Approaching another flank of the hill, Ceythie, who was supposed to divert Corvac's attention from Jake and his group with her cavalry charge, suddenly yanked the reins of her horse to bring it to a halt. The pillar of light that had struck down Crunch and Lord Phenix had momentarily blinded them all, sending their mounts into panic.
Despite their vast experience, several seasoned soldiers were thrown off by their spooked horses, some of which reared so violently that they collapsed heavily onto their backs, crushing their riders with their full weight. If these barbarians weren't unnaturally robust, they would have been crushed to death.
"Whoa, easy there." Ceythie whispered softly, reassuringly patting the neck of her startled steed after it tried to buck her off. Even as a war-trained mount accustomed to the chaos of battle, its herbivorous instincts were in overdrive after becoming blind.
