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Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Action

CJ was pressing her hands to her ears, running desperately as everything seemed to be shaking around her.

The sounds of the battle had already been deafening, with heavy boulders being continuously thrown over her head, the many undead screeching their non-existent lungs out, and the constant clashing of metal on metal causing a ringing in her ears. This had all been nothing compared to the utter chaos that ensued from Mal's arrival on the scene.

CJ's mouth had dropped when the enormous purple dragon flew overhead. She had never seen the spectacle of Mal's transformation, but had now been sufficiently impressed. The awe and excitement lasted a relatively time, because the dragon that was Mal soon crashed to the earth. CJ was standing near the very front of the Auradon frontline, and thus did not have a particularly good view of everything that was happening, but what she saw was not a happy sight. Solomon had been sending a stream of smoke, or whatever it was, straight at Mal, who had dropped to the ground while shrieking in pain.

This was already enough to make the entire Auradon force lose focus, and for several moments they all just stood there and watched things unfold. Mal eventually flew back up, shaking off several undead who tried to climb up her back, before Solomon again blasted her with his dark smoke. This again caused the purple dragon to shriek in apparent anguish, and she soon chose to retreat. Solomon had yet another ace up his sleeve and conjured up a ball of smoke that hit Mal straight from behind. Even CJ, who knew nothing of magic, felt the dark aura surrounding the spell, the power of which caused the ground to tremble.

Mal, after being hit, let out another series of desperate and horrific shrieks while she tumbled through the air, heading straight for the ground. It was this moment where the undead decided to attack again, and CJ couldn't help but panic and start to run.

The constant shrieking from the falling dragon nearly caused her ears to bleed, so CJ clumsily made her way back to behind the defensive line, with one hand still holding her blood-soaked sword while also pressing against her ear. The shrieking did stop, and CJ raised her head to examine what exactly was happening.

Mal was transforming back into her human form mid-air, purple smoke emerging all around her. The shrieking momentarily changed into desperate human screaming, before the sound of a dull thump caused everything to turn eerily silent.

CJ's eyes were wide as saucers. What had happened? Was Mal okay? She just fell straight from the sky… Really, any ordinary person would have probably gotten killed from a fall like that…

A blood-curdling cry awoke CJ from these terrifying thoughts, and she looked to her left. The shaken Auradon frontline had been breached, and one particularly tall undead warrior wielding an axe was stumbling in her direction.

Soldiers were yelling, and one flaming arrow flew over CJ's head and impaled itself into the undead's empty eye socket, but it didn't stop him. The undead swung at her, but CJ nimbly dodged the rusty axe's blade and lashed out with her sword, cutting the undead's knee cap. The skeletal soldier immediately dropped to the ground, angrily snapping at her. CJ didn't hesitate and kicked at the skull-like head of her adversary, which soared through the air like she'd kicked a football. The undead stopped moving, and CJ finally had about a minute to catch some air.

She looked back, towards the place where she thought Mal had landed. It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a whole horde of people gathered around a single place, looking at something that had just crashed into one of the nearest Auradon City buildings.

Again CJ was shaken from her thoughts, when a fireball flew over her head and loudly obliterated the trebuchet nearest to her. A gush of warm air and dust caused CJ to cough and sputter, but she tried to stay focused.

This wasn't going well. The undead army was seemingly unending, and they were continuously threatening to break through the Auradon defenses. Solomon was firing those fireballs about every few seconds now, and it appeared as though the Auradonian magic users could not cope with his terrible magical prowess. Aside from all of that, Mal, one of Auradon's most dangerous fighters, had apparently already been knocked out of the fight.

CJ looked back at the battlefield, which was still largely a sea of undead heads and rusted weapons. Occasionally, she was able to spot one of the Auradon cavalry above the fray, though these were few and far between.

She was extremely worried about Archer, and was somewhat glad that she didn't need to hide her emotions at the moment. She had seen him ride straight into the undead, Excalibur raised above his head like some sort of beacon, but had long lost sight of him. While CJ liked to believe that he was alright, something that could easily be true given Archer's fighting prowess, she also couldn't help but imagine the worst possible outcome.

