A wave of magical energy enveloped the entire city of Northaven, Winterfell to the north and to the city of Westfall. All three cities were now protected by the awakened palantir. Cheers rose up from the walls and the tinker gnomes and dwarves could now focus on driving the horde back from the city.

The Bronze Man dodged out of the way as a spear shot past him and followed through bashing in the head of the unfortunate orc warrior. The ancient power of the wards hummed to life and he felt it now. The shield maiden and the kurori came through finally as he was filled with new hope.

Elsewhere on the battle field, Captains Mandur and Andaerean renewed their attacks and trampled any remaining orcs leaving only the elites, the warlord and the necromancer.

"DRIVE THEM FROM THE VALLEY!!" Came a unified cry from both cavalries.

"ORI'GATO L'KATRILL KRE'J!!!" Irzen cried out before he cut loose with an ululating battle cry.

Translation: "LET THE SLAUGHTHER BEGIN!!!

Then the Swordsman urged his mount onward as they charged into the ranks of the elite forces.

****

From beneath the ground, a huge red dragon clawed her way back up to the surface and took out half of the Andaerean's company by surprise. Roaring a challenge finally to the gold dragon flying above her, she took to the air, "NOW WE SHALL SEE WHO DOMINATES THE OTHER! NOW YOU WILL DIE!"

Perthonexio remained high above the horde especially with warlord and the necromancer in close proximity of each other. He cut loose a series of small fire balls at the red dragon. One hit but Rougeroaxas brushed them aside while the others slammed into the elite orcs surrounding Gruumasht.

***FSOOOOSHHH!! BA-BA-BOOOOOOM!***

Grumbling and cursing both Gruumasht and Barakas shook off the sudden appearance of their so-called-traitorous ally. "Stupid dragon! Now you show up?"

*******

Prince Ash held up his sword again invoking his goddess for aid and healed his and Birch's men, "Hold your ground! The bulk of the horde has been disbanded and destroyed by all the aid of our allies! United we STAND, TOGETHER AS ONE! FOR NORTHAVEN!"

"FOR NORTHAVEN!" The warriors and battle masters raised their weapons crying out.

"FOR NORTHAVEN!" Prince Birch continued his attack as he waded into the ranks of the enemy like a mad elf completely immersed in the madness of war.

*******

"SASAER SI IALAER! CAEDYR OLIA!" Prince Willow yelled out to his Archers, "AILAEDAELAEL THOSI! THOSI EIR SHOR!"

Translation: "TARGET THE UNDEAD! HEADSHOTS ONLY!" Prince Willow yelled out to his Archers, "INDEPENDENT FIRE! FIRE AT WILL!"

Prince Willow and his Archers proceeded to mow down the undead wherever they stood or rose to their feet. The Elven Archers of Northaven laid down a witheringly pinpointed attack designed to defeat the undead and spare the living.

*******

Eilionwy roared snapping around towards the warlord, "WHAT DID YOU SAY, PIG?!?"

Gruumasht held an Orb of Dragonkind in his hand up before the red dragon, "YOU WILL OBEY ME, WYRM! WIPE THEM OUT, ALL OF THEM!"

Mandur signaled to the rangers and wardens again launching a volley of spears and arrows into the behir's left flank and mortally wounding it now. The monster thrashed violently onto its side trying to get up leaving it completely exposed to the drow swordsman charging in its direction.

"RRRAAUUGGHH!!!" Irzen cut loose with a guttural battle cry as he charged directly at the fallen behir and plunged his sword deep into the creature's skull.

The behir roared and thrashed violently sweeping aside any of Gruumasht's elite orcs that didn't keep their distance and were sent flying in all directions. A multitude of legs and serpentine body shuddered, jerked, and flailed in one final death throw as the swordsman drilled his sword through the skull, the brain, and down out of the lower jaw. Its rider however, came up out of the wreck of his mount wielding two jagged battle axes, one had a sickly green-grey hue to it, and the other absorbed the blood of a fallen dwarf, sucking it dry of the life force empowering the warlord to the next level.

Gruumasht cracked his neck side to side slashing and cutting any dwarf, elf, or mount in half the sheer force and brutality that made him what he is. With a cleave, he undercut through the skull of the dead behir in Irzen's direction, "Always the one cutting down my monstrous mounts, scum! The behir was one of my favored pets I was gonna feed you to it! Harharhar!"

"ZHAHUS zhah l'ditronw xan'ss, Cretok xa'huul!" Irzen dropped into a battle crouch with his sword raised above him and pointed towards Gruumasht, "Jhal lor pholor l'ssussun suul, vel'drav Usstan inbau xunor xuil dos, dos phuul naut aluin ulu ssrig'luin natha vedir jalamzild p'wal dos phuul aluin ulu tlu elghinyrr!"

Translation: "WAS is the right word, Orc trash!" Irzen dropped into a battle crouch with his sword raised above him and pointed towards Gruumasht, "But look on the bright side, when I get done with you, you're not going to need a mount anymore because you're going to be dead!"

