“All right people! Get your shit ready to launch!” Smith marched back and forth with a case of bright glowing potions. “Only take what you need and can carry. Potions in their spots, weapons packed, and armor tight!” He set the box down as he moved to adjust someone's armor or weapon. “Your job is to guard the sides of our pathway! You don’t move up, just stay still!”

“I’ll be front and center, so all eyes should be on me! Just funnel them my way.” Jo-Lene lept high into the air and over the tower. Before hitting the ground, her form shifted into a lithe icy blue Brionac Ice Dragon. She glided to the ground directly in front of the pathway. Wolves on the other side began to howl and growl, yet they held their ground.

“Land on the sides! We want to make a nice pointy hallway for them to run into the dragon!” Smith yelled as the swordsmen finally got into a battle spirit. “First Wave, ready to launch!” Smith stood in the center of the tower, glowing lights covering his eyes and hands.

The first group of swordsmen walked up to the tower’s edge, where glowing handles appeared. They all grabbed onto it, the glow encapsulated them in a barrier of sorts. Once in place, the barriers glowed in a smoky substance as they were launched in an arc.

“Second Wave up! Buffer the area behind the dragon! Keep the backline clean!” Smith waved his hands as the handles reset themselves. The next group took off after the first.

“Now that’s a sight.” Rex watched as the magically catapulted people landed completely unfazed with a nice area blast to clear the landing zone. They were all aimed to be in position right away. “Is this sort of deployment common?” He asked Greg as they walked up to the handles next.

“Should be, how else would you get your soldiers deployed, walking?” Greg gripped the handle and blasted off. Only Smith and Rex were left standing on the tower. The handles, all but two, melted back into the stone tower.

“All forces deployed sir, where shall you have me?” Smith patted his dual hatches out of habit.

“Float around the midsection, try and ease off some tension of those struggling. Don’t overwork yourself to death though, good help is hard to find these days.” Rex unslung his rifle as Smith reached for the launching handle. “How does this work anyway?” He pointed at the magic device.

Smith looked between Rex and the handles for a moment, trying to think. “Just grab, aim, and woosh you are on the way.” Smith tried to keep it simple.

“What about getting back?” This question made Smith crackle with laughter while holding onto the handle. A barrier covered him up as he continued to laugh.

“You walk!” Smith cried out as he went soaring off into the battlefield.

“Cheeky.” Rex could only chuckle at himself as well. “Hey Benni, do you know what those wolf-like monsters are? Why are they just standing there, wait where did they go?!” Rex scanned the horizon with his scope, but the wolves had vanished from his sight.

“I don’t know sir, but those look like Goblin Raiders to me.” Benni popped up and pointed out to Rex some familiar enemies. “This is really unusual for them. I don’t remember ever hearing about them Raiding an Event Field.” She hovered around Rex’s head as more screens interrupted her pleasant floating.

“Do they look like they are charging at us, or running from something?” Rex was tracking the sprinting goblins with glowing gear through the dimly lit woods covering the other side. The goblins were carrying fireless torches that were going out one by one.

“I can’t see past these damned things! How did you accomplish this much? It just doesn’t stop…” Benni dissolved back into the bracelet to complete her tiring work.

“I don’t envy you one bit.” Rex patted the item with thanks. “Now what do with them?” He watched the goblins as they broke through the woods and onto the pathway, where it stopped dead at the dragon. Before it yelled out, another goblin knocked it over from behind.

“Weapons!” Smith shouted from somewhere among the group. Everyone release their energies as they raised their weapons, ready for a fight. The goblins started to freak out at the sudden appearance of new enemies, especially a dragon. The fallen goblin though saw the castle behind the dragon, the castle its boss wanted.

A shrieking cry went up from the goblin on the ground, the others broke out of their stupor. One of them launched a glowing flare into the sky. They all had vicious grins of success on their ugly green faces, it didn’t last long. The wolves from behind made quick work of the goblins.

“Flare! It was a scouting party!” Someone up front shouted to the group. Fear washed over the fighters for a moment.

“Let them try!” Jo-Lene’s voice roared out from her mighty form, bringing a cheer from the rabble around her. Inside she was extremely worried about what was coming.

Everyone braced themselves for a fierce fight, yet the wolves just growled from their positions across the pathway. Their dark furs blended in nicely with the darker shaded areas underneath the thick trees. A commanding howl split the tension as the wolves faded away into the darkness.

“Is that all?!” Tendo yelled while releasing the tension from his bow. “ I thought Blade Wolves were more aggressive than this?” He just shrugged at a glaring Greg, while Jo-Lene kept watching the pathway to a creepy dark forest filled with things that want to kill you.