More undead were breaking through the lines, and soldiers started running in from every direction to pick out the stragglers and fill in the gaps. CJ shook her head, casting away all these doubts and fears, and threw herself back into the fight. She had no way of helping Archer or Mal, or the battle in general. All she could do, all that she was assigned to do, was stay near the frontline and eliminate as many undead as she could.

Hacking and slashing, she made her way past other Auradon soldiers and straight for the enemy. The ground under her feet was completely downtrodden and covered with blood. The Auradon frontline had already suffered substantial casualties, with CJ having seen numerous soldiers being dragged away on stretchers, often with significant wounds and screaming in pain. About every few feet, an eliminated undead lay on the ground. The oldest ones, that consisted of nothing other than bones and rotten meat, had already started to crumble and turn to actual dust. Then there were the 'fresher' enemy soldiers, who had fought alongside CJ in the battle of Belle's Harbor. These undead still looked somewhat alive, were it not for their hollow eyes and greyish skin. Any slash from a sword or stab from a spear would cause them to actually start bleeding, but did not halt their advance for too long.

CJ did not hesitate, but she saw several of her fellow ground troops slow down significantly after laying eyes on their fallen comrades. It dawned on her that many of these soldiers probably knew some of the resurrected fighters and were now basically forced to oppose them, which was one hell of a dark thought.

In any case, CJ felt as though history was repeating itself while she kept on fighting. Just like during the battle of Belle's Harbor, the undead just kept on coming. There was no pause, and no time for her to recuperate. Her arms felt heavy, as she kept on raising her sword and bringing it down again. It was only because of her fitness and conditioning that she was able to keep up. That, and there was no way she was gonna let herself get offed by some freaking zombie!

With Mal out of the way, Solomon appeared to have ordered his forces forward without hesitation. The trench, which had for some time been a proper defense, had now been almost completely filled with debris along several points. The undead ran, jumped and crawled over these points, and the Auradonian soldiers did their best to keep their ranks closed and force the enemy back.

Balls of fire were still soaring through the sky, with some landing in between the troops along the frontline. It seemed as though the Auradonian magic users were overwhelmed. Looking back and up, CJ saw several silhouettes stand on top of one of the nearest buildings. She knew that that's were Mal had stood, but she was gone. Was there nothing else they could do? At this rate, with all their trump cards having been played, the Auradon army would not survive another hour.

Right at that moment, a horn was sounded again. CJ looked up in confusion. The cavalry was already on the battlefield, so what could this mean?

It became evident very quickly, when what had to be the remainder of Auradon's cavalry forces suddenly appeared very close to the frontline. They were obviously panicked, and most weren't even on horseback anymore. They made their way back, viciously hacking and slashing at the undead that tried their best to get close to them.

The soldiers around her started yelling, with most trying their best to help the remaining cavalry by clearing a path to ensure their safe retreat. CJ saw Jay emerge at the very front, right near one of the points where the undead had closed the trench.

"Come on! Spears and shields! Close formation! Forward!" He yelled with authority, swinging his sword above his head.

The soldiers immediately got into action, forming a tight formation with their shields interlocked and their spears pointed outwards. They ran forward, following Jay and crushing numerous undead in their path. CJ immediately hurried after them, though she found herself behind the first attack wave and could thus not yet take on any undead.

It was total pandemonium. The Auradon soldiers had previously not yet tried to force the undead army back, instead just opting to hold their own positions. Now, both sides tried to move forward, and the result was a scrimmage where just as many fighters on either side found themselves crushed in the chaos.

The Auradon frontline fanned out, trying to cover a larger area in order for the remaining cavalry to get back. The cavalry, in the meantime, were getting closer and closer, slowly making their way through the fray.

CJ jumped up and down. She still found herself behind a sea of other soldiers, and had no actual way of joining the fighting. She tried to spot Archer, hoping that he was okay and that everything would turn out alright. She saw numerous Auradon soldiers on horseback, but did not recognize Archer among them.

"Duck! Cover!" All the soldiers around her suddenly yelled.

CJ hastily dropped to the ground when yet another fireball soared past and made a thunderous crash into the trench behind her. Crawling back up, she finally had a more clear view of the battlefield. With most soldiers still down, she could suddenly see way further into the distance.

And she saw him!

