Phillip couldn’t help but stare across the battlefield and wonder what Frederick was facing. Looking at an army of thirty thousand created a twinge of pain as the enemy roared and mocked them across the six-hundred-yard expanse between them.

“You certain we can take out those fortifications, sir?”

Turning to look at the officer assigned to him, Phillip nodded. “Seargent Pulak, we don’t have any other choice. For now, we wait for the orders to attack.”

The man and the other warriors shifted nervously behind him, each comforted only slightly by the dragon circling above them.

“Understand, sir. I'm just making sure I understood the assignment.”

Nodding, Phillip turned his eye to where Foros was at. His dragon flew high above the clouds, scouting the area the cavalry were attempting to cross.

Two loud horn blasts sounded, and then a pause came, followed by a repeat of the two.

How are they doing? Any trouble yet?

I find it strange, but no. The path is clear, and when I scouted early this morning, I saw no one and no traps. There appear to be a few remnants of orcs and goblins near where they will come out, but not enough to stop them. If all goes well, Mother should descend and roar in ten or fifteen minutes.

“Seargent!”

“Yes sir!” the man replied.

“Send word to the King that we expect the battle to start in fifteen minutes. The green dragon will roar when the time has come.”

From the corner of his eye, Phillip saw the sandy hair colored man glance up at the sky before nodding. “On my way, sir.”

I wish I had learned to see through your eyes like Kaen can through Pammon’s. Remember to be safe. I can’t lose you.

Through their bond, Phillip felt the satisfaction of his words. It had changed after their bond had deepened, and the emotions and feelings that came now were sometimes jarring.

I will do what I must to help us win this battle. You need to focus on your goals. Once my job is finished, I will do what I can.

Phillip tried to center himself, breathing deeply as he gripped the axe in his hand.

I’ll see you soon enough.

Time felt like it stretched on as the sound of shouts and roars from both sides of the battlefield echoed every so often. Phillip could sense the change in his dragon and as Foros began to dive down toward the ground, signaling that the action was about to start.

They are charging now.

Phillip turned to the man on his left, who had different flags laid out on fifteen-foot poles before him.

“Wave the yellow ones four times and then the blue ones twice!”

He watched as the man grabbed the massive pole with the giant yellow banner and started waving it.

A horn blasted behind him, and then it did it again after a four-second pause.

A long horn sounded when he dropped the yellow flag and began to wave the blue one.

Cheers and shouting began to erupt from the men, and Phillip pointed the axe he was holding toward the barriers and fortifications the opposing army had set up.

“SLOW! MARCH SLOW!” he shouted, his command echoed multiple times down the line both ways.

His group took a step and then another, not racing toward the area they knew would mark the attacks from the siege weapons.

Horns and roars came from the other side, and Phillip could see the enemy shifting in place as they began to move forward. There was movement from the far left of the enemy army, and a massive boulder launched into the air as someone had fired a siege weapon.

The line of Ebonmount warriors froze as the boulder, which was larger than most horses, arched high into the sky and plummeted toward the ground. It landed a dozen yards before the fortification on the enemy side and bounced and rolled toward King Aldric’s army.

For over forty yards, that rock bounced and moved, destroying a massive section of the enemy's defenses until it finally stopped, a long, deep furrow through the field where it had hit and rolled.

“Goblin shite!” someone cursed behind Phillip, and others mimicked the man's words with a few different variations.

His own heart had skipped a beat when he saw the rock and the destruction it brought. No matter who one was, getting hit by that would squash them like a bug.

“Don’t be afraid!” Phillip roared. “Follow me!”

A few men roared, but more than half could not muster up the same courage as they had moments before.

Looking to the left, Phillip saw that the boulder had stopped about sixty to seventy yards from the army's line.

Tell me something good, Foros. Things are going to get nasty out here soon. We have seventy yards before their weapons will reach us.

They are minutes from the side of the line. Twenty or thirty orcs are dead, and an ogre is as well. Three of the men are down so far. I know you can tell where I am. I will strike once they have taken out the weapons that can hit me. Mother is moving down as well and into position.

