Ever since the UFEAF forces achieved breakthroughs from the Dragon Wall, the lay of the land shifted considerably. No longer did the Otherworldly soldiers sat behind the wilderness of forests or the sloes' of marshes but now they sat atop of the Empire's Imperial Heartlands. From the uneven hills that would reverberate their Motorized Vehicles upon its rough march to idyllic plains with calm pathways no different like the paved roads back from their celestial homelands, the vast expanse of Gliesia has now lay bared for those intrepid enough to explore through its adventurous depths. The Army was now free to do their reconnaissance, maneuver, and resupply with virtual impunity. To most of the Soldiers who spent their lives either in cold gray rocks, within the barges of their ships, or stationed around the ho-hum biomes of the UFE's colonies, it was as if they opened a book to the awaiting arms of what can only be a pre-industrialized paradise that is Gliesia's natural and beautiful self. Chromatic fields of a palette's worth of many different florae with the occasional flowing creek encountered and frolicking docile wildlife brought the soldiers a brief moment of calm in an otherwise taut race to drive the knife deeper into the Empire's Core. There were several traces of leftover volcanic ashes that choke the air and made some cover their orifices in masks of those left from the Ostalroc Volcano in which the Slaegian Serfs who weren't hastily conscripted to the Imperial Militias they encountered had as much as they could sweep off the ashes away from their essential farming lands. Watering holes that weren't sealed however were corrupted albeit the fishing nets meant to catch freshwater fish and the help of hydromancing Mages made improvised filtration systems to purify in their beliefs is Neneth's Blood as said by Aliathra. Those sparse men were considered the most fortunate ones of the war. Not comprehending the strange carriages that pass by their villages to be the aforementioned 'Demonic Invaders'. Colonel Polonsky explicitly discouraged the Eastern Army Group interaction with the locals by the time being.
Operation Haymaker's demanding timings gave no quarter to those who would slow down as encircling and the capturing of key points is what is the most strategically politically effectuate objective at hand and the results speak for itself:
The Imperial Legions that remained in the Duchy of Tifrait had either capitulated under the UFE's tide, deserted, or were in piecemeals retreating back to the safety of the Empire's many cities. Most of those who routed had to let go of their shields, their armors, and weapons just to lighten their weights as they turned their tails but even then, it was oftentimes not enough. By about day three of the Invasion, the UFEAF's Eastern Army Group had just captured the strategic town of Neuogonia with virtually no fight as the town's inhabitants were, as interrogated by the prisoners of war captured to had evacuated further inland and that the meager garrison was ordered to hold the town until the retreating remnants of the Dragon Wall regrouped with them. Unfortunately for them, the bulk of those forces that they had prayed to their War Gods to reunite with safely were hastily intercepted and disposed of by the UFE's Mobile Elements. The general chow time gist as babbled by the Troops were of overarching confidence that the War could be over by the month's end. The same enthusiasm albeit in a different tone of that was the Native Auxiliaries were facing another predicament, specifically the modernly equipped and sophomoric as a formal organization, Prince Clovich's remodeled into the mirror image of his Otherworldly patrons, the Tyr Rianni Laniyea. Despite taking the most casualties of the ongoing invasion of about and being mostly taking whatever orders there attached UFEAF Officers would say due to the reservations of their new equipment and rather rushed training with them before being quickly sent into the deep end of a war, the Laniyea's Reifflywrs Ymosiod Squads began to grow confident. They held their reservations and several concerning doubts of their abilities to challenge the Empire during the introductory phases of Operation Haymaker. For the longest time, they were all under the wings of the Imperial Slaegian's sphere as their puppets but no longer. What was once only the dreams of madmen vainly attempting to defy the rules of political nature instead turned its fate around as the servants soon became the new master. Seeing the Imperial Armies fall beneath the storm of their marches shattered any fears of the defeat of their crusade against the Empire. They manage to take action against several hold outs of Imperial Armies fortifications with satisfactory results from their Otherworlder superiors with their new weapons. However, what still remains of their previous cultural background as any Medieval-aged minded person would be expected was their propensity of agitation and propensity to openly loot whatever they come across (despite the UFEAF equally guilty albeit they do such 'confiscations' behind most people's backs rather than in broad daylight), unlike there more experienced and disciplined UFEAF counterparts. An interest group of the Laniyea Ymosiad's UFEAF Attache Officer's formally requested that Prince Clovich, who had just arrived in Neuogonia to personally inspect his new troops to not only lift their morale but also reaffirm their vows to what they were truly fighting for.