Captain Andaerean rode through the thickest part of the enemy straight for the necromancer, the lances smashed through the bone shield fairly quickly to find the half orc was not among his fellows. "Spread out and watch your flanks!"

Irzen kept Gruumasht focused upon him as he saw Mandur approaching the Orc commander from the rear.

Mandur charged in to assist the drow swordsman sliding in from behind, and slamming his war hammer into the Achilles heel of the warlord.

Gruumasht staggered sideways but still kept his footing in the blood soaked earth.

When Gruumasht staggered, Irzen saw his opening and took it. The Swordsman charged forward and did a move-by attack slicing the Orc Commander's right flank wide open exposing some of his internal organs to the open air.

"Gi, lor, Usstan kluth ulu inbal harventh dos. Vel'bol natha suldaim!" Irzen sneered as he turned towards Gruumasht still on his guard.

Translation: "Oh, look, I seem to have cut you. What a shame!" Irzen sneered as he turned towards Gruumasht still on his guard.

The orc warlord cracked his head side to side took both battle axes and locked them together into a double-bladed battle axe with a click. He started laughing now as the blood of the fallen on both sides snaked their way and wrapped around Gruumasht completely healing him. The deep slash in the gut from Irzen and the smashed Achilles heel looked completely unfazed.

"YOU'VE ALREADY LOST, IRZEN! NOW I WILL DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE FALLEN AND TAKE ANOTHER KINGDOM FOR VENGER!" Gruumasht bellowed loud enough for all to hear him.

"VENGER?!" Irzen laughed at the Orc Warlord, "Dos phuul k'jakr xundin whol Zhuanth Horned Karliik?! Wow! Gruumasht, dos z'klaen tlu tangis' waeler taga Usstan ssiggrin dos zhahen ka dos phuul k'jakr shizering lu'sniveling ulu l'Olath Senger saph uss d'ukt v'utirs. Tu! Tu! Tu!"

Translation:

"VENGER?!" Irzen laughed at the Orc Warlord, "You're still working for Old Horned Head?! Wow! Gruumasht, you must be even stupider than I thought you were if you're still grovelling and snivelling to the Dark Lord like one of his mongrels. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

******

The Bronze Man steadily made his way past Princes Ash and Birch towards the true enemy now engaged with Mandur and Irzen. He paused for a moment looking back to them, "Prince Ash, Prince Birch, what will you do now that the tide of battle has swung in your favor? Will remain to defend, or take the initiative and make your way to the warlord on the far side of the field of battle?"

"What say you, brother? Should we go and help our allies and end this blight upon our land once and for all?" Ash took a deep breath.

"We shall finish what we started, Noble Dragon!" Birch turned towards Ash, "And we shall end this blight upon our land, dear brother!"

Brandishing his sword high over his head, Prince Birch roared at the top of his lungs, "FOR KING! FOR COUNTRY! FOR NORTHAVEN! CHAAARRRGGGGEEEE!!!"

Prince Birch half-raced, half-danced his way into the villainous throng they faced to lead one last final charge that would break the will and backs of their enemies.

The Bronze Man slowed time around him as the hordes forces seemed to crawl as both Princes Ash and Birch made their way with haste, "Go to the aid of Irzen and Mandur with HASTE! I will be right behind you!"

Both Elven Princes looked around them in pure disbelief as they saw the world slow around them. However, The Bronze Man's words jolted them back to reality as they made their way forward to join Irzen and Mandur in their battle against Gruumasht.

*******

The red dragon snarled and roared in frustration but with the warlord in control of that orb, she was forced to obey. Instead of flying up to meet the challenge of the gold dragon, Eilionwy unleashed a torrent of scorching fire towards the cavalry, ***FFSOOOOOSSSHHH!!!***

The heavy horses from Dinnendale were able to dodge out of the way but some weren't so lucky as the ashen remains lay imprinted upon the ground where they once stood. Screams from horse and rider echoed on the battle field as well as some of the silver dragonborn who attempted to fight back with their cold breath and failed.

Perthonexio cut the red dragon's breath attack short deflecting the blast skyward where it couldn't do any more harm. The gold had dive bombed the red from above and wrenched the red's head backwards and up in his claws, "You're hiding in a little elf girl with a power complex, why am I not surprised!"

In the middle of their own battle both dragons paused long enough to hear the warlord reveal his true intent for the kingdom of Northaven.

Perthonexio dug his claws into the red's neck, "Now do you see the TRUTH! HIS LOYALTY TO VENGER WILL BREAK YOU BOTH IN SPIRIT AND IN MIND! YOU'VE LOST!!"

Eilionwy still bound by the Orb of Dragon control twisted around and broke free from the grip of the gold dragon in the midst of the battle, "NEVER! NORTHAVEN IS MINE! ALL MINE!!"