Nerus rode quickly with haste. Along beside him, with the raining weather were twenty knights, and a hundred soldiers. These numbers were nothing compared to what the enemy would throw against them. This fatal filled battle was one to decide the existence of Helm. If they lost this battle, then they would be living on borrowed time. To believe it had almost been a year sense Helm's fall. Nerus was shocked, it had felt closer to three years, but they now approached the winter months, and while little snow fell in Helm's lands, rain would pour more often, causing ice to form at the cracks, crevasses and shaded areas of the land.

The horses trotted against the cold hard ground as the wet soldiers pressed forward through the plains, trees and valleys. They were choked by the mountains on both sides, there was no where they could run, and they couldn't even get in contact with Dechoneus, their only ally. They were truly damned.

Upon the following day, Nerus entered Fort Crown. Lennix had been left in Fort Dawn, now representing more of a village than a fort. Helm's recover was slow, especially given their limited space, and constant loss of land. These were reasons why they had limited soldiers holding Fort Crown. They had few people, and were trying to hold out just a while longer. Their deaths were inevitable, but it wouldn't stop them from trying. Volohs, after all these years, had finally bested them.

Nerus rushed to the wall, looking over his men, as his twenty knights took position. The torches could be seen a mile off. Luckily, there were few Ommart, perhaps only one hundred compared to the other thousand or so, men. This was a losing battle, but Nerus Was willing to give it his all.

He could only imagine the old Ommart, quizzaciously in his cell. It bothered him that they had to keep such scum around, yet it was the only way, only chance, to win the war. Perhaps the snow white being would say something of worth for Helm's unlikely victory, though Nerus knew that situation was slim to none.

"Can you see them General, the men, and the devils out on the horizon?" the soldier inquired.

"Indeed, have the men each reached their positions?" the general asked the young knight.

"Of course, we follow your orders." The young knight responded, fear evident in his eyes.

Nerus nodded as he readied the archers. Each man stood at guard watching slowly as their doom moved closer and closer. The torches slowly faded along with the night sky, as the sun began to rise. Nerus grabbed the war horn of helm, giving out a loud noise with a single mighty breath. The enemy began to fall into range of their arrows, and the knights began to fire their arrows. On the sounding of the second horn, the ambush was to be sprung, the men waiting in the bushes and cover of the forest, trees and brush. This was it; this would decide Helm's fate.

Nerus began to tense as he pulled back his ninety pound bow, launching the deadly arrows into the enemy. The long slender arrows flew through the air, as the force of the bow multiplied the arrow's lethality. He began to breathe more fluently, striving to keep his calm. He could feel the pressure of his helmet on his head, as he launched another arrow into the distance. Against their steel plates, the arrows did little damage, slamming and reflecting of the surface; a lucky few sliding between the crevasses of the armor.

The women soldiers of the Ommarts where in front, taking the blunt of the arrows, because of their thick armor. The male Ommart lifted their shields above their heads, and ran at past with the women, some even gave return fire as they crossed the three bridges Nerus had built.

The general had decided to take Lennix's advice and build a choking point. His other soldiers were waiting to take on the incoming forces. They were hidden behind the foil of the area, and painted their armor to disguise themselves. They were trying to be as discreet as possible as the men watched the hundreds of men and Ommart cross the bridge.

Nerus made all of his men duck down, taking cover from the arrows. They watched the arrows fly overhead as they readied themselves by the door, to stop incoming soldiers. There were at least fifty men there holding the gate, barricading it with everything and anything they could find. Nerus could hear the soldier's dumping hot coal over the castle as it landed on the tormented men, and un-phased Ommart. Nerus stayed on top of the castle about to give the signal, as his men were ready for action. His hands gripped around the horn, as he started blowing the horn for the second time, repeatedly.

Lennix's plan was good, but Nerus had improved it. He taught his men the shield wall; his troops would stand taking incoming arrows with their shields, while they returned fire. This was a rare technic only used by the Ommart and knights of Helm. Rarely did they send legions of knights into the field, but when they did, they would easily conquer their foes using this formation. Men would stand side-by-side reinforcing their positions and strength within the multitude, to support their brothers of the battlefield. It was rare no easy task, and required trust, discipline, and focus.