"My Prince! It is with gladness to say that our military campaign has achieved so much so greatly in such a hastily amount of time. Days even!" a Tyr Rianni Sergeant, a former Crossbow Yeoman now converted to a Reifflywrs acclaimed confidently to Prince Clovich as he arrived at the Laniyea's camp in Neuogonia. "The "Indomitable" Legions of the Empire now are nothing but ashes in the winds under the feet of the Federation and our new army thanks to the firearms our godly patron has gifted to us."
"Undeniably so! I am proud of what you, my fellow men have accomplished. Before long all of Ysanigrad will know of our strength." Clovich amiably smiled.
"With these new weapons, no number of beasts, Magicks or even the Elves can stand a chance against us! The Slaegians and the Elves always pride themselves as Masters of the Glisea but now they are the ones who will be… mastered!" a Knight raised his new BF-77 Battle Rifle into the air proudly with such gusto that not only he foregoes his trigger discipline but was mimicked further with his fellow Reifflywrs who also followed suit.
Despite Clovich's chagrin seeing the obvious infractions his army was being brazenly doing as he studies of Modern Military Sciences had taught him, he still feels an empathetic affinity for his fellow countrymen. However, by the air they are breathing through him, it seems his army are starting to lose their sense of way as he envisioned him when it comes to fully replacing the currently decadent Imperial Throne with his Amelioration. For he, the Federation and his Laniyea do not march towards Haringpoint as despoiling conquerors like the Barbarians before, but as fire branded revolutionaries seeking to dismantle the Magistocratic Feudalism, the Empire had so decadently relied upon to maintain itself at the expense of other folks for a system that will fully rejuvenate the Empires truest potential as the shining star of the Ysanigrad continent.
"Indeed, it shall happen." Clovich smiled as he stepped his foot forward, his hands on his hips as he prepared to talk them down to realign them back to his true path forward.
"What is your name Yeo--- I mean… eh… Sergeant?" Prince Clovich addressed the former Yeoman who had greeted him earlier.
"Muh n-n-name?" the Reifflywrs Sergeant gulped. The Prince, a man of noble-blood would dare endeavor himself to know the name of a commoner such as himself? A taboo breached so brazenly and right in front of his peers even.
"Bey-non… Sergeant Trystan Beynon mil'ord." He answered in a simpleton accent, lacking refinement typical of the more educated of Gliesian Folks but making up for his sincerity.
"Tell me, Sergeant Beynon, why do you fight in the Laniyea? Obedience because of me? Or is there something more than just oaths you have that you fight for my Amelioration?" the Prince asked him.
"I fight zo that mi'family will no longer fear hunger ever'gain… za new cyflogres system has made many of us happy… we no'longer have to worry of when can we eat our next loaf o'bread nor fear monsters attacks thanks to you and yer Patrons." Trystan bowed, mentioning a recent reform of compensation and benefits that those of his Laniyea enjoy during and soon after their service.
"It is good to hear that you and many more of you are happy of what I have accomplished for you. But even then, it is not enough." Clovich nodded.
"Do you remember what I had said back in Arhaf Square when I declared my Amelioration?" he asked the soldiers, holding Trystan's shoulder paternally as he spoke. "What Trystan said here is what I… no… WE are fighting for. A future, free from want and fear! Gone shall be the days where we fend ourselves every day against the struggles of monsters and those who seek to despoil us of our worldly gains. Gone are the days' people toil the fields for empty promises and meager reapings. Gone will be the days' people fight amongst each other just to ensure they can have a future. The Rianni Amelioration will seek to break down the old and bring forth a new breath of life to our world, slowly marching together towards a new paradigm of one of peace, unity and prosperity!" he reaffirmed his ideals to his soldiers.
The Laniyea Soldiers from the former Yeomen to the Knights veered closer to hear Clovich's every word, enraptured not by his sudden eloquence but his attested sanguinity, a vision to see his dreams of a newer and better Gliesia.
"We all fight for a future right? All I humbly ask of you, beneath your proud fanfare, your passionate enthusiasm and you're beyond your own selfish hopes. Will you all fight to see that our new world can become the new truth? One rising above the ashes of the Old Empire? Not as Conquerors, but as builders to a new apotheosis that all men, Daosne, Elf, Dwarf, and what not can aspire to be?" Clovich challenged his soldiers.
"You have my Sword." A Knight loyally bowed.
"For a new few-chure." Sergeant Beynon followed suit.
