Hours went by, and the sun finally went down, giving up its place to the two moons. The celestial moons hung above the clouds that seemed to be struggling to hide the unmatchable beauty of the moons. The ever-floating white clouds looked mesmerizing tonight, but the calmness they brought to those looking at the sky was destroyed by the black smoke billowing upwards.
“Chief! The farms!”
A loud sound forced Chief Gath of Gath and his captains out of the tent where they made their plans. Gath wore a battle skirt that was over his knees. It was made from a bear’s fur.
Apart from the battle skirt and his fur boots, no other clothing could be found on the body of this 6 foot, 9 inch tall man whose skin also had the sheen of silver.
His skin tone was actually silver in color, and not only that, as his bulging muscle and throbbing veins packed so much power that not even a knight could not withstand a blow.
Just one blow!
It went to show how powerful Gath, ruler of Gath, was. He had long gray beards that were braided, and they reached his abdomen, swaying softly as he walked.
His palms were large enough to cover an adult human’s head, and unlike other barbarians, there was no scar on his body.
Before he could question the warrior that called him out, the billowing smoke caught his eye. Seeing the location they were coming from, he and his captains ran to the walls. Only to see their farms had transformed into a sea of flames!
Gath looked at the hilltops and saw the outlanders assembling themselves. Their armor, height, and united aura were daunting, but at this moment, Gath’s fury had reached its peak.
Previously he wanted to take his time and call reinforcements so they could slaughter the outlanders, but burning his farms was over the line.
This would also damage the soil!
It was just early spring, and his fields that just recovered from the cold would be scorched!
“This is not acceptable! ” Ascalon roared. He was the right-hand man to Chief Gath and Gath’s advisor.
For a barbarian, he was strangely good-looking. As good-looking as a man whose heritage wasn’t from the desolatelands. Ascalon had short snow white hair, white brows, pale skin like a man from the wastelands, and an acceptable height of 5 feet 9 inches.
He was twenty years younger than the 62-year-old Gath, yet he was also a barbarian warrior who was famous among all the Bashan Clans.
“They burned our farms!” Some other person yelled.
Gath squinted. “Ready the centraks. It’s been a long time since I battled alongside my son.”
The captains were shocked. Ascalon’s lower lip fell, causing his mouth to be open wide.
Powerful men like Gath, Adam, Buba, and finally, Beowulf had not shown their full capability for a long time. Buba, who was famous for his carnage, only threw lava bombs now.
There was barely any thrill after they had conquered all that was around them, but the Ashbourne forces had made one of these legendary warriors come out of his shell.
“Kill those outlanders!”
“Awoo!”
“Awoo!!”
The warriors howled like wolves, so loud that Alec heard it!
“I guess we successfully provoked them. ” He said calmly.
Eritrea nodded while Nero smiled broadly.
“Shields!” Alec bellowed.
Boom!
Five hundred men slammed their heavy shields against the ground, causing a mild tremor that those on the city walls felt.
“Spears!”
The soldiers brandished their spears and pointed the tip toward the city.
“Prepare your minds. Now is the time we seize this barbarian city. You all are moving fortresses, recruits or not. That is the ideal vision of a heavy infantryman. We are the human wall of Nineveh. We are the Silver Wolves!”
“Hoo!”
Alec pointed his spear at the city, and as he activated his spear, flames billowed off the flag and also covered the triangular tip.
“For our Lord Asher, for the glory of the Ashbournes, for our honour, Advance!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In sync, the infantrymen began to march with the rangers right behind them. They were not hitting their legs against the ground, but their very weight combined as one shook the earth. This troop were earthshakers!
“Are they marching into the flames?” Ascalon raised an eyebrow.
Gath chuckled softly as he watched the impressive army marching toward the intense sea of flames. To him, there was no way they would magically float above the fire or walk through it.
“So they’re going to kill themselves.” A captain said.
“Maybe, maybe not. Mount your centraks and open the gates. They’re not stupid. If they’re marching into war, then they are not planning to die in the flames they started.” Gath said after a brief thought.
The gates opened, and riders on centrak backs came out in droves. From one, they grew to a hundred, two hundred, three hundred!
Eventually, 800 riders emerged from the gate!
All of a sudden, Alec halted their horses at a critical spot and went down alone. When he neared the fire, he slammed his shield against the ground, and the eyes of the drake snapped open. It opened its mouth and absorbed the flames.
Not only the barbarians but even his own men were amazed. Nero’s eyes glowed.
Only Lord Asher could produce a weapon like that.
“They’ve lost their advantage!” Gath bellowed and pointed his spear at the Ashbourne forces.
“Attack!”
Rumble!
800 warriors on their muscular centraks kicked the bellies of their horses, causing them to gallop toward the Ashbournes. They saw it as foolishness for Alec to suck the flames when his men were in a disadvantageous position.
When they entered the place the flames once occupied, Eritrea bellowed.
“Fire!”
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Lightning arrows left the bows of a hundred Thunderstorm Rangers. The arrows were shot toward the skies, made a beautiful curve, and fell straight on the barbarian riders.
It was to be known that each Thunderstorm Ranger fired three arrows!
Pish!
A barbarian warrior was struck on his chest. His plate armour was like a thin piece of paper before the lightning arrow that pierced right through him, killing him and his horse while the pulse blast paralyzed those riding close to him.
About five riders and their horses fell.
Before they knew it, over two hundred riders were down! Few were killed, while most of them were paralyzed.
“What kind of arrow is that?!” Ascalon, who was still on the wall, asked himself. Their fearsome cavalry had almost a hundred dead!
The Ashbourne forces began to retreat while Gath gave another order.
“Spread out!”
When they distanced themselves from each other, Alec, who remained in that same spot, had a little, almost unnoticeable smirk.
“Release it.”
He muttered as the riders were upon him.
The drake opened its mouth and unleashed the flames it swallowed along with hot ash and even more fire; this one was almost scarlet.
Screams filled his ears. The flames were able to hit more targets as they spread out, and the hot ash blinded them. Some began to collide.
“Father!”
Asclaon bellowed, and he suddenly morphed into a massive creature. It’s amber eyes that had a tint of crimson pierced through the hot ash and locked on the Ashbourne soldiers.
“Outlanders!!”
