—Third Person POV—
—Oakshield Group—
The group had clashed head-on with the Blood Knights. On the left flank, Gilan and his team were gradually pulling back toward the center. The central group pushed forward while the Oakshield formation positioned their wounded in the middle and front ranks for protection. On the right flank, chaos reigned. Of the twenty Blood Knights originally attacking there, only three remained. Halt had taken down eight himself. Four fell to the Khuzait tribal warriors. Three were felled by veteran Vaegir fighters, and one by a lucky shot from Bilbo.
The Blood Knights were indeed formidable, but they hadn't accounted for the surprise factor of the Khuzait and Vaegir warriors, nor for Halt—the professional and seasoned archer—who had dismantled them efficiently. These weren't the elite members of the Blood Knights; Katarina hadn't brought them along for this pursuit. Instead, the true elites remained back at Katarina's castle, both guarding and managing it.
Katarina hadn't wanted to draw attention by bringing her elites just to capture Igris. Besides, she was enjoying the hunt too much herself—like a predator toying with its prey. At this point, the two strongest members after Katarina—Anton and Markus—had already been taken out of the fight before they could even engage.
Yes, the duo was strong. Anton in particular was a master swordsman. But he was still human. Unlike Igris, he wasn't a hybrid. No matter how skilled or powerful a human was, a single solid strike could leave them incapacitated. Perhaps if Anton had kept his aura circulating constantly through his body, things would've been different. But he hadn't expected Igris to attack so suddenly.
Anton had been pursuing Igris for a long time, and not once had the hybrid struck out against the envoys. That sense of security had dulled his vigilance. But what he'd forgotten was simple: they had pushed their luck too far with Igris.
Everyone has their limits.
In Igris's previous world, and among his people, there were unspoken rules—customs and codes as old as their thousand-year history. They were a people who clung to their traditions with pride, never forgetting their identity, and whose legends echoed in every corner of history. They inspired trust in friends and fear in foes.
One such rule, seemingly encoded in Igris's very DNA, was this:"No matter how bloody your feud, an envoy is untouchable. They are guests to be received with honor."
Throughout his people's long history, very few leaders ever harmed envoys. Their safety was guaranteed upon arrival, they were treated with dignity, talks were held, and they were sent back unharmed. To harm an envoy—seen as a sacred trust and symbol of honor—was an unspeakable crime. Anyone who violated this was forever branded dishonorable.
Among his people, honor was sacred. They were as strict—if not stricter—than the samurai. And this code applied doubly to their leaders. But even sacred rules have limits.
Gandalf vs Katarina
Gandalf was now locked in fierce combat with Katarina. At this moment, he was the only one in the group capable of directly facing her—both due to his strength, experience, and because he was the only unwounded fighter remaining.
CLINK!
CLINK!
"Step aside, Grey Wizard," Katarina hissed. "I have no quarrel with the White Council. I only want to claim my man."
Gandalf chuckled calmly at her words.
"But the man you seek does not wish to come with you. Besides, aren't there plenty of handsome men in your circles? Why would a noble vampire lady such as yourself desire an ordinary Dúnedain?"
He slashed his sword horizontally. Katarina met the strike easily, then countered with a cross-cut. Gandalf parried, raising his blade to lock hers in place.
With a cold, deliberate motion, Katarina raised her left hand. "That's none of your concern," she said as red sparks flickered from her palm.
Gandalf swiftly reacted, striking her hand with his staff. A bolt of crimson lightning shot skyward, narrowly missing him. Had he been a moment slower, the lightning would have incinerated him.
As they separated and continued their parallel progression, Katarina grinned.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. Everyone calls you just another wizard or a firework mage, but your swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills are impressive."
Gandalf chuckled softly."Why, thank you, my lady. I've always thought myself somewhat capable. Shall I offer you a few pointers?"
His polite, grandfatherly smile carried a clear undertone of mockery.
Katarina narrowed her eyes coldly. She had only seen him as a mere wizard at first, but now she realized there was a seasoned swordsman hidden beneath that grey cloak.