"The Empire has lost its Mandate. Yours shall replace it." Another Soldier added.
"The Slaegians sit in their opulent towers! Bringing wars, misery, and poverty to those who see lesser than them. They promised 'Peace' and 'Prosperity' for Tyr Rian. No! Just peace and prosperity for them!" Clovich voice extended higher as passion ran out of his throat. "What did Tyr Rian get in return from their Tributes and bleeding for the Empire from Monsters, Famine, and Barbarians for centuries for? Nothing but betrayal! They selfishly hoard all the power and wealth of those they are meant to shepherd whilst quashing all of those who try to usurp them. But with the power of the Federation at our backs, we will triumph! We are the new approaching light amongst the sea of darkness and today we shall rise above the horizon and bring Ysanigrad to a new brighter day!" the Prince raised his fist.
"For the Amelioration of a New Ysanigrad!" Clovich shouted.
"For za A-mel-yer-ashion!" the Laniyea soldiers cheered.
A standing ovation for the Prince concluded his visitation as Prince Clovich gave his deepest gratitude to all of his men who reciprocated in kind. Before long, it was now back to work for the Tyr Rianni Auxiliary Soldiers helping haul in the new equipment and supplies being shipped into Neuogonia thanks in part to the provisional Airfield outside of the trading town's nearby plains that are rejuvenating the supply train of the combined Amelioration and UFE advance. Neuogonia has captured a day earlier thanks to the help of the Laniyea 1st Reifflywrs Battalion and Samantha's Stryder Group Squad who captured the town swiftly and establishing the linkage between the Eastern and Western Army Groups and Colonel Polonsky and Major Holyfield wasted no time shipping in the rest of the Invasion Forces troops onto the field. However, there was still stiff resistance coming in from reserved forces of the Empire's Armies being rallied by the Black Tree Pact Elves, a one Lord Vokhol who leads a Host of everything that made the Black Elves Armies so terrifying to behold that some were shrouded in myths such as the Sisters of the Blade being invincible, Acropolis Wardens being immortal and Dreadsteed's being tireless in their gallops. Fortunately, the scouts were able to spot them before the Elves could enact their concealment spells to hide their advance. It was agreed that before any advance to Haringpoint can be made, these Black Elves must be dealt with in due haste.
"What goes on with the Battle everyone?" Clovich bade his greetings as he entered the Command Tent of the UFEAF Forces in Neuogonia. He can see from the people who surrounded observantly a map of the area around the Crossroad City being the holographic projections of Colonel Polonsky and Major Holyfield and in the flesh were the defected Elven Princess Aliathra, the Share-Holder Chosen One Captain Samantha Rose, and Bureau of Intelligence Agent Gary De Sardet.
"We were just about to begin Prince Clovich. We were waiting for you to arrive." Colonel Polonsky nodded.
"I hope you rest well during your trip getting here votre altresse because we have a lot of work to do. Ces salauds!" Agent De Sardet greeted with an abrasive seethe from his teeth.
"You said you made a 'horrifying' discovery Agent De Sardet?" Samantha asked.
"Oui, take a look at these Photos I managed to take with my drones Prince Clovich. I caught them on approach to Neuogonia last night." De Sardet put on display at the Holographic Table for the Prince, several reconnaissance photos that he took from his last scouting shift only hours ago.
"So, these are the 'uncountable' Armies of The Black Tree Pact? Impressive, I only heard stories about their conquests but never seen one with my own eyes." the Prince commented.
Recognizing the Midnight Camarilla's Tree-shaped circlet insignia. He was rather impressed by the vivid transcripts he now examined before him of the Black Elves' impressive armies that could put the Empire's Legions to be made humbled before. He noticed amongst the Black Elven Hosts that the army consisted of intimidatingly armored warriors, frightening monsters and powerful arcane sorceries by their backs all backed up by a heavily exploited and oppressed Di'thang or Slave class composing of non-Elves rounded up from the Black Tree's many conquests around the known world.
He knew based on the aversions and quirks he learned from Earth that the Federation would very much see those Elves in a self-evident negative light. De Sardet's corroboration confirmed his assumptions.
"I managed to count at least Seventy Thousand of them before their armies had to cloak off in some sort of Invisibility Spell… Sphere thing. Soldiers, Scantily-clad Amazons, and fucking Monsters straight from my nightmares!" Sardet revulsed. "My Drones captured a horror movie when I scouted them out. They are marching to Neuogonia right now but if we can play our cards right with our artillery and guns we should be able to fight them. But if their Elven Magic should push us back then there is a serious possibility we may be forced to evacuate. Nonetheless, we will have to make at the very least cause those Elves to take back Town dearly with as much of their lives as possible." De Sardet suggested.
