Chapter 4

The night howled with the sounds of clashing steel and splintered spears, blank snow being littered with blood and corpses, roar of beast and defiant warriors echoed throughout the field.

A once peaceful village now threatened by an unexpected horror. Defenders desperately contend against black cloaked berserkers among broken wall and beyond. Twisted monstrosity rampages outside it's gate, valiant defenders charged outside the safety of their wall to ease the threat. Three unexpected heroes shows defiance against unimaginable fear.

But beyond the fierce battle comes a new horror in the figure of a man and three hooded sorcerers emitting ominous presence followed.

Daskrig, Dread beyond the whispering mountain. A title only known in the northern regions, he has come to spread his fearsome name to the south in dedication for his vilest master.

The three heroes along with the other defenders of Lynsk faces the twisted beast of once majestic yet fearsome serpent and crazed raiders from the north now faces a newer threat, one that leads the mad invaders.

As the now blind warped serpent run amok against supposed ally and foe alike. Endal emanate magical energy around him. Egon hacks his enemies in half with his broad axe. The archeress let her arrows loose from her bow in consecutive shots hitting heart, eyes and forehead of the invaders.

The other defenders continuously pelt the sightless serpent with arrows, all had little to no effect against the monstrosity. Meanwhile the abomination smashes and slashes those who could not avoid it's attacks.

As the snow swirled around Endal his accumulated magic, his eyes turned bright blue the color of a crystal lake, his hands emitting freezing aura. the stratus clouds began to form into storm clouds. The sky moves like rushing water on a river.

All seemingly goes well until a ball of fire flung toward Endal only to be blocked by Egon's axe. This caught Endal and the others by surprise.

A tall figure clad in armor and black cloak, his arm twisted and pouring out an aura of blood, his axe had the appearance of slain men and great beast, his eyes burned like boiling blood, Daskrig comes.

Three warriors of Lynsk charged toward him, Daskrig swung his great axe with one arm in a wide arcing slice cutting all three in a single swing, their upper bodies flew away from their bodies. Arrows flew toward him, much of it simply bounced off his armor and brushed off those that pierced it, Daskrig was utterly unfazed.

He began to run as he slashes the defenders rendering them in two. Endal struggles with his spell as he saw his people get slaughtered by this beast of a man but he knows he must focus for if the spell were to cast early it would not meet the desired result.

Daskrig was headed for Endal, Egon intercepts. Their axes clashed by the edge of their blades, a loud high pitched sound echoed on nearby surroundings. The clash halted Daskrig of his charge yet remain unfazed. Egon on the other was perturbed by his opponents unnatural strength, he felt his bones rattle, his axe had a noticeable chip on it's edge, a weapon made by expert smiths to withstand even against large beast.

The iron clad warrior relaunch his attacks, assaulting with abominable ferocity, hacking and slashing. Egon struggles to defend himself for every parry felt like his arms being hit by a boulder, he counter attacks but with every successful hit Daskrig simply brushed it off ignoring the shallow wounds he receives.

Egon landed a fortunate hit on the side of Daskrig's stomach but he remained unperturbed. As Egon's axe dug deep Daskrig raised his twisted arm in the air and smashed him on the shoulder.

The defender of Lynsk felt his shoulder crack, he screamed in agony and dropped to a knee leaving his axe still embedded in Daskrig's side. Suddenly three arrows struck Daskrig on his shoulder, the archeress attacks him. He walked past Egon letting him live for now, as he was seemingly impressed though slightly annoyed at the same. He thought to himself that Egon was somewhat worthy for conversion later on.

Three more struck Daskrig, one hit his head. The archeress sure of her mark was shocked as she saw the iron clad warrior undisturbed. He pulled the arrow from his head and snapped the arrow. He grunted in disgust against her as he was somewhat annoyed, such nuance infuriates him but turned to the more pressing threat to his plan, Endal.

Endal saw him as his walked toward in a threatening fashion, the spell was incomplete but it seems he must cast it. A group of defenders formed a wall in front of him. "Enough! get away and flee back inside the walls!" He shouted to the group.

