A/R:
Aymen Al Kadouri: Yeah you're gonna see that it's not really gonna get much easier going forward at this point. The true trial for this battle is yet to come.
Haldir 639: That last question is something that I cannot answer due to the fact that it woud heavily spoil a great detail I plan to reveal later for this story's plot. And yes, I had a lot of fun writing out Naieth. I mainly found out about her through a legendary lord mod that was on Totl War Warhammer 3, dug deep into what little lore she had and built off from there. A lot of my physical description of her is derived from that mod.
Dextix: I appreciate the criticism. It's something that I work to make sure to address, and I admit i's one of my weaker points. And I make sure that the battles aren't always straightforward unless its painfully one-sided because if Lyle just curb-stomps every army he comes across, the dramticism and stakes diminish heavily. It's one of my bigger criticisms for Power-fantasy stories, which while start off interesting, tend to lose steam because a main character becomes so absurdly strong that there is no way to create a valid physical and mental obstacle for them to overcome.
Dantalien: Gotta keep you guys on the edge of your seats somehow. Glad to see the cliffhangers are working.
dadg12346: Correction. Visions are a pain in the ass. For both the user and for whoever they are being used against. I'm glad my battle has managed to impress thus far, and I can only hope that the conclusion here is just as epic as the stakes that have been raised.
Wangbu: I've honestly lost count of the turns. We're way past the part where I'm keeping track of that. But if you want time estimates, it would be more apt to say that they're just passing the mid-game rather than the endgame in terms of a Warhammer 3 campaign. That being said the story itself is getting closer to the end in comparison.
Focus of the Future: I regret to inform you that even once you read this chapter, you're going to have to wait a while longer yet.
Destroyer78901: Then what're you waiting for reading my Author Responses? GET READIN' YA GIT!
Malgarth: YES! YEEEEEEES!
Zerkill: Krelldozer…that's something else I'll take note to remember.
…
"I thought we had a few hours!" Schmitz cursed aloud as he and many other necromancers tried to rally as many dead as they could. "At least a few hours before these knightly shits, come and form up on our rear! The sense this makes-
"We're far past the point of reason and sense!" Tobias snapped quickly, using the Invocation of Nehek to heal the damaged zombies they had to pull from the front to be in fighting shape. "Now hurry and help me keep these puppets of ours in working order!"
It was a minor miracle that the winds of magic flowed easily to them once more, clear evidence that Lyle's gambit to distract prophetess Naieth had paid off. It made holding onto the front lines much easier, giving them enough breathing room to save them on the rear.
Scouts had already reported how close the Bretonnian reinforcements from the Southwest were. Still, when they saw for themselves just how close it was, a pang of fear and panic nearly overtook the necromancers before common sense prevailed. It was decided that Sybille and Fredericka would focus their efforts on trying to finish off the Wood Elf army in the North while Schmitz and Tobias bought them time in the south…or at least as much time as they could reasonably afford.
Though the two necromancers rarely could tolerate the other's presence or their philosophies on necromancy, both could agree drastic actions were going to be needed given the knights that were assembling in force before them. But, the knights that were coming in force was one thing. The beacon of pure magical power that was surging within told them two things.
One. There were a number of grail knights within this fresh army. Two. A powerful spellcaster that surpassed both of them combined and perhaps even the magical potential that their Lichemaster Spoletta could cobble together. And there was certainly no run-of-the-mill damsel who could match this power before them.
No. Both of them had visibly seen Morgiana the Fay Enchantress in person, felt her before any of that when they had gone on one of Kemmler's many raids to gain magical artifacts. They'd seen her devastating power in person before, and they hardly fancied their chances to survive against her now, not with the power she commanded.
The only saving grace was that the knights hadn't charged yet, but that could change at any moment. Only the Gods knew why they weren't charging now, but they couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Not when they were straddling the line between victory and defeat so closely!
"Summon more zombies!" Schmitz barked to the frantic necromancers. "Get more bodies in their way. If we can break the momentum in their charge, we have a chance! Get moving damn you!"
While Schmitz cajoled and bullied the necromancers into action while also trying to get assist them with his own magic to raise more undead minions, Tobias focused harder than he could ever recall, shifting the skeletons behind the undead while also keeping his order's ace in the hole against these knights lowered to the ground, making sure not to reveal them until the proper moment.
Both necromancers thought that they would at least have a bit more time before this grace period for the coming charge ended. Sadly, when they heard what they thought was a feminine voice roaring out amongst the knights to charge, the Barrow Legion's rear knew that the time was up and that the knights were coming.
The knights, made up of nobles from Carcassone and the Knights who embarked on the errantry to Araby with Repanse, surged forward like an armored tide of horse and man, the steeds' hooves thundering through the area. Their lances dipped as they drew ever closer.
"Bunch up! Bunch up the dead!" Schmitz barked, backing up noticeably as the necromancers tried to do as they were bid, bunching up the hundreds upon hundreds of zombies sent to the rear like sardines. They were then pressed forward to try and create as much distance between the heart of the army and the coming Bretonnians hell bent on wiping them all off the face of their homeland.
Their lances drew closer and closer still, just as Tobias had the skeleton spearmen line up behind the zombies as a second layer of defense.
And then the Bretonnian Knights collided with the zombies…or rather ran right through them. Only a handful of knights had managed to slow the mass of knights determined to punch through. Many of the zombies had been knocked aside by the weight of the horses, trampled underhoof, and had their limbs rent asunder by the lances that they were getting pierced by. Only when many of the knights ran through the zombies and ran into a wall of skeleton spearmen did the charge meet any tangible resistance.
Determined to make sure that their frontline bent but didn't break, Necromancers cast various spells to improve the skeletons' sturdiness and ensure that the knights couldn't punch through.
Tobias was about to reveal his trump card to counterattack only for horns to break out amongst the knightly ranks, and to everyone's surprise, the knights suddenly broke away and trotted back toward the direction of the Bretonnian army.
"Oh Gods." Tobias muttered. "They're getting ready for another charge."
"A pox on them and their horses!" Schmitz spat, grinding his teeth. "If we suffer a few more of those charges, not even the Gods themselves will have anything to spare for us!"
