"Wynic, Redhawk, the minotaur army is blocking us. We have to guard the knights flanks. I sent my general to take care of the basics. Wynic will you explain Redhawk's plan again in simpler terms?" asked Lord Blackaxe, riding up to join the knight and assassin.

"We find the Empress, somehow convince her that Kobalix is a traitor, and she gives the order to stop fighting," explained Wynic.

"How will we find her?"

"The headquarters are usually at the highest point so the leaders can see for quite a distance, so that's where we start looking," explained Redhawk.

"They're also the hardest to get to," grumbled Blackaxe.

That's where that axe comes in," said Wynic. "Besides, everyone will probably follow us, sort of like herding sheep," said Wynic, drawing Gith's bastardsword.

"And how do we convince the Empress?"

"That's my problem," said Wynic confidently.

"Empress, Kobalix is missing," yelled Mathex, rushing into the Empress' tent. He looked around for her desperately.

"What? Of all the times for him to disappear!" shouted Gwen with an oath.

"Empress?" asked Mathex cautiously.

"What?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I don't trust Kobalix," he muttered. He bowed his head.

"I've been having similar feelings lately," she said beneath her breath. "Form a party to search for him."

"Yes, Empress," Mathex saluted and departed.

"Damoti!" Gwen yelled.

"Yes," said the Lord Marshall, appearing in the doorway.

"Give the order to attack!"

The Stornium knights charged down the southern hill, and began charging up the ridge. he thing that made knights so powerful on the open field was the lance. The speed and power of the warhorses were so great that it easily crunched through the thickest of armour to impale the enemy. Thirty thousand Stornium knights left behind a wide trail of dead or dying. Wynic marveled at the sheer destruction such a force could accomplish.

Blackaxe's lance broke off and he discarded it with a practiced twist of his arm, leaving the lance imbedded in a dying minotaur. Drawing the Swathick Axe, Blackaxe stood up in the stirrups, and roared a harsh warcry.

Taking Blackaxe's right flank, Wynic motioned Redhawk to take the left flank. Discarding his lance, Redhawk drew his sword and pointed to the north with it. "That way," he yelled.

Wynic didn't hear him from all the cries of dying, but he understood. The trio began fighting towards the north and highest point in the ridge.

King Willium proved to be a better fighter than Victoria had thought he was. His blade flashed back and forth quickly, almost a blur. He didn't put much strength into his swings, it was mostly with speed that killed Willium's opponents. Whatever the case, the King left a trail of dead behind him.

Nebonex, Dillard, and Victoria had decided to stay with Willium just in case.

"Do we have any sort of plan?" shouted Victoria, gutting a minotaur.

"Do you see that scarlet tent at the top of the ridge? It's my mother's. If we get there, we might be able to get this over with the least blood spilled possible," Nebonex shouted back. There were tears in his eyes.

"Death to the traitors!" shouted an arrogant minotaur, running towards Nebonex

"Guard my flanks," Nebonex ordered. "It's time for a speech."

"In the middle of a battle?" cried Willium.

Nebonex tore off his helm with horn slots and threw it at the arrogant minotaur, knocking him out. "Fellow minotaurs," he boomed. Everyone stopped, and the plain was deathly silent, except for anyone that was too far away. "Do you recognize me? Yes! I am Nebonex the IX, future Emperor of the Minotaur Empire. Would you fight me?" he boomed. Silence.

"Kobalix is a traitor," he added. He knew minotaurs were loyal to the Royal family, they'd never harm a prince.

A crossbow bolt shot forward, but missed by a good two feet. The offending minotaur was almost instantly teared apart by his comrades.

"Glory to the Minotaur Empire," someone shouted.

"Escort me to my mother," Nebonex ordered.

"Not much of a speech," said Willium as the minotaurs parted to let Nebonex, Dillard, Victoria, and Willium pass.

"I figured I'd get to the point. Lives depend on it."

Wynic's horse fell down, exhausted and wounded. Wynic leapt from the horse and plunged his sword through a minotaurs chest. He pulled his blade free and parried another attacker's blade. The two combatants stood locked in a test of strength until Wynic kneed the minotaur in the stomach.