But he was seemingly ignored. "You cannot gain victory against him, he is far too strong for you to handle!" Again Endal shouted. "Aye. There are no victory to be expected for us laddie." Said one of the men. Endal recognized the voice, it was the guard that greeted him when he came back at the gate earlier. "But for you, there may be a chance. If the end of our lives give you such fortune then we would gladly give. If not for you we would not have lasted this long." The guard turned his head and let out a gentle smile.

Endal wanted to argue further more but understands that his words would have little effect to convince them. He knew they would die but what right does he have to deny them. Endal struggle to accept their decision but accept he eventually did. The group charged as Daskrig came closer, the warrior smashed them aside with his monstrous arm, cracks of bones can be heard, slashing apart others with his axe.

The archeress aided the group by pelting the warrior but sudden orbs of flames flew right at her, she dodged but singed part of her hair.

The three hooded figures who remained at the sidelines silently has suddenly joined the fray. The beast continued it's rampage in the distance, the remaining defenders has kept it away from Endal so far but they too are being slaughtered slowly one by one.

Daskrig drew closer, Egon tried to bash him from behind despite that fact that he could no longer move one of his arm. Daskrig was slightly nudged forward, he turned around to face Egon.

"Anaȗr veastȗr maguóth" 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘰𝘵, Daskrig said to Egon, in a rough pitched voice the sound of grating wood, he had changed his mind about converting him as he now intents to slay him instead.

Egon formed a fighting stance, his remaining unbroken arm raised. But he was clearly struggling as he had sustained many injuries and a wound to stomach early on, nevertheless he intends to keep fighting.

Dodging many of Daskrig's attacks, avoiding near fatal slashes and punches from it's mutated arm. The other defenders attacks Daskrig from all sides, most attacks simply deflected off his armor, He swung his arm like a mace shuttering skulls like fragile glass. A spear manages to impale him at an uncovered part of his body, Daskrig simply became annoyed and grabbed the head of the one who impaled him with his oversized hand. He slowly crushes his skull, the man struggles to break free in vain, his eyes popped off from his sockets, his ears, nose and mouth started to bleed and his head turned red and purple until his skull bursts into a bloody mess.

Daskrig's unnatural strength and tenacity horrified the surrounding defenders yet they remain fervent to defend Endal.

A short distance away a dance of arrows and magical flames played. The hooded figures cast many spells against the archeress, but was too agile and so flexible that it seemed like she was simply dancing. As she evades their attacks, firing arrows only for it to be incinerated by a shield of fire.

The archeress seem close to tire and her quiver becomes lighter, noticing that she has almost ran out of arrows. The situation seem bleak, the hooded figures surrounds her from all sides. She understood that an attack from afar would do little, she stow her bow on her back and equips her hatchets from her hips. The hooded men seem to be bewildered but nevertheless prepares to cast more spells.

The archeress hunched forward, in a moment she sprinted toward the man in front of her. The figure was caught off guard and hurriedly cast a fireball directed at the woman, she dodges the attack and continued to charge toward the sorcerer, the man from behind cast a fireball. The woman anticipated the attack and rolled sideways, it was now headed at his fellow sorcerer.

He could not see the ball of flame until the woman evaded, he panics and cast a barrier of flame but blocking the spell with the same element was barely effective. The fire ball clashed with his barrier but emitted an explosion blasting and scorching his hands. The shock wave blew off his hood from his head, revealing his warped face

Disfigured, his skin the color of ash, lacking lips and revealing yellow and rotting teeth, his eyes black as abyss, shriveled and missing much of his hair. He seemed less of a man and more of a ghoul.

When the dust settled from the explosion, the woman drew close to him, swinging her axe slashing his face and cutting through his nose. He retreated backward but the woman relentlessly chased him, in panic he cast another barrier blocking the hatchet coming from above however another came from below and lodged into his jaw.

She twirled her body and positioned herself from behind the sorcerer and placed her other hatchet on his neck, she intends to make him a hostage.

She ordered the other two figures to stand down while threatening to kill her hostage, the two seemed uninterested. One flung an orb of flame toward them, the archeress was taken by surprise and kicked the sorcerer in front of him to block the incoming spell, the fire ball struck the deformed sorcerer incinerating him, the blast nearly caught the archeress and slightly singed her. As she flew backwards by the explosion and landed on her back.

