Even from as far back as Castor and Horace were, they could still see the huge silvery dragon leaping into the air and swooping into the lines of soldiers Merric had led. Several bodies flew into the air like rag dolls. Shouts went up from the soldiers while a column of fire scorched them. Castor shouted in anger and threw his helmet into the ground.

"Dang it! We can't get through Tarris yet as long as we're under pressure from the cliffs. Theuses, is there a way to communicate with the elves you sent?"

Theuses nodded wordlessly. Closing his eyes he stood silently for a few minutes, before reopening them. "They have disabled one of the catapults, but are suffering stiff resistance on the next. Though they can't get through, they have forced the archer units to retreat farther down the cliffs. We won't have to have worry about archers from where we are."

"Good. Hopefully that'll give us the upper hand. Have the men push as hard as possible on those Urki. We need to break those rear ranks." A trumpet blast came from the front of lines. Horace looked to Castor.

"I think that just happened."

Castor turned his horse around and galloped toward the front lines with Theuses and his guards close behind.

At the front lines a small gap; only two men large, spanned between the Urki warriors. Soldiers poured through the gap and struck at the last Urki line from all positions. The Urki fell like harvested wheat. Before his eyes, Castor saw the last line of Urki in the frontal unit go down.

The primary guard was destroyed. Another unit of Urki, which looked has though it had hundreds more, covered the last several thousand feet.

Castor looked back at his men and grimaced. Only about two thirds of the army still stood. The only thing that stood between them was Tarris and his guard of Manekets.

The last group of soldiers that Merric had taken was grouping together against the Manekets. Five huge dragons hovered in the sky above them.

Even from the distance they were at, Castor could see there was no hope for the remaining soldiers as the dragons landed. The distance was too far for them to run to safety and there was no chance for them to defeat the serpents.

With a cry, a single soldier, Castor assumed Merric, led a final charge against the standing dragons. Pillars of fire engulfed them as the men struck their swords against the iron scales of the dragons' coats.

Only one dragon fell with a severed neck. Tarris bellowed with a deep-throated yell as the last soldier fell, and even from the distance, Castor knew it was Merric.

"GO! Avenge the death of you general! Strike the Empire with your blades and let them feel the anger that burns in you! Bring the retribution deserved on these beasts." The soldiers raised their weapons above their heads and cry out for their king. "Go and let the Empire remember your revenge!!"

The soldiers surged forward, banging their shields with their weapons and yelling as volleys of arrows poured from the archers' bows.

~ ~ ~

From across the span of earth Tarris looked out on the mass of soldiers that push forward like they could actually stifle the power of the Empire. Turning his scaly neck, Tarris looked to his guards.

"Leave me. I will deal with these petty humans on my own. Go to the gates."

A bronze-scaled dragon looked to him with a questioning look. "Are you sure, my lord? They are still an army, regardless how weak."

Tarris growled fearsomely. "Do you doubt my strength, weakling? I am not limited to your powerlessness. Go and guard the gates. Castor and the elf king puppet of his will try to break in on their own. See to it they do not."

The dragons nodded and launched themselves from the ground as Tarris turned the arrows into ashes with his flames.

~ ~ ~

After grabbing the shield of a fallen soldier, Castor rode in the front with Horace and Theuses. Sword drawn, they galloped straight toward the hulking figure of Tarris.

When they got within fifty feet, Tarris bellowed flames into the sky with a growl. "Come against me puny human!! I have slain your general with a single swipe of my claws and now you face me with your army of helpless ones. Surrender and your will be brought to death quicker than I would like!"

"You don't need me to say it for you to know my answer," Castor shouted from across the expanse of ground that lie between them.

Tarris bared his dragon teeth in a gruesome smile. "Then come against me so I may feast upon your flesh!!"

Castor charged with Horace in tow. Theuses closed his eyes, along with his guards and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Likron Stilib Likron!"

