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    With Sarien’s gateways no longer a feasible option, the Eldian army and its allies marched toward the approaching rhinn army. Scouts rode back and forth, and the enemy sent their own to do the same. Since the rhinn made no use of horses, the enemy spies and scouts were quickly dealt with, giving Goslin’s side a clear advantage. It was sorely needed, judging by the number of soldiers the rhinn brought. Scouts reported at least twice as many rhinn as humans, and the enemy brought pyromancers this time. A lot of pyromancers.


    Thys showing Sarien his diminished ability to work with gateways told the Eldians rhinn wouldn’t be able to travel either. With neither side able to use gateways, it removed a clear disadvantage for the Eldians and their allies. The rhinn would not be able to reinforce their army with troops from Fyrie or Loft. It also prevented them from maneuvering around the battlefield with ease.


    The lack of gateways made reaching Gatling, Goslin’s older brother, an impossibility. Goslin hoped that his brother would set his aim on Fyrie and work with the rhinn rather than against them. It was a slim hope, but he clung to it.


    The allied forces under Eldian control positioned themselves favorably around the planned field of battle, at the top of a slope about three hours distant from the enemy army. The hilly landscape made for excellent terrain for either defense or an ambush. Landé favored the latter, making sure each leg of their forces understood their part.


    Goslin volunteered to fight in the vanguard, where his shield would do the most damage. Tomford and Emeryn remained by his side. Together, the three of them could accomplish wonders.


    The other geomancers stood at the ready with the task of creating barricades for their archers, pyromancers, and hydromancers who would be assaulting from a distance, and, if possible, divide the enemy forces.


    Goslin wished Sarien was with them, but Wyndemir was approaching. Just thinking about the god made Goslin’s knees a little weaker, but he steeled himself for the coming assault. They all had their part to play, and this was Goslin’s.


    The rhinn army approached from the north and the tall hill Goslin and thousands of others hid behind allowed them to get a clear view of the entirety of the enemy forces. It was a vast army, and they moved like a creeping tide, slowly billowing over the landscape.


    "There are a lot of them," Tomford said, echoing Goslin''s thoughts.


    They laid on their stomachs, peeking over the top of the hill in an attempt to stay hidden.


    Emeryn pointed. "What’s that?"


    On the horizon, far behind the rhinn but catching up quickly, was another mass of soldiers.


    "Reinforcements?" Goslin guessed.


    "No," Tomford said. "Look closer."


    Someone whimpered to Goslin’s left. A hulking beast stood above all others, easily the size of fifteen men. It wasn’t the only one. There were many similarly sized creatures. The smaller ones weren’t human either. Above them, bird-like creatures the size of houses soared through the sky.


    "They brought monstrosities,” Goslin said.


    "A lot of them,” Tomford agreed.


    A soldier Goslin didn’t know the name of pointed to somewhere into the ever-shrinking distance between the two forces. "Look!"


    One of the winged beasts swooped down and came back up with something in its enormous beak. It was too far away to see what, but another creature dove, plucking a driver from a cart that had fallen behind the rhinn forces. The reality of the situation crashed into Goslin like a rampaging bull.


    "They are not allied with the rhinn," he whispered.


    Emeryn spoke without taking her eyes off the scene. "They’re hunting the rhinn."


    "The creatures are working together," Tomford said.


    "Wyndemir is near. Perhaps he is in control of them?" Goslin guessed.


    He waved for one of the messengers to approach. A young girl crawled up to him, her eyes flitting between him and the two armies below.


    "I need you to deliver a message to Landé," Goslin said.


    When the girl didn’t respond, he placed a hand on her forearm, shaking it and getting her attention. "All will be well, but I need you to deliver a message for me, to the commander."


    "Sorry," she squeaked.


    "Tell him we’re going to go around the rhinn and attack the new army’s flanks from the west and the east. If he argues, tell him I’m in command when monsters are concerned."


    "I can’t tell him that," she peeped.


    "Just go," Goslin said. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her once she was out of sight below the hill.


    "You want to help the rhinn?" Tomford asked.


    Goslin waved to those nearest his position, signaling for them to start moving west along the other side of the hill.


    "Of course. Anyone fighting against these creatures of Wyndemir is our friend." He grinned. "They just don’t know it yet."


    A rhinn who was in charge of a contingent of his own people in the Eldian alliance crept up to the group. "Sarien asked me to stay close to you and make sure we keep as many travelers alive as possible. What is going on?"


    "Well met, Micah," Goslin said, nodding over to the army of horrific beasts. "We’re on our way to save the rhinn army."


    Micah’s eyes widened, but then his jaw set in determination. "We’ll follow you." Goslin hoped Landé wouldn’t ignore the messenger. Most of the forces on Goslin’s side of the hill were moving into position already, but they, along with Goslin himself, would be slaughtered if they were forced to fight without the aid of the rest of the army.