The Intelligence Agent held a cautious amount of optimism in his breath as upon his observations on the Battlefield is that Neuogonia is no Nirnkarim as the town had no defensive walls outside of the central hilltop's wooden battlements followed by the Crossroad Towns having a significantly smaller scale in terms of width compared to the Dwarven Hold he spent about a week defending from the Insurgent Natives of the Ostalroc Mountains before they blew up. The second reservation he had of the battle was the fact that the Elves outnumbered them in terms 10-to-1 in potential Magical Output vs the Federation's 'Mystic Three' which were the nicknames of Samantha, Aliathra, and Iris as humored around by the common grunts throughout the barracks about them.
"We are not retreating Agent De Sardet." Holyfield cracked his fists, a thunderous thump rumbled through the table from his end of the call. "This town is needed for OUR supplies. I will be damned if my men run on fumes once they roll into Haringpoint."
"We managed to prepare at least two days-worth of preparation around the town. But I have to support Agent De Sardet on the matter. The terrain isn't suited for such a large-scale and protracted defense. There's barely anywhere we can choke them out and the attackers have a lot of room to maneuver the widespread all across the area We only have at best about 6,000 men to defend the place when the Dark Elves come marching in ..." Polonsky raised.
"And another forward element of 3,000 of my own coming to link up with you." Holyfield added. "Those grunts would be finishing their encirclements of the rest of the Imperial Stragglers from my side of the table. ETA four hours from now."
"Those poor slaves…" Samantha empathetically saw the drained hope in the eyes of those Slaves who were being abused to the fullest extent by the Black Elves from De Sardet's photographs. "We have to rescue them."
"I may not like asking the Aparo Corpo's for this but it looks like we can afford the have them flank from the back of the army from their camp so that we can encircle the Black Elves and prevent them from retreating back further inland… or so I proposed madame." De Sardet proposed.
"I will make the call if the Don's men are up for it." Holyfield waived his approval.
"But still, the battlefield is our 9,000 against their 70,000." Polonsky gulped. "And that's not adding the fact that the Gliesian's Magicks are the only things seriously hampering our advance forward. If the Empire's Battlemages can call in devastating indirect fire from out of nowhere behind our positions that what do you think the Elves are capable of? We must not underestimate them." the Colonel argued.
"What about Air Support?" De Sardet asked.
"Outside of a squadron of CAS and Spotter Drones in reserve, the rest of the Tenacity's Squadron according to Admiral Merz are being deployed to other areas to finish off the stragglers. But I will see if I can get any more of them to pull out for Neuogonia's sake." Polonsky answered. "We will have to rely on Naval Artillery and our own Ground Forces for the first half of the battle."
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"About the same case for me, but I believe the Indian Sea's Artillery Battery and 20th Engineering should be enough to take care of our Elven Problem until the Aurora arrives," Holyfield added. "We have to delay as much as we can the Black Elven advance before rallying for a counter-attack."
"What kind of a fight we are dealing with these Elves" Aliathra do you have anything to say about them?" Prince Clovich turned to their Elven Ally.
"I had spoken to the rest of this council about the Dark Elves but I will repeat my lecture for you Prince Clovich. I may not be the most knowledgeable but I do know a sparse amount of facts about my…fallen of kin." Aliathra took a deep breath as she readied her explanation. "The Black Tree Pact were Elves who had seceded from the Elven Kingdom centuries ago. They had always tried again and again to upstart my Family and the Ethuilen by having better armies, more lands, more Gold… be superior in every way from us. Beneath all of their actions, is hatred, envy, and fear of being left powerless that is why, as my mother have said: 'they fight like starving wolves for every scrap they can take. Give them a quarter and they shall take from you a third.' Greed and Envy drives and feeds my fallen of kin."
"I know that, but what can I expect from their armies though?" Clovich asked.
"Of my memory of the Midnight Camarilla or at least what my brother Prince Valorion told me during his studies, the Black Elves worship the very display Power and Showmanship to satisfy their magnanimous ego's. They would likely put their best people forward when it comes to 'offering aid' to the Slaegians. They have a history of venturing out around Gliesia as famed explorers, treasure hunters, and… poachers from the Northern Hinterlands of the Daosne to the Jungles of Saihan. It is best to expect them to bring a diverse amount of knowledge of what they know of the entire world if it so improves the murderous prowess of their Armies." Aliathra answered.
