"Chariots assemble! Target the trolls' knees!"
Just as Thrain roared his command, his war goat reared up, narrowly avoiding the massive club that the Olog-hai troll brought crashing down.
Two chariots flanked from the sides, their archers continuously shooting arrows at the attacking Olog-hai troll's eyes while the chariots' sharp ramming spikes struck hard at the creature's left leg.
However, the massive creature's thick black iron knee guards only sparked briefly, its form staggering a few steps. The chariot's ramming spike twisted and flew off, and the chariot itself rolled apart under the brutal reaction force.
Then the Olog-hai troll lifted its enormous foot and stomped down. The screams of archers and charioteers exploded simultaneously with the sound of shattering metal and crushing bone.
"Switch to chain hammers! Entangle it!"
A Dwarf lord led heavy infantry to block Thrain's front. Twenty chains shot out like spider webs, entangling the Olog-hai troll's massive limbs, then the iron chains were quickly tied to war chariots by the Dwarves.
War goats strained against their harnesses, pulling the chariots in desperate attempts to topple the beast, but the Olog-hai troll grinned viciously and yanked the chains with terrifying strength, flinging chariots and goats into the air to smash against cliff walls in bloody explosions.
At this moment, another Olog-hai troll wielding a massive stone hammer broke through the Dwarf front lines, reaching dangerously close to Thrain. It brought its weapon down hard on the shields of heavy infantry blocking Thrain's front. The massive impact instantly shattered the shields like twigs, sending the heavy infantry behind them flying through the air like broken dolls.
Thrain watched his sacrificing Dwarves with bloodshot eyes, raising his battle axe to charge forward, but was held back tightly by several other Dwarf lords who grabbed his armor.
At this desperate moment, some Dwarf light infantry rushed back from the fierce fighting at the front.
They lit torches with shaking hands and threw fire oil pots at the two Olog-hai trolls rampaging through the heavy infantry formation. The ceramic fire oil pots made crisp shattering sounds on their iron armor, black viscous fire oil sliding down the grooves between helmets and armor like deadly syrup.
Then light infantry hurled their torches, flames exploding across the two Olog-hai trolls' heads and chests, quickly drilling through armor gaps like hungry venomous snakes seeking flesh.
The thick gray-black hide beneath their armor instantly curled and carbonized, reeking fat seeping from wrinkles and actually fueling the hungry flames.
Both Olog-hai trolls simultaneously threw back their massive heads with deafening screams that echoed off the mountain walls, slapping desperately at their flames, trying to pry off their now-burning heavy iron armor.
However, their armor had been heated red-hot by flames. When the trolls' massive hands touched the superheated metal, they let out even more piercing screams, while "sizzling" sounds came from where fingers contacted the molten iron, flesh cooking and sticking to the metal.
The burning flames drove both Olog-hai trolls into a complete frenzy. They began frantically beating their chests or swinging clubs wildly in all directions, no longer distinguishing between friend and foe.
Dwarf light infantry kept throwing fire oil pots at the burning monsters, desperately fearing the life-saving flames would extinguish.
The Olog-hai trolls' helmets gradually melted like candle wax, the molten armor directly sticking to their eyes and face. When their scorched eyeballs finally burst under the heat, they splattered blue-green pus and vitreous fluid across the battlefield.
Extreme pain gradually made the two Olog-hai trolls lose all control of their massive bodies, collapsing to the blood-soaked ground with earth-shaking impacts.
Heavy infantry seized this precious opportunity, swarming forward like angry hornets and fiercely stabbing spears into the trolls' heads and other exposed body parts, finally bringing down these two monsters after what felt like an eternity.
But the Dwarves' situation didn't improve. It became even more critical than before.
Third and fourth Olog-hai trolls successively emerged from caves in other directions, accompanied by ordinary trolls and fresh waves of Orcs eager for Dwarf blood.
