Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 32: Intervention

"Splendid work, Arisen! Now, let us route these beasts for good!" Ser Robert lead the charge into the stronghold.
The clashing of steel rang throughout the clear skies. Arya charged into the ambush behind them. She ducked behind her shield for only a second, studying the distance between each foe and the direction they were swinging their weapons. Within the next second two hobgoblins were felled. She dealt decisive and lethal strikes, stopping only to block a reckless but strong swing of a crooked iron blade.
"Diee!!" Screamed the hobgoblin.
Caellach rolled over Arya's back and smashed the beast's face with one crack from his weapon. He didn't stop to look back, he moved on to his next targets. Edward and Lyon slashed their foes in halves, and the rest were picked off easily by Orson and Valter.

After a bit of heavy breathing, Edward moved to sheathe his massive sword.
"Not so fast," inserted Valter, passively. "That was too simple."
Dogged roars sounded from the other side of the gate. He drew back his bow, "Cyclopes."
Two enormous monsters, one greenish-grey, and one a sinister shade of blue climbed over the stoney bulwark. Their bodies were adorned with massive muscles, and thick layers of blubbered hides. Arya stared them down, the blue one was wearing a helmet that looked no lighter than 50kg. The green one locked glares with her, staring intensely with its one eye. The gargantuan breathed heavily, thick slobber dripped from its massive tusks. Its arms were as thick as tree trunks, and most terrifyingly, its face had no muscles that would suggest its mood. The eye had only eyelids, so she couldn't tell what the beast could've been thinking during their staredown. Suddenly, both creatures starting running if not a full sprint toward the portcullis. They moved as if being controlled by some other outward force, the ground shook as they advanced forward.

Edward turned around as they ran past him, "They're flanking Ser Robert's men! Don't let them--!"
They passed even Ser Robert and his soldiers, and began climbing the Shadow Fort's castle walls.
"Don't get distracted, men!" Shouted Robert.
The blue one made it to the upper battlements and paused suddenly, its only movement was sinister breathing. The green one fell down, landing flat on its back and causing the ground to quake under them.
"Since when are they climbing castle walls!?" Said Franz, incredulously.
"I ill-like the thought of Cyclopes invading Gran Soren," added Ser Orson, folding his arms.
Arya was uneasy at the thought of giant beasts, especially giant man-eating beasts, but this was something far more treacherous. These creatures had order, and structural battle strategies.
-BOOM!-
Valter and Orson dodged to the side as the green Cyclops dealt an earth - shattering blow with a giant barbed cudgel. Edward charged in, "It's got a new objective!"
The monster swung wildly. Arya, telegraphing every attack, slashed at its weapon arm. "It certainly runs fast!"
The creature drew back and swung at Caellach, who faced the attack head-on. The moment the strike landed, he advanced closer on the Cyclops and smashed its fingers with a mighty swing of his hammer.
-RRREUUUAAAARGHH!!-
The monster screamed in agony as it dropped the club.

Arya noticed something strange though, a group of men coursing through the Shadow Fort had apparently made it to the upper battlements and started battle with the blue cyclops.
-crack, crack, crack!-
Bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, the green Cyclops reeled in pain. The beast ran directly at Gerik, like it knew he had casted the spell. Lyon, Edward and Orson systematically took turns slashing at the beast's knee, causing it to kneel just before reaching Gerik.
-chok!-
Caellach jumped from the cyclops's knee and knocked off one of its elongated tusks. The monster roared, swinging wildly before looking back at the Black Cloaks. The beast's hands coursed its face, like it was looking for something. When the left hand discovered the missing tusk, its eye glowed red and steam came from its mouth. The cyclops, now fully enraged, threw a fearsome tantrum.
"Brontide," whispered Gerik. Rocks off the ground began floating, and a whip made of coursing lightning was in Gerik's hands. Edward looked over to Arya, "Go aid Ser Robert and the Wyrm Huntsman. We'll take care of aught here."

Along with Franz and Orson, Arya went deeper into the old settlement, arriving in front of the Shadow Fort's castle. The men had just finished their skirmish with the goblins, and the blue cyclops lie dead in the battlements, its body quickly decaying into a vile liquid.
"What's going on now, Ser Robert?" Asked Arya, feeling somewhat confused by the silence.
Before Robert could even speak, a crowned hobgoblin jumped out a window from the upper levels of the fortress. The creature pitifully hopped into one of the tunnels that littered the Shadow Fort. Arya followed it without hesitation.

"The Goblin King."