Which meant Tobias was going to have to use their trump card faster than he intended. This wouldn't have been so bad if they had actual skirmishers to return fire at the knights, but since they were all at the front with wet gunpowder no less, they were going to have to rely on other methods to get the job done. Methods that they were starting to become more accustomed to thanks to Spoletta's influence.
As the knights started grouping once more, with only a few knights missing from the group. It was a sad display of how little damage they had unleashed on the knights. Among them was a knight or at least what looked like a resplendent female knight who seemed to be literally glowing amongst her peers. Repanse De Lyonese seemed to look and feel otherworldly, with the lady's blessing clearly affecting her in battle, a look of strength and determination gracing her features as she sat on her steed, directing traffic for another charge.
What was also concerning was that Schmitz could now see movement behind the knights. Mainly, the movement of many, MANY peasants that were lining up behind the nobility of Bretonnia, men at arms, and grail pilgrims all arriving in force.
Of course. Another reason why they charged. Keep the Barrow Legion lines off kilter while giving the infantry time to catch up and engage. And judging by how the knights were all beginning to surge forward again, it seemed as though Repanse De Lyonese was looking to do another charge to soften them up before the peasant infantry engaged.
Tobias, however, knew it was now or never to use the trump card. Giving a sharp nod to a few select necromancers, they called to the Crypt horrors that had been buried into the earth along with the canons they tended to lug around. When he had learned about the dangers that rain posed to gunpowder, he utilized the mighty size and strength of the Crypt horrors to carry boxes of it into the ground while using their bodies to keep it from getting soaked. Thankfully, the rain that had come about didn't last long, and the powder that the crypt horrors took with them into the earth stayed dry enough to accomplish what came next.
Four Crypt horrors exploded out of the earth with the help of the magic that Tobias and other necromancers commanded, and out with them came the canons they had been carrying around. Before the knights could react, the crypt horrors, with bale-fire-infused cannonballs already loaded, fired into the squadron of knights.
Four canons fired, and four canon balls ripped right through the heavily armored knights, whose garb had proved useless to hurtling blue flaming balls of death with broke and, in some cases, vaporized bodies, both man and equestrian alike. Repanse widened her eyes, taken aback by the sudden appearance of the canon-toting green-skinned creatures. The charge faltering in the face of the explosions, the Bretonnians realized those canons had taken out over a couple dozen of their knights. Taking canon-fire would have been one thing, but the first that had broken out as a result only made the horses unnerved, causing them to buck and rear at the sight and heavy smell of the unnatural flames.
But, Repanse knew that tarrying would prove fatal if they gave the Crypt horrors another chance to fire anther salvo. "Forward! Do not allow them more time! We must hurry to save our brethren of Paravon! Do not afford the Barrow Legion victory on this day! Not this time!"
Her words were nothing short of effective, putting some spine back into the backs of the Brettish knights who took a moment to right themselves before restarting their charge, albeit with a bit more caution and trepidation.
Schmitz turned quickly to Tobias. "How long do you need to reload those canons?"
"Twenty to Thirty seconds! What's worse, we only have about four rounds of cannonballs left to fire due to the rain-soaked gunpowder!"
"Damnation!" Schmitz roared as the knights drew nearer. "Not enough time! Send the skeleton spearmen forward to bolster the zombies! Do everything you can to slow them down!" He yelled at the necromancers, hurrying to send the mental commands to do just that. When the knights made their second charge they met much fiercer resistance this time around, not just due to the casualties the knights had just sustained, but since they had less momentum to work with this time around the charge was all around less effective, giving the Barrow Legion much more room to work with as well as the time to reload their canons.
Seeing the changing of the tide, Repanse was quick to call for the knights to fall back, wanting to limit casualties before they started piling on. It could only do them so much good, however, since the danger of the cannonballs couldn't be avoided entirely. Sure enough, once a solid thirty seconds had passed, the Crypt horrors fired their second round, and another couple dozen of Knights fell to the well-aimed artillery ripping through their ranks.
The Barrow Legion's spirits were buoyed by the sight of more knights perishing from afar, but they all knew they weren't out of the woods just yet as the peasant men-at-arms surged forward like a tide, moving to finish what their noble counterparts had started.
From what Tobias and Schmitz could see, it was a smart move. After all, since it was clear that with the charges becoming less effective, what other way to gain some breathing room than to send the peasant canon fodder to occupy the frontlines?
The rear had bought precious time, but the question was how much longer could they last without any further reinforcements?
…
When Duke Cassyon and his Parvonese reinforcements arrived just in the nick of time, Lyle was expecting an epic dule of mighty proportions to take place between the the knights and the forces of Priestess Naieth who stood gob-smacked and crestfallen at the new comers who had obviously broken through the skeleton crew that was left to siege Castle Paravon.
Many were disappointed when the wounded Priestess, whose arm was still bleeding from the bullet it took, knelt down, dropped her staff, and surrendered on the spot, surprising and greatly raining on the parade of Lyle.
The tree spirits she had summoned moments ago suddenly melded back into the earth as well, clearly not wanting to take part in the losing battle that was readily obvious before them, showing little love lost between the forest folk and Asrai.
Cassyon quickly moved into action, descending near the Prophetess with a look of focus before he turned to his fellow Pegasus knights. "Bind her and take her to our dungeon. The rest of you, go and take out the knife ear archers and the rest of the forest folk that stand with them! Today is the day we take back our home!"
His men gave a hearty hurrah, elated to see them on the winning side of a battle for the first time in what felt like months as they followed their Liege Lord's orders. As they did just that, Cassyon dismounted Argent and quickly moved to the side of the Lichemaster, who was just now starting to pick himself off the ground, the roots that had bound him all dissipating or returning to the earth from whence they came.
Almost immediately, Cassyon put a hand under the Earth-natives shoulder to help stand him up, patting him down and looking at Lyle's haggard appearance concerned. "Did you have no bodyguards or troops to help assist with…whatever it was you were doing? You looked inches away from death!"
Lyle would normally have responded with a quick and witty remark that was ill-fitted for the moment. But the words of Priestess Naieth still hung over his mind like a black cloud that refused to dissipate. The Duke had good reason to be concerned, considering how Lyle looked as though he'd been through the ringer. His uniform was filled with cuts and tears, with mud and earth decorating it in all the wrong ways. Black burnt fringes ruined the austere and official look of his officer's uniform, with even some of Lyle's hair being burnt from the Tempest he had endured.
