Sons of Ironstorm - Book 4: Griffon's Stand

A Final Act

With the Dagger's defensive magic already in place, the deadly ordnance shattered into gravel before it could reach the walls themselves. But it was hard to ignore cycles of training and experience, the sight of the stones forcing the defenders to keep their heads down. That, in turn, allowed the dark soldiers to rush the walls virtually unchallenged, scaling ladders once again in hand. That is, until Charon and the other Chain Island wizards began to cast their magic, the spells summoning deadly hail and searing fire to slow the charge towards the walls.

The human wizards giving the enemy pause was enough of a break to allow the war council to scatter and Patrik to once again summon the runes to quicken and strengthen the defenders before he too ran to take a position on the south wall. Holding only long enough to protect his brother while Patrik cast his defensive spells, Shawn was heading in the opposite direction as soon as the last rune was sketched, Dezi appearing out of seeming thin air to glide alertly at his side, her sword ready in her hand.

Sheathed in Wielder armor, glowing a muted indigo instead of the gold Shawn's armor exuded, a stylized flame embossed on the breastplate near her throat, the dark elf warrior appeared ready for anything. She flashed a smile at Shawn's quick wink of greeting then both were ducking to avoid a scything line of dark arrows, lifting from modified tjor'riin archers standing just outside the tree line.

An eyebrow lifting in cold consideration, Shawn eased from his defensive crouch to reach for the bow that spun into existence on his back, a magical quiver appearing just beside it. If the enemy wanted to use archers, then he was going to give those archers something to think about. He drew an arrow from the quiver, nocked it and drew to release in one smooth motion, the massive bow sending the arrow streaking through the air almost too fast for the naked eye to follow.

A weapon only a Wielder could draw, the bow also possessed the power to reach the archers lining the western edge of the trees. Much to their chagrin, the enemy made this discovery when the first of them went down with a grunt, an arrow driven through its breastplate and nearly its body as well, its heavy warhead jutting from the tjor'riin's back. The second quickly dropped almost before the first hit the ground, an arrow jutting from its visor slit, the third right behind it.

Drawing and releasing in easy rhythm, Shawn worked his way north along the line, his counterattack brutal and efficient. Stunned by his ability to reach them far outside the range of a normal bow, the Shadow archers milled in confusion and uncertainty, further adding to their death toll as the powerful Wielder took advantage of that confusion to cut them to pieces. Within a handful of moments, the western line was decimated.

A nod of satisfaction then Shawn was turning his attention to the northern line of archers, who were just now noticing how badly their western comrades were faring. Unfortunately, he had little opportunity to hit them as hard; just as he sent the first half dozen missiles on their way, scaling ladders began slapping against the wall, the dark soldiers that brought them quickly ascending with weapons in hand.

Shawn loosed his final arrow and let both the bow and quiver fade into sparkling motes as he turned towards the nearest ladder. His gauntleted hands, however, didn't stay empty long. A surge of energy and a flare of light and two cold fire blades were in his hands, ready for the first dark soldier to lift itself above the wall's top edge. His wait for their appearance was no more than a few shades before they were pouring onto the wall top and battle was joined.

As it did in the first battle for the Dagger's walls, the fighting ebbed and flowed with every shift in momentum. In one shade the enemy held the advantage, pushing the defenders back on every side. Then, in a lightning-fast counterattack, the Wielders would break the attack's force with a devastating riposte; precise assaults and battle magic combining to rip through the dark soldier ranks and swing momentum back in favor of the defense.