Whitemane's Gambit
The retreat to the Monastery was surprisingly organized even if there were minor ambushes launched by the chasing undead and casualties were moderately high among the fleeing soldiers. Everywhere they looked, the crusaders could see dead villages and pools of blood in the spots where their former countrymen and women had met their horrifying ends. Some of the houses were burning and their dancing flames only darkened the already dark sky. Nearly all of the remaining human villages in eastern Tirisfal Glades were wiped out within an hour and worse yet, the villagers would now fill the necromancer's dwindled ranks. The few remnants of the region's old countryside were gone forever, only the Monastery itself standing as the last, fading memory about what these lands once were. This day would have a momentous and tragic legacy but for now, the only thing that mattered to the crusaders at this point was safeguarding their own positions in the Monastery and to halt the Scourge's advance while there was still time.
"Get all the monks and the tools from the Soldiers' quarter here! Quickly, the undead will be here at any minute!" The voice belonged to Renault Mograine who was among the first of the soldiers to reach the Monastery grounds. Even if he hadn't witnessed the day's greatest loss personally, the young paladin could immediately tell that Ferren Marcus was nowhere to be seen. Given the situation, putting the pieces together wasn't a major challenge. Unlike many of his comrades, the young paladin felt no sadness or regret this development, far from it in fact. As long as he could remember, the blonde-haired knight had despised the old Abbot almost as deeply as he hated his father and he had waited for a chance to take his place. Renault knew that his family name gave him major leverage in giving him the command in this sudden and dangerous situation. He was approached by a tall and extremely muscled man who looked at him with an aggressive expression.
"Who gave you the right to command us, Mograine? Get into the work like the rest of us!" The large man spoke to the young paladin and the latter was momentarily heckled by this display of brute intimidation.
"At least you won't order me, Herod! You may be one of our mightiest warriors but you don't know anything about commanding! Leave that part to others, more capable men!" Renault hissed under his breath as he looked at the larger crusader. His hostile look was greeted in kind by the man called Herod who had long served as one of the most ardent defenders of the Monastery due to his strength, passion and skill. Many overlooked him as anything other than a mere brute, a custom Herod didn't seem to mind.
"Don't test my patience, brat. You may be the Highlord's son but that means nothing here. Begin earning your upkeep before I have to teach you a lesson. Get out of my sight!" After one, hateful look Herod moved away from Renault and headed to build the barricades around the Monastery complex, leaving Renault to look at him in annoyance. He respected Herod's value as a soldier but he despised the larger man's arrogant and self-righteous attitude. Still, Renault knew his own cards were rather good at this point. The High Abbot was dead and soon many others would have a chance to lay down their strategies and visions until the next Abbot could be appointed which wouldn't happen anytime soon.
Half an hour later the barricades were high enough to hold off the undead even if it was becoming clear that their assault had been stopped for now. Nearly all of those who had survived the brutal onslaught shuddered at the memory of the turning villagers and the brutal remains of their old bodies as well as the cold, overwhelming power of the Scourge. But most importantly, the Monastery's exalted and beloved lord was no longer. There was no one who would be able to take his mantle and lead the crusaders to victory in this dire hour. The mood was nearly defeated when the mournful bells of the Monastery called the higher-ranked members of their forces into the Cathedral for reasons that weren't too difficult to guess.
Osran accompanied his captain to this meeting as one of the few senior knights of his group. The leaders and officers of the Monastery headed to this occasion as soon as they could but the moods and the expressions of the attendees would have been more fitting for a funeral. Some were openly weeping while others' faces were masks of hatred and retribution. To Osran's surprise and shock, the priestess who started to speak was the same one to who had interrupted his conversation with Renault in the morning following their arrival. The brief acquaintance had been far from pleasant. Osran could only hope that he had judged her wrong.
"My brothers and sisters, as you know, our revered Abbot Ferren Marcus fell during the morning's battle, a loss that can never be replaced. His ability to lead and inspire us was without equal and his passion in preserving our Monastery's wisdom and heritage is an example to us all. He lived and died as a true champion of Lordaeron and the Church. Nonetheless, the reality is that he is dead." Whitemane's words were full of sorrow and respect to the dead priest but it turned into a sharper one with the last sentence. Her eyes seemed to penetrate each and every one in the room as she continued.
