War of Light and Shadow - Light's Last Stand (part IV)
The armies of the Shadow broke upon the Bastions of Light like a tidal wave. The heralds of the arrival of the shadow were the Colgatha. They came first, drowning the skies in total blackness. The Dragons rose in fury, along with other winged warriors, and all of them met the Colgatha in the skies. It was a storm of fire, and shadow.
The ground shook with tremors, while burrowing horrors broke from underneath the earth. And then the main bulk of the armies; thousands of Fallen and Shadowsworn, led by a hundred generals assaulted Akuinor in tandem.
The orbital defenses were overwhelmed. Some of the outer bastions fell instantly. Others lasted for a few instants. Very few managed to hold. Caldonnas stood alone before the main gates, tearing an army of Khorgons apart, after having casually destroyed their general.
Anadun had fallen in a duel with Akhar, the Slayer. Kaldassos the Defiant, one of the first Ashar who had rebelled against Ulhaeron, to join the Cal'ashan, rose among the warriors of Light, to lead the others into a decisive counter-attack. Beside him stood two other legendary warriors: Aergos the Untamed, and Kalras the Unbowed. Together, these three, were like an army. In time, Akhar and his shadowsworn were pushed back.
Likewise, Thaeron had beaten back Torgaron the Breaker, forcing him and his army of renegade Khorgons to retreat.
Elsewhere, a mighty defender of Akuinor, Adreshar the Flame Warder, fought side by side with the swordmaster of the Celestial Host - Arakron the High Champion. They managed to hold out against Sarguul the Tormentor, who, in spite of his rebellion, had allied with the forces of Shadow in hope of furthering his own power.
Aellon fought side by side with his champion Arcael. Together, they and those who stood with them pushed back Malkoth the Dominator and his Shadowsworn.
Many other names stood out for their heroism and sacrifice during that time. Keldorra the Loyal, Theyros the Unrelenting, Antharael the Courageous, Zando the Cunning and Emagu the Implacable who fought together with Nuviel. They all held out against the onslaught.
But all that these defenders did was earn time to fall back in orderly fashion towards the middle bastions, whilst the armies of the Shadow swarmed past the shattered defenses and the breached walls.
A second, more powerful wave than the first assaulted the valiant defenders.
Balkor the Subjugator led his Oppressors against Thaeron and his warriors, who fought side by side with the Titans - Kaehir's children. They would have been overwhelmed if Kaehir himself hadn't joined them in the nick of time, together with a fresh wave of Titan reinforcements. Balkor suffered his first, grudging retreat. But the destruction he had wrought had been legendary.
One of Ulhaeron's mightiest warriors engaged Caldonnas: Hascor Light's Bane, a monstrously transformed Khorgon who looked like a cross between a Man and a Scorpion, armed with a venomous tail, and cleaving pincers. Both of them fought with tremendous ferocity, tearing the very world around them apart, in the fury of their clash. In the end, Caldonnas decapitated Hascor, after tearing his venomous tail apart. However he had already been wounded twice, and one of the wounds had come from the venomous tail. With his fury somewhat subsided, the Bronze Titan fell back.
Elsewhere the defenses held, but barely, and every reinforcement had already been used. It was in that moment that the remaining Shadowsworn deployed their spies and assassins, wreaking havoc behind the enemy lines, and destroying the defenders from within. Selassea and Aedmon used their magic extensively in an attempt to thwart most of these attacks. At the same time they begun to trigger their own traps and ambushes that they had prepared.
But these were the signal for the final fall back. Already the middle bastions begun to fall apart. The defenders were now forced to retreat to the Inner Defenses. Here they all stood side by side. The last ones, the finest ones. Those that had survived the terrible first waves of the Shadow's onslaught were now prepared for all that would be thrown their way.
And thus the third wave was pushed back. Caldonnas led the first counter attack, slaying two generals of the Shadow God. Then Nuviel led the second counter attack, and Aellon the third. Thaeron led the fourth and fifth. Kaldassos led the sixth and Arcael led the seventh. And right then, after the seventh counter-attack, the armies of shadow finally retreated to the edge of the middle bastions. Even celestials and demons had notions of rest and weariness, it seemed.
