On the opposite side of the field, the men looked to Draycott, waiting for what would undoubtedly be a rousing speech. Draycott looked towards Arcaedus who nodded his head slightly. Draycott opened his mouth to speak; the troops stood tall and braced themselves, awaiting his words.

“Attack!” roared Draycott.

As the English soldiers thundered across the plain and the light cavalry circled around the sides to flank the French, Magnus signalled to his men. Archers nocked arrows and stood ready to draw. Pike and spearmen formed a defensive screen around the archers and braced for the impact. Several archers watched the cavalry descending upon their flanks and a few feebly loosed arrows at the charge.

“Not the horses ye fools!” roared Magnus.

Those archers still aiming at the charge sheepishly turned to target the footmen. The pikemen knelt and thrust out their pikes, forming a vicious barrier that would slow if not stop the charge. Having lowered their pikes too early however, the French could only stop and stare as the cavalry spotted the pikes and spears and wheel off in a different direction.

“Fools!” cried Magnus, “All o’ ye! After them! Archers, loose at will!”

“You see what they are doing?” asked Arcaedus at the top of a rise with Draycott.

“Yes I can, their commander is correct, they are fools,” replied Draycott. “But then so is he, I would have expected Dmitri, or at the least that traitor Wayte commanding, but I can’t even see them, just that great red ape.”

“Oh do not worry, Dmitri is there,” reassured Arcaedus, “I can feel his spirit, it is flitting about, trying to find Akahaziel.”

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Draycott laughed darkly, “Is he now? Maybe I should go play with them?” he suggested.

“As you say my Lord, I will keep their troops busy with yours,” replied Arcaedus with a bow.

Without replying any further, Draycott kicked his nightmare steed into motion towards the French.

From the French lines, Dmitri watched his archers uselessly firing arrows towards the fleeing English cavalry, his pikemen chasing them, pikes and spears lowered as a charge. He saw the English infantry still charging towards them, and more importantly, Draycott, flogging a monster of a horse in a frenzied gallop towards them.

“Now!” called Dmitri.

Claudia stopped her spirit roaming and linked with Dmitri. He traced an earth and fire glyph and let loose the magic he had been gathering, focusing it into the two glyphs. The ground shook and then erupted. A huge ring of earth exploded around the French, walling the English in with them. Draycott, on the outskirts of the ring of earth was thrown off his horse as the ground ruptured beneath him. Horses whinnied and screamed in terror, throwing their riders. The French, having expected this, took advantage of the confusion and began their real attack. Claudia’s slingers let loose with a barrage of potions. All around the fighting, green gas clouds appeared as the potions shattered on impact. Calling on the element of air by tracing the glyph, Dmitri asked for the breeze to settle so that the gas didn’t disperse. He then signalled to Wayte and drawing their swords, they descended into the madness.

Arcaedus, overlooking the battle from afar started in surprise as Dmitri’s magic caused the earth to erupt. This changed his plans somewhat. Focusing his new commands in his mind, he directed them towards Draycott, where they were instilled in his army by that strange force of will he seemed to be able to impose on others.

On the far side of the battle, Draycott regained his feet and drew his twin blades. Almost immediately, the blades took on an oily sheen and began to smoke. Draycott’s face took on a deadly grin and he advanced towards the fighting, wielding his dual weapons of corruption and decay.

As Dmitri and Wayte moved towards the fighting, a wind whipped up and a whirlwind of feathers appeared in front of them.

“Now is the time Dmitri,” said Uriel, glowing brightly. “This should help,” he continued and gestured towards Dmitri’s sword. The blade began to glow gold and a shimmering layer of golden flames seemed to wreath it. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to draw out the demon.” With that, he stretched out his great white wings and launched himself into the air.