As Amukelo lunged back to the battle, he spotted a Thunderjaw orc locked in a desperate struggle against two enemies. The orc managed to deflect one attack only for the second enemy's blade to come hurtling toward him. Amukelo surged forward, raising his own sword just in time to block the strike aimed at his allay.
The second enemy took advantage of the moment, redirecting his blade to strike at Amukelo. Without hesitation, Amukelo pushed the first blade toward the second, causing the two enemies' weapons to clash against each other. The Thunderjaw orc gave him a grateful nod, "Thanks," the orc muttered, but their respite was short-lived. One of the enemies recovered faster than anticipated and swung his blade at Amukelo.
Amukelo barely managed to intercept the strike, but the sheer force of it sent him stumbling backward. He collided with the Thunderjaw orc, the two of them barely regaining their balance before the enemies pressed forward again.
"Don't thank me yet," Amukelo said through gritted teeth, refocusing as the two of them charged back into the fray.
The orc Amukelo targeted came at him with a wide swing of his axe. Amukelo parried, forcing the blade to the side with a calculated move that allowed him to close the distance. He ducked low, aiming to drive his blade upward into the orc's torso. But before he could land the strike, the orc lashed out with his elbow, catching Amukelo square in the eye.
The impact sent him reeling. His vision blurred, and he staggered, barely keeping his footing. Pain throbbed through his face as his eye swelled shut almost instantly. The orc wasted no time, capitalizing on Amukelo's disorientation. With a guttural roar, the enemy swung his axe in a vicious arc. Amukelo raised his sword just in time to block, but the force of the blow hurled him backward, his boots skidding on the slick ground.
Amukelo growled, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He tried to open his swollen eye but found that he could barely see through it. Before he could fully recover, the orc was upon him again, raising his axe high for another devastating blow. Amukelo ducked low, narrowly evading the strike, and lunged upward. His blade found its mark, piercing through the orc's chest. The enemy let out a choking gasp, his weapon slipping from his grasp before he crumpled to the ground.
Amukelo stood over the fallen foe, catching his breath, when a piercing scream cut through the rain-drenched chaos.
As Amukelo turned his head to the direction of the scream, he saw Zurgha crumple to his knees, clutching his chest where a deep gash bled profusely. Two enemy orcs loomed over him, one raising his weapon to deliver the final blow. Amukelo's muscles coiled, and he launched himself toward Zurgha's position.
But before he could reach the enemies, an earthen wall erupted from the ground, blocking his path. Amukelo skidded to a halt, cursing under his breath. The rainwater mixed with mud as he swung his blade with all his might, hacking away at the wall. "Out of my way!" he roared with frustration and urgency.
The wall crumbled beneath his strikes, but as Amukelo cleared the debris and charged forward, it was already too late. He watched as the orc standing over Zurgha brought his blade down, severing Zurgha's head in one clean stroke. The lifeless body slumped to the ground, blood pooling around it.
Amukelo then lunged at the enemy, but before Amukelo could reach him, the second orc stepped in, blocking his advance.
From the corner of his eye, Amukelo noticed that the mages who had erected the wall were now freeing the rest of their comrades from the ice. Durzag's forces were regaining their numbers, and the battle was quickly tilting out of Thunderjaw's favor.
Amukelo steadied himself trying to clean his mind. Then the two orcs that defeated Zurgha charged at Amukelo.
He ducked low, narrowly avoiding a wide swing aimed for his head, and lunged toward the second orc. But before his blade could strike true, the first orc recovered from the miss and striked Amukelo again. The force of the attack sent Amukelo skidding back several steps.
He tried to steady himself, but before he could fully recover, a third orc charged at him from the side. Amukelo twisted just in time to avoid a lethal blow, but the blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a shallow but burning cut. He hissed through gritted teeth, gripping his sword tighter.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of orange—a fireball hurtling toward him. With no time to think, Amukelo raised his sword, bracing to deflect the spell. But before it connected, a shimmering magic wall materialized in front of him, absorbing the impact.
Amukelo glanced back and saw one of Naguk's mages nodding at him before turning their attention back to the fight. He gave a brief nod of thanks and turned to the battlefield, where more of Naguk's people were surging forward. Though unarmed, many of them were picking up weapons discarded by the enemy. Their numbers, though still outmatched, were growing.
Durzag watched the tide turning with fury etched into his face. "Prepare the final spell!" he barked to his mages. "We'll retreat, losing more people for fading chance is not worth it."
The mages, drenched and battered, began chanting in unison. Naguk's people pressed closer, some charging recklessly to disrupt the spell.
Eliss, positioned above on the roof, took in the scene below. Her face was pale, her breaths shallow, but she raised her saff again, summoning the rainwater from the ground and the sky. The water coalesced into a massive orb, hovering above the battlefield. Her arms trembled with the strain, her body visibly faltering as she pushed herself to her limits.
Eliss extended her staff forward, and the orb of water froze into jagged, crystalline ice. With a final shout, she hurled the massive structure downward. It crashed into Durzag's mages like a meteor.
After a longer moment cracks spider-webbed across the ice, and suddenly, a torrent of flame burst free, shattering the frozen barrier. The fiery explosion sent shards of ice flying across the battlefield.
Durzag snarled, surveying the remnants of his forces. "Tsk… Retreat! We can't lose any more people!" he shouted. His command echoed across the battlefield, and his forces began to fall back in a haphazard retreat.
Naguk's people erupted into a victorious cry, some chasing after the fleeing enemies, striking them down before returning to regroup.
Amukelo looked back at Eliss with a respectful smile. He raised a thumb in her direction as a gesture of acknowledgment. But as he watched, he noticed her staggering, her legs barely holding her upright.
"Eliss…" he whispered as the smile vanishing from his face.
Her arms dropped limply to her sides as she dropped her staff, and her knees collapsed. She tried to catch herself, but her body gave out entirely, and she tumbled forward, falling off the edge of the building.
"Eliss!" Amukelo screamed, throwing his sword to the ground as he sprinted toward her. Time seemed to slow as her limp form plummeted.
He leaped with everything he had, sliding across the slippery ground and catching her just before she hit the ground. The impact jolted him, and he fell backward, cradling her in his arms. But he caught her, and she was safe.