplified for a moment before finally, Stahl realized exactly why it had waited to make its appearance. The demon had been busy burrowing crisscrossed tunnels a few meters below the surface, tunnels that began collapsing all around the battlefield, dropping rows of orc soldiers, beasts, and fiends alike into the ditches left behind, decimating their formation. Many soldiers were fully or partially buried, leaving them defenseless as the smaller fiends writhed free, and began leaping atop the victims, sinking their nasty teeth into their satisfyingly fleshy opponents while they devoured the less fortunate soldiers as they could only scream on helplessly. Stahl felt the earth below himself quiver, and suddenly, a falling sensation overtook him as the ground beneath his paws gave way, aiming to bury the wolf as well.

As the battlefield imploded, the spears of stone that had stifled the flow of the fiends shattered and collapsed into a trench. A moment later, the lesser demon that had been speared by the stone climbed out free, snarling viciously as the gaping wound in its hindquarters closed up rapidly. The demon looked much like a feral cat of sorts, standing at seven feet tall with sharp, vicious claws on its four legs. The demon's long, fidgeting tail split into three then, and each one took with it a piece of the pointed, bonelike tooth on the end. The tails bobbed and flicked their narrow, pointed tips dangerously in the air as a trickle of fiends began quickly popping out of the trench near it. Soon a flood of monsters found themselves without the barricades to hold them back. The catlike demon led the fiends as they crashed into the center of the disparaged front lines. The fiends began rapidly swarming the soldiers with their sheer numbers as all chaos erupted through the orc army. Within seconds, disarray overtook the allied forces, and the tides of the battle took a harrowing turn.

===

Prince Tyfin couldn't see a thing, still blinded by the trigger rune's explosion. Mollis had his back turned to the impact, and knew to close his eyes, sparing his vision as the shield absorbed all the force behind the blast, even as he watched while the one that had saved him was thrown from the pillar. Neither beast could hear more than muffled speech over the ringing in their ears, making whatever Mollis was screaming to the prince inaudible. The young lion was about to call out his reply, letting the rabbit know he couldn't hear what he was saying, when he suddenly felt a rumble beneath him, and the sense they were leaning, falling quickly as the great pillar they perched atop tipped further and further over. What the prince hadn't been able to see was the Earthwyrm barreling towards the source of the explosion near the surface. It left behind a trail of upheaved soil, disrupting the foundation of the heavy pillar easily, and forcing it to collapse into the tunnel sharply carved beneath it.

Mollis had an arm around his prince immediately, holding tight as his footing threatened to fail him as they rode the pillar down a ways. The prince heard more muffled speech, and suddenly felt himself rocketed forward, leaping far through the air before the pair landed on something soft and light, but rolling a good ways as the impact jarred them. The prince heard a loud collision behind them as the pillar crashed into the left handed wall, causing a good portion of the barricade to collapse, dropping archers to their deaths as they were crushed beneath collapsing stone. Mollis had saved the prince for the time being, but the mage wasn't sure how long that mercy would hold as the Earthwyrm burrowed back deeply into the ground and out of sight with a roar.

Mollis heard a shout to his left, and turned to see Captain Rix, Oust, and Sir Corper running his way, leaping over trenches and carving through fiends quickly. The hare was glad he had boosted them so far to the left after all. Mollis stood and focused himself. The hare shouted an incantation, and small spears of stone shot forth from his hands, skewering the closer fiends and clearing the path for his captain to reach him. The bull was shouting to the mage again shortly, his overpowering voice cutting through the sharp ringing in the rabbit's ears as his words reached him.

"WE CANNOT HOLD AGAINST IT! YOU NEED TO GET THE KING OUT OF HERE!" Mollis opened his eyes wide, glancing over the battlefield as his captain's words registered with him. The fiends were quickly overtaking them, the front lines that still stood being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. The fiends had cleaved a path through half of their central forces, and continued to swarm between the walls, dividing the troops as they had their fill of flesh. The catlike demon was darting through the battlefield, slicing open orcs with its tails as it jolted through their formations. Mollis watched the demon run passed an orc, and with a flick of one of its whip like tails, slice the head clean off the victim, never slowing as it charged onwards through the ranks, leaving a trail of dismembered and dead orcs in its wake. Prince Tyfin suddenly spoke, shouting his disdain.

"We will not abandon them! We have to find a way!" Mollis nodded firmly in agreement when he replied, speaking to the bull.

"If we get Aster for a moment, I can do the rest... But I don't know if he's even still alive, he was thrown from the pillar when the rune exploded." Captain Rix grunted, not liking the idea of the prince staying on such an uncertain battlefield with such a revered greater demon lurking below.

"WE CANNOT STAKE EVERYTHING ON THE CHANCE HE LIV-" Prince Tyfin spoke up once more, cutting off the bull as his vision and hearing slowly returned to him.

"Find him! We have to make this work. I will NOT abandon our allies here." The proud bull groaned, but gave a small bow to his king. The staunch captain turned to Oust, and shouted his orders.

"FIND THE BOY AND BRING HIM HERE! I WILL PROTECT OUR KING!" Oust nodded decisively, and darted off towards the fallen pillar without second thought, finding himself strangely concerned for the human's unknown fate. Sir Corper followed a bit behind the tiger, unable to keep up in a sprint, but knowing that his student found trouble easily. The captain turned, facing the approaching fiends stoutly as he tightened the grip on his axe. Mollis took his place beside the bull the same as he had for many years, preparing himself to let loose a bit with the prince at the ready to recharge him. Mollis raised his arms to fight beside his captain, and tossed a friendly jest towards the bull.

"You know Captain, can't say I'm a fan of the new look. I always did like you best when you were horny though." Despite the grim situation and the insulting injury to his horn the jab was aimed at, the bull couldn't help but crack a smile. The rabbit really did know him better than anyone else. Mollis was the one person that could dish out that type of teasing on the same level the bull could. Well, the one that could get away with it anyway. Mollis spoke once more before he began chanting, determined to flip this battle back into their favor, determined not lose anyone else on that day.

"You hold the line, I handle the rest." The bull snorted, having full trust in the hare's ability. He gave him a mock salute before taking a few paces forward to meet his enemy head on. When Mollis got bossy about something, he was usually right anyway. The captain had trusted the rabbit with his life a thousand times over, this time was no different. The bovine answered with enthusiasm, and a bit of playfulness with his long time ally as he tore his axe through two fiends with one bone shattering swing.