Clovich nodded and urged the Elf to go on as he listened intently.
"For their Armies, of what I can remember…" Aliathra paused as she recollected her memories. "The Acropolis Wardens were modeled after the Yujegeong Gate Guards with their heavy armor and cleaving glaives which may the former troublesome for your soldiers for I do not know if they can pierce through the thick armor they wear into battle. Their Dread Steed's were the products of an extensive breeding project by several equestrians of minded Black Elves who made a Steed 'that never tires'. Another terrifying aspect that gives the Dread Steed's their 'Dread' aspect is that the Knights riding upon them douse themselves with a powerful miasma that causes those who challenged them to experience their deepest fears, causing the enemy to quickly lose any will to fight. And if you take a closer look at that hooded lady without much armor, she is a Sister of the Blade who is a sect of Warrior Nuns who have a more… violent interpretation of Widall the God of Conquest. Those Nuns… more of maniacal assassins have the ability to become 'untouchable' or that's how the rumors go. For their Sorcery Magicks, they tend to focus on spells that debilitate the ability of their enemies to fight back and spell's that allows their troops to engage their soldiers into combat quicker or with an advantage." Aliathra divulged her limited knowledge pointing and then explaining all that she could to the congregation of the contents of De Sardet's photos.
"I am sorry but what did you say about these Sisters? 'Untouchable'?" Clovich leaned over to question.
"The Nuns both train and magically infuse their bodies with an Enchantment Spell that allows them to split their bodies apart on a… 'mo-lay-que-ler level' to avoid most attacks by them. This allows the Sisters to focus fully on slaying their preys whole foregoing any kind of defense." Aliathra explained as best as she could.
"Then how exactly are we supposed to defeat them then?" Clovich asked.
"Fortunately, I do believe we found a solution on how to negate the Sisters of the Blades' 'Blur' ability." Samantha reassuringly added. "Electrical- based Magicks is their kryptonite. A good enough charge should force their bodies to reform into something solid so we can actually hurt them. Zap them fast enough and they wouldn't even notice until they drop dead."
"Sounds also like a job a Stun Mine wouldn't solve too. But then again, I leave the neutralization of those Assassin Nuns to you and the other Mystic 3." Polonsky nodded.
"Indeed with all of our collected experience, abilities and tools at our disposal we can defeat the Black Elves. However there is one more there one more point I must speak of and it is considered perhaps the most profane of what my Fallen Kin are capable of." Aliathra raised. "It is known that their armies would… in all their history, they gained the uncanny ability to tame even the wildest of monsters. Beasts of strength or Terrors of the arcane, if it has teeth and can gain an appetite to commit murder, their Beast Tamers would bind them to its will and have it fight on the Black Elven Armies as their vanguard."
"That explains why the most gruesome of images De Sardet had taken." Clovich cringed. "From what I can gather from my Dragonflies. They are a bunch of Golems, some sort of Raptor Birds as big as a man and the grandest of all… a Dragon. A 'Black' one specifically." He said.
"I am sorry Agent De Sardet… they brought… a what?" Clovich eyes twitched with hanging fear. Did his eyes deceive him?
"A Black Dragon milord. My Fallen Kin brought forth from the depths of their vile homelands a Black Dragon. This means that the Midnight Camarilla had sent one of their very bests to attack us." Aliathra explained. "They say amongst the Dragon-kinds the Black Dragons are considered the most violent. They spit an acidic breath that can melt through any metals enchanted or not and their scales can stop almost anything not magically enchanted. Only a select group Black Elven Generals would be granted the privilege of their own Black Dragon mounts for battle. It is no question you fight one of ten of the Crimson Lancers The most accomplished of Generals of the Black Tree Pact." The Elf explained. Her arms kicked forward to her cheeks as she became flushed with fear.
"Gods strengthen me for this Trial…" Clovich prayed as his body shuddered.
"The overwhelming might of the Federation's military can easily crush The Ten Lords of the Crimson Lancers and their armies who have never lost a battle nor a duel in hundreds of years," Aliathra states confidently. "But that doesn't mean you should underestimate them. They are the elite of the Pact's Army might for a good reason."
"We learn from other people's mistakes: Zulu, Burma, Afghanistan and Vietnam. I will not be the next subject on their Sunday Cigar Club chats. That I will be sure. Right, Colonel?" Holyfield swore with Polonsky nodding alongside him.
