Sleep did not last long for anyone, for it was in the early morning light that Amerghin commanded an attack on the walls of Athlethan.

With a fresh contingent of troops and the dead removed from the battlefield overnight, the rumble of the towers being pushed began to resonate in the early morning air. The giant Emim were pushing the towers from behind protective barriers and lines of soldiers followed closely, using the towers as cover.

Tuatha and Tethra stood at the highest part of the walls of Athlethan and surveyed the battlefield below.

“We must send out a defence attack to try and slow those towers,” said Tethra.

Tuatha nodded and nodded to the horn blower to signal all the gates to open and to set up defensive barriers. The warriors ran out in their groups of five hundred and two Anakim headed each group. They quickly formed ranks and the archers began to fire as the enemy columns came into range.

The towers came closer and closer in a long line advancing to different sections of the wall. When the had reached the line of warriors, Tethra motioned to the horn blower and a signal was sent. From the ranks of their warriors ran men with large packs strapped to their backs, four per structure. They ran to the towers and started to climb, scampering up at speed. They were safe from the soldiers inside it as it had been made to protect the advancing towers from attack using arrows. When they neared the top, they opened their sacks and splashed the contents over the wood and it ran down towards the base, black and oily.

Then they knocked steel nails into the wood, attached a rope and quickly scaled down to the base.

While this occurred, the enemy uncertain as to how to stop them, did nothing. The warriors of Athlethan attacked running with a roar each side of the towers and attacking the columns. A line of troops ran between the towers, a giant in each group to prevent the enemy from attacking in a pincer movement.

Then, the archers on the wall, lit their pitch coated arrows and fired them at the towers. The flammable pitch caught quickly and the timber, although still not fully dry after being made from the trees of Athlethan, caught quickly and the heat that grew, dried the timber creating a large amount of smoke. The pins that held the timber together were made from wood as well and they also began to burn.

The battle was as fierce as the day before and many warriors fell. The enemy had become more reckless and small groups pushed out into the middle of Athlethan’s warriors, falling to their swords.

Then Tethra motioned for the horn to sound, and they began to retreat, fighting walking backwards and the enemy fell away as the archers began to accurately pick them off.

By the time they were in the city, it was too late to do anything about the fire. Soldiers jumped from the towers and the fire began to be felt from inside the towers and the smoke filtered through causing them to choke and cough. The Emim were still pushing the towers toward the city. As it moved one of the towers lurched slightly and the burnt pins gave way. It collapsed slightly and stopped. Slowly it toppled and when it reached a certain point the weight of it gently pulled it over. It dissolved into a roaring pile of logs and soldiers.

Amerghin watched as the first of the smoke rose from the towers.

“What is that?” He screamed, “what is happening?”

Ruad commanded a runner to get the information from the front line. By the time he returned they could see flame coming from each of the towers.

Amerghin was enraged, he was pacing and gesticulating. Anyone who stood too close to him, risked death or were wounded.

It was too late, there was nothing they could do except watch the towers turn into bonfires. The soldiers and giants retreated from the heat and formed ranks well back from their previous positions.

“How did we not see this?” said Ruad to one of the generals. The man shrugged and shook his head.

Amerghin sat in the tent with his head in his hands, beyond anger now, an icy determination to destroy these self-righteous followers of Riangbra. He shuddered as he thought of it. He desired to be free of it.

A cold dread came over him and he recognised the presence of Mac Roth. He flinched inside and awaited the fury of the dark lord. The inside of the tent became darker, and a hooded figure stood in the centre.

His voice guttural and grating came to Amerghin’s ears, and a choking feeling rose in his throat.

“I am tired of your negativity, Amerghin. Why do you not control your anger. We have not lost, this will but give the enemy of our plans, a sense of arrogance. Pick yourself up and be the general I trained you to be. I taught you the patience which you lack. You must see things as they are from the perspective of the whole plan. Nothing can be determined by one battle.”

The hooded figure sat down, and the room became slightly brighter. “Now go and be the general I need. I will stay here and prepare a way to breach the walls. Be ready to attack when the time is right. You will know when that is.”

Mac Roth bowed his head, hidden under his hood and began to whisper quietly, his voice slowly rising in volume.

Amerghin left the tent and made his way down to a meeting of captains that Ruad had ordered.

Back in Athlethan, moral had risen as the people cheered. The pyres, although sad because it was the trees of Athlethan, were a positive sign for them all, and a hope that the enemy would be defeated by the secure fortress of Athlethan.

