Mammoths!

The air around them shifted suddenly. It wasn't the usual crisp, frosty wind they'd been enduring all morning. No, this felt heavier. The snow seemed to tremble beneath them, like the earth itself was unsure whether to hold firm or collapse. Then, without warning, the ground rumbled, the tremor rolling through the snow like an earthquake on the move.

Raika paused, looking around in confusion.

 "What in the—"

"Th-there!" Veyn shouted, pointing ahead.

From over the distant hill, through the flurry of snow, a shadow loomed. It was a massive silhouette, as wide as it was tall, moving in chaotic waves, almost like a ripple across the frozen surface. Then came the deafening sound—the thundering, bone-shaking stampede of—

"Mammoths!" Zarvana roared, her eyes widening. The ground shook beneath her snow stag's hooves as she instinctively gripped her weapon tighter. "Mammoths!"

And not just any mammoths. These were giant mammoths about ten meters tall, their tusks as long as spears and their bodies rippling with muscle. They were charging through the snow, a herd of at least two hundreds of the beasts, their massive legs crashing down in a rhythm that sent tremors across the battlefield. There were smaller ones the size of elephants following the massive ones.

Chrysanthemum, who had been riding along beside them with Chainless, Shimmer and Runner, raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue. 

"Oh, look at that... It's a whole party of them."

Obsidian, who had been running with the paladins and quickly caught sight of the impending threat, was the first to act. She immediately raised her hand, signaling the entire formation to halt. Her sharp voice cut through the chaos, as her hand shot out to direct her paladins.

 "Paladins, fall into formation! We're engaging now. Mages, get ready!"

She then glanced at Vastarael, who was riding calmly atop his massive white cat, serene as ever. His eyes narrowed as he watched the mammoths charging toward them.

Chrysanthemum spun around on her snow wolf with her hands already raised. 

"Get your fireballs ready! Make sure none of them make it to the lines!"

Raika's heart was pounding in her chest, not from fear but pure adrenaline. She was still trying to comprehend the sheer size of the mammoths, and now, the question began to form in her mind: 

Could they outrun them?

She turned to Obsidian, an almost eager look on her face. 

"Couldn't we just outrun them? I mean, they're big and slow, right? Surely our mounts can handle this."

Obsidian's expression was grim, her gaze fixed on the charging herd, her hand still outstretched, issuing commands. She gave a short, cold laugh, like the idea was amusing and ridiculous all at once.

"Outrun them? Raika, those mammoths aren't just 'big.' They're a force of nature."

Zarvana, who had been silent until now, furrowed her brow.

 "What do you mean? They don't look that fast."

Obsidian slowly turned to face them, her voice cutting through the rushing air as she explained.

 "Those mammoths might be slow-moving on the surface, but they're built for a singular purpose: destruction. Their weight alone will crush everything in their path, but their momentum? It's unlike anything you've seen. If they break through our lines, they'll scatter us like rag dolls. And trust me, they won't be stopping."

Seyna, who had been perched atop her snow stag, leaned forward. 

"That's... terrifying. But can't we just move fast enough to avoid the worst of it?"

Chrysanthemum, who had finished her initial preparations, chimed in, eyes flicking back toward the oncoming stampede. Her voice was unusually calm, like she had been waiting for this fight all day.

"It's not about avoiding them. It's about dealing with them. Mammoths charge in a stampede, yes, but they're also incredibly strong. And I don't know if you've noticed, but those are built like walls of muscle and tusks. They could easily break through our defenses and send us scattering into the snow like rats. You can't outrun them when they're this close. And even if we did, they'll just plow through our lines and leave us exposed."

Zarvana's face twisted into a snarl, her gloved fingers curling around the hilt of her sword. 

"So what are we supposed to do, just stand here?"

"Not just stand. We engage them head-on. Get the mages to target the lead mammoth and create barriers with your paladins. The rest of us will flank and try to slow them down before they break through." 

She looked to Vastarael for confirmation, her brow furrowed.

Vastarael, his face impassive as ever, met her gaze with a slow, almost imperceptible nod.

 "Do as she says. Do not let them break the lines."

Chrysanthemum raised her hands, casting a spell that made the air around them crackle with energy.

"You heard him. Get ready!"

Raika, who had been silently processing everything, finally grinned. She drew her axes, the edge gleaming in the morning light, and gave Veyn a playful shove.

"Well, it sounds like we're not getting out of this one without some blood and snow. Let's do it, then! You heard Obsidian. Let's get to work."

Veyn shot her a glance, his face still pale from the shock of the mammoth stampede. He raised his own sword, ready for action.

"Great. I wanted a peaceful morning, but here we are. Let's show these mammoths what happens when you mess with us."

Seyna, her hands resting on her weapons, looked at Kezren, who was beside her, a quiet resolve in his eyes. She turned back to Raika. 

"Let's move out. And don't get trampled."

With Obsidian's orders ringing in their ears and the ground shaking as the mammoths thundered toward them, the knights and soldiers sprang into action. The mages took to the skies, streaking forward like bolts of lightning, prepared to strike. The paladins dropped into defensive stances, weapons raised high, ready to defend the lines with all their might. Vastarael, still calm and unfazed, remained atop his giant cat mount, ready to lead his army into battle if it came to it.