All in all, Lyle felt like utter shit. Both physically and emotionally from what he had to endure in such a short amount of time. The good news was that he had an idea of improving his mood as he side-eyed the Priestess. It was telling how much he focused on her as she was tied up with magic-dampening restraints on her wrists, ankles, and neck, getting ready to be put on the back of a Pegasus for transport.
But, his look may have been a bit too obvious if Cassyon was on the ball. "Lyle." He started warily. "Though she is a hated mutual foe of ours, she surrendered peacefully…to maim her even if she hurt you in battle would very unchivalrous and-
"She insulted me usin' my ma."
"...she what now?"
"She put my motha's name in her mouth." Lyle said slowly as he kept on staring at the defeated priestess. "Implied she be better off without me."
Cassyon, for a moment, said nothing, looking between Lyle and the prophetess and realizing that just by staring at the intense anger that he was unacostommed to seeing on the necromancer, there was no falsehood in his words. He then thought about how he would react if some knife-eared bitch mentioned his own mother in a disparraging way, whether or not he got along with her was irrelevant, honor had been stained.
Which was why he put a hand on his fellow youth's shoulder and coughed. "When the battle has concluded…I'll allow you to regain your mother's honor in a way that would be satisfactory."
Those words must have done the trick because Lyle breathed in and out after a few more long heartbeats before sighing grumpily. "...Fine. Guess I can live with that since this shit ain't over with. Ungh." Lyle grunted before swaying a bit, and Cassyon caught him, helping hold him up.
"You were put through the ringer there, Lyle. Rest easy, for the battle is all but over." Cassyon said with a smile. "Though it was reckless, the bravery in which you threw yourself through the wood elf forces putting your body in peril. It was chivalrous and courageous beyond words. Are you truly a necromancer?"
"You got no idea how much I get asked that."
"And for good reason if that is truly the case! We saw how you weathered a tempest storm on your lonesome as we were flying in to aid with my army! Many of my knights declared you dead as soon we saw you engulfed by that spell!" The Duke laughed, genuinely impressed. "Yet there you stood, ready to face the wrath of the Ariel's best, I reckon!"
"Well, I can't just keel over and expire just yet, can I? We still haven't saved the Blood Bowl league yet, right?"
The young Duke guffawed, nearly losing his grip on Lyle. "Lady forbid! Perhaps we should name them the Bastonian Tempests after what you survived!"
"Now you're thinkin' ahead!"
The two shared a laugh despite the state of affairs, especially since it was apparent the fighting was all but over at least on this side. The Barrow Legion got a second wind at the sight of the Wood elves being pressed on both sides, with most of the enemy forces fleeing into the charred forests that Lyle had burnt to a husk. Only some managed to even get that fa,r with many being chased down by Paravonese knights on horse and pegasus-back. That was truly one of the most dangerous factors when facing a Bretonnian army. If you lost against them in any fashion, any manner of retreat became a challenging factor. The wood elves knew this, which was why they stuck to hit-and-run ambushes where they could skulk back to nearby forests to make retreats more convenient.
In this type of grand battle, however? With so many forests burnt? No such luck, and it was a satisfying sight to see for Lyle and Cassyon.
"When we head back to my castle." The young Duke said with a pep in his voice. "We should speak on the future of the Bretonnian Blood Bow League over a feast. I've heard that you sometimes cook for your troops from your musketeers, and I'd love nothing more than to-
"You can do that, Cassyon." Lyle said with a sigh and tired look, surprising the young Duke. "The battle for you is over, yeah. But for me? Not so much…gotta head to the rear and make sure that everyone isn't dead yet."
"The rear?" The Duke muttered, confused and concerned. "I…wait, was that why you moved your forces faster earlier? Have the wood elves mustered a force from the south?" Alarm bells started ringing in Cassyon's mind. There was only one wood elf that Cassyon feared that held dominion over all of Athel Loren when the seasons were right, especially in the southern part of that enchanted forest. And if a wild hunt was about to happen, his elation was going to turn quickly to existential and physical dread.
Lyle shook his head. "Nah, it's…" The Lichemsater considered lying. The implications of what he was considering saying were not lost on him. Ultimately, however, Lyle decided just to bite the bullet and tell the truth, for two primary reasons. One: he had a feeling Cassyon's Pegasus knights would see what was happening regardless, so there was little point in lying. Two: After being with Cassyon for these past few days, it would leave a terrible taste in Lyle's mouth to give him the around.
"...Some Bretonnian army. They started coming in from the South or something."
The admission gave a great deal of pause to the Duke who opened and closed his mouth. After the two leaders stared at one another with a pregnant pause, the Duke finally spoke. "I…have you any idea who leads this force?"
"Nah…only knew that it was comin' and that I had to hurry." Lyle admitted, seeing no reason to fib anything more since the cat was out of the bag. "Anyways…you should probably head back to your castle once everything is done. Y-
"You're not going to ask me ot help you?" The duke muttered in mild surprise, stunning even himself.
"We signed a non-aggression pact before we started this thing of ours." Lyle pointed out, with a shrug. "You don't gotta swing wit' me if you don't want to. Unless suddenly you'd be happy with fightin' your own fellow Bretonnians, and I just wasn't aware of it."
"I…no."
"Nah. Figured as much." Lyle said with a shrug. "I…I gotta see how my boys n' gals are doin'. If ya want we can talk afterward. Cool?"
In a rare moment in his still short life, Cassyon was wracked with a sudden bout of indecision. Looking at Lyle's haggard and worn-out appearance, he felt…whispers in his mind. An inclination that had his fingers twitching toward his sword on his belt. With his Grail-power blessed speed, he was sure he could run Lyle through right then and there. End the threat of the Barrow Legion once and for all and bring himself one step closer towards peace in Bretonnia. They'd ended the danger against the Asrai after all; what use was he now? It would make everything so much more convenient to end the life of this foreign interloper.
A wave of dizziness washed over the top of the mind of the Grail-blessed Duke, forcing him to blink it away. What on earth was he just thinking? The idea of his blade coating Lyle's blood made him physically ill to the point that he had to question why such an idea had entered his mind in the first place. To turn on this honorable man? Could he call himself chivalrous to even think of such a thing? Could he believe himself honorable? Especially after the Lichemaster had gone to such lengths to help him, his mother, his people, especially at the risk of his life? What on earth possessed him to even think like such a lowly churl?