Tuatha and Tethra patted each other on the back and laughed and turned back toward the enemy.

“A brilliant plan my brother,” said Tethra. “I had doubts it would work.”

“We must pre-empt their next move,” said Tuatha. What will Amerghin and Ruad do next?”

In the distance a thunderhead flashed, and thunder could be heard. An ominous feeling of something powerful that they would yet need to contend with lay on their minds heavily.

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Tuatha continued, “We must now wait to see what they will do; we can hold the walls and their number are still greater than ours. I think its four to one that our warriors face. If we met them in a long open battle, they, no one would win. We could even be defeated. Our advantage lies in these walls, and I think we need to use them.”

“We have heard nothing from the ships of Muinremar,” said Tethra, “I hope they have not had trouble getting through the sea of wrecks.”

Tuatha nodded. “We cannot rely on them. We must continue to plan as if they are not coming.”

The sea of wrecks was the only way to get from the North to the south by sea. It was a narrow pass past the black cliffs. Strong winds always blew between the mountains on the east and west of the pass. Many ships had been lost there in the past. Although risky, the sailors of Muinremar were skilled and they had employed guides to pilot them through the reef filled seas.

The day ended with a red sunset as the last of the two suns retreated below the horizon. The flashes of lightening grew closer, and the thunder grew louder.

By the time the middle of the night came, the storm has grown and was upon them. The humidity that came with the storm made the air heavy and stagnant. The fires now glowing red, gave the walls of Athlethan a malignant feel.

Many in the city had come to the walls to watch the storm roll in. As the storm hit a wall of dark cloud seemed to roll over itself behind the army. In the flashes of lightening a shadow suddenly appeared on the cloud, a hooded figure, black and foreboding.

Those who witnessed it gasped. It seemed to come closer and those who were a little more superstitious, cried out in fear.

Tuatha and Tethra along with Laegaire and Caer Omaith watched with some trepidation.

“Is that what I think it is?” asked Tethra.

“It is a clever trick by the dark lord to instil fear in us,” Said Tuatha.

The Thunder grew louder, and one peal shook the earth under the walls slightly.

“I have never felt thunder do that,” said Tethra pensively.

“That was an earthquake,” said Tuatha. Mac Roth is up to something.

Then he noticed something strange. The enemy had moved closer, and their faces were lit up red from the glowing fires. They were fidgeting and stamping their feet as if getting ready for a run.

“Stay alert,” said Caer Omaith. She glanced at Tethra looking nervously pensive.

The flashing figure on the cloud stretched out its arms and the thunder grew louder, only it was not thunder, only thunderous and growing, suddenly the earth buckled under the ground just outside the walls. Like water lifting as if something was about to breach. It settled and the ground and walls shook and rumbled. Some building in the city already damaged and vacant, collapsed into a pile of rubble and dust.

It settled for a moment and Tuatha and his friends watched incredulously as another great roar of thunder and the ground heaved near the wall and it collapsed inwards, as what can only be described by witnesses as a black rock pushed out of the ground. The wall that stood near the heaving ground collapsed outwards as the rock pushed high out of the ground. Then another part of the wall further away did the same thing and more rock pushed upwards. As this happened, a huge wail could be heard coming from the rock, a wail of gloom that grew louder and deeper till suddenly the rock parted and a massive maw, full of teeth and a red glow came from within the orifice. Just as this happened a glowing spot grew larger as it became an eye, red and ominous.

Now people began to scream when they realised it was alive and they fled away from it, toward the back of the city.

Finally, the creature lifted out a large hind leg and stepped out of the collapsed hole which collapsed the remained of the wall inwards. It stood eye to eye with Tuatha and his friends who were atop the highest tower of Athlethan.

“It is a Tor Rigil of legend,” said Tuatha. “An elemental beast of rock and fire.” He looked at his three friends who now looked at him. “It is now I need you,” he said, “We must prepare.” Do not be afraid of what comes next, they are our friends, you will know when you see them.”

The two Tor Rigil’s were now roaring and noticing the men on the walls that were still standing. They were bravely firing arrows at it but doing it no damage. From deep in its throat a roar was heard and suddenly from its gaping maw came lumps of glowing molten rock which hit the wall and splashed outward covering any warriors who stood nearby with molten rock that stuck to their armour and skin. They screamed with pain and soldiers nearby did what they could with any water that was nearby.