"YES SIR!"

===

Oust was running near full speed, the nimble feline crossing the battlefield with his impressive agility with ease. The tiger effortlessly leapt over the trenches as they came before him, and was outrunning the smaller fiends with no trouble at all, easily avoiding them all together. This was the main reason Captain Rix had tasked the tiger with fetching the boy, Oust was always the fastest runner among them. He made it a bit more than halfway to the base of the pillar when something caught his eye on his right side. Between the flashes of bodies, something was running beside him.

Oust turned his head a bit to his right, and quickly realized it was the smaller demon with the three tails. The fiend was moving closer to the tiger, a tactic Oust recognized as a predator running down its prey. It seemed this demon enjoyed the chase. Oust accelerated, pushing his legs to the max as his vision tunneled and his surrounding blurred in his focus. The beast could hear his heart beating strongly as its pulse cheered his thumping footsteps on. The tiger was occasionally grabbing hold of larger protruding stones as he ran, and used the power behind his arms to snatch himself ever forward as he did so, adding the smallest boosts to his speed. Even still, he heard the crunch of earth from the demon's steps grow ever closer. When the tiger had neared the goal, in the last part of the field yet to be overrun by the smaller fiends, a whistling sound filled his ear... Oust turned his head just in time to see a flailing tail flick across his field of vision, the bony white spike on the end cracking sharply against his cheek.

Oust had shifted just enough for only the very tip to cut into him as the whip left a small, bleeding mark under his right eye. The tiger ducked back in surprise, not realizing how quickly the demon had chased him down. Oust lost his footing as his attention was demanded elsewhere, and the tiger fell, just in time to avoid another flash of the tails striking towards his midsection.

Oust rolled on his side several times before he could catch himself, leaving a spatter of bruises and smaller abrasions on the beast from the rough terrain. The demon sped passed him, taking a bit to come to a halt. It turned back towards the tiger, and began closing the distance once more with ridiculous speed. It seemed to the tiger that the longer this thing ran, the faster it was getting. Oust knew he was a poor matchup against a demon with such reach on him, so he had tried his best to reach the base of the ruined pillar and simply stay ahead of it. He had almost made it, but the assumption he was faster than the demon had almost cost him his life... Before the tiger could ever truly recover, the demon was leaping towards him, a tail flicking to either side, preventing him from escaping. The tiger had been cornered.

Aster couldn't help but scoff at the parallels of the situation at hand. There was an eerily uncanny semblance to the way the tiger had cornered him to use his shield back in The Selection. Just as the demon was about to make contact with the downed tiger, a golden shield appeared to defend the beast. Aster did just as he did back then, and used his left arm to tilt the shield, and toss the lunging demon up and over the tiger. Luckily for Oust, Aster was a fast learner. The boy had a second shield up behind the beast, sparing him a strike from the center tail as the monster launched over and away from him a good distance. Oust had snagged off Aster's helm back then, teaching the boy an important lesson about accurately gauging an opponent's reach.

The beast looked to the boy in surprise, and saw there was a good measure of red blood staining his neck, arms, and armor. Aster had a pretty serious injury on the back of his head... Even still, the boy was wearing a stupid grin after the assist that pissed the tiger off in a way he didn't really comprehend as he rose to his feet. Even so, Oust knew he was both relieved to see the runt was alright, and grateful for the save. The human called to the tiger in a labored voice, speaking to him for the first time since the kiss.

"Hey Oust... You look like shit." Oust quickly glanced down at his blackened, blood-soaked fur covered in dirt, and back to the boy. The beast gruffly answered him in turn.

"I don't think you can talk, runt." Aster huffed a little, and simply nodded. He pointed down to his ankle as he did so, and Oust saw he was keeping his weight off of it, leaning into his spear. The boy spoke again.

"Yeah, I don't think I can, I'm hurt, but we can compare scratches later, we aren't finished here." Aster nodded behind the tiger, and Oust turned, seeing the demon was rushing in once more with a ferocious snarl. Its tails all whipped to its right side, preparing to swing them to the left. It never got the chance as it came to an abrupt stop when Sir Corper snatched a hold of all three whips with both hands, and braced heavily. The demon shrieked in pain, and quickly turned on the bear, bearing the sharp claws of its forelegs.

Sir Corper simply snatched back on the tails, released his right hand, and cut them off with a rapid swipe. He quickly moved his left arm, still clutching the severed tails, up to block the swipe of the paw. He grunted a bit as the tips of the claws dug into his forearm, but he unflinchingly balled up his right fist and swung it destructively into the monster's ribcage, knocking the demon off of him as its chest collapsed beneath the brutality of the strike. The demon darted away immediately with a limp, running back a good ways towards the river before it stopped to glare back towards the party of three as it healed up. Sir Corper held his stance firmly, breathing heavily all the while. He called to Oust and Aster, never taking his eyes from the demon.

"You were wise not to fight it, you aren't fast enough to catch those tails yet, but I am. You have a mission, young one. Go... I will handle this one." Oust was uncertain about leaving his teacher alone to fight that thing. He spoke his worry quickly.

"Master... You're out of breath..." The bear smirked, and laughed a bit before he answered his student.

"Yes, I am. That's what happens when you're old and you have to do this much damned running. It's my job to make sure you live long enough to understand that one day, but I won't fall to such a weak opponent. I can handle this, or do you doubt my word's credibility?" Oust quickly bowed in acceptance. He would trust his master, and turned to Aster instead as he called out to the human.

"Can you run?" Aster shook his head weakly, feeling a bit helpless. Even a broken ankle wasn't enough to keep his guilt at bay it seemed. Oust didn't hesitate to hastily run over to the boy. He knelt down, and turned his back to the human. The tiger looked over his shoulder expectantly. Aster wasn't catching the hint, mostly due to his skull injury, so the beast motioned with his head for the boy to jump on. Aster finally realized the intentions there through his nauseating dizziness, and suddenly felt embarrassed of all things. Here he was in a battlefield with a growing list of serious injuries, and he was reluctant to accept help even then. The tiger shouted a bit firmly, snapping the boy back to reality.

