Arteja stood amidst the carnage, her breath steady despite the chaos raging around her. The enemy reinforcements poured forth like an endless tide—armored knights, ranks of spearmen, and archers readying their next volley. She could feel their resolve pressing in, testing her limits, but the storm inside her refused to falter.
"Arteja!" Lirael's voice cut through the din as she sprinted down from the wall, her sword gleaming with blood. "Fall back! You can't face them alone!"
Arteja didn't answer. Her focus remained fixed on the soldiers closing in, their faces obscured by cold steel. Her fingers tightened around her spear, and arcs of lightning sparked at its edges, pulsing with deadly energy.
The first knight lunged at her, his war cry echoing as his sword descended in a brutal arc. Arteja shifted sideways, letting the blade carve harmlessly through the air. Her spear whipped up like a serpent, striking his exposed side. A burst of lightning surged through him—his body convulsed, metal armor crackling before he collapsed in a smoking heap.
Another soldier stepped forward, thrusting a spear at her. Arteja caught the weapon with her own, spinning it aside before slamming the butt of her spear into his helmet with a dull clang. As he stumbled, she struck again—a single, precise jab to the throat. Blood spattered across the mud, and he fell.
The enemy ranks hesitated, uneasy in the face of her ferocity. Arteja stepped forward, energy crackling around her like a living storm.
"What are you waiting for?" she said coldly, her voice carrying over the battlefield. "Come and die."
A horn blast signaled their next charge. Four soldiers rushed at her in unison, their movements coordinated and disciplined. Arteja's blue eyes narrowed beneath her mask. She crouched low, feeling the electric pulse build in her veins. As the first soldier swung his axe, she dodged beneath the blow, her spear slicing upward. The blade found its mark—his jaw cracked as lightning jolted through his body.
The second soldier lunged, trying to catch her off guard. Arteja twisted, her spear spinning to parry his strike. Sparks flew as steel clashed. She kicked out, her boot slamming into his knee with a sickening crunch. He howled, falling backward, but there was no time to finish him. The third and fourth soldiers attacked together, blades flashing.
Arteja dropped to one knee, planting her spear into the ground. Now. The lightning within her roared to life. A shockwave erupted from the spear's tip, an electric sphere expanding outward in all directions. The soldiers screamed as the energy engulfed them. Armor sizzled. Bodies fell.
As the dust settled, Arteja stood alone, lightning still crackling around her like an untamed beast.
Lirael skidded to a stop beside her, panting. "You're insane, Arteja! You can't keep this up."
"I'm not done yet," Arteja replied flatly, scanning the battlefield.
A rumble in the distance turned their attention to the siege engines—a row of trebuchets being loaded for their next assault. Massive boulders were already creaking into place. If they fired, the fortress walls would crumble, and their defenses would collapse.
"We need to take those down," Lirael said.
"I'll handle it," Arteja replied. She turned, her spear's energy intensifying.
"Not alone! You'll—" Lirael's protest was cut short as Arteja darted forward, her feet moving faster than the eye could follow. Bolts of lightning coiled along her path, striking like vengeful shadows in her wake.
Enemy soldiers surged to intercept her, but she was unstoppable. A knight swung his blade wildly, his panic evident. Arteja ducked under his attack, thrusting her spear into his side. With a flick of her wrist, she released a torrent of lightning that sent him flying into two others behind him.
She sprinted toward the siege engines, vaulting over broken bodies and debris. Arrows whistled past her—one nicked her shoulder, but she didn't stop. A group of archers attempted to block her path, drawing their bows. Arteja raised her spear skyward, summoning the full fury of her power.
"Stormcall."
A blinding bolt of lightning tore down from the heavens, splitting the sky and slamming into the ground with an ear-shattering crack. The explosion obliterated the archers in a wave of fire and smoke, leaving nothing but scorched earth.
The trebuchets were within reach now. Soldiers scrambled to defend them, but they faltered when they saw her approaching—her spear glowing like a torch of death, her eyes blazing with cold determination.
Arteja leapt onto the nearest trebuchet, driving her spear into its wooden frame. Lightning surged, splintering the siege engine in a violent burst of energy. Wood and metal flew in all directions. She didn't stop. She turned to the next one, weaving through a hail of arrows and blades.
"Stop her!" an enemy officer bellowed, pointing frantically. "Kill the witch!"
Three knights closed in on her, their weapons raised high. Arteja dodged the first strike, spun to block the second, and countered with a powerful thrust. Her spear tore through the first knight's armor, pinning him to the ground.
The second knight roared and charged her, his shield raised. Arteja's grip on her spear tightened. At the last moment, she sidestepped, slamming her lightning-infused weapon into his shield. The energy exploded on impact, shattering the shield and sending the knight sprawling. Before he could rise, Arteja drove her spear into his chest.
The third knight hesitated, glancing nervously at his fallen comrades. Arteja pointed her spear at him. "Run," she said softly.
He turned and fled.
With a single strike, Arteja destroyed the second trebuchet. She could hear the fortress defenders cheering in the distance as the enemy line wavered.
"Arteja!" Lirael's voice echoed through the smoke and fire. She was fighting her way toward Arteja, blood streaking her armor. "You did it!"
Arteja turned, her body trembling slightly as the toll of her power began to weigh on her. The battlefield around her was chaos—broken weapons, smoldering bodies, and enemy soldiers retreating in disarray. But this wasn't over.
From the enemy's rear lines, a new figure emerged—a general clad in blackened steel, his helmet adorned with crimson plumes. He raised his sword, and the remaining soldiers rallied around him.
"Hold your ground!" he shouted. "Crush them!"
Arteja straightened, gripping her spear tightly. Blood smeared her armor, and her breathing was ragged, but the storm in her veins refused to die.
Lirael reached her side, sword at the ready. "Are you sure you can keep going?"
Arteja glanced at her, lightning sparking in her palm. "I'm not finished yet."
Together, they turned to face the next wave, their silhouettes standing tall amidst the flames and smoke. The battle had only begun.