“We are lost, cried Laegaire.

Tuatha reached out and held Laegaire close to him, “just watch, trust me, we will be saved from this.”

They glanced at him like he was going mad. But the glance did not last long for suddenly from high above a high-pitched cry, birdlike and full of hope came over the whole scene. They all looked up, having heard Tuatha’s words.

The sky was clear above and the moon, still large and glowing bought into their vision massive wings silhouetted against the slightly glowing sky, full of stars. The silhouettes grew larger and larger and came with such speed before one could appreciate how big they were they were upon the Tor Rigil’s; the huge and formidable Leviathan had arrived, led by Dray Goen.

Many people in the city turned and ran, thinking the end had come. But to their credit the soldiers on the walls held their ground and continued to fire arrows both at the Tor Rigil’s and the Leviathan. There were ten Leviathan, but some swooped away and circled the city and camp and four attacked. They hit the Tor Rigil’s with such ferocity and momentum they were knocked off their massive paws and slid along the ground, away from the walls of the city.

One of them rolled and flipped into the waiting army of the dark Lord, crushing any who were in the way.

Then the Leviathan were on the Tor Rigil’s, ripping at tearing at them tooth and claw. The Tor Rigil’s fought back, swiping at the Leviathan, one was struck by the massive paws of the beast, it screamed and hit the ground with a crash that reverberated around the battle ground. Two more Leviathan swooped, tearing chunks of rock like armour off the Tor Rigil’s, that exposed wounds that poured out magma like blood. Dray Goen dealt the killing blow to the first of the beasts. Leviathan fire is hotter than a star, and he blew fire directly on the head of the Tor Rigil. It melted through the beasts head and like a bubbling pool of magma it exploded gently, falling to the ground. Headless now it fell forward. The same happened to the next, the white fire of two Leviathan, devouring its torso. It continued its terrifying wail as it died, which faded away to nothing.

The elemental power that Mac Roth had sequestered, that kept them alive, fading and they collapsed into smoking piles of rock and ash that glowed in a similar way to the fires of the collapsed towers.

The soldiers around the battle scattered in panic. Tripping over each in their haste to escape the terror that was before them of the battling beasts and the victorious and dreadful Leviathan.

Then they were gone. The Leviathan, made to protect the people placed on Riangbra, by Riangbra, had done their job and once more flew back to the skies, watching from far beyond where any human eye could see.

The storm reduced, much of it, a byproduct of Mac Roths harnessing the elemental power of the deep. And it suddenly loosed rain on the camp of the dark Lord. Not before a wail, and a fell scream of fury which faded into the distance.

Then the rain fell in long sheets, like a bucket of water being thrown to clear away a mess. Rain not often seen, rain that was far heavier than the light rain that people were familiar with. Before long gushing rivulets ran through the battle lines which joined others and became torrents. The ground that was loose dirt from the battle became mud and the dead were trodden into the mud as the soldiers tried to escape the slippery mud. But the more they tried, the muddier it became. Then they grew exhausted and gave up, lying in the deep mud, waiting for the storm to pass.

Eventually, the clouds rolled away, and it was morning under the dull but growing light of the first rising sun.

The warriors of Athlethan worked constantly helping the injured who survived the collapsing wall. Two large gashes in the wall were now a weakness that Amerghin would use and Tuatha racked his mind with what to do to shore up the breach. He went to speak to the giants and asked them to build up defences with boulders that were too heavy for men to move. He placed the best Riangbra warriors at these defences and double the number of archers close to these weak points.

That was all they could do before they heard a roar. They attacked. Amerghin had commanded his troops to attack under full force the breach in the wall. Emim came first and they wielded huge hammers. They also carried large log shields which they used to stop the arrows. The soldiers ran through the mud some falling and being trampled into the mud, the ones who had been trapped also died under the feet of the advancing horde. The bodies became a bridge through the mud, they did not seem to care.

On they came, silent like automatons bent of death and destruction. The Triune gas had been used to create a fearless mass of soldiers that threatened to run over the edge of the wall like a cup overflowing with thick, black molasses.

Just then as the sun began to rise over the hill, a bugle sounded, then another, then across the skyline each side of the lines of Amergin’s forces, there appeared soldiers, warriors all in white with long white lances which were adorned atop with the white and blue flags of Muinremar. They had arrived.