Elder Yurven couldn’t contain his excitement as he watched from his vantage point. A streak of white fur had just darted into view from the right flank. The Snow clan had scaled down the cliffs and strategically positioned themselves to launch an attack from the west, directly in front of him and his clan. Their numbers, in the few hundred were considerable, but posed no significant threat.
A grin spread across Yurven's face, his long black tail flicking with anticipation.
This is going to be so much fun, he thought to himself, relishing the moment.
The hundreds of Snow Felren came to a halt in front of the village walls, their attention focused on someone or something beyond Yurven's field of vision. He squinted, attempting to decipher their actions amidst the multitude of sound from the writhing bodies behind him.
"What are they doing? Where is the sun clan?" Yurven growled, his frustration clear. His large black snout shook with anger. Then he caught sight of her—Elder Frouhn, the majestic leader of the Snow clan—emerging from the procession. They appeared to be engaged in conversation.
Yurven's fury erupted. "Traitors!" he roared, consumed by rage. "Attack!"
The Felren standing beside him appeared puzzled. "But the Chargers have yet to join the battle, Elder," the young Felren said.
Without a second thought, Yurven lunged at the young Felren, sinking his knife-like teeth into the flank of his companion. The young Felren cried out in pain, the scent of blood permeating the air. The thousands of Felren around them bristled, their hackles raised as one.
"Attack!" Yurven bellowed, his command echoing through the horde of beasts. With swift and purposeful movements, he descended the cliff face, manoeuvring through a dense network of trees before landing gracefully on the soft sand of the beach. Beside him, hundreds of padded paws touched down, eager for the taste of blood and human flesh.
Almost frothing at the mouth with anticipation, Yurven sprinted ahead of his men, consumed by a frenzy for carnage. The large gathering of white Felren turned away from the village walls and eyed the Night Felren.
"Frouhn!" he roared with all his might.
The towering figure of Elder Frouhn answered with a roar of her own but stood her ground as the Night Felren charged.
As they closed the gap with lightning speed, the distance between Yurven and the white Felren rapidly diminished. A hundred feet away. Fifty.
“Now!” commanded a human voice.
Suddenly, the sandy ground ahead of the white Felren seemed to give way.
Yurven's mind froze as gravity betrayed him, causing him to plummet into a gaping void. As he descended, his body instinctively twisted and contorted. His sharp reflexes saved him just in the nick of time, narrowly evading a thick, vine-like tendril of steel that ripped through the floor of a trench with a vicious force.
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The air was filled with the sickening sound of tearing flesh and the metallic scent of blood as Yurven's flanking Felren, caught off guard, were mercilessly torn apart. The once eager and bloodthirsty warriors now lay lifeless.
Yurven, his adrenaline pumping, surveyed the surrounding carnage, rage contorting his features. With a primal roar that reverberated through the battlefield, he channelled his anger and prepared to unleash his fury upon the traitorous white Felren.
⚔
Ralina's breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the unfolding horror before her. Her eyes widened in disbelief and dread as the Night clan tumbled helplessly into the trench. The sickening sound of bones breaking, and flesh tearing echoed through the air, accompanied by the pungent smell of blood that assaulted her senses.
Her stomach churned, threatening to betray her composure as the overpowering stench enveloped the battlefield. The vast number of Felren warriors, driven by their instinct, pushed and trampled one another, sending their own kin plummeting into the deadly pit.
“Fire!” commanded Bolgart.
The sky darkened as hundreds of steel shafts tore through the air only to sink into the mass of incoming fur.
She fought back the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to stay focused. With determination burning in her eyes, she scanned the battlefield.
Ralina held her breath, a flicker of hope ignited within her. Maybe, she thought, the Night Felren would stop their charge. But her optimism was short-lived as the ground beneath the weight and force of the relentless horde gave way.
With a chorus of deafening roars, sections of the trench collapsed, burying countless Felren beneath a cascade of sand. The sheer number of Night clan creatures pushing forward made it impossible to prevent the crumbling of the unstable ground.
Yet, even in the face of the collapsing trench, a few Felren leaped across the gap and charging into the ranks of the White Felren. The clash of bodies, accompanied by the clash of steel and savage growls, reverberated through the battlefield.
Tooth and claw met in a deadly dance. The Night Felren, driven by their bloodlust, fought with savage determination, their fur matted with sand and blood.
Behind her, a piercing scream tore through the air, causing Ralina to whip around, her heart sinking with dread. The sound carried a chilling message. The Blood Chargers had arrived. These formidable warriors from the Blood Clan surged forth, riding the crashing waves, and with ruthless determination, they began their relentless assault on the beach, ripping through the defenceless village without hindrance.
Her eyes widened in despair as she witnessed the chaos unfolding before her. The crafters, absorbed in their work of sculpting statues, would be caught off guard and defenceless against them.
"No!" Bolgart's cry echoed through the turmoil, his finger pointing urgently towards the beach. "Archers! Ballista! Adjust your aim!"
Ralina's heart sank as more Blood clan Chargers emerged from the sea like an unstoppable tide crashing upon the shore.
With no hesitation, Ralina leaped off the walls, her heart pounding in her chest. She raced through the narrow streets, her footsteps echoing against the buildings as she ran down towards the beach.
Buildings obscured her view of the Blood Clan, spurring her to move faster. Amidst the chaotic sounds of clashing weapons and war cries, Ralina caught glimpses of crimson flashes as the Blood Clan clashed with an unidentified enemy. Her pace quickened, her muscles straining as she pushed herself to the limit. But as she prepared to pounce upon her adversaries, a familiar voice pierced through the chaos.
"Dad?" she called out, her voice filled with both surprise and hope.
Her eyes widened as she beheld them. The majestic Sun Clan warriors, resplendent in their human forms, stood tall, adorned in gleaming golden armour that radiated an otherworldly brilliance. They had engaged the enemy, fighting with determination, their movements fluid and precise, as they valiantly defended the villagers from the claws of the beasts. Ralina's heart swelled with relief at the sight of the man who commanded them.