Shaking away such nonsense in his mind, Cassyon looked back at Lyle Spoletta, who seemed just about to walk away, taking Cassyon's silence as a cue to take his leave. Before Lyle could walk away, however, he jerked when he felt Cassyon grab his shoulder, expecting the worst only to receive a sharp nod when the two were face to face.
"Lyle…above all else…I appreciate you not pressing such unfavorable terms in exchange for your assistance like so many would. I…Should you survive whoever ails you in the South, my feasting hall will still be open to you. We still have the finer points of a trade agreement, after all. I'd be loathed if I needed my mother to remind me of that point."
No sooner had he said that did a panicked look cross the face of Cassyon, his heart palpitations visibly affecting him. Seeing this, Lyle was about to ask what was wrong before he too widened his eyes, both of them coming to the same fount of knowledge.
That Cassyon's mother with her carriage was in the rear of the army.
…
"Fire Again!"
The Canon-toting Crypt Horors fired their second-to-last volley, which ripped through more of the knights in the backlines, hiding behind the peasants trying to get stuck into the undead. Though they fought fiercely, mostly due to the fervor in which they fought for Lady Repanse, they couldn't quite break through the undead lines on their own. A matter which was becoming increasingly challenging due to increasing undead reinforcements that were being freed up from the front due to the arrival of Cassyon's forces wrapping up the wood elves. More zombies, skeleton warriors, and even grave guards trickled into the backline, ironically turning into the new frontline.
With scores of knights dead and the frontline stabalizing, you would think all was now well for the Barrow Legion.
But Schmitz and Tobias both knew better. Especially since they both now knew there was only one final salvo of cannonballs left to fire. And though they had killed over a hundred knights easily at this point, hundreds were still left to make up the differences, assisted heavily by the thousands of peasants pouring into the frontlines.
Schmitz slowly turned toward Tobias with a look of consternation. "...You going to fire that final salvo right away?"
"No." Came the quick reply as the Bretonnian knights started reorganizing on both battlefield flanks, with Repanse belting out orders. "No, I fear we'll need to ration it for the right moment."
"To hells with that! Aim it at that black haired bitch leading these bretonnians!" Schmitz ordered angrily. "She's clearly running this backwards rabble, and if we cut her o-
Three green explosions of raw life magic erupted across the undead frontlines, causing the necromancers to wince and stagger in response to the sudden and sharp attack, which incentivized the peasants to press harder. Tobias thinned his lips while Schmitz openly cursed at the magical presence they had felt earlier, seeing the one responsible now show themselves, confirming their dread-filled suspicions.
Sitting on her unicorn, Silveron was Morgiana the Fay Enchantress. Glowing a bright white light from her body much like Repanse except at a much brighter level. She was resplendent in her white lace dress. Despite the chaos of the battle, it looked pristine, just like her as she observed the battlefield with a cold detachment, fitting the avatar of the Goddess for this land.
And just like that, the outcome of this battle was put into question, hammered home by Repanse giving the order both wings of the cavalry she had organized, urging them to go around the flanks of the Barrow Legion.
That couldn't be tolerated. If they managed to flank the army, it would be curtains for everyone.
"Send the Black Knights." Was Schmitz's curt response.
"We lost many of them when they engaged the stag knights." Tobias muttered, but coordinating mental commands as he commented on this issue. "It won't be enough to stop them. Certainly not the knights of Bretonnia."
"Then group them up and send them to just one flank!" Schmitz countered impatiently. "Then raise zombies on the other flank to stop them! We don't have to beat those knights outright! Just slow them down!"
Understanding the point, Tobias moved to coordinate the moves, and the rest of the necromancers responded swiftly to the orders, gathering the remaining hundred or so Black knights to cover the right flanks while zombies were raised on the left to act as a stopgap to that side's incoming knights. Tobias considered just firing his canons at Repanase to try and demoralize the forces, but to his confusion, he couldn't find the black haired paladin anywhere, neither with both flanks of the knights nor in the backlines. It was a queer moment of confusion given how a woman like her stood out like a goblin at a merchant quarter helped by how she literally glowed on the battlefield.
The scholarly necromancer considered firing the canons at the Enchantress, but he shook his head. No. Killing someone like her wouldn't be that simple, even with the Balefire improvements the Lichemaster had placed upon their canons. They would have to be absurdly lucky for that to come to pass, and the scholar wasn't quite so comfortable relying on a God as fickle as Ranald to win this battle.
Perhaps they didn't need to strike her directly to make an impact? Perh-
"FORWARD! FORWARD FOR ZE LADY! FOR BRETONNIA! FOR OUR KINGDOM!" That roar was back again. So full of zealousness and passion that the necromancers knew it had to be none other than Repanse De Lyonese once more. Yet to their confusion, she wasn't simply riding one horseback, at least not anymore. If one looked closely at the front lines, specifically in the center, one could spy a massive yet familiar great sword swinging about and bisecting entire lines of the undead forces in front of her. Zombies and skeletons had flesh and bones split and sliced apart like butter with a hot knife. The female paladin showed no fear, hesitation, nor disgust at the threat before her, and the actions she took inspired further strength and action from the peasants around her. Seeing a fabled woman like Repanse fighting on foot with the masses as she had done so many times in the past was the equivalent of a second wind to the men at arms and pilgrims that had come with her thus far, any doubts about the actions of the Fay Enchantress before then evaporating at the source of their confidence.
All of which amounted to more pressure for the necromancers especially as the flanks soon joined battle as well, with one group knights clashing to meet the diminished Black Knights of the Barrow Legion while the other flank of zombies buckled at the charge of their own knights. With Morgiana casting even more spells to discombobulate and annihilate more of their front line, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Barrow Legion's time was numbered.
That moment came when the zombies who could barely stop a charge earlier in the battle were smashed through with utter contempt, with the knights bashing aside the newly raised undead like used nappy's and surging through them.
If he could have, Tobias would have shit bricks right on the spot. It was horrifying to see those dipped lances, which had just run through the newly raised zombies, aimed right at them. It was then that Tobias knew that if there were ever a time to fire that last salvo, it was now. And so, with a buried mental command, the Crypt Horrors fired their cannonballs one last time into the coming group of Bretonnian knights, with dozens being ripped apart by the burning blue balls of flame.