"Aster!" The human took a sharp breath, and settled his frazzled brain a bit, shaking his head gently in attempt to clear it. He stumbled forward a bit, and braced with his spear as he lowered himself down. When he secured an arm around the beast's burly neck, he released his staff entirely, knowing he wouldn't be able to it anytime soon, and that he could always come back for it later. Aster rushed to catch himself against the solid frame. He hissed out a bit as some weight was forced on his ankle, but the tiger quickly stood, and gently reached back to grab both of the human's thighs with an encompassing grip, giving the boy some needed support. He shrugged Aster's weight up easily as the boy wrapped his other arm tightly around the beast's neck. Aster rested his head against Oust's shoulder, his mind swirling.

Oust looked back towards his teacher, and saw the bear still eying down the demon. He turned, and bolted off back towards the prince in determination. Aster still had a single thought searing into his mind, one that brought him a very misplaced feeling of happiness in light of his current condition, making him question if he really did break his brain during that fall. Oust had finally called him by his name.

Sir Corper watched the demon recover, its tail sprouting once more before it quickly split into three separate whips. A loud crunch sounded as the demon's ribs popped back into place. It lowered its front half in a crouch, and began growling in a defensive manner as it slowly circled the bear, flicking its tails in attempt to intimidate the opponent. It's glowing red eyes were constantly met by the seasoned warrior, as he only held his stance, and slowly turned his head to keep a steady eye on the monster. They were sizing each other up well when the creature finally broke the stare, and gave a quick look behind itself towards the river and the village beyond. It jerked its snarling head back towards the bear one last time before it shifted course, and chose to seek out easier, and weaker prey in the village. Sir Corper chased the creature without hesitation, but was greatly outclassed by its running speed. The demon leapt across the river within seconds.

===

Stahl felt a hefty hand grabbing at his shoulder, pulling him back a step right before the crumbling earth dropped him into a trench. The wolf turned to see the orc chief had saved him once more, though Crag was not smiling anymore. The chief spoke gruffly.

"We need to push towards the center. If they split us in two now, we are finished." Dally yelled back nearby, in a tone laced with exasperation.

"Oh, sure, cause we still have a shot against the FUCKING EARTHWYRM ITSELF, right Crag? We need to call this loss for what it is, and get our people as far away from this place as possible before we ALL become demon shit." Stahl spoke up, knowing his opinion would probably matter little to either skilled ally, but feeling the need to keep hope alive for his comrade. The husky had grown on him through the battle.

"We have a chance still... Aster has a way, we just have to wait for the right time." Dally snapped back at the wolf.

"Oh? And when exactly is this right time, Aschefell?" Stahl sighed a bit before he answered.

"I can't say for sure when it will happen, but we have to keep fighting. Mollis still has a lot of firepower to use too, so we aren't without hope, but we need to do as the chief says, and push to reinforce our center to keep that hope. We need you too, Dally." The husky groaned loudly in protest, but finally nodded, yielding to the majority vote. The three started carving their way through the denser fiends with what was left of their battalion, moving at a slower pace than they were hoping to, but seemingly with enough time to hold the line... That is, until Stahl felt another rumble beneath his paws.

The Earthwyrm resurfaced briefly, immediately aiming down the center of the walls. The demon reared back, and leaned forward, opening its mouth as it shot forth another blast of flesh stripping sand at impossible speed, leaving a cloud of dust to rise above the screaming voices of the warriors just a short ways from the wolf. The Earthwyrm had partially carved a line down the center of their forces with a single strike, and dove back down immediately, taking with it the bodies of the closest victims. It took maybe five seconds for the attack to be carried out before the monster retreated back out of sight. Stahl saw the orc chief advance regardless, hoping to alleviate the holes in their army. The wolf followed, as did the husky, although mumbling a string of curses under his breath.

After barely holding the center together long enough for the army to tighten up and regroup a bit, Stahl saw another row of larger stone spikes form around the left side to offer a bit of reprieve from the dense numbers, and knew Mollis had made it off the pillar. If he was using magic like that, the prince was definitely with him to recharge. The wolf could only pray his mate was with them still. About half of the fiends had fallen, but the allied forces had lost around half of their formation as well. Stahl saw another ice formation pop up nearby from Dally, and made a suggestion to the orc chief nearby.

"If we get Dally and Mollis near each other, we can play off their defenses even still. The prince can give Dally some power also, because I know he has to be running low." The wolf nodded towards the panting husky, and the chief concurred.

"Get him over there, I'll stay and help build up our forces around you. Good luck." Stahl nodded swiftly, and cut his way over to the husky, telling him the plan. The pair fought their way closer towards the prince's formation, and Stahl was admittedly relieved when the hulking brown bull came into his sight. As they neared, Stahl called out to his captain and his prince. As Dally went to the prince for some more power, Stahl caught up the situation with his captain and the hare as he looked around, and asked the question burning at his mind.

"Where is Aster?" Mollis gave him a sodden look briefly before he continued his chanting, striking down groups of fiends with his more powerful spells. Captain Rix answered him.

"THE TIGER IS GRABBING HIM, THEY WILL BE HERE SOON. HOLD THE DAMN LINE UNTIL THEY ARE!" The bull cleaved apart a fiend just as Stahl carved into his own. A moment later, and a large wave of electricity surged across their portion of the battlefield, temporarily stunning the fiends, and letting the warriors have a moment to shift as they needed. Dally retook his place beside the wolf with a smile, looking refreshed as he spoke with a little less hopelessness in his tone.

"That bloodskill really is incredible... That was even stronger than it usually is." Stahl smiled, feeling they maybe still stood a chance after all. The wolf felt a familiar rumble under his paws, and braced himself for impact. The Earthwyrm resurfaced, aiming directly at the husky, the bull, and the wolf as it reared back suddenly, and launched a powerful blast of sand towards the three. They jumped out of range quickly, but the Earthwyrm turned its head as its blast spewed forth, following the bull this time. Mollis made a wall of stone raise to cover the beast within seconds, giving the much needed cover from such a terrible death. It had been just enough to spare the bull, but the Captain quickly had to leap out of the way once again when the demon dove towards him, returning below the surface without a pause. Captain Rix tried to turn and drive his axe into the monster, but felt it bounce off easily with a ringing sound as the demon made its descent unscathed and unhindered in the slightest amount. The bull quickly shouted.

" WE HAVE NO WAY TO EVEN PIERCE IT, WE ARE WASTING OUR TIME AND OUR FORCES HERE MOLLIS! NOT EVEN YOU CAN BRING THAT THING DOWN!" The hare was panting heavily, never having used so much magic in a single day. He wasn't usually the only real mage in a battle of this size either though... Still, he didn't want to give up. Mollis felt a tender hand on his shoulder, and felt the prince give him another hefty sum of power, steadying the rabbit's breathing just enough for him to respond.

