The night had been long and brutal, but the defenders of Woodhaerst had managed to repel the first and second wave of beasts. The exhausted soldiers and adventurers took what little time they had to regroup and tend to the wounded. The bodies of fallen beasts were quickly cleared from the battlegrounds to prevent the stench of death from drawing scavengers.
As the sun rose over the battered landscape of Woodhaerst, the soldiers felt proud knowing they survived two hard-fought victories. But the beast frenzy was far from over, and the third wave was looming on the horizon, darker and more dangerous than anything they had faced before.
Henry’s eyes scanned the damage. The barricades of trees were worn, and their supplies depleted. With the soldiers and adventures fatigue there was no time fell more trees. The heavy quiet and motionless horizon spoke of the calm before an even greater storm.
The first wave had been a test of their defenses. The second wave was coordinated strike meant to weaken their defenses. The third wave was mostly likely meant to deplete their defenses. He had no doubt, the fourth wave sought to breach the wall, and terrorize the town. Henry was impressed by mastermind behind this assault. Clearly, the beast lord was formidable.
Captain Joseph approached Henry; his face lined with fatigue but his eyes sharp. "The archers’ arms are tired and their fingers are bloody. The previous waves took a toll on them. We’re also running low on arrows. Might we use the arbalests to rest our men.’
The arbalests were their only anti-siege weapons. His friend Huey commissioned him to build these weapons for Mythical Guild’s dragon hunt. Henry wondered how his friend was doing. How the mythical guild was doing. Despite their faults, the mythical guild was his largest trading partner. If he had Huey’s number, he would certainly, use his phone to check in. Yet, he couldn’t afford to wonder. He had to maintain his focus on the now.
Henry nodded grimly. “Tell the archers to rest. Have them use the arbalest sparingly. We can’t afford to falter now.”
Captain Joseph saluted and turned to relay the orders. Henry his gaze fixed on the horizon, where the shadows of the forest loomed ominously. He could feel it in the air—a shift in the energy around them, a growing tension that signaled the approach of something far more dangerous than before.
The wind picked up, carrying with it a faint, almost imperceptible sound—a low, rumbling growl that seemed to vibrate through the very ground beneath them. Henry’s senses heightened, and he could feel the primal energy of the beasts growing stronger, more focused. They were coming.
"Ready the defenses!" Henry called out, his voice carrying over the walls. "The second wave is upon us!"
The soldiers and adventurers snapped to attention; their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as they prepared for the next battle. The archers took their positions behind the arbalest, while Henry and the ground forces braced themselves behind the crippling barricades.
On the horizon, a line of shadows began charging. The third wave of beasts was unlike anything they had faced before.
"By the gods…" Sergeant Ulysses muttered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the approaching horde.
The creatures were larger, more monstrous, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. Massive bulls with fur as dark as the night, towering buffalo with horns like steel, and cougars as large has houses with glistening fangs galloped across the ground with terrifying speed.
In the rear, a colossal beast with the head of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of scorpion. Its roar shook the very air, a deafening sound that reverberated through the town like a thunderclap. Henry’s heart pounded as he recognized the threat, they were up against…a manticore.
“Archers, fire at will!” Henry commanded, his voice cutting through the fear that gripped his men. “Forget the beast lord, aim for the beast!”
The archers unleashed a volley of bolts mowing down the largest beasts, as the manticore looked on indifferently.
“Sergeant Ulysses, we can’t hold the outer defenses much longer! Have your men fall back to the town! Be ready to light the fire” Henry ordered, “Captain Jospeh prepare to light the fire.”
The sergeant looked at Henry for second, debating whether to let his lord, the man he swore to protect, undertake such a risk. After a few seconds, he nodded, and sounded the horn to fall back.
The ground forces retreated just as horde of beasts crashed into the barricades with terrifying force, tearing through the obstacles with sheer brute strength. The soldiers and adventurers fought valiantly, their weapons flashing brilliantly, as they retreated inside the town’s protective walls. Above the archers on the walls provided cover, their arrows flying in a steady stream as the ground forces moved to reinforce the new line of defense.
Loading massive bolts into the ballistae, the archers’ mowed down beasts. Soon the broken barricades were replaced by a pile of corpses. Without the bolts, the adventures and soldiers wouldn’t had time to retreat.
Now Henry stood alone of the battlefield. His only protection was the array of bolts fired above him and the corpses of beast before him. Cursing under his breath, he gathered his resolve and ordered, “Stop firing!”
The order was met with grim determination. Above archers scrambled to dip their arrows in oil and await their commands.
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In the distance, the manticore suddenly stood, raised his head as if analyzing the situation. Neither side moved, as if they were assessing each other. With the arrows silenced, the ground forces retreated, and the beasts patiently waiting the battlefield became like cliffs edge. The manticore stared at Henry, before sitting down uncaringly, and roared for the battle to begin again.
“Ready!” Henry ordered, his mind racing as hundreds of beasts charged forward. Each beast looked at him fanatically, almost like he was prize to be won.
Captain Joseph nodded, already barking orders to the archers. Barrels of oil were brought to the walls, ready to be ignited and unleashed upon the horde if they breached the inner defenses.
“Aim!” Henry ordered as he ran with all his might to the mote, he constructed days earlier.
Behind him, the beast split heading towards the south and east gates. Henry hadn’t expected this! The main force, headed straight for the southern gate. The remaining three hundred or so, headed for the west gate.
“Fire!” Henry yelled as the beast closed in.
