A dark deep sleep without any kind of dreams. I don't have time to waste on them. I need to be ready tommorow.

The battle is bound to be messy, goblins are brutal but cunning and those have a competent leader. I don't need to be a seer to know tommorow will be a bloody day. Then again this never looked like a peacful place to me. Maybe I should consider this as some common occurrence.

I came back from the endless darkness of my sleep the moment the first sun ray pierced through the

foliage above. I feel refreshed. Sleeping in a blanket, between Lein's arm and her chest, was way more comfortable than the snow.

Most of the soldiers are still asleep. Though one of them already left, I can see the flattened snow where he or she was. Large footprints are going from there toward the forest's edge.

With nothing else to do, I followed the trail to increase my skill proficiency. I have gotten better at navigating in the snow with my cat body, now I can sneak with no problem of snow noises.

The footprints changed direction the moment I could see the edge of the forest. They headed toward some sort of rock formation covered in trees.

After climbing a expecially large rock, I found Ophelia, her back on a tree's trunk. She is eating some sort of jerky while scanning the plain where the goblins should be comming. Nothing yet.

I have no reason to sneak up on her but experience is experience, she probably wouldn't mind.

You have been found! Target is aware of your presence.

New message! I didn't know that I would be notified of my failure at sneaking. Ophelia unsheathed her sword and pointed it toward me.

"I highly doubt that a goblin would be here but if you don't show yourself I'll treat you like one."

"Meow?"

My communication skills are stil limited. At least she shouldn't attack.

She stared at me with a expressionless face. I just hopped on a nearby rock. As I was thinking of a way to use the free time I have before the battle, she grabbed my waist and sit in the same place as before, with me on her lap.

That woman seemed rough at first, like any soldier would, but the way she is gently stroking my back is yet another proof that appearances can deceive.

Now that I was in her arms, I could see how tall that woman is. When she was standing you would easily need three goblins to reach her hair. And those muscles, you could think she trained for centuries. The dark short hair would make even scarier if it wasn't for the copper pin in it. Some sort of old flower ornament, a blue rose, the same color as her eyes.

If I remember well blue roses are supposed to be a proof of dedication and unwavering will. A good fit for a soldier.

My thoughts were interupted by the arrival of other soldiers, Albius was with them. I don't really like the guy but he proved to be usefull yesterday so I will not resent him. Not too much at least.

The number of soldiers coming kept increasing, most of them hid behind rocks further in the forest to avoid being detected. Ophelia's behavior gradually changed, her face and speech coming back to strict and military as our allies arrived.

Lein came with the last group, mostly half-wake sleepy guys. She snatched me from Ophelia's lap without a word. Not that she seemed to mind. As Lein was about to talk, Ophelia raised her hand and gave a quick set of orders:

"They are coming. Everyone hide! Ready your weapons we have about half an hour before the battle starts."

All the soldiers ran behind cover and prepared their equipement. Most had left their traveling bags and other commodities in our makeshift camp, using the old trick of rolling everything in a ball of blakets that you hide in the trees, making it harder to notice and too high for wolves or foxes to reach.

About twenty minutes after Ophelia gave the orders, a loud horn sound echoed in the distance. My enhanced senses even picked up the sound of goblins cheering for a battle they thought already won.

The goblin's battle formation is quite uncommon. Most goblins, even with a leader would charge without a single care, but thoses are led by a general. There are clear specific squads. One large vanguard team whith spears and shields, mostly wooden low quality equipement, two small team of hobgoblins on the side of the vanguard, then right behind it a large group of goblins around their leader and the shamans. Those have the iron equipement I saw before. Behind them all the archers they have are grouped in one spot. Typical goblin, ready to ambush but not to be ambush, their rear is clearly a weak point. The only help that could be sent would be the wolf riders who are currently covering the side of the army that isn't next to the forest.

Our main force shouldn't take long to come either, I can already see a banner above the snow on my right.

The soldiers are far less in numbers but they have large steel shields and spears. Archers are directly behind the frontline. Appart from that we only have a few horsemen. Overhall, the number ratio is one soldier for six goblins. That's a lot, even with strategical advantage, we aren't sure of our victory.

The goblins are getting impatient, they want blood, and their leader isn't going to hold them in line for much longer so he blew in his horn to initiate the fight. The little pests ran whithout any care for their survival. The vanguard is filled with brutish and poorly equiped goblins to wear down our defenses. The side are protected by hobgoblins and the archers and main force are waiting for Reus's man to tire out.

They don't seem to have realized that their night team isn't there, which mean they weren't supposed to act yet. Though we will.

Ophelia gave orders, we are to charge at the exposed archers and decimate them then retreat in the forest. Most of the soldiers have horses that a guy brought in a nearby clearing. The few that doesn't are either archers that will cover us or soldiers that will handle defense if the goblins enter the forest.

Ophelia jumped from a rock on top of her horses and talked, loudly enough so we would hear but the goblins wouldn't.

"We will charge in one minute, be ready then."

The tension rose as everyone was mounting. I turned into a horse, not without Lein's "spell", and followed the last rider. Since Lein will mostly use magic, we won't need to get in the enemy's range, but I want to use my heavy charge.

Ophelia suddenly rushed out of the forest while sounding a horn. At that moment our allied cavalry attacked the hobgoblins and the footmen and archers started advancing while decimating their vanguard.

My blood is pumping like fire through my veins. Most of the horses are circling the back of the archers to strike the middle of their formation but I can't do that. I need a straight line to get the macimum amount of speed I can muster.