She hurriedly stood up and readied herself once again ignoring her burns, she understood that these were not human, not anymore at least. She would not be able to convince them and their deaths are the only option for victory.

 The three started to circle each other, the archeress charged yet again against the one figure but the sorcerer cast a stream of fire at her, she ran sideways, barely outrunning the flames. Branded warriors getting caught in the way flailed and screamed as they were set ablaze.

The archeress increased her distance and equips her bow and fired an arrow directed at the one casting the stream of flame only for it burn to ash before it got close. None of her tactics seems to work, in the distance she saw the mutated beast rampaging about and a sudden idea sprung in mind

She rushed toward the serpent. "Stop attacking the beast!" she shouted to the defenders attacking the monster and was obviously puzzled by her order. " I have a plan!" She told them but gave no explanation and shot the serpent with an arrow, she screams a battle cry at it and the serpent, infuriated, began to chase her. She kept screaming at it and lured the beast toward the two sorcerers.

The hooded figures took a few steps back and flung fire balls at her only for the archeress to dodge and instead struck the serpent further enraging the monster. She ran past them, the two figures was not fast enough to avoid the charging beast and cast another stream of flames, burning the serpent's skin. This simply made the crazed beast madder and started to attack the figure, eviscerating the sorcerer into pieces with it's claw. 

The remaining sorcerer gritted his rotted teeth, the monster smelled his foul stench and began to attack in the direction of the stench. The sorcerer attacked the beast with all manner of fiery spells, burning much of the crazed serpent. As he cast many spells an arrow struck him on his arm wounding the sorcerer, he gazed at the direction of the arrow from where he was struck and saw the archeress.

The sorcerer was momentarily distracted, the beast lunged at him and caught him with the tendrils that was dangling from where the wyvern's jaw once was replaced by horrifying mutation.

The tendrils tore him apart limb to limb. He gurgled a scream, a sound like drowning in oil. Until only pieces of him remained, the beast had no mouth to swallow the dismembered pieces of the sorcerer and simply tossed the remains all over.

The beast let out a gurgling roar, still enraged. The archeress let out another scream to catch it's attention and again the serpent gave chase, this time she was headed where Egon is fighting a desperate battle against Daskrig. 

Daskrig not able to see the archeress heading toward him, his gaze was focused on Egon, determined to end him. But he would not so easily quench Egon's life for Egon fought determinedly despite his wounds.

Egon's movements remained sluggish for if Daskrig could not end him then he will simply bleed to death instead. He evaded many of Daskrig's attacks and block the ones that he couldn't, finally he was able to retrieve his axe that was lodged in the iron warriors side.

Egon swung his axe on the side of of his opponent's knee, Daskrig stumbled to one knee, Egon let out another swing aimed at the iron warrior's neck but caught his arm with his monstrous hand, he lifted Egon and threw him like a rag. Egon hit the ground on his back, his entire body felt excruciating pain and struggles to stand.

Daskrig recovered himself and slowly approaches Egon, as he stood over him he prepares and raises his axe high, Suddenly an arrow stuck the side of his neck. Daskrig grunted in pain and gazed at the direction at where he was shot, he found the archeress rushing towards him and behind her the mutated beast giving chase.

He immediately knew her plan and raised his mutated arm, attempting to halt the beast with it's power but as he was about to the archeress fires another arrow and struck his hand, negating his attempted control of the beast.

As the archeress drew close, the serpent leapt at her, she rolled sideways and barely evading the serpent's claw. The beast smashed it's body against Daskrig, crushing him underneath it's heavy body.

The beast rolled over him and coming to a halt. Daskrig lies still on his back, a moment later he moved, slowly standing up grunting as he did. Chunks of his armor fell to the ground, his blood drips on white snow and on the fragments of his armor. Many wounds he has sustained that it has become difficult to ignore yet still intends to continue, for he will never admit defeat nor forfeit from the field. He refuses to return to his master a failure.

As he stood up the beast shook it's head, Daskrig attempted to control the beast yet again but he has become weaker due to the damage he has sustained and so his control also became weaker.

The serpent roared in anger, despite it's freedom from control it's hate of all it's surroundings remained, attacking everything and everyone including Daskrig.