"Again, I suggest we exercise caution, Holyfield. If we are to hold Neuogonia we will to kill off their Monsters and their Spellcasters as soon as the battle engages." Polonsky reminded him.
"Kill things quickly before they can begin their Siege?" Holyfield asked. "They will march in full force towards Neuogonia right?"
"Do take heed of the Black Dragon most of all. We must not allow it to exhale its breath upon your forces." Aliathra raised.
"Maybe… just maybe…" Holyfield muttered. Grabbing the Elf's attention.
"Do you have something to keep the Dragon busy Ser Holyfield?" Aliathra asked.
"It's not what we have… but what we do NOT have..." Holyfield smiled coyly.
"Not have?" Samantha twitched confusingly.
"Not officially per say…" Holyfield grinned.
"Major… you're not proposing we… you commit the… That… thing!" Polonsky hesitantly tried to ask if the Holyfield was not humoring him again with his past glories. "Did it not nearly kill you years back?"
He knew just what the Major was talking about, a relic of a past war that Polonsky thought were all wiped out but the Colonel had kept inside the Aurora Carrier in which the only reason it was kept there was that he couldn't find the time to dispose of said dangerous relic. But now under such extra fortuitous circumstances, this relic, the last of its kind must now be sent back to the battlefield once again. A relic that the Federation had tried to wipe its existence. A relic deemed illegal, all records to be expunged of its existence from the face of Humanities' tumultuous interstellar history.
"Oh, it will be more than perfect for this battle. One last cry before that old memory finally becomes ashes where it belongs." Holyfield smiled. "Sometimes, to fight monsters, you need to send out your own." Holyfield bluntly explained his rationale with a singular sentence.
-----------------
"Destroy all of those who stand before us!" Lord Vokhol forwarded his sword towards Neuogonia.
"Vlos Areion! Vlos Areion! Vlos Areion!" chanted the frenzied Black Elven Warriors as their marches spurred into a sprint.
The shortened speak of the inspiring phrase by one of the Black Tree Pact's founders meaning 'desire through blood' or more simply 'through blood' which is a figure of speech chanted by those ambitious enough to push themselves to take all of what they want, all that they desire through hard-fought effort as per their Founding Fathers and Mothers' Core Principals.
The Distance the army needs to cover from their Mass Illusion Spell's exposition point to the Otherworlder's position was about at least 1,000 or so feet away from them. Vokhol's men were split into of at least 5 Columns as they made their approach towards the Crossroad Town of Neuogonia cautiously albeit in a rushed pace to cover the distance between the expose ground his army find themselves upon. He took the precautionary measures of using his Rock Elementas, the 50 D'aos he had split into 5 groups of 10 to screen the core of his infantry during the approach while the troops themselves into the Marching Tortoise formations to shield themselves from any skirmishing fire from the Otherworlder's defending the Town. Additionally, he let loose his flying units, the Erinyas and Katakans to probe out the Otherworlder's defenses and to return the skirmishing fire likely being received back. He prefers to fully expend the brutish and monstrous aptitudes of his zoological collection of Monsters at his disposal to soak the brunt of most of the fighting while his men do the damage once his quarry tires themselves trying to slay the Black Elven Monsters.
Riding atop of his Black Dragon, Dre'sah, he used her snake-like neck to look over the Town's overall layout without exposing himself by flying atop of his troops less he instantly grabs the Otherworlder's attention… at least not yet. Using his periscope, he zoomed in on his aviary units as they beat their wings towards Neuogonia's modest skylines, seeing his Katakans shifting their scales into invisibility and his Erinya's cackling hungrily at the sight of a long-awaited meal made the Black Elven General smile confidently. These monsters, despite their nimbleness, had shown record success in being able to pre-emptively thin out more fragile sections of most enemy armies the Black Elves would encounter, assassinating Mages and Siege Engine Crews, for example, drawing the fire of enemy ranged fighters, and even just causing havoc amongst the enemy lines so that the main forces can take advantage and slaughter them wholesale beneath the chaos.