But, sadly, it could not kill all of the stout and determined knights. This was especially apparent when none of them immediately caught on fire, making Tobias realize that the Enchantress had used temporary magical armor that deflected much of the damage. These Bretonnians were determined to see them all dead!
But the Scholar wouldn't be done so easily! Not now! Never now! Not when he still had so much scripture to read! Not when he had so much to delve into concerning Lichemaster Spoletta's changes in the Barrow Legion and his innovative new magic like with these canons! As a desperate resort, he sent the Crypt horrors themselves into the knights. The green, hulking, fiendish creatures roared and snarled as they sprinted toward the knights with no fear in their corrupted and mutated bodies.
It was a smart move, considering the knights didn't initially see it coming. They must have thought the Crypt Horrors were going to try and reload, but the sudden charge had caught them unawares, halting them, thanks to the massive muscles and weight behind the four crypt horrors. Though they were smaller in number, thanks to their incredible strength, they were able to bring the coming charge to a halt, buying more time for the Barrow Legion.
Tobias had to wipe the sweat off his brow from the sheer stress of the situation, with all the holes he and Schmitz were working in overtime to plug in. It was like they were a crumbling damn trying to hold back a tidal wave which threatened to wipe them all out if given the opportunity.
"Shi-Tobias!" Schmitz nearly cursed. "The right flank! The Knights have run through them! They're circling around us!" Seeing as much, the only reason the knight didn't start panicking right then was that the knights were seemingly more focused on strafing the flanks rather than just diving right in to attack outright. For a moment, confusion reigned in Tobias's mind as to why the knights didn't just charge outright into the backline and attack the necromancers like him. It was as if they had a different idea, which only worried Tobias further.
Then he saw it. The carriage which contained the mother of Duke Cassyon. Before Tobias could dwell on it further, the center of the frontline began to peel apart thanks to the brute force of Repanse De Lyonese, leading the peasants in her furious assault.
"The damned lines are breaking!" Schmitz roared in outrage. "Damn them all! Damn the Bretonnians and the lake whore! We need to fall back! We need to-
"No." Tobias muttered with a sense of sureness that surprised even himself. "The only thing we need to do is to match their wager." Tobias said menacingly, pulling out a familiar tome covered in human skin.
Even Schmitz looked taken aback, a chill running down his spine at the mere sight of that damnable thing again. "H-here? Now? We'd only release that damnable thing in the case of an emergen-
"This is an emergency! The fate of the Legion hinges on decisive action like this, just as Master Spoletta said!" Adjusting his spectacles and turning to the scripture on the tome, Tobias narrowed his eyes, focusing. "He's already risked so much to see us attain victory. I'm hardly one to let such efforts go to waste!"
Schmitz noticeably took a few steps back, dread apparent on his face as other necromancers began to follow suit once they realized what Tobias was reading. And so he read, in a tongue that would have sounded foreign to anyone who wasn't a more senior member of the legion. But the more he read, the more Dhar gathered around him, swirling around the book, and it became visible to even those who had no affinity to using magic.
This was such a heavy gathering of Dhar that it was impossible for Morgiana not to notice it immediately. But, before she could consider doing anything about the spell had been cast, the book itself began to float while Tobias chanted, his voice being thrown out to damn near the entire battlefield.
And then the earth began to shake.
The earth shook so much that the peasants with Repanse included suddenly paused in their breakthrough, the realization that they were on shaky ground stopping them in their tracks.
And then a Jabbersclythe erupted from the ground.
Not just any Jabbersclythe. An undead mutated Jabbersclythe with modifications added to it.
For those unaware, a Jabbersclythe is considered one of the most wretched, decrepit, and horrifying creatures that could be found on the hectic spinning blue ball earth that was called the Old world. Often found with the Beastmen, this specimen was a massive hulking conglomeration of different beasts consisting of toads, slug-drakes, insects, and only the Gods knows what else. Curious about what else could be added to this Frankenstein of a monster, Kemmler, years ago, commissioned Tobias to delve into his knowledge of necromancy to 'improve' this creature to be used in situations such as this and push it to its experimental limits.
Those improvements two Terrorgheist heads sticking outside of the original 'head' of the creature, bony whips which were lashing out violently at anything anyone unfortunate enough to be near it, as well as a blue ghastly fume, which was emanating through several pores that were on the Jabbersclythe's body which reeked of something foul.
And then all hell broke loose.
Panic reigned on the peasant lines since this monster was suddenly summoned from deep within the earth behind them. The courage that they once had dissipating into the oblivion as the bony whips protruding from its body slashed and thrashed around, cracking limbs and bodies alike as the creature unleashed its wrath. Even Repanse, who had faced all manner of horrid creatures in her life, was taken aback by what she and her friendly forces were now forced to confront. The best she could do was step back and try to avoid the many bony whips and other gangly limbs that were trying to butcher and crush her fellow forces.
Morgiana cursed as she used the roots from the earth to try and snare the creature, but it was much too strong, running through them quickly as if they were a mere inconvenience. She fired bursts of life magic at the creature, only for it to be annoyed that they were erupting on its body, literally shaking them off as if someone were throwing eggs at it. Realizing that she would need more powerful spells, Morgiana started delving into other lores of magic that she had access to thanks to her connection to the Lady as her avatar.
She rode Silveron away from the tremendous and unholy beast to try and put a safe amount of distance between herself and the creature so that she would have time to channel this powerful spell. Her only regret was that many of her troops would have to buy time with their own lives, evidently shown by the Jabberslythe crushing, smacking, and batting them away with ease. It even resorted to using its three heads to bite, rip, and tear other soldiers into pieces, their screams filling the air with an ungodly crescendo.
The sight of this, while unnerving, was a welcome sight for the Barrow Legion, who found a second wind of their own now, the pendulum of momentum swinging right back into their favor as the undead troops took advantage of the chaos on the lines and fought back against the increasingly panicked peasants. Zombies bit flesh. Skeletons hewd and stabbed at the frankly poor-quality armor. Fear spread like an infection, and some began to lose heart. Even Repanse was having trouble rallying the troops, just struggling to keep killing the undead while avoiding one of the many limbs of the Jabbersclythe.