Looking up into the sky, the green dragon circled downward, her shape growing larger as she descended. Phillip snorted as he had always considered Pammon large when he was young, and Amaranth was bigger than Pammon had been in those days, yet compared to Kaen’s dragon now, they were so small.

“Be ready, men! Everything is about to change in a moment!”

Phillip did everything he could to keep the men’s spirits high, practicing what Kaen had told him. When he turned around and pumped his fist and axe into the air, he could see the fear in the warriors. They knew the battle was necessary, but most were aware they would most likely not make it home.

Yards slowly disappeared as they took a step every few seconds, a drum beat signaling another step. Ten seconds passed, and another. The sound of armor and weapons echoed across the clearing with each step.

Phillip’s heart took off like a racehorse when Amaranth roared only a quarter of a mile above the field.

The men cheered as she announced her presence in full, and Phillip could sense what was going on near Foros.

They have broken through the sides and are cutting a path through the enemy. Some have noticed, but the majority have not, as Mother timed that roar perfectly.

The drum increased its tempo, now only five seconds between each step.

Amaranth dove across the battlefield from the north to the south between the two armies, roaring again as she faced the ogres and orcs that Phillip could only imagine might be less anxious in the coming moments.

One weapon is down, but a third of the cavalry is gone. Their army is noticing them!

Nervousness and concern flowed through their bond as Phillip knew Foros was anxiously awaiting the outcome of the sneak attack.

Like a mindless creature, Phillip kept time with the drum, stepping as he was supposed to, but his mind and heart were focused on the rush of emotions surging through their bond. It was impossible to keep his own held back when Phillip realized Foros had gone in to attack.

Are they down?!

No reply came, and Phillip stared where he knew his silver dragon would appear over the tops of the trees in a moment.

One is, and the other is almost, but there is no time left to wait! The Calvary is almost gone, and five are left trying to push for the last one!

He wanted to plead with Foros to stop and wait, but there was no time. His dragon came over the tree tops, dropping near the ground, and fire began to pour out of his mouth in controlled bursts. For a moment, Phillip stood there, unable to move or obey the instructions of the drums as he watched his dragon create chaos to his right. Two massive siege weapons were on fire already, and a different part of the army was burning.

A long gust of flame shot out, and Phillip saw a third weapon on fire.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Then, the roar across the battlefield and the pain in his heart made him stumble.

FOROS!

No answer came, but Phillip saw his dragon desperately trying to fly toward his side of the battleground.

Amaranth roared again, and Phillip saw the flash of green as Foros’s mother tore across the battlefield toward her flailing dragon.

Pain lanced through his body as his dragon fell toward the earth. The silver scales were covered in blood, and even from this distance, Phillip knew that his partner was gravely injured.

The army had stopped moving as the silver dragon lay on the battlefield, halfway between both sides, floundering like a fish on the bank of a river.

Like an arrow fired from a bow, Phillip was moving. The entire group was hesitating, not sure what to do, as one of their greatest hopes of winning this battle was down, and the other dragon moved toward it.

Tears were streaming down his face as anger and rage boiled inside him. Pain and agony like nothing he had felt before burned within. A barrier stood in his way, and with a single jump that he hadn’t realized he could make, Phillip was over it, landing and rolling as he moved.

The trumpets and noise came from both sides of the battlefield, yet Phillip only saw one thing. He could imagine something far greater than anything else holding on to life by a thread.

No! Don’t come!

Those three words pained his heart as Phillip ignored them. Amaranth was almost upon his dragon, and Phillip allowed himself a single moment to glance around. Both armies were rushing forward. The kingdom of Ebonmount was coming to try and assist and protect the dragon and its rider, who was racing toward his injured partner.

On the other side came a horde of orcs, goblins, and ogres, all intent on claiming victory over a pair of dragons.

Phillip’s legs moved faster than he had ever known they could. The memory of this last half year and everything Kaen had made him do flashed in a moment, and he finally understood why Kaen had pushed them so hard. Now was the moment when all that mattered.