"I served as his deputy for his last years and by the pretense of Lordaeron's law, I'll take his place in absence of the Church's central command. Normally, our Monastery's leader should be declared and affirmed by the Church's supreme leader but due to his absence, I'm taking control of our home for now." Osran looked around himself with surprise and worry. Something about Whitemane caused distrust in the brown-bearded knight, something he couldn't quite point out. Still, he knew his word would weigh little here and the paladin raised no objections.
"However, before we do anything else, we must crush the necromancer and secure our Monastery from Diodor's attack. If we fail, all of our lives will be forfeit. Half of our forces fell today and beating the enemy became much more difficult due to our failure. However, I have already spoken with someone who will be able to provide us with a strategy that can give us a chance to save ourselves. Renault Mograine, please step forward!" Whitemane looked at the young paladin as he moved to her side. Many in the hall exchanged surprised looks as the inexperienced, arrogant boy had been called to give them orders. Especially Herod looked disappointed by this sudden turn of events but he, like Osran, kept his mouth shut. Mograine looked at the others and continued where Whitemane had stopped.
"Indeed, I believe I've found a decisive flaw in Diodor's plans. The cursed enemy of the Light might be able to master his evil, destructive powers and he may have slayed our comrades without end but he is still nothing more than a filthy murderer who stands no chance against our retribution. During the battle, I could see that he knew everything we would do and that helped him counter our strategy easily. According to what I've learned, the key to beating him is to catch him by surprise and to give him no time to develop his nefarious plans. I say we regather the rest of our troops and counterattack the necromancer before he has even digested his first, lucky victory." Mutters of approval and concern could be heard in the room as most of the crusaders had a hard time trusting their very lives to the young paladin and his plan but none of them could come up with anything better. After all, anyone who would object to Renault's proposition implied that he or she had a better idea, something they simply didn't have.
However, one paladin couldn't believe his ears as he listened to Renault's proposition. Two times the crusaders had attacked Diodor straightly and both times had resulted in a complete disaster. Osran had seen many fine strategies and battleplans during his life but the younger Mograine's idea certainly wasn't one of them.
"I object! We cannot rush towards him once more! If he is waiting for our counterattack, we're all as good as dead! We cannot take that risk" Osran's voice was almost a cry as he interrupted Renault's speech. All of the eyes in the hall turned to look at the interrupter, most of them unsure what to make of his objection. Renault turned to look at Osran who quickly walked towards the altar as was a custom for those seeking a chance to speak directly to the preacher.
"Who gave you the right to speak, outsider? Time is of the essence and you wish to waste our time trying to question your superior?" Renault yelled in deep displeasure at the aging paladin who tried to rob him of his newfound authority and respect. Osran answered in a more silent and respecting voice while he still withheld his firmness.
"With all due respect, crusader Mograine, no one appointed you just yet and even if Inquisitor Whitemane did without telling us of it, the Church's rules allow for its attending members to voice their doubts if they see flaws in the speaker's judgement. We all know that my right to speak is unquestionable. Isn't it so, High Inquisitor?" Osran looked at Whitemane with an uncompromising but noble expression. He was quite sure his proposition wouldn't be accepted but he wasn't about to let the younger knight or his companion to rob him of his rightful answer. Whitemane looked at Osran in deep annoyance but he knew the older knight spoke the truth. The priestess simply nodded to him reluctantly, signaling that Osran could proceed. Renault looked at his companion in chagrin but he knew better than to say something unthought. No matter how little the younger Mograine despised the situation, he couldn't afford to lose his credibility now.
"Then speak, old man. Maybe then you finally learn to stay silent during times like these." Renault's voice was cold and held clearly restrained anger. Osran realized he wouldn't get a better arrangement for his objection and he turned to look at the assemble crowd. Most of them didn't seem to know which one to listen but they at least knew Renault personally while Osran was an outsider, albeit a valuable one.