    Goslin, Emeryn, and Tomford crept back down their side of the hill, keeping themselves hidden, before standing and running to follow the already moving troops. They numbered in the thousands and would not remain undetected for long. It mattered little, since the rhinn army below were distracted. The clash between rhinn and horrific beasts was imminent, and time was running out.


    In the distance, balls of fire leapt from the rhinn and into the advancing horde. The pyromancers had begun their defensive bombardment.


    A full hour later, the forces directed by Goslin had moved into position.


    "I will be staying back to focus on healing," Tomford warned.


    “Why the change of heart, Tom?” Goslin asked.


    “A man I met on my way to Havet gave me a new perspective. I’ll tell you more some time when we’re not about to go into battle.”


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Emeryn prodded. “New perspective?”


    Tomford kept his eyes on the long slope down. “That’s right. Also, I was made to swear that I wouldn’t be fighting, or the healers wouldn’t have joined me. They didn’t specifically say I had to stay back in the healing tents, though,” he said, obviously proud of his little deception.


    Emeryn chuckled. “I’ll do my best to keep the two of you out of trouble.”


    Goslin pulled Emeryn close, and they exchanged a quick kiss before he pulled back and drew out his new obsidian sword. His shield was already strapped to his arm. "Of course, I’ll be the sword and the shield, and you take care of the rest, my friends.”


    Landé hadn’t loved the idea of changing their entire strategy and, from the constant stream of messengers to the commander that Goslin overheard, he wasn’t overjoyed by that fact that Goslin took over without consulting him first. Still, he would make sure the rest of the army fell into line. The time had come.


    A blue flag was hoisted on top of the hill on the other side of the battlefield, and he raised his sword and bellowed. "Go!"


    Goslin set off over the crest and then down the hill to the mayhem below. The rhinn fought desperately to stave off the brutal assault from the horde of monsters, but had fallen back, step after step, as the force against them fought with overwhelming ferocity.


    He saw arms raised and fingers pointed as he approached. Large rhinn eyes widened in fright at the new enemy approaching, but Goslin saw hope spark in some when they noticed the humans veering and positioning themselves to strike at the monsters.


    Goslin descended the hill with a little too much speed and found himself almost alone when he reached the first monster. He bashed a fur-covered abomination with his shield, blowing the snarling creature apart and spraying its remains across those pushing from behind. The monsters moved as one and circled him in an attempt to cut Goslin off from his allies, but the rest of his men caught up and cut into them.


    A bull-like monster, with what looked like a hundred horns covering its entire head, galloped forth, tossing other monsters aside as it charged at Goslin. Its little red eyes shone through the multitude of horns as it crashed into a human soldier, throwing him overhead. Goslin held up his shield to block the charge. The monster’s horns crumbled, and it let out a terrified whine followed by a long sigh. The stench of sulfur spewed around him.


    Goslin peeked around his shield and saw a spike created from stone jutting out from the ground and piercing the monster in the chest.


    He spun to see a dirt-covered Emeryn with red hair across her face, smiling wildly as she moved her palm forward and up. The earth rose at her command, cutting off a large section of the monster army, allowing the humans to focus on a small portion first.


    To Goslin’s surprise, the soldier who’d been tossed aside rose from the ground with a look of utter confusion on his face. He looked down at his armor, a chainmail tunic full of gaping holes. Through them, his skin shone pale and unharmed. All around Goslin, human soldiers who were struck down were rising to their feet. Tomford sat nearby on top of a rock the size of a horse, his eyes closed, and his legs crossed.


    A cat-sized critter with long teeth jumped up at him, and Goslin cried out in alarm, but Tomford just swatted it out of the hair with a backhanded strike. He didn''t even bother to open his eyes.


    With Goslin''s focus on Tomford, he didn’t see the attack in time, and large claws from a snarling beast cut into the flesh of his sword arm. He cried out, dropping his sword before gritting his teeth and lashing out with his shield. The creature was dead before it hit the ground.


    Turning, Goslin shouted for Tomford, but he needn’t have bothered. His wound was gone. The only evidence that he was injured was the bloodstain on his torn tunic. Even the pain was gone.


    Something had changed in Tomford during their time apart. He looked at ease where he sat, apparently healing many of the injuries Goslin and his fellow soldiers suffered. Men still died in droves all around him. Goslin saw one skewered on a large horned creature, and another torn to shreds in an instant by some dark thing moving with the grace of a cat. Even someone as skilled as Tomford could not heal all injuries, but last they saw each other, the Vatner needed to physically touch his patients to heal them. It appeared that connection was no longer necessary. Tomford was able to heal from a distance, radiating his magic into the battle.


    The undulating mass of terrible creatures smelled foul, and their cries of bloodlust chilled Goslin to the bone. Fighting one monster was very different from fighting thousands. Thankfully, the Eldians on the other flank took split the attention of the monster horde, and the rhinn they’d come to save fought with renewed vigor, finally pushing back against the assault.


    Fire blasted into the monsters from all directions, lighting those with fur aflame and blowing others apart.


