Bauer rushed with not a single glance back, watching as the battle unfolded between the black knights and the nefandites. Neither side was losing ground, but they both were losing manpower. No matter how he looked at it, the situation was most desirable, to some degree.
Sure, it would have been better if the nefandites would easily become crushed by the might of the black knights, but this was a moment for him to earn their respect and loyalty—if they would make it out alive, that is.
The nefandis knights proved to be quite problematic for the black knights, often making use of their dexterous movements and glaives to outrange those who wielded swords. What's worse was that the nefandites' front line was equal to the black knights' front line in terms of numbers, which still proved to be a distinct disadvantage for the black knights.
They can't win if the numbers are equal, so he thought, making sure no one took notice of him as he snuck around eastward, where the nefandis army's back was facing. The knights are stronger in duels, but maybe, he looked at the nefandis priest, watching him give orders whilst floating in the air, if I can kill that priest, I could stir up some trouble for the nefandites.
He let out a quick, deep breath, assuring himself that it was best course of action, whilst being careful as he neared the nefandis army's back, where many occultists and deacons stood below their commander.
Now how do I get up there? he wondered, staring right the priest.
Unlike the armour of the nefandis bishops, the priest's silver armour was crude and more so analogous of raw metals stuck together in an ore vein. With sharp ridges along the armour, the priest was well protected even against physical attacks, likely as a defense against slashing weapons. The helm was completely different too, with a wide cylindrical base where the sides of the faceplate angled outward with jagged edges, while the top was shaped like a mountain with its own jagged peaks.
The neck is the weak spot... This is a cursed idea, he told himself as he sheathed his blade and took a few steps back to get a running start, sprinting straight for the occultists that stood furthest to the back, but fuck it, at least I know I can do it.
With a sharp pivot of one foot and his built up momentum, Bauer placed his hands on the ground, entering a series of back handsprings, like a graceful gymnast. It was tough in armour, but once he got the required momentum and the flow going, nothing was going to stop him.
Not even the occultists who looked back, leaving them with only a fraction of a second to react, which was too short for them. Bauer rounded-off with his final back handspring, landing his feet on the nefandite's pauldrons and leaping up into the air, headed straight for the priest as he unsheathed his weapon.
The priest turned back upon hearing the occultists yell for him to watch his back, putting a huge flaw to Bauer's execution as he used his silver staff to block Bauer's attack, sending him plunging to the snow, while the staff twirled into the front line.
Bauer landed on the ground, rolling in the snow to further cushion his fall, but he quickly found himself in quite the predicament between not just the nefandis front and back line, but also the priest who slowly stood up.
Without anymore delay, the occultists began firing their lethal magic, making it hard for Bauer to block and dodge all of it. It also didn't help that the priest ordered some of the knights to return to deal with him as well, putting him at a serious disadvantage.
Shit! This is not good! he yelled internally, struggling to reach the occultists, who swiftly moved away every time he'd get even remotely near them. At the very least, however, that would put a slight pause to their firing, buying him a bit of time to make his next move.
But just in the nick of time, he'd watch as fire and water magic would come crashing into most of the occultists, killing off some of them and quickly sending those who dodged into disarray. Whatever distraction he was able to make, the black knights' mages were finally able to strike down and break the occultists' strong defence.
He let out a deep breath as he surveyed the surroundings, feeling a sense of relief wash over him, though that was short lived, for nefandis knights were still on their way, bringing back the priest's staff. At the very least, the mages were gone, and even some black knights were able to slip past the front lines, following the nefandis knights with determination to strike down the enemy.
Bauer blocked against a red pulse of magic that nearly caught him off guard, taking notice that a few occultists were doing their best to survive against the onslaught of magic whilst attacking him. With the same white radiance that Kane would use to enhance his armour, he found it bestowed upon him from a black knight mage.
"Fight me, cowards!" he yelled, rushing straight for the occultists while he still had time.
***
While the raging chaos of the battle ensued, Kane watched as the towering manor slowly became more defined in the frame, allowing him to see each stone brick lined on top of the other. A high wall spanned outward in all directions, layered with more walls within that reached higher up, allowing for archers and mages to make leverage atop.
At the very least, his part was simple and nefandite-free, though his mind itself was a raging storm that wanted to return to the site of the battle.
"Tiny, where did you companion go?" asked the man in green, sticking his head out the window to grace his eyes with the sight of the giant manor.
Kane moved closer to the window, jogging by the stagecoach. "He went to intercept a battle between a nefandis army and knights wearing the same armour as his."
The man's face shot back, with raised furrowed brows and a jaw that hung ajar, he stared back with astonishment. "What?"
Kane sighed internally. This is what I was fucking afraid of... now he's going to get pissed off that he left, and our pay is—
"Tiny, we will compensate you in full," the man's voice sliced right through his thoughts, his voice growing in urgency as it strained itself, "you have our word. We are close enough to make it to the manor safely now. Go and assist your companion and the company of the Stormglade Manor. Return to the Stormglade Manor afterward, and we shall compensate you further. Now go! The job is complete!"
Taking a second to make sense of what he just heard, Kane nodded, before breaking off and running back, using all within his energy to pull his legs through the knee-high snow.At the very least, his nerves had calmed down a bit, but he was still on edge knowing that Bauer's life hung on a thread, waiting for scissors to sever it, and that the more time he wasted outside of the fight, the closer death drew.
I can't fucking wait to get back to Tyraleth, so he thought, racing into the night.