Willow’s Point, Forest of Dain, Kingdom of Dain- Mid Summer 14 years AR

Erin’s part of the battle to that point had been fairly easy. She’d stand on the shore and wait for Cara or the other mage, Daegen, to cast BOLT into the water, the shock of the spell would spread, and cause the werewolves to convulse or die. Only the ones closest to the impact of the spell would drop dead but most fell into the water with painful convulsions as their muscles spasmed.

That’s when she and the others on the right flank would charge into the water and finish them off before they could regain control of their bodies. Meanwhile, the werewolves on the other side of the knights that stood at the edge of the water would hesitate. They were stupid but not so much as to not realize a potential danger. When they overcame their fear or their instincts determined it was safe again, Erin and the others would run back to shore and the process would be repeated.

The strategy wasn’t planned out that way but it worked. She had occasionally scanned the rest of the battle but she couldn’t see much with the slight slope leading up from the shore before leveling off. She really hoped that Jon, Aethred, and Andrew were alright. Jaesmin and Leofrith too, but not as much as three that she considered family. The thought of her brother and Jaesmin’s moment popped into her head.

‘Aethred better not be dead, I need to tell him about that... Please let them be alright.’

She let her mind wander more than most but judging by the occasional glances back her entire flank was like that. Few of the monsters tried to go through the lake and they never made it far. It was a lull on their end.

AAAAWOOOOOOOOOO!

“What???” She turned around, the sound came from behind them. She saw the rangers and adventurers that were their range component freeze and look even further back. Lady Kyanna’s voice rose above the sound of battle nearly at the same time.

“ATTACK ON THE REAR! RANGERS ROTATE! ON ME!”

“Hold the flank! Knights to the rear!” a knight named Ser Donavan from Stilyra yelled before running towards the rear; Ser Wilford, Ser Pierce, Ser Edwin, Ser Aethan, and Ser Aethelstan of Stilyra followed suit. The knights of Ravenna, Ser Demetrius, Ser Brutus, Ser Roverus, and Ser Ionus hesitated for a second before following the order of the foreign knight and running after them. That was how dull the western flank had been up to that point, they’d actually had a chance to introduce themselves in the midst of battle but Erin was terrified it wasn’t about to be as dull anymore.

The entire third line of Lycans turned and started running to the rear as Erin scrambled up the hill to see what was happening, the flank she was a part of secured by the two mages and couple dozen adventurers. She got to the top just in time to see the Rangers dropping their bows in favor of their dual weapons. Beyond them were a few hundred werewolves charging their formation, jumping over their recently dead packmates. Most of the new combat line barely had the chance to draw their weapons before they were bore to the ground with claws and teeth sinking in deep.

Erin froze, they’d killed nearly half the number of monsters in front of them but now they had more coming from behind, flanking them….

‘They’re supposed to be stupid! How did they… I mean what made them… did they do this on purpose?!’

She gripped her spear with white knuckles and stared as the Elvanni elite started to fight back. Not slow at first, the rangers tore into their enemies with a vengeance. They started showing why they and the lycan knights, were equals in combat. If it had been another moment or if it had been a demonstration, she would have been elated at the chance to see it. Given the circumstances, Erin hoped it would be enough.

The pointed-eared warriors were extremely deadly with bows but nearly as deadly with their dual-wielding approach. They relied on speed and debilitating cuts that severed tendons and muscles before finishing their enemy off. It wasn’t perfect though as nearly a quarter had died in the moments it took the lycan knights to enter the fray

Most carried short swords like a gladius or falcata. Also known as a kopis Erin had learned, hers was still attached to Jon’s waist. The variety of weapons didn’t stop there, besides the exotic Jian and Tanto one Ranger bought on a trade mission to the west; others carried daggers like the straight and simple dirks or the curved and deadly kukri, which blurred the lines between dagger and short sword. The rest had a variety of one-handed war axes, spiked picks, and lightweight spiked maces.

She looked back at the flank she was supposed to protect, mainly at Cara and Willow. Her eyes lingered a moment on her friends, the former released another massive blast of electricity and was sweating from overexertion. She turned her head towards the far left flank and quickly picked out Leofrith. His large form and auburn fur making him easy to spot. He was fighting tooth and claw with a werewolf, having lost his sword somehow. Jeasmin was near and slicing into the monster with her falchion in an attempt to save her brother.