The iron warrior stood his ground and fights the beast while also fighting the defenders of the village, the battle seems to have become at all out brawl.

Egon and the archeress took the distraction and gave distance from the beast and the iron warrior, they took the opportunity to recollect their strength.

Daskrig battles the beast with ferocious might, slashing with his axe and pummeling the beast with his monstrous arm, he went under the monster's body and slashed the joint of it's leg, the beast lost it's balance.

Daskrig took the opportunity and slashed apart it's mace like arm, he prepared to hack apart the exposed chest of the monster however the beast raised it's claw and slammed it upon Daskrig and caught him unaware. The monster pinned the warrior to the ground with it's monstrous claw.

As the the beast and iron warrior fought each other, the clouds rages over them, the cold night grew colder still, lightning storms blast high above roaring deafening sounds.

The snow at Endal's feet swirled around him radiating magical energy. Visible Icy clouds formed for every breath he drew.

Endal's spell is set, he reached to the sky and made a pulling like gesture as if trying to pull something from the heavens. A large object slowly loomed from the thunder clouds, a gigantic frozen object broke through the clouds.

He pulled the object from the sky like a man pulling a rope above would, the giant frozen boulder fell from the heavens like a meteor headed directly at Daskrig and the beast. The iron warrior saw the giant object from the sky behind the beast that pinned him to the ground, he grabbed one of the beast's fingers with his monstrous hand and broke one of it's fingers. The beast squirmed in pain and released him from it's grip. Daskrig stood and sprinted away as fast as he could from the beast before it can recover.

The frozen meteor crashes against the beast while it was staggered in pain. As it crashed, the frozen boulder shattered into many blade like shards all around in considerable distances, impaling allies and foes alike, the avalanche spread at all directions like water spreading from a thrown rock blinding everyone by rushing snow. The snow rushed against the wall like a tidal of water slamming against river cliffs. Even Endal and the others who were outside engulfed them in blinding white dust.

Endal was also shocked and horrified, he had used far too much magic than initially intended. The results was far too devastating killing many enemies as well as allies in the process. He never used so much magic before in his life, he had no way to determine the exact results of his spell.

Blurry snow covered so much of the area outside the wall that even the defenders above the wall could not see anyone below, snow dust rushed against the broken wall but much did not enter the inner premises of the wall.

Egon and the female archer covered each other during the initial impact, the shards barely missed them and merely sustained small cuts.

The icy fog remained for a significant amount of time yet despite such blurry surroundings there were faint sounds of battle. Screams and some clash of steel could still be heard.

Endal was in a state of regret, he had just killed much of his own kin, perhaps if he had not used such destructive spell his fellow defenders would not been harmed by his own hands. He fell on his knees taking heavy breaths, his head throbbed with sharp pain, his heart beating fast and hurt as if a hand was crushing it, he could barely feel his hands and leg as it has become numb.

He could not tell what was happening around him for he could barely see anything in such thick fog. Two shadowy silhouettes rushes towards him, Endal cast a frozen blade but it was so thin and visibly fragile and was extremely exhausted that he could barely lift his arm. As the silhouettes grew closer a proper figure could be determined. It was Egon and the archeress, Endal let out a sigh of relief and deformed the frozen blade.

The duo saw him and moved towards him. "Are you hurt?" The archeress asked as she try to tend to him. "in some ways, i am." Endal replied with a weary voice. "I thank you for your concern...but you must-" Before he could finish his sentence Daskrig came out of nowhere and swung his monstrous arm at them, hitting the the archeress aside. Egon and Endal were caught by unpleasant surprise, Egon immediately swung back at Daskrig but blocked his axe with his mutated arm and headbutted Egon who fell backwards onto his back and was knocked unconscious.

Daskrig was extremely wounded, his normal arm was broken and did not have his great axe, his body are littered with sharp frozen objects from Endal's spell, much of his body was covered in blood, bleeding from head to feet, his monstrous arm also took visible damage.

He too was exhausted but nevertheless enraged. He had underestimated them for the last time, he reached above Endal's head. Endal cast a thick frozen helmet, Daskrig grabbed his head intending to crush his skull. As the icy helmet slowly cracked, Endal grabbed the enemy's arm with both of his hands. The monstrous arm began to slowly freeze yet his hand continued to crush Endal's skull.