"We keep losing to him because we do exactly as he expects. During his attacks on the villages in the previous weeks, he could always tell how we'd react to his attacks but we knew nothing of him. He could always plan his attacks perfectly because we wouldn't be able to counter them. This morning, we attacked him headlong and he had a trap laid out for us and we walked to it without a second thought! Now Diodor probably expects us to counterattack and try to to avenge Marcus and if we once again fall to it, we're done for!" Osran spoke in a firm voice and his eyes resonated with clear determination. The audience listened to him in worry until Renault once again spoke.
"Or then again he might expect us to whimper here like dogs, resigned to our fate as servants of the Scourge! Are you saying that we should stay here and wait until we're surrounded and ready to be slaughtered?" Renault narrowed his eyes as they seemed to penetrate Osran will their enraged glare. Osran felt greater concern by the minute for the young Morgraine and his ability to once inherit the Ashbringer and Alexandros' position from his father but those thoughts had to be cast away now. The Monastery's fate could very well be decided by this debate.
"The most important thing at this point is to minimize the amount of forces Diodor commands during our next battle. Another failed attack could provide him with an unstoppable advantage in manpower, especially as his soldiers seemed to retain the power they held in life. We have to fight a more restrained battle and let the mages burn…" Osran was suddenly interrupted by Whitemane who decided to partake in the debate sternly and with a voice that echoed Renault's hostility. She had no more appetite to fight with the paladin and she resolved to get this irritant out of the way.
"The mages? We are in center of Light's power in this land and you recommend that we rely on the mages? Since when have paladins deemed the good things in this world worthless in face the destructive, brutal power of the unstable magi?" Whitemane yelled at Osran whose calm expression slowly started to give way to the anger he held towards the two. Arellas, who was among the attendees, looked at Osran in surprise, not expecting the paladin to be willing to provide him and his colleagues such a major display of trust in front of the others. Osran's voice started to rise slowly as he prepared to once again defend himself.
"If they are the key to our victory, yes! We, the paladins and priests, are the main warriors of the Crusade and we will be able to vanquish any evil that we encounter. But that triumph will prove worthless if that evil rises again from its grave! Diodor isn't invincible and he mustn't be allowed to get the initiative again! No matter what, we have to avoid falling into his trap once more and the magi, alongside with our scouts, are a good way to bypass his plots!" Osran said in a loud voice which silenced the others to simply follow the debate, willing to see if Mograine and Whitemane would be able to defend their position against this brave outsider.
"And the longer we chatter here, the more time he'll have to hone his strategy, old man! As for the magi, they've proven them too unreliable for us to lay our strategy in their hands! Do you want more of them to join the necromancer's ranks, outsider? Do you ?!" Renault yelled in cold rage as he thought about the treachery of many of the magi in the past. Not only was this decrepit upstart questioning his authority but he was also threatening the Crusade itself with his reckless plans. He had to show him his place here, before the eyes of his comrades.
"Many others of us will serve the Scourge soon enough if you have your way, Renault! I've known your father for years and he has always led his troops with courage and wisdom, always considering all different aspects of the coming battle! The Ashbringer has never sacrificed a comrade needlessly and neither must we today! We simply need to be patient and precise in our moves!" Osran hoped to invoke a flurry of doubts in the younger Mograine's head but he didn't know the young man's contempt for his father. Alexandros was a beacon of hope for the Crusade and surely his son should remember the amount of personal sacrifice the elder Mograine had gone through in the two great wars. At this point, Renault was about to unleash an all-out attack on Osran when Whitemane suddenly whispered something to him. She realized that a rant of the Highlord's faults wouldn't be helpful to building trust on the two among the audience.
"The Ashbringer has always been a man of action and today we honor his leadership by following his principles. I believe in his son's judgement and leadership today over this unknown outsider. The Church grants its acceptance to Mograine's plan. Does someone object to its order and defend our guest's proposition?" Confused muttering filled the room but no one wanted to stand up to the decision of the Church's highest official in the Monastery. Also, Mograine's name and the straightforwardness of his plan was a huge encouragement to many of those present.
