The city was calm the building tension was ebbing away, the vampires had been beaten within an inch of there miserable un-lives. The local monster population had plummeted the local gangs were cowed beaten there leaders rounded up there veteran members on chain gangs and other civic projects. The signing ceremony on the historic trade deal between the Northern relm and the western elves would be signed any day now.

The vast majority of the day had been spent training. David and Vivian shared a quiet drink with a few of the city guard. David sighed his tone regretful, “I insulted a duchess, but you insulted a princess”. Vivian didn't flinch, “she threatened our company, I think they were empty threats the princess holds no real power the dukes and duchess run most things. Well unless she ever becomes queen. She can make a lot of noise though I suppose”. David nodded, “still she was overruled by her father and the rest of the triune, we rank pretty low on that list”.

He swirled the beer in his tankard and drained it, “I was half expecting that dragon to take a shot at us”. Vivian touched her fingers to her quiver, “it would have had an adamatium arrow down its throat before it could fire, I wish the dam merchants guild would refund me the 3 silvers I spent on messengers. Of course now I don't need them sent they have no problems sending them through, I now have three sets of orders from the bishop to refer it to the patriarch for his instruction after Nicole already did that”.

Alice joined them, “I would have half liked to have a look at the enchanting on the golems in the vault, but knowing our luck it would have set them off”. Martin arrived with a couple of crusaders ready to drink away the night. Martin felt a sense of unease at the back of his neck. Alice could detect the hint of magic from some monster using a supreme spell. She looked out of the window, she could see that an unnatural black smog was slowly rising from the ocean.

Alice shouted a warning, “An attack its not natural, its some sort of …powerful spell. Grab your weapons we head for the cathedral the highest point to see what's going on”. All around them the guards militia and anyone else that could pick up a weapon went for it. It was certain the town was under attack. Gongs and bells were rung the drawbridges were already raised for the night. People ran for the towers ready to fire the bolt throwers and ballista, mages prepared to activate the shield ward spell around the city but it was to late.

As the party arrived at the main square a massive black shape emerged from the fog a dragon with a three vampires on its back. The leading vampire was pail and inhuman, a mithril short sword at her side a mix of steel and mithril armour covered her body. She grinned a fanged smile identifying those below her. “lexicon sent his regards”, there was a plume of poisons corrosive black smoke and steam heading for the party.

Martin used his “fortress of faith” blessing Vivian ducked behind an earthen wall spell Alice had created. David was safe behind his tower shield. The vampire and her strike team looked disappointed Martin used his monocle they were on level 45 black dragon, it was a big sturdy beast not quite as sturdy as a red dragon but a formidable brawler and ranged fighter with its poisonous and slightly corrosive breath attack. It was considerably slower but bulkier than the gold dragon princess Serena had brought with her.

The Black dragon was a thrall it just managed to fly carrying a siege ghoul, which it promptly deposited on the ground in front of them. The fog shifted and they could see the rest of the attacking force already over the city. Four live wyverns thrall tainted with blood thrall riders. Four zombiefied wyverns covered with a sort of bone armour, ridden by skeleton captains, who had a few tactical bones in there bodies.

There were eight truly massive thrall bats probably on the verge of metamorphosing into some sort of demonic creature. There was a truly massive flock of giant ravens they were obviously a replacement for the regular thrall bats. There were about 200 bone vultures possibly from the king of bones, they came form the south lands a rare undead. There were 80 snow harpys, viscously stupid creatures, half human half peregrine creatures of blood alchemy, fodder used against the dragon rebellion by there creators.

There were two flying demon spell casters, a sorcerers summons a loan for the battle. The zombie wyvern's had a surprise there bone armour dropped off there bodies and landed below there was confusion for a moment and then each pile of bones stood up reforming quickly into 4 bone golems, a clever trick to get siege monsters past a city's walls.

The gold dragon was there hovering a black spined wyvern beside it. The gold dragon didn't attack the princess was on the back her wrists bound. One of her riders held a knife to her throat. The wyvern next to them had been contaminated with the thrall taint.

