The Battle for Tarithnesti (Finale)

07 Deepkolt 349 AC

ON THE BANKS OF THE THON-THALAS

Grotto casts a pair of spells, one to double his size and the other to make his skin as hard as the rock he was sculpted from.

Suitably enhanced, he nods to Ornforithalas, "Let's go!"

The scouts move forward, as quiet as the grave and close in on the enemy. Once they are close enough, Grotto leaps up and shouts, "COME FIGHT ME YOU OVERGROWN GECKOS! THE LAST THING YOU'LL SEE IS MY AXE AS IT SPLITS YIUR SKULL!"

With that, he hurls his blade. It tumbles end over end and strikes the nearest kapak in the center of the chest, bowling it over and knocking it into a nearby baaz. Grotto's axe flies back to his hand as the elves open fire. Dozens of arrows streak into the mass of reptilian troops. Four go down in thr opening seconds of the fight. Half of the archers switch to spears while the second half unleashes another burst of fletched death. Two more draconians fall.

The battle begins in earnest. Grotto bounds into the fray, his axe crushing any lizard not fast enough to get out of his way. Within seconds, two petrified baaz lay at his feet while the kapak he wounded dissolves into an acidic puddle.

Even more arrows follow. Two of the unknown draconians are struck down. As they die, their skin shrivels and flakes away until only bones remain. Those bones explode a second later, leaving a smoking crater where the lizardmen once stood.

In six seconds, less than half of the raiding platoon remained alive and their ranks were rapidly degenerating into chaos. Grotto took a pair of sword hits without even flinching. Those still alive raised shields to protect their left flank and rushed the elves but waiting spears met their charge.

The runes blazed beneath Grotto's skin, warming his muscles and stoking the fires of his mounting rage. He waded into the rear of the Draconian column, splitting skull and spine alike as the elves moved in to finish the work the dwarf had started. A third explosion, then a fourth, from slain Draconians echoed through the woods.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. Heaps of enemy dead lay at the dwarf's feet.

THE PROTECTOR'S TOWER

“Redclaw’s Vengeance!! I told you!” The blackrobed Bladesinger shouts over the wind and ruffles the feathers of the griffon’s nape while angling over the city to survey the battlefield. Spotting the combat in the streets, bladesinger and griffon survey the fighting below.

Ra’ziir steers Redclaw into an attack run that will carry the two of them through the thick of the fighting. “There! They need help on that street. If we come in from the other side we can shore up their flank by harrying that Dragonarmy squad.”

The black-robed elf spurs his mount into a dive. Redclaw's talons rip through a pair of soldier's mail armor. Grumbar’s Razor flashes across taking one man's arm and splitting the other from helm to collarbone.

Raven follows in close pursuit and drops into the center of a mixed squad of humans and Baaz. Nightwatcher and Thorgrim flash, crimson on iron and adamantite. Not a single warrior within reach is left standing as the elf tears through their ranks.

Shadow’s conjured stone wall collapses in the wake of the explosion. Dust and smoke billow through the lower halls as the magical wall finally collapses.

The Dragonarmy has breached the tower.

Above the ruined entrance, Cedron regains control. The beacon’s power flows around him, through him, strengthening his body, lending speed to his limbs. He raises his Harmonic Blade. He roars, YOU STAND IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS!" The baaz turns its attention toward him as Cedron runs his fingers along the edge of his sword, the words of a prayer to Malazzarr on his lips. Divine fire races along its edge as the humming begins again.

The baaz raises his own sword in a two-handed grip. He grins at the priest as his sword bursts into flames.

Cedron stands before it, blazing sword in hand, the cerulean light of the beacon reflecting from the Harmonic Blade. He is impossible to ignore.

Just what Kysek needs.

He moves silently, floating only an inch or two above the ground, slipping through the fallen stones with skills honed over a century of escaping notice until he is behind the Draconian commander.

Then, he strikes.

The baaz spins, catching Blackflame on the crossguard of his fiery sword. Powerful muscles force the blade down and out. A swift cut, far faster than what should be possible for so large a weapon, follows. Kysek reacts instantly, bending backwards to avoid the strike. His armored attire takes the brunt of the blow, turning a potentially fatal strike into a deep bruise.

Kysek circles, he finds himself reflecting on the irony of the moment, "I really should learn more spells," he thinks as he falls back, rolling to the left to kept out of draconian's sword's long reach.

On the tower above, Shadow feels the while structure tremble beneath his feet. He turns toward his summoned angels.

“Let’s stop those dragonmen before any more elves die. Attack!”

The celestials dive. Extended talons gleam, reflected against the beacon’s blue light.

At the same moment, Shadow raises his hand, calling upon his arcane power. Lightning gathers in his hand and hurls the bolt down at the baaz with the fiery sword. His bolt strikes the leader with punishing force, illuminating his skeleton from with. Electrical arcs erupt from his body, reaching out to strike all of the surviving kapaks. The power of the attack reduces the last of these reptilian invaders to smoking husks.

The elves have won.