Osran looked around himself with a discouraged expression, seeing that only Tareth, Herod and Arellas looked at him in clearly sympathetic eyes. Osran knew that his cause was lost for now, no matter how much despair acknowledging it brought to the aging knight. Regardless of his disappointment with the outcome of the argument, he knew his chance to speak had been spent and any further arguing would only worsen his position. He bowed gracefully to the duo and spoke in a tense but respecting voice.
"Excuse my interruption, my comrades. I accept your proposition. Let's hope it will be the correct one." Osran turned on his heels and walked back to his seat. He could feel Renault's vengeful eyes bore deep into his back as he walked but he knew there was nothing the young Mograine could do at this point. He had won the argument but it allowed no further repercussions to the lost side. Tareth looked at his follower with an apologizing expression as he sat down.
"Well spoken, Osran. I'm sorry the others couldn't see the truth in your words." The knight captain whispered to Osran who followed the duo's speech with a bitter look.
"They will, eventually. Sadly it may be too late for us by then." The brown-bearded paladin shook his head as he prepared to head to the courtyard and back into battle. He smiled in bitter irony at the thought that it seemed like his superiors had decided that he and his comrades wouldn't live until the evening. The thought was a mix of disgust and contempt at the man who was supposed to follow in his father and brother's footsteps in serving the Light and defending the weak. At this pace he would become the shame of the whole Mograine family.
The Monastery was bordered by now-abandoned farmlands to the south whereas to its west opened a thick forest that separated the complex from its western tributary villages. To the region's past inhabitants, this would be the time to enjoy the reaps of the warmest time of the year and to enjoy the long, happy days preceding the coming fall and eventual winter. The woods would have once bloomed with life as the Midsummer's warm wind flushed through them but now, only tiny, struggling pieces of vegetation grew in the dying trees. Beneath the forest's dark canopy gathered hordes of newfound ghouls, manning the thickets and strategic hills surrounding the Monastery's western Interrogation quarter. Diodor walked middle of his newly-enlarged army as he saw the towers of the huge Monastery rise between the trees. Originally, the necromancer had planned to put the complex under siege and to batter its defenses down one by one. However, Diesalven's visit had changed all that. Diodor no longer saw this as a test of his personal merit: this was a chance to achieve the next leg in his lifelong quest into the secrets of sorcery.
Diodor waited patiently as he expected some kind of retaliation from the crusaders, something with which they would hope to avenge their fallen master. The necromancer had decided to rely on more direct action from now on to achieve his desired goal as soon as possible. Still, Diodor was no fool and he knew that he was still far from invincible. The first fight had gone as he had planned but it wasn't an assurance that the rest of the confrontations would follow the same pattern. The necromancer had gone through far too much to let a simple, stupid surprise turn into his undoing. Diodor could already see the smug, rejoicing faces of his old rivals if they heard about his failure and death.
Still, those seemed distant prospects as Diodor heard massive, thundering behind him. No matter how he tried to prove himself wrong, there simply wasn't a chance the crusaders would be able to defeat him. Diodor's worries were further diminished as he saw groups of monks and priests gather at the main door of the Monastery.
Once you make your final mistake, it's my time to become Kel'Thuzad's right hand and the overlord of these lands! Come… come here. Whatever you do, it will be of no use before my power!
Arellas didn't feel comfortable at all when he mounted his steed, ready to join the risky counterattack. He regretted deeply Osran's failure to persuade his comrades to abandon this foolish endeavor but it was too late now. He could only hope that Renault was wiser than his years would indicate. The elf himself wanted nothing more than to avenge his homeland but not like this. He and the handful of mages following him had been heavily utilized or but little trusted in the previous battles as Marcus saw their value as soldiers but not as comrades. This seemed to change little under the new leadership but still, Arellas knew his duty remained. He would give his all to fight the Scourge, no matter how it would end. He owed it to his now-fallen people to show that the high elves wouldn't go down without a fight.
Sally Whitemane turned to look at her companion as they prepared to depart to battle. The inquisitor knew she held the true power with the Church's backing but Mograine's name was a useful tool in bringing the Monastery under her grip. The two had known each other since their early childhood so a deep amount of trust had developed between the duo who had so easily claimed their place as the masters of the Monastery. Whitemane spoke to Renault in a neutral, matter-of-factly voice.
