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After the first crystal was removed from the pouch, James began counting down from sixty. Each of the crystals has a sixty second delay before going off. The forward line of men charging toward them comes ever closer to the crystals lying on the ground. When James reaches ten, the front line races past the crystals.

“Ready bows!” Ceadric cries out, never once taking his eyes off the enemy. Hedry’s archers, as well as the newly formed crossbow units, prepare to launch their deadly missiles.

Eight.

“Fire!” commands Ceadric as hundreds of deadly projectiles are loosed.

Seven.

Men fall as the hail of deadly projectiles find their marks. An answering swarm of bolts emerges from the rear of the advancing army.

Six.

“Ready shields!” Men up and down the line raise shields to ward off the attack.

Five.

The bolts fall and many are deflected by the raised shields. Two are deflected by the shimmering shield James erects around himself to ward off the attack.

Four.

“Nerun! Wylick! Now!” commands Ceadric.

Three.

Two bands of horseman charge forward, angling to bypass the advancing men. Those enemy soldiers on the fringes alter their course to intercept.

Two.

“Fire!” comes Hedry’s voice as another barrage of deadly missiles is released into the charging men. A hundred or more men fall as the missiles find their targets.

One.

The leading edge of the attack men is now no more than a dozen yards away. “Make ready!” Illan hollers as he draws his sword to meet the charge.

Crumph! Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

Explosions erupt in the mass of charging men throwing hundreds into the air only to fall back to earth lifeless. The momentum of the attackers falters as the concussion rolls through them. Two seconds later, the second volley of crystals detonates and more men are taken out.

Knowing what was going to happen, James and the others are braced for it. No sooner than the concussion rolls by than Illan hollers “Charge!” The remaining line of horses bolts forward into the now somewhat rattled army.

“For Madoc!” riders yell as they wade into the ranks of the Empire’s soldiers and the fight is joined. Hack and slash, men strike out as each side tries to kill those of the other.

James takes slugs and begins peppering enemy soldiers as they become available in the churning melee. Jiron, now on foot, is a blur as his knives dance in and out. Blocking the attack of one only to turn and sink a blade into the exposed side of another.

Another rain of bolts falls from the Empire’s crossbowmen before the riders of Nerun and Wylick are among them. Riding them down, the Raiders soon halt the hail of the deadly bolts.

It isn’t long before the Empire’s commanders realize they aren’t going to win the day. Men begin throwing their weapons down in surrender only to be cut down by Raiders. Before the battle, Illan ordered that no prisoners would be taken.

With a slug in hand, James watches as man after man is slaughtered rather than allowed to surrender. What are we to do with them? Illan’s question returns to him. When he first heard that none would be spared, he came to Illan to argue the point. James quickly came to realize they didn’t have the manpower to supervise possibly hundreds of prisoners on their march back to Madoc. The only other choice was to let them go, but that would mean they would have to face them again. So the order was given to allow no quarter.

It doesn’t take the remainder of the Empire’s men long to realize surrender is not an option. Gathering his men in a tightly formed wedge formation, they set themselves to sell their lives dearly. James wonders how many more Raiders will die before the last man is slain.

A calm settles over the battlefield as the two sides face each other, one now completely surrounding the other. Easily three hundred battle hardened men now stand in a tight group as they face the inevitable. One officer stands near the center of the group, bloody sword in hand. He calls to his men, rallying their strength and attempting to keep their moral high.

Turning his back on what’s about