“Send word to the elementals!” Raye said.
“I think that they got the message already, Admiral.” The signal officer pointed into the sky.
Admiral Raye saw three different humanoid shapes that were made from air, from lightning and storm clouds, from the sea.
Thunderwing and his cousins stood upon the sky, commanders of their own realms.
Dena seemed to fight back as the skies that had been dotted with a few clouds now rolled with dark clouds that came in from the four corners of the world. Lightning sparked between the omi- nous clouds as they started to twist together.
Rain hailed down from the heavens. The weight of the attacks caused the platforms to dip; water got into the holes and warrens, trying to fill them up. The rain cut into the crystal and stone con- structs.
Dozens of tornadoes dropped from the sky, hitting the plat- forms and causing them to dip once again. The wind’s cutting blades tore apart buildings, through the crystal, Drafeng, and any- thing that was not secured or hidden within the platforms.
Lightning as thick as a man crackled down through the storms. The arcing lightning ran across the surface of the platforms, travel- ing through the water that had invaded the deeper reaches.
The island was lit up with a new light as the attacks con- tinued.
Raye looked to the three ships. Under the cover of the massive storm, they had gotten closer. Now they were entering the range of the storm. A mast was torn from one of the ships and sent flying, but they didn’t slow or turn back; they stayed the course.
“Maintain fire until my order!” Raye yelled. Rain was coming off the massive storm. Though not the cutting rain that injured and killed those on the platforms, still it worked to soak and cool the crews.
The beams found new targets, shooting at the elementals, but waves of water appeared in front of them, protecting them from the attacks with ease.
***
“All right, you bastards! Don’t fall off now! Everyone ready?” An- tho- ny yelled to everyone across the three ships, his voice magically en- hanced.
A yell returned from the three ships. A stray bolt of lightning struck a ship, scorching it and starting a fire, but the rain quickly put it out. The Guardians who had been struck got back onto their feet and found new footholds on the ship.
Anthony stood at the helm. Dave and Penelope were guiding them now.
They tilted to the side as a beam went across their bow and main deck.
“Mages!” Claire yelled.
Barriers snapped into existence. They were just a few hundred meters from the platforms now.
on.
The cannon fire still cut into the platform as the storms raged
The platforms took the hits and kept pushing forward.
It would be great if they could just hit the platforms from a dis-
tance and then wear them down, but the Drafeng beam weapons had a longer range than the cannons and the elementals were using their own stored power to fight. There was only so much that they could do. Their power was great, but they would have to pay decades to re- gain this amount of power.
The ships shook in the storm but Anthony grinned. He might be a damn skeleton, but hell if he didn’t feel alive. “Dave, Penelope, take us up!”
With the rain and wind whipping at the rigging and stored sails, the wings of the ships flapped harder as the two familiars let out their war cries, dragging the ship and its crew to the platform.
The other ships followed behind.
They rose just meters away from the side of the platform, like whales coming from the deep. They dropped down and leveled off, skirting over the top of the platform.
Beam weapons that could finally see them opened up.
The attacks rained down on the mana barriers that were col- ored purple. The enchantments on the ship glowed brighter and with greater power, they started to burn into the ship as the power was too much for the material they were carved into. They crashed into buildings and towers; crystals started to collapse around them as they drove forward.
Anthony let go of his hat and it was torn off by the wind. He grabbed his sword; hands reached out and held onto his shoul- ders. Bruce, Solomon, and Wendy took on their true form, stand- ing with him.
They turned, weaving through the tower city. The beam weapons found them from time to time, but it was rare as they hid
among the towers, aiming for the mound in the middle of the plat- form.
Beam weapons lanced out from the mound as they cleared the city. Drafeng emerged from holes and warrens, firing beams from their mouths.
“Jump!” Anthony yelled.
Guardians ran and jumped off the ships. Those who were be- lowdecks smashed their way out.
They hit the ground, rolling and getting back onto their feet. Anthony sent his sword whizzing out. It tore through Drafeng.
Dave and Penelope reverted to their humanoid forms, appear- ing with Anthony and the others.
The mages were the last to leave the three ships. They hit the ground, carving a groove into the ground, killing the Drafeng in front of them. They carved their way into the platform, killing hun- dreds, possibly thousands of Drafeng. As they hit larger rock and crystal protrusions, they exploded into splinters.
The tornadoes had died off; the rain was no longer cutting but lightning illuminated the storm-covered platforms.
The Guardians rushed forward, getting into their formations among the chaos.
The archers brought the Drafeng under fire as the melee types continued the charge. They carved a path through the Drafeng; they moved through the trails that the ships had made, moving through bulwarks, the rudder, and the masts that had shattered.
The terrain became rough as they met the full force of the Drafeng. The Guardians looked as if they would be swallowed up by the numbers. Instead, they hit like a bull through a wheat field. Drafeng were tossed to the side as the formations struck.