“Those aren’t Tier 3 Blade Wolves anymore, they evolved due to that Anomaly.” Smith held his twin hatches with delicate patterns decorating their shiny blades. “Best guess would be Tier 4 Assassin Wolves or Dark Blade Wolves, due to the environment.” The side groups started to huddle closer together after listening to his assessment.

“Don’t forget the Boss Monster gets a boost to the Anomaly’s tier.” Jo-Lene growled slightly, as her eyes began to shine with magic. A decent-sized magic circle sprouted to life and vanished with a woosh as she opened her mouth. A sphere made of solid ice whistled through the air sailing straight through the trees in the forest without slowing down. “Plus, we aren’t the only ones stuck here.” It shattered like a pebble against a solid steel wall, a wave of magical light revealed a solid wall barrier surrounding a force of grinning goblin pirates.

“Why are the Goblin Raiders here? They don’t hunt in this area.” Greg scratched his head with his metallic war gauntlets. He turned to look at Smith, who could only nod.

“It’s connected, let's just hope this is all of them.” Smith walked to stand next to Greg, while a helmet magically surrounded his head. “We need to survive for now.”

“I hate politics…” Greg flashed out in blinding light, when it faded, he was a larger golden-white panther with magical lines running along his body. Armor started to shimmer into areas as they were magically equipped. “I better get decent compensation for this.” He growled while towering over the others in the vanguard.

An enlarged arrow that seemed to belong to a siege weapon went sailing after the ball of ice. “Only if you get to survive and complain to the nobles that are involved. Then you have to survive until they pay you and for a few years after that, some can hold grudges like no other.” Tendo shivered at a memory of his while drawing another solid metal looing arrow. It grew larger as it traveled, slamming right into the back of the first. “Now!” He shouted as the two large arrows cause the magic barrier to crumble enough for a person-sized hole to appear.

An icy dragon, with large glowing lines and runes along its body, let forth a mighty roar. A beam of bright snow white with a dark frozen blackish-blue lasered down the opened path to strike the enemies. A bang echoed out from behind just before the breath made it into the hole. A bright magical shield flared to life, as a bullet absorbed it to near breaking.

“Hit.” Rex inhaled deeply as he watched the breath easily shatter through the weakened secondary shielding. It carved out a stunning path of destruction before a chilling wind-blasted forth freezing most things in its wake. “Now that’s an attack.” Glassy blue ice covered the trail the breath made. In the middle was an angry-looking Goblin frozen in a block of ice.

“I need to rest a moment.” Jo-Lene was breathing heavily, it seems that the attack was one of her best. Greg jumped in front of her as a golden light shone down on her. “Thanks.” She curled up and closed her eyes to meditate.

“Cover her while she recovers, the longer the better our chances are!” Greg roared out as a wave of golden light shone around the vanguard next to him. They yelled in unison as they made a wall of brave souls, trying their best to guard their best hope. “You all should be proud of yourselves, standing on the battlefield. Today you become Warriors!” He shouted while letting out a roar, the swordsmen that were glowing shouted along.

The Ice block shattered as the large tattered Goblin let out a screeching roar of his own. He turned his glowing red eyes full of hate towards the group. He pulls out a horn and blows it. Hundreds of magic circles surrounded him, and from them came Goblin Raiders. The leader sadistically started to laugh while attempting to blow it again.

“Not happening!” Rex shouted while firing off a Basic Bullet. It shattered the horn while taking out a goblin standing behind it. The Goblin Leader yelled out in rage when a ball of light zipped past him to be absorbed into Rex’s bracelet. Rex just smiled while giving the leader the finger, which set off the leader to scream loudly.

“Here they come!” Smith shouted from the side of Greg. The large mass of goblins began to flood their way towards the pathway. Thankfully it was too small of an opening for them all to fit.

“Benni, what happens if you go over the edge?” Rex held his fire since he found out each shot takes a piece of his magic to use, which is tied to his mental state, so he decided to just rest for now. “Do you just fall into the void or something?” It was so surreal to just see land end at an edge of nothing but stary space below.

Benni sat on his shoulder while watching the goblins reach the pathway on the field side. “You see how they stop and slow their rush?” Rex nodded while observing through the magical holo scope. “There is a brief force shield that keeps you from falling but only for three seconds. If you are in the air and hit it, it will force you downwards to the ground instead of traveling further.” Benni gasped as the vanguard began the fight. “See that one, it’s shoved against the force shielding, it’ll fall soon.”

“It looked like a goblin-sized hole just sucked it out, where did it go?” Rex tried to follow what happened to the goblin that fell outside the field. Benni tapped his shoulder.

“It was destroyed, beyond the barrier of this area is a dimension of pure chaotic energy that only the powerful can survive briefly in.” She saw Rex wasn’t quite understanding it. “You fall, you go poof, no more.” Benni just stared at him.