The wyvern rider grinned, “now princess turn your dragon on those below we get the keys like you planned we toast the elven ambassador and we can call tonight a success”. The vampires had turned up try kill the elven ambassador, if they could do that by stealing the keys from duchess and letting golems lose all the better. Princess Serena was held as a hostage to keep her dragon off the playing field. She hadn't noticed the blood thrall in her ranks, One of her accompanying riders.

Vivian acted instinctively she had the right angle and the perfect weapon, she activated her supreme skill two mile shot. It hit with all the accuracy and power she wanted it removed most of the blood thrall rider, there lower half fell from the dragon and hit the paving stones below with a wet thud.

Taking out the rider caused princess Serena to bank her dragon away, while she pulled a spare knife and cut her hands free. The wyvern who had just seen there master killed dived towards the group. Martin hit it with his blessings “word to judgement” and two bolts of electricity from the hand of Tesla, Vivian put three adamantine arrows into its skull. Alice obliterated one of its wings with a mana lance spell. As it crashed to the ground David charged up to it his blade cutting though removed half its neck the creature still took about ten seconds to bleed out as David kept his guard up.

The militia and guards had enchanted mirror lanterns mounted on iron swivels. They were set up on watch towers and walls the cathedral and the rest of the city's main buildings. Crews tried to illuminate the attackers as best they could with the thick covering of black fog that was slowly fadeing.

Francis accompanied by a group of vampire hunters arrived, two of the vampires jumped down from the dragons back with the third leading it away. The attackers had came in over the water. They used a juvenile kraken that they had thrall tainted to draw green belly away so that it couldn't protect the harbour. That kraken was now floating about in several pieces and green belly was heading back towards North port.

Francis looked over the vampires as they assessed the situation, “The harpy queen, Maud Appleby, she is one of Bismark's lieutenants. An elder vampire her supreme skill is camouflaging fog, which is how they managed to get into the city. They must have had to travel a long way for her to get hear. Alice looked at her judging her power she hurled a fire ball at the target “she is mine” the fire ball detonated removing some of the vampires supernatural protection.

Francis looked over the forming battle lines around the siege ghoul and bone golems, to the other vampire they were tall rail thin in brown robes with an orange sash. He identified her, “Elizzabeth Hawtreey an elite called the noose”. Martin drew his pistol “why is she call...” a weighted Damascus chain snaked round his throat and dragged him away as the vampire left the main square hoping to collect the coin on his head.

The camouflaging fog created by the vampires supreme skill was starting to dissipate in patches, but it was far from gone. The entire city was now a battle field the vampires main weapon past the dragon and the officers the confusion and darkness. The militia and city guard were quite busy dealign with the hundreds If not thousands of giant thrall ravens, they were not as big as the giant bats but still provided an irritating force, there barbed beaks capable of inflicting notable wounds.

The abbot and his oldest griffin took to the sky fighting with the gold dragon and the princess Serena against the large black thrall dragon. He almost managed to nail it with a surprise dive but at the last moment the vampire elite riding it pulled it away. The elite stayed on top of the dragon, acting as a second pair of eyes. Occasionally hurling an axe at the bishop, who was forced to block the thrown blades with his staff.

The bone golems and siege ghoul were particularly tough variants, they had to be to. Taking up the city's forces long enough for the golems to be activated and left to run amuck. David charged right for the main threat the siege ghoul, he had to slice it into pieces. The creature turned to the shiny mountain of armour that was heading towards him. The beasts attention fixed on a group of crusaders with crossbows on a roof, that started to chip away at the bone golems. The siege ghoul hurled a gob of acid at them as they ducked behind a chimney for cover.

Above them the five remaining wyvern riders and the three griffins attempted to deal with the zombiefied and thrall controlled wyverns. There numbers were equal so it would be a stale mate to begin with as both forces tried to manoeuvrer and flank the opposition. To gain altitude or a suitable firing position, trying to fight in three dimensions it quickly devolved from two uniform forces to a manic and desperate race to the finish.

