First taste of proper imperial warfare part 3

Doreen was battling Markus, him not even breaking a sweat during the fight. Markus formed webs from his blood that tied her up. He then walked at her and without hesitation was about to strike her down with a spear made from blood.

Doreen shined her shield at the webs that made them crumble into stones. She was then able to free her arm and block the incoming attack.

"It seems you have become strong with Rufus," Markus said while keeping Doreen pinned under his blood spear.

Doreen then shined her shield at him, trying to kill her once-beloved liege. Markus then took just a few steps back to avoid the light, but not many since the shining light was dim.

Doreen was gasping and badly tired.

"But it doesn't matter how much you improve. For a dog will never outgrow a wolf, for the wolf is free and a dog is tame and always follows its master," Markus stated and formed two blood monsters next to him.

As the blood monsters were about to strike down the tired and weak Doreen who was just barely able to hold her shield up, two puppets dressed in brown cloth saved her.

One puppet than with a large mace rushed in front of Markus. The puppet was bringing down its large weapon with him being too slow to dodge it.

August then saved him by blocking the incoming attack with his hammer. He then summoned lightning to his fist and punched the puppet with his fist going through its chest. The lifeless puppet barely cared and immediately tried to counterattack.

Yosef then stepped closer with his last puppet aiming at August. As the puppet took its shot at him, August easily dodged it and with almost lightning speed dashed at Yosef.

Edward than in turn saved Yosef by coming in between him and the hammer of August.

"Well, this is an unpleasant surprise," Edward said while clashing his longsword with August's hammer.

"Always talking too much," he answered.

As Markus was ready to join the fight, a large sword came at him. He created a blood shield to protect him and swords of blood to attack the would-be attacker. The assailant with her large sword easily pierced all the oncoming attacks and readied her stance. It was Joan.

As Markus was trying to create more blood monsters, he started to feel strain in his body and his eyesight get hazy. He was about to fall, but August quickly flew to his spot and grabbed him.

Mona herself limped to the two of them as her claws were all shattered. Rufus also came to the scene with him not having a single scratch on him.

"That guy is a monster. We have to get out of here," Mona said to August who was carrying Markus.

Yosef, Edward, Joan and Rufus were all staring at them and then surrounded the three of them.

As they were about to strike together at the three, four fists of flame came from the sky and forced the four of them to stop.

A man jumped to the center of the battle and looked at Markus who barely could keep his eyes open.

It was Berig.

Rufus quickly tried to fight back, but Berig surrounded himself in flames that almost engulfed Rufus with his coat getting burnt.

More hands formed from flames and fire tried to punch Rufus, but he with his hands dispersed the flames.

"Who are you?" Berig asked.

Rufus didn't answer and instead threw his divine sphere at him.

The flames around Berig then grew and intensified. The flames formed a human-like being with four arms and a sword and a round shield on two of its hands. Its head was of a devil with its eyes gouged out and a slithering tongue.

The flame monster with its sword cut the sphere in two and then with its empty hand tried to punch once more Rufus. He again with his hand dispersed the flames, but the flame sword came from the other side.

Rufus jumped to the air to dodge the flaming sword but then a fist of flames punched him sending him flying. The attack left bad burn marks all over his body and in many other ways wounded.

"Get your men out of here…. mercenary," Berig said and ordered August.

~ ~

The black company retreated with the other varangians that had ambushed the alliance army. Only a couple thousand soldiers had been lost on the alliance side, but fewer from the imperial army. The most devastating defeat to the royal Fairfax army was that they had lost half of their precious cannons. Now the imperial army held the advantage on artillery pieces.