"Captain... We can do this... We only have to wait for Aster. He can hold it still." The bull looked over his shoulder at the hare, and furrowed his brow a bit. The captain didn't think Mollis had a spell strong enough for the job, but he trusted his comrade. The bovine groaned loudly before shouting his answer stoutly.

"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES, IF THE BOY IS NOT HERE BY THEN, WE FLEE." Mollis nodded, already chanting as he shifted his arms around a bit. An enormous blob of water formed over a large portion of the swarming fiends, and the hare dropped it on them suddenly, sweeping a great many into the trenches and slowing them in the mud. Dally rushed forward, and shouted the end of his own incantation as he drove the tip of his rapier into the wet earth below. The watery mud reacted violently, and row upon row of spiky, frozen sands speared up violently along the trenches, blocking off another good portion of the battlefield, killing the fiends trapped inside, and giving the defending army the upper hand against the smaller fiends once more. They were holding, albeit barely.

===

Rust was listening intently, not feeling much comfort after that loud explosion and the crash that followed... Not to mention all the shrieks and roars coming from the fiends. The fox had even felt the very earth tremble slightly beneath him. Rust was worried, but he had no idea how valid such worry was. That is, until he heard the sound of a horn nearby, towards the river. The horn sounded for only a brief second before it abruptly stopped altogether, but it was enough. The fox turned towards the river, unable to see anything yet. The cub quickly turned back towards the three wagons, and saw many orc children already loading up inside of them. Their perimeter had been breached, it was time to evacuate.

The cub quickly ran over to Alice, planning to load her into the wagon and flee as was instructed and promised, but stopped abruptly when a familiar sound filled his ears, the gentle strumming of a lute nearby. Rust's eyes shot up, looking towards the fluffy beast nearby with a sense of panic. Milky would draw the fiends to them if they weren't stopped. Rust stopped what he was doing, leaving Lady Alice partially hidden beside a wagon, and bolted towards the simple canine frantically. Milky looked at the cub with a questioning look of disappointment when the fox suddenly placed a hand over the thrumming strings, silencing the notes almost immediately as he snatched the lute away, and set it to the side. Rust was holding a finger up over his mouth, motioning the beast to be quiet frantically when a chill ran up his spine.

The catlike demon was snarling, standing towards the end of the main road, staring down the fox, the dog, and the wagons in a deciding manner, choosing its prey. Rust's eyes went wide in fear, and he suddenly had a strong urge to find a bathroom. The young fox's knees trembled as he stared back at the first demon to ever stand so close to him. The monster had at least two feet on the fox, even being on all fours like it was. The demon took a step forward, its three tails twitching sharply behind it as it did. The creature lowered its front half a bit, and went to leap forward. An arrow shooting forth from an alley nearby sinking into its hide stopped it just before it got moving.

The demon snarled, recoiling a bit from the unexpected jab into its side. It quickly turned towards the source just as Rust did, and saw the blacksmith Tan with three other orcs. Two were older, but one looked to be around Rust's age. That younger orc had been the one to fire the arrow. The demon roared loudly, and charged at the orcs, ignoring the others for the time being. Rust heard Tan shout a single word as his party turned, and fled back down the alley, luring the monster away.

"GO!" Rust shook himself, and turned back to the fluffy beast beside him, grabbing a hold of their hand as they both moved back towards the wagons. The fox sped towards them, Milky being dragged hastily, leaving the lute behind where it had fallen to the ground. He stopped to grab Alice when he heard an awful sounding scream from near the alley. The fox powered through a shudder of chills, and managed to lift the smaller cat's upper body enough to safely drag her towards the nearest wagon. With some assistance, he was able to get her aboard. The fox turned to grab Milky and jump on himself when he realized the gentle beast was gone.

Rust looked around frantically, and spotted the beast running to the lute that had been left behind. The fox cursed internally as he bolted off behind them, feeling he couldn't leave such a soul behind despite everything. The canine picked up the instrument happily, its tail wagging slightly from the feeling of joy it brought to them. Rust latched onto the beast's arm, and turned back to the wagons. He halted sharply when he saw the demon between them, and the carts full of the young. The monster had emerged from an alley a ways back, and was now bolting off towards the wagons as they rushed to make their leave, unable to wait any longer. The fox made a hasty decision that was incredibly brave, and unfortunately stupid. Before he could even think it over, the cub yelled out as loud as possible.

"HEEEEYYYY! OVER HERE!" The demon halted in its charge, and turned back towards the noisy fox, allowing the children on those carts to escape its hunt. The creature growled at the cub, and charged with tails flashing through the air at speeds the fox couldn't follow. The sound of nearby chanting filled the cub's ears, and a flash of green fire exploded into the charging monster before it could get too close, temporarily stalling it as it shook off the licking flames. The peacock Madame Mist stepped up from behind the cub panting heavily. She spoke hastily.

"Sorry, I got held up with a few smaller ones back on my side of things... This thing is bad news, I can't handle it alone... Can you keep a secret, young fox?" Rust looked over to the elegant avian in surprise, not expecting that to come up at all. Still, the fox glanced back to the writhing demon, and swiftly nodded to the peacock. She smiled just a bit, and walked over to Milky. She placed a feathered hand between the simple beast's shoulders, and started speaking, her words making the fox's blood run cold.

"I wish to make a deal with death. Lend me a soul. A warrior." Milky seized up sharply, the lute falling to the earth below once more as the mountain of fluff trembled a bit violently. The beast's eyes seemed to go all white as it straightened up, standing tall at last. The canine took on an imposing stature, the fox finally realizing how big the beast really was. The mountainous canine huffed out a heavy snort, speaking out gruffly. Rust couldn't help but find it strange to hear the dog actually talking.

"Why am I here?" Mist spoke quickly.

"You are dead. I offer you one final chance for redemption, help us slay this demon. You have a few seconds to taste the glory of battle in the world of the living one final time. Will you aid us?" The canine huffed quickly, bearing a vicious smile before it paced steadily towards the demon, eager for a chance to fight even after death. Another arrow shot out of a nearby alley slicing off one of the demon's writhing tails, and Rust looked over to see Tan and the younger orc re-emerging, the other two orcs missing. A gruff voice sounded out a bit further up the road, on the opposite side of the demon.