Jon? He was on the ground with one of those bastards on top of him, the handle of his woodmaul in the beast's mouth! She started to run towards him but Aethred ran up and drove a shortsword into its throat. Jon was covered in blood and the handle of his woodmaul had snapped but he was alive. Erin felt shock shoot through her at what had nearly happened. She stared a second until her brother was back on his feet. She shifted her glance towards the Rangers and laid eyes on Andrew, bow still in hand behind the others, drawing one of his few remaining arrows. He desperately needed a backup weapon. As she took in her friends, it dawned on her that she wasn’t fighting.

She thought of dying but only for a second. If she did she’d be able to see her mother again and finally get the chance to really know her father. Then her mind jumped to her friends. Aethred had just saved her brother. If nothing else she needed to slap Jon for getting himself in that situation in the first place and kiss Aethred for saving his life… or not kiss, it’d be his choice. She wouldn’t mess with him this time.

She had stood there for only a few seconds but what would have been a hard-fought but sure victory was anything but sure anymore. They were pinned from front and back while their enemy slowly worked their way around what was the left flank. The squires' position was slowly being pushed back to form a solid battle line with the skilled Elvanni on the left, the powerful lycans on the right, and the inexperienced squires holding the new center.

‘ENOUGH! These are the fucks that attacked my home, killed my MA! Ruined everything I ever knew and turned my brother into a freak… well, that might be an improvement but come on Erin, you need to do something!’ She tried to psych herself up. She was partially successful as her internal pep talk got her moving.

She didn’t run towards Jon, she ran at Andrew. The rear and left were pulling back, the lopsided U shape starting to form. She looked at the relentless monsters but she noticed a peculiarity, there was a single one that wasn’t fighting, it stood behind the rest and watched. A loud barking noise came from it as she watched it, it was loud enough to be heard over the din of battle. A shout of alarm rose from the front.

‘Did it just give an order?’ she thought as she watched nearly half the werewolves at the front break into a retreat before turning in a wide arc. More barks emitted from behind her and the disorderly monsters formed a rough spear formation. She gasped and changed direction when she realized they were running at a full charge towards the left flank.

She actually tossed her shield down and gripped her spear with both hands, she didn’t see the point in it for this particular fight anymore. It could help block a vicious blow but she felt being able to use both hands to thrust would be better.

“TIGHTEN IT UP!” Erin’s advance was cut short at Kyanna’s command as the entire expedition started to backpedal inward on itself. Fully forming the new line with the lake at their rear. The ends nearest the water tapered out sightly after a moment.

Erin found herself near the point that the Rangers and squires had met and intermingled. She moved her way forward and tried to thrust and enter into combat alongside the others but she wasn’t aware of their tactics. She, along with her friends, hadn’t been clued in on how the squires, knights, or Rangers fought because they were only adventurers. They’d been given some brief information about commands but in the end, they were not a part of either group of warriors. Nor privy to Elvanni or Ederathan military strategy.

It wasn’t hard to figure out though as she noticed the squires only attacking from the werewolves' blindsides. She took another breath and locked her eyes on her new target. It was a particular disgusting werewolf. Its fur had been torn out in patches and its body was covered in blood, both fresh and long since spoiled. It spun quickly, catching the squire that had just pierced its side with a long dagger. The girl, who looked around Erin’s age barely had the chance to pull her weapon out before four long claws raked across her face. The devastating swipe left four long gashes, taking her right eye in the process.

Erin was about to thrust at the monster's back but the feral beast looked straight up and snapped at something above it. It had looked like a glowing butterfly. Erin saw a piece of a wing and a strange golden liquid pouring from the werewolf's maw when it lowered its head. She noticed what looked like two white sticks fall from its mouth at the same time as a high pitch squeal burst from directly above her.

Her eyes snapped up to lay upon a strange little creature. It had a lock of her hair in its hands but was looking at the werewolf instead of Erin. Its skin was as white and crisp as snow, which glowed softly even in the daylight. Its hair was yellow… although not blonde. A shade of hair unnatural and unlike anything she’d ever laid her eyes on. It was like the color of a dandelion or daisy. With all that, its most defining feature was two large multicolored wings. Unlike a butterfly with a complex pattern, these seemed to shift like an aurora. Waves of color spread back and forth on the tiny humanoid with oversized violet eyes.

