The company crested a mountain ridge, and the full panorama of Blackstone Town finally unfurled before their eyes.
The town was not large, encircled by a rudimentary perimeter wall constructed from a crude mix of massive logs and stacked stones. At this moment, this fragile line of defense was enduring a ferocious assault. A swarm of diverse magical creatures was fanatically battering the town's wooden gates and walls.
The most numerous among them were half-human, half-serpentine monstrosities. They possessed upper bodies covered in grayish-green scales, their arms thick and powerful as they brandished rusted scimitars or bone spears. Their lower bodies were long, thick serpentine tails that slithered across the ground with alarming speed. These were undoubtedly the "Magic Snake Minions" mentioned in the intelligence—seemingly a race of Snakemen.
In addition to the Snakemen, there were massive, bull-like lizards. Their skin was dark brown and covered in hardened keratin; green toxic bile dripped constantly from their maws. Every impact they made caused the wooden walls to groan under the unbearable strain. These were the Venom-Marsh Giant Lizards, notorious for their thick hides and lethal toxicity.
In the sky, several Carrion-Winged Flying Snakes with wingspans exceeding two meters were circling. Their wings resembled rotted leather. Seizing opportunities, they would dive down with piercing shrieks, snatching soldiers or civilians into the air only to drop them to their deaths.
The town's defensive forces were clearly insufficient. Scanty groups of militia stood atop the walls clutching spears and bows. Their retaliation appeared feeble; men were constantly struck down by the Snakemen's javelins or collapsed screaming after being doused in the giant lizards' venom. The wooden gate was already riddled with cracks, swaying precariously.
At the rear of the monster horde, a figure draped in tattered black robes and clutching a snake-shaped wooden staff topped with a skull stood out. He was stooped, his face hidden within the shadows of a hood, revealing only a pair of eyes shimmering with a cold, green light. He appeared to be commanding the assault, chanting incantations and waving his staff to fire bolts of murky green light—either buffing the monsters into a frenzied state or directly striking the defenders on the wall.
"An Shadow-Snake Priest!" a knowledgeable old knight beside Leylo whispered. "Damn it, these are Hydra's minions! That priest is troublesome!"
Shadow-Snake Priests were renowned for being cunning, sinister, and proficient in shadow and toxin magic.
"Prepare for battle!" Leylo drew his knightly longsword, the blade flashing with a cold glint under the sun. He could feel the fear and despair of the people within the town, as well as the chaotic and evil aura radiating from the monsters.
"My Lord, we..." one knight hesitated. The enemy numbers were significant, and they had a difficult spellcaster among them.
Leylo did not look back, his voice resolute: "We are the guardians of Blackstone Manor! Right now, our people are being slaughtered! Knights, draw your swords! For glory, for the territory—follow me in the charge!"
Before his words had even faded, he spurred his horse down the slope, plunging like an arrow toward the monsters' flank. Leylo knew full well that with his prestige still lacking, leading the charge personally was the only way to inspire his men to fight valiantly.
Ed drew his sword and followed closely. Seeing this, the other knights drew their blades in unison. Bolin was also startled by Leylo's bravery; after all, this young Lord had not yet broken through to become a true knight. He drew his sword and kicked his horse—if this kid who barely had hair on his chin wasn't afraid, what did Bolin have to fear?
"Charge!"
Infected by Leylo's courage and determination, the knights' blood boiled. They shouted in unison, forming a sharp wedge formation as they tore into the chaotic battlefield.
"Meow!" Moonlight also sensed the atmosphere of battle and let out an excited roar. It pushed off with its limbs, turning into a silver-white bolt of lightning that leaped into Leylo's arms.
The arrival of this reinforcement immediately caught the attention of both the monsters and the town's defenders. The militia atop the walls were stunned for a moment before erupting into thunderous cheers: "Reinforcements! The reinforcements are here!"
The Shadow-Snake Priest, Slake, also noticed the knights suddenly cutting into the fray. A flash of surprise crossed his green eyes hidden in the shadows, followed by an even deeper malice. "Ignorant fools! Kill them!" he screeched, waving his snake staff toward Leylo and his men.
A portion of the Snakemen and several giant lizards immediately turned to intercept the charging knights. As the horses galloped, Ed overtook Leylo, faithfully fulfilling his duty as Captain of the Guard by shielding his Lord.
"Kill!" Ed took the lead, his longsword swinging out.
Pfft! The blade easily tore through a Snakeman's scales, bringing forth a fountain of murky green blood. The creature didn't even have time to scream before it was sent flying by the massive impact. Without pause, Ed twisted his wrist, his blade flashing as he instantly cut down two more Snakemen attempting to surround him. Under the strength of a peak Great Knight, these low-tier Snakemen were no match for a single strike.
The knights following closely behind also crashed into the monsters. Their superior weapons and armor, combined with practiced horsemanship and combat skills, gave them a distinct advantage over the low-level creatures. Knightly spears pierced the relatively soft bellies of the giant lizards, and heavy swords shattered the bones of the Snakemen.
However, the number of monsters remained vast. Buffed by the Shadow-Snake Priest's spells, they fought without fear of death, counterattacking frantically. One giant lizard opened its blood-red maw and spat a thick stream of green venom at a knight. The knight reacted quickly, raising his shield to block. The venom hissed as it corroded the shield, sending up plumes of white smoke.
Elsewhere, several Carrion-Winged Flying Snakes dove from the sky, their sharp talons raking at the knights' helmets. The aerial assault left the knights stretched thin; two were pulled from their horses under the harassment of the flying snakes. Had it not been for their iron armor, they would have perished.
Seeing this, Leylo had a thought and patted Moonlight's small head. "Moonlight, use magic. Blast those foul snakes out of the sky."
Moonlight tilted its head arrogantly, let out an "Aow-wu," and several bolts of lightning descended from the heavens. They struck the flying snakes with pinpoint accuracy. Two plummeted instantly, while the others were left trembling from the electricity, flapping their wings frantically to flee, no longer daring to approach.
The fallen snakes were easily dispatched by the knights. As Rank 1 magical beasts, the Carrion-Winged Flying Snakes were fragile; without the advantage of flight, they were no match for armored knights.
"Well done, Moonlight!" Leylo praised, his sword never stopping as he split the skull of another pouncing giant lizard.
Seeing the reinforcements fighting so bravely, the morale of the defenders atop the walls soared, and they began to fight back with renewed vigor.
Slake's expression turned hideously grim. "Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" he barked, striking the ground with his snake staff in frustration, while a glimmer of craftiness flashed in his eyes. He knew this raid was likely to fail. If he stayed to fight, he might very well be trapped here.
While continuing to command the remaining monsters to entangle the knights at any cost, he quietly retreated, his body gradually merging into the shadows. The shadow faded rapidly, and soon, all trace of him vanished.