"Looks like I get a little help after all." Rust saw it was the powerful bear, Sir Corper the Collapser, speaking as he closed in on the demon. The creature shook the last of the green flames from it and snarled, realizing it was being surrounded. Its severed tail sprouted back, and it began assessing its opponents. It decided to try its luck with Milky first. The demon charged, readying its tails as it did so. The canine took a practiced stance, courtesy of the warrior in control, and readied themselves for a deflection. The sound of chanting came from Mist as the canine redirected the beast's charge with a well timed fist to the skull. The demon staggered over some just in time for the peacock to launch another spell, sending a short spear of light rocketing into its side, pinning it to the earth below.

Another arrow shot from the alley, burying itself into the beast's hind paw, helping to hold it down as the monster roared in protest. It went to move its tails to slice towards Milky, but Sir Corper was there immediately to grab a hold of them, catching them just behind the spikes the way you caught a snake behind the head. They writhed vainly in his crushing grip, but the bear would not sever them this time, they would simply grow back. He held them steadily, even as the demon swiped towards him with a front paw. Tan caught that swipe with the side of his sword, holding back firmly against the beast. Milky quickly went in for the kill after the adept teamwork pinned the creature down skillfully, but was caught off guard when the spear of light pinning it quickly vanished.

Mist was clutching at her heart, kneeling down suddenly in her pain. Her strength had been sapped away by the consuming sting she felt within her depths, finding the price exacting faster than she had expected it to. She stumbled forward once as she let out a pained gasp, and collapsed into the dirt. The demon took full advantage of its opportunity, and moved its freed body easily. It turned on the orc which had caught its paw, and climbed higher upon him, opening its toothy maw wide over the blacksmith's head before biting down decisively.

Rust's eyes went wide in realization, and he finally lost that urge to find a bathroom as his heart stopped, soiling himself as his mentor met a brutal end. The fox could only whimper, his jaw hanging open, his ears falling flat upon his head, and his pupils fully dilating in shock from the crunching, hollow sound of a living skull being shattered by such bite force. A violent tremble overtook his limbs, and the cub felt his knees buckle, collapsing onto the earth below. The fox was shaking mercilessly in fear, but was unable to make himself move even the slightest bit from his soiled place in that desert landscape. He was certain, he was going to die in the spot he had just fallen as surely as Tan had.

Sir Corper pulled roughly on the tails, turning to draw against them as the creature fought to be freed. Milky jolted forward, leaping atop the monster's back and pounding their fists into the creature's head mercilessly, beating the monster back to the ground with the constant barrage against its skull. Rust heard the younger orc shout through his delirium, and fire another arrow into the side of the beast. The orc had a single black mark on his chest. This was his first battle too, but even after losing his allies, he was still fighting. That thought shot a bit of clarity to the cub, as he drew back to the battle at hand.

Milky had stopped beating on the monster, and had wrapped themselves tightly around its throat, leaning the creature on its side as it held firmly around it. Rust's pulse quickened as he realized they wouldn't be able to hold it for long. The demon would free itself soon, and they would all die... Rust felt his despair creep back into his heart, and found himself clutching at the hilt of his dagger. When his fingers wrapped around it, the fox forced himself to watch as he drew the crimson steel from the scabbard, and took a stand. Even in the darkness of the night, the fox could make out the three markings left behind by the blacksmith.

`Bravery. Determination. Heart.' His thoughts clung to his mentor's words, repeating them to himself as he was tasked. He was strong enough to do what was needed. He touched the symbols in a final bit of confirmation, and rushed forward with a steady hand on his drawn blade, his features taking on an entirely new side of the fox. Rust could feel it, something inside of himself wanted out. Something was pushing up from his anger, tipping him over the edge from his loss. A single word flashed through his mind, and the cub spoke it without hesitation, fueled by something instinctual. Young Rosten Aschefell laid claim to his birthright that day. Rust activated the bloodskill inherited from his birth father for the first time in his life.

"Mark." The fox blinked, and suddenly, he was inches away from the demon, as if he had jumped through space itself. He could see something dark pulsing in the monster's throat, something nobody without that bloodskill could see, demanding his attention and beckoning his actions. The fox tightened his grip as drove his blade forward decisively in his revenge, the sharpened steel sinking effortlessly into the beating heart of the demon. The monster wailed loudly, writhing in effort to free itself. It rolled sharply, managing to run a single, shredding paw across Milky's chest before the dagger sank a bit deeper, and pierced through the last of the heart.

The demon snarled a ferocious growl as its body hardened, and began cracking into brittle pieces. The monster decayed away rapidly, the bear holding the tails allowing himself to fall backwards in exhaustion. Sir Corper was sure of one thing after helping dispatch the second demon of the day, he really was getting too old for this shit. He heard a heavy sniffle come from the fox who had just teleported before his eyes, and sat up a bit to check on the cub. The bear's mood soured even more at the sight.

Rust was leaning over milky, letting giant tears flow from his eyes. The canine was bleeding badly, with three deep gashes running over their chest and stomach. Their white fur was quickly turning a deep red as the blood spilled from the wound. Whatever fighting spirit had overtaken the mountain of fluff was gone, returning the simple beast back to a dying body just as the demon fell. Milky looked up at the fox and smiled as it whined weakly. The fluffy beast raised a hand, and pointed towards the lute lying on the ground a short distance away. Rust followed the motion, and stood on shaky knees to go retrieve it for them. He quickly returned, and kneeled over the gentle creature once more, laying the beloved instrument by their fingertips.

Milky closed their eyes, and began lightly shifting their fingers, strumming weakly at the strings, making for a more somber performance than usual. Rust felt his heart break. He looked to the collapsed Madame Mist, uncertain of her condition. He looked to his mentor and friend, the orc Tan, laying slain in the streets. He dropped his gaze back to the fading beast beneath him, listening helplessly as the song ever slowed. Rust squeezed his eyes shut tightly in anguish, and remorse. After everything, this couldn't be how it ended. He refused. Such loss could not be allowed. Something sparked at his trembling fingertips, jolting the fox ever so slightly. It inexplicably felt like hope.

