Annos raised his hand, catching the gentle snowflakes, watching as they melted against the warmth of his skin. Snow, in this season? Impossible. It defied the natural order of things. Yet here it was, steadily accumulating on the ground, rooftops, and tree branches, painting the city in a shroud of white.
Around him, the city's inhabitants stirred, looking up in wonder, pointing to the sky. Pups ran out of their dens, barking and trying to catch the snowflakes with their tongues, their innocence undeterred by the oddity of the situation. But the adults exchanged glances, the unease evident in their eyes. Snow had just barely started topping the mountains this time of year...but down here? It was unheard of.
As more and more clouds formed overhead, the snowfall intensified. Soon, visibility decreased, making it harder to see even a few feet ahead. Annos moved quickly, barking orders to his subordinates. "Light the torches along the walls. Ensure the pathways remain clear. And get me every soldier we have. I think we're under attack."
He thought back to what that scout had said, and worry began coiling around his mind like a snake. As the city scrambled to adapt to this sudden change, Annos's instincts screamed at him. In all of his time at Niridge, no one had dared attack them. The walls were up to keep out the beasts of the forest, not to keep an enemy out.
But if mages were attacking him...his thoughts turned bleakly to that cursed human from Dunbar. Had he made the trip through the swamps to come find him? How! He had hunting parties everywhere! There was no way he would have made it past them.
The winds started really whipping now as the storm grew in severity, and the Shadowalkers inside the city began taking shelter.
From every corner of the city, the howling wind carried a clamor of sounds: doors slamming shut, windows being boarded, and the distant cries of those caught off guard. The streets quickly emptied as everyone sought refuge from the increasingly intense snowstorm.
Shadowalker merchants frantically pulled down their shop awnings, trying to salvage what goods they could. Parents clutched their pups close, hurrying them inside dens. Guards on patrol scrambled for cover, their usual composed demeanor replaced with alarm.
From his vantage point atop the city's central tower, Annos watched as the town transformed before him. The once bustling streets were now blanketed in a thick layer of white, only the glow of lanterns and torches providing some semblance of warmth against the cold backdrop.
His beta rushed up beside him, looking up at the ongoing blizzard. "Sire, what's happening?"
The realization hit him like a cold slap to the face. The defenses, the guards, the walls – all of it would mean nothing if everyone was off hiding in their dens.
"This is a trap! We need to prepare for a siege!" he shouted, feeling the urgency build. The city was in danger, and it was up to him to lead them through this literal and metaphorical storm.
***
From my vantage point on the rocky outcrop, the Shadowalker city below appeared surreal, almost like a shadowy snow globe. The heavy clouds, fed by our water mages, hung like a shroud over the city, and snow began to blanket the world below as the ice mages got involved in cooling the air.
From our experimentation and talking to my ancestors, they believed that a spell was one thing, but the actual work of controlling the element you had an affinity for was another, just like I could control ore bodies by sucking them out of the wall or morph ingredients into weapons. I was controlling my affinity for creation.
That small piece of information changed everything for me.
I felt my anticipation bubble over as I turned to the air mages. "Let's give them a light show they won't forget," I said, watching as their eyes closed in deep concentration and wands directed lightning into the sky to join the heavy snow clouds.
A few bolts missed the clouds and shot off into the darkened sky, since the mage-created storm was moving further and further away.
Crackling sounds echoed in the air, building the tension. From what I could make out in the flashes of lightning, I saw the alpha werewolf atop a tower. I could imagine the rage and desperation in his eyes as I saw him roar an order, pointing in our direction before the snow blocked him out entirely.
To my side, one of the earth mages nudged me, "Once the lightning does its job, we're ready to move everyone out."
I only nodded, my focus on the scene below. When the first bolt of lightning struck, it was blinding. The city below lit up, with walls, towers, and streets eerily illuminated by the successive bolts that followed. Each crash of thunder reverberated through my chest, and I could see small fires breaking out where lightning struck wood. The snow, combined with the sudden assault, sowed confusion amongst the Shadowalkers.
"Move onto phase two! Let's go, everyone!" I screamed as the entire army took off running down the embankment. I stayed and watched from here with Mara as the Feka took off, roaring and sprinting through the trees on all fours as their swords bounced on their backs with the mages right behind them.