The elder vampire picked up a cart and hurled it at Alice, she cast her kinetic strike spell knocking the cart out of the way. Her mana lance cut through the cart and hit the vampire. The vampires blood shield and supernatural aura absorbed most of the attack but the elder could feel there defences weakening. They dived back out of the way a powerful spell like that needed line of sight and the mage would run out of mana, before the elder vampire ran out of things to throw.

Vivian found one of the flying demons exchanging spells with a few of the local mages. They had a good elemental shield and she had a constant stream of fire it was a stalemate. Vivian put three octium arrows into the demon spell caster head heart and neck, before they could react they dropped to the ground there body starting to melt away. As there twisted essence was sent spiralling back to the void

Francis led a group of hunters and crusaders, he had a certain job in this scenario. To clear out the monsters attacking the large ballistas. With the heavy ballista back in there control they could sweep the black dragon and the wyverns out of the sky, easier said then done as things tired to peck his eyes out. He shot and reloaded against the seemingly countless numbers of giant black shapes. A man form the judgement had a blunderbuss it did wonders loaded with stone to shred three dozen of the creatures.

Lady Kamen was able to get on the tail of one of the stupid zombie wyvern's. They were tireless but couldn't sprint. She used what she could to her advantage, her wyvern doused the creature in an acidic spray and down it plummeted from the air, its wing membranes sizzling away its main advantages lost, the deadlock in the sky's broken she continued to fight.

Brother Percy and three other members of his order were hurtling down the streets ready to try and tackle the bone golems but another target or opportunity presented itself. The monks spurred there mounts on the demi griffs fell upon the downed creature and started to hack it to pieces. The zombies flesh was carved and mangled, they attacked its head to rend its throat open and eliminate its necromantic equivalent of the standard breath weapon, on the ground they had the advantage.

The sheriff was in her full armour and equipment leading her men in a very similar way to Francis. She had a specific part of the city to defend and an immediate goal. She chopped away at a giant bat that was trying to destroy a ballista. With a satisfying crunch she put her weapon through its throat and watched as it fell down to the street. Several squads of her guards below made certain it was dead with spears stabbing and axes chopping until there would be nothing that could be brought back by any necromancer, they pored lamp oil on it and set the beasts carcass ablaze.

David closed the gap on the siege ghoul his legs working over time. His blade cut into its calf and knee, he dodged out of its way as it stomped down. He ducked under a glob of corrosive bile and caught a glancing blow on his shield from its sweeping claws. The attack sent him back three feet. He moved forwards ducking under a follow up blow and cut into its foot removing two of its toes. The creature howled in pain and tried to crush him as he tried to manoeuvre around it.

Vivian watched the battle as best she could, her golem eye giving her a view she kept an eye on Alice if the battle there went in the wrong direction the vampire would get a few arrows in there back. The fog was slowly getting thinner something emerged from it. Vivian put an adamantine arrow threw a giant bat hitting it in the skull it went down threw a cloud of fog and into the street. Not quite dead a tamer with some levies backing him up got his basilisk to spray the bat with its poisonous breath.

Martin was being thrown around by the vampire but it was not stopping him. He finally managed to get hold of his holy symbol and form a few words, gasping for breath. “Crusaders stride” the blessing rooted him to the spot and the chain went taunt, with the elite vampire on the other end. She griped the chain knowing that Martin could only use the blessing for so long. “final judgement” one of his most powerful blessings burnt away the vampires defensive aura on the spot. He pulled the chain from around his neck. The flow of battle changed and the vampire tried to retreat. The wall where they were standing was hit by a bolt of lighting form the hand of Tesla, Martin had a thermite grenade in his hand he started off at a run behind the vampire.

One of the thrall wyverns plummeted from the air a griffin wrapped its talons round it trying to claw it to pieces. The two of them landed right on top of one of the bone golems half crushing it. The blood thrall fell from the mount with a near by monk dispatching him with a ki infused hit to the head. The griffin launched back into the air. avoiding the wyvern's dissolving breath weapon and a few bony spikes the golem threw.