"Remember what we planned in the morning! We cannot afford to fail or else our legitimacy will be compromised! The others will engage Diodor's forces in battle and we will outflank him while he's preoccupied. Just be sure that you won't fail in this task." Whitemane wished to make it clear that their careers were most likely on stake here along with their lives. The two had waited for this chance for a long time and Marcus' death had opened them this window of opportunity. They had even planned to murder the High Abbot in the past but the risk of failure and the chance of being caught outweighed the benefits of getting rid of a man who'd likely pass away in a few years anyway.
"I won't let that villain live until the evening, Sally. That is the only way I can ever step out from my father's shadow and to prove that I'm a more powerful paladin that he'll ever be. Maybe even our subordinates will prove to be useful soon enough. Killing the necromancer is a mere stepping stone to greater power in the Crusade." Renault spoke coldly, his voice reflecting his internal resoluteness for greater glory and honor within the Crusade. Whitemane looked at her companion with a stern look, not willing to hear those words just yet.
"Just remember that Diodor is more powerful than any of us. You cannot attack him straight away and expect to win! That kind of attitude is why you would have never received the others' approval for your plan without my help!" Whitemane said, willing to underline her point with a firm voice. Even if she had grown to respect Mograine's willingness to act and ruthlessness, she wasn't in any way willing to give him any quarter from her guidance. They might enjoy each other's company and share a common, happy history but both of them were most of all ambitious and ruthless plotters who knew they simply needed each other's help in safeguarding their position within the Monastery and the Crusade as a whole.
"How could I forget it? That insufferable corpse did his all to undermine my authority! Without him, no one would have even dared to question a Mograine's word! I'd get rid of him today already if I didn't need each and every paladin's help in this battle. I can show him his place later, after all this has been dealt with!" Renault said in clear anger, knowing that his opponent was only a few meters behind him, riding in the first lines with his captain. No matter. He would leave back to Tyr's Hand after this battle and Renault would make sure he'd never return to the Monastery in the future.
"It's amazing how much headache one old man caused you. You could have handled him more easily if you have given your plans more thought! Luckily we already went through it so even you might remember it now!" Whitemane said mockingly as she turned her gaze back at the road before her. It was slowly starting to drift downwards, towards the south where the road to Greendale would start. However, that journey would end much sooner than the two had expected.
Suddenly, without a warning, the ranks of the crusaders broke down as a large group of soldiers suddenly started to scream and run towards each other, causing severe chaos in the wider array of troops and momentarily breaking their will to fight. On this moment, a group of undead appeared from the forest but they didn't charge as normal ghouls and skeletons would. These newcomers stood still and started to cast their spells upon the surprised crusaders, releasing the Light's vengeance upon its own champions. However, this time the defenders were prepared for this kind of turn of events and they shielded each other from these blows. As they had been told, it was of extreme importance to keep the casualties as low as possible.
Renault and Whitemane cursed as they saw this sudden development. The paladin moved to safeguard his companion who in turn provided him with powerful healing and blessings that turned the two into a powerful fighting unit.
"Let's find the bastard and put an end to this! Just safeguard my back!" Renault said as he started to cut into the horde of the undead.
"Just hurry, my champion! We have to catch him off guard!" Their whole strategy relied on the assumption that Diodor didn't expect a few defenders to breach his lines and to leave their comrades behind. Abandoning one's allies was against the principles of the Crusade but one that the two were prepared to breach.
The situation in the main force of the defenders was chaotic and discouraged as they had once again been surprised completely. They had managed to defend themselves successfully but more and more of the risen priests and villagers swarmed from the forest. Osran looked at them in despair and rage as he thought about his earlier words and the fact that they had so readily been dismissed by the denizens of the Monastery.
Well, that's their loss as well as mine. Come here, bastards! I'll conclude what I started during the fall of Northdale!