Liza and the other earth mage ran in front of my human army, clearing a path through the foliage as they ran. Pretty soon, they disappeared into the jungle.
Back in Niridge, the storm had taken on a mind of its own, with lightning blasting down by its own free will. Smoke billowed out here and there as structures caught on fire, but most likely couldn't catch and just smoldered from the dense snow. We heard more barking and howling as lightning killed the inhabitants.
"Mara, tell Kyle to add more lightning. We need more attacking power. Then, head to Jasper. He's going to need to get up to a tree or something with his Tinder mages and launch fireballs down into the city," I yelled to Mara over the booming thunder.
"I know, I know!" Mara yelled back, closing her eyes.
The gate opened as troops began pouring out of the city in our general direction. There was about one hundred feet of clear land before the jungle, similar to how Dunbar was set up. The Shadowalkers melee troops, a group of the pitbull creatures and the hairless dogs, were covered in snow, their dark fur splotched with white, making them look oddly spectral against the stormy backdrop. But even with their hindrances, their movements were fast and deliberate.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
I looked at the amount of troops still remaining and realized that a frontal assault would be catastrophic for my small army. We needed to thin their numbers and divert their focus.
"Jasper and his team are in position. They're ready," Mara said. "And the mana from the monks is going to start to keep our mages topped up! Not sure how long that will last, though!"
I nodded, watching eagerly as the fire started raining down on the city and the dogs that stood outside the walls.
The Shadowalkers, though strong and fast, were caught off-guard by the combined elements. Fire danced around them, sending steam up into the sky and sending them yelping away or catching ablaze. And every time they tried to regroup or push forward, another torrent of flames sent them scattering. The sound of the fire, combined with the booming thunder and the muffled screams of the city occupants, was almost deafening.
"We have to keep up the pressure!" I stated, watching as the melee Feka joined the battle.
With the aid of the monks, our mages looked invigorated. Their spells were more potent, and more lightning and fire joined the battle. At this point, lightning was flying everywhere from the blizzard clouds, blowing up structures throughout the city.
"Begin phase three!" I yelled as Mara nodded, then closed her eyes, communicating with the squadron leaders. More Shadowalkers escaped the death trap of a city, fleeing the walls. I took off running down the hill to join my troops since the last of the plan was in motion. I wanted to join my friends in this battle to see this to the end.
I watched the final series of coordinated movements begin before I disappeared into the trees. The water mages summoned torrents of water with their wands, directing it to the ground in front of the city gates, where the three earth mages quickly fashioned channels and trenches. Within moments, the land between our army and the city became a muddled quagmire, impeding the Shadowalkers' movement and rendering their lightning speed ineffective.
The Zephyrs amplified the force of the storm, directing the fierce gales towards the city. The wind carried the fire from Jasper's mages, turning it into a searing, heated tempest that singed and disoriented the enemy with smoke. Fire tornados kicked up, fierce funnel clouds of pure destruction as they churned through the canine troops.
I hoped that a group of stealth Fekan hunters I had reserved for this very moment would emerge from our left flank, moving quickly and silently. Their aim was to infiltrate the city and create internal havoc, cutting off any reinforcements or escape routes.
And through all of that, I ran. I ran faster than I had ever run before. I heard Mara's voice echoing in my mind as she sent me a telepathic message.
You've got this. I love you. We have them all confused, and they haven't been able to group up and attack yet!
I smiled and kept going, my pickaxe swinging back and forth on my back. The sound of battle reached my ears, and I heard a howl. It was long and guttural, piercing through my brain and causing me to stop in my tracks. I felt fear unlike anything I had ever experienced before. More howls called out over the thunder, seemingly answering the alpha's call.
Shaking off the initial paralysis, I refocused, calling on every bit of training I had received with Dee and the bond I shared with Mara. Each step became more determined as I pushed forward, breaking through the treeline and into the fight, my pickaxe glowing with an ethereal light. It was made to fight the darkness, and the weapon knew it.