But his confidence was short-lived. As soon as they approached the horizon, he could see the Neuogonia Skyline suddenly lit alight in luminosity as the shrieking wails of the Erinya's death rattle and the Katakan's angered holler echoed through the air. Normally these varieties of monsters were the expendable cut of his collection but typically most monsters do not go berserk so prematurely in his experience. Enhancing the zoom of his periscope, he could see that his Erinyas were rapidly getting their wings clipped by an invisible magicks that made them plummet to the ground but not before wailing their infamous Screams. Meanwhile, he took notice that the Katakans began to uncloak from their invisible state and attempted to flee only to meet the same fate as their higher-pitched comrades. Their blood being shed being their own rather than his enemies. Before long all of his avian monsters lay dead atop his adversary's grounds like a grisly trophy to demonstrate to Lord Vokhol that they will not let him take the strategic town so easily.
"These Otherworlder's are indeed impressive, routing both of my Erinyas and Katakans so quickly. We must proceed to harry their defenses so that my men can go through. Send out the Unseen and the Sisters, begin the advance! I want this town a burnt like the ashes we walk when Malynaris hides away." he ordered.
His lieutenants bowed as one of them, carrying a horn massive War Horn held up by a pole sounded the wail that is felt across all of the Black Elven army.
Overlooking the lay of the land discreetly from the trees. Neuogonia's defenses as seen by the 4th War Marshall of the Crimson Lancers were quite ill-suited for any sorts of protracted defense as the town when designed by the Slaegians was more to accommodate high volumes of trade with the infrastructure to reflect upon the need. Wide-open roads, heavily paved walkways, and the houses spread out far from each other making it a nightmare to defend such a place from an attack. It was no wonder the Imperial Garrison assigned to await them there had collapsed so soon. In spite of those disadvantageous conditions, there were observable improvised defenses that were being hastily set up by green-pigmented infantrymen in cloth uniforms consisting of upturned furniture, carriages, and uprooted stones cobbled together to make barricades to impede the Black Elven advance. A commendable albeit vain effort to halt him and his army. His Monsters will easily see to that. He also noticed that there were several indecorous erections of strange Totem's scattered about across Neuogonia's grassy plains. Their construction of a design that neither Vokhol nor his advisory table of lieutenants could recognize apart from its altar-like appearance and twin bundles of iron sticks or cylindrical rods as some debate tucked around its circumference. If they were some sort of Magical Siphoning device or Aid of sorts, he doesn't know but he will have his cabal of Sorcerer's to deal with them.
"Sorcerers! Unleash your Magicks! Burn this town to the ground!" Vokhol ordered.
Using his army's Altars of Telin, to efficiently overcast their spells to such a degree that most non-Elves would not dare push such limits, the violent scented Black Elven Sorcerer's called forth to the sky the spell 'Madaivont's Meteor'. Great rocks of condensed from the great Aetherium Weave were conjured above Neuogonia by the Black Elven Sorcerers, slowly materializing into this plane of existence asset over five of them were formed to rain destruction down below.
But just as the great magical rocks were about to fully form before they are dropped into his adversaries. Lord Vokhol noticed strange bolts of light that come from afar behind the afternoon clouds charging towards his slowly fabricating spells like bee's making their approach to a flower. A great thunderous blast followed upon those bolts of light making contact with the formulating 'Madaivont's Meteor' spells prematurely miscasting the ponderously conjured spells from fully reaching its peak potency. The debris that managed to materialize all falling down upon its intended targets with negligible effect.
"What trickery is this?" Lord Vokhol questioned the absurdity of it all.
The 'Madaivont's Meteor' attack, a difficult spell with an equally difficult means of dispelling quick enough for one, let alone five simultaneously were all instantly blunted by these Otherworlders strange Sorceries. Before the Sorcerers could react, the Altar of Telin that they stood upon to cast their Battle Magicks suddenly ignited into glass splinters as if the wrath of the Otherworlder's looked down upon the gaze of those who dared tried to smite them, destroying all of the 7 mobile Altars of Telin in mere blinks of the eyes. A humiliating sight for Lord Vokhol and the finest Arcane Battlecasters of the Black Tree Pact.
"Our spells have failed!" a wounded Sorcerer stumbled before Lord Volhol and wailed in disbelief.
"N-no matter!" Vokhol stubbornly clung to his wounded pride as he regained his composure. "Let us not push ourselves too much for such a trivial matter. Do not overexert your Magicks any more Sorcerers. Stick to safely casting your taxing of Spells and continue your support of our troops' advance into the Town!" he ordered.
"In due haste!" the Sorcerer bowed.
Recollecting themselves, the talented Spellcasters of the Black Elven Army focused their powers into supporting their troops in battle. Blessing them with magicks that allow them to move expeditiously swift the no-man's land between them and their adversaries and also harmonically converging their minds with Divination Magicks that allows them to have the foresight of dodging most of the worst of the Otherworlder's defenses. But without their Altars of Telin, the Sorcerers had to make the difficult choices of who to assist in pushing the Wave through the battlefield while leaving those weren't fortunate to be torn to shreds.