The squeal it was still letting out seemed a mix of panic and terror. Erin could swear that tiny tears were dropping from the tiny monster's cheeks. She was hardly the only one that noticed as the squeal was let off again and again causing Erin to take her eyes away from the strange but beautiful creature. There were at least a dozen of them hovering above the battle. Each one was giving off a strange cry that seemed mystical and terrifying causing the entire battle to quickly stop. She grew uneasy as the cry was joined by popping sounds and flashes of light.

**********

Afgheir had frozen when he heard the pixies crying. He cringed as he looked to where they were pointing and saw golden pixie blood dripping on the fur of a nasty fuck. Although harmless themselves, actually causing serious harm to or killing a pixie was an extremely dangerous ordeal. He didn’t lie to the Badgers, the forest’s smallest monsters were basically harmless. Yet he failed to mention that there was a reason why tiny little monsters, that had a knack for annoying the piss out of everything, were able to survive in one of the most dangerous environments in the isles. They had family and their cousins weren’t as weak.

“Human forms now! HUMAN FORMS! FUCKING NOW!!” Afgheir screamed the order out suddenly as he looked up at the horde of monsters that were popping in using some form of teleportation magic. The harmless pixies cried in their strange way that made his ears twitch even as they reverted back. Cries from the pixie’s allies joined them as his fur and fangs turned to skin and blunted teeth. Unlike sounds of anguish, the new noise was angry hisses and screams of vengeance.

His command was to differentiate lycans from their demented cousins. He hoped the mystical beings would realize the difference because he knew the dangers as he took a step back, gesturing those around him to do the same. Putting distance between them and the rabid cocksuckers that they had been fighting. Their foe ignored them as they stared stupidly at the scene above them, most barred their teeth and growled.

The kin of pixies, collectively known as the fae, were making their appearance from wherever they lived. No one actually knew where the near-mythical, immortal beings called home but with their magic, they could show up at a moment's notice. The only reason people knew they existed at all was because of idiots like the one that was trying to lick the golden blood off his lower jaw with a long tongue.

From the tiny, thumbnail-sized sprites to the cat-sized fae dragons they started to show themselves. Dozens! hundreds! He heard a pop right next to his ear and looked to see a fairy. She was so close that his nose brushed her bare thigh as his head turned. Like her pixie cousins, the naked woman with dragonfly wings was smaller than his hand. Despite appearances he ducked away on instinct, both his and his beastmind coming to the same conclusion that he would be better off not angering the fae.

She glared down at him and quickly flew right in front of his face. He immediately dropped his gaze to her naked form, her small breasts and nipples were perky and proportional to her form. Her smooth tan skin was flawless, her figure perfect, and he didn’t need his lycan eyes to clearly make out her hairless lower lips. The being in front of him would turn the head of any man if she was scaled up. Although he stared at her nude body not because he was attracted to it, but because he didn’t dare look at her face. She flicked his nose and flew off a moment later, letting Afgheir breath a sigh of relief.

“Back it up, get distance!” He whispered harshly to those around him as the remaining members of the expedition started forming a tight ball in the middle of the battlefield.

Only a few didn’t they were either dumbfounded and stared in awe or were too afraid to move. Afgheir groaned as he noticed that one of his wards, Jon, was on his back. The boy looked more confused than afraid as two fairies were comforting a crying pixie on his chest. One fairy was embracing the pixie while the other sat and played in the copious amounts of blood that had covered the boy’s armor. Jon at least didn’t make a move.

He also wasn’t the only one the newcomers were treating like furniture as pixies descended and sat on the shoulders and heads of various members of the expedition. They were listening to the high-pitched squealing of a couple of pixies as they pointed around and ended with each pointing at the mangy bastard that dared kill one of them. Two of the fairies flew towards it and hovered a couple of feet from his snout.

Afgheir wasn’t sure what they were doing but they were just looking at him as waves of light pulsed gently from their bodies. The monster in question stared at them dumbfounded but didn-

It snapped at them, nearly taking the nearest into his maw, and managed to hit the second and send it in an uncontrolled tumble through the air. The screams of anger erupted again but this time the faedragons, pixies, and sprites flew away from the battle over the lake while the fairies formed a total of five circles above the two opposing forces. Four smaller circles and a single large one 20 feet across.

“RUN!”

“PUSH THROUGH!”

“GRAB THE WOUNDED!”

“TO THE FOREST”

“GET FUCKING MOVING!” The calls came in different words but all at the same time and same meaning; something really bad was about to happen.