As his bloodskill had surfaced from a need to survive, another gift emerged from a desire to change such harrowing circumstance. Both graces signaling his undoubted progression towards becoming an adult. The fox was growing up, he was maturing at an alarming speed, and his dormant talents were blossoming at a pace that paralleled such exponential growth. Rust did what felt natural, letting his instincts rule over his chaotic mind once more. He extended a hand to the silky white fur of the canine, and focused his determination on a single effort. He felt that tingle at his fingertips again, and pushed that sensation outwards, sending bursts of magic surging into the simple canine.

Sir Corper watched on in shock as the fox awakened his second hidden talent that day. Milky's wounds began closing rapidly as a greenish glow and warmth overtook them both. There was no doubt about it, the fox could use prayer magic. There was finally a healer revealed among their ranks, and it seemed Milky had been spared by the gods themselves.

===

Aster was in serious pain as the tiger darted through the battlefield. His head felt like it had a crack opening wider with each jarring step, and his ankle felt like it was going to catch fire from the feverish burning. Even so, the boy kept his forehead against the tiger's shoulder, clutching tightly around his thick neck as they made their way to the prince. Aster could feel Oust's strong heartbeat as he ran much faster than the human ever could. He felt Oust's powerful fingers wrapping securely around his thighs, and noted the presence of the tips of the retracted claws poking at him. The tiger hit a jarring low point in the ground briefly, knocking Aster's left hand down weakly to graze over the beast's muscular chest. The boy shuddered out a ragged breath into the tiger's ear as he readjusted his grip quickly.

Aster didn't know why that slip of a hand made him feel the way it had, nor why through his aching, hazy head, he was suddenly aware that he was enjoying the firm grip spreading his legs firmly around the bulky frame, but Aster also became aware of how tightly his body was pressing against the beast's defined one. How much he enjoyed nuzzling into Oust in that moment... Despite all of the pain he was in, and despite their predicament, Aster felt himself suddenly becoming excited, still pressed firmly against the menacing tiger's back. In that moment, Aster wished the fall would have killed him after all.

Oust never slowed his run, but his heart was stammering out of control. He knew the human was hurt, and that his excitement was surely a result of that head injury... But the beast couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of warmth deep down from the sign of attraction. The human was forming a habit of making Oust feel like he wasn't the hideous, spoiled pelt his father had made him believe he was. Oust squeezed the boy a bit closer, a bit ashamed of the action, but enjoying the feeling of the runt's tool squirming against his larger body as he forced another pathetic moan from him with the movement. The tiger had wanted to tear the human in half a few weeks ago... A few days ago even... But now, he wanted to tear into the boy in an entirely different way... In the way he never expected he would want anyone. How he believed nobody would ever want him. His thoughts pushed that desire away as the prince's formation came into his sights.

Captain Rix was shouting the moment he caught sight of the tiger.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME!" Stahl turned briefly to lay eyes on his mate, and almost let himself get distracted by the poor sight. The wolf quickly turned back to fend off a fiend, his mind racing over what he had seen.

`That's a lot of blood to lose in the middle of nowhere...' The beast was scared, not even noticing the ankle yet. Aster needed to be off that battlefield in that condition, not dragged into the middle of it. The wolf held the line beside the bull regardless, praying they could somehow wrap this up shortly. Mollis was speaking with the prince immediately as Aster dismounted from the tiger's back. The boy stumbled, but the tiger caught him swiftly, forcing the human to lean on him for support. The hare swiftly addressed the human after.

"Aster... It's time to use what the Captain told you about... Do you think you are able?" Aster nodded, despite being uncertain if he was up to the task at all. He had never used it before, and he wasn't in the best of shape, but he would try, always up for a challenge. The hare smiled, and turned back to shout towards their line of defense.

"We are using it, try to fall back some, but don't worry about being caught up in it... I'll be doing the aiming for the actual deadly parts." Mollis turned back to the prince, and bowed slightly before he spoke to him again. "My prince, just as we planned... All of it." The lion nodded, steeling his resolve. He walked up to the hare, and placed a firm grip on his shoulder in wait. The hare chanted briefly, and Aster, Oust, the prince, and Mollis himself were raised up on a smaller pillar, only around ten feet high this time. The hare nodded at the human, and Aster paced forward to stand at the edge, overlooking the battlefield, waiting for his moment while the tiger gently supported his weight on his bad leg with a burly arm over his midsection. The human let himself rest ever so slightly against the beast, until he felt a rumble beneath the earth. It was time to see if he was worth the effort it took to get him there.

The Earthwyrm was charging the new pillar, much as they had expected it to. Aster saw the creature rise to the surface, leaving an upheaved trail behind it as it sped towards them. If this didn't work, they may all be dead. The human focused, and raised an arm, making one very large shield inches before him. It was as big as he could manage with a single arm, but he could only hope it was enough. Aster reared back his other fist, waiting for the greater demon to pop above the surface before striking.

As the monster burst through the earth, lunging straight towards those atop the shorter pillar, Aster slammed his shielded fist forward into the back of his larger shield as hard as he could. A sharp, quick sound resonated from the initial contact, and a throaty, deep, burst of sound rocked forth into the battlefield with a pulse of golden light immediately after. The light carried with it the smallest, swirling, specks of golden dust that danced across everything the pulse enmated over, coating everything in a layer of fading, glittering light. The Earthwyrm slowed to a near halt immediately, and Aster reared back, and struck his own shield once more repeating the effect all over again.

As the human quickly beat on one shield with the other, the sound of the strikes carried across the land from his highpoint, enveloping everything between the walls and beyond in wave after wave of the pulse. Every creature caught in its path felt the true power of the Peacekeeper's Shield that day, as one by one, friend, foe, and fiend alike all fell to a knee, powerless to keep fighting, or to even run away if they wanted to as the goddess's heartbeat flooded over the battlefield in a steady rhythm. It demanded all to kneel before its bearer.

Oust felt how much kickback the attack was having on the runt, with powerful vibrations shaking up his arm. The human was wincing painfully as such vibrations rattled his already pounding head and throbbing ankle, but he kept striking that shield regardless, determined to hold after seeing the heartbeat was working. The Earthwyrm had been stopped, unable to move, same as anything else before him.

Oust shuddered at such determination, and shifted more behind the human, placing both arms around the boy, one over his chest, one over his waist. The tiger squeezed a bit tightly, offering support, and absorbing as much of the rattling impact as he could for the runt. The beast could smell the human exerting himself, sweating profusely after just a few strikes. It was taking much from the boy simply to hold that line, but it was a marvelous and humbling sight for the tiger.