The Black Elf shook his fist frustratingly as he witnessed his men push forward closer into Neuogonia. These Otherworlder's were indeed not unlike the barbarous Daosne Tribesmen nor were the helter-skelter rushes of the Saihanese but of a considerable prowess that he had mistakenly underestimated. But now this time, his gauntlets were off and his sword raised forward. It is time to commit to the battle. If these Otherworlder's wish to fight him then his army's murderous prowess in battle shall indulge them.
As Vokhol's marched further closer to the townhomes of Neuogonia, the Elves could hear the faint yet desperate cries of the defenders. In their histories of fighting and triumphantly besting such previous foes before, the sound of such panic excited them into a frenzy from the Elves and their Monstrous Shock Troops.
"Fire!" a voice echoed from defensive lines.
An orchestra of a thousand, deafening drums followed suit as the Black Elves were being bombarded from their front, top and bottoms below in a storm of fire, erupted earth, and the haunting wails of slashing winds as if the very soil wish to stop Vokhol's armies from advancing no further. Formations were broken, Soldiers cut down by invisible spirits whose wails were as of the flowing wind's whisper, and monsters turn being ground into oblivion as Vokhol looked on, his face frozen upon the scene before him not to betray his grandiosity to his subordinates of a proud Crimson Lancer for he was, inside astonished by what he had seen. The once confident Black Elves, the proud sons and daughters of the TRUE rulers of Alfel-Nora whose lust for glory and bravado were in one instant dashed away. Like the sands in the ocean, they have swept aside upon a tide of unseeable hail, as many of those who expected to bear witness and participate in a slaughter, became the slaughtered. No matter how they tried to defend themselves, whether shield, magical wards or even tucktailing behind the resilient D'aos Golems the Otherworlder greeting drastically reduced the first wave of Black Elves within the opening minute of their barrage. The Dread Steeds, the mighty vanguard of the Black Elves, there imposing steeds yet light bardings do them no favors in this ambush, instead, becoming easy prey to the Otherworlder's invisible magicks that they, the very symbolism of frightening cavalry charges all lay dead on the battlefield for all of the demoralized Elves to see. Only the Sisters of the Blades, unless they too were caught in the preliminary explosions, were able to intangibly phase their bodies from harms way were still in a somewhat functional mental state albeit now hesitant on their next action as they have never faced an adversary that can unleash such a volume of Magicks towards their general direction. At first the Sorcerer's who here placed in reserve thought that the Demons were using their Othewordly Magicks however after his Sorcerers divined using the spell 'Detect Magicks' they gravely and confusedly informed the General that the only sources of Magicks it could sense were the Magicks being used to shoot down the Clay Golems. It was likely that whatever strange contraptions that waited for them must how can fire upon the Black Elven Army at such speeds that they are invisible to the naked eye. Vokhol noticed that many of the thunderous noises came from the buildings within Neuogonia that the defenders had garrisoned and the previously overlooked Totems he had observed suddenly animated to life, turning around and to open its alien eyes. Eyes of fire gazed upon the Black Elven troops who were unfortunately at its direct line of sight and as if cursed, they die the moment the Totem's gaze was set upon them.
"Our Army is being sliced into ribbons milord! I fear only half of our entire forces are what remains of our glorious army! What should we do?" asked one of his Lieutenants alarmingly.
Thinking quickly, Vokhol reassessed his resources available to him by on his immediate hand.
"The… the Sisters! Have them commit to the battle with haste. Have them flank the defenders! Sorcerers protect the Infantry and charge with my Wardens upon my signal. I need someone to loosen the chains of our Kharibidyss as it too will join the Charge. I will burn these Otherworlder's to the ground myself!" he yelled, his ferocity boiling from the froth of his teeth.
This rapid destruction of his forces shall not stand by his watch. Sufficiently analyzing the capabilities of his adversary. The Black Elf General cracked his riding whip onto his Black Dragon Dre'sah, commanding the beast to unfurl his wings and gust upwards to the air. He will see to it as his pride as a Crimson Lancer that he will make his enemies suffer for this humiliation. He will see them burn. Soaring over the battlefield in all of Dre'sah's draconic majesty, he ordered his steed with one Elven word that would arouse the Black Dragon to fury:
"Naara" the word for 'destroy'.