Osran's mind raged with fury as he infused his sword with the power of Light and moved to the front line, willing to cut down as many undead before they would finally be overwhelmed or ordered to flee. He might have been defeated in the debate but he was willing to go to any lengths at this point as long as it hurt the Scourge and the hated traitor of both Lordaeron and Azeroth. Osran's conscious mind had long since given way to the red fury of the battle and contempt at his leaders. No matter what, his blade would cut down as many undead as possible before the end.
"My fellow crusaders, let's give them Hell! Cut our comrades down and strike down the cursed necromancer! Fight for Lordaeron!" Osran yelled and started his charge at the undead on the edge of the forest. More and more powerful blasts of twisted Light rained upon the crusader but the sound of his comrades answering to his battlecry swiped the last vestiges of doubt from Osran's mind and he quickly run past the ditch separating the road from the forest, his comrades' cries ringing in his ears.
The initial contact brought many casualties on the undead but even in his enraged state, Osran could tell that he couldn't keep up his momentum for any longer. No matter how hard it was to accept, these were his old comrades and they knew the art of fighting as well as he did. Still, the aging paladin struggled to cut down his foes, encouraged by the thought that the whole Crusade's fate was hanging in the balance. Should the Monastery fall, the Crusade would be completely wiped out from Tirisfal and another front would be created against them by the Scourge, hampering the humans' offensive capabilities greatly and probably dooming them to a long and slow defeat.
Even then, he knew that there was close to zero chance of actually beating back the charging undead, their numbers vastly outnumbering the defenders and some of them possessing the same abilities as the living. There wasn't any chance of victory against this monstrous foe. Osran felt unbelievable pain as a hit upon hit at him, only to be healed by his comrades. Osran was engaging another fallen farmer when one of the risen paladins hit him into the back by a bright judgement, causing a mortal injury to someone who didn't have healers nearby. Osran turned around and to his relief, he saw a man whose presence filled him with new hope. Herod stood in front of him and looked sternly at the smaller paladin before he continued his fight.
"Stop staring around yourself, paladin! You started this charge so at least fight until the end! Now, monsters, face the Blades of Light!" Osran looked in awe as the huge, red-helmeted man disappeared into the undead horde, his swirling axes cutting dozens of them down instantly. Osran let a slight smile creep into his face: if everyone had Herod's courage and strength, the Scourge wouldn't stand a chance.
Diodor himself was following the fight deeper in the woods, carefully inspecting the situation before diving into the heat of the fight. His servants could keep the crusaders busy long enough for him to inspect whether there were any tricks that he should be aware of. Nearly, if not all of the Monastery's defenders, were engaged in frantic melee and there didn't seem to be any hidden threats in the dark woods. Maybe it were time for him to end this battle and to impose full siege on the Monastery and to decide this campaign once and for all.
"There he is! Renault, assault him first and I'll join in once he puts his attention on you!" Whitemane said as she saw Diodor walk towards the raging battle, looking as confident and malicious as ever. The young Mograine looked at the necromancer in fear, his black cloak, tormented appearance and hooded face filling him with horror and hate. Still, should he dispose of this villain, nothing would prevent his ascension into the Crusade's highest echelon of leadership, past his pitiful relatives and pathetic comrades.
"He doesn't seem to notice our presence. Just do your part and I'll do mine. We will slaughter him right here." Renault whispered to Whitemane who simply nodded and answered.
"Go, now! We don't have much time!" The two were hiding in the dark bushes near where the necromancer was walking. Renault tightened his grip on his sword, hoping beyond hope that their attack would be a successful one. The time between his appearance from the dark woods into engaging Diodor was little more than two seconds, a time in which he hoped it would be impossible for the necromancer to defend himself. Renault was greatly taken aback by Diodor's swift jump backwards and his surprisingly agile dodge. The paladin's sword hit the ground mere inches before the necromancer who was seemingly surprised by the young paladin's attack.
"I knew you were planning something like this, cowards! It won't do you any good, though. The power of the Cold…" Diodor was preparing to cast a blast of shadow to quickly burn Renault to ash when he felt a fleeting moment of fear as he felt the spell die down in his hands. The necromancer looked around himself, desperate to see who was messing with his magic. It took a mere moment for him to locate the source of the counterspell and he called with an unusually loud voice while casting another blast of magic into the woods.