Archer was standing at the front of the remaining cavalry. He was no longer on horseback, his lower body was covered in mud, and he seemed almost maniacal in the way he swung Excalibur back and forth, taking out entire rows of the undead. But at least he was alive!

"Archer!" CJ yelled, but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the ongoing noise of the battle.

Feeling both a renewed sense of panic and purpose, CJ made her way through the soldiers to where she thought that Archer was. She was lucky that she was so small, since it helped her move through gaps in between people far more easily. Near the very front, she found her first enemy in a while. One undead had had both its legs cut off, but that didn't stop it from reaching for CJ with its bony fingers. Disgusted, CJ again simply kicked at its head, knocking it clean off.

After a few more minutes, where CJ was constantly pushed around like some punching bag and the sound of yelling soldiers plagued her eardrums, she finally made it to the very front.

Once there, CJ took a moment to breathe and look around, before she was again jumped by some undead enemies. One of them had been causing trouble. It was a recently reanimated undead, judging from the clean armor and amount of skin still present, and it was swinging a heavy battle axe around while screeching loudly. CJ ducked under one swing, and managed to slash through the undead's neck with one quick slash of her sword. She saw, with some amusement, how the undead's head fell back, but did not yet come off completely. The undead then simply stumbled around for a few seconds before other Auradon soldiers incapacitated it completely.

CJ fought her way through more undead soldiers, their filthy stench filling her nostrils and almost making her gag. The tiresome routine of slashing through old flesh and brittle bones was just as exhausting as it had always been. The muscles in her arms ached, and it became a right chore to keep her sword raised. The soldiers around her appeared equally fatigued, with some being able to do nothing other than keep their shields raised in front of them with trembling arms. Still, neither she or anyone on her side was giving up.

Another fireball soared over her head, and it almost looked as though it was gonna hit her exact position. Right when she started feeling the projectile's heat on her face, it exploded into a thousand pieces mid-air. CJ felt thankful that the magic users were still somewhat able to keep up their jobs.

The cavalry were now extremely close, with just a few rows of undead separating them from the slowly advancing Auradon frontline force. CJ could hear soldiers from both side yelling to each other encouragingly. Jay was still taking charge, and CJ could see him sweat and pant as he kept pushing forward.

After a few more minutes, the first cavalry soldiers broke through. They didn't take a second to calm down though, and immediately helped the Auradon frontline get the rest back as well. CJ saw soldiers reaching out and helping others by pulling them through the fray. Most of the few remaining cavalry were wounded in one way or another, while others were unconscious. CJ wanted to find Archer, but couldn't help but trouble herself with helping other soldiers for a little while. Most of the other warriors did the heavy lifting, but CJ did offer some aid by helping to bandage up some of the wounded soldiers.

The sounds of battle were still deafening, with the undead horde still pounding the Auradon frontline with everything they had and the Auradon forces keeping what little ground they had. The air was thick with dust, the ground was a blood and mud covered mess, and there was a persistent smell of burning and rotting flesh in the air. Also, it did not look like this was about to change.

"Go! Retreat! Back to the trench! Keep a tight perimeter! Don't let them through!" One voice boomed above all the noise. CJ knew that voice very well.

Looking up, she saw that Archer had finally made his way into the Auradon defensive line. He was covered in sweat, dust and mud, but looked unhurt. He was panting heavily, but his eyes were alert. After shouting his orders, he once again joined the soldiers, helping to get the remaining cavalry back to safety.

CJ ran forward and joined him, taking on the nearest undead. It took a few seconds before Archer realized she was there.

"C-CJ!? Are you okay?" He yelled, taking only a moment to examine her before focusing on the undead army in front of them again.

"No complaints…" CJ grunted, deflecting a hit from an undead sword before retaliating with a lethal slash.

"We need to retreat… We can't hold them…" Archer replied. His voice trembled, and CJ realized that he was afraid.

"D-did you see Mal? S-she…" CJ began, still moving forward alongside Archer.

"I saw." Archer answered with a clenched jaw. "Ben saw too. That's why we retreated."

"Where is he?" CJ asked, hoping for the best.

"He took charge of our rear guard, along with the soldiers still on horseback. He should be coming back here soon." Archer replied, taking out two undead with one swing.