The deputy sheriff led a group defending the bolt throwers on the walls, they cut and hacked at the thrall ravens attacking them. Arrows sticks rocks anything was thrown to cull the flock, they had to get there artillery pieces defended before they were destroyed. One of the sharp shooters on the cathedral had his rifle ready. The clock work gun fired six times and six of the snow harpys fell. A seventh snow harpy charged into him knocking him of the battlements of the cathedral. He managed to grab a hold off it plunging a knife into its heart, he got one more as the two of them fell towards the street below, its eyes were empty moments before the impact did the same to him.

The elder vampire felt her blood shield spent as Alice's fire balls consumed it. She felt a twinge of real fear, it was not often that she faced an opponent that could scratch her, it had been nearly a century since she had given a human anything that passed for a fair fight. She could not remember facing a mage this powerful before. She had to focus all her attention on just surviving not winning the battle, just avoiding having her face melted with a mana lance spell one the mage went down she had to deal with the rest.

The black dragon managed to douse a defensive tower in its toxic breath killing the crew of a ballista and the few thrall ravens that were attacking them. The ballista itself could be salvage but would need a substantial rebuild. The black dragon paid for it as a bolt of super heated magma from the gold dragon burnt part of its left wing tip, almost sending it into a dive, the vampire aboard would be unable to realise that part of the plan, striping the defences was two time consuming.

There was fighting all over the city form sailors on the ships fighting the thrall ravens to the harpys picking off archers. Some of the sailors from the docks that were part of the militia. They watched two of there number fall. They planned, managing to string up a fishing net between two buildings they bated there trap with two volunteers, A minute and they were able to catch two of the harpys, the weight of the net and rigging was dropped. Then they fell upon them with blade cudgel and boot.

The two dragon kept within the city boundary the black dragon wouldn't venture past the walls as once it did the defenders would become far more aggressive in there attacks. The blacks dragon sent out a plume of death that over shot the gold opponent and dissipated on the wind. The gold dragon lobbed a precise ball of heated material the black dragon twisted away and the gold dragons attack harmlessly landed in a barren field. Cold after the crops were harvested the glow of the projectile flickered out heat consumed by the cold earth.

The snow harpy was an ambush predator a harassment to an enemy, not suited for a stand up fight. One gravely underestimated Vivian as it dropped in to kill her. Its talons met armour a brawl broke out her bow skidded away. The first thing to Vivian's hand was the spare string for her bow, she looped it around the harpys neck a swift tug and it was gone removed like a guillotine.

The various flying pests were being dealt with, the ballista and bolt thrower crews had control of there equipment, they did minor repairs and started to turn the pieces they could access on the thrall wyverns and zombie wyverns flying about. Piece by piece the defenders cleared the attacking monsters from there ramparts. They started to gain the walls then the air above the city back as creatures fell by degrees, a bolt hear a spread of ballista shot there the wounds started to pile up.

Martin was still chasing the elite vampire he could almost smell his prey. Vampires were slippery fuckers. He looked about a group of militia were fighting a flock of bone vultures some of the militia were down there shields shattered. Martin used his blessing “pillar of fire” to obliterate the vultures as he was on his way past them to the vampire that was desperately trying to gain some ground on him. They tossed over a barrel of oil, lit it and ran Martin used his greater resist igna blessing and stepped through it.

David was fighting the siege ghoul it was tougher than he initially appreciated but him tying it down stopped it going on a proverbial rampage. The assassin ghost appeared out of nowhere, two throwing knives hit the ghoul taking out one of its eyes. Before David could thank her she was disappearing again off to take on another target. Hit and run was her strategy to throw the attackers off balance. David stepped into the ghouls blind spot and stabbed it again and again.

The vampire elder fell on Alice her hands extended into talons, only for it to be another illusion. She clawed through another one just to find it was again an illusion. The vampire was was hit in the face by an acid strike spell, it didn't deter her another step forward. She had to break apart an earthen wall spell, she had the right one this time the mages shield spell cracked under another blow. The mage had a second layer of defences mage armour.

The the vampire was sent backing off as the mana lance spell cut through the last of her supernatural aura and started to eat into her stone hard flesh. She had underestimated the mage thinking her almost out of mana preparing so many defences using weaker spells, it was a ruse to get her close.