His shield and axe were out as he blazed across the last hundred yards, going to beat the throng of enemies coming toward his friend.

Run! Please…

The cry from Foros was weaker.

Never! We live or die together!

Those words fueled and drove him, and suddenly, his lifestone roared in a way he had never experienced before. Kaen had told him that one day, it might act like this. His muscles felt infused with a strength and speed he never believed was possible.

Amaranth was behind her son, green light forming around her as she pressed her body against his, wrapping her wings around him for protection.

“TAKE HIM AND GO!” Phillip shouted as he leaped over the last barrier between him and Foros, charging head-first into the wall of orcs and goblins.

A few slowed when they saw him approaching, but most charged ahead, unconcearned for a man wearing black dragon-scale armor when the true prize and glory were so close.

His axe moved quickly and precisely as Phillip reached the first orcs that crossed his path. Their heads were freed from their body, and his shield slammed into another, sending it flying backward and taking out a few of its allies.

Roars and shouts of the enemy surrounded him, but Phillip paid no heed as only one thing was on his mind.

Protecting Foros.

Every step he took carved an orc or goblin as he moved left and right, cutting down the approaching line of enemies that pressed closer to where his dragon lay on the ground.

He could feel the pain and a slight thread of hope coming from Foros as Amaranth tried to heal him.

Unsure of how long that might take, only the death of Phillip’s enemies would buy the time he hoped Foros had.

Phillip zigzagged back and forth like a lightning bolt between the green and dark brown horde.

Piles of bodies formed in a small semi-circle as he shouted at them, daring them to keep coming. They answered with their own roars and continued to surge ahead.

Go.. left… I can buy time…

Don’t fight!

His plea to Foros not to do anything didn’t matter as a gust of fire roared to his right, setting a section of land at least ten yards long ablaze and turning the orcs advancing from that side into ash.

Pain lanced through their bond as Phillip knew Foros had injured himself with that attempt to help.

Stop!

He will not listen, Phillip! I need more time! The wound has pierced his entire chest, and I cannot move him! Defend my child, please!

Phillip didn’t reply. He took the distraction his dragon had caused, slid his shield into the hook on his back, and drew his sword.

His arms became death for those foolish enough to get within his reach.

Twisting, turning, sliding, and jumping at the horde ended with body parts littering the field.

The ground became slick from the blood that ran freely, and the few who managed to strike his body with their weapon received an attack from him. The armor stopped all of the cuts, but the impact still hurt. His shoulder ached from a massive club that had hit, and his left leg had taken a solid strike from an axe.

Go!

I will never abandon you! We are one! Never forget that!

The distraction of talking with Foros resulted in an orc coming from behind and landing a hit with its club into his back.

A crack came, and Phillip gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain in his body, which ached.

Spinning, he saw the orc smile momentarily until its head was lifted from its shoulders.

A loud roar came, and as Phillip spun again, trying to keep track of everything around him, he spotted the ogre that was approaching.

It was one of the tier twos he had faced before, and it was killing its own army as it swung its sword through the crowd, running toward Foros.

Cursing under his breath, Phillip tried to breathe, trying to regain the air in his lungs that was missing from the strike he had just suffered. All around him were fallen orcs, and the number of corpses he had created began to set in.

There were piles in some spots over four feet high from where he had struck down those trying to climb over their fallen allies. The fire on his right still burned, blocking off a place to come from, and as much as Phillip hated that Foros had hurt himself more by creating it, right now, it was the only thing allowing him to hold back the tide.

Phillip yelled, racing toward the ogre. The creature turned toward him, smiling as it hefted its massive sword into the air.

Phillip grinned as he sliced down two orcs between him and the ogre. Time had passed since the last time he had faced one like this, and he knew this fight was his.

The ogre swung its sword in a wide arc, cutting through three orcs as it did, trying to cleave Phillip in one blow.

Its attack looked slow, and Phillip jumped into the air, leaping like he had over the boundary earlier. He flew over the blade and into the ogre’s face. He brought both sword and axe down at the same time upon the beast's head and neck. The top half of its head was sliced off by the sword, while the axe buried itself into the creature's neck until it hit the bones of its chest.

