Here comes the fresh Chapter4 of the story [THE DARK WARLOCK] from Darth2018. Let’s see together what happens
Ralnar moved downslope, drawn to the impending battle. He glanced left and right, noting his guards arrayed in a line as they moved, Linmaer crouched off his right side, bow with arrow nocked. She raised a cautionary fist as they reached the tree line and everyone stopped.
Verdant grass lay before them and they saw a shrub-overgrown ravine petering out on their right, remnant of a valley falling off the mountains. A formation of orcs milled around, forming up to face an even bigger force on the other side of the ravine. Riders in formation; hundreds of riders. Ralnar counted six ranks beyond the front line. He squinted hard and looked at Linmaer.
“Dwarves for sure! And on horses!”
“Aye,” She growled, “unheard of! Dwarf cavalry? I’ll be blowed!”
The orcs formed into a wedge, their front bristling with spears to meet the imminent cavalry charge. More orcs gathered close behind their spear wall, shaking curved swords and axes, shouting curses and taunts. A horn call rang on the far side of the ravine and the front line of riders swept forward, their lances lowering to present a thicket of steel tips, but the entire line suddenly split left and right just before reaching the ravine, revealing a second line of horsed archers. A cloud of arrows rained down from a blue sky. Screams and shouts sounded from the orcs.
Enraged, the raiders surged forward, sweeping into the ravine and then clambering their way up the far side.
Ralnar laughed. “Fools! The dwarves will cut them to…”
A bone-chilling shriek tore the day apart! A shape leapt out from the bushes clogging the ravine and crashed into fear-paralyzed orcs. Howls of terror rose up from the raiders. Blood sprayed and limbs flew as claws slashed and tore through bone and flesh. A nightmare surged out of the ravine to the far side, snarling and striking wildly at orc and dwarf.
A battle call sounded as the creature came to a stop, its head sweeping left right as it looked for more enemies. Ralnar was stunned! In seconds, this one creature had nearly annihilated the entire orc force. Orc bodies lay strewn like new hewn wheat, with only a few feeble moans of pain to show some had survived.
The dwarf ranks drew back from the monster still clawing fallen orcs and three downed dwarves, growls ripping at their ears. Arrows flew in sheets as the dwarf soldiers reacted to the new threat!
“There it is, lord!” Linmaer gasped hoarsely, her eyes shocked. “That’s what attacked the Angtur!”
Ralnar stood transfixed at the sight. Disbelieving, he saw those arrows rattle and bounce off the beast without any effect except to make it angrier. A burning pressure filled him and he drew his sword. “Bugler! Sound assembly! Get the men here now!”
On the grassy plain, the demon crouched, its tail lashing frenziedly as it shifted to its left, the massive head low. The sleek body shook agitatedly, readying itself for another attack. Low grunts and growls shook the air. The dwarf formation backed up slowly, presenting a wall of spears to the creature. The few surviving orcs crouched fearfully in a knot, huddling together as the beast turned its attention to the dwarf cavalry.
Ralnar stood as his riders came crashing up behind him. The elf hunter handed him the reins to his horse.
“Well, Ral? Do we go help them?”
Ralnar nodded as he stepped into the stirrups. “The weeks we’ve been hunting this thing? I’ll not let it go now we’ve found it!”
As one, Rohillion’s force emerged from the trees, lances ready as his bugler sounded Ralnar’s battle call. The creature whirled to face this new challenge, snarling a vicious challenge! The line of troopers moved forward.
Across the ravine, a banner appeared, long and fluttering. A black field above a dark green, it rose up and held for a moment then dipped twice. Ralnar raised a gauntleted fist and his riders halted. “Linmaer, spread our riders along the ravine. Mind how that thing jumped up earlier. Tell the men to alert.”
The beast began pacing and Ralnar was reminded of a skink he had seen but this thing was nothing like that innocuous lizard. The head lay low, a wedge-shaped skull edged with keen spikes. The talons on its muscular arms and legs were more like scimitars than claws, curved and sharp. Its armor didn’t seem scaly but smoothly supple, a near black color mottled with shifting deep blue highlights.
The dwarf line began to move forward again, this time with dwarf axe men advancing on foot. The mounted archers were right behind them, bows ready.
Linmaer gripped Rohillion’s arm, pointing! “See, Lord! They surround it!”
Ralnar nodded grimly! “Aye! And we shall join them in killing it