Every knee... From the imposing Captain Rixator, To the ashen wolf of the Aschefell line, To every single orc, fiend, and even demon before him... Every single one kneeled before a simple human radiating his light through the darkness, burning like the sun itself with warm and golden power. It was in that moment, Oust Candori realized which king he truly wanted to serve without ever even knowing the boy was one. He had just witnessed all the proof he needed. The human should sit on that throne, the birthright of that bloodskill demanded such authority. This power to bring entire armies to their knees could change everything.

===

Mollis watched in awe for just a moment, the dazzling waves of light more beautiful than he had imagined they would be. He was happy to have seen it, The thing always shining within the boy finally coming out for the world to see, commanding all attention...

`Aster Venatus... A fitting name. You truly are a star indeed.'

The hare took a deep breathe in, safely behind the boy's attack with the prince, and started chanting. It was long, and it constantly drained him of his power, but the prince felt the tug, and was steadily feeding the spell more eneegy. Prince Tyfin had exhausted about thirty percent of the power he had borrowed from the orcs, but he felt it drop to less than half almost immediately. Whatever Mollis was doing, it was huge... It was too much. The lion's eyes went wide, as he felt even more power demanded for the attack, the hare still chanting on in determination. The prince cried out to his subject.

"MOLLIS! You can't handle it! Even I don't have enough for something of this scale! It'll drain us both before we ever fire!" The hare kept on chanting, already deciding he would end this then and there, while they still had the chance to pull it off... He knew what the price would be from the start... He would use what he could from the prince, and he WOULD handle the rest. The hare cast his arms forward, holding his focus as he build the spell larger and larger, felling it grow to cover half of the battlefield, pinpointing every single fiend with his energy, and passing over every ally. Mollis felt the prince struggling behind him, and knew the lion had nearly depleted the reserves he had left. The mage took in a slow breath, and stepped forward, letting the prince collapse where he stood, drained of all that power which overflowed from within him just moments before.

Mollis felt an immediate draw on himself, becoming the sole source for such a major spell. He felt the magic waver, and threaten to die before it ever finished forming, wasting everything they had fought for up to that point. The hare picked back up, accepting his role as he spoke the next word in his incantation. For the first time in Aster's life, between the thrums of the pulsing heartbeat he was causing, the boy heard something spoken in the language of the gods that he understood, the final word from the rabbit before he witnessed the magic itself start to take effect, ensnaring every enemy simultaneously.

"Sacrifice." Mollis ended his spell, and dropped his hands, feeling the magic do as was commanded. It had been enough, it stretched over the entire battlefield, every single fiend, all six-hundred and eighteen left... He had a special role for the Earthwyrm... Now he just had one thing left to do... The hare called out behind him, speaking to the panting prince first.

"You have a long way to go, your majesty, but you will be a fine king if you stop doubting yourself. Relying on the talents of your people effectively is not weakness, it is strength. Your power saved a lot of lives, my king. You were the foundation we built upon for our victory... It was my honor to wield such power befitting a king." The young lion looked up to the mage with tears in his eyes. He knew what the hare had done... He hated himself for not seeing it sooner. The prince could only lower his head, and nod, never wanting any of his people to make a choice like the rabbit had.

Mollis smiled softly, pacing towards the front of the pillar beside Aster. He held out a hand, and caught a hold of the boy's arm mid-swing, stopping him from continuing his exhausting assault. They were held still long enough, it was done. Aster looked to the hare, bloodied, panting, and sweating from his efforts. Mollis chuckled at the boy, ever so determined to stand strong, and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on his forehead before he spoke.

"That's enough, Aster. You've done wonderfully as always... I hope all of your battles won't be this hard on you." The hare looked to the tiger, and Oust was simply giving him an understanding stare. Mollis winked at the burly beast, and turned back to the boy. "Remember to try the fruit, Aster... You never know when it might be your last taste of something sweet." Aster stared blankly at the mage, connecting the dots a bit slower than the others had. His eyes went wide in shock when something appeared on the rabbit's left ear.

It looked like a tiny spark, an ember glowing brightly on his fur. It spread the way one would on a piece of parchment, erupting into a glowing circle, eating away a hole. Where the edges crumbled away beneath the spreading light before it halted briefly. Small flecks of those embers sprinkled up into the air, drawing towards the battlefield as the magic used his very life-force to complete the task commanded of it. Aster tried to take a step forward, but immediately fell, drained of all energy himself. Oust caught him, but the boy snatched his gaze back to the hare, reaching out and grabbing a hold of his fur in an attempt to hold him together, to keep him where he was. Mollis smiled sadly as the fur simply broke away, disintegrating into the flecks of light as well. He spoke kindly to the human.

"I am sorry... I have to go, there's one more thing I have to do." Oust held Aster as he flailed vainly, not wanting to accept what he had to. The human screamed out to the mage as Mollis went to jump over the edge of the pillar.

"I'M SORRY MOLLIS! I'M SUCH A FUCKING IDIOT, I WAS AN ASSHOLE, AND I WAS TOO STUPID TO SEE WHAT YOU WERE DOING... Please stay. Please..." The hare didn't dare let the boy see his own tears, so without ever turning around, he spoke to the human one more time.

"You are a true king... Aster Venatus... Solis Aureus... Or whoever you become... Never let that darkness within you outshine that light that resides as well." The rabbit stepped off the pillar, dropping to the earth as the boy wailed out in protest, experiencing the pain of losing such a close comrade for the first time that day.

Mollis landed on his feet expertly from such a short drop. He called out to Stahl, who was waiting at the bottom.

"Aschefell... You'd better take good care of him, that kind of power needs someone to depend on... If you run into Cortist, be on guard... I still don't know if you can trust him... We had some fun back then, you and I. I've always enjoyed that mean-streak you have, so you should maybe show it a little more." Mollis gave him a friendly wink. Stahl could only stare solemnly, satisfied with any goodbye he could receive on a battlefield. The noble wolf nodded once, and gave the hare a bow in respect as he spoke with acceptance, and gratitude.

"Rest well, Mollis." The mage walked right up behind his captain, who was still kneeling, even though he was free from Aster's shield. All the allies were free, but not a single fiend was. The bull knew they had just won, but he had lost. He stood, and turned on the hare, bellowing down at the rabbit, even as he faded apart more and more.