Raika couldn't help but feel a rush of exhilaration. This wasn't just an ordinary battle. This was a stampede. And she, Zarvana, and their team were about to see how Vastarael's knights took down nature's biggest and most stubborn beasts. 

The paladins fell into position with swift precision. Their armor glinted under the weak light of the snow-covered morning as they spread out, swords and shields at the ready. But they didn't wait for the beasts to make the first move.

Obsidian surged forward and swung her greatsword with the kind of precision that spoke of years of experience. A mammoth barreled toward her. Obsidian didn't flinch. She planted her feet, swung her weapon with an upward arc, and met the creature's thick hide with a decisive strike. The sound of steel biting into bone rang through the air. The mammoth let out a bellow of pain, staggering back as the paladin dug her blade deeper, finding the sweet spot just behind its front leg.

With a roar, the mammoth's massive form toppled, crashing to the ground in a heap of snow and fur. Obsidian was already moving, her face a mask of determination. She wasn't finished.

 "Keep moving! Don't let up!"

Behind her, the mages, led by Chrysanthemum, were already casting spells. Chrysanthemum, hands raised, her eyes alight with power, directed her magic with a wave. 

"Plasma circles—now!"

From her hands, glowing blue orbs of energy formed in the air and with a flick of her wrist, she sent them flying. The rings expanded and shrank in a rapid sequence, targeting the mammoths at the front of the charge. As the first mammoth barreled toward her, the circle of plasma crackled, slamming into the mammoth's side and causing an explosion of energy. The creature bellowed in pain. It stumbled but its momentum was too strong. Another plasma circle hit it square in the chest, and the beast finally fell to its knees, collapsing onto the snow with a deafening crash.

"Good work, Chrysanthemum," Obsidian called as she took down another mammoth, her blade slashing clean through the beast's flank.

Chrysanthemum nodded in acknowledgment, her focus never wavering as she continued to unleash her deadly energy. 

"We're not done yet."

Above them, the mages moved as one unit, flying through the snow and into the thick of the action, casting fireballs and conjuring storms of energy. A flurry of fiery spheres rained down on the mammoths from all directions. Each fireball collided with the beasts, bursting in plumes of flame, singeing their thick hides and leaving them howling in pain. The explosions rattled the earth, lighting up the snow in fiery oranges and reds, filling the air with the scent of charred flesh.

But it wasn't just the mages who were making the difference. The assassins darted in and out of the melee, their blades flashing with precision. They targeted the mammoths' vulnerable spots, striking at their eyes and tendons, trying to slow the massive beasts down.

Vastarael, still perched atop his giant white cat, surveyed the battlefield. His eyes flicked from one battle to the next, calculating, and observing. He was not one to rush into battle and today was no different. His soldiers, his knights, were doing what they did best. His focus shifted as one mammoth barreled directly toward him, its tusks raised, ready to impale him.

But Vastarael simply leaned forward on his mount, and with a flick of his wrist, his glaive, Calimostria, sliced through the air. The sapphire blade gleamed in the cold light as it cleaved through the air like lightning. It met the mammoth's charging tusk with a sharp, resounding crack. The beast howled in pain as Vastarael effortlessly drove the blade deeper into its side, cutting clean through muscle and bone with terrifying ease. The mammoth collapsed with a roar, its massive frame tumbling to the snow, as Vastarael's cat danced around it, unharmed.

Meanwhile, the paladins pressed forward. They worked as a team, forming a moving wall of steel, blocking the mammoths from advancing. Their swords slashed through tusks and hide, carving deep gashes into the giant beasts' flesh.

The fight raged on, with more mammoths falling as the combined might of the paladins, mages, assassins, and their leaders decimated the stampede. Raika and Veyn, still on their snow stags, fought valiantly from the rear, keeping an eye out for any mammoths that tried to break through the lines. They were getting overwhelmed, but every strike, every spell cast, every blow landed, chipped away at the herd's strength.

Raika, with a wild grin, stabbed her axe into the side of another smaller mammoth, the creature grunting as it staggered. 

"These things are tougher than they look!" She shouted to Veyn.

"Just keep stabbing!" Veyn shouted back, raising his own sword to strike. "We're not done yet!"

The final moments of the battle were chaotic, with only a handful of mammoths remaining. Their once-formidable charge had dwindled under the relentless assault of Vastarael's forces. But still, the mammoths were not to be underestimated. They fought back fiercely, their tusks and massive bodies swinging wildly as they tried to escape the slaughter.

But it was too late. With the final blast of fireballs and plasma circles from the mages, the last mammoth fell with a mighty crash. The battlefield fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the soldiers and the faint crackling of fire from the last remnants of the magical assault.

Obsidian wiped the sweat from her brow, her sword gleaming with the blood of the mammoths. 

"Well," she said, breathing heavily, "that was a workout."

Chrysanthemum gave a tired but satisfied smile. "I'd say we earned a feast."

Vastarael surveyed the battlefield, his gaze sweeping over the fallen mammoths. His face remained calm, his mind already turning toward their next challenge. 

"It's done. Now, we move forward. Prepare yourselves for what lies ahead. If this is the beginning, it is going to get worse-"

A massive tremor made them all freeze.