Battle rang out around him, the robed cultists with daggers and crossbows proving barely more than a distraction as their forces mowed over them to face the daemons. Silver Skulls rushed forward with their spears, meeting Chaos Hounds. The remaining Faith Militia men stuck together, keeping formation and striking out against the larger Daemons.

Rekiak and the remaining Korek warrior took on one of the man-like monstrosities, deftly dodging its quick strikes and digging their axes into its meaty legs. Even Vallerian, skulking along behind the rest, loosing arrows where he could while Charlotte flapped about, swinging down to claw at eyes and scalps of any unwary of the sky. Victory was far from assured, but every soul here fought as valiantly as any Gardinal had seen in the Shaded Lands.

Spinning, Gardinal breathed a sigh of relief as Her Radiance rushed up to his side, her handmaidens and Tabitha in tow.

“I don’t know how long my girls will hold out.” Tabitha spoke quickly as they caught up to Gardinal. “You get her through those gates, and we will follow as close as we can.” She aimed her crossbow toward a Chaos hound and loosed, the bolt skittering across the beast’s back and drawing some blood that sizzled on striking the ground.

Gardinal looked back at the battle at hand and nodded. These brave women would need to be remembered. But for now, Her Radiance’s safety was the utmost importance.

“Brother Gardinal I…” The Prophetess began, but Gardinal cut her off.

“You’re almost home Your Radiance, don’t you worry.” He looked around, searching. “Kriss!” he shouted. If they were going to make it on a dead run, the boy would be needed. Looking for the lad, Gardinal saw him spin his spear around and strike the butt hard against a cultist’s temple, knocking them cold to the ground. Kriss looked back to Gardinal, and quickly rushed over, narrowly ducking as a crossbow bolt shot inches above his now lowered head.

“Gardinal?” Kriss asked, catching his breath with eyes still searching around.

“Kriss, Gardinal please…” Her Radiance cut in again, but Gardinal didn’t have time.

“I need you with us, we’re making a dash for the gate.” Gardinal explained, and Kriss nodded. “Where is…”

“Right here.” Vallerian answered, taking a shot at the crossbowman that had nearly killed Kriss. The arrow shot clean through the man’s thigh, easily breaking his bone. Just as the man fell, Charlotte swooped down from above and alighted on Vallerian’s shoulder. Gardinal met the mans gaze and nodded his approval.

Looking over his companions, Vallerian, Valleresa, Kriss, and Arabella, Gardinal began to sense that they might make it. Still, he whispered a prayer for help before sharing his plan.

“I… I feel something.” Her Prophetess began, and Gardinal felt his stomach sink. The stench of daemons, the twisting Chaos seeping off their very presence like rancid oil coating seeping into his every pore. He could only imagine how it must be affecting her.

“We get her through the gate, no matter what it costs us.” Gardinal stated, and everyone nodded in agreement. Save the Prophetess. “Arabella, Valleresa, you watch her sides. Anything comes close you stab it with your knives.” The two women nodded, raising their blades tight in shaking fists. “Kriss you take up the rear, anything rushes after us you keep it away with that spear.” Kriss smashed his spear against his shield and immediately rushed into position. “Vallerian, you and Charlotte stay close to Her Radiance and make sure nothing gets close enough to require the rest of us act, you understand?” Vallerian grinned.

“I think I can handle that.” He responded, taking aim and shooting another hound straight through its eye as it rushed towards them.

As everyone took position, Gardinal led the march, rushing through the battle. Everywhere they looked another tense skirmish played out before them. Two women fighting desperately against a Chaos Hound here, a Faith Militia man taking on two cultists by himself there. Even the larger daemons were locked in tense battle against four or five Silver Skulls or Korek, trying their best to hold them back. And everywhere they looked, bodies littered the ground.

“I can heal them, I know I can…” Celeste cried from behind him. “They’re… they’re dying for me and I’m running.” The pain in her voice was clear, but Gardinal pushed it from his mind. There was no time for her to heal others. She could never understand that some lives are more important than others, and hers more important than any other.

“When the battle is over, they’ll need your help healing.” He overheard Valleresa calming her. “You’ll be able to do more then, when you’re not in danger.” Good lass Valleresa was.

“But what about those that it will be too late for?” Celeste asked, and Valleresa gave no response. There was no response. For those, there would only be the Mother’s embrace. Gardinal marked the crescent moon on his body and whispered a prayer.

The prayer was cut short as one of the large man-like daemons roared an ear shattering howl, swiping up a Korek Silver Skull and throwing her over Gardinal’s head. A crack echoed from behind where the woman struck the earth hard. Beside the daemon another woman lay, or what left of her did, the body ripped in half. The beast snarled, then turned its beady yellow eyes toward them.

Gardinal swallowed but prepared himself. They could stop this one, with Kriss and Vallerian beside him, they could do it. But how long would it take? How vulnerable would Her Radiance be while they did so? The thoughts shot through Gardinal’s mind as the beast barreled towards them, tossing aside a merchant’s stand with ease. Gardinal narrowed his stance and readied his hammer. There was no choice now, it was do or die.

A hard cast-iron pot struck the daemon on the skull from above, a loud crack stopping the beast in its tracks as its clawed hands instinctively reached to its head. Gardinal furrowed his brow in confusion, then more began to fall from above.

In all direction’s stones, and pots, and knives came tumbling down, striking daemons. The objects seemed to do little in ways of causing injury to the beasts, but as Gardinal watched household objects hurl down onto the Chaos Spawn, he saw their effect. Spears pierced the flesh of the twisted beasts all over as they were temporarily distracted by the barrage of common goods. Looking up, Gardinal grinned. All down the street women, children, and elderly hung from their windows, throwing everything they could at the monsters.