Chapter 53

“Sir, there’s movement to our front,” Lochias Gindo announced to us as Jerhz and Mergna led the newly surrendered Nephilim away.

“Finally figured we know they’re there and are trying to roll over us before the bulk of our forces can be arrayed,” Arch posited.

“We could take and occupy the positions those Nephilim were holding,” I said.

“Better than what we have now and it looks like we can reach them before they’ll notice us,” Arch replied. “OK, let’s go.”

All of us, including Seer Jemima, ran at a fast trot to occupy the positions recently vacated by the Malakha Telqua’s people. We started pulling up and piling the bodies in the direction of the Nephilim advance. Several of the Nosferatu also slipped away into the scrub to try and bring down stragglers and cause havoc if and where they could and were also joined by the werewolves.

“They’re pushing a shield ahead of them,” Arch announced. “Damned fools have it too far to their front though and it will pass over us ... about now.”

I felt the shield pass over us and grinned. The Nephilim clearly did not know they’d allowed us under their shield as our mind-cloaks, the Loegrian Null medallions and the sheer oddness of the Nosferatu and the pair of werewolves thought patterns had them thinking we might still be at our original position.

“Wish we’d had time to bring up those ‘ma deuces’ the American Mages brought. We’d cut them to ribbons,” I said with a snarl.

“Can’t have everything, John. All we can do is delay them and hope to stall them long enough to allow the others to destroy them in place,” Arch replied.

“Whilst staying alive ourselves,” Róisín added.

“That too,” chuckled Arch.

“Open fire at extreme range,” Olmer ordered his troops. “We want them to slow and keep their distance. Target any obvious magic users, if you recognise one.”

“Morgana and the others are moving to their flank, but will be at least another hour, the Nephilim have put down teleport jammers. The werewolves are twenty minutes away and I suspect are going to mix it with the Nephilim screening forces,” Jemima announced.

“What about their shield?” Arch asked.

“We’re working on it. Should come as a hell of a surprise to them as we’re pulling in all the Seers to hit it,” Jemima replied.

“Hope it works,” I mused.

“You and me both, John,” Jemima replied with a wry smile. “We’re just tying in to a major power source and sorting out the gestalt. We’ll hit them when Morgana does.”

There were a series of loud ‘cracks’ as the Loegrians began to target the Nephilim, looking for anyone that appeared to be in command, though I suspected their Malakha were well to the rear. Still it had the effect of making them keep their heads down and their slow advance stalled as someone amongst them appeared to be waiting for orders.

“Odd,” I commented. “You’d think they’d have a set formula or drill for dealing with harassing fire, particularly when you consider their numbers.”

“I suspect they’re wondering just where their advanced guard have got to,” Arch replied.

“They surely knew we’d attacked them. They’d asked for reinforcements,” I said.

“And they got them, but that Telqua fellow killed the Malakha they sent, so...” Arch began. “Still, you’re right, John. It is a bit odd.”

The next second saw our shield over us hit by massed hellfire and lightning bolts, as their front ranks advanced at a run.

“Spoke too soon,” I chuckled as I opened up along with everyone else at the advancing Nephilim.

For all that there weren’t too many of us, the automatic fire and concentration of our weapons hurled the Nephilim back on their heels, particularly the plasma bolts the Loegrians were using. The Nosferatu were also launching grenades, using their added strength to hurl them far further than any human and it appeared the Nephilim as yet had no answer to this as the attack wavered into a retreat.

“Cease fire!” Arch ordered.

“They won’t try that again,” said Róisín with a grin.

“No, but they’ll try something else and might get in amongst us if they press it home,” Arch replied. “That was just a probe to see if we were serious about holding them.”

There were screams and moans to our front as well as a good deal of harassing fire in an attempt to keep our heads down whilst the Nephilim retrieved their wounded. Those screams turning to shouts of panic as the werewolves and Nosferatu who had gone into the scrub started taking down stragglers and any unwary Nephilim they could get.

“Look,” I said as I pointed out the werewolves in the field heading towards the rear of the Nephilim position.

“Smart move,” Arch said as he glanced over. “I don’t think the Nephilim can see them from where they are.”

“Looks like Adok’s leading them. Marja’s in the centre of the group,” I said.

“He probably insisted,” Arch chuckled. “Marja has him wrapped around her fingers, poor sap,”

“I don’t think he’s realised yet,” I chuckled by way of reply.

“Most men don’t, until something shakes their world,” Arch said whilst glancing at Róisín who grinned back.

“True,” I chuckled.

At this point Nell crawled up, a grin on her face.

“One of the Kyresi who was ahead has said they are massing for a full assault, there are at least five of their Malakha with them,” she said in low tones.

“Only one thing to do if you’re outnumbered,” Arch replied with a grin. “Attack.”

“Attack?” Nell replied then grinned too.

“Olmer, can your troops cover our advance and probable withdrawal?” Arch asked.