As if on cue, another horn sounded, and the sounds of galloping hooves was heard. CJ saw the frontline of Auradon soldiers open up to allow a whole host of soldiers on horseback to move past them. CJ saw that most of these soldiers looked relatively unscathed, though most of the horses appeared shaken and stressed. Ben was among these soldiers, holding his richly adorned bloody sword and his hair hanging in wet strands down his sweaty face. He was looking severely panicked and distraught, and his eyes were scanning the Auradon defenses, obviously in search of Mal.

The Auradonian soldiers closed the line again as soon as the last horse passed their perimeter. Now they had to retreat and form a new and more secure perimeter behind the trench.

"CJ! Go! Get back to the trench!" Archer told her, trying to put some authority in his voice.

"Not without you!" CJ retorted.

"CJ!" Archer snapped, staring at her intently.

"Not. Without. You." CJ rebelliously repeated.

CJ saw Archer's eyes focused on her in a mix of both annoyance, pride and extreme caring. "Fine then. Just don't die!" He sneered, before jumping in front of her and parrying a slash from an undead sword.

And so, they stayed together. It felt strangely calm to CJ. Her and Archer's fighting techniques were so in tune that it was as if they were reading each other's minds. There were times when Archer would swing his sword, and CJ would duck underneath it without him even having to tell her. He also occasionally picked her up and used the momentum to swing her into an incoming undead, whose head she'd then kick off. Back on the ground, they'd stand back to back again, keeping the hideous undead soldiers at bay. At one point, CJ felt Archer reach for her hand, which she squeezed reassuringly.

The Auradon frontline was in full retreat, but the undead didn't make it any easier for them. It was a slow and tedious exercise to try and get back behind the trench. They were the only soldiers this far out. Everywhere else on the frontline, the undead were slowly spilling through the Auradon defenses and behind the trench.

Soldiers from both sides dropped around CJ and Archer, who kept shuffling back along with the Auradon frontline while also taking out a significant number of their undead enemies. Solomon's fireballs were still causing an immense amount of damage, but the Auradon magic users were able to occasionally destroy one before it would hit. Many of the Auradon artillery had already been hit by said fireballs, but the remaining ones were still pelting the horde of undead with heavy projectiles, though these did little to help the soldiers at the front. The battle must have been raging for several hours by now, but it also appeared to be far from done.

The Auradon army was being pushed back on all sides, but CJ knew that the soldiers would fight until the very end, or until those higher up the army ranks would sound for a retreat.

"We're almost there." Archer panted after taking out yet another undead.

CJ looked back and indeed saw that they were almost at the trench. While she looked on, she saw many soldiers cross one of the undead's improvised crossings and form another defensive line on the other side. There were relatively few soldiers still left on the enemy's side, with CJ and Archer being two of them. Jay was also nearby, having found a shield somewhere and using it to either push the undead back or batter them to mush. Aden stood a little to CJ's left, and he was wielding two hatchets as he also tried to drive their enemies back. Ben had disappeared from view, and CJ could only guess that he had moved somewhere back behind the lines to check on Mal.

"We're there. CJ, go!" Archer urged her once they reached the crossing.

"You first." CJ replied in a teasing manner.

"This is not a negotiation!" Archer snapped in a serious tone, indicating that he did not take this lightly.

CJ, realizing this, only nodded before moving back. She placed one foot on the crossing and looked back at the frontline. Archer would follow her. She knew that. She knew that he would everything in his power to stay with her. Before she could think any further thoughts, a loud rumbling sound rudely disturbed this very brief moment of respite.

She looked to her left, and saw to her horror how an enormous wave of water was crashing through the Auradon force's deep trench and was heading straight for her.

Everything around her seemed to slow down. Soldiers everywhere started panicking, with most either hastily running or jumping out of the way of the oncoming wave. There was a lot of yelling and the sounds of crashing as the wave crushed whatever it came into contact with. CJ saw how numerous Auradon soldiers were swept off their feet, but a large number of undead were equally unfortunate. The wooden crossings and pikes that blocked the wave's path through the trench got dragged along as well.

CJ was frozen in her tracks, not being able to anything other than hold on tightly to her sword and watch as the humongous wave came closer and closer.

Suddenly, she felt something pull harshly on her collar, dragging her back, off the crossing and onto the enemy side of the trench. This was done not a moment too soon, because barely a second later the wave crashed into the crossing, turning the wood into tiny splinters before raging on.