Their target wasn't Thrain, but rather the precious ballistas and catapults that had been continuously launching bolts and stones at both cliff sides.
While Thrain dealt with those two burning Olog-hai trolls, these war machines hadn't rested for a moment, having slaughtered too many Orcs and ordinary trolls under expert Dwarf control.
Without these war machines' continuous deadly support, the defensive line formed by combined Dwarf light and heavy infantry would have collapsed long ago under the relentless assault.
Trolls swinging massive stone hammers charged forward and smashed hard at catapult bases. Wooden frameworks broke with agonizing groaning sounds, and counterweight stones crashed down like falling boulders, burying alive two Dwarves who hadn't had time to leap clear from the doomed catapults.
Other catapults immediately stopped their deadly firing and tried desperately to relocate to safer positions.
But trolls ran faster than the heavily armored Dwarves, their long legs quickly covering ground to catch another catapult and smash it to splinters again.
The ballista situation wasn't much better than the catapults, equally chaotic and desperate.
If war-goat riders were still here, their superior mobility could protect ballistas and catapults, but now they had all been taken away to support Dain in his desperate fight.
Without rear support, the front line immediately began swaying precariously like a house built on sand.
When a respected Dwarf lord was smashed into the rock wall by a troll's club, with only his armored legs left twitching helplessly outside the crater, the defensive line finally couldn't hold. Endless waves of Orcs, paying the price with their numbers, finally broke through the defensive line the Dwarves had desperately maintained with their lives.
"Orderly retreat! Contract formation!" Thrain's voice was already hoarse from shouting commands over the din of battle.
Survivors staggered backward through the snow, dragging long bloody streams across the white ground like crimson paint.
But Orcs and trolls weren't eager to pursue their advantage, especially the cruel ordinary trolls, who deliberately used their clubs to fling severely wounded Dwarves high into the air, enjoying the sickening dull sound of prey hitting the frozen ground.
Thrain's eyes were completely bloodshot, his battle-axe now had three deep notches along its blade, continuously dripping thick black Orc blood that steamed in the cold air.
His teeth ground audibly in barely contained rage: "Damn Azog..."
On the battlefield, a horn suddenly sounded from deep within the Misty Mountains. Upon hearing this ominous horn call, Orcs and trolls even stopped pursuing the retreating Dwarves.
Only when those massive Olog-hai trolls lumbered to the front did the horn sound again, and Orcs and trolls resumed their relentless charge at the Dwarves' desperately contracted defensive line.
Just as Thrain's battle-axe cleaved deep between an Orc's collarbones, foul black blood spraying across his dented breastplate, a stone-splitting eagle cry pierced through the thick fog like a divine trumpet.
Thrain looked up to see a Great Eagle break through the cloud layers first, its massive wingspan seemingly covering half the entire battlefield in shadow.
The moment this magnificent Great Eagle spotted the beleaguered Dwarves below, it beat its powerful wings, stirring up hurricanes that tore the concealing mist into scattered shreds, revealing twelve equally massive Great Eagles behind, while letting precious golden sunlight shine through the gaps.
Several ordinary trolls caught completely off guard by that sudden ray of blessed sunlight immediately screamed in terror, trembling violently as they turned into perfectly lifelike stone statues.
The leading Great Eagle cried out again with piercing authority. Three giant eagles immediately flew to its flanks, together creating massive turbulence and winds to scatter the fog that had been shrouding the desperate Dwarves.
Those cursed mists that had entangled the battlefield for half a day were torn apart by Great Eagle-generated air currents like tissue paper. Sunlight pierced the cloud layers like golden arrows shot by the gods themselves, creating dazzling spots of light on Thrain's and his Dwarves' blood-stained armor.
On the ground, those remaining trolls had already begun screaming in panic and using their tall bodies to knock aside nearby unaware Orcs the moment the first ray of sunlight appeared, fleeing desperately toward the dark caves where they had previously hidden.