Vivian targeted a damaged bone golem her adrenalin strikes sending broad head arrows into the bony construct with enough force to shatters its skull. The golem seemed to have multiple focuses making it hard to put the necromancers construct down. Another rain of arrows removed its torso armour another focus shattered. The golem paused sagged then started to more again it would be a long night.

David released a flurry of blows into the siege ghouls leg, there was blood and cartilage and finally the cracking of the joint as the ghoul went down under its own weight. He dropped one attack after another until its arm was down its neck unprotected he had to raise his shield to block a gurgle of toxic bile. His blade dropped into its neck again and again its skull came lose, finally killing the siege ghoul with just a bit of help from ghost.

The bishop was high up on the top of the cathedral protected by a few militia and crusaders, he was diverting his time from healing the wounded and using his rare blessings in the defence of the town. He noted a good target using his blessing greater purge mana on one of the demonic spell casters, it took them out of the fight. The demon was only able to fly using its magic without the mana in its veins the creature cursed and tried to glide to earth, all its most potent weapons denied to it. Several monks on demi-griffs decided to end the threat.

Martin continued to chases the vampire he landed some more hits with his thrown octium blades the vampire now had two sticking out of there back. Something came from above he shot a harpy that was trying to protect the vampire. The vampire threw a weighted chain that tripped Martin. Just before it could get away, Ghost appeared out of the night she carved a chunk off the elite vampire and disappeared before the vampire could counter, the vampire noted the enraged hunter and started to move again.

The black dragon looked about searching out its primary opponent, too late the griffin abbot in tow appeared out of one of the few remaining clouds of obscuring fog. The dragon roared in pain as the griffin clamped on. The dragon had chunks bitten out of its tail, where the beast latched on. The dragon roared in pain and outrage as the last two feet of its tail disappeared falling to the ground below. The griffon avoided a blast of the black breath the abbot blocked an axe thrown at the griffins eye. The pair started heading up seeking altitude, from where they could dive on to the dragon again hopefully getting something a bit more vital this time.

Alice drained the magic from her staff and released a deluge of fire balls towards the vampire elder. She had just used her poison gas cloud spell, it was more a distraction to the vampire. The lack of vision the spell created was much like her own obscuring fog.

Alice hit the elder with her electric strike spell and retreated. The vampire bust out of the cloud ready to tear the mage apart, only to realise her target had gone. A brief moment of concentration and the elder vampire could hear if not see its opponent the beat of there heart. Alice hit the vampire with a duel cast version of her mana lance spell. The invisibility spell was very useful. It gave her a second to collect herself, useless once the vampire figured it out she still had the time she needed to deliver the pain as the mana lance burnt though flesh and bone.

Martin filially closed the gap with the elite vampire he hit them a few times with the hand of Tesla. There were chunks missing from the vampires flesh. Pocked burnt away where the vampire was struck. Eventually he would do damage to something vital and the vampire would be crippled. The vampire made a wild gesture and a flock of thrall ravens stopped trying to attack a bolt thrower on a watch tower and headed for him, he hit them with a small thermite grenade and keeps going as the molten metal consumed there feathers.

David and a group of militia he had trained were fighting one of the remaining bone golems. They limited its effectiveness by pinning it in place with a dozen stout pikes, braced against the street and the walls. The pike men were covered by the front ranks who had large shields to protect them form the occasional thrown spike of bone. As it tried to advance it drove the pikes in deeper further immobilising itself. David and a few others closed in and hacked away until it started to crumble. Eventually there was just to much damage and the spell holding it together shattered, the entire construct reverting to a pile of bones.

Vivian put a few holes in a zombie wyvern's right wing, simple iron arrows were quite effective against the undead beast as the power of her bow was quite enough to punch through it. The wounds slowed it down allowing a rider on an ash grey wyvern to catch up to it and doused it in flame. The beast just about airborne tried to get away, the wyvern rider in hot pursuit.

The duchess on her demi-griffin led a charge against one of the other bone golems her halberd raised her guard and agents around her. She charged in slicing a good chunk from the beast, her demi-griffin seized it in the leg and twisted the beast went down they backed off as the salamanders torched it followed by another couple of attacks leaving it to crawl forwards its legs shattered.

