The Three

Johann turned and stopped for a moment, somewhere he felt the cold eyes of Portus watching hiim from the darkness, before he could say a word the sentries leapt from their positions and lit the great fires by the catapults. From the night a trumpet sounded from deep within the camp and from the hills thousands of enemy soldiers rained down.

"Load the catapults!" cried the guards as they came forward.

"How did they slip past our scouts!" cried another.

In the midst of the enemy a towering figure cackled at the soldiers forming up to recieve the endless horde, Johann drew the Dragonblade as those of the meeting emerged weapons drawn.

"General, what is this?" asked Alansair.

"Archers quickly!" ordered Mordok running into the crowd of his men to find his griffin.

Johann rode forward on Coladra to the edge of the troops, his last few hundred horsemen that had not seen much death nor battle in this war formed up by his side ready to fight. Mordok flew high above his men on his mount and waited for Nula to join him on her own winged steed. Johann ordered his cavalry to begin their forming up as the Halonoirian archers got into positions by the three catapults, Limira joined Johann's soldiers on a brown horse from the others that were still tied up and in a second of thought a fiery blue sword appeared in her newly healed hand. Johann watched as she brought her horse to his side and waited for the order for the full on charge.

"Limira, you are still weak," said Johann making the hand signal to march forward in a steady column.

"If I am to die in this war," said Limira not looking at him,"It will be by your side,"

The archers let loose and the catapults threw huge flaming balls of fire into the mass, Johann put on his helm and made the first move of the charge. From above the two flying beasts of Halanoir swooped down and cut into the foes, their cavalry of thousands just behind them. But the camp was in panic, the forces that could have been brought to the start of the battle were not. In the dark of the stormy sky, the men overestimated the enemy they were facing and fled into the deep forests to the north west where the ghosts and spectres awaited fresh meat that had been long expected. From the side of Portus, great balls of black flame and energy were cast down from a lone rider on the horizen.

"Limira, Grepnor is on the mountains," said Johann as they clashed with the vampires, a few hundred metres away the Halonorian Knights fought their own battle across the battlefield.

"I will see to him if we can break through them," she said thrusting her sword of fire through three vampires burning them to nought but dust.

Johann watched as the Halonorians slowly began to lose to the vampires, they only had about three thousand against the unknown number of enemies still pouring over the hills.

"We must make a breach in their forces," said Limira,"if you can reach Portus, you may be able to turn the battle,"

Johann turned around and left the fight, he rode as fast as Coladra could bear him back to the catapults who were firing blindly at anything they could.