“Yes, Arch. They won’t need a full squad for that either so you can take twenty of them with you,” Olmer replied.

“Thank you, Olmer,” Arch acknowledged. “Nell, can your people guide us through any pickets they have to their assembly site?”

“Yes, Mage Arch,” Nell replied.

“This is going to be dangerous,” Arch said speaking to all. “However, it will throw them into confusion enough to delay any attempt to break forward as well as allowing the rest of our people to contain them and eventually deal with them.”

“Rules of engagement?” Lochias Gindo asked.

“Kill everyone you can and run like hell when I say so,” Arch replied with a grin.

“Yes sir. Kind of orders I like,” Gindo answered with his own grin.

“Good. Now lead on, Nell,” Arch finished.

Nell led us through the scrub to the side of where the Nephilim had originally attacked from, skirting around the side. I soon spotted the two werewolves, though not the Nosferatu whom I could sense, but not spot at all, such was their ability to blend into the background.

“Keep the noise down,” Nell ordered. “We’re now within earshot of their pickets.”

Our advance slowed to a crawl as we carefully stepped our way towards where the Nephilim were assembling to mount a far better and heavier armed attack against our position.

“They are twenty metres to our front, Mage Arch,” Nell finally said as she held up an arm to halt us.

“Spread out,” Arch commanded.

We carefully spread out, not bunching, and prepared ourselves mentally.

“John, Róisín, help me take care of their Malakha,” Arch announced. “Jemima, keep an eye on any reinforcements rushing to the area and cover our retreat.”

We all nodded our assent and waited whilst Arch gave the Nephilim a last second scan.

“On my mark,” Arch announced. “Grenades first, then follow me in. One, two, three, mark!”

On Arch’s word we all armed and threw a grenade to our front and waited for the explosions before racing forward into the fray. Within seconds we burst through the scrub into a terraced clearing where the Nephilim had been caught completely by surprise by our attack, though I noted the Malakha had not been physically affected. I quickly launched a tangle spell towards them and followed up with a series of air displacement spells directly underneath them to keep them off balance. Róisín used her training to launch a series of mental glamour beasts to leap at the Malakha, perfectly harmless if you didn’t believe they were real, but deadly if you did and one Malakha at least was caught unprepared as the talons of the make-believe beast literally shredded him apart in a fountain of blood and gore caused by his own mind. Arch hit the other four with a combination of hellfire, chain lightning and freeze spells in such strength and power that I could scarcely register them, such was the speed he threw them out. Within seconds the Nephilim troops were at our mercy having no magical defences and believe me we had none to give as the Nosferatu, werewolves and Loegrians tore them apart, literally in a lot of cases and the screams of panic and terror were mind chilling at times.

Still, at least one Nephilim commander appeared to have his act together as we detected his troops coalescing around a small command group that was also in a warded area that I knew we could not hit with our magical powers. Arch also noticed this and ordered the Loegrians covering us to direct their fire towards this area.

“They’re waiting for more Malakha, I believe,” he yelled at me over the din of our attack.

“Makes sense, and only they can get past its inbuilt security,” I yelled back.

“Yep, and when they arrive they are going to bring it forward allowing their troops to attack ours,” Arch replied as he blew a small group of Nephilim apart as they tried to retreat towards the warded area.

“Time to go?” I asked.

“Yep, but get the Nosferatu to set up some claymores and ask the Loegrians if they have something similar,” Arch ordered whilst he sent out mental commands to bring the two werewolves back towards us before they cut themselves off from our aid.

There was an orderly fall back towards where we had originally assembled. I believed we’d taken out nearly eighty Nephilim including the Malakha as well as seriously wounded another hundred in the mad five minutes of combat. I also suspected that we’d delayed their advance by at least an hour and so had given Morgana the time to bring the bulk of our forces into the area and check the Nephilim’s advance.

Finally Arch joined us with the Nosferatu and Loegrians, carrying our three dead and supporting those wounded who needed it.

“Did your people take out their pickets when we went in, Nell?” he asked.

“Yes, Mage Arch. They did not suspect a thing until we hit them,” Nell replied, holding an arm which looked as if it had been grazed by a bullet.

“I’m sorry for your losses, Nell,” Arch said looking at the bodies.

“It is of no matter, Mage Arch. We knew this was not a safe venture when we volunteered and you have not used our people unwisely,” she replied with a friendly grin and adjusted her darkened goggles.

Arch nodded as we all set off back to our lines at a fairly fast trot, trusting to the Nosferatu scouts to ensure that we had a safe return. Once back Arch nodded to Olmer and requested that he link up with Dorry who was with Morgana as the whole area was blanketed with anti-telepath and anti-teleport wards.

“Well done, Arch,” Morgana radioed back after Arch had given a situation report. “We’re engaging them now. They’re well dug in, but their lack of Mages is hindering them. Marja’s lycans have cut their line of retreat and our Seers are getting ready to hit their wards with something akin to lancing a boil.”