One of the other priority targets the leader of the tower mages chapter along with several others mages was stationed at a key point on North ports outer walls. It boiled down to flinging spells at the circling undead wyvern's then forming up shield spells as the wyvern's bombarded them with there necrotic energy then repeating the process until either the spell animating the wyvern's ran out or the mages ran out of mana to defend themselves. It was a game of attrition they had other riders and artillery backing them up the undead were rapidly losing there allies.

The elven ambassador was busy healing one patient after another he had blessings that he could use. There was movement behind him as a full blooded vampire dagger in hand advanced. There was a glowing light behind the vampire and a mace fell turning the vampire into dust in one action. The ambassador went back to his work as the figure stopped glowing and stepped back into the shadows.

For what she had to do next, for her plan to defeat the vampire elder Alice needed to slow the vampire down to give her a moment to act. Alice hit her with dessicate spell pulling the remaining blood out of her veins. That caught the vampire by surprise, then the icy tomb spell slowed her down, this enabled Alice to aim precisely as she hit the vampire in the leg with a mana lance spell.

The ground based targets taken care of David ended up leading a group of militia to crew a bolt thrower. With his strength it was easy to pull back the string. The bolt flew straight and true, missing the wyvern he was aiming at and and hitting the black dragon. It had been there third attempt at firing, an injury that small just meant a little extra pain for the dragon a distraction it didn't need.

Martin kept running through the city, the vampire was making a bee line for something. Martin found himself face to face with a zombie wyvern its wings mangled it was still trying to fight on the ground the militia had formed up into box and scale shield formations, shields covered in holy oil to block its necrotic breath weapon. Martin had no time he hit it with “hand of judgement, and his greater pillar of fire”. Not sure if that was enough to kill it outright he had an opponent to kill. This vampire would not get away. He kept going even as the pillar of fire burnt away the undead wyvern.

One of the griffins manages to get a grip on the black dragon and ripped a chunk out of its back leg. The dragon had lost a layer of protective scale and a bit of flesh it was painful but not likely to hamper it in any way. But that was a second griffin not the one the abbot was riding, the odds were not in the black dragons favour. The vampire riding it only had one pair of eyes. The dragon just avoided having its wings mangled by the second griffin. It twisted again as it avoided a ball of hot plasma from the gold dragon. The princess Serena grinned under her armour a little longer and she would mount its head on a wall of her fathers throne room as an apology for this mess.

The number of enemy targets were starting to dwindle. Vivian noted another archer looking for something they could hit. A snow harpy was hiding on the roof above them they dived only for Vivian to picked off the snow harpy with a shot from her bow, before it could close the archer noted and saluted in thanks.

There was a race as Alice drained her mana potions as quickly as she could, the injured vampire hobbled forwards. Without her shield spell or something similar Alice was in trouble. After a single blow from the vampire she was sent spinning. she landed and threw two empty vials back. The vampire flinched expecting holy water or the like. Only to see two shattered potion vials, the mage was ready for round three probably already healing. As far as Alice was concerned her mithril vest was worth every penny she paid.

One of the remaining harpys hissed at a group of ravens the thrall tainted creatures dived forwards to a target. David defending the bolt thrower blocked the harpys strike saving one of his men and the siege weapon. The harpy landed stunned he cut them down with a single blow of his sword, the harpy fell to the street. Some levies set its feathery body alight with torches.

The bishop watched a group of wounded guards and militia heading to the cathedral. Something else noticed them. He used a blessing greater magical nullification to catch ten of the bone vultures in a sphere of pale white light, the magic inside them expired and they disintegrated falling onto the streets below. A collection of discarded feathers and bones, now the bishop needed to heal several of the incoming patients on stretchers.