The world around me was a blur. All I could focus on was finding Annos, the alpha werewolf. I needed to end this, not just for Dunbar, but for everyone threatened by the Shadowalker existence. While I knew we had them scattered and broken right now, it wouldn't take much for them to regroup and take out the couple hundred of us.
I finally saw him, engaged in combat with several of our best warriors; his swift movements were barely perceptible. The Feka fought back, but I could tell he was burning through whatever strength propelled him. He swiped a few Feka to the side, and they lay there, unmoving.
Even though he was a better fighter than me, there was no moon to fuel his fighting this time. This was my chance. I needed to strike before he regained his stamina.
With a roar, I charged at him, pickaxe raised. As I neared him, our eyes locked, and I could sense his surprise. From behind me, Zephyrs joined me, four of them running alongside, their wind pushing me forward. More lightning struck what was left of Niridge behind me.
The alpha had murder in his dark eyes as he charged us. He raised his paw and swung at me with all his might, but it was like it happened in slow motion as the wind blew around me. My pickaxe met his powerful claws, silver against dark matter, creating sparks and shearing off a few of his claws. He howled in pain and we circled each other, looking for an opening.
He held back, striking at me again as his Stalker generals joined the fight with my Zephyrs. They had sensed their alpha's danger and had come to his aid. Fireballs rained down on the back lines, killing more troops. My party interface showed mana depleted across my mages, their mana running out.
More dogs rushed in around me as my people fought and died, and elemental attacks continued. I needed to finish this and quickly. I was running out of Zephyrs and Feka to defend us.
The mana from the monks ran out! Mara's voice called in my mind, alerting me to what I already knew.
I channeled all my energy and lunged again at a beast I had no business fighting. The snowy, wet ground beneath us cracked and shifted, but neither of us paid it any mind. Annos swung with an unmatched speed and power. I dodged to the left, narrowly missing his claws which grazed the side of my armor, leaving deep scratches.
My pickaxe found its mark several times, but the alpha was built tough. Each blow was met with a guttural growl and a retaliatory strike that was even more ferocious. The silver at the tip of my pickaxe sizzled against his hide, but he seemed to shrug off the pain.
And so, we danced, matching each other’s movements. Every time I thought I had him, he would counter, his claws coming within inches of my face. The taste of blood filled my mouth as a stray swipe caught my cheek. Pain flared, but I used it, fueling my determination. I didn't even bother looking at my health bar, but I knew it was working hard to keep me alive.
Drawing upon the last of my strength, I baited him into a lunge, swinging my pickaxe down in a vertical arc. At the last possible second, I sidestepped, and the silver-tipped pickaxe embedded itself deep into Annos's shoulder. He howled in pain, a deep, agonizing sound that echoed throughout the snowy landscape.
But I didn't let up. I swung again, aiming for his legs, trying to knock him off balance. Annos, though in pain, was not defeated. He swiped at me, catching my side and sending me sprawling.
The world spun. For a moment, I thought I was done for. But as Annos loomed over me, preparing for the final blow, my hand grasped the handle of my pickaxe one last time. With a desperate heave, I thrust it upward, piercing the underside of Annos's jaw. The silver glowed bright, and a flash of energy surged through the weapon, as if absorbing the darkness.
The alpha werewolf's eyes widened in shock and pain. He staggered backward, taking the pickaxe with him. as the weapon protruded gruesomely from beneath his chin. With his immense strength, he tried to pull the pickaxe free, his claws scraping at the handle, but the silver seemed to paralyze him further with every touch.
Black blood oozed down his chin as his hands feebly tried to grasp the pickaxe handle. His legs faltered, and he went down on one knee, gasping for air.
Around us, the battle seemed to slow. Both sides took notice of their respective leader's engagement, and for a brief moment, there was a pause in the chaos. I slowly rose to my feet, clutching my side where Annos had landed a blow, feeling the warmth of my blood against my fingers.
The giant werewolf's gaze locked onto mine, a mix of rage, pain, and, surprisingly, respect. His deep black eyes, which once held the ferocity of a wild animal, now reflected a hint of sadness and acceptance.
With a final, struggling effort, Annos tried to pull the pickaxe out, but the strength had left him. He let out a raspy, labored breath and crumpled to the snowy ground, the glow in his eyes dimming.