She attempted to increase her speed, aiming to bypass him and reach Igris, but Gandalf intercepted her with another well-timed strike.
His chiding voice rang out as their blades clashed:"How disgraceful! Youth these days has no manners. No respect for wizards or elders. Didn't your parents ever teach you etiquette?"
Katarina's brow furrowed deeply at the mention of "etiquette" and "parents."
"You old fool. You're crossing a line. A very big one."
"Ah! Family troubles. A troubled childhood, perhaps?" Gandalf mused in a feigned sympathetic tone.
"GREY WIZARD!"
Katarina raised her hand, conjuring three blood spikes and hurling them at him. Gandalf raised his staff, forming a barrier to block them.
"Not bad. Your blood control is above average. Still, I've seen better from vampires older than a millennium. Now it's my turn."
With a flick of his staff, Gandalf launched three blades of wind. Katarina swung her sword horizontally, the runes glowing crimson as a blood-colored barrier emerged. She deflected two of the wind blades before the barrier shattered. The third blade grazed her cheek, leaving a deep cut.
Stunned, Katarina touched her face and glared at Gandalf in fury.
'How dare he scar my face!' she seethed, forcing herself to calm down.
'How does this old man still have so much mana? He should've exhausted it when he communed with the nature spirits. A human shouldn't have this much mana!'
Now fully cautious, Katarina stopped underestimating him. Vampires might scoff at Gandalf as a mere showman, but their historical records spoke in detail of the Grey Wizard's power and terror. Gandalf hadn't fought seriously in years, and age had weakened him. But she hadn't counted on the revitalizing effects of the fruit juice Igris had given him—ingredients within it had unexpectedly restored his mana faster than anticipated.
Gandalf stroked his beard with a sly grin."Not bad at all. You blocked two of them. I suppose the rumors weren't entirely exaggerated."
His tone was both complimentary and unmistakably mocking.
Igris was dueling two Blood Knights at once. His wounded arm and the venom creeping slowly through his shoulder were making it excruciatingly difficult. Constant movement accelerated the spread of the poison. For the first time in a long while, he felt the gaps in his aura mastery—his aura was like an ocean, vast and deep, but useless if one didn't know how to wield it.
CLINK!
CLANG!
CLINK!
He slashed furiously, fending off the knights' synchronized attacks from both sides. His right hand gripped his sword tightly, pushing his body to its limits. Yet, even as the venom gnawed at him, a grin tugged at his lips. Igris had always laughed in the face of danger; to him, death wasn't something to fear—it was an old friend.
But now? Now he was furious.
"Fight me properly, damn it! Even children fight better than you two!" he shouted, his voice dripping with mockery.
The knights' brows twitched in irritation.'Oh, sure! Anything else on your wishlist? If we went all out and accidentally killed you, our Lady would flay us alive!'
Just as Igris was taunting them, he gave Shadowmane a subtle nudge with his legs. The horse understood instantly. In the knights' stunned silence, Shadowmane suddenly slowed down, then surged forward again.
Seizing the moment, Igris stowed his sword in his inventory, pulled out a spear, and without hesitation rammed it into the right-hand knight's back with all his strength. The sound of metal piercing armor and flesh echoed. The spearhead burst from the knight's chest.
The knight looked down at the bloody tip with wide eyes. As his body slumped from the saddle, Igris abandoned the stuck weapon and maneuvered Shadowmane toward the remaining knight.
Within less than a minute, Igris had turned the tables. He drew his sword again from his inventory and launched into an attack, grinning savagely.
"Now it's one on one. Feels fairer, doesn't it?"
The knight raised his shield, deflecting Igris's strike. Sparks erupted as steel met steel, and Anton's earlier warning about Igris echoed in the knight's mind:"You never know what he'll do in a fight."
Igris twisted his blade and followed up with a lightning-fast slash. Again, the knight blocked with his shield, then countered with a horizontal swing. Igris parried and, without missing a beat, slammed his right elbow into the knight's face.