“Stay indoors, got it.” Rex turned to watch as Tendo released a hail of arrows slowing down the massive army. Smith was slicing while Greg just smashed and bashed. The others seemed to be able to handle themselves alright for now.

“Mages!” Smith yelled as the glowing vanguard retreated to give the mages some space, sadly one did not make it back in time. “Fire!” Smith yelled while they all watched as the one left behind struggled until the magic wiped him away with the foes around him.

“For the fallen!” A cry from somewhere broke the silence after the magical explosion. “For the fallen!!” The group yelled out as they surged forth to not let the goblins clear the pathway.

“We need to hold this side if they get control of the pathway it’s over!” Tendo shouted as the mages were chugging down glowing potions and starting to chant again. He was channeling his magical energies into his quiver, arrows started to flash into being as they filled it up. “Support spells for the front, or send the explosions long!” He called out slinging the now full quiver over his shoulder, before running to join the midline.

A whistle was heard over the din of battle, out of the forest marched a group of fully armored and armed newcomers. “Kill the dragon and take the castle! For the Empire!” The only differently outfitted knight lifted his sword while pointing to Jo-Lene recovering. “Noble peerage is promised to the one that slays the beast!” Rex centered him in his sights. An arrow was swatted out of the air by the knight leader’s sword. “Kill the monsters!” He angrily shouted.

“Who are they?” Rex’s voice had an edge to it, his finger was itching to pull the trigger. “Why aren’t they attacking the goblins?” The armored knights all had similar armor, sword, and short round shield. The only difference was the leader with no shield and a two-handed sword, with nicer-looking armor, styled the same still. They were slowly marching behind the goblins, forcing them forwards, and some over the edge.

“Those are the bastards from the Empire, they are the ones who have been bothering our kingdoms recently. It’s the newest Human Empire to emerge since the Dalton Empire.” Benni was clenching her little fists while staring daggers at the knights. “I bet they are behind Betty’s possession and the pirate attack!” She looked so sad while angry, she was powerless to help her friends after all.

“They’re humans?” Rex crouched closer to the rifle, enhancing the scope as much as he could, trying to catch a glimpse of these so-called humans. “Why are they hostile towards you all?” He was having trouble seeing anything but armor and goblins.

“They think humans are just superior to all, and that we are all monsters compared to them. The previous Human Empire wasn’t so racist and actually married into the current Elven Empire, so not all humans are bad, just these ones.” Benni seemed to hold a decent grudge against these racist knights, not that Rex blamed her, he didn’t like them either. “If they come across us, unless we have an Adventurer’s ID they will try to enslave us or kill us.” She shivered in fear.

The goblins were slowly whittled down to a dozen or so on the pathway. A pack of knights with swords out was slowly marching in unison forwards. A wall of death behind them and a group of tattered survivors in front, the goblins charged forth, to their demise.

“That’s the last!” Smith yanked his hatch out of the dead goblin before him. “Hold the line, more guests!” He jumped backward at the opening of the pathway, joining the remaining vanguard in a semi-circle around the opening. The armored knights stopped just shy of the middle of the pathway.

“Drop your weapons and surrender monsters or we will slaughter you all!” One in the middle stepped forth to deliver a stupid demand.

“I don’t think so.” Jo-Lene slowly lifted her head above the vanguard to glare down at the now-shaking knight. “Why is the Human Empire attacking a Human-owned Castle?” She called out, hoping to stall for some more time.

“Stop with your lies your beast! That Castle is clearly of Elven design and make, there is no way a Human would own such a monstrosity!” The knight yelled back at Jo-Lene while pointing his sword at her. “Tell the owner to sur-” He was interrupted by a loud dinging sound mixed with a distant bang. A smoking orb was flung from the top of the tower, it landed right before the pathway.

“Back the fuck up and get off my property!” Rex held his rifle level at the tense-looking line of armored knights. “Take your damned goblin pests and leave while I’m asking nicely.” He heard a groan as the knight he shot was slowly stirring. He sat up with his helmet glowing brightly with lines wrapped all around it, with a smashed bullet sitting in a dented part. Rex fired again, this time the bullet tore through the helmet with ease, obliterating the knight’s head in the process.

“Why is a human attacking us?!” Another knight called out, they all seemed confused by the sudden human-on-human violence. “He must be a criminal! Kill him with the rest!” He lifted his sword to charge. A loud bang silenced the talking as another headless body dropped.

“Anyone else?” Rex aimed at the now cautious mob of armored enemies before him. “Good, Jo-Lene, send them off please.” He turned and sprinted back as fast as he could. A giant torrent of icy magical energy in a bright beam tore through the air above his head. He hit the ground going prone due to the sheer pressure of the magical lights above him. “It was a better idea on paper!” He yelled out over the deafening roar of a dragon’s breath.