Sarasoto and Balor saw the throng of soldiers lining the canyon as they drove on towards the Hall to meet Lanius. Gleaming armor proudly displaying crests of vampires with long histories. Lions and griffins clutching shields and swords and maces.
Soldiers casual with swords strapped to them, some ornate but others utilitarian, all casting helioglyphs as the sun glints off of the storied steel stained with the blood of a thousand battles.
The guards recognized them and let them pass easily.
"Lanius has not spared anyone in this matter. He must truly be taking this threat seriously." Sarasoto grunted.
"And rightly so!" chimed Balor. "You didn't see how many there were in that warehouse. There was barely any standing room. This army that marches against us is not to be taken lightly, Sarasoto."
"I'm certain we will be victorious, Balor. Worry not." Sarasoto casually deflected as they came to a stop about twenty yards from where Lanius and the other Patriots stood. Sarasoto stepped down from the truck and Balor replied, mostly to himself and under his breath,
"You worry not you big oaf. I know a threat when I see one. Just because you're too thick to be afraid doesn't mean I have to be."
"Greetings Sarasoto!" Lanius called in the early morning sunshine. "It does me good to see you. I fear we will have need of you and your axe. And Balor, your sword will surely get wet today, as well. Glad to see you despite not expecting you." He said with a raised eyebrow indicating the slight disobedience. We believe that the enemy shall approach tonight and we are as ready as we can be, save for you two donning your armor."
"It does me well to see you, my Lord." replied Sarasoto in good spirits. "It feels good to have an enemy again. When was the last time we swung our steel in battle together? It has been too long."
As the sun rose the last three trucks were rolling into the unloading area and they were too late. The sun came pouring over the desert and obliterated the vampires as they opened the doors.
"Damn it, Oberon!" screamed Kimberly over the commotion. "I thought that you said they had time?!? We have lost so many. We need every one of them to overwhelm our enemies."
"My calculations were correct, my Lady. The drivers are at fault. They must have slowed or stopped at some point. Humans ...." he shrugged his shoulders. Kimberly stared daggers at him for being cavalier.
"I will not tolerate mistakes, Oberon!" she screeched and seized Oberon by his throat. "If I didn't need you to lead a contingent of this throng of rookies I would end you now for your insolence." She pushed him away gruffly. "Now, go and tend to those who made it to the caves. And Oberon, one more mistake and maybe I will decide I don't need you after all, understand?"
Oberon hurriedly made his way to the caves to meet with the captains he had appointed. He found the first of them yelling at the others as they fought each other, pushing each other toward the sunlight at the mouth of the cave.
"Stop this nonsense now!" Oberon ordered and they, slowly, settled down. The first of the captains stepped forward.
"Sir, I am happy to report that my truck arrived and was unloaded completely before sunrise. We all made it into the caves." "Yes, captain, well done." Oberon was already bored of the situation. "And what of the captains of the trucks that didn't make it?"
"They were killed by the same sunlight as their charges, sir"
"Well then, nothing to be done about them. Do we have an accurate count of our remaining numbers?"
At this another, larger vampire stepped forward.
"Yes, sir!" he spat "We number just over five thousand, sir! Five thousand one hundred twelve, precisely, sir!"
Five thousand. Five thousand vampires descending upon Lanius and his beloved Patriots. There is no way he can stand up to us! Oberon thought.
"Well done captain. Now, return to your charges and keep them in line. We attack as soon as the sun sets tonight."
`
Lanius stood as the sun lazed toward the horizon staring off into the distance. The desert sunset has always been a favorite sight to him.Possibly one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. He briefly reflected upon the image of Diana juxtaposed against that beauty and decided that she had it beaten. After only a few moments of contemplating his love, his practical nature creeped into his conscious mind and he turned his focus to the task at hand. He would like to be mounted but they had little use of horses these days and were unable to get any on short notice. Even if they had, the horses would not be battle trained. His Patriots beside him, he felt strong. He knew that soon the enemy would enter the canyon and be funneled by the shield wall of vampires straight to him and his Patriots to slay them where they stand in their traitorous ways.
