Chapter 198: The Beastfolk Battlefield

The fighting had spread. A number of streets in Varghelm were now battlegrounds. The beautiful capital of the nation had slowly transformed into a smoky, ruined city. Buildings were falling to stray spells, market stalls were burning, and the defence lines that had guarded the royal area for generations were beginning to fail. Civilians were running through the small alleyways with their children, and the injured were laying across the streets which had been decorated for the festival.

A Tiger warrior jumped onto the roof of a three storey building. Using their reinforced legs they jumped across to the next building. They raised their spear and shot a focused jet of earth mana from it. It hit the road below, causing a large explosion that sent multiple warriors flying. The buildings around them shook violently. Just as one building began to fall, Tanaka pushed his hands against the wall, stopping it from falling. His arms were under a heavy strain, forcing his feet into the ground. Cracks began to appear around his feet. However he continued to hold the building in place as the family ran from the other side. Another building began to fall next to him.

A third building was beginning to fall as the top floor had been weakened by previous explosions. Tanaka let out a short breath, shifted his stance and lifted the two damaged buildings. He pushed them onto the open road. They fell. A few nearby warriors paused. Tanaka did not. "Get those civilians out! Stop staring!" He ran towards another street. As he reached there an explosion occurred where he had been standing. Shards of rock flew across the road. However Tanaka had already moved and grabbed the mage by the throat. He slammed them into a wall, knocking them out with a controlled strike. He ran towards the screams coming from a nearby building. It was becoming hard to control the destruction.

Raizen was fighting three Tiger warriors. Their leader was wielding a large double edged axe. The two other warriors were wielding spears with lightning mana. They worked well together, attacking from different angles. This caused Raizen to have to defend his sides while focussing on the strongest warrior. A spear lightly scratched his side, another hit his shoulder, and the axe came down with such force it split the road. Raizen sidestepped. The axe hit the ground. Before the warrior could recover Raizen slashed his claws through the enchanted pole of the axe. He turned and whacked his tail into the legs of the second warrior. He grabbed the third by the chest and threw them through a market building. The first Tiger dropped their broken axe and tried to run. However Raizen appeared in front of them. "Where do you think you’re going?" They swung. Raizen caught the punch. A few seconds later they were on the ground, knocked out.

Raishin and a few greater Ogres were fighting a group of Lions down the street. The Lions were using body reinforcement and fire magic. They were strong fighters with powerful spells. One of them released a jet of fire, however Raishin ran through the opening. He punched them in the stomach. They flew through two wooden walls. He landed next to another and kicked them off their feet with a lightning charged kick. The Kijin behind him moved in time with each other so they would not get surrounded. "Don’t go after them! Keep this passage clear!" They listened. They were not fighting to conquer the area. They were fighting to keep a passage open for the civilians.

Sora was in a bit of a predicament. A few Rabbitfolk children had gathered around him. They were hiding under the remains of a market shop while their parents tried to move the injured. A nearby building was on fire. The only exit was blocked by a fallen wooden beam. Sora stretched his body through the small gap and grew on the other side. He lifted the beam using several thick tendrils. "Come on through! Quickly!" They ran towards him. One of them tripped. Sora caught them with a small tendril and placed them next to their mother. He did this with the rest of the civilians. He then wrapped the injured adults into his body and carried them towards Relia’s temporary healing centre.

His blue body stretched along the road, absorbing the falling rocks and protecting those inside from any stray rocks. Suddenly there was a loud explosion. Sora’s body flattened onto the ground. He then puffed up again. A Tiger mage appeared through the smoke. They were about to release another spell. However they did not get far into their chant before Sora’s tendril wrapped around their waist and slammed them into the pavement. "Can’t you see I’m busy?" Sora returned to the evacuation path.