CJ covered herself with her arms for a second as water, dirt and pieces of wood rained down on her and all the soldiers around her. She looked back, and saw that Archer had been the one to pull her away from the wave's trajectory. She wasn't surprised about that, to be honest.

"Fuck!" Archer muttered as he pulled CJ back onto her feet, while he himself slipped in the newly formed mud. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." CJ growled, wiping the dirt from her face.

"W-where the hell did that wave come from?" Archer added, looking all around him and even up towards the sky in confusion.

CJ, meanwhile, kept on looking at the wave, which had now long passed but was still causing mayhem further down the line. While soldiers around her were totally flabbergasted at what had just happened, she knew precisely who was responsible for that wave. What was a more urgent matter was that she, Archer and a few dozen more troops were now stuck on the wrong side of the trench.

On the other side, things were no less chaotic. A large number of soldiers had come forward to help their comrades out of the water-filled trench, while others tended to newly formed injuries after having been blown off their feet by the water. Some others had also realized the severity of the situation though, and were yelling at the people on the other side to simply make a swim for it.

Looking behind her, CJ saw how the undead had started attacking again, with the remaining Auradon soldiers having hastily formed yet another emergency frontline. They were totally exposed, and totally helpless. Archer was also looking around, and looked equally distraught.

"W-what do we do?" CJ asked, while soldiers around her started jumping into the water-filled trench and swam for the other side.

"Start swimming. It's our only chance. We're about to get flanked." Archer stated.

He was right. CJ didn't know if the undead could swim, but that didn't stop them from trying. On both sides, where the Auradon frontline stopped, undead let themselves fall into the water, with most apparently sinking to the bottom. A few did manage to stay afloat, and would then subsequently circle around the Auradon frontline and then attack from the back.

"You're coming with me, right now!" CJ told Archer, tightly gripping onto his sleeve.

Archer didn't protest, and just nodded as he and CJ stepped into the trench. The water was cold and dirty, and CJ was immediately submerged up to her waist.

Before she was able to start swimming, the water underneath her suddenly raised up, carrying her, Archer and a slew of others up into the air. CJ struggled and kicked her legs as she tried to keep her head above water. She was still desperately clinging to Archer's sleeve, and could hear him coughing and sputtering as the water that was now all around them started swirling and dragging them along in an unending current. There were times when CJ found herself upside down as they were spinning through the air. Other than panic, CJ felt a deep annoyance because she knew that Uma was probably enjoying herself a whole lot.

Desperate and furious, CJ started hacking at the water with her sword, though she knew that this probably did nothing to help their situation. She suddenly felt how Archer grabbed her wrist extremely tight, but there was no way for her to see what he was up to. All of the sudden, a bright, blue light started shining next to her, and the next moment she was falling out of the water.

CJ landed on the ground with a loud thud that pushed the remaining air out of her lungs. She coughed and gasped as she tried to get back up as fast as possible. Archer lay beside her, looking very disheveled and his eyes still glowing blue.

"C-come on…" He muttered, grabbing her wrist again as he tried to get back up.

CJ helped him before they examined their situation again. They were still on the wrong side of the trench, but the ground around them had largely been cleared by that wave that had picked them all up into the air. The muddy terrain was covered with bits and pieces of undead soldiers, as well as a few sputtering Auradon soldiers who were trying to regain their footing. Jay and Aden were also still on their side, and were miraculously unhurt.

A loud rushing sound got CJ's attention, and she looked back at the trench. She was annoyed, but not surprised to see Uma emerge from the water in her octopus form, her enormous tentacles swinging around and smashing Auradon soldiers off of their feet. The Auradonians behind Uma were apparently trying their best to hurt her, firing arrows and throwing spears, but these had little to no effect, with Uma's tentacles deflecting most of the damage. Her eyes were focused on CJ however, and her mouth was curled up in an amused and condescending smile.

"There you are…" Uma berated her, her voice deep and loud. "You picked the wrong side, brat!"

"Oh, kiss my ass, Shrimpy!" CJ retorted, panting. She quickly felt her anger rise to a boiling point, and wanted nothing more than to bring Uma down a peg. However, all she had was a sword, which would probably not suffice in hurting Uma while she was transformed.