Four massive bolts of lightning crashed towards Tarris. At the last moment, he lifted his open hand to the sky, and the lightning was sucked into his palm. "You will not be able to use your magic tricks on me! My power has escalated since we last fought."

Castor pulled the reins of his horse as his ran around the dragon as Horace yelled at the soldiers to get back. Slashing with his sword on the dragon's scales, Castor tested the strength of Tarris's armor. Sparks flew as the blade ricochet from his scales.

Tarris drew his claws down on Castor. The king lifted his shield to block it, but Tarris simply pulled it from his grip and crumpled it in his fist.

"You will have to try harder than that to defeat me, human!"

Castor dove to the side as a scorching flame blew down on him. Spinning around, he did a reverse cut into Tarris's leg. Meanwhile, Theuses and the Aurtha Ra began attacking Tarris's other leg and chest.

The dragon roared and whipped his tail around, sending two Aurtha Ra crashing into the ground. Another tongue of flame cast itself against Theuses and his men.

Lifting his hand to the sky, Theuses cried, "Pharno Proctius!" A silvery barrier set itself between the fire and the elves. The flames conformed around it and burned out.

Castor stood back for a second to survey the struggle. Tarris was stronger in pretty much every way. Magic was useless, unless you were defending yourself. Their blades couldn't do anything to his scales and he had the benefit of flight.

There was only one spot: a small patch of skin underneath his chin, but from where they were it would be an impossible task of hitting it. Somehow he needed to lower his head.

"You oaf! You selfish sewage rat!"

Tarris turned his head, from where he was looking at Theuses, to see who dared insult him. "Watch your tongue, lowly one. I may have to rip it out."

Castor barked an exaggerated laugh. "Like you could! I heard that the Night elves only had to stab you once to bring you within an inch of death! A shame they couldn't finish the job!"

Tarris bared his teeth. "You want within an inch of death?! Alright, wish granted!" He swung his head down where Castor stood, like a mace.

Castor waited until the last second before jumping onto the dragon's head. Holding onto one of its horns, Castor swung his legs around and pushed his sword into the exposed part of Tarris's neck. The dragon howled so loud the cliffs shook with the noise.

Castor fell and rolled to break the fall. Standing up, he saw Tarris withering on the ground. Finally, he managed to pull the blade from his neck and stood. Blood dripped from the gash in his throat, but he managed to gurgle, "This is not the end human. It is only the beginning!"

With a pump of his wings, he propelled himself into the sky and flew away.

Around them, the battle raged. The Urki and human soldiers mixed in combat. Castor and Horace led the front lines forward against the growling faces of the monsters.

Time went by unnoticeably as Castor led his troops deeper into the pass. Everything was a blur of movement: slash, stab, lift shield, and stab. Urki fell to his blade quickly, but the soldiers around him fell numerously.

His rampage was stopped when Horace grabbed him by the shoulder. Castor whirled around to see him. "Horace? What is it?" Horace's face was pale and his sword in his sheath.

"Sire, you should come with me." Horace led him to a patch of ground far back from where the soldiers now fought the Urki. Bodies of both Urki and humans littered the area. But there was one he recognized.

Merric lie on his back with one of his arms under him. The other was crossed across his chest where three long, deep gashes trailed blood from his right cheek down to his left hip. Part of his forehead was burned deeply and covered in charred skin far beyond repair.

Castor saw that the general still breathed but there was no hope of saving him. His face was red with a mixture of dried blood and burns. His armor was crumpled around his dying form like aluminum foil.

Castor sheathed his sword and knelt beside him, speechless. Merric swallowed painfully before opening his eyes. "Castor. I.... I'm sorry."

"Merric I- I don't know what to say." He knew that Merric was right to apologize, but the last moments of his life was hardly the time to reprimand him.

"I'm sorry sir. I should have obeyed. I'm so sorry." Castor could see Merric's eyes closing. He was on the threshold of death.

"It's okay. I don't hold it against you. It was a mistake." But the sentiment was said too late. Merric of Egnore, General of the Army of Archain had died.

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