The enemy turned to find themselves trapped by the small army of Helm on both ends, leaving only one bridge for retreat. They knew Ommart never retreaded, but men do, and they comprised most of the armed forced they contended with. Lennix advice, once again had been altered; because of his ommart nature, Lennix could only see one way to victory, total annihilation. Nerus was wiser, smarter than that. If he gave the enemy room to retreat, he could form a line, or direction for them to flow, making their ranks thin, and easy to conquer. The knight's positioned themselves on the end of the bridge, leaving just enough room for the enemy to attempt escape. They fired arrows at the fleeing men, realizing they were nothing more than a caged animal. They charged forward trying to fight for their lives and others just trying to escape a narrow path way, provided by their enemies.

On the other hand, the Ommart were relentless, they began to hammer faster at the gate way. They would send five to ten men back, who would quickly charge back, to hold the gate. Nerus had men rushing back and forth, collecting buckets and shovels of coal, trying to burn their enemies. Some went into flames bellow, and still attempted to climb or power their way through the wall. The Ommart would not give in; they had made that very clear. They were a strong willed people, and were more stubborn than a mule.

Slowly the knights across the bridge advanced over the heaping bodies of the enemy, spears, swords, hammer, and maces forward. They watched satisfied at their many arrows slamming into the Ommarts' backs. The ranks were now split in their purpose, dividing their attention between the two armies. Nerus commanded the men to let the Ommart through the gate, as the archers were readied at the stairs for their opening. There were two ways to get to Nerus, if both roots were taken, then they would be trapped, but that was a risk Nerus was willing to take.

The army rushed through the gates as they met yet another shield wall, but much thinner than their brother's on the opposite side of the wall. Quickly the fractured army was together once more, surrounding the Ommart forces. Arrows launched into the necks, shoulders and heads of the Ommart, taking many down, as they attempted to press forward. Nerus pulled his own bow back as he let his arrows fly into the enemy. Within minutes of their advance, the Ommart had been wiped out. Nerus tossed his bow to the ground. The battle though only feeling like minutes, lasted more than two hours. The sun had now well risen, it being an hour before noon.

The men grew in hunger, and lacked rest. Nerus, stumbled down the stairs, looking over at his knights as they counted their wounded and dead.

"How many did we lose?" Nerus asked.

"Sir, perhaps you should ask how many were injured." The knight replied.

"I care more for the lives lost than those we can care for." Nerus replied.

The knight smiled, "We didn't lose a soul! All hail, Lord Claydrin, and his son, the God of Life!"

The men around shouted in victory and joy. This was the first real battle they had won sense Helm's fall. They raised their swords and shields, with their exhausted bodies and tired limbs. They all roared once more, Nerus's pride running strong.

"All hail General Nerus, our savior!"

Nerus smiled as he waved the men's cheer, "No, all hail Cladius, and the Quails, who we now know successful, doe to our great victory!"

Nerus knew deep down, Cladius had found the Sun God, and that this God, their idle of worship was real, and on their side. They could feel strength, power, and inspiration; this was what led them to win the battle. Nerus looked to the sky, as he whispered to none other than himself, and the gods.

"Thank you God of the Sun, bless Cladius, and thank him for his success."

Cladius starred down from Zelstine looking back towards Claydrin, "These men, how did they win? I had no power in this battle."

"Cladius, I have held your power for many years, through your power, I added these men. I gave them your strength. You are my son and my predecessor, some day, I will transfer my Lordship to you, and you will also have this power. Until then, my son, we must train your body to possess the natural energy within yourself."

Cladius nodded to his father, looking back towards Nerus one last time.

Nerus smiled at the sky, as he began to tend to the wounded, which were not few in number. There most certainly had been blessed, no man could fight so affectively for two hours. Nerus knew one truth deep down, even though they had won, they would lose the next fight, they didn't have the numbers, for what Volohs would send at them. As glories as their victory was, they had only prolonged their inevitable doom, Nerus just hoped it was something that would give the Sun God enough time to defeat their enemies. He half wondered, if they would simply gain the strength necessary to defeat their enemy or if the god himself would come and face their foes for them.