Schmitz couldn't help but let out a shaky breath at this turn of fortune. He slowly turned to Tobias, who was focusing on the battle, making sure to utilize all of his mental faculties to control the Jabberslythe. "Loathed I am to admit it, but that was fortuitous…but how much longer can you control that cursed creature?"
"So long as I live, breathe, and focus, I can control it." Tobias replied shortly, a bead of sweat running down his brow. "It was fortuitous that Master Kemmler had me and my fellows use several enchantments to allow us to summon this creature. If only controlling it wasn't so…mind intensive."
"Well, keep it regardless. Who knows. If were fortuitous enough we may not enough need that boy we're forced to call a master to-
"KNIIIIIGHTS!" Another necromancer shouted out in time for Shmitz and Tobias to realize in horror that the knights on the left flank had finally and truly gotten through the mishapen defenses that they had summoned in the form of the zombies and the crypt horros and weren't wasting any time in heading right toward them! Schmitz overcharged a summon the undead spell and even suffered through mild nosebleed to summon a large group of skeleton spearmen to act as a wall in front of them, with other necromancers joining in to bolster their defenses.
To their credit, the knights were stopped. The problem was that they were dangerously close and weren't looking to be stopped for long. Tobias bit his lip, taking several steps back and trying to keep his focus on the Jabberslythe, sweat building on his brow and back. This was necessary now more than ever to decimate the peasant frontlines to salvage this battle! It took all he could to not focus on the knights who were hacking away at the skeleton spears, which was fairly easy to do. These were seasoned and battle-hardened Questing knights who were trying to complete their grail vows, having traveled much of the Old World to become chosen by the Lady, and the ease with which they were making bone meal out of these skeletons was alarming.
In the process of all of this, Morgiana was not idle, gathering the winds of magic to wield the heavens themselves as storm clouds gathered. The other necromancers of the Barrow Legion noticed what was happening, but by then, it was all far too late. The spell had been cast, and down from the heavens tumbled a Comet of Casandora.
The Jabberslythe looked perplexed, sniffing the winds of magic urging its three heads to look upward at the comet that was hurtling right toward it.
The creature had no time to react before the comet collided with an earth-shaking explosion.
The peasants cheered and hollered at the sight of the attack. Even many knights hollered at seeing the Jabberslythe engulfed in a heavy blue cloud of magic.
Only for despair to give way when the beast surged forward, barely looking any worse for wear. If anything, it was more volatile to control, which Tobias figured was a happy accident, considering that it was not surging forward at Morgiana!
Morgiana realized very quickly why the comet did little. This creature had all manner of enchantments on it, and figured there had to be enchantments that improved its magic resistance! Urging Silveron to gallop away, Morgiana nearly escaped too, if not for one of the bony appendages surging forward like a whip grabbing her by her ankle. Silveron whinnied in despair, seeing its rider pulled off of him.
The enchantress felt a legitimate spike of fear, trying in haste to cast spells at the face of the creature in a mix of both life and heaven magic. It didn't work, only serving to annoy the beast as it opened its maw, dangling Morgiana over it and threatening to consume her whole.
"Yes! Yes! Do it, Tobias! For the first time, I may actually be proud of you, book-banging bastard!" Schmitz cackled seeing the Fay Enchantress's position, elated at their turn of fortunes. He turned to Tobias, who too was looking at this. "Kill her, Tobias! Kill the Lady's bitch! Kill her, and we won't just win this battle but this war! All of Bretonnia will lose heart!"
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Tobias smirked, willing the Jabberslythe to do just that. "I'll ju-
Tobias would never have the chance to finish what it was on his lips when an iron javelin went right through his neck, pulling him to the ground and killing him near instantly. The last thing he remembered before the weapon pierced his neck and spine was the cruel irony of it all.
Schmitz blinked, not quite comprehending what just happened at first before slowly turned to the direction from where that javelin came from, seeing one of the knights that were trying to get past their wall of skeletons. None other than Henri Le Massif brandished a sword in triumph. "For the Lady! And our War Maiden! Your evil shall not triumph on this day!"
To the horror of the Barrow Legion, it wasn't just demoralizing to see one of their inner circle perishing at that moment but also to see the Jabberslythe to suddenly fizzle out and disappear, allowing Morgiana to float back to the ground safely. Without Tobias utilizing the tome and the spell to summon the creature, it dissipated and was teleported back into a magical hold beneath Blackstone Post.
All hell broke loose for the Barrow Legion, and almost all the necromancers lost heart at seeing victory snatched by the jaws of defeat. Necromancers began to waver if not flee outright. Schmitz couldn't even entirely blame them. Even he felt his courage flag about with what he had just seen. Even looking at Tobias's body, his now blood spectacles lying by his body gave him the most considerable pause he had seen in his life up until now. Though he hardly cared for Tobias personally and disagreed with his philosophy of undead, he at least respected his skill…so seeing him deceased, much like the zombies they paraded about, suddenly made him remember his mortality. A mortality that their former Master Kemmler was famous for trying to defeat.
And so he turned tail and ran. He could even see Sybille and Fredericka in a fight or flight response, indecision plaguing their minds as they and the necromancers they had been trying to cast spells with were now feeling helpless in the face of poor luck and the power of a goddess.
Yet when all help seemed lost and the undead seemed to start to come undone without the focus of necromancers keeping their bindings together…they came.
The necromancers who had been about to leave suddenly paused at the sight of not just undead reinforcements finally arriving from the rear, but the musketeers wielding bayonet muskets, spears, and shields roaring in near unison as they stormed forward moving to the front.
Most noticeable amongst this group was Wendel, leading from the front, covered in soot, mud, and dirt, but looking more decisive, brave, and resplendent than ever, urging their forces forward. Even Lyle, as battered and burned as he was, gingerly walked alongside the rear forces headed to the front, looking to bolster them as quickly as they could.
Sybille, seeing the much-needed help arriving in the nick of time, let out a long-suffering sigh at the sight of Wendel and Lyle and growled. "What in the bloody chaotic hells took you two so long!?"
