Athgar tried once more to convince the Temple Knights to surrender but to no avail. Stubborn as ever, they stood, shoulder to shoulder, ready to make a final stand.
The sun was just getting low when Natalia made the decision to act. Archers came forward, arrows nocked, prepared to rain death upon the enemy. The Temple Knights stood ready, confident their armour would protect them, their courage bolstered by their faith.
Natalia reluctantly gave the order, and the volleys began. They did little damage at first, most merely bouncing off armour, but then Kragor brought up his warbows. As the rest of the archers kept up a steady stream, the hunters of the Red Hand took careful aim. One by one, the enemy fell, their armour punctured by the great bows.
Sir Raynald, unable to watch the carnage, turned his back on them, his stomach releasing its contents to spill onto the ground.
Next came Shaluhk. Once more, she called forth warrior spirits, though this time fewer in number. They swarmed across the open ground, crashing into the enemy formation, bringing death and destruction to the holy warriors.
Still, the Temple Knights fought on, their casualties mounting. Shaluhk's power began to wane, and then Voruhn did something Natalia had never seen before. She walked up to her sister Orc, casting a spell, and placing her hand upon Shaluhk's shoulder. She glowed a vibrant white, and then the colour seeped into her fellow shamaness, filling her depleted reserves of magical energy. The spirits fought on even as the sun began to set.
Mortag had moved up, watching with keen interest as the fight played out before him. The last of the spirit warriors finally faded, their time amongst the living at an end, and then he cast his spell, sending a rolling ball of flame into what was left of the enemy. The smell of scorched flesh drifted back across the field as warriors burned. The devastation was immense, but still they refused calls for surrender.
The Stone Crushers moved closer, and Rugg and Gahruhl sent spikes of stone racing towards the enemy. They punched through armour, but the iron plates lessened the blow, and the Temple Knights fought on.
With darkness came a short respite. Torches were lit, forming a ring around the enemy while the tuskers moved into position. One more call for surrender echoed in the night air, but their foe was stubborn. For a final time, the refusal came back.
Natalia looked at her mages, and she was suddenly struck by their presence. A typical kingdom might boast a single mage, maybe even two if they were wealthy, but here she was blessed by more than half a dozen, likely the largest grouping of mages in ages. Their alliance had pulled together shamans from three tribes, amongst them healers, masters of flame and of earth. Now they gathered, all united in their effort to bring destruction to their enemy.
An initial volley of warbows announced the final assault. Magic was conjured in such volume that the hair on everyone's necks stood on end. Natalia was used to the familiar tingle of magic being cast, but this time it was different. She felt a deeper vibration, a rumble, if you will, that echoed across the field, originating from the stone gate which stood atop the hill. She remembered the gate's amplifying effect, glancing at it only a moment as her thoughts drifted back to what she had been told.
The stone gate consisted of two vertical stones, over which a third rested, forming a doorway of sorts. Now, as she looked, the centre of the door rippled, distorting the view for just a moment.
Her concentration was broken as the spells went off, dragging her attention back to the battle. Fire leaped from Mortag's hands, lighting up the night sky, while beside him, Athgar added his own contribution, a thick smoke to blind their enemies. Even Urumar was there, the apprentice mimicking his master's spell. Rugg and Gahruhl sent forth shards of stone, striking the metal-clad warriors and causing a tremendous clamour.
Natalia watched the display of raw power with a sense of awe. All of her training had taught her how to utilize magic on the battlefield, but no one, not even the instructors at the Volstrum, could have foreseen it being used on such a scale. She felt the flow of magic even though she herself was not casting. It was a feeling of euphoria.
Fire and stone continued to pour forth, dealing horrific damage, and soon a hole opened up in the tightly packed enemy formation. The Temple Knights staggered under the impact, trying to fill in the empty spaces, and then Laruhk led his tuskers through the gap.
The ground reverberated as hooves dug in, the great beasts closing the range quickly, and then they were in amongst their prey, tearing and biting while their riders struck out. Many of the witnesses to this destruction turned away, avoiding the scene. Even hardened warriors found it difficult to watch the slaughter as knight after knight fell beneath the savage attack.
Thankfully, it didn't last long. The Temple Knights, their formation broken, began to fall in great numbers. Some tried to flee, only to be trampled to death or torn to pieces by the vicious teeth of the tuskers.
A great stillness fell over the field, broken only by the laboured breathing of the tuskers as they rooted around, looking for something to kill. The masters of earth moved forward, using their magic to calm the creatures, while others entered the blood-soaked field searching for survivors.
Even in their final moments, the remaining knights chose to fight, reaching out in death to strike back at their