Blood and gore went everywhere as the ogre stumbled, its sword flying from its hand. Two black eyes for a moment looked at Phillip in shock before the light of its life vanished, and Phillip jumped off the falling body.

Having hoped the ogre's death might buy more time, the sounds of more roars and the pressing of other orcs cut that thread quickly.

When he landed, he cut down four more creatures before retracing his steps to get closer to Amaranth and Foros.

A quick glance lifted his spirits. Only about seventy-five yards away came a rushing throng of the warriors of Ebonmount. One stood out, as Phillip had seen Hess pointing a sword in their direction, knowing the man was leading the charge.

To your right!

Amaranth’s voice startled Phillip, but he didn’t hesitate. He lifted his sword and axe as he glanced to his right.

A massive hammer struck where he had blocked with his weapons, and the ogre that had swung it sent him flying and tumbling along the ground.

For five yards, he tumbled until he got his footing and stood in time to see another attack coming from the ogre. It was larger and wore chain armor. Its hammer was spiked on one side and had a flat section he had managed to block.

“Die human!” it shouted as it swung its hammer down at where he was trying to stand.

Rolling to the left, the hammer slammed into the ground with enough force that dirt shot out, creating a two-foot hole with a single attack.

Phillip charged, his arms aching from the strike he had blocked. He had a potion but wasn’t sure if it could still be used. The bottle might have broken in the pouch on his hip, and there was no time to check.

The ogre reacted faster than Phillip had thought it could and dragged its hammer along the ground and into the path he had been coming. His sword's swing collided with the hammer's haft, and the metallic clang of the collision rang out.

In one move, it spun the head of the hammer off the ground and had it coming for him again in a sideways arch from above.

It is stronger than you think! Use your skills!

Jumping backward and barely avoiding the ogre’s weapon swing, Phillip felt the gust of air its attack had created.

There was no time to plan as another attack came at him, the ogre moving with speed and power. It shifted its grip on the long handle, allowing it to shorten its swings and speed up the attacks it sent his way. Four attacks came in rapid succession as its fingers twirled the heavy weapon like it was nothing but a twig.

Every time, Phillip barely managed to escape the attack that came.

His eyes saw the pattern emerging and the weakness of its attack.

Feinting to the right, Phillip watched as the ogre spun his weapon again, fingers twirling it for a moment before the head of the hammer moved in the direction he had feinted.

Lunging instead forward, Phillip swung his sword at its right leg, knowing what it was about to do.

As it had before, the hammer twirled in its left hand as the right hand deftly slid along the shaft and changed the direction of the weapon to block the incoming attack.

Phillip grinned as he took his axe and sliced upward, timing the movement of the hammer and sliding it along the shaft of the weapon.

The ogre wasn’t fast enough to react as his axe blade sliced through its left hand's fingers, which had been manipulating the weapon with skill and precision.

Four fingers, the length of his entire hand, flew through the air, and the hammer flew to his left. The momentum of the swing was unable to be controlled with only one hand.

A roar of pain and anger started to come from the ogre, but Phillip didn’t care.

[ Flurry ]

Five strikes from his sword pierced through the ogre’s abdomen and up into its chest.

The fight had shifted in a moment, and he watched as the ogre clutched the wounds with one hand.

Phillip roared at the defenseless ogre and, in moments, cut off its right leg while driving his axe head through its left hip.

The creature crashed into the ground, guttural roars of agony and rage coming from its mouth as it fell.

It bounced twice, and before it could move again, Phillip’s sword drove through the back of its neck, slicing the chain armor worn to protect against such an attack.

Straight ahead!

Barely able to withdraw his sword, Phillip saw another ogre coming, this one just as massive as the one he had slain but wielding a shield and a seven-foot-long sword.

Glancing around him, he noticed that the orcs and goblins had pulled back, giving a small fighting area between him and Amaranth and Foros.

“My turn,” the ogre said in a tone that Phillip was surprised he could understand.

It charged, and Phillip shouted, moving to meet its charge.