Entrap in a circle of fire, large beast had two choices dies escaping in a wall of fire or die in a watery graze filled with spikes. It took merely seconds, for hundreds of beasts to succumbed to the deathly trap. Henry heard endless bawls and groans they burned or sunk to death. In less than ten minutes, the beasts outside the southern and western gate were eliminated.
The noon sun above highlighted the death and destruction. Thankfully, his side had once again come out unfazed with minimal injuries. Looking out in the distance, Henry gazed at the manticore who looked unfazed. With a smug look on its face, he flapped his wings and flew confidently forward.
The manticore’s wings beat powerfully, sending gusts of wind that whipped through the flames, momentarily fanning them higher. The creature’s eyes, glowing with a malevolent intelligence, locked onto Henry as it approached. It was as if the beast recognized him as the leader, the one who had orchestrated the defense that had decimated its horde.
Henry’s heart pounded in his chest as he watched the manticore advance, its massive form looming ever closer. The air around the town grew heavy with tension, the defenders holding their breath as they awaited their lord’s command.
“Archers, ready the arbalests!” Captain Joseph’s voice rang out, the archers moving with swift precision to load the massive bolts into the siege weapons. The ballistae, their final line of defense, were aimed directly at the manticore, each bolt tipped with steel meant to pierce even the toughest hide.
Henry knew they had one chance to bring the beast down. If the manticore breached the walls, the destruction it could unleash would be catastrophic. He had to be smart, precise, and fearless.
“Hold your fire!” Henry shouted, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. “Wait for my signal!”
The manticore was now within range, its wings creating powerful gusts of wind that threatened to extinguish the flames surrounding the town. It circled above Woodhaerst, its predatory gaze sweeping across the walls, the soldiers, and finally, back to Henry. The beast’s roar echoed through the air, a terrifying sound that sent shivers down the spines of even the most battle-hardened soldiers.
The manticore hovered for a moment, its wings beating rhythmically as it assessed the situation. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, it dove toward Henry, its massive claws extended and ready to strike.
Henry’s eyes narrowed as he gripped his axe tighter. This was no ordinary battle—this was a test of strength, will, and power. He felt a surge of energy course through him as he activated his polymorph ability. His body began to shift and grow, his muscles bulging, his bones reshaping until he stood towering as a Bearman, his thick fur bristling and his claws sharp as daggers.
The manticore’s dive continued, but now it was met by a different Henry—a warrior whose presence exuded raw power and primal fury. As the beast descended, Henry roared, his voice a thunderous challenge that echoed across the battlefield.
“Archers, fire at will!” Henry commanded, his voice deeper, more feral.
The archers unleashed a volley of bolts, but Henry didn’t wait to see their impact. With a mighty leap, he launched himself off the wall, his powerful legs propelling him into the air to meet the manticore mid-flight. His axe gleamed in the light of the setting sun as he swung it with all his might.
The first strike hit the manticore’s wing, tearing through the membrane and sending the beast spiraling off course. The two collided in mid-air, the force of their impact sending shockwaves through the air. Locked in a deadly embrace, they plummeted toward the ground.
Henry’s weight and momentum drove the manticore down, and they crashed into the earth with a bone-shaking thud. Dust and debris exploded around them as they rolled across the battlefield, each struggling for dominance.
The manticore’s claws raked across Henry’s chest, tearing through fur and flesh alike. Pain seared through him, but he didn’t falter. With a snarl, he swung his axe again, striking the beast’s side with a brutal blow. The manticore roared in pain, its tail lashing out to sting Henry with its venomous barb, but Henry was ready.
He dodged the strike, his movements a blur of speed and power. The manticore lunged at him, jaws snapping, but Henry caught the beast’s head with his free hand, holding it at bay as he drove his axe down once more. The blade sunk deep into the manticore’s neck, the force of the blow sending blood spraying across the ground.
The manticore howled, its body convulsing as it fought to break free, but Henry didn’t relent. With a final, powerful heave, he wrenched the axe free and brought it down with all his might, severing the manticore’s head from its body.
The beast’s massive form went limp, collapsing to the ground in a lifeless heap. Henry stood over the fallen manticore, his chest heaving, blood dripping from the deep gashes across his chest. He looked down at the defeated beast, his eyes burning with a fierce, primal satisfaction.
Silence fell over the battlefield as the manticore’s body lay still, its life force extinguished. The defenders of Woodhaerst stood in stunned disbelief, their eyes wide as they took in the sight of their lord—transformed, victorious, and fearsome.
Henry, though bloodied and bruised, straightened to his full height, his Bearman form towering over the battlefield. The battle had been long and brutal, but they had prevailed. Woodhaerst had withstood the third wave, and the beast lord had been slain.
The soldiers and adventurers erupted in cheers, their voices rising in a triumphant chorus that echoed across the town. Henry, his heart still pounding with the rush of battle, allowed himself a small smile. Turning to his soldiers gave the final order, “Take the meat to Brand for butcher then send the hides Oscar to tan. Tonight, drinks are on me!”
The soldiers cheered on by their hard-fought, well-earned victory, and free drinks. Henry knew the everyone needs to celebrate to bolster their spirits. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the battered landscape, Henry returned to his human form, the last vestiges of his Bearman transformation fading away as he turned to face his people.
Tomorrow, Henry he’d turn his attention back to resolving the adventures frustration. He had no choice, but to visit the Twilight headquarters tomorrow and ask for help.