"Get out of the hiding, priest! Fight me face to face, scum! You won't get a chance to hinder my plans!" He looked in contempt as Whitemane run to Renault's side, the necromancer's swift reflexes robbing the two of their expected surprise advantage. Still, both of them were unusually potent in their own schools of mastery of the Light and they knew they fielded a small, if fleeting chance against Diodor's power. Renault turned to face Diodor as Whitemane's spell wearied out.
"You die here, wicked beast! You will fall beneath the power of Renault Mograine!" The young paladin said as he waved his sword in Diodor's direction, the sword seemingly turning into Light itself as he infused it with the power of a true crusader. However, Diodor knew what to expect and released a massive barrage of ice against his opponent, stopping the attack and causing a mortal injury hadn't Renault been fast enough to shield himself with divine grace, protecting himself from any damage conceivable momentarily.
Whitemane used this moment to strike Diodor a blow by hitting the necromancer with a holy smite, inflicting a large wound to the necromancer's left side. Diodor cursed inwardly, frustrated by the resistance he was meeting here. Clearly he would have to get rid of the priestess as her strikes were harder to predict than the paladin's. A wall of dark flames rose behind Whitemane, forcing her closer to Diodor who then released a barrage of shadow upon her. The priestess looked at the display in fear but then cast a few, swift spells upon herself, granting herself a brief defense of Light, just barely enabling her to survive the incoming onslaught. Still, she was left terribly injured and burned, probably lethally, before Renault quickly ran to her, placing his hand on her shoulders and muttering a few words into the dark winds. Suddenly, a bright circle illuminated the scene and wondrously, all of Whitemane's wounds healed instantly. The priestess knew this was to be expected but still the sensation was of utmost grace and reverence to anyone who had felt this blessed Light. Diodor looked at the scene in disgust, not liking what he saw in the least.
"You've done well to survive this long but now your "miracles" are drained. I know it'll be many long minutes before you can use those tricks again! That is exactly why the Cult's power is supreme… now, disappear from my eyes, weaklings!" Diodor unleashed a heavy wave of the brownish energy stored in the vials on his belt, prepared to see the familiar sight before him. However, what happened was something he had been unable to foresee.
Whitemane infused Renault with a pale Light aura, one which purpose Diodor couldn't tell. He was stunned to see Renault disappear in the mist of Plague, only to appear from it a few meters before him. With a nearly panicked swiftness, he waved his hand and cast a bolt of frost at the young Mograine, disabling him for a moment and seeing that this was his moment. His spells battered Renault for seconds before Whitemane could see what was happening. She concentrated all of her power to disable the Plague in a few locations and then released a wave of supreme radiance, one that blinded Diodor completely for a moment. The necromancer formed walls of fire around him to prevent any surprise attacks while was disabled. However, once the radiance had dissipated, his enemies were gone. Not a trace of them could be seen, only the pain in his side and the gentle wind of the early afternoon greeting his senses anymore.
He was somewhat relieved that this unforeseen threat had been dealt with but their ability to confront him and live was a reason for concern. He had seriously injured the paladin but with the correct help, he would live. Diodor sighed as he reflected his brief moments of weakness in the battle, stealing an easy victory from him. Well, that couldn't be helped now. He had to destroy the Monastery in any case and preventing the story of heroism from spreading was only one more reason to see his work to a conclusion. Moreover, this was a good time to introduce his long-planned masterpiece into battle.
Lightfader, here my call! Fear no enemy and crush everyone who serves the Crusade! We shall end this charade together!
Osran was completely covered in his own blood, the numerous wounds upon his body telling their own gory tale about the carnage that was unfolding in the eastern forests of Tirisfal. He had fought his way dozens of meters into the woods, only to be greeted by another undead after another. Herod had been instrumental in keeping their struggling ranks together and all of the defenders had shown formidable courage in this charge. Even if he didn't notice in it in his mental fog of battle, he was in the center of the battle, his fearless and noble show of courage inspiring most of the others to do their very best in this decisive battle. Even if he didn't know it, Osran had already saved the crusaders from an immediate defeat.