Even the mighty Olog-hai trolls, upon noticing the falling sunlight, let out panicked roars that echoed off the mountain walls. No matter how violently the Orcs controlling them struck with whips and brands, they couldn't prevent these creatures from beginning to flee, desperate to return to the safety of dark caverns.
One more thoroughly modified Olog-hai troll even threw off the Orcs riding on its back, trampling them to bloody paste beneath its massive feet before escaping toward the shadows.
The Great Eagles' keen predator eyes immediately locked onto the fleeing Olog-hai trolls as their next targets upon noticing them.
They folded their wings and plummeted like living arrows, each great eagle having selected its own doomed target.
One Great Eagle's steel-hook-like talons clamped around an Olog-hai troll's thick neck with crushing force. The Olog-hai troll's panicked sounds instantly became strangled "gurgling" as its windpipe collapsed.
Then this Great Eagle spread its wings and climbed powerfully skyward, the massive head in its claws along with a section of bloody spine being torn off completely, black blood cascading like a waterfall onto the upturned faces of cheering Dwarf soldiers below.
Another Great Eagle pecked through its targeted Olog-hai troll's ear hole with its razor-sharp beak, brain matter spurting from the opposite eye socket in a geyser of gray and red.
Yet another Great Eagle swooped across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning, left talon tearing open an Olog-hai troll's armored breastplate, right talon scooping out its still-beating heart like plucking fruit.
The doomed Olog-hai weren't without desperate attempts to swing their massive clubs in counterattack, but the giant eagles could always twist away with incredible agility, dancing through the air like deadly performers.
After a brief surprise at the Great Eagles' miraculous appearance, Thrain immediately reacted, shouting with wild joy that rang across the battlefield: "The Great Eagles have come! Our allies have arrived! Coordinate with the Great Eagles. Smash out all these Orcs' and trolls' brains!"
The king's inspiring shouts rallied Dwarf soldiers to regroup with renewed hope, using iron chains to entangle the now overwhelmed Olog-hai trolls' legs or drawing battle axes to chop viciously at their tendons.
With the Giant Eagles' divine help, Thrain's army gradually turned the tide of this desperate battle.
War chariots, catapults, and ballistas, no longer harassed and destroyed by the trolls, once again displayed their tremendous destructive power, causing devastating casualties among the fleeing Orcs and remaining trolls.
The symphony of slaughter both in the air and on the ground continued for a full quarter hour, and the surviving Orcs finally began fleeing in complete panic.
When the last living Olog-hai troll tried desperately to escape toward the safety of the rock caves, it found itself surrounded by three Great Eagles circling like harbingers of doom.
They dove in turns like raptors toying with helpless prey. One talon tearing open its shoulder armor, one beak crushing its kneecap, finally crushing the troll's skull like an eggshell.
Surviving Orcs completely collapsed in terror, dropping their weapons and screaming as they burrowed desperately into rock crevices. Occasionally unlucky ones were spotted by Great Eagles with their sharp eyes, plucked out, and hurled skyward to fall like broken dolls.
The leading Great Eagle circled the battlefield center, letting out a long triumphant cry before finally landing gracefully near the bloodied Thrain.
Thrain walked toward the Eagle King with respect. The Great Eagle lowered its magnificent head to meet his gaze, golden eyes reflecting the Dwarf king's bloodstained and battle-torn cloak.
Thrain bowed his head slightly, saying with deep respect: "I, Thrain son of Thror, King of Durin's Folk, thank you for your aid in our darkest hour."
The Great Eagle made no sound, only silently observing Thrain for several long moments with its intelligent gaze.
After confirming he was indeed the Dwarf king Gandalf had requested help for, it stirred up wind carrying snow spray and took wing with eagle cries calling to the kinsmen who had followed.
The eagles shrieked in response to this cry, rushing into the clouds and disappearing into the gradually dispersing mists, just as suddenly as they had appeared in the sky like divine intervention.