    He’d lost count of the number of monstrosities taken apart by his shield or struck down by his sword, but there was no end to them.


    A terrible, shooting pain struck Goslin’s back, and he screamed in both pain and shock as he turned to see a man grinning wildly, his eyes clouded over. "Die you monstrous cretin!" the soldier bellowed, thrusting with a sword gripped so tight his knuckles whitened from the pressure.


    "Get it together!" Goslin shouted, easily diverting the strike. Pain bloomed in his back, and he looked around for Tomford, but the healer was too far.


    The soldier struck out again, laughing. "Your day has come!"


    Goslin parried the blow and kicked forward, sending his attacker to the ground. "Get a hold of yourself!"


    Screams sounded from all around him, and he turned to see men fighting men with dedicated fury while monsters ripped into them from all sides.


    "Tom!" Goslin yelled. "Emeryn!"


    Both were obscured by the mass of horrible creatures and Eldian soldiers, but a man struck down got up again without a scratch.


    "Gos!"


    Tomford was up and walking, with Emeryn at his side. Her clothes were torn. She was covered in blood but walked on her own.


    Goslin ran up to the pair. "What is happening?"


    "I don’t know, but I can’t keep this up," Tomford answered. His face was pale and a mask of concentration. “It’s too much, even with all that training.” He sounded deflated.


    Emeryn pointed. "There."


    Goslin spun and saw a creature that stood out from the sea of monsters. Its shape was human-like, with arms and legs thin like twigs and skin that sagged around its midsection. The head was rounded obscenely, almost like a mushroom, and Goslin watched it throb as the creature regarded the battlefield before it with eyes even larger than the rhinn’s.


    Goslin didn’t wait a second longer than necessary and charged at the creature. A faint look of surprise passed over its face as Goslin ducked under a heavy sideswipe from one of those giants he and Kax faced a while back. There was intelligence in the spindly creature, that much was obvious to Goslin as he continued his mad dash, ignoring every monster he could, and bashing those who stood in his way. A whisper of something flashed through his mind, but it could get no hold of him. The creature’s eyes widened even further with fear. Goslin grinned as he closed the gap and arced his sword down with the intent of cutting into this thing’s head.


    Without fully grasping what happened, Goslin soared through the air, with a dead creature on top of him, and crashed into a lizard the size of a horse. It hissed at him and snapped with jaws that looked strong enough to crush bone. Dazed, Goslin got to his feet and staggered, almost falling down into the mud again. He was surrounded by monsters. At first, he panicked, thinking the large-headed monster had bewitched him, and he was seeing his fellow soldiers as horrific beasts, but then he saw them. A large group of Eldian soldiers were fighting to his right, trying to reach him.


    Goslin bashed the lizard’s brains in with his shield, then blocked a blow from something that looked part horse, part bird, except with claws and fangs. It broke apart against his protective barrier. Goslin fought desperately, ran, dodged, and stumbled in a desperate struggle to reach the humans. Fire blazed at his left and monsters fell screaming, burned into unrecognizable hunks of meat.


    One of the enormous, bird-like monsters swooped down at him from above and he leapt to the side to avoid being skewered on its massive talons. Its feet struck the ground beside him, and Goslin, in a mad scramble, grabbed hold of the leg before it lifted off the ground again. His vision spun as the ground fell away, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he took to the air. His laughter died in his throat when it realized what he’d done. Grabbing the bird’s leg allowed him an escape, but at what cost?


    The ground quickly disappeared beneath his feet.


    A second bird swooped in and pecked at his legs. Goslin kicked at it, laughing again. It was just so absurd! This was something Kax might do, but Goslin couldn’t fall from the sky without ending up as a gory mess. The bird he clung to kicked and screeched, barreling in the air in an attempt to shake him off, but he’d locked his legs around it and held on for dear life. Goslin kept his shield from striking the bird. If it accidentally did, the monster would be torn apart and the rest of Goslin’s life after that would consist of a lot of falling, screaming, and certain death.


    Below, Goslin watched as the monster horde was pressed in on three sides. A few hulking beasts rampaged behind the Eldian lines, swinging tree trunks as weapons. Fire billowed up to meet their attacks, but they seemed to shrug it off.


    His hair suddenly stood on end and the air above crackled. Lightning thrummed through the air, striking one of the enormous creatures, blowing it apart in an instant. Goslin shuddered. He needed to return to the ground. He saw one of the bird-like creatures get struck by a hurtling ball of fire, and it descended, screeching, as it tried to land.


    Holding on for dear life with one arm, he grabbed his long dagger from its sheath at his leg. He plunged it into the bird, drawing a black, slow-moving liquid dribbled out of the wound at first, then gushed. The monster spun and howled, a sound no bird should make. It tumbled and he didn’t know what to do, so he held on tight. They crashed into the earth, but luckily, the bird''s body cushioned the impact. Feathers and guts exploded and Goslin stood, covered in a greasy substance that smelled like goat milk gone sour.