Burning just over the horizon, the late-afternoon sun beamed upon the ocean making it look like an oil painting; pink-orange hues painted both the salty waters and the small port that awaited nearby. On nearby beaches, birds broke free and flocked in the colored sky, white-black feathers occasionally broke free from their wings and descended towards the occupied grounds bellow.
Trampling over the dampened-muddy ground, and scattered sand dunes and divots, members of the 5th Garrison Guard comprising of 200 knights and 1000 soldiers rushed towards a defensive line established not twenty minutes ago. Knights rushed to organize the soldiers under their command, as support units moved to the rear with food and water.
Many of the soldiers that stood ready, and waiting were nothing more than conscripts and poorly trained volunteers. Due to the nature of the city, they occupied, members of the Royal Guard and the 12th Mountaineering Corps were tasked with the defense of Bishmark, yet due to recent sightings of monsters in the nearby forest, their response time would be delayed up to a day.
Over a vast clear field, flashes of light kept a steady tempo. What appeared to be mages repeatedly fired different types of ranged elemental attacks. The unrelenting fire prevented any noteworthy pushbacks from the 5th Garrison, with some even getting hit by direct fire and shrapnel causing a large number of casualties, numbering up to 45. Many of the poorly equipped soldiers were mutilated or laid dead as others scrambled to find cover within the formation they held.
"Fire to the left! Evade the left!"
In the middle of the defensive line, a small contingent of 50 soldiers huddled behind a small makeshift barricade that had been hastily set up under the constant fire of elemental spells. Similar barricades had been established all over the line stretching for a half kilometer in a semi-circle against the attacking force.
"Stay behind cover. Stay alive for the King!" One of the three knights apart of the group, Marco Politer shouted as he focused on the maimed man.
"Heal him and get back here!" The second knight Anne Rena screamed as another wave of bolts of fire slammed into a large collection of rocks she hid behind. The embers spread to the barren ground just behind her.
"Don't move dammit!" Finally, the third and final knight, Eugene Fritz directed a group of bold soldiers under his command as they attempted to push forward under the constant fire.
Only one of the three, Marco Politer, had any combat experience and was considered 'decorated' among his peers. He had only participated in a single campaign against rouge elements through the kingdom during the last revolution, yet his powers alone unlike the others made him a valuable asset to the kingdom. His light magic granted him the ability to perform lifesaving healing on the battlefield, and it wasn't long before he had gained seniority amongst his fellow knights.
As he healed his patient's arm, he noticed a single boy laying against the ground. Though he laid motionless and far from any cover, the boy held firm as he made his body as small as a target as possible as the enemy spells zeroed on his position in the burning sunlight.
A large flash of light and fire pierced the ground just in front of the boy, and a mixture of sand and dirt flew all over the boy's tunic. Snapping to reality the boy crawled against the ground as he closed the distance between himself and a small collection of crates no less than twelve meters ahead.
"Get your ass to the rear!" Marco bellowed as he reached out an arm towards the boy.
Another explosion came from the left side of the makeshift wall, leading it to rupture sending shards of wood and clouds of dirt in the air. Just behind the cover, three soldiers were impaled by shards of wood, or their skin was burnt by the high temperatures created by the accurate spells being used.
Reaching the boxes, Marco was bewildered how the boy had survived the constant fire with little to no caution. His survival was an enigma to the healer, yet he hadn't received the proper time to theorize how the boy survived due to keeping his head down as another wave of fire hit the grounds less than two meters from his position of cover.
The smell of blood, iron, and burning wood clogged Marco's nostrils.
"We need to push forward!" A soldier yelled out to the knights. "There fire is slowing! Now's our chance for a counterattack!"
"No! Wait!" Eugene screeched as his soldiers moved forward under the light fire.