The sun dipped into the horizon and when only a sliver of it remained visible, he steeled himself. It wouldn't be long now.
His spies had spotted them just a couple of miles away crowded into the caves to hide from the sun. Once the light released its grip on the day and the night took control they would pour out of those caves aching for battle. They will be thirsty. And, he thought, they think that they have the element of surprise. They think that they are attacking a peaceful place with overwhelming force. They do not know the preparations that have been made for them.
`
Just a few miles away Kimberly watched the same sun dip below the horizon. As soon as the last sliver of light was gone she gave the order to march. Oberon passed the order on and it moved down the chain of command. The five thousand strong began to move across the desert as one bolt of velvet dragged upon the earth. Most were armed with swords and armor. Hungry new vampires who would attack and drain the enemy dry before he or she was able to kill them all. It was the numbers that they counted on since the element of surprise was gone.
Kimberly commanded from the front. Oberon at her side with a distance to create a line. The others a writhing creature behind them. All were thirsty for the blood of the elders. They had all been promised riches and spoils when they toppled the government under Lanius and established a new one under their true lord known only to Kimberly and Oberon. They covered the distance quickly, seeing the canyon walls rise at their sides. They approached the Hall and saw the shield wall which had been formed. They had been spotted and defenses were being set. Kimberly gave the order to charge and all forged ahead eagerly.
`
Those standing guard first spotted the enemy less than a mile away. They saw their numbers and were uncertain. They called out for the defenses and for all to take up their arms. The soldiers began assembling the shield wall. One protecting the other from thigh to shoulder with their shields and spears sticking out of each narrow gap.
Lanius heard the alarms and his urge to charge was great within him. He wanted to meet these invaders head on but knew that he must wait for his plan to work. He steadied his Patriots with an outstretched arm. They, too, felt the call to battle, causing them to lean forward on tightening muscles.
"Steady brave Patriots. We must wait and let this enemy come to us."
Those at the front in the shield wall heard the shrieks of the first invaders and their order to charge. They dug in for impact. There was a great boom in the canyon as the throng of young vampires slammed into the shield wall. An enormous force smashing headlong into an immovable object was audible throughout the desert. The animals already hiding heard the crash and dug deeper into their burrows.
They thrashed and struck shield and spear. For a moment, the shields would part and the archers would fire into the crowd. The shield wall reforming as liquid behind the quills of the arrows. Spears shot out from the shield wall and pierced flesh and ricocheted off of armor. At random points a soldier would stand and slash at the throng with their sword or axe taking down one or two with their mighty thrust. The ashes of slain vampires mingling in the war winds blowing across this battlefield.
Kimberly was at the center with Oberon on an opposite side. They pushed and pushed against the shield wall thrashing at their enemy with spit dripping from their fangs and blood from their swords.
"Hold the line!" Kimberly and Oberon screamed over and over to the green combatants they fought alongside. "Hold the lines! Do not be pulled into the funnel!"
Their ghoulish screams heard over the gurgling sounds of dying vampires with spears in their necks.
The archers were wounding many but killing none. The young vampires either attacked more vigorously or fell to the earth clutching whatever part of them had an arrow in it. Their sheer numbers pushed the shield wall backwards in the sand, inch by precious inch purchased with a hundred souls.
The feet of the brave soldiers carving into the hardpan as it gave way but they did not.
Cinnin raised his axe and Lanius put out his arm.
"It is not time yet, old friend." he said.
"If not now, when, my Lord? The enemy is pushing our wall backward."
"We must wait for their numbers to dwindle lest we perish." Lanius returned
Cinnin, with obvious effort, fell silent and slowly lowered his axe.
Kimberly was consumed with breaking the shield wall. She ordered the vampires to push again and again. Slowly the wall was being pushed back but it held strong, for now. All the while she did not notice that the wall was bending around the invading army. The left and right flanks had already begun to turn slashing and thrashing leaving naught but ashes of young vampires in their wake. The invaders' numbers were dwindling, and quickly.