Martin cornered the elite vampire, the nose tried to climb over a wall. His four barrelled pistol put four stakes into there back, but the vampire held on. He hit them in the back of the head with the lionhearts hammer loaded with silver shot and they fell back. Martin hit them with a thermite grenade and the remaining charges of the hand of Tesla. He used his holy symbol with his chain smite attack to obliterate the vampire. To be sure he drove a stake into there hear. The vampire collapsed into dust just leaving a skull with a pair of fangs. He grinned that was the second in command dealt with, now to deal with any remaining stragglers.

Vivian's pack was getting very light she was going to have a hell of a time recovering her high end arrows after the battle. There was movement she had a split second to determine friend form foe. She put her bleed arrow into the back of a wounded thrall wyvern, it was not enough to kill it out right but such creatures would go down eventually. She could tell it was one of the enemy wyverns as it lacked the colours of her allies.

Alice had her magic ready she had survived the last impact due to her bonus vitality spell, for a brief amount of time she was far tougher than a usually fragile mage. A healing spell undid any damage she went all out. Her mana lance took the elder vampire in the shoulder cutting into the arm until it hung limply, the vampire kept coming forwards the mage had to die she could not allow the battle to continue when the mage was this powerful.

David and a large group of militia guards and a few knights tracked down a giant thrall bat, the creature had a few arrows in its wing so could not fly. He would not allow it to heal. It tired to put up a decent defence. He knocked it down with his shield empowering his strikes with adrenalin coursing through his veins, he hacked it to pieces. The men left and right of him stabbing away with spear and halberd.

Martin was having trouble finding anything to fight, it was now a cat and mouse game against the remaining monsters. He sniped a harpy from the roof tops with his long range pistol. lead shot hit it centrer of mass empowered by his “wrath” blessing. It was quite enough to knock it out of the air. It had been hiding in one of the crenellations on the battlements looking for a unsuspecting target to drop down on.

Vivian was running out of arrows, down to tricks and alchemist weapons. She grabbed a quiver from a militia man who had gone down to a harpys claws. His dagger was blooded at least he gave some fight back to the creature. He would not need his arrows again. She focused in on the last few aerial combatants above the city she would make her shots count.

Alice blasted the vampire again and again acid strikes kinetic strikes fire balls anything she could use to extinguish the last spark of life form the enraged vampire. Her icy tomb spell slowed the vampire down an earthen wall spell enveloped the vampires legs it strained shattered the improvised restraint and kept going forwards. The vampire tried to use her mind magic but the target was strong.

David looking for something to fight the streets were clear of brawls. There were people busy burning the body's of the dead thrall ravens the bones from the golem constructs. The people were ready trained and able. There were a few collapsed building hit by one side or another he organised crews to dig through the rubble for any survivors.

Martin reloaded his four barrelled pistol with lead balls, he primed it and twisted the barrel to rewind the spring mechanism. There had to be something, at the limit of his weapon he saw a group of necromantic constructs. He put a few focus shots into bone vultures they change there flight plan slowing down looking for an alternative path. Then the ash grey wyvern behind them caught up burning them away with a gust of flame.

The black dragon headed for one spot in the city, the rider urged it on to save there commander. Alice used the last dregs of her mana for a final mana lance spell. The power jumped doing that little bit of extra damage as she had been practising just when she needed it. Right through the heart finally finishing off her opponent. The vampire collapsed what remained of there skin pealed away in little chunks, like parchment in a fire. The flesh withered desiccating then crumbled to ash. There was smoke and steam but all that was left were bones fangs and dust, she had just taken out the second elder vampire that they had been able to pin down.

The black dragon was all that was left, it started to flee no elder left to save no plan to enact no way to win. It tore sinew and strained muscle flying low and fast as it could. A trail of shots from the golden dragon over shooting it hitting the water. ballista shot and bolts arrows flew towards it a few missed a few struck it was wounded further but not going down.

Alice had killed the harpy queen she would soon grow more powerful. Francis and a group of hunters turned up. “Amazing you slew her on your own”, Martin grinned as he approached the skull and effects of the noose in his hands. Martin was disappointed that he didn't get a crack at the elder vampire but he still got to kill the second in command of this little raid, the bounty on an elite vampire was about a fifth of the bounty on the elder. But it was still not something to be sneezed at.