Their organization turned into groups. The Guardians worked with their groups to push forward and support one another. Their speed slowed but only slightly as they displayed their full killing might.
Spells cut through the Drafeng; the melee fighters were like un- stoppable wrecking balls.
Arrows, pistols, rifles, spears, axes: Drafeng met a wall of weapons and the masters wielding them. The power of Dena flowed through the guardians. Each of them were champions of their own race. Their spells and their attacks contained the flames of the Guardians within, burning through the chaotic power.
Troga hit a chaotic beast, his axe finding purchase as he cut them to the side.
Damien took on his werewolf form as his hammer struck out, hitting a chaotic beast and sending them flying. He waded into the waves of Drafeng, his body glowing with purple flames.
Tairlyn’s pistols rumbled, her rounds ending the Drafeng’s charge.
Tommie tossed out small fighting bots.
Aila’s power threaded into them, controlling and powering them as they ran into battle, working together to take down Drafeng. She pulled out her daggers and slid forward underneath a Drafeng, cut- ting their stomach open; curses ran through their veins and they dropped forward.
She tossed herself to the side. Using a rock, she stepped on it, flinging herself out of the way of a following chaotic beast’s paw. Her dagger flashed out and grabbed hold of the arm with its hook. She used the purchase to fling herself forward, burying her other dagger into their eye. They dropped and curses ran through their body.
Aila twisted and jumped from them, landing on another Drafeng and burying her daggers into their neck.
Tommie’s grenades went over her and the Drafeng she was on, laying down a wave of destruction on a group that was charging them. He jogged forward, his left arm changing into a crossbow. He
fired it, taking out three Drafeng as his right turned into a shield, tak- ing a beam impact from a Drafeng.
Tommie let out a yell as he charged the beam, shaking his left arm and i
t transformed once again. He fired his blunderbuss, clear- ing a path ahead of his shield. He retracted it, but the shield didn’t want to go all the way down.
Dave sent arrows across his back, killing several Drafeng as Pene- lope’s spell formations shot out beams of fire that turned the water into steam underneath the Drafeng, causing them to yelp
out in pain.
Bruce was locked in combat with a Drafeng elite, the two of them exchanging blows enough to make one’s eyes hurt.
Solomon appeared on the Drafeng. His blade seemed to move lazily as it cut into the Drafeng. The pain made them pause and Bruce used the leverage of his staff to hit them to the side.
Solomon turned into a cloud, and appeared running behind Bruce.
Bruce ran into the ground, his staff hitting out as Solomon evap- orated and appeared, his blades doing the work.
Green and white light weaved together. A rain of seeds fell up- on the path ahead. As they landed in the water, the seeds grew in- to thorned vines, looking like forest-born tentacles that lashed out to the Drafeng. The thorns stuck in their hides; they leaked power and then the Guardian Flames that burned within the Guardian’s armor burned through the chaotic power.
Drafeng who had fallen to the Guardians were burned and with- ered by the Guardian Flame.
Anthony stopped a blade with his sword and rolled to the side. A magical spear shot through the opening. Claire anticipated his moves as he cut through a Drafeng’s leg; they dropped to the ground, snarling, as a spear shot from the ground and through their skull.
Guardians fell, torn apart by beasts or hit by an attack they didn’t see. Their numbers thinned as they advanced.
“Why aren’t they getting back up?” Anthony yelled to Claire as he blocked and shot forward with a burst of speed. The Drafeng tried
to catch him, exposing their chest as a spike of crystal tore through their chest.
“The chaotic power here is too strong! Once they have been hit too much, then the power in their bodies can’t pull them back to- gether,” Claire yelled back.
Anthony saw one Guardian pinned down. He ran over to help. As they fought two beasts, a Drafeng charged. They stopped the first hammer, but the second hammer struck them, sending their bones flying.
A spear rose out of the ground. The Drafeng slammed into it and Anthony tossed his sword, killing one of the chaotic beasts that had pinned the Guardian. The other lashed out as he got into range but Anthony turned into smoke and reappeared beside the beast. His sword landed in his hand and he buried it deep in the Drafeng’s side.
He looked forward. The mound was just tens of meters away.
Beams cut out of the mound, cutting through their own allied Drafeng to hit Guardians.
Mages’ barriers and spells rose up a half second later. A second war of mana and chaotic power crashing in the skies above and be- tween the two armies.
“Run for it!” Claire yelled.
Guardians fought frantically, trying to break away as beams lanced through the two armies.
Guardians cleared paths, supporting one another a dozen spears to the heart of the Drafeng camp.
Tairlyn and Damien reached the mound first. The two of them let out yells, drawing in more power as they swung their hammers. The side of the crystal mound exploded inward, killing Drafeng on the other side. Guardians struck the mound, opening up other en- trances, and they rushed inside.