Endal feels his head slowly compress, his icy helmet began to shatter bit by bit, the freezing spell began to gradually crawl up upon Daskrig's shoulder. Endal began to tear blood from his eyes and nose.

From behind a hatchet was suddenly lodged onto Daskrig's back head, the archeress had swung her weapon onto the iron warrior's head. Daskrig attempt to throw off the assailant by wildly moving his body while still gripping Endal's head.

The archeress was thrown off but immediately reached for her remaining arrow from her quiver, she leapt toward Daskrig and struck his left eye and roared in pain. The archeress attempt to escape after striking him but Daskrig bit her leg as she tried to escape. She screamed in agony, The iron warrior drag her by the leg with his mouth like an animal flail a piece of meat until he threw her away from his mouth.

The woman landed hard on the ground, her calf was bitten off and was furiously bleeding, she screamed in pain as she held her leg. Daskrig continued to crush Endal's skull, Egon awoke by the sound of his fellow archeress scream woke him from his unconsciousness, as he saw Daskrig tightly gripping Endal's head, he quickly grabbed his damaged axe and sprinted toward Daskrig.

Egon swung his axe downward directly at Daskrig's frozen arm, shattering it into flesh frozen chunks everywhere, his axe also shattered on impact releasing Endal from his grip. Endal fell on all four as he desperately recollect himself.

Daskrig's arm turned into shattered frozen blade, like a broken glass bottle. as he screamed in agony, Daskrig attacks Egon with his shattered arm, striking Egon with his sharp stumped arm in the chest piercing his ribs. Egon shouted in pain and coughed blood, Daskrig lifted him into the air. "Nú-murén káuséns fúnr yúús " No more chances for you. He said to Egon with an infuriated expression upon his face.

He slammed Egon to the ground with his shattered frozen arm, the sharp tips pierced his lungs and heart. Egon spurt blood from his mouth and chest, splattering blood on Daskrig's face and arm. Daskrig stepped on on Egon's stomach and dislodged his arm from his chest.

"No!" The archeress screamed atop of her lungs as she saw what had happened. Egon panted and coughed more blood, as he stared into the sky with blank eyes, he slow turned his head at the archeress and saw her horrified expression. "Sigra..." He softly whispered to the archeress.

It was her name.

Egon's eyes cease to move, his breathing halted and his body laid still, his blood began to cover the blank snow from him.

Egon is dead.

Endal was still on his four as he raised his head and saw Egon's lifeless body. Daskrig looked down upon the body for a moment, he raised his head straight and turned to face Endal, as he walked toward him he stopped a foot away from Endal and stared him down.

"Yúús húv veastȗs, í-wíl udáus." You have persistence, i will admit. He said to Endal with a rough voice. "béud yúús wíl nút bén spárdes." But you will not be spared. "yúúr páúpel wíl bénkur sláuvás, yúúr kildré-dir bén káúnve, yúúr wuámás úas brédurin kádreús, yúúr víláus sé úbláuz, yúús kiné gúud án fodénnéd." Your people will be slaves, your children to be converted, your women as breeding cattle, your village set ablaze and forgotten.

"...jús anúét sákrúsfe." ...Just another sacrifice. Daskrig told Endal, still on his four staring at the ground, Daskrig raised his shattered arm and prepared to strike Endal down.

"Frilgen!" Shouted Endal and raised his hand directed at Daskrig's crotch, a fiery explosion of flame, incinerating Daskrig's groin. The iron warrior screamed, Endal cast a dagger behind the warrior's knee, dropping him to a kneeling position.

The warrior groaned in pain and clenched his teeth. Endal slowly stood up breathing heavily, he summoned a spear on his hand and thrust it through Daskrig's throat, the spear exited to the back of his neck.

Daskrig struck the spear with his broken arm, breaking the middle part of the frozen spear into fragments, a piece flew right into Endal's right eye and screamed as he was struck. Blood gushed to his chin dripping red liquid onto the blank snow, he knelt to one knee.

Despite striking Endal's vision, Daskrig had difficulty moving, he was exhausted and heavily wounded. he tried to breath but the blood blocked the airways of his throat, he cannot feel his legs for Endal also struck him somewhere in the spine, he was bleeding furiously all over.