Martin took a gulp of his tip then handed it to Alice, she nodded taking a sip staggering harder than when the vampire hit her and handing it back. For a little while she would be vulnerable, until she had recovered her mana she was literally at the point of mana fatigue enough for a fire bite spell at the most, and she had used both her mana potions.

Alice felt her mind preparing for the change, the last barrier that she would have to break through.

She had wisdom enough to use her magic, but other things could be useful to. She could sense her mana wrapped around her soul channelled through her mind. The same way a mercenary channelled there adrenalin through there body a profound indivisible connection. It was part of them, it came when they needed it. As they used it they became better at tapping into the power.

She could feel a barrier some magic something metaphysical, it shattered and was gone as if it had never been there deep mind soul and in her mana she felt it. A special action has been performed a feat of marshal strength has been achieved. You have defeated a worthy opponent, your level limit has been raised to 600.

She was now a pain caster a discipline of magic that predated the mages. It used wild magic very potent but not disciplined not controlled. Now she could experience it she could tell the difference. It would be something new to master, she would have to use inefficient spells once more she looked for a spell suitable as a start. She picked field of thorned vines, a way to control a battle by limiting an opponents movement. The exact strength of the spell could vary from a nuance to a bastion of thorned defence, an interesting spell that would regrettably cause its caster pain. But she had to raise her game and start looking at other magic to grow.

David was now a level 5 man at arms his parry skill reached an equivalent amount. Vivian reached level 8 of the man at arms job her crippling shot had been useful against the wyverns, now It was pushed up to level 8. Martin reached level 18 of his crusader job gaining rank 8 of his cleaving strike skill.

The wounded Black dragon was getting away it was heading out to sea past the harbour wall. The merchant guild trade commissioner watched from the deck of one the ships in the harbour. She had some sort of giant instrument half way between a whistle and a flute. A single sharp breath produced a magically amplified sound. It produced a note very loud and very low a base note.

The wounded dragon twitched at the sound of the note. It started to gain altitude as it escapes over sea progressed. The rider figured to avoid ballistas and other weapons by not going over the walls. Vivian watched the dragon grow smaller, “even if I still had my two mile shot it would not be enough to kill that dam thing”. The water exploded as green belly got the most exercise that he had in decades. The dragon was three hundred feet above the water, it was only about a third of green bely length but it was still a great deal of effort to move that way. Its jaws clamped down onto its fleeing meal.

That was why no sane creature attacked North port by sea. The vampires had used up there two distractions. Now they were down one black dragon that was now inside green belly's stomach. At the last moment the vampire riding the dragon dived off into the water, a survivor for another day.

The gold dragon slowly settled above the main square and landed. The dragon looked exhausted and slowly settled down to rest. The remains of one of the dead thrall wyverns was hit with the purify blessing and dragged over for the beast to gorge itself on. The other bits were fed to griffins demi griffs and the surviving wyverns. The Royal princess checked over her mount then headed over to Vivian who was still busy looking for all her various arrows.

She took of her helmet, “mercenary I wish to apologies for my behaviour earlier, I was trying to win the support of the duchess without my fathers knowledge. You have saved my life and I pay my debts”. She looked over to the rest of the group, “I am indebted to you all we may not have won without tremendous casualties if you had not been hear”.

When she was out of earshot David sighed, “she pulled the stick out of her ass”. Martin nodded, “imagine the fall out if they had gotten away with a princess and a gold dragon to taint and control. It could have gone very badly”. Vivian looked at them, “enough talk help me find my arrows”.

They held the wake for the dead, a toast to each person that fell a candle snuffed out one by one to represent there lives. There names would be remembered for the sacrifice they had given to defend there home.

Between the elder vampire and the elite that Martin cornered they got a bounty of 2400 silver. It was presented by the trade commissioner with a little pomp. The princess and abbot in attendance with the duchess and bishop any arguments forgotten in victory. Vivian would spent most of the next day seeking out each and every one of her arrows. Even going as far as getting Alice to use her magical senses to find the enchanted ones wedged inside the dead creatures, good arrows were hard to come by, there duties would soon be over and they could move onto pastures new.