This Kimberly did notice. They were taking heavy casualties and must break the wall soon or they would not have sufficient strength to overwhelm the Patriots who she could see were not yet fighting.
Suddenly, the shield wall broke as Kimberly slashed at an elder and caught him in the neck. He fell to ashes and there was a hole. The smallest of opportunities.
"Charge!" Kimberly roared and the young vampires converged on the break. Oberon saw the same break and pushed his charges toward it, as well.
Lanius saw the break and heard the orders to charge and gave the order himself.
"Now, Patriots! Charge into battle!" And they all did. Charging hard into the thicket of young vampires pouring through the slight break in the shield wall. Cinnin's axe took two heads at once while Lucas sliced another nearly in two with his broadsword.
Oberon took aim at Lanius himself. He was simply beside himself with glee when he saw the look on Lanius' face when he saw him attacking. Lanius looked at once betrayed and shocked. His trusted Sergeant at Arms now poised at war against him, but he was in battle and the rage was upon him so he didn't miss a beat. He thrust his sword into Oberon's chest just as Oberon raised his own sword to strike.
"You will be sorry for this betrayal Oberon!" Lanius bellowed twisting his sword in Oberon's abdomen. Oberon, regretting only that he hadn't the strength to strike with his own sword muttered through bloody lips.
"Not as sorry as you will be, Lanius. My betrayal is more intimate to you than you could possibly imagine."
Lanius pulled his sword from Oberon's abdomen and before he could make the swing to take his head, Oberon was off, fleeing across the desert as fast as he could being wounded as such. Lanius watched him flee with dire eyes.
Kimberly was locked in battle with Lucas when she saw Oberon bested by Lanius. She looked unsurprised and amused watching him flee. Suddenly realizing that the shield wall was closing around her and seeing how her army's numbers had shrunk. She mustered her strength and pushed Lucas off. She turned as fast as she could and gave the order to retreat. She didn't wait to see if all had heard.
The Patriots were cutting through the young vampires like a farmer's scythe through grass. What few were left turned and ran with elders giving chase behind them.
Lanius, seeing the last of the army retreating, gave the order for the Patriots to stand down but Cinnin either didn't hear or, most likely, didn't care.
He and Lucas were chasing Kimberly and were not far behind her. They mingled with the few remaining young vampires as they retreated and one attacked Lucas jumping on his back and biting at his neck. Lucas stopped and threw the vampire over his shoulder. She sprang to her feet and faced Lucas without weapon or armor while Lucas had both.
She stood, either very brave or very stupid, snarling with fangs dripping with Lucas' blood. Lucas charged and with a swing took the head off of her as she launched herself toward him.
Cinnin finally caught up with Kimberly in the caves that had so recently held and army and which were now host to just the few who had retreated at her order.
"Please, my Lord." Kimberly begged "Forgive me my trespasses and spare my life?"
"You have failed me. Failed in every way imaginable. Despite being given every advantage you allowed our enemies to discover our numbers and hear our intentions, and then failed at the execution of your charge. Explain why I should not destroy you this very moment, and quickly, or it shall be done." Cinnin held his axe menacingly above Kimberly as she cowered half couched with a leg under her and an outstretched arm in a futile defensive nature.
"Please, my Lord, I did the best that I could with the personnel I was provided. Incompetent lieutenants and
feckless infant vampires failed you, but not I. Give me another chance!"
"You were charged with molding the feckless into an army. The ashes of your failure stain the desert. I'll not give you the opportunity to disappoint me again."
A mighty thrust with his axe removed her hand and most of her forearm a microsecond before taking her head.
Cinnin looked down upon her ashes shaking his head. He had seen such promise in Kimberly.
Lucas heard the last of this as he came into the cave but slyly remained hidden from Cinnin's view. Cinnin looked around at the other vampires that had come in and they retreated out of the caves and across the desert. He turned to leave the cave and, around a bend, happened into to Lucas.
"It seems we are victorious yet again, old friend."
"Yes, Cinnin, we are victorious. Let us now return to the Hall and meet with Lanius and the other Patriots to celebrate this great day."
He turned and walked with Cinnin toward the Hall.