Parallel: The Legion

Chapter 6: Battle for Valerium

Nicola flew just below the clouds. Maxima's color palette was just perfect for this kind of operation. They blended with the sky and made their objective way easier. As the sun began to rise, she held the necklace that her mentor had given her before she was taken to join the Chaos Guard. She was told that it was supposed to give the wearer the ability to 'see' into the past of their target. As Nicola was about to look into the life of the man who freed her, trumpets came to life as 300 soldiers led by Nagash and Maddox formed their lines just outside of the main gate in the south. From her point of view, she could also see the gates the to the east open with a mass of armor and blades riding out. They disappeared under the ridge with Kovac and Ira taking the path near the river at the head of the group.

"Be wary sister...the beast has sensed us." Maxima said as she started her descent. Kovac opened a channel for the two to communicate just before they left... For Nicola, well it was weird to have a second consciousness in her mind.

The Basilisk felt the link, even through the meters of dirt and rock separating them. It growled and roared causing the whole battlefield to shake. The earth got ripped a part as the basilisk surfaced. Nicola grinned almost as wild as Maxima did as they went on to dive straight at it. This was it, this was her moment, this is how she will break free of her bonds. She let out a feral scream and her body glowed. Runes could be seen glowing brightly through the fabric of her clothing. The aura spread onto Maxima, and like a shooting star they flew past the basilisk leaving a huge gash in its scales. A laugh escaped her lips as she saw the jagged line on its forehead. With their objective completed, Lupa banked hard to the right and started leading the Basilisk to the wastelands.

A grin formed on Maddox' lips as the beast slithered away. The General simply shook his head and laughed.

"Alright! Shield wall! Give them nothing!" The General roared as he brought his own shield up and positioned his sword to stab whoever got close. With Maddox on his right, the rest of the soldiers formed up around them. Archers drew their bows as the first wave emerged from the dust storm that got kicked up. Each and every soldier roared in defiance at the oncoming tide of enemies, each and every one of them became a part of something bigger than just an army. Their formation got pushed back and their boots dug into the ground. After a few more moments, the enemy's momentum halted and a roar rose throughout the Valerian ranks.

"SLAUGHTER!" Maddox gave his own battle cry as the front line bashed their enemies back. The line behind them stabbed from below as they drove their blades down. The bloodbath continued as the Orcs and bandits continued to push through their fallen comrades. Valerian archers blotted out the sun as they kept firing at the waves of hostile fighters, whittling down their numbers for their own. Soon the charge halted and the enemy archers were just taking potshots at the metal wall. With the withdrawal of the horde, the mages returned to their posts and brought their shield back up. Over the hill, the enemies massed their numbers and roared once more. The Valerians steeled themselves for another charge but it never came. A red glow rose up from behind the Orcish lines followed by flashes of blue light.

Meanwhile..

He only took two hundred riders with him, a fourth of which was composed of archers. Kovac let the fighters with heavier armour lead the way as he hung back to find his fellow player. Among the army, a battle song had started. A grin formed on his lips as the archers started a song that he had sung hundreds of times before. He let out a loud laugh as he raised his fist in the air and motioned for the knights to mix in with the archers. As one, the chant grew louder but still he moved around the formation until he found the source. From the main body of the archer unit a girl was singing.

"Where their blood flows, we follow! Through their hearts our blades will pierce! Through their souls, our songs they'll hear!"

The thirst for blood could be seen in her eyes, which soon spread throughout the warriors. Another laugh escaped his lips when he rode right beside her and led her to the head of the riders. Owls became even more blended within the ranks of the Bears and the Rams. He looked right into her eyes, conveying a message only she could receive. Eclipse grinned as wild as he did returning the look. The chant was repeated until he yelled out the next stanza.