Uma's eyes narrowed, and she looked at CJ with an equal amount of disgust that CJ felt for her. "Stupid girl! You don't know what you're messing with!"

CJ did not get a chance to reply, because Uma slammed one of her tentacles down on the exact spot where CJ and Archer were standing. This time it was CJ who pushed Archer out of the way, and the two had no option but to duck and roll for cover. Uma roared as she dragged her tentacle towards CJ, intent on capturing her. CJ ran for dear life, occasionally lashing out with her sword and cutting into the slithery tentacle that was chasing her.

Uma had a trick up her sleeve though. Or, rather, she had eight of them. As CJ kept running, another tentacle crashed down in front of her, obstructing her path. She was trapped between two tentacles, and had nowhere to run. She started to frantically slashing at the tentacle behind her in an attempt to escape, but barely got three hits in before the other tentacle moved in and wrapped itself around CJ's torso.

CJ immediately started groaning and wheezing as the tentacle constricted around her, pushing the air from her lungs. She kicked with her legs as she was again lifted up in the air, though this was much more uncomfortable than when she had been submerged in water. Uma pulled CJ closer to her, to the point where Uma could extend an arm and grab CJ by her hair.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." Uma hissed, soft enough that only CJ could hear. She then harshly slapped CJ with her other hand, with such force that CJ's head whipped to one side. CJ coughed, and a small amount of blood seeped from her mouth. "I never liked you, you know?" Uma added, pulling harder on CJ's hair before slapping her again.

"Ugh… T-the feeling's mutual…" CJ rebelliously muttered before Uma's tentacle tightened even more and restricted her breathing almost completely.

CJ would have been amused by the way Uma's face scrunched up in anger, but the increasing pain and lack of breathing ability meant that she could not really enjoy anything at the moment. She tried everything she could. She kicked her legs and wriggled her arms, trying to lash out with the sword she still held onto, but it was all for naught.

"You don't know pain yet, you stupid brat!" Uma spat, pulling CJ even closer and almost yanking the hair from her head. "The things we have planned for you… You'll be wishing Hades killed you all those years ago…"

CJ felt as though her ribs were about to break as Uma yet again tightened her tentacle, and she was starting to feel light-headed. She had no available breath for another witty comeback, and could only groan and close her eyes from the pain.

Right when Uma raised her hand to slap her again, a bright, blue light started shining somewhere below her. Uma suddenly shrieked from pain and swung two of her tentacles towards this sudden new threat. Her grip on CJ loosened a little, but that was all she needed. With all the strength and speed she could muster, CJ pulled out her sword and slashed at Uma's face. She connected, and left a deep gash above Uma's left eyebrow. She started screaming even louder, and CJ was promptly released and flung through the air. With no sense of direction, CJ could only wave her arms and legs around in a panic as she rapidly fell towards the ground.

She expected a hard and painful landing on the muddy and dirty ground, but instead found herself caught by two pairs of arms. The two men who caught her grunted and fell underneath her sudden weight. For a moment, all three of them were on the ground in a disheveled heap. CJ scrambled back onto her knees, and saw the pained faces of Jay and Aden below her.

"Urgh… Are you okay?" Aden asked her while he too tried to regain his footing.

"I think so…" CJ panted, rubbing her sore ribs.

She looked back, only to see Uma still roaring in pain and anger while she was clashing with a smaller figure near the edge of the trench. CJ easily recognized Archer, who was ducking, dodging and swinging Excalibur as he tried to match Uma inch for inch.

"Archer!" CJ yelled, gripping her sword and preparing to storm in.

"No! Don't!" Jay snapped, grabbing CJ by her upper arm to hold her back. "What are you gonna do anyway? And we might not be able to catch you a second time!"

CJ pulled herself loose, but did as she was asked. After all, Archer did seem like he had things under control. CJ wasn't sure how, but he appeared to have made Excalibur glow, with the blade emitting a faint, blue light. Every time one of his slashes connected, Uma would shriek in pain and hastily retract her tentacles. CJ saw, with some satisfaction, how the wound she had inflicted above Uma's eyebrow was bleeding heavily and obstructing the sea witch's sight.