The knight staggered from the blow. Igris slashed diagonally, but his opponent recovered in time to block with his shield again. Still, the fight didn't drag on as long as the knight had expected.
Suddenly, a loud whinny echoed.
Shadowmane let out an impatient neigh."That's ENOUGH!" the horse seemed to say as it lowered its head and rammed the enemy's horse.
The Blood Knight's steed stumbled in surprise, lost its footing, and crashed to the ground.
Igris blinked in shock and glanced back at Shadowmane.
"Buddy… I'm starting to seriously doubt you're a horse. Ten years together, and I've seen enough to say this—there's no way a horse like you exists in any universe!"
"Don't test me! That crazy mare behind us is giving me a nervous breakdown! She's blowing me kisses! I saw flying hearts!" Shadowmane retorted telepathically, his voice thick with frustration.
"Wait… how the hell can a horse blow kisses?!"
"…Are you really asking that right now? And I'm the one you think is abnormal? What about you?!"
Igris replied with mock seriousness."There's a big difference between us."
"Oh yeah? And what's that? That you're human and I'm a horse?"
"No. I admit I'm crazy. Hell, I even have official papers to prove it!"
Shadowmane froze, staring blankly over his shoulder. Igris scratched his arm casually, then his eyes widened in panic.
"OH SHIT—ROCK!!"
Shadowmane's eyes shot open wide as he looked ahead.
"ROCK!!" he neighed in alarm before leaping over the boulder with all his might.
Igris's heart pounded wildly as adrenaline surged through him. He shot his partner a furious glare.
"Keep your damn eyes on the road! We almost fall! What if Katarina had caught us?!"
Shadowmane let out an angry snort and galloped on, muttering darkly in his head:
'My revenge will be sweet…'
At that moment, a voice called out.
"IGRIS!!"
He turned his head to see Gilan, Kili, Fili, and Bofur riding up from the left. Raising his hand, Igris greeted them casually.
"Hey kids! We're having a picnic. Care to join us?"
Fili laughed uproariously.
"Absolutely! In fact, we brought some supplies with us." He pointed behind him.
Igris followed the gesture and froze. Sixteen more Blood Knights were charging straight toward them.
He stared for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Fili.
"You're not welcome here. Take your supplies and leave."
Kili, laughing, replied,
"But they want you, not us. If we leave, they'll just come for you."
Igris froze for a moment. He had momentarily forgotten this small detail but chose to ignore it and change the subject.
"…Gilan, why are so many knights still standing? I thought you'd have taken down more by now."
Gilan took a sip of his coffee and retorted with irritation,
"Don't get on my case, Igris! There were fifteen of them at first—I took down seven! But then ten more showed up! I managed to drop two more! That leaves sixteen! What more do you want from me? Just because I'm a seasoned archer doesn't mean I can conjure magic! In these conditions, this is the best I can do! If we were in a forest, things would be very different. I'd love to see what these guys are really made of then!"
As Igris looked at Gilan, a thought crossed his mind.
'I wonder how things would've gone if Legolas were in his place? I mean, I have to admit Legolas is better. The guy surfed down stairs while shooting arrows like a machine gun, lining up orcs like firewood! But nah… I wouldn't trade Gilan for Legolas. Gilan's lived 80, maybe 90 years, and spent a solid 45 to 50 of those as an archer. Legolas has been doing it much, much longer, so comparing them isn't really fair.'
"GET READY! THEY'RE COMING!" Fili shouted sharply.
The sixteen knights advanced, riding tight together in parallel to the group. They kept their shields raised and bodies low against their mounts, ready to block any attempt Gilan might make to shoot out their horses' eyes.
"THORIN! IGRIS!"
Igris looked to his right and saw Bilbo, then glanced at Thorin still engaged in combat before turning back to the others.
"Something's going on at the right flank. I'm going to talk to Bilbo! Hold this position no matter what—don't let them reach the wounded!" he commanded, spurring Shadowmane forward without waiting for an answer.
