And then suddenly Serena was joined by Chu, who immediately and clearly cast himself as her personal guard, and his cold, methodical, exceptionally skilled technique guided them out of a pit of bodies and into a freer battlefield which afforded better footing.

They were there naught but seconds before he heard the whoosh of an explosion of fire to the south, this accompanied by screams of agony and shouts of surprise as flames soared and men caught fire.

By the gods, that was…

Another hissing explosion.

Flaming arrows with attached bags of fuel was a tactic of the…

There was another.

Firenz.

Then came a heavy bombardment of arrows coming from the west but dropping from the sky over the south, an area covered entirely by the enemy waiting to take their turns.

Out of the side of his eye, Cassius noted these arrows had green fletchings.

Dellish.

Then another explosion.

And more arrows.

The din of clashing steel seemed to rise in a sound that could only mean more men entering the fray.

The field started to thin as the enemy started to bolt.

And then thin more.

Nero rode by them, striking out with his sword and circling.

“They’re fleeing!” he shouted.

“Give chase! I want prisoners!” Cassius shouted back.

Nero wheeled his horse around and tore away.

Suddenly, a flash of white raced by them, around, and then Cassius saw Sky, his bonded male unicorn rise up to his hind hooves and strike the air with his front, purple sparks flying from his hooves when he did.

“Nadirii!” Elena shrieked, raising her sword straight into the air.

“Nadirii!” Serena screeched, doing the same with her weapon.

“Nadirii!” he heard all around.

Sky’s front hooves fell to the ground and a purple ring shot out from where Cassius and Elena stood, this felling all of the enemy for ten feet about them.

The rest beyond who witnessed this turned instantly and bolted.

Cassius remained in position, knees loose, shield and sword up, his back to his woman, breaths coming short and fast, the rain he had not felt since it started making its presence known.

Death and blood and carnage littered the landscape.

And then Mars was there on Hephaestus, pulling his reins to the left, Hephaestus’s rump going to the right as he stopped. After he arrived, not a second later, True’s Majesty had to lift both front hooves half a foot from the earth when he stopped.

Their swords were bloody as were their horses’ legs up to their chests.

“Take your knees!” Macrinus roared, orbiting his mount around the soldiers that had been felled, but were now pushing up. “Drop your blades and take your fucking knees!” Mac thundered, swinging his sword and severing the head from the body of one who did not comply quickly enough.

At that, Cassius felt his heart jolt, for that kind of viciousness was not in Mac.

The others instantly did as Mac had ordered.