Raveana had joined Razer and Drakar in defending the western area. They were fighting in different ways but together they were proving difficult to get past. Raveana was fast and precise, Drakar was powerful and Razer was tough. A Lion mage shot a volley of fireballs. Drakar stepped forward. The fire exploded against his scales, sending sparks flying. Razer charged through the remaining fire and shoulder barged the mage. Raveana moved in from the side and knocked two of the guards away. "Keep moving!" They moved forward, clearing a path for the injured.

The Wolf Crown were struggling. Aldren had split his army into groups. Different clans were defending the civilian areas, royal homes and main roads. The Frostmane were creating barriers using their ice magic to protect the vulnerable buildings. The Nightfang were moving around on the rooftops and alleyways to identify enemy formations. The Redclaw were reinforcing damaged buildings and creating huge stone walls to block roads. However the city was still suffering. A building in between two attacks collapsed completely. Multiple civilians were trapped under the wooden floors.

A group of Wolf Crown soldiers ran towards it but a Lion spell hit the nearby road forcing them to retreat. Before they could attack again Zephyr swooped down. His wings created a strong gust of wind causing the spell to be redirected into an empty building. The top floor was destroyed. Zephyr landed next to the injured Wolves. "Get them out! I’ll take care of the air!" His Heavenly Eye scanned around. He could see multiple mages preparing another attack. He flew up again, dodging multiple projectiles. One hit his wing but he twisted in the air and continued to fly.

He reached the enemy formation just in time. Below Sylva and the Rabbitfolk were moving the civilians to the northern exit. The rabbit guards were using nature magic to create temporary paths through the damaged streets. The healers were treating those who could not continue. Relia was in the centre, her staff glowing as she directed healing energy towards the injured. The war was no longer just between soldiers. Everyone in Varghelm had to survive.

A very different scene was happening in a private home. A large dining table was placed next to a huge window looking over the eastern area. There were multiple dishes on the table. Roasted meats, fresh fruits, seasoned vegetables and expensive wine. Maelor Sableclaw was comfortably sat at the head of the table, slicing a piece of meat. Smoke was rising from the rooftops in the distance. He took another bite. A building collapsed outside. He looked out.

"It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?" The nearby servant lowered their head. Maelor continued to eat, occasionally looking out of the window. He had set this up so he could see clearly into the eastern and central areas. This way he could watch the fighting take place without putting himself in any danger. He could watch the Wolf Crown struggle to protect their capital while the main peoples tore apart their agreements. His food was beginning to cool. He motioned for more.

The assassin who had killed Veyra was stood near the far wall. Their hood was off and they had a new bandage wrapped around their left arm. The Tiger warrior they had fought in the prison had landed some serious hits before dying. However the assassin had not come out unscathed. "How are our allies?" "The Foxfolk have started to mobilise their fighting mages. Their acting leader has ordered them to prepare defences but some of the elders want revenge against the Tigers." "And the Lions?" "They are fighting both sides where their warriors have been attacked. However their king has not committed to helping the Tigers."

Maelor smiled. "That’s fine. Garrath does not need to help the Tigers. He just needs to keep them fighting." The assassin slightly bowed. "And the Wolf Crown?" Maelor placed his knife down. "They will run out of places to defend eventually. They are strong because they are organised but organisation cannot protect everyone when they are being attacked from all sides." He raised his glass. "And Tanaka Eldoris?" The assassin hesitated. "He is getting in the way. His subordinates have been helping the civilians and several Tiger and Lion formations have had to retreat because of him."

Maelor’s smile dropped slightly. "That slimy bastard is becoming a problem." "Shall I set up another attempt?" "No." Maelor took a sip. "Not yet. Let him tire himself out trying to protect everyone. If a ruler is using all their strength to save strangers then eventually they will have nothing left for their own people." He placed his glass down and continued to eat. The assassin stayed quiet. Maelor looked out of the window. The eastern area was burning under the afternoon sun. The fighting was getting louder. Somewhere in there rulers were losing control of their warriors, families were losing their homes and normal people were dying without knowing why the war had started. He picked up another piece of meat. Everything was going perfectly. He was going to enjoy every second.