Gilan watched Igris's retreating back, his face twisted in annoyance.
"Oh, great! Once again, he's dumped all the work on us!" he grumbled, nocking an arrow and suddenly spinning around. He let the arrow fly, striking a Blood Knight fighting Bombur square in the throat.
"THANKS, GILAN!"
"INSTEAD OF THANKING ME, HOW ABOUT YOU FIGHT?!"
Igris swiftly reached Bilbo.
"What's the situation, Bilbo? Where are Halt and the others?"
"The support team you mentioned arrived from the right flank! They're currently clearing it out!"
Igris's eyes lit up at that.
"Good! Go tell them to head this way. Gandalf and Katarina are locked in an intense fight. It would be dangerous to pull back from this direction. Gandalf can't afford even a moment's distraction!"
"Got it!" Bilbo replied, glancing toward Gandalf and Katarina's position. His eyes widened in awe at the flashes of crimson and white lightning. It was his first time seeing magic used in combat.
"Bilbo! Move it!" Igris barked.
"Sorry!" Bilbo snapped out of it and rushed toward the right flank.
"Pfft! Amateur," Shadowmane snorted derisively.
Igris shot the horse a sideways glare.
"He's not wrong. It's only his second battle, and there were just nine hours between the two."
Shadowmane let out a weary snort as Igris spurred him toward the left flank. Spotting a Blood Knight, Igris swung his sword with a brutal strike. The knight barely had time to react before a deep gash split his chest, sending him tumbling from his horse.
Ugh!
PAT!
CLINK!
THUD!
The battle between the two groups raged on fiercely. The Blood Knights continued to fall, but the Oak Shield unit was beginning to struggle. Their previous wounds were reopening, and fresh injuries were adding up. Their energy was nearly spent. Igris had sent for reinforcements precisely for this reason.
Pat!
On the right flank, the last Blood Knight fell. The team there let out a collective sigh of relief before advancing and beginning to coordinate.
A Vaegir veteran spoke up."My name is Fin. I'm the leader of these four men: Lim, Timm, Belgrad, and Ordo. We come from a distant kingdom. We're here to meet Igris."
Each of the four men nodded in greeting as Fin named them. Then a Khuzait tribal warrior stepped forward.
"My name is Altay, leader of these fourteen warriors. Their names are Alp, Gokhan, Dogan, Bamsi, Uraz, Yabgu, Bilge, Akay, Alchin, Belen, Tomris, Umay, Ailin, and Nilay. We're from the same land but a different community. It's an honor to meet you. Where is Igris?"
"Dwalin," came the gruff reply.
"Gloin," followed another in a calmer tone.
"At your service." x2
"We're honored to meet you all. My name is Halt. Like you, I've come from a distant kingdom to join Igris. I would love to sit and talk, but Igris and the rest of the group are still fighting the companions of those Red Knights we just killed. We need to give them support immediately."
Fin and Altay exchanged glances, then nodded firmly at Halt.
"Lead the way. My people's bows are drawn, and our quivers are full."
"My men's axes are ready. Just show us an enemy to reap!"
"I like these guys!" Dwalin said with a grin.
"Agreed," Gloin added.
The group began moving swiftly toward the center formation. Along the way, some took the chance to converse. Altay rode up beside Halt.
"Master Halt, I see your quiver is empty. Would you like some arrows?"
"That would help greatly. Thank you," Halt replied, accepting the arrows.
Meanwhile, a Khuzait warrior with twin swords at his belt approached Dwalin."Psst! Shiny head! You're fierce in battle. I admire your axe skills! Spar with me sometime!"
"If you call me shiny head again, I'll bury my axe in yours!" Dwalin growled.
"Hahaha! I'd like to see you try! I'm Bamsi!"
"Dwalin," he replied with a grin.
"Don't bother our new comrades, bear strangler!" scolded another Khuzait warrior, shooting Bamsi a sharp glare before introducing himself.
"I'm Dogan. Apologies for bear strangler here. Whenever he meets warriors, his first instinct is to pick a fight."