Around her, the undead appeared to have taken a break of some sort. In any case, they weren't attacking and had formed some sort of perimeter from where they were eagerly observing the spectacle of Uma's fight with Archer. CJ even spotted Solomon, still seated on his charred chariot, watching the events unfold from a little further back.

The Auradon soldiers gratefully took advantage of this, with most swimming around the distracted Uma for the other side of the trench. More troops on the other side were equally stressed, with most running around carrying supplies or wounded comrades.

CJ, Jay and Aden took their place in between Archer's fight and the still waiting undead, unsure whether to run, help or stand there doing nothing.

"What, ehm… What do we do?" Aden asked, holding his hatchets loosely in his hands.

Before either CJ or Jay could offer up their thoughts, a blue flare shot up on the other side of the trench and another horn was sounded. Looking further back, CJ saw how a large number of the Auradon soldiers started moving away from them in apparent retreat.

"They're retreating…" Jay muttered. "We're pulling back…"

"Let's follow them. Come on, CJ!" Aden stated, walking towards the edge of the submerged trench, where he waited.

"Are all the soldiers out? Is anyone left behind?" Jay asked as he joined Aden with CJ in tow.

"I think we're the last ones." Aden replied, looking across the trench. There were no more Auradon troops present on their side, with every able-bodied soldier having retreated.

"What about Archer?" CJ asked. As she looked on, she saw Archer conjure up a strong blast with Excalibur that made Uma stagger and reel.

"He, ehm… He can take care of himself… I think so, at least…" Aden answered, looking at Archer's fight with his eyebrows raised in admiration.

"I'm not getting in between those two." Jay added, looking insecurely at his own sword.

"I'm not leaving without him!" CJ emphasized, shooting both Jay and Aden a rebellious glare.

They saw the look in her eyes, and neither even bothered to protest.

"Just get out safely! I'll report to the top so they can cover your escape!" Aden resolutely told CJ. "And you better watch each other's backs!" He added before jumping into the trench and making a hasty exit for the other side.

Jay appeared to have some doubts. "I-I'm staying here… I'll help you…" He eventually said.

CJ felt a sense of gratitude, but also realized that they had very little time. Archer was still locked in battle with Uma, which appeared to keep both Solomon and his undead soldiers distracted. The Auradon army was retreating, and this could actually help them win some much needed time. On the other hand, every second where Archer had to fight Uma was another second where he might accidentally get killed. It was not hard for CJ to make up her mind.

"Let's help him!" She said to Jay, her eyes flaring with confidence.

"You got a little more fight in you?" Jay asked, though not in a condescending tone.

CJ had been feeling nothing but pain for over an hour now, with her bruised limbs and probably broken ribs. She was completely exhausted, covered in mud, dirt and water, and could barely lift her arms anymore. But, yeah, she had more fight in her.

She stormed at Uma, with Jay right behind her. Archer had things reasonably under control, but was struggling to land a decisive blow. CJ and Jay ran in, dodged a swinging tentacle, and joined Archer at his side.

"I need just two seconds to land a good blow!" He grunted, obviously knowing what they were trying to do.

"On it!" Jay nodded, raising his sword.

CJ joined him, and they waited for the opportune moment to strike. When Uma, still screaming in anger, lashed out with one of her tentacles again, both CJ and Jay stood steadfast and blocked the blow. This took great effort, and both of them were nearly blown off their feet, but they were just about able to hold on.

This was all the time Archer needed, because he leaped forward, Excalibur glowing a bright blue, and managed to cut at Uma's exposed midsection. The blow not only cut into her, but also pushed her back, as if some invisible force radiated from the blade.

Uma was flung back, shrieking in pain as purplish blood started seeping from an open stomach wound. Dejected and defeated, she eyed both Archer and CJ with contempt before sinking back into the water and swimming off.

"Holy shit!" Jay panted, looking on wide-eyed.

Archer was also panting, pressing a hand to his side as both he and Excalibur appeared to be cooling down.

"We have to go!" CJ urged both of them, looking uneasily over her shoulder at the undead army that still made no move for them. "Come on! We have to go!"

"Impressive!" A voice called out from behind her. "Very impressive…" Solomon smirked as he emerged from the row of undead soldiers, sarcastically clapping his hands and grinning broadly. "Now, who's ready for the main event?"