"We had to deal with trees and tree-huggers! Get off our dicks!" Lyle shot back, hardly in the mood to deal with any pissy attitudes. "Just focus on takin' these bastards out! And where's the carriage we were keepin' Cassy-Shit…" Lyle saw the ransacked and evidently empty carriage that had previously been guarded by Grave Guard. As if hearing his words, Cassyon shoved forward, past some musketeers, his trustful steed Argent shadowing his steps as he peered into the carriage, a stricken look on his face. When he looked back, neither of them needed to say anything else. They both knew that the knights had reached her. Who else could and would have taken her in this chaos?
As Cassyon despaired, hoping that the knights had only taken his mother thinking she was a hostage, Lyle focused on the forces advancing to help the beleaguered undead forces holding back the Brettonian tide. Every decision he made now hinged with heavy implications due to how precarious the battle was. He was sure that once they managed to win this fight and raised the dead to bolster their ranks, there would be no more fighting to be had.
But the fight STILL had to be won. "Sybille. Freddy. Get together with all of our best spllecasters and improve thost bindings on our undead. If they collapse, it's game over for the frontline and all of us. Schmitz! Go get Tobias an…wait, where the hell is Tobias? He better not be playing hanky panky with a damn page he's been turnin' cause we ain't got no damn time for it!"
Scthmitz had turned uncharacteristically quiet for a bit, his eyes flickering to Sybille and Fredericka, who looked at him in confusion, not having seen his death first hand. Knowing this was hardly the time to conceal such things, Schmitz patted down his uniform for a beat before speaking. "Tobias…Tobias is dead, my Master. He took a javelin to the throat."
Wendel, Fredericka, and Sybille looked utterly taken aback but not to the point where they were horrified. Losses in battle happened, and necromaners weren't invincible as much as they wished they were. In a macabre sort of way, it was expected, if not surprising, if a necromancer didn't die in a premature manner.
Lyle, however, had a much different reaction, his face going blank and his body going still. For a moment, Schmitz was worried that Lyle would imitate Kemmler in one of his less…desirable ways and blame someone else for this mishap, specifically him. Those fears weren't assuaged when Lyle spoke. "You're not joking…are you?"
"...no."
Before Lyle could say anything or think anything more on the matter, Wendel screamed, pointing toward the Bretonnian lines. "R-reinforcements! Bretonnian reinforcements!"
"What!? More!?" Fredericka suddenly cried in despair. "Has the whole might of Bretonnia come to bear its weight down upon us!?"
True to form, the inner circle could only watch in abject horror as what seemed to be an entirely new army pouring just behind the already embattled Bretonnian forces. What none of the Barrow Legion didn't realize were reinforcements from Carcassone. The current Carcassonian forces that were fighting were just a small contribution, with the majority being from Repanse's errantry war in Araby. The reinforcements were explicitly delayed to come in and finish off the beleaguered forces.
Lyle turned to Schmitz. "Did…is there any salvageable gunpowder left?"
"...Tobias used the last of it to deal with some charging knights."
"So then that's it then?" Fredericka asked with a fading level of hope. "Th-at's no! Master Lyle, you've gotten yourself out of worse situations like this at the battle of Riffen, you've bested Duke Bohemond on the fields of battle, y-you can think of something!" Her voice became shrill and desperate when she received no immediate answer. "You've helped innovate and advance the Barrow Legion in such a short time, expanding its borders to unforeseen levels! S-surely you can…Please think of something!"
For a moment, Lyle didn't say anything for a moment. He thinned his lips. "I'm not feeling much in the winds of magic in the air."
"Tobias had to use a lion's share of it to summon that beast of his. When it went out, so did a great deal of the winds. It will take hours, if not days, for them to blow back here." Sybille sighed, running a hand through her aged face. "I knew I should have just stayed in that bog. Then again those damned whoresons of Bastonne would have caught me either. Oh well. I lived longer than most."
Lyle then turned to Wendel. "How're the troops?"
"Tired, Master Lyle." Wendel spoke quickly, looking a bit out of breath himself. "Tired, but casualties were surprisingly low. But…even with that being said, without the gunpowder the fighting-
"-I know."
"Master Lyle." Fredericka started again. "Please. Tell me you have a plan or something. Tell me that-you can't let the Barrow Legion die! You cannot, you simply cannot!" Fredericka wailed, looking at the incoming reinforcements with despair. "I've given too much to it, sacrificed too much to see it survive and thrive!" She grabbed his officer uniform as if hanging onto him would keep her tethered in reality. "Please! I beg you! Do something!"
"Dammit girl!" Schmitz growled his own hopelessness of the situation bleeding into frustration. "Quit wailing like a hous-
"I have an idea." Lyle said slowly. "Chaos magic."
Horror snapped the necromancers to attention, their eyes going wide. Sybille then laughed, shaking her head. "I truly must be getting old if I heard THAT from you. Boy, tell me I did not hear you even consider the damnable magics of the dark gods."
"I ain't jokin'. If that's what it takes to win-
"Oh Gods, he's serious!" Fredericka bemoaned. "Master Lyle by Nagash, I'm desperate for a victory by any means, but if we lose you to chaos, then it will all be for naught!"
Schmitz was more amenable to the idea but still clearly had reservations. "Master Lyle if you could control it…the lack of winds of magic may be rendered null, but if you cannot, mutations will be the least of your concern."
"I know…I've already been told of the risks-
"Yet you know nothing of them, master Lyle!" Wendel fired in, showing surprising backbone. "I've seen the chaos afflicted myself, even before I joined the legion! Back when I was in the Southern part of the Empire, my family had captured some chaos cultists, and we'd seen what the corruption had done to their bodies! If you go that ext-
"DOOOOOOOM AND BOOOOOOOOOOM IS UPON YOU!"
The echoing voice was so loud that it not only made the entire inner circle jump, but both armies felt themselves pause. Even Repanse and Morgiana stopped to hear that voice, all identifying the source upon a small hilltop in the east of the battlefield, overlooking the carnage, which had taken a pause.
Lyle and the inner circle had to squint their eyes, with the Lichemaster having to blink multiple times to believe his eyes. "That can't be who I think it is!"