"Hahaha! I was just saying hello, Dogan!"
"Every time you say hello, I find myself in a brawl!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Dwalin watched the two men and grinned.
"My kind of people! I like them already!"
Elsewhere, Gloin and Ordo were chatting.
"You're good in a fight, dwarf! I'm Ordo, pleased to meet you."
"You're not bad with that great axe yourself. I'm Gloin, at your service!"
Grinning, Ordo offered a bottle. "Gloin! Care for a drink?"
"Hahaha! Of course. A dwarf never says no to a drink! Here, this one's on me,"
Gloin said, pulling out a bottle of beer he'd gotten from Igris. The two swapped drinks and downed them simultaneously.
"Not bad!" "Pretty good!"
They spoke in unison, then looked at each other and burst into hearty laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" x2
Meanwhile, Gandalf and Katarina continued their fierce duel. Gandalf wielded his sword and staff with the grace of a master, while Katarina countered at equal speed, wielding a sword in each hand. Cross, horizontal, vertical—blow after blow clashed in rapid succession.
Katarina leapt back, raising one sword to point at Gandalf. The runes along her blade and the ruby ring on her finger flared as she conjured a massive fireball and hurled it at him. Gandalf lifted his staff and whispered an incantation; a mirror-like barrier formed in front of him, absorbing the fireball. With a swift strike of his staff, he sent the absorbed flame hurtling back at her.
Caught off guard, Katarina's eyes widened in panic.
"ROSE!" she screamed.
Rose, who had been flirting with Shadowmane, flinched at the sound and barely dodged the fireball as it scorched past. The blast singed the tips of Rose's tail and burned off a noticeable length of Katarina's hair. Staring in shock at her shortened locks, Katarina's gaze turned to Gandalf, her eyes darkening completely, black veins swelling at their edges.
Gandalf looked at her calmly and spoke in a thoughtful, serious tone.
"A shame… Red hair is rare, and I've never seen any as beautiful as yours… or perhaps I have seen better once, long ago…"
His words, though measured, ignited Katarina's rage into an inferno.
"GREY WIZARD GANDALF! I SWEAR YOUR DEATH WILL BE BY MY HAND!"
Ignoring her furious cry, Gandalf gently warned her in a grandfatherly tone.
"I've heard those words before… yet all who spoke them now lie beneath the earth."
Katarina flinched, but her fury was still boiling over.
Their deadly clash was interrupted by a sudden shout.
"REINFORCEMENTS HAVE ARRIVED!"
Katarina snapped her gaze toward the voice and saw Halt charging in with twenty-three mounted warriors. She realized, with growing dread, that the tide was turning.
Bamsi laughed wildly, drawing his twin swords and rushing at the Blood Knights. Dogan followed alongside, shield and sword in hand. Simultaneously, other Khuzait warriors began firing arrows at the enemy.
As the Blood Knights' numbers dwindled, Katarina's brow furrowed. She saw the right flank had collapsed. Suddenly, a tingling sensation struck her senses—she turned just in time to deflect three incoming arrows with her swords. Her gaze shot to Halt, who was grinning as he drew another arrow and shouted,
"GILAN! FOCUS ON THEIR LEADER!"
"UNDERSTOOD!"
Arrows rained down from two directions. Katarina slashed wildly, blocking most but allowing two to graze her face. The wounds closed almost instantly. While the mana-inflicted cut from Gandalf still lingered, the arrow grazes vanished as if they'd never been.
Katarina's anger was visibly building. Gilan and Halt readied another volley, but the Blood Knights moved forward, shielding their leader with their bodies.
Katarina began whispering an incantation under her breath. Gandalf's eyes widened as he shouted,
"She's begun a necromantic ritual! STOP HER!"
At the rear of the central group, a squad of ten knights led by Markus and Eradir was galloping swiftly toward Katarina. Behind them, however, their worst nightmare was closing in fast.
