Battle of Mount Ila'Alnar part 16
Harrick and his undead held the east as easily as any group. The one giant column that attacked them was perplexed and was content to throw boulders and spears. For his part, on the other side of the mountain, mostly out of sight and contributing by keeping several hundred giants and fiends occupied, he was content that this was sufficient. He sailed around on his wings of flesh, looking for a dead giant to raise and set against its former allies. His vampires would gang up on a giant and force the others to kill their comrade from he turned on them.
Among the tinkers, the elves, and the ice gnomes, the giants and fiends were met with a match. Prepared for both, each had guardians in good number and were bolstered by an air force of planes, dragons, and fey. The Vishtoo advanced faster than any of those groups. After Darkwind left their side, Bezeded S'z't surged forward. Nothing the fiends or giants had was a good counter to them. What’s more, they were joined by Haas and Valizar. Swatting away boulders from above, they were the first to reach an entrance. Taking cover, as per the plan, they waiting.
Dourvan’s calculations were almost visible around his head. He conducting his symphony and was directing a masterpiece. Arion arrived shortly after and he breathed, something he did not need to do. “It will not be you. I thought fate would deliver a great irony to us if you defeated an avatar in a fiery mountain.†Arion slumped a bit and asked to be healed.
Juhutimose asked, “Not he who what?†but Dourvan did not respond.
Across the battlefield, the giants were losing, the fiends were being destroyed. The cost was high. Knights and guardians, nomad lords, and many soldiers of all types were dead. Dash appeared in his human form near the command, which was now the muster point for the wounded and was becoming more populated by the minute. “Kitino is deadâ€, he said woefully. The death of one of the dragons was no less of a tragedy than the death of any soldier, but the loss of one of the most powerful pieces on the field was disheartening.
Solaris arrived next, holding in his arms a broken man. “Raygen is dead. I cannot revive him now.†He laid the liberator respectfully on the ground. Dourvan began to comment, and had he been a full deity, the instinct to hold the decidedly calculated comment would have been gone. But that last bit of mortality held his tongue and instead he said, “not in vain, the elves have reached an entrance.â€
Second to a cave, prince Dedaryl and his elves, accompanied by Knot had reached a cave. Their guardians either dead of fighting fiends, their fey distracting the remaining giants. They now waiting for a signal to enter. Two tinker golems arrived next, accompanied by two dozen minders and tinkers. The ice gnomes had rejoined Koth and made their way to a cave. The Icefian, now lead by Alara Gemblade made it as well. All the forces numbered fewer then a third their original strength. But they made it. At a separate entrance, three figures landed, one carried by the other two: Solaris, Darkwind, and Saren.
The fey launched off green flares to signal the next phase. The planes, long circling and not involved dove down. Now loaded with white oozes and holy water bombs, they unleashed a torrent of pain upon the fire giants and fiends that caused shrieks for miles. Only the planar giants remained unharmed and the fifty or so still on the slopes were gathering to make their way against one of the groups about to enter. The closed in on the Icefians, whether by chance or design unknown. The Icefian artillery readied to fire, but rolling balls of fire and spells of wood warping sprang up all around. “Iottians in the field!†the call rang out. Forced to leave Dourvan, Ajax and the Trio of Gold went to aid the engineers. Valen turned to Arion and asked, “If you want to join them, I can make that happen. It won’t be quite the regeneration or heal you are used to though.â€