*********

Jaesmin snatched the strange little woman that had been injured and thrown at the group and started to run as the expedition abandoned the battle and fought to push through by the lake's edge taking advantage of the enemy's lack of attention. She looked down at the beautiful creature and cast HEAL on it as she tucked it to her chest. It looked alive still but she really couldn’t be sure but continued to channel the magic directly into the fairy.

She along with the others broke into the open field the werewolves had just charged across. Jaesmin chanced a glance over her shoulder to see a large werewolf was barking and pointing at them. She didn’t know what it was saying but its intent was clear as the horde snapped out of their collective stupor and started to give chase. Above them, the pixie-like beings were flying in five perfect circles, moving faster and faster. Even in the second she looked, their forms started to blend into each other to form a solid line.

“DON’T LOOK BACK!” Lady Kyanna’s panicked voice came from somewhere behind and Jaes immediately looked away. In front of her, the other fae were flying in from the lake as the expedition ran, only seconds had passed but they moved quickly. They darted towards the formation but flew right past her. Animalistic cries, whimpers, and roars came from behind.

She nearly turned her head to see if they were attacking the werewolves or the lycans but she stopped as the world went nearly white around her. It wasn’t from passing out but an intense light was coming from behind her and so was a nearly unbearable heat. The cries of people added to the mix as an intense sizzling noise hummed.

The expedition started to scatter as they made their way across the field. A few unlucky, or perhaps idiotic, souls turned to look only to stumble immediately after, holding their eyes. Jaesmin still didn’t look back but if she had, she’d see 5 columns of intense light. The origin of each was one of the fairy circles in the air and extended to the ground at the same width. Anything so much as near the light burned and anything caught in it was turned to ash.

The four smaller circles began to dart around bringing the faes deadly magic to any werewolves that attempted to run while the largest followed the bulk of the horde at a slower pace. It was slower than the other circles but was still overcoming the fast-moving werewolves. The ones interlaid with the expedition paid no heed to their former enemy and ran alongside them in an attempt to getaway. They too were targeted for their crimes against the fae as Jaesmin saw the tiny glowing sprites dart INTO a werewolf that had passed her. No blood came out as cauterized holes started appearing around its body, it died nearly instantly while the swarm moved on.

Something landed on Jaesmin’s shoulder and she looked over to see tan skin and clear crystal-like wings. The fairy stood on her shoulder with ease, only holding onto Jaesmin’s ear. It was looking down at her breast, more specifically the injured fairy she was carrying as she entered the treeline. She stopped casting HEAL but instantly felt a very real burn on her ear. Like having a hot ember land on exposed skin.

“HEAL,” She whispered giving voice to what she was doing, and continued casting. The fairy just watched as Jaesmin tried to focus on the expedition members running in front of her. Smaller blasts of light were erupting from the mouths of faedragons as they strafed another running werewolf, chunks of flesh being cut off its body.

The fairy however ignored the battle… extermination around it and looked at its kin. Jaesmin looked at it after a small hand knocked on the side of her head. Her left eye could barely make out the glowing white eyes and tan face of the fae because it was so close. It knelt on her shoulder and she felt a very slight tickle as a very small kiss was placed on her upper lip before the fairy took flight again, darting after another monster somewhere to her side.

Like that, Jaesmin ran. She had put her sword in its scabbard but she didn’t even realize when. Her focus was on the back of a Ranger in front of her. The light had dimmed after they entered the forest with the exception of the occasional beam of light from a faedragon or the bright glow of the sprites darting around, both left spots in her vision causing her to stumble more than once. They didn’t stop though because rather than the intense light behind them there was a spreading inferno. A battle had turned into a massacre and that had turned into an unnatural disaster in the form of a forest fire.

Coming full turn, the forest fire suddenly turned back into a battle as a humanoid being made of wood came running out of the dense vegetation and grabbed a passing faedragon, crushing it with a wooden hand as vines and roots started tearing out of the ground and trees. More and more of the beings known as dryads, spriggans, and the more human-like nymphs came with glowing green eyes. Jaesmin had no idea what they were but she could feel their anger at the destruction of the forest like it was palpable.

Yet another faction of mythical beings had entered the fight to focus on the first. Fairies, faedragons, and even sprites were knocked out of the air as vines and roots crushed and whipped them… Jaesmin’s eyes started welling with tears born of terror when she heard the popping again.