Suddenly, Anton—who was bound behind Markus—jerked awake and shouted in a guttural voice,
"DAMN DWAAAAAAAAARF!"
Markus was so startled he nearly leapt out of his saddle, barely managing to stay on his horse.
"By the gods, old man! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Markus clutched at his chest, his face pale with fear.
Anton's crimson eyes darted wildly as he took in his surroundings. When he noticed his leg and arm were useless, he clenched his teeth in furious frustration and growled through them,
"Markus! Where is that **** Dwarf King?!"
"Old man! Forget the dwarf king for now! We've got trouble on our tails, and it's coming straight for us!" Markus's voice was tight with panic.
Hearing Markus's serious and alarmed tone, Anton calmed slightly and realized he was strapped to Markus's back.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Werewolves! A pack of twenty with two alphas are charging right at us! And among them… there are blue-eyed wolves!"
Anton's eyes widened in shock.
"WHAT?!" he bellowed, whipping his head around to look. But seeing nothing yet, he let out a nervous sigh and snapped at Markus,
"Don't joke about things like that, Markus!"
"I'm not joking! I saw them in a foresight vision!" Markus's voice was deadly serious.
Anton's expression hardened as he prepared to respond, but his words were cut off by a panicked cry from one of the knights.
"WOLVES!"
The Blood Knights turned their heads and saw, cresting a distant hill, a massive wolf—brown-furred and the size of a large horse. Its crimson eyes gleamed with savage intent. Beside it, another wolf—white-furred, red-eyed, and standing upright on two legs—looked down at them with a bloodthirsty, chilling presence. Both wolves wore battle armor that gleamed ominously in the dim light.
"MARKUS! FIRE THE FLARE NOW! THOSE ARE THE GREAT ALPHA'S SON KAELAN AND HIS MATE LYRRA!" Anton screamed in panic.
"UNDERSTOOD!" Markus shouted, fully grasping the gravity of the situation. He raised his hand, conjured a glowing red orb, and hurled it skyward.
The sky was instantly painted crimson.
Katarina, still performing her ritual, spun around furiously."What is it this time?!" she hissed. 'Markus! Are you toying with me at a moment like this?!' she thought angrily but continued chanting.
For a brief moment, the battlefield stilled. All eyes turned upward. The Oak Shield group didn't understand what was happening, but the Blood Rose Knights did—and dread spread through their ranks. Markus had fired a flare, but why?
Then it came: a bloodcurdling howl that made the air vibrate.
AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU…
Katarina stiffened as her eyes widened in shock. The horses of both groups whinnied in terror, save for one that neighed almost gleefully—Igris's Shadowmane. Even Igris himself seemed momentarily stunned.
Then, a second howl echoed across the battlefield.
AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU…
Unconsciously, both groups slowed their movements, some coming to a complete halt. Gandalf, his brow furrowed, murmured under his breath as tension and relief mingled in his tone.
"Werewolves…" His mind raced. 'But why are wolves here? Is it mere coincidence? Are they here for the vampires? Or… for the bounty on the Oak Shield group's leader?'
As Gandalf pondered, Igris suddenly burst out laughing. All eyes turned to him. Even Shadowmane seemed to chortle alongside his master.
"HAHAHAHA! Katarina! Those two howls you just heard… they're your death knell!"
Katarina's brows knitted in confusion.
"What are you talking about?!"
Igris's laughter continued, his grin widening dangerously.
"Those voices belong to my sworn elder brother Kaelan and his wife—my sworn elder sister Lyrra! The heir and mate of the Great Alpha of the werewolves are here! And believe me… they're not here to hunt us. They're here for you."
His words sent shockwaves through everyone—Oak Shields and Blood Rose Knights alike. Even Gandalf's eyes narrowed in surprise.
The two groups ceased advancing, their gazes fixed on Igris.
Katarina, jolted from her shock, spun her horse and spurred it into a gallop. Her knights shot hostile glances at the Oak Shield group before wheeling their steeds to follow their lady. Only one thought burned in Katarina's mind as her horse raced away:
'Anton!'