However, even a courageous fight against an invincible enemy would be for naught. Even if some of the crusaders did their best trying to burn the slain undead, some of them returned back to their "living" state before they could be burned. Also, the falling crusaders refilled the rest of Diodor's army. Veria hit a risen paladin with her torch, releasing its soul to the afterlife but another of her comrades fell besides her, giftimg Diodor with his next slave. As a final hit on the crusaders' courage, loud footsteps started to rumble from deep within the forest, growing more profound by the minute. It sounded like a huge abomination but the voice was far louder than any of them could produce. All of the crusaders started to look in horror as a great shadow started to form between the blackened trees, soon forming a terrifying form of a mountain of rotting flesh, one that didn't resemble a human even as much as a regular abomination did. This one was much quicker and it sent clouds of smoke and brownish mist around it and crushing anything and anyone on its way. Osran was about to call the retreat but Whitemane's horrified voice was swifter.
"Retreat into the Monastery! we cannot win against this monster in this place!" The priestess appeared from the forest, helping a clearly injured Renault Mograine escape the onslaught. It took no further encouragement for the others to flee, the monster's massive form growing closer by the second. Knowing that her new position as the leader of the crusaders would soon be challenged, the priestess turned around to face the decomposing mass of rotting flesh, a show of courage that would save her and Renault's grip on power. Whitemane put her staff into the ground and pointed at the approaching monster.
"Stop where you stand and fight your curse, unholy aberration! Stay still in the name of the Light!" Whitemane concentrated all of her power at the beast, burning many parts of its horrifying body and stopping its charge momentarily. The fleeing crusaders looked at the priestess in awe and resumed their march to the safety of the Monastery's walls. This ultimate show of power would cement the reverence she held in the Monastery, stopping any claims of incapable leadership. When Whitemane felt her powers grow too weak, she ended her spell and headed after her troops.
Osran had looked at the sight in astonishment, not knowing the depth of the priestess' power before. Was stopping such an invincible enemy even possible? Apparently the priestess was one of the Monastery's most powerful denizens and deserving of the position she now held. However, that didn't change the fact that their battleplan had been a disaster and Diodor's position had only been strengthened. He turned to speak to Tareth who, too, was overwhelmed by the events of the last two minutes.
"We won't fall for this trap again, Tareth. Support me at the next meeting and I will present a strategy that won't lose. Whitemane and Mograine may be powerful but their attack was a catastrophe." Osran spoke grimly, his anger beginning to die down, only to be replaced by a sense of decisiveness. He had often been advising his commanders before, the knight's experience and eye for the enemy's weaknesses earning him the respect of many of his superiors. Now, with leaders who were too full of themselves to listen, Osran wouldn't leave a stone unturned to prove their faults.
"I don't think you need much more support after today, Osran. You put up a show that many others won't forget." Tareth commented in slight amusement, seeing Osran's ignorance about his comrades' sentiments. Osran looked at his captain in confusion, his face prompting Tareth to explain his point further.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice it? Many of us fought only because you showed them the way! Your courage inspired our troops to even get into the fight and they won't forget it readily." Tareth said as the troops started to enter the Monastery, the lower-ranked knight looking around himself and seeing admiring glances here and there. It took him a moment to accept that his impromptu attack had made a difference but it seemed like Tareth had spoken the truth. Still, it made Osran's mood little better.
"We still lost! My example may have bought us time but, still, we're as good as dead at this rate. I truly hope you're right about their readiness to listen to me, Tareth. If I won't be listened to today, it'll be too late." Osran gritted his teeth, looking behind himself as he approached the Monastery's main entrance. The final confrontation was approaching and with it, the Monastery's and the Crusade's western wing's fates hanged in the balance.
So, the Crusade's first battle under its new leadership was a failure and now the Monastery itself is surrounded by Diodor's forces. Can the encroaching evil still be repelled or has the necromancer already earned his place in the Cult? At this point, I'll take a brief break from writing because I have some planning to do for my stories. Don't worry, it'll take only a week or so so I should be back quite early in August. For now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you have any thoughts or comments about it, they would be appreciated!