In the following days, we adapted, and after moving the war room outside, we started including Kylo in the meetings, eventually coming to an agreement on a plan similar to the one I had already devised. Obliterate the forces behind us while fleeing through the mountain pass. The biggest difference, of course, though, was that we had wyverns that could fly, breathe fire, and use magic… It made it a whole lot easier. At least in theory…
Before long, we would find out said theory would be tested. The sun rose, and sure enough. General Rokai stood at our southern gate, and the third star and sage stood at our northern gate.
Meanwhile, we manned the walls and prepared thoroughly for the siege. Not only did we have Hara and Rune, but now we had 14 wyverns capable of magic as well. We didn't bother hiding it either, but the enemies still came…
While the majority of the forces held off the siege, our warbeasts, along with Kylo, Philly, Airsidh, Al, and the Runeborn knights, wreaked havoc past the southern gates. I chuckled as I rode Fritz up past Kal, my old teacher, who had filed in under Al's command. "What was it you told me again? When defending a fort, the best option is to leave its walls and fight in the field, right?" I grinned, almost laughing at myself.
He just shook his head. "It's good to see you're in high spirits."
'Well, that's one word for it… Honestly, I'm nervous… I'm going to be going against the man who killed Tabernath… And Bhaltair too…' I slowly swallowed. "Alright… OPEN THE GATES!!"
The pounding of wingbeats flooded the air as screams met with billowing fire and devastating spells caused the wind to turn into blades. The moment the casting was done, the wyverns began picking soldiers up, tearing others apart, and throwing them into each other as we charged forth. 'If I can breathe fire without burning myself, then I might as well do it too, right?'
Wrapping my hand around Fritz's mane, I stood up and took in a deep breath, devastating an entire column of soldiers and turning to earth below to brown glass. Not even the corpses were left, which… I suppose in some ways helped me remain calm, calmer at least. 'It's still draining… My breath keeps getting hotter, but it's even more exhausting now… I should save it for something important.'
I pulled my sword with my left hand, favoring it now that my right had been injured. It was recovered enough to use, but not without pain, so it was just another thing I was saving for something important. "I've cleared the path. Follow me!" I shouted as that "Something important" came right into clear sight. "Straight to the general…" I muttered. Letting my body relax, staying loose as I prepared to move not just aggressively, but a bit nimbly if I had to. Considering his abilities, it seemed better to just not touch his sword, even with my own.
While we charged in a narrow line, it left plenty of room for our archers and wyverns to continue attacking indiscriminately at the long files of troops at our sides. Furthermore, the mages were as immobile as ever, and without the guards standing in front of them, we sliced through them like ravenous wolves that had caught a deer. Unable to hold any sort of formation, they broke and were on their way to being routed even before I reached the general. I saw him in the back from the beginning, my mind flooded with so many thoughts as I approached, went completely blank the moment he got within my sword's reach.
I leapt from Fritz's back, my body transforming from the adrenaline as I put all my strength into a crushing downward swing that forced his own sword to cut into his body as he blocked, slashing even through his armor. The little-known downside to an enchanted blade, I suppose.
Without losing a step, I twisted my sword and slid it down his blade towards his neck, but he managed to parry just in time, only losing a few hairs as he ducked my blade. Instead of redirecting, I let the sword fall to the ground, grabbing his throat and tearing away part of his armor with my claws as they grew from my hand.
With incredible speed, he tried to slash at me, but before it came close, I was already on all fours, low to the ground, utilizing gravity magic to speed my movements. I lunged at his leg, tearing off more armor with my claws and gnashing his ankle before leaping high into the air and gushing at his throat again, this time piercing the remaining armor with shallow cuts before he gripped my neck and cracked the earth as he slammed me to the ground.
Just before he plunged his sword into my chest, my growing tail pulled his leg out from under him, and the claws from my right foot stabbed through his chest. Using that as a lever, I pushed off the ground and pulled myself back up, stabbing my claws into his sword arm's shoulder before jumping away, using a wingbeat to carry me farther back so I could grab my sword as I landed.
He stood before me, staggered, weary, and coughing blood. Only then did my blood start to calm. 'Why isn't he using his left arm? Is it injured? He even put down his sword before throwing me.' I shook my head as my eyes turned orange and my wings and tail vanished into flickering embers.
"What are you…"
I shifted my weight onto my good leg and felt my claws dig into the earth. "If you surrender now, I'll let you live."
He slowly raised his sword. "I cannot surrender, so long as you hold Hara captive, I will not yield."
'An interesting development…'
[Name: Rokai
Loyalty: 0
Opinion: 0
Intimacy: 0
Attitude: Great hostility.
Mental state: cautious]
'Him of all people? He killed one of my brothers, though? Well… I mean… Not that I mind that much…' A heavy sigh bellowed smoke from my mouth. "I haven't even started using magic yet… Are you sure you won't surrender?"
He lowered his stance, scowling at me.
'If he were healthy, I would have lost already… But without his left arm… I owe you a drink, Tabernath… Maybe I'll have to bring you back one more time so I can give it to you…'
A massive field of ice exploded around me, fluctuating with my emotions as massive skewers wound around the battlefield like guided missiles impaling everyone nearby except him, who narrowly evaded and blocked. The ice exploded with flames like a popping balloon filled with napalm that singed his hair and burned his face. I imparted my soul into my mana, creating black fire that seared around me like a wave of pressure, and we clashed blades. From every swing of my sword rushed scorching hot fire that scarred his armor with black, but still he stayed strong, able to more than keep up with my swordplay when I wasn't going completely wild.
Eventually, it felt as though my body had been ripped in two, as if the dragon had separated from me entirely, and everything went cold. My body froze in place. My sword felt weightless, and only when I looked up did I realize what had happened. His sword, and his entire left arm braced against it, were both completely frozen in black ice that had started crawling over his skin and growing out in every direction. With a glow of frosted moonlight, the ice shattered and severed his arm so cleanly that it didn't even bleed, the frost sealing the wound as he fell back. 'How much of my soul… Just left my body to do that…'
I staggered back as well, barely able to stand, feeling as cold as when I first learned ice magic, but I still caught myself on my feet, unlike him. 'I have to stay confident…' "How about now… You've lost your sword and an arm… Though I guess part of it was missing already…" I looked around at his routed forces. "Surrender now and you will all be spared."
He slowly moved from his butt to his knees. "I surrender…"
I tried to let out a roar, but only a scream came out as a shrill victory cry from a little girl, amplified by magic. Still, the signal was heard, and the routed troops became captives as we started hauling ourselves through the mountains on the caravan we had prepared beforehand. After we made it past the first bend in the mountain pass, Airsidh launched an arrow that I set to blow with magic, and the fireworks signalled the others to retreat via the flagship.
"Good job, everyone… Now… Report…" I mumbled.
Airsidh jumped up onto the wagon I was on and wrapped a blanket around me. "You first."
"Hm… Cold… Tired… Pain…" My eyes felt heavy and slow, but still rolled and scanned everything as though someone else was controlling them, or like I was still working through a battlefield. Because of that, I had lost any concept of the fight being over, and forgotten how long it had been since it ended.
"Rest now… We can report later, everything is already being taken care of."
"I want… To pet Rune's fluffy hair…" I grumbled as my eyes closed tight and I leaned against him, refusing to move another inch. 'If I'm passing out anyway… Then I might as well go take a look… Inside my soul'