"HOW TYPICAL FOR OUR NEW LICHEMASTER TO REQUIRE MY AID AT HIS LOWEST MOMENT, JUST AS BEFORE!" The individual was sat upon a skeletal horse, a bag made of human skin covering their face…a very familiar individual who was siphoning the very last of the winds of magic in the area. "HOW TYPICAL OF THE BARROW LEGION ITSELF TO REQUIRE IT'S TRUE SAVIOR WHEN IT REQUIRES IT MOST! FOOLISH BRETONNIANS! DID YOU THINK THAT I WOULD ALLOW YOU TO UNDO WHAT I APPROVE!?"
"Oh, Gods, it's him." Fredericka bemoaned. "I thought he was back at Blackstone Post what is-
"Hey hol' up." Lyle said, putting a hand in front of Fredericka, surprising her and the others. "Let him cook."
Wendel blinked. "Cook…what, master Lyle?"
Lyle didn't answer, urging everyone to keep watching as the familiar necromancer continued to pontificate on his hill, holding a staff aloft that grew darker and darker with the sheer amount of dhar gathering on it. "YOU SHALL FEEL THE WRATH OF THE GREATEST NECROMANCER THAT MAKES THE ELVES GREEN WITH ENVY! THAT MAKES EVEN THE MAGIC RESISTANT DWARVES PISS IN THEIR MOUNTAINS! THAT CAUSES THE EMPEROR TO PAUSE BEFORE EVEN DARING TO GLANCE IN MY DIRECTION!"
Morgiana could sense what was coming before everyone else could. Her eyes widened in alarm. How could any reasonable spellcaster that a God didn't bless like her or Spoletta gather such a tremendous amount of magic without being cursed to chaos? To overcharge a spell that much!...
"Everyone scatter!" Morgiana cried out to the Bretonnian forces. "Get out of the way! Move! Do not let yourself get caught in the spe-
"TOO LATE, MOUTHPIECE OF THE LADY! YOU HAVE REALIZED TOO LATE NOT TO DRAW THE IRE OF NAGASH'S INHERITOR!" He then pointed his staff toward the new army reinforcements, filled with peasants and knights fresh from Carcasone. He pointed specifically at the knights, knowing that striking them would be the most effective. "CURSE THE DAY YOU DREW THE WRATH…OF BERTHOLDT THE BAD!"
The spell was fire, and out came a gaze of Nagash. But this was no simple black bolt of dhar that was fired at the reinforcements. It almost resembled a Comet of Casandora in size and the fury of a flaming skull that a pyromancer would be proud of. It was, in short, a massive black and purple ball of Dhar-filled magic hurtling toward the reinforcements like a sick and furious comet, feeling that misery wanted company.
The peasants and the knights tried heeding Morgiana's words. Many screamed at the hurtling ball of dhar heading at them, literally shoving and trampling other people to get out of the way.
For most. It would be for knights, as the knights who had been at the head of the peasantry ate the full force of this ball of dhar head on, an explosion of magic erupting through the knights and into a great deal of the peasantry. With hundreds dead if not wounded in the span of a minute, that ironically wasn't the worst part of the attack that Bertholdt had launched. What came next was a thick, permeating purple cloud of gas emanating from this large bolt of dhar permeating and expanding throughout the Carcassone reinforcements.
At first, many of the peasants and surviving knights began to cough, finding it hard to breathe. But soon, breathing became the least of their problems when the gas entered their brains. It started small. One peasant noticed his fingers were starting to rot on the spot. A knight saw the horse he was riding turning skeletal before his eyes. Another knight had bats flying about him, urging him to screech and try to swat them away futilely. More and more visions started propping up across the reinforcing army until screams and curses signified a mass hysteria that was infecting the army.
Many broke ranks, and others started running back from whence they came, with even some peasants and knights attacking one another, seeing foes suddenly around every corner. Seeing their fellow army fall into such chaotic disarray, the main army that followed Repanse the Fay Enchantress started losing heart and breaking ranks to flee once they saw the Barrow Legion's reinforcements drawing closer.
It turned the insides of Repanse something fierce to have to make such a critical call at what should have been their victory, but having been in many battles herself, the War maiden knew they would accomplish nothing more here than the decimation of her army. Working with Henri Le Massif, who also could see that the battle was now lost, they signaled the retreat to at least leave in an organized manner. Morgiana was still somewhat shell-shocked at how close she was to perishing due to that mutated Jabberslythe ironically, it didn't put up much of a fight at the calls for retreat, retreating to her steed Silveron, who comforted her as much as she could from the reminder of her mortality.
After a great deal of cajoling and wrangling, which was made more difficult by the state of the reinforcing army, the Brettish army retreated with its tail tucked between its legs, living to fight another day but quitting the field all the same.
All the while, Bertholdt the Bad laughed at how grand of an impact his return had, laughing away on his skeletal steed before he summarily passed out from magic overuse. As if it had done so many times before, the aforementioned skeletal steed started trotting over the Barrow Legion forces with the necromcer's body still atop.
The remaining members of the Inner circle watched this all with mute fascination and relief, many sagging in exhaustion at all the chaos they managed to survive…mostly survive.
Lyle in particular, sat on a dead Treekin, letting out a long-suffering sigh as his musketeers gave a cheer at the sight of the retreating Bretonnians. Made sense for them since the Musketeers themselves suffered few casualties, all things considered. And for them to win a fight on two fronts after multiple ambushes, no less? Who wouldn't feel proud from that?
Yet for Lyle and the others, they knew it was just a small delay for future battles to come. That army may had retreated but it retreated with its army still intact. More battles would have to follow…plus with Cassyon's mother being taken by them, so many details were now up in the air.
It felt like he just went into double overtime and won by the skin of his teeth. And what was worse was that there was more to come.
There always seemed to be more to come.
…
A/N:
I feel exhausted after writing this big-ass extended battle. Took more out of me than I thought, but I'm satisfied with the result. But, then I rolled my eyes and laughed to myself about the fact that I also have to write yet another battle for the other story on this site so that, of course is something to look forward to. A warhammer writer's story is never done I suppose.
So did the battle ultimately satisfy you? It was a victory but this conflict between Lyle and Repanse is obvioulsy far from over. Also curious, who here forgot that Bertholdt was in the story? I don't mind if you did, I did keep him on ice for a good while.
As usual leave your thoughts down in the reviews, and continue to feed the black hole that reverbrates within my chest cavity. The next upload, as I mentioned before, will be the next Eight Peaks Royale Chapter. Stay tuned and stay safe.