Steadily inhaling, my chest started to expand and then as the expansion brushed my hand aside, the bowstring slipped cleanly off my fingers.
Thirty-two other bows did the same.
Thwacks and twangs filled the air as strings reverberated rather noisily, and with practiced precision, we all drew our bows again as we watched the arrows sail through the air. One, two, three seconds passed as the arrows continued their flight, then finally, impact. A glorious impact, with the unsuspecting mob of players hit squarely by the first volley as two or three players fell to the floor from a critical hit.
Instantly, the group broke ranks and began to sprint forward without any cohesion.
A second volley followed, with only one man falling victim.
As I began to draw and fire in rapid succession, caring little for accuracy as I repeatedly attempted to slow the oncoming advance, I watched as my warriors and Selene did the same. Firing an arrow a second, thirty-three arrows flew out at random intervals that cut through the air as the enemy players continued to advance.
The shield-bearers at the front easily blocked and defended those directly behind as they held the frontline and continued to charge.
"Target the rear!" I shouted as I lifted my bow slightly, arcing the trajectory of my arrow in order to hit their casters.
Ten seconds had gone by as the first hundred yards were cleared, and only a hundred remained. The peak physical fitness offered by the game gave the players the ability to run at world record levels.
Sweat started to roll down my cheek as I anxiously continued to fire, quickly draining my quiver of forty arrows.
My fingers itched as the string stripped and burned the skin with such rapid firing but I couldn't pay it any heed.
Fifty yards remained, as another two men fell.
Dropping my bow to the ground with less than five seconds remaining before they would reach the walls, I brought my arms into my chest as I started to chant.
The twenty-five yard mark was hit, with a woman collapsing to the ground struggling to breathe as an arrow pierced her throat.
Fifteen yards left, as the shield-bearers funneled together in an attempt to break through the open gateless entryway.
Five yards away, I stared them down.
"CHAIN LIGHTNING!"
Yelling at the top of my lungs as a rallying cry and a threat all in one, my booming voice carried across the field. Heads and eyes turned up to the flash of lightning as it surged forward and caught the shield-bearers unaware.
Arcing, bouncing, jumping and flickering as it coursed through their bodies and into the dirt below, the first man hit died instantly as the other four fell to the floor. Arrows filled the void where their exposed backs had been a blink before.
Unable to scream or cry, they died quick, silent deaths.
Slinging my shield onto my back while dropping my quiver onto the floor for the man next to me, I leaped off the ramparts with my halberd in tow. Filling the gap of the entrance with my body and halberd at the ready, four other warriors dropped down with axes held high. Two seconds, as I pulled my weapon back and above my head.
Then the wave hit.
Axes were swung in quick succession as shields were raised to deflect. The heavy swings of the warriors broke through the weak wooden shields, with loud snaps and cracks filling the air. Splinters of wood flung in every which direction only to be ignored by the flash of swords swung in retaliation.
Screams filled the air as limbs were mangled and a hand fell to my feet.
My heavy swing had cleaved straight through a shield and on through the arm of the defender as he buckled from the blow, staggered and falling backwards as he grasped his missing hand. A quick thrust and the spear-point entered the soft flesh of the man as I twisted and pulled, watching him tumble to the ground in a state of shock.
Before I could ready my next attack, I was forced to duck as a spear narrowly missed my face, grazing past my hair as the warrior next to me fell to a sword thrust into his chest. Unable to maneuver, the four of us were caught fighting shoulder to shoulder in formation as the ten or so players in front of us continued to attack.
Relentless in their pursuit, we kept them at bay with wide arcing swings of our two-handed weapons, slicing air mostly in an attempt to buy time and space.
One player stepped forward in a moment of impatience only to catch the hook-end of my halberd as I pulled him down onto the ground beneath me. A quick switch of grip, and a short wind-up brought the axe down into the man's chest as he rolled face-up right in time to witness the end.
Blood splashing from the open cavity of the man recently executed, I pulled back as my halberd ripped a censored rib out into the open. In the melee, another warrior fell to a spear as he missed his counter swing, and two more dropped down to replace them.
Then, fire started to rain down on our position as we were forced to roll back and retreat. One player was too slow, and was caught in the friendly-fire. Burned to death in front of our very eyes in what couldn't have been more than a second or two, he fell to his knees and ceased his screams.
The other warriors fell back as I held the frontline, standing alone at the entrance to my village. Daring any man brave enough, to challenge me to a one-on-one. A few challengers stepped forward as they attempted to prove their prowess.
Two-on-one was still within reason.
With fire raining randomly down around us and frost bolts impacting the walls, my remaining warriors fell back and retreated to the safety of the village's interior.
The two men circled me as one quickly dashed forward with a lunge and the other attacked with a high-arcing swing of his two-handed sword. Sidestepping the lunge and parrying the bastard sword with my halberd sent a shiver through my arm as the heavy impact jarred me.
Hands numbed, I stepped back once more as they repeated the process.
A side swing this time, I stepped into it and tackled the man to the ground, rolling with halberd discarded and knife drawn to hand. A quick thrust into his neck silenced him as I kicked dirt up in the face of the spear user that had missed his thrust.
Blinded, he swung wildly as I rolled and picked up my halberd once more, turning with legs spread and a knee nearly touching soil, I lunged forth from my awkward position and pierced the man through the abdomen as he dropped his weapon to the ground. Pulling back, the gaping hole in the center of his stomach was gushing blood as he clasped it in an attempt to stop the hemorrhaging.
Raising an arm, I fired off a quick arc lightning as he struggled in place. An arrow soon found his face, and I cut the connection and retreated back to join my men.
A few warriors had fallen to the magic bombardment as I navigated through their corpses that littered my way. Selene and Katherine were in the rear and were providing support with the priests as golden beams of light poured out from the heavens.
Yet, the line was broken.
Flooding my field of vision were numerous players, too many to count but at least forty as ten or so had been killed. Mages, priests, rogues, archers, shield-bearers, axe-wielders, all types, had filled the gaps as they continued to run through the narrow entrance and into the village.
Dropping my halberd a second time, I raised my arms and let out a quickened chain lightning as I yelled to the men, "ENGAGE!"
Chaos broke out as the two sides prepared to clash.
Thunder split the noise of the players and men screaming their battle shouts, while lightning filled the space between. Five players dropped to their knees as heals quickly followed, and a counter barrage of spells soon dotted my vision.
Dropping to a knee, I screamed, "GET DOWN!"
Flashes of red, blue, and white filled the air as fireballs and frost bolts shot out in a line. Burying my face into the ground at a moment's notice, half of the warriors did the same and avoided the attacks as they flew overhead. The other half, too slow to avoid, had been hit and were staggered as they were engaged in melee.