But it was a small respite. A minor victory for the forces of Light. The truth was that the Shadow God hadn't yet used the full extent of his power. In fact, he had used this pause deliberately, because it worked to his advantage. The more time passed, the more the defenders begun to realize they had no hope. This doom had already shrouded their spirits, and despair would soon engulf them completely. Then it would no longer matter. They would fall.
But such was not the case. For as long as the Aldoren stood they inspired those that stood with them, and the benign warmth of the Flame Eternal nurtured hope for the Armies of Light. And they spoke together with each other, and shared tales of valor and hope, and thus they were better off at the end of the respite than they had begun, and Ulhaeron was greatly disturbed by this.
Caldonnas did not rest. He flew to the skies, and fought the Colgatha, side by side with the Dragons. Ever since then a deep bond of respect was created between the great creatures and the lord of the Cal'ashan.
But soon the armies of Shadow resumed their assault, attacking harder and harder with each wave. Again, the defenses held admirably well, but the losses on the side of the defenders begun to show.
In the third such assault, the armies of the Shadow broke through. Kaldassos fell beside his battle brothers, whilst fighting a duel against the demon Urakroth the destroyer. Kalras and Aergos both fell beside him, right after avenging his death. They had been deeply wounded, but they would survive.
Arcael fought an uneven fight against the Demon Lord Khangrazon who had cut a swathe through the defending forces before being stopped by the brave swordsman. The Demon finally crushed the brave warrior, but succumbed to death from a thousand cuts only moments later.
Aul Sotha destroyed Aedmon, but was teleported in another dimension, unable to return.
Selassea fell before the onslaught of Sarguul's armies. So did Ancalimon who fought, even though he was wounded, and not a great warrior. But the musician had stood his ground proudly in the end. Thaeron and Kaehir had finally fallen before the combined might of Balkor and Torgaron.
Keldorra, Theyros, Emagu, Antharael and others also fell, though they would survive, unlike many others.
Aellon, Elora, Nuviel and the other last defenders gathered inside the last bastion. Before its gates stood Caldonnas, waving the sevenfold blade menacingly. None dared approach him from all of the Shadow God's lieutenants.
Only then did Ulhaeron finally reveal himself.
The ground shook with tremors, while burrowing horrors broke from underneath the earth. And then the main bulk of the armies; thousands of Fallen and Shadowsworn, led by a hundred generals assaulted Akuinor in tandem.
The orbital defenses were overwhelmed. Some of the outer bastions fell instantly. Others lasted for a few instants. Very few managed to hold. Caldonnas stood alone before the main gates, tearing an army of Khorgons apart, after having casually destroyed their general.
Anadun had fallen in a duel with Akhar, the Slayer. Kaldassos the Defiant, one of the first Ashar who had rebelled against Ulhaeron, to join the Cal'ashan, rose among the warriors of Light, to lead the others into a decisive counter-attack. Beside him stood two other legendary warriors: Aergos the Untamed, and Kalras the Unbowed. Together, these three, were like an army. In time, Akhar and his shadowsworn were pushed back.
Likewise, Thaeron had beaten back Torgaron the Breaker, forcing him and his army of renegade Khorgons to retreat.
Elsewhere, a mighty defender of Akuinor, Adreshar the Flame Warder, fought side by side with the swordmaster of the Celestial Host - Arakron the High Champion. They managed to hold out against Sarguul the Tormentor, who, in spite of his rebellion, had allied with the forces of Shadow in hope of furthering his own power.
Aellon fought side by side with his champion Arcael. Together, they and those who stood with them pushed back Malkoth the Dominator and his Shadowsworn.
Many other names stood out for their heroism and sacrifice during that time. Keldorra the Loyal, Theyros the Unrelenting, Antharael the Courageous, Zando the Cunning and Emagu the Implacable who fought together with Nuviel. They all held out against the onslaught.
But all that these defenders did was earn time to fall back in orderly fashion towards the middle bastions, whilst the armies of the Shadow swarmed past the shattered defenses and the breached walls.
A second, more powerful wave than the first assaulted the valiant defenders.
