Under the moonlight spun of might they came to the battlefield, to the frontier of the good and evil. They kept coming as men gathered to protect what was most dear to them— a place full of memories, a place they called home.
Ines gritted her teeth and sped across the frozen snow, shield in one hand and sword in the other, gripping it so tight her knuckles had turned white. She ran full speed, legs on fire, chest on fire. There was no feeling like throwing yourself into battle, gambling your life on your luck and instinct, and Ines hoped she would see that battle through.
She was moving faster than light, bravely leading the men forward. A whizzing sound from above made her slow down and look up. Arrows flew into the heaving mass of creatures from the walls above, from the hands of their brothers. Ines sped up again and faced their enemy. Her boots thumped on the hard ground, echoing the beating of her drumming heart. She saw the first line of their forces and bared her teeth. She was ready.
Her shield crashed into a creature's face and flung it forward, sending it rolling on the snow. She cut one down with her blade, caught another by the neck and smashed its face with her head. A creature thrust at her with a spear. She hit him on its throat and ripped it off its feet.
Someone suddenly shouted from behind. A creature grabbed her and punched her stomach, but she reacted fast and butted the hilt of her sword into its face. She slashed another and made it screech in pain. She fought and pushed and ducked like a wild and savage animal. As she took her opponents down one by one, red flames crossed the black sky and Ines instantly knew the catapults had been lit.
'Get cover!' she ordered the others, and they immediately raised up their shields.
The explosion seared the air and earth in a way that left devout of life. Ines knelt down and tried to control her ragged breathing, giving herself some time to lay out a plan in her mind. Everything was on fire, people were screaming in anguish and falling to meet their death.
Something suddenly smashed her sideways, and she went stumbling through flames, kicking sparks. Everything was blurry. All was a storm of clattering metal and broken voices that filled her head with fear. She wasn't sure which way she was facing. Her jaw throbbed in pain, and her arms were aching from the impact.
A great sword tore at the scorching air, and she saw it flying towards her. Just before it tore through her armour, she ducked away and stabbed the creature down, slashed another across the back as she turned to run forward.
Ines knew it was time to use her powers. The more she delayed, the more losses they would have to bear. She touched her necklace and prayed she was strong enough. She clenched her fists and began running once more. She was too fast, too eager, her weapon reeling after her.
Her eyes turned white, her veins became streams of mighty power, and her body a vessel of magic sailing straight into the storm. With hope as her only guide, she focused her powers on the army of creatures and started her assault on them.
She hit one of them in the mouth with the rim of her shield and threw it back, while her magic hunted the others down and destroyed the spell that controlled them. She ducked and caught a creature between the legs, hefted it over the snow, knocking another out with her powers.
Just when she thought there were too many of them, and worry crawled up her mind, elves appeared from every direction, snarling at the enemy and barking orders to one another. The soldiers paused for a second and stared at them in suspicion, but the danger was far too great, and they had to return to battle.
At first, they fought in a distance, each side separated by a band of creatures where Ines was giving her own fight. Slowly, though, as the battle raged and the instincts of survival prevailed, they took a chance and braved out their scruples.
The first to crack the wall between them was a soldier who would have been too young to fight under different circumstances. He saw an elf, tired-looking and unguarded, being hit from every direction and he unwaveringly stepped in to defend him. The others, witnessing that act of confidence, followed their example and thereupon every human sword was safeguarded by magic.
Ines kept shoving and swinging her sword at the enemy. After every creature she took down, there were twice as many afterwards. After every blow there was the excruciating pain that made her almost convulse to the ground.
'They can barely hold them off! There are too many!' she heard a frantic voice from behind her.
She glanced over and saw the old elf stand in the midst of all that chaos. 'I'm not giving up!' she snapped back. She wiped the rain from her eyes and fixed her helmet. I won't let him win, she thought and tightened her hold on her sword. She was ready to throw herself again into battle when lighting struck, and the battlefield was illuminated with whites and greys.
She stared ahead and noticed a black figure, still like a statue in all the ever-moving sea of warriors. She blinked in surprise. Their deadliest foe was there, in front of her, his content smile visible under the moonlight.
I'm going to face him, she decided. She knew there was no point in postponing their duel. She just wished she felt more prepared and confident. She shook her head. There was no time for second thoughts. It was either them, or him. And she chose them.
'Peter! Wait!' the old man tried to stop her, but she avoided his touch.
'I've waited far too long!' she said and ran to finally meet her fate.
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A/N: Take cover! We are under attack! They are throwing their stars at us. Quick, throw yours against them!
Phrase of chapter: ὀρθόν οὔν εὔναι χρῆ, οὐχί ὐρθούμενον / a man should be upright, not kept upright - Marcus Aurelius