Yet despite all this the iron warrior refuses defeat and felt only more rage. From relative distance, Sigra limped toward Daskrig with Egon's shattered axe until she was in front of him.

Daskrig looked up at her face. Her expression filled with rage and sadness, the tears on her eyes dripped from her chin. Daskrig tries to tell her something, an insult no doubt. But all that came from his mouth was nothing more than gurgled blood.

Sigra swung Egon's axe at the side of Daskrig's neck, lodging the axe. She dislodged the axe and repeatedly hacked the warrior's neck, the shattered axe made it hard to cut through Daskrig's thick neck.

Sigra again and again hacked his neck, roaring wrathful scream as she did until finally one final swing dislodged Daskrig's head from his shoulders landing on blank snow.

It was no clean kill for sinews of muscle tissues can be seen on his neck from where his head once been. Daskrig's face still had the expression hateful defiance despite it is no longer attached to his body.

Sigra drew quick breaths and dropped to her knees, her hand still grips Egon's axe. She raised her head to the sky and let out one last scream until it became a cry.

As she shed tears, she laid to her side as her tears still runs. Endal slowly crawled to where Sigra lays despite his now reduced vision.

Sigra saw Endal coming toward her, as he was finally near Sigra he directed his arm toward Sigra's wounded leg and froze her calf that was bitten off by Daskrig. She groaned in pain. "I know this must painful, but it must be done to stop the bleeding..." Endal said to Sigra. She complied and held still despite the pain.

The bleeding finally stopped, Endal and Sigra was exhausted, they can barely move their muscles and they were in so much pain. Sigra however felt more pain than Endal, for her pain was not only physical.

The icy fog began to fade, Endal and Sigra can finally see much of their surroundings but it was not to what they had hoped for. They saw the bodies of both the attackers and the warriors of Lynsk scattered all over the field. So few remains of the defenders that went outside the walls, the raiders took more casualties but many more remained.

The abomination lay dead upon the field, it's body completely broken and crushed.

The raiders finally saw the two, despite the fact that their leader is dead, his head upon the ground and his body knelt still and lifeless, their blood thirst remained. Exhausted and wounded they nevertheless charged at two. There were so few remaining defenders outside the wall they would not be able to aid Endal and Sigra.

Endal slowly stood, shaking and barely able to lift his arms, yet he was determined to protect Sigra either way. Sigra saw Endal and she too stood up, grabbing Egon's axe. However despite their willingness to continue fighting, they were severely injured and exhausted, they know they would not survive this but fight they are willing.

Suddenly a loud horn blew from the distance, it was not from the village but from the forest west of them. Large figures slowly loomed, as the clouds dispersed revealing the moon, it's light shone at the figures. Saberhorns, large feline creatures, it's fur gray and white, fangs as long as an adult's finger, from the side of their heads rose a sharp antler like horns. They stood seven feet tall and a hundred inches long.

The saberhorns roared and snarled. On top of them rode men clad in fur and accessorized with bones of different kinds, they wore deer like helmets with horns raised high upon their head, gripped with spears and swords on their hand.

Sigra and Endal looked in awe and shock but also worry, so did the ones atop the wall who were not busy fighting. Are they here to save them or are they with the enemy.

In mere moments the men who rode the saberhorns shouted battle cries and their mounts roared with them, soon they slowly strode and turned into a charge.

The raiders who saw them immediately counter charged. The raiders saw themselves ripped apart by pouncing saberhorns with claw and fangs, some slashed and impaled by swords and spears.

These unknown newcomers swept the field of raiders, they seem to knew who to target and who to avoid, for they did not harm the warriors of Lynsk, yet the defenders nevertheless held caution at them.

Endal lowered his guard as he saw the riders rid the remaining raiders, they seem to be no ally of these invaders.

As he started to relax his vision became blurry, his body giving up and his mind slowly goes blank. Sigra saw Endal fall and quickly tended to him. "Hey! Hey! Wake up! Do not die!" Sigra shouted to him but to no avail, her voice began to fade, including the sounds of battle.

"Someone...Please help!..." Sigra shouted to the others but Endal could not halt his mind drifting into the darkness.

The siege of Lynsk was finally over.