Morcatia Shattered Realms-Sands of War

Five

Inside Darabia

Draven dropped from his position on top of the building at the edge of the market district. The First, Second, and Third Companies of the Ambush were two minutes behind him. He had already planned their route to charge the wall. If they split their forces and weaved through the taller buildings of the capital district they could avoid most of the crossbow fire that would come once their presence was noticed.
Soon after the other ambush warriors were at his position.

"We need to get to the top of the wall as soon as possible," Draven ordered to his company, "but be cautious, Radna is an Alpha-Wraith. He's incredibly fast and extremely deadly, I've seen him wipe out most of the tenth company of the Crimson Herd at the Battle of Colter. Ella herself drove him back after the slaughter, though he ran, bloody coward."

Draca regarded him with a nod, "I'll lead half of First Company down the left side of the district. Third Company can take to the rooftops, maybe provide some cover fire if we meet resistance before we reach the wall."

"Iza be with us," Draven silently prayed as he took the lead of his unit. He led a battalion of 150 warriors through the capital district weaving through alleyways and side streets. He drew his dagger as they approached the last few buildings before they reached the gate.
Draven leaped through the air toward the closest wraith, smashing into it and driving his dagger through its neck. He rolled off the side of his slain enemy dodging a downward thrust from a rusted blade. He reached and wrapped his clawed fingers around the attacker's esophagus and wrenched it free in a fountain of black blood. The rest of his battalion crashed into the wraiths with full force, the lesser wraiths quickly being torn apart. With blinding speed Draven carved through his enemies, slashing their throats and gouging their eyes out with his claws.

"We have to get to the top of the wall!" he shouted to the warriors to his back, "Third Company take out the archers!"
He looked to the roofs and saw Third Company throwing knives toward to archers atop the wall. Bodies began falling to the ground behind the fighting wraiths. A soldier from Third Company leaped from the closest building toward the wall, grabbing one of the black vines that protruded from it. His hand clasped around it and a mist of blood exploded from the joints of his armor. He fell backward and landed in a heap at the foot of the wall.

"Don't touch the vines!" Draven shouted in horror.

"Fire at will!" a bellowing roar rang from on top of the wall. "Slay those filthy dogs! Destroy that battering ram!"

Draven looked up to see Radna pointing to the ground on the other side toward the Silver Moons. A small group of the wraiths shot flaming bolts from their crossbows. He drew a throwing knife and flung it toward the monstrous creature. It slid off his armor protecting his top humanoid half.
Radna looked down and met Draven's gaze. He smiled through his sharp teeth and dropped his great bow, then drew a giant two-headed battleax from his back. He leaped from the top of the wall and crashed onto the ground in the center of the Ambush's forces. He swung his ax mutilating a group of warriors, flinging their lifeless bodies through the air. The Ambush swarmed him stabbing and clawing at his arachnid legs to no avail. Their blades bounced off his tough armor-like exoskeleton, their claws snapping off their gauntlets. He smashed his ax down splitting a warrior from head to groin. Draven forced his way through the battle towards Radna.

"Try to get his attention!" a telepathic voice in his head grunted. He turned to see Draca making his way toward him, "I'll try to get under him!" Draca sliced the head off a rotting walking corpse and ran behind Radna.

Radna hacked his way through the backlines of the Ambush. He turned towards a group of Third Company who were throwing knives at him from the rooftops. Draven took this opportunity to rush him. He leaped through the air over the mutilated corpses of his brothers and sisters, swinging his dagger at Radna's throat.

"Nice try," he heard as a giant fist smashed into his chest spiraling him into a pile of rubble from a partially destroyed building. He looked up to see Radna staring at him through six blood-red eyes. Behind him, Draca was running toward his back preparing to slide underneath him. Radna smiled and leaped straight up ten feet in the air. Draca swung his long sword upwards but found no purchase. Radna's hulking form came crashing down upon Draca, knocking him unconscious. He grabbed Draca by his head and skidded up the side of the closest building, using his spider legs. As he reached the top he slammed his ax into three warriors of Third Company knocking them off the side onto the earth below. He jumped from building to building, then leaped over to the top of the wall where the wraith archers were raining fire on the Silver Moons.

Draven pulled himself up gasping from a pain in his side. His ribs were broken. He closed his eyes and sent to all of Third Company, "Radna took Draca, follow him to the wall! Jump from the closest buildings to avoid those black vines!"

The sky darkened as countless Ambush warriors leaped from the rooftops toward Radna. The sounds of battle ringing from both sides of the wall.

"Kill those animals behind us!" Radna bellowed. The archers turned around and began firing on the Ambush. Warriors began falling from the rooftops, crossbow bolts piercing the gaps in their armor. Still, the remaining warriors of Third Company reached the wall and began cutting down the archers.

Draven looked up to where Radna stood, still holding Draca's unconscious body. Radna threw Draca to his feet, hung his ax on his back, and picked up the giant black bow he dropped before he jumped from the wall. He knocked a long, gleaming black arrow and aimed it at the sky. He released it and it shot straight up with blinding speed, and with an ear-shattering crack, it exploded in a burst of bright necrotic green. He hung his bow over his shoulder, grabbed Draca's unconscious body, and disappeared over the wall.