In front of him, more cursyrd poured through the gap which they widened at every stroke. Overhead, the timbers supporting the roof shifted, seeking new solidity they'd never find. The walls of the building were seriously compromised. Without the ForceCones overhead, Rebraal wasn't sure the roof would hold.
They had been forced a few paces back across the floor towards
the stage. Rebraal felt tired. His right arm ached up at the shoulder where the collar-bone was cracked and every breath sent a skewer of pain through his chest. Sweat dripped down his face and he had the first inklings of a shake in his left arm. The mace felt too heavy.
Pheone swept her ForceCone above their heads once more. Strike-strain were dispersed to all points, squeaking frustration. Rebraal blocked a spike arm and reversed his mace across the neck of a reaver following up. The cursyrd reared into the air and was pinned against the wall by the Cone. Ark battered the skull of a karron, sending the creature back into the lines behind. The Unknown jabbed his mace into the eyes of another and he could hear Hirad's shouts clear across the floor. The barbarian demanded more effort. He demanded strength and unbroken will in Darrick's name. All those around him gave it without question.
Taking Ark's lead, Rebraal drove forwards. He ducked a flailing limb and struck left to right. His mace caught the karron on the side of the head, sending it sprawling across the line. The disruption was used instandy. The Unknown moved up and split his next enemy groin to chest. Hirad swivelled and kicked out high, taking his on the chin. Planting his foot he smashed his mace in under its arm, killing the creature instandy.
'Pushing!' he shouted.
Reavers flew low into the line, blocking any move of the allied forces. Rebraal saw a claw rip out and scratch three lines down Ark's face. Strike-strain followed in, buzzing in their faces, distracting their focus. One bit Rebraal high on the right arm. He jerked with die sudden pain, ice flowing into his cracked collar-bone. He moved to snatch it away. A reaver saw its chance and lashed in its tail and a claw simultaneously. Rebraal tripped and went down hard on his right side, his mace just about blocking the claw.
He roared in agony and for a moment thought he was going to pass out. He heard The Unknown shout an order and saw the big man's mace flash across his eyeline and bury itself in the reaver's side. Rebraal pushed himself back and away. Gheneer hurdled him to take his place in the line, sword in hand for now.
He dragged himself to his feet.
'Still standing, Rebraal?' called Hirad.
'Still standing,' he confirmed.
Erienne was at his side. 'You should leave the line. Let me dull this for you.'
'No time,' said Rebraal.
'Down,' ordered Denser.
IceWind again, forcing the cursyrd back, killing them in their dozens. How much stamina he had left was open to debate but it would be plenty. He was the most efficient mage Rebraal had ever seen. Sharyr, though, looked tired. Inexorably, the battle was turning the cursyrd's way.
Rebraal moved back to the front. Gheneer noted him, savaged a cut through reaver wing membrane and ducked backwards. Rebraal moved into the fight once more. His next strike killed the reaver Gheneer had crippled.
'Press!' The Unknown sounded off. 'Erienne, another casting if you can. We have new blood coming in.'
'On its way.'
To the left, a massive section of wall disintegrated inwards. Al-Arynaar were trapped under rubble, others knocked from their feet. Karron poured in through the new gap, reavers at their backs. Rebraal heard Gheneer shout orders. The Unknown joined him.
'Alter the angle of defence, Raven. Let's give them some breathing space.'
The pain in Rebraal's chest was intensifying. His right arm was completely useless now and he held it hard across his chest, trying to account for the lack of balance it created. The Unknown ordered the move and right to left. The Raven angled towards the new attack. The right-hand flank of the Al-Arynaar followed suit, keeping up the pressure, denying the cursyrd freedom to press home on the left.
But the battle front was too wide to hold for too long. Rebraal wielded his mace in front of his face while he thought hard about how they could turn the tide. Above the noise of the cursyrd that reverberated around the playhouse, and the sounds of orders and struggle, Rebraal could hear something else. Like approaching thunder carried on the wind. He fancied he could feel it through his feet too but dismissed the thought.
'Unknown!' he shouted. 'We need to relieve the pressure left. Orbs and IceWind to the gap.'
The Unknown concurred. 'Denser, Sharyr. Redirect. Pheone, keep those strike-strain away.'
The cursyrd were pressing hard on the left. Gheneer had been quick, organising a new defensive line, yet he had lost ten or more warriors. The line hadn't actually broken but it was perilously stretched. Mages from the holding areas behind turned their attention front. FlameOrbs landed in the gap, detonating plaster dust and incinerating enemies.
Rebraal ducked a tongue of fire that scoured into the cursyrd ranks. The air was hot and choking. He followed Ark into a fresh attack, feeling his mace biting deep into exposed cursyrd flesh. The reaver howled and lashed out, catching the top of his head. He felt cold blood flow. He staggered back. Ark was with him, fending off the next attack while he regained his balance.
'Drop back,' said Ark. 'You are not fit.'
But that noise of thunder was getting louder. Something was
happening. If it was cursyrd, they would be washed away. If it was help, they had to hold out. Whichever it turned out to be, there was nothing to be gained by pulling himself out.
'I'll be fine.' And to prove it, he struck out right to left and slightly upward, splintering a karron jaw. The strike it had thought
to put in died with it. 'Can you hear the thunder?'
'Yes.' Ark's blade blocked a hammer limb, the return severed it. 'It is not thunder. It is singing.'
Rebraal fenced away a reaver claw and thrashed above his head at a strike-strain. The kitten-sized cursyrd was dashed to the ground. Ark was right. It was singing and it was definitely getting closer.
'Let's keep them back!' roared Hirad. 'Help is coming.'
Hirad's words were taken up all across the line, giving tired limbs more strength. Rebraal felt invigorated. Hope flowed through his veins. The ache in his arm seemed to diminish. But if they thought the enemy would crumble, they were mistaken. Reavers set up a dreadful cacophony that bounced around the confined space.
The effect was instant. Strike-strain withdrew and bunched just outside the playhouse. Rebraal frowned, wondering why. The karron backed up a pace, some a little further. It was the first concerted move he had seen them undertake.
'Steady!' roared The Unknown. 'Watching.'
A handful of Al-Arynaar moved up. Rebraal and The Raven barked them back. Three were too late. The karron, under the spell of the reavers' voices, whirled back into the attack at astonishing speed. Limbs cycled twice, three times as fast blurring in the air in front of the allies. Those too late and cut off were battered dead in moments, unable to raise a defence in isolation.
Two karron broke through and ran straight at Erienne. Rebraal saw them coming.
'Erienne, your left! Left!'
But she couldn't hear him, lost deep in her casting. Denser too was preparing, unaware of his peril. Al-Arynaar detached and chased. Others moved up from the back but all would be too late.
Rebraal turned left-side-on. The karron in front of him rushed on. Next to him, Ark with his longer reach dismembered the first creature that came into his range and swept his mace at a second. He moved his sword to Rebraal's defence, deflecting the hammer limb. Rebraal fended away the spike and knew he had to detach.