"YOU WERE NEVER THE DAMNED FOOL MOLLIS! YOU KNEW BETTER! I TOLD YOU, YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THAT... You were supposed to stand by my side... How am I supposed to keep all of this together without you? You've always ran my team... Why did you have to do it? We could have ran. We could have made it far away..." The bull lost his voice before all within earshot that day, the proud roar finally cracking to a raspy croak. Mollis reached a hand out and placed it on his Captain's shoulder before he answered.

"You'll manage just fine. You're too stubborn to die... Keep them on their toes." The mage spoke a bit softer then, trying to approach his final promise with dignity. "Carcer... It's time for that thing you promised me all those years ago." Captain Rix almost lost it when the hare used his first name with that kind of finality to it, but he stood, and turned to his lifelong ally strongly, not letting tears ruin this moment for the rabbit. The bull stared down at the mage with a longing for more adventures together. Mollis simply smiled, reaching a hand up to the broken horn as he spoke in his familiar, playful tone he used to keep the bovine in check.

"Honestly Captain, this just won't do... I finally get to do it, and you go and break a horn off right before... I'll have to fix that..." Mollis closed his eyes, redirecting the last stray traces of the magic to the bull's injury. A small magic ring briefly formed around the perimeter of the break on the horn, and a small branch of cherry wood shot out from the rune, slowly shaping itself to match the bulls black horn on the other side. When the shape settled, Mollis gave it a little tap and the bark stripped away, leaving a reddish brown wood behind. Mollis gave it another little tap, and the wood hardened, polishing itself smooth, matching the texture of the missing black horn as well as the brown coloring on the bull'sfur. The circular seal burned lightly into where the wood met the horn, and the spell completed itself without a hitch. Mollis winked at his Captain, explaining the modification.

"It'll be even stronger than your real horn... It looks good too... Now I won't feel cheated... Are you ready, my captain?" The great bull leaned his head down lower, dropping it right before the smaller hare's own. Mollis slowly reached up, and placed a hand on each horn, holding the bovine in a way nobody else ever had. The hare pulled the bull down by this intimate grip, and planted his lips firmly to the bull's own, tasting that part of him at long last.

The captain swallowed his pride, allowing the hare to finally hold his head in that humiliating way he had always begged to. Captain Carcer Rixator kissed the rabbit powerfully, making sure it was truly a worthy last request. He didn't enjoy kissing males, but he truly loved that rabbit in every way he could. He had agreed to give him this a long time ago, if the time ever was near, and their separation was certain. The rabbit finally pulled away, but simply held on to those horns tenderly as more and more of his body burned away with those glowing embers. The Captain made himself smile, pulled his broken horn free from his belt, and handed it to the hare. Captain Rix spoke in a tone the rabbit had never heard before... Truly, a whisper of all things.

"Take this piece of me with you... May you battle with the gods, Mollis Macula." The rabbit chuckled, taking a hold of the horn in gratitude, feeling a little less alone from the gesture. The hare started speaking once more as the last of him faded away with that horn, feeling peaceful for knowing he had saved such wonderful friends.

"I think I'll wait for a certain stubborn bull, then we can beat the shit out of them together, Carcer... I truly did love you, and thank you for giving me my life back." And with that Mollis was gone...

As the last of the flecks of light from the hare's body floated toward the center of the battlefield, the magic really kicked into overdrive. All around the partially destroyed landscape, the fiends started spasming, and twitching violently in place. A roar of screeching could be heard as the pressure built within each before they burst open, one by one, a small flowery plant sprouting forth and consuming them for their magical growth. The fiends writhed and slinked away to nothingness as the hundreds upon hundreds of tiny white flowers with orange centers sprouted where each stood, forming a dense meadow of local greenery among such barren landscape. The earth quivered below, and the trenches stretched further back, tying into the river as water flooded through them. Any ally in danger felt the earth shift them to higher ground before the torrent could ever reach them.

A mighty shrieking filled the air, and the Earthwyrm burrowed once more, desperately trying to escape the spell working its way through it. Oust watched from atop the pillar in awe as the demon barreled towards the center of the walls, the upturned dirt revealing its exact location. Suddenly, without warning, it burst forth from the earth once more, extending thirty feet straight into the air. It opened its mouth wide as it reared back, and the tiger feared another blast of sand was coming, but a magnificently green cherry tree limb shot forth from the greater demon's throat instead, spreading wider and wider as it tore the very demon apart with its mighty trunk.

The tree grew ever higher climbing forty, fifty, then sixty feet into the air, never slowing as the monster withered and died around it, crumbling away as the branches crushed its heart, and ended its fifty year reign. The tree lit up with blossoms as big as the rabbit's head, and these in turn withered away to reveal fruit bigger than his fist. Orcs and beasts alike looked on in a daze as the rabbit's sacrifice left behind a mighty reminder of his heroic act. There upon the branches, well over seventy five feet in the air, were the biggest cherries the world had ever seen. The tree would stand as a powerful symbol to the orcs for many generations to come, and the fruit of that tree would sustain their life for centuries.

A single taste of that fruit after the battle was over was all that Captain Rixator needed to know that the hare had finally gotten them right. He had finally made them as sweet as he had wanted to. Mollis always did love cherries, after all. The bovine smiled, letting his tears fall at last... He was going to miss that frisky and bossy rabbit, but he touched his new horn tenderly, and felt just a piece of the mage with him even then. The captain laughed at himself, thinking he should've kissed the hare much sooner, and many more times before the end. Perhaps he should finally start listening to the mage, and start tasting the fruit more often.

===

Man. That was a lot of fucking writing. I really hope I wove a good scene for y'all. That was the largest battle I've ever composed, and if you only count it as one chapter, the longest one of those I've ever done by far. I hope I made sense, and I hope everything was clear. I know there was some bouncing back and forth, but there was a lot to cover.

I know, I know, you can hate me for Mollis all you want. It sucked for me too, but it has purpose. I cried like 6 times between the attack by the cat fiend and our rabbit's goodbye.

I love hearing from you guys, and if you have any questions or comments, I'm always open to answer them. My email for my writing is Pupbayou13@gmail.com. Feel free to shout there. Getting that fan mail makes all the difference! We will be seeing a bit of the aftermath next chapter, and you'll see the plot push on. We have a few brief chapters before the next major arc, but it should be a good one. Thanks as always!

-Pup Bayou