They had lost at least half of their strength already. Inside the mound, there were Drafeng all over the place. The Guardians rushed
into the fight; mages and those with enchanting abilities gath- ered in the center.
The mound had different levels. The main area they were in had ramps that led up and down to different levels within the platform. Those with enchanting backgrounds started to carve into the floor, outlining the enchantment that Claire and Tommie had
worked on.
A hobgoblin and his group ran around the room, throwing grenades into the openings in the floor, killing Drafeng and de- stroy- ing the ramps to the level, curbing the amount that could en- ter the room.
Rangers moved around the mages, covering them as melee fight- ers created an outer wall.
Claire worked with the mages to create the enchant- ment.
Flames burned through the floor and water carved it; the very floor itself changed shape.
“Twenty minutes!” Claire yelled as the enchantment lines and runes formed in the floor.
Wendy was with her, using her sword as if it were a quill to add to the enchantment. All of them worked on their own sections, one part of the whole.
The melee fighters engaged the Drafeng, who had slowed their attacks.
Chapter: War on All Fronts
“Aeran, command things here. Oru, Enya—we will deal with the Guardians,” Khurok said.
“Yes, Leader,” Aeran replied.
Khurok and his two commanders headed out of the command center and down the ramps. Others made way for them as they ran down.
They reached the floor the Guardians were on. They were pressed in by the Drafeng. Guardians were being cut down here and there, pulled from the lines and destroyed. Mages continued to work on their enchantment, their last hope. Khurok let out a yell as he led Oru and Enya forward. Weapons formed of chaotic power appeared in his hands.
They slammed into the Guardian wall, pushing them back and bowing the line inward.
The Guardians were fighting, holding back the three and trying to stop their line from breaking.
“War leader!” one of the Guardians yelled.
Khurok snarled and hit a Guardian. They fell to bones, scat- tered across the ground.
The line was just teetering on the edge when he felt the mana in- side the Guardian formation flicker violently. He looked up, seeing a woman wearing a robe that billowed around her.
“Battle Mage Claire,” Khurok said. He had studied the histories and learned them well.
***
“Take it outside!” Claire yelled. She, the mages, and Wendy worked together, sending a blast at the three Drafeng leaders. They were
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thrown backward, through the walls of the mound and out in- to the open.
Anthony looked to the others.
With a yell, they pushed forward—Anthony, his familiars, Tro- ga, Tairlyn, Damien, Aila, and Tommie. They tore through the Drafeng who had been scattered with the blast.
The area around the three leaders was clear and they rushed for- ward. The casual power from the leaders could destroy them easily. Anthony held out his left hand. Vines twisted together in the shape of a sword. Lightning crackled through the wooden limbs. Gold and white light imprinted upon the limb and flames appeared along one edge of the blade—red on one side, purple on the other;
the hilt turned black, a fog trailing underneath.
All of Anthony’s tattoos glowed as he drew in the chaotic pow- er from around him, turning it into his own power. He opened his mouth, devouring it all, consuming their chaotic power. He grew larger, explosive power filling his limbs.
“The Devourer,” Khurok said, a hint of fear in his voice.
“Kill him!” Khurok yelled as he took a hit from Tommie. He let out a hiss and struck Tairlyn; she flew back but fired her pistols even as she was tossed back. She slammed into the wall, breaking into bones.
Troga charged. His tattoos burned through his armor as his clan spirit appeared and Troga grew, doubling his height. His horns grew larger and his muscles bunched together.
Damien swung his hammer and ran forward. His tattoos flowed with power as he, too, grew. His face became more savage as the tat- toos upon his body shook with power. A mist grew from
them as the two giants wielded their war axe and war hammer, glowing with pur- ple light.
Damien struck Enya while Troga took on Oru.
“Tommie, support Damien. Aila, support Troga,” Anthony said. His armor had transformed. His familiar tattoos, burned
into his very bones, now covered his body. His voice was quiet but powerful. “Looks like we’re going all out!” Bruce yelled. He dou-
bled his height, transforming into his beast-form. He charged forward.
As a dragon roared and a phoenix screeched, Dave took to the skies and he unleashed a beam of golden lightning from his mouth.
***
Admiral Raye watched through the diviner’s mirror as they watched the battle on the ground. They’d seen the three Drafeng being tossed out of the mound; seeing into the mound as the Guardians were sieged on all sides, holding the line; the ranged fighters supporting them as the mages worked as fast as possible to complete the forma- tion in the ground.
“Come on, come on,” someone said. None of them chastised them; they were all thinking the same thing. The tension on the boats was palpable.
They had dropped down to be level with the platform, below where the beams could hit them.
We have about twenty minutes until the two other platforms cir- cle around and then they can attack us.
Damien and Troga were like demi-gods of war, using their mas- sive weapons that sent purple sparks flying everywhere as they pinned down the two large Drafeng commanders.
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