Balkor the Subjugator led his Oppressors against Thaeron and his warriors, who fought side by side with the Titans - Kaehir's children. They would have been overwhelmed if Kaehir himself hadn't joined them in the nick of time, together with a fresh wave of Titan reinforcements. Balkor suffered his first, grudging retreat. But the destruction he had wrought had been legendary.
One of Ulhaeron's mightiest warriors engaged Caldonnas: Hascor Light's Bane, a monstrously transformed Khorgon who looked like a cross between a Man and a Scorpion, armed with a venomous tail, and cleaving pincers. Both of them fought with tremendous ferocity, tearing the very world around them apart, in the fury of their clash. In the end, Caldonnas decapitated Hascor, after tearing his venomous tail apart. However he had already been wounded twice, and one of the wounds had come from the venomous tail. With his fury somewhat subsided, the Bronze Titan fell back.
Elsewhere the defenses held, but barely, and every reinforcement had already been used. It was in that moment that the remaining Shadowsworn deployed their spies and assassins, wreaking havoc behind the enemy lines, and destroying the defenders from within. Selassea and Aedmon used their magic extensively in an attempt to thwart most of these attacks. At the same time they begun to trigger their own traps and ambushes that they had prepared.
But these were the signal for the final fall back. Already the middle bastions begun to fall apart. The defenders were now forced to retreat to the Inner Defenses. Here they all stood side by side. The last ones, the finest ones. Those that had survived the terrible first waves of the Shadow's onslaught were now prepared for all that would be thrown their way.
And thus the third wave was pushed back. Caldonnas led the first counter attack, slaying two generals of the Shadow God. Then Nuviel led the second counter attack, and Aellon the third. Thaeron led the fourth and fifth. Kaldassos led the sixth and Arcael led the seventh. And right then, after the seventh counter-attack, the armies of shadow finally retreated to the edge of the middle bastions. Even celestials and demons had notions of rest and weariness, it seemed.
But it was a small respite. A minor victory for the forces of Light. The truth was that the Shadow God hadn't yet used the full extent of his power. In fact, he had used this pause deliberately, because it worked to his advantage. The more time passed, the more the defenders begun to realize they had no hope. This doom had already shrouded their spirits, and despair would soon engulf them completely. Then it would no longer matter. They would fall.
But such was not the case. For as long as the Aldoren stood they inspired those that stood with them, and the benign warmth of the Flame Eternal nurtured hope for the Armies of Light. And they spoke together with each other, and shared tales of valor and hope, and thus they were better off at the end of the respite than they had begun, and Ulhaeron was greatly disturbed by this.
Caldonnas did not rest. He flew to the skies, and fought the Colgatha, side by side with the Dragons. Ever since then a deep bond of respect was created between the great creatures and the lord of the Cal'ashan.
But soon the armies of Shadow resumed their assault, attacking harder and harder with each wave. Again, the defenses held admirably well, but the losses on the side of the defenders begun to show.
In the third such assault, the armies of the Shadow broke through. Kaldassos fell beside his battle brothers, whilst fighting a duel against the demon Urakroth the destroyer. Kalras and Aergos both fell beside him, right after avenging his death. They had been deeply wounded, but they would survive.
Arcael fought an uneven fight against the Demon Lord Khangrazon who had cut a swathe through the defending forces before being stopped by the brave swordsman. The Demon finally crushed the brave warrior, but succumbed to death from a thousand cuts only moments later.
Aul Sotha destroyed Aedmon, but was teleported in another dimension, unable to return.
Selassea fell before the onslaught of Sarguul's armies. So did Ancalimon who fought, even though he was wounded, and not a great warrior. But the musician had stood his ground proudly in the end. Thaeron and Kaehir had finally fallen before the combined might of Balkor and Torgaron.
Keldorra, Theyros, Emagu, Antharael and others also fell, though they would survive, unlike many others.
Aellon, Elora, Nuviel and the other last defenders gathered inside the last bastion. Before its gates stood Caldonnas, waving the sevenfold blade menacingly. None dared approach him from all of the Shadow God's lieutenants.
Only then did Ulhaeron finally reveal himself.
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