Altiris Knights:The Fall

Chapter 23:Closing In

On the morning of the next day, the allied forces resumed their advance, and the space battle began in earnest once more. Once more, the groups of soldiers and Knights began moving closer to each other, isolating a few pockets of uriaks and destroying them.

Olsur, Maior and Reyna encountered major difficulties, however. At first, a wave of standard uriaks launched at them which they swiftly brushed aside with the help of the soldiers under their command. Then, a few greater uriaks attacked. They too, were promptly defeated. However, the third wave was a different story entirely.

Uriaks they have never seen before, charged them with unexpected speed and ferocity, backed up by Reapers and strange circular floating mouths of varying size. Several soldiers gunned down two of them, when a third suddenly appeared in front of them. They had no time to scream, as it dove at them, biting through their necks with its powerful jaws, their bodies turning limp.

Olsur unleashed a burst of lightning straight into its open jaws as it turned on him, after devouring the three soldiers whole, immediately destroying it. He hurled his spear at a corpse-like uriak, saving a terrified younger soldier. He covered himself with a lightning net, and tackled a Reaper, distracting it, allowing the soldier to take it out with a few shots to the head. He retrieved his spear and helped the soldier to his feet.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "Better. Thank you", the soldier replied, his pulse stabilizing. "Good. Stay with your comrades, preferably in the center", Olsur instructed.

A tentacle launched at them, stopping mere inches away as the soldier pulled Olsur back. Olsur reacted quickly, cutting through the tentacle with his electrified spear and launched a lightning lance at another, giving a few soldiers time to destroy it with their rifles. He thanked the soldier, noticeably lifting his morale.

Maior and Reyna cut off a few more tentacles, when the main body of the uriak attacked. Olsur and Reyna unleashed torrents of black and purple lightning, and Maior reinforced them with a massive gust of wind. But still, the uriak kept attacking. Even with the soldiers providing support fire, the monster advanced. 

"Sturm Triangle!" Reyna called. Maior and Olsur understood, and attacked the monster, keeping it occupied. They cut off a few of its smaller tentacles, and Maior struck it with a volley of compressed air balls. Olsur stabbed it with his electrified spear, and the two retreated in opposite directions, as Reyna unleashed a blast of lightning, and leapt forward, her saber staff aimed straight at the monster's head. 

Olsur replaced her at the rear, while she and Maior kept the monster away from him. He rejoined the fight, launching his spear at the uriak, and followed up with black lightning. Maior then took his place, and as the lightning wielders pummeled the uriak with their powers and weapons, he unleashed a powerful tornado, spinning the monster out of control.

Thus, they rotated, two of them attacking up close, while the third prepared a ranged attack. The Sturm Triangle was a standard tactic for taking on stronger, single opponents, employed especially by element wielders. With the support fire from the soldiers, the monster was finally brought down. The surviving Reapers chose to retreat, giving the allies a moment to recover and take care of any wounds. 

...

Out of all the groups, Deila, Pyros, Exaera, Raelin and Heogarma advanced the most, by far. The resistance they faced reflected that, as wave after wave of uriaks formerly unknown to them were launched, gradually exhausting them, as more and more of their soldiers fell. Still, they kept moving forward, steadily adapting to the changes.

Deila cut down a wounded Reaper and unleashed an air wave, pushing another into a blow from Pyros's sword. Raelin and Heogarma took on a greater uriak, and with Exaera's help, brought it down.