The buggebears assigned to Colonel Grnkag's brigade had been impressed with the extreme sneakiness of their newly commissioned comrade Jorildyn and had thus added to the growing list of titles that Jorildyn had been given that evening.
As the brigade reached position on the low hill behind the ford, Colonel Grnkag silently indicated to his Honorary Buggebear Battle-Elf Second Lieutenant Jorildyn that they were ready and pointed to the area the opposing orcs had gathered, getting ready to get the heavy equipment across the river.
The orc warriors were not sure what they were more wary of: an elf or a newly-minted second lieutenant. Both types had a long history of getting orc privates killed.
Most of Lothar's zombie squads had gone first, and his orcs specialists were preparing the catapults for crossing the ford. Two giants from the Cranay Mountains to the northwest were there, preparing to carry the first catapult across.
Jorildyn signaled Grnkag and began to focus the power of the forest around him. The roots of the forest began to climb out of the ground, and the branches of the trees began to reach down toward the necks of the enemy. Vines of ivy detached from trees and began to attach to the legs and arms of the enemy orc warriors, the giant that was still on the shore, and a squad of ghouls in position to the left of the ford.
At first, Lothar's soldiers didn't notice much, thinking it was just a few sticky vines hanging down, and a few roots sticking up. Within a minute though, Grnkag's force could see it was clearly working, as the enemy orcs began yelling and trying to get away, and the roots grabbed their legs and the vines wrapped around their arms. The giant carrying the back of the catapult was flung to the ground and looked entombed as roots grabbed and pierced his neck.
Grnkag shouted out the order to attack, and his entire brigade advanced in formation, other than the three orcs assigned to guard their new lieutenant as he continued to focus all the force of the forest around him that he could muster.
The second giant, standing ankle-deep in the river, was struck by a dozen orcish arrows, half of them penetrating his cured-leather armor. He flung the catapult in the direction of the attacking orcs and reached out to grab a tree to use as a club against them, only to find that the tree bit him as he grabbed it, then poked at his eyes with its branches. He fought, but he had just minutes to live.
Grnkag's warriors moved forward, tying up any immobilized orcs, and shooting flaming arrows at the ghouls, followed by glass containers of oil that broke on impact. They had strong initial success, but it all made a lot of noise and fire flashed. A big part of Lothar's forces quickly headed toward the point of battle.
- - - -
Slightly further back, and a few moments later, Second Lieutenant Emmyth and her commanding goblin Colonel Kirfang launched their own first strike.
They faced columns of zombies, arrayed in formation and awaiting orders to advance. Emmyth smiled. She hated zombies, and all the undead, really, and she knew just the thing.
She focused on the clouds, which were still growing darker above. A few bolts of lightning streaked between clouds and then a massive strike of a dozen bolts hit the area in front of her, where the zombies waited.
Darkly-crisped, incinerated zombie parts flew around the newly created clearing in the forest. Everyone within miles had seen the strike. The massive reserve of Lothar's orcs and goblin warriors further back in the forest turned toward Emmyth and Kirfang's brigade. Arrows began streaking by as enemy orcs advanced on them. Kirfang's archers returned fire.
Emmyth focused again, this time on the roots, branches and vines of the forest, as Jorildyn had taught her, and with the strength that Aida's faith and training had given her. The advancing enemy found their progress slowed, and in some places stopped, as the roots and vines grabbed at feet, arms and weapons. Emmyth had deep wells of anger to work from, so the roots would grasp for a long while.
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- - - -
The evil dragon Grelbus had been toward the back of the formation, near Lothar's command tent, when he heard the shouts announcing the flanking attack. He then saw the lightning and knew that lightning usually meant Jend was near. Grelbus took to the air, silently. As he did, a break in the clouds let the moonlight shine through, revealing his winged silhouette. Large eyes watching from the keep made note, and another dragon took flight.
Grelbus spotted where the sorcerous power was coming from, folded back his wings and dove. Just above the level of the forest, he used his dire breath, and rotted a tree just behind where Emmyth and Kirfang stood, a guard of goblins protecting the elven woman as she concentrated on maintaining and strengthening the grasping vines and roots. He landed on the remains of the tree, splintering what was left, and reached out to stab the elf in the back with his claws. A young goblin jumped in front of Emmyth and blocked the claws with his shield and stabbed the dragon's leg with the short spear he carried. Grelbus bashed the goblin aside, sending the her flying through the air, eventually hitting the trunk of a tree about forty yards away. He swiped with his tail to clear out two more goblins and a buggebears that had come at him from the side. The undead dragon then turned back to Emmyth, moving in for the kill.
The dark dragon prepared to breathe out his black death, but as he opened his mouth, Klajo hit him hard from the side. The red dragon bit down on Grelbus's neck, and stabbed the undead dragon’s back and wings with his long claws. Grelbus struck back with his barbed tail and claws, the tail penetrating Klajo's scales and leaving a large wound down the side of the dragon. Grelbus smiled a creepy undead dragon smile, expecting Klajo to soon be incapacitated, expecting the wound to quickly begin to spread rot across the red dragon.
Instead, the thorns glowed green and the wound began to close. Klajo moved quickly, claws striking Grelbus across the face, as Klajo bit down again, harder on Grelbus's neck.
Grelbus was partially turned over and struggled to get back to his feet and scrape Klajo's jaws from his neck. He found himself hampered by twenty goblin spears, the goblins striking Grelbus's right wing, pinning it to the ground. Klajo reared back and struck hard, his claws raking Grelbus's neck, severing the undead dragon's head. Grelbus's body disintegrated into dust.
- - - -
"Wooah!" cried out the gods, watching from the Place of the Family in the Great Hall of the Gods. Neptos and Thorsin bumped their fists together while Luna pirouetted about, shining flashing light around the Hall.
"I can't believe they are doing this! That elf is completely crazy, and Jend is just as crazy for following her," said the twin Ashvins, in unison. Their sister, Hista, Goddess of the Dawn and the Hearth, sat on their shoulders as she bit down on another handful of puffed-mana.
"Better than sitting around, waiting to die," said Admi. He was the god of war, and was particularly enjoying the battle.
"Why would they wait for me? I am always on time. Sometimes early," said Doaris, the Goddess of Death and the Underworld. Her snakes, curled around her arms and neck, nodded in agreement.
Next to her sat Wereos, God of The Hunt, whose tongue was out as he panted with excitement, watching as the battle began properly.
The Goddess Widyoma, her owl perched on the shield she carried, said "No, the surprise attack was not crazy. It was as bold as it was wise. Scholars will study the attack, if Jend's forces live to tell about it. However, I still give two-to-one odds for Lothar."
- - - -
The third brigade had seen the strike, had seen Klajo’s attack, and was getting ready for their own attack, when Rennyn felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked back, and only saw trees behind her. Then she understood. She looked up at the tree leaning over her.
The great old tree Nicodo spoke to her in Elven. "Excuse me. But might we join you in your attack. I would assure you we hate Lothar even more than you do, and we don’t want to miss out."
Beside her, Colonel Wuglat and his company of orcs warriors assumed defensive positions and pointed their spears toward the approaching animate Trees. Rennyn motioned them to stand down.
Rennyn said to Nicodo, "Certainly, yeah, we welcome you. Let's do this. We will fight by your side."
Nicodo and his grove hardly waited. There was a company of ghouls and zombies not far ahead, heading toward where Emmyth's lightning strike had been. Nicodo's forces attacked their flank before the ghouls had even noticed their approach. Colonel Wuglat and his warriors quickly joined in.
-- And the boss fight is in the next chapter....