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Chapter 5. Fomorians. Part 4.

As the march dragged on through Ash Valley’s unforgiving expanse, hardships mounted with each passing day. The air grew heavy and oppressive – a suffocating embrace that seemed to sap strength from even the hardest soldiers.

Water became an increasingly precious commodity, as they pressed deeper into barren lands. Rations were dwindling, until parched throats cried out for relief amidst barren wastes stretching far beyond limits of sight even now. At night, soldiers were freezing, without any source of firewood.

Sickness began to spread through ranks, weary from months of trudging onward,  without respite: feverish coughs, wracking bodies already pushed beyond limits of endurance. Moral threatened to unravel under relentless march towards distant horizon, where Skull Lakes awaited.

Lilith secretly used her magic to create water and used her own rations, to maintain the strength of her companions. But even her rations were coming to an end, when finally scouts came back and reported that fomorian army was approaching them.

– What to hell do you mean, they are coming towards us! – screamed Adamus, when scout reported him fomorian army approach: – We were supposed to catch them unprepared.

– Seems that they send their army to face us first, – answered demon messenger.

– Gods curse on everyone, – cursed Adamus: – Prepare fort battle lads! Heavy infantry up front. Sorcerers and mages, second line. Get ready to decimate their ranks and protect our own. Knight take charge of right side. Rowan! – he ordered to his second lieutenant: – You take the left. I’ll take the left.

Adamus looked at the sun. It was in front of them and would blind his ranks. Small advantage to fomorians, but it could become a problem.

– Any orders from our leader? – he asked the messenger.

– For now just hold our left side. Once we engage, he will send more orders.

– Fine by me, – Adamus spit on the ground: – We’ll hold, just make sure you do the same.

Messenger hissed and run away.

After months of relentless marching through Ash Valley’s unforgiving embrace, Adamus’ once burly form had withered to a gaunt husk. His beard hung limp and unwashed against sunken cheeks, eyes hollowed by fatigue and hardship endured.

The Hawk band leader stumbled alongside his men now, a far cry from the confident figure, who had led them out of Devilium’s gates, all those month ago. The weight upon Adamus’ shoulders seemed to grow heavier with each passing day, as he watched his soldiers faltering under relentless march towards distant horizon, where Skull Lakes awaited. But yet there was fire, burning in his eyes. All consuming fire of a warrior, who knew not – a word surrender.

His warriors gathered around him, following his orders. They were mercenaries, and could fight even under worth circumstances. Many of them had skills, which made them stronger than ordinary humans, and they had more than enough strength left.

Lilith decided to move upfront, alongside Kragor, while leaving rest of her men if the rear.

Quarter of an hour later fomorian forces appeared. As Lilith’s eyes scanned the horizon, a sense of dread settled over her, as she caught sight of the fomorian army emerging from ash-choked lands ahead. Most of twisted creatures stood taller than even Kragor, by head or more – their elongated skulls topped with jagged spines that seemed to defy nature itself.

In place of ranged weapons, they wielded enormous swords and axes, crafted from some unholy metal that appeared black even against backdrop of gray sky above. Their shields were equally imposing, huge discs forged from metal, which looked like obsidian.

Yet most unsettling aspect of fomorians’ appearance lay in a way they moved: fluid grace belied immense size as if burdened by no weight whatsoever, while approaching through waves of choking dust, rising underfoot tread. Lilith swallowed hard, watching them draw nearer still, despite herself sensing malevolent intelligence behind soulless eyes, fixed upon her own position amidst Hawk band ranks.

Mercenaries had only few dozen archers, but their arrows only annoyed fomorian forces. Fomorians roared and run towards them. Lilith used Slow spell when they got closer. Other mages and sorcerers also used magic. Dozen Lightings both white and unnatural red struck fomorian soldiers. Earth spikes came from beneath ground and pierced their bodies. Fire balls burned their bodies, and dozen fomorians where frozen in ice.

Lilith kept calm casting Slow spell. Soon most mages used the same spell, while others casted protection and enhancement spells on their allied soldiers.

And then two armies clashed against each other.

Lilith’s heart pounded in her chest, as the two armies collided, with a deafening crash of steel against stone. All around her, soldiers and demons alike threw themselves into the fray – their battle cries mixing with screams of agony, as blades found flesh.

The air crackled with raw magical energy, as mages from both sides unleashed devastating spells upon one another: fire rained down like meteorites, while icy tendrils snaked through ranks, seeking helpless prey beneath cold touch of death itself.

Lilith focused on weaving Slow spell around largest concentrations of fomorian forces, closing fast now, amidst chaos surrounding them.

All around her, Lilith could see the toll that battle took upon both sides: soldiers falling beneath merciless blades, while demons howled in rage, as they were cut down by fomorian axes, blackened with unnatural taint.

Yet mercenaries still kept their line. In front of his men Adamus stood like a mountain. He cut down one enemy after another. His movements were light, but his attacks cut even through hardest armor.

– Follow me! – ordered Lilith to Kragor, and moved towards Adamus. She cut a path through fomorian soldiers, with Kragor following her, and took a place near Adamus. Mercenary leader looked at her, but said nothing, seeing that her skill rivaled his own. At every opportunity Lilith kept casting Slow, reducing fomorian speed of movement and making them easy target.

Then Adamus got worried and panic flickered in his eyes.

– What’s wrong? – asked Lilith, noticing change in his behavior.

– Demons. They are retreating, – answered mercenary leader. Lilith could not see it, but did not doubted Adamus’ words.

Soon a messenger approached them, and Asmund retreated to talk to him.

Exchanging words with a demon, he returned and spit on the ground.

– Demons are retreating to regroup – according to Abaddon. We are to stay and delay fomorians, and then run like hell.

Lilith did not liked the idea. She liked running like hell part, but not delaying fomorian forces.

– Why would they do that? – she asked, but then Adamus loudly cursed.

– Because of that, – he pointed towards their left flank. Demon ranks were pushed back, and most of them were running away, which opened a path for one of the fomorians. He was towering over his men. A single hit of his two meter sword cut down three demons, ignoring their armor and shields. In his other hand he was holding a spear, which glowed, reflecting sun light.