Most of the archers are now facing us, some trying to fire their bow but few actually managing to do so. They weren't prepared, most of them didn't even have their weapon in their hands.

I rushed through the tiny pests, smashin their limbs and torso with my weight. Lein was channeling power while I was charging and unleashed an ice domain on the archers at the front that tried to run toward the main force. I then smashed their frozen remains.

Your target was mauled, dealt 67 blunt damage, target's right leg is broken.

Your target was mauled, dealt 89 blunt damage, target's ribs are broken. Target will take heavy damage until condition is healed.

Your target was mauled, dealt 72 blunt damage, target's left arm is broken.

Your target was shatered, dealt 156 blunt damage, target is dead.

During the whole charge I kept using nightmare ride, a small black mist trailed behind me as whispers of long forgotten tongues and screams of lament echoed around me. Seeing the goblins frantic retreat was a newfound pleasure for me. I used a lot of curses before but most of the time they trapped the target in delusions, I wasn't the actual target of their fear. I think I like it.

Ophelia and the others also took advantage of my brutal engage, they circled around them and struck the archers before they could join with the others. In about five minutes of fighting there were already no more archers.

The wolf riders that came to intercept us barely lasted longer, expecially when Lein hit most of them with an ice domain. The ones that survived fled toward the main force.

The general tried to get the main force to help but his vanguard fell and the hobs didn't have much time left either.

I could see the goblins panicking from atop the corpses of their brethen but their leaders didn't seem to be scared. The goblin general set up a defensive formation around the shamans that got in a circle and started chanting.

"Don't let them cast! They are summoning something!" Lein shouted. Sadly Ophelia's men are already exhausted by the violent fight and the goblins in front of us have already formed a shield wall. If this keeps on the shamans will be able to summon.

Lein used another ice domain on the goblins bu they wouldn't bulge, any dead goblin was instantly replaced by a living one. I am not sure I can charge through their defensive formation.

Mana is already concentrating in the circle, it's too late, I need to get Lein out of what is coming's range. As I looked behind me, snow and hail swirled in front of the shamans. When the middle of the circle they were around was entirely hidden behind that blizzard, a loud roar halted the fight.

Both the soldiers and goblins stared at the blizzard that was now disappearing. In the middle, a titanic ice golem that took the shape of a mouth with arms and legs was standing. The goblin general climbed on the thing's back and shouted what I believe is the equivalent of "CHAAAARGE" in goblin's tongue.

The desperate goblins tried to get out of the way as the mad rider rushed toward Reus's horse. He most likely aimed at our leader to disorient us.

I rushed around the goblin's shield wall to help but the shaman prevented me from helping, they started a barrage of magic projectiles, mostly ice bolts but a few thunder arcs and acid ball were thrown our way too. Most of it missed Lein but I was hit.

Your have been skewered by ice. 53 sharp and 15 ice damage received. You are slowed by the cold.

Ow, that doesn't hurt much but I still lost health and the slow effect is a pain. Lein struck back, she unleashed an ice beam on one of them. The thing's head was instantly encased in ice. He became even bluer from the cold and lack of oxygen and died quickly after that.

Lein kept returning fire to the mages as we went to help Reus. Veria was already there but couldn't do much, her blades quite useless agaisnt a four meters high ice golem. She tried more than once to climb it and strike the rider but he noticed her everytime and ordered the golem to throw her off.

Reus was comanding the soldiers around to prevent the ice golem from moving much, lowering the casualties. Soon the magic construct was surrounded by shields and covered in arrow remains. That didn't slow him down much sadly.

Once we were close enough Lein pulled what I believ to be a salamander's spit. It's not actual salamander body fluid, just a highly inflamable component. She tried to lit it with magic but failed several times as the ice projectiles from the shamans and the cold wind blew the flame. I used matchstick to help her and together we managed to lit it. She wasn't even bewildered by my aptitude to magic this time.

Lein threw the burning vial at the golem, but it didn't lit. The cold body of the titan plus the hail extinguished the fire before it could do much. But now the golem is covered in it. I might be able to do something.

As we were coming closer I roughly threw Lein in the snow. She didn't like it but my plan required that I turn into a cat. And I did.

As I came closer I used sneak to avoid being detected. Veria still noticed me and gave me a smirk then got the golem's attention by jumping on one of it's arms. I took advantage of it and ran under it's leg. I then proceded to climb it with my claws until I reached the black goo dripping from it's arm.

I had to cast matchstick three times until it actually lit. The golem's arm and face ended up covered in flames in less than five seconds. The whole ice construct already melting.

Your target is burning, inflicted 186 burn damage. Melting reduced max health by the same amount

Your target is burning, inflicted 192 burn damage. Melting reduced max health by the same amount

Your target is burning, inflicted 201 burn damage. Melting reduced max health by the same amount

Your target is burning, inflicted 212 burn damage. Melting reduced max health by the same amount

The goblin on top was clearly angered by that and shouted at the golem to strike the shield wall so he could escape. I didn't let him.

I used gigantification and heavy charge to throw the melting golem off balance. As it fell I could see Veria perfectly climb it's torso and jump right behind the goblin general, behead him and jump off before the golem could hit the ground.

She smiled at me and stroked my back with a gentle smile.

"What a good ally we have here. You keep surprising me, though I must say thoses surprises are most welcome."

I meowed in approval.

I should go pick up Lein, we still have a few goblins to kill before this battle end.