Those weren't birds, they were Xeteskian Familiars, demons melded to and controlled by mage minds, and as the camp came to abrupt wakefulness around him, Darrick could hear them chittering and laughing as they drove in, promising death.
'Ilkar, we need a shield; they won't be alone,' called Darrick, not looking round, knowing The Raven would be forming to defend. 'Erienne, Denser, offensive spells at the Familiars, and let's defend behind the fire.'
Aeb was at his shoulder first. 'I sensed them,' he said. 'There are just three.'
They were hideous even to those like Denser who were well used to them. Completely hairless, their small bodies had long powerful limbs ending in vicious talons. Mouths were crammed with long fangs and their skulls pulsed, veins throbbing, eyes wild and black in the firelight. Darrick shuddered, had to breathe deep to drag his courage to him and squared up.
The Familiars attacked, taloned hands and feet outstretched, wings braking their descents, dripping mouths gaping, fangs catching the firelight. Aeb, axe in one hand, snapped out his free hand and grabbed one around the throat as it came at him, ignoring the raking of the talons on his forearm. He bore it to the ground in front of him, dropped his axe, picked up one end of the log and dropped it on the creature's chest, pinning its arms and leaving it helpless; spitting, cursing and promising death. A second landed on the back of his neck.
Beside him, Darrick traced a defensive pattern with his blade, the third Familiar snapping at his sword but driven back into the air to circle behind, not able to find a way through. Darrick knew he couldn't damage the demon with his blade but he could keep it at bay until spells were ready.
The Unknown ran into the firelight, grabbing at the Familiar on Aeb's back, ripping it away and throwing it down into the embers of the fire. It skidded through the red-hot ashes squealing as it landed and thrashing its wings to take off, vitriol spilling from its mouth. The sky lit up as FlameOrbs soared from left, right and behind in concert, targeting the camp.
'Ilkar, we need that shield now,' said Darrick.
'It's there,' said Ilkar, voice quiet. 'Shield up.'
'Raven, we're surrounded,' said Hirad. 'Unknown numbers. Let's circle, keep your spacing. Ren and the mages inside. Just as we practised.'
They formed up fast as the two free Familiars flew in again, darting close, lashing out claw or tail and rising again. Aeb, The Unknown and Thraun faced away from the fire, Darrick and Hirad into and beyond it, covering the angles. Ren, bow tensed, looked for targets among the shapes racing in, Ilkar stood behind Hirad like he always did and Erienne and Denser occupied the rest of the defended space, spells forming in their minds.
'Keep eyes to the sky,' warned Hirad. 'We can't let those bastards too close.'
As if to make his point, the demons streaked in again. Hirad slashed over his head, sword connecting with a leathery body. The demon yelped and fled back skywards. The other raked a cut into Darrick's face and chittered in triumph as it corkscrewed back into the night, preparing to dive once more.
'If we can take the Familiars, we can cripple their mages,' muttered Denser. 'Two birds, one stone, so to speak.'
'Sure?' asked Darrick.
'Trust me on this. Focussed Orbs, Erienne. It's the best way.'
'With you,' said Erienne.
Hirad watched the enemy come in, remembering he'd seen the advance pattern before. Two ahead of a third, six of the trios, well spaced and running.
'Mage-defenders,' he said. 'But not with Protectors. Just swordsmen. '
'Ren, look for the mages. We can handle the blades,' said The Unknown.
The FlameOrbs splashed down, fizzing over the shield and scorching into the ground around them. Simultaneously, DeathHail pattered against its edge, the razor-sharp mana ice shards bouncing and shattering as they struck.
'Holding,' said Ilkar. 'No problem.'
And, thought Hirad, their own spells were keeping their Familiars away. He could see them wheeling above, looking for the next opening.
The Xeteskian swordsmen attacked, running in from all angles, spread well, shouting orders and confident. The Unknown tapped the ground at his feet and Hirad cleared his head with a roar. He raised his blade and swept down to knock aside the first blow, kicking the man back. Another came in, Hirad blocking him away too, his eyes adjusting to the shadows. He squared up, waiting. They came again, both at the same time, standard formation. Beat-able.
The first thrust came in low, Hirad sweeping his sword left to right to knock it away. He ducked as the second whipped by above his head but he was ready, thrashing his blade up as he stood, catching the man on the hinge of his jaws and shearing into his face. He screamed and fell, Hirad swinging quickly to face his second attacker. He was quick, his blade already cocked to strike. But as he stepped in to deliver, Aeb's axe split his skull wide open.
'Talking, Raven!' shouted Hirad, looking out.
'Orbs away.'
Balls of mana flame the size of apples shot out in lines from the centre of the Raven group. They fired into the sky and Hirad heard a screech as at least one found its target. The screech was accompanied by a howl from ahead of him and a mage crumpled to the ground, holding his head.
'One surviving,' shouted Denser over the clash of steel and the grunts of the fight.
Next to Hirad, Aeb had pulled his axe out of the Xeteskian he'd killed and used it to bat away a tentative strike. His sword came through straight afterwards, a massive strike taking the head clean off the same man. The body crumpled.
Around the other side, Darrick was trading blows with a pair of good swordsmen, blade and dagger in his hands. He had a cut on one arm but was holding his own. An arrow whipped out and took one of them from the game. Darrick muttered his thanks, pressed his attack, caught a blow on the hilt of his dagger and stabbed forward into the throat of his opponent.
'Go Raven, we're taking them!'
And then the third Familiar came in from nowhere. Dropping straight onto Denser's head, it jammed its claws through his skullcap and bit down on his shoulder. Denser cried out, tripped and fell into Ilkar who, taken completely by surprise, stumbled into Hirad's back.
'Shield down! Shield down!'
And more spells were coming in. FlameOrbs.
'Scatter Raven!' roared Hirad, picking Ilkar up and moving dead ahead at speed, heaving his sword into the legs of an attacker.
Order dissolved into chaos. Aeb turned and dived for Denser and Erienne, scooping them and the Familiar up and diving headlong away from the fire as the FlameOrbs seared in. The Unknown rolled left, coming up quickly and slicing his dagger into the arm of a Xeteskian swordsman who hadn't been quick enough to adapt. Thraun and Darrick simply charged into the enemy, looking to confuse and spread mayhem. Ren loosed off another shaft and ran into the night.
The Orbs splashed down just beyond the fire. Denser, the Familiar shouting curses into his ear and dragging its talons down his face, was covered by the body of Aeb. Erienne was crushed beneath them both but safe from the flame that spattered across the campsite. It smeared over Aeb's back, eating into his leather, burning the skin where it touched. He rolled away, grunting in pain, tearing at his jerkin straps while the fire ate through to sear the flesh beneath.
Denser grabbed at the Familiar, rolling aside to let Erienne free, punching upwards blind and feeling his fist meet the demon's head again and again. It yowled but didn't stop, its tail raking down his arm, a fury of thrashing limbs and scything talons and teeth as the pair rolled on the scorched earth.
And then, incredibly, Aeb was there. Bare-chested, his axe in one burned hand, his other reached down to grab the Familiar at the back of the head and wrench it clear. Denser felt the talons gouging at him as it was torn free and heard Erienne's voice close to him.