As the minotaur relaxed its grip and gasped, Wynic pulled a dagger from a sheath with his left hand and slit the minotaurs throat.

Blackaxe had taken to swinging his axe in wide overhand arcs. Since the axe met with no real resistance, every swing was deadly. "Wynic," he grunted. "Now I know where the word cutthroat literally comes from."

"Was that supposed to be funny?" asked Wynic, mounting an abandoned horse.

"I'm pretty sure that minotaur didn't find it funny," Blackaxe grunted. "I'm getting tired of swinging," he said, switching hands.

Several minutes later the trio had fought their way to the top of the ridge only to find it deserted. "Where is everybody?" asked Redhawk, looking around.

"Right here!" shouted a harsh voice.

Redhawk cried out when a spear came soaring towards him. Wynic closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the bastardsword. Redhawk screamed as the spear entered his right shoulder and he fell from the saddle. Blood flowed freely from the wound.

Wynic roared. Turning around, he saw a minotaur dressed in shiny red and black armour and a dark gray cloak. He was carrying two huge matching scimitars.

Leaping from the saddle, Wynic caught the minotaur off guard and made a slash at the minotaurs stomach.

"Damn you, Wynic," screamed the minotaur as the blade bit into his chain mail, ripping a chunk of armour away.

Four more minotaurs dressed in gray armour leapt from their hiding places and swarmed Blackaxe. The knight stood over Redhawk's prone form defending his injured friend.

"Kobalix," said someone softly.

"I'm busy, Gweneleque. Can't you see that?" yelled Wynic's opponent.

"Where have you been?" said the Empress, appearing in the doorway to her tent.

"Kobalix," screamed Wynic. "You killed Nebonex!" He made a fierce slash at the minotaur's arm.

"Kobalix," yelled Prince Nebonex, appearing from behind a tent with Dillard, Victoria and Willium.

Kobalix looked up and started to slowly retreat. Suddenly he turned and fled, his long minotaur legs and great speed easily taking him out of sight.

Wynic started to follow, but Victoria grabbed him and he suddenly found himself weeping in her arms.

"Can you help him?" asked Victoria, worried. Blackaxe and Nebonex had carried Redhawk back to the barracks where the wounded were being tended to. Gweneleque had ordered the battle to a stop and now both armies were searching for Kobalix.

"Well," said Derick. "The spear point broke and it's lodged in his shoulder bone. I'm just an apprentice, so I'm not sure if I remove it whether he'll end up crippled or not."

"So he will live?" asked a pale Wynic.

"He should, depends on how much blood he lost?"

"I'd say about a bucket's worth," said Gwen. Derick paled visibly.

"He'll make it," promised Derick. "Perhaps you all should go up to the walls. Nebonex is having a meeting up there. Victoria can stay, I'll need her help."

Wynic bowed his head and turned to leave.

"I told you I'd die in battle," said Redhawk in a dry voice.

Wynic knelt down beside his friend. "We'll drink again my friend, and live to have many more battles," he promised. Standing up, he turned to Victoria. "Give him some wine," he smiled sadly. "To ease the pain."

"They didn't really attack," explained Waytorn. "It was all a distraction so we would divide up our forces. More people die that way. They marched around the city and went north to that cove of Kobalix's."

"I estimate that we have only five hundred thousand minotaurs left. Kobalix's tricks will be remembered for years to come," said Damoti. "How much do you have left?"

"Ninety thousand," said Chek and Sardias in unison.

"About twenty thousand," mumbled Sir Glac.

"A little over 150 thousand," muttered Blackaxe.

"120 thousand," said King Sear sadly. He took off his helmet solemnly.

"50 thousand," said Sir Dillard. "That's for both Colnics and Arthians."

"That adds up to about 1.5 million," said Wynic. "We outnumber Kobalix's forces. We've won!"

"Not if Kobalix uses black dirt," said Mathex, "And I'll bet my horns that he will!"