Paradox hadn't recalled any previous visits to the Ice Island, so this was definitely a first for her. She was grateful for her fur, covering the majority of her body, which kept her adequately warm against the frigid temperatures and fierce winds. She had a parka over her human half with the hood down so her ears could retain their maneuverability. Her bardiche was strapped securely in its sheath along her side next to her saddlebags. She heard that the Gods needed help here, that insects of great size and numbers were coming out of the earth. They were worried about the two cities just north of the island. The insects would have no trouble overrunning it and causing great damage and destruction. On Itjivut Island, they were the first line of defense to protect the cities.

She had come with a shipment of recruits and had seen the large base camp. She had kept going closer towards the nest, where there was a slightly smaller camp on the outskirts of the main base. She would camp here as long as the Gods required their services. There was a scattering of tents around a large fire, with some smaller fires in the tents for warmth. She had walked a short distance away from them, staring hard in the direction of where the nest was so supposed to be. They would be attacking in the morning. She had yet to see the mighty insects the veterans had talked about, but she had faith in her abilities and those of her peers.

She turned away from the darkening snow and headed back to camp. Her tail whipped wildly behind her like a banner as another cold blast of wind hit her. She flipped her hood up over her head and tightened the cord a little. She stepped through the snow, careful of her footing. Her hooves would slip easily if there was ice hidden under the soft powder. She'd may have to put some studs in her hooves or cover them in wool boots in order to increase traction for the fight tomorrow. She walked up to the large center fire of the camp and held out her hands after taking her gloves off. She lowered her hood as she grew warmer.

She looked around at the people near her, bundled heavily in similar parkas and snow-pants. A variety of people had decided to come and assist the Gods in their defense of the cities. She saw some dwarves, elves, and variety of other creatures in attendance in addition to the people. She hadn't found any other centaurs, not that she was surprised. They weren't the sort to participate in conflict outside the herds and weren't really the most inclined to take orders from others. After she was warmed up, she proceeded to walk around to the nearby tents, checking to make sure they had enough fuel and food for the night. It wasn't her responsibility specifically, but it made her feel better to make sure everyone was ready for the long night.

The anxiety and anticipation were thick in the air like electricity. She could almost see it as well as feel it. It made her hair stand on end at times. Once everyone in the small camp had been checked and accounted for in her head, she proceeded toward her tent that she shared with a few people. They were already sleeping in their bunks, exhausted by the long day and cold weather. She stroked the fire in their tent, before heading to her nest of bedding on the floor. She was looking forward to sleeping. The nights were longer here than the days, but she knew the morning would come a lot sooner than expected. 

Derek stamped his feet, trying to get some feeling back into his extremities. His hands were planted firmly under his armpits, clad in gloves. His new coat was keeping the worst of the cold out, and the woolen cap was also doing a pretty good job. He was still miserable. When he had left his position in the Adeluna city guard to become a mercenary and do what he could to halt this invasion he had been spirited away to a number of different places, by air, by sea and most recently herded through a portal to end up in this place. The worst of the lot. He had thought the humid jungles were bad but they were a vacation compared to this. He would give anything to go back there, sneaking through the trees to try and get the drop on the insect invaders while at the same time being eaten alive by the resident insects. He thought about that. Maybe this place wasn't that bad, actually. His time at watch was coming to an end soon, then he would be able to huddle by a fire, buried under some blankets and hopefully catch some sleep before the attack begun in the morning. He was excited about his new posting, no longer expected to take the brunt of attacks in a line of spears on the front line. Now he would get to take the fight to an enemy nest. Movement, glimpsed from the corner of his eye, caught his attention. There was a centaur in the camp, performing an inspection from the looks of things. Strange to see a centaur out here. He shrugged it off. Everyone was at risk if they didn't stop the invasion here. In this cold, empty place. He had been standing guard for less than an hour but it was dragging by slowly. From what he had been told the nest, their target, was nearby. He hadn't seen any signs of the enemy though.

One of the other members of the Crimson Kings, Derek thought his name was Adrian, came to relieve him eventually. He spared a smile of commiseration for his comrade who would now be forced to endure the rest of the cold night alone. But he only spared him that briefest of moments before he was hurrying, carefully, away. He really didn't want to slip and fall out here. The camp came into view, the Crimson Kings staked out a little bit further from the others. No idea why, Derek just followed orders and did what was expected of him. There was a large central fire that the tents circled and Derek only stopped long enough to grab his blanket from his own tent before joining the others who weren't on watch duty. There was a pot on the fire and Derek almost pounced on it, helping himself to a large portion of the hot food before taking a seat. He set the food down long enough to wrap the blanket around his shoulder before picking it back up. It was a stew, not extremely flavorful but that didn't matter at this point. What did matter was the fact that it was hot. It warmed his insides nicely, and when a flask came around he happily took a swig. Something he had found out the night before was that the hard liquor one of the Kings had bartered with a dwarf from the neighboring tents for warmed the body quite nicely. Not a lot, too much and he wouldn't be able to function if the insect attacked. But enough that he would feel warm and get to sleep quickly. Speaking of which, it was time for him to retire for the night. He said his goodbyes to the others and headed into his tent, grabbing another couple of blankets and settling in for the night.

Paradox flicked her ear and sat up at the sound of revelry. It was still dark out, but the sun would be up soon. She stretched and shook her mane like a horse, causing her whole body to shake. She planted her hooves into the ground and lurched herself upright. She was careful to duck upon standing so she wouldn't hit the top of her tent. She adjusted her parka as she pushed the flaps of the tent aside and stepped out into the camp. Most of the soldiers and volunteers were up now and walking around, it wasn't a ghost town like it was last night when she was walking the outskirts. 

Looking over the tops of even the tallest man, she saw the group crowded around where the food was being prepared. She walked over, careful about her smaller companions, the majority of them giving her a wide berth. She waited in the line and grabbed her food. While eating her ration, she made her way back to the central fire. The food wasn't the best, but she wasn't expecting luxury out here. There was nothing to hunt or harvest, so everything was probably getting shipped in from the mainland. It didn't taste like much, but it was dense and filling. She stood looking at the fire, eating quietly so that she could hear the murmurings throughout the rest of the camp. There was tension in the air unlike any she'd felt before.

She finished her food and cleaned it with a small bit of magic and returned it back to the cooks. It was the least she could do, they'd spent the better part of the morning getting ready for the rest of the camp to wake up. After staring a little longer at the fire, she took a quick drink from her canteen and headed back to her tent. Opening the flaps, she saw that her bunkmates had all woken and gone out for breakfast. She headed over to her small stash of belongings and opened up one of the bags. Inside was her armor designed for her personally by blacksmiths she'd worked with on Bakulaw Isle. As a guard on the dangerous island, it was only suitable she had an armor of her own like the other guards.

She strapped on her croupiere and the connecting criniere first, which protected her horse half, before putting on her metal chest piece. Lastly, she strapped the metal braces on the lower portions of all six limbs. She adjusted her saddlebags and bardiche as she stepped back outside, her armor a dark silver color. She stood next to her peers as they faced the fire. Lifting up one foot at a time, she put a magic spell on the underside of her hooves, creating small studded growths to the undersides. They made her slick hooves more like cleats and gave her a better grip on the ice and snow. Now all they had to do was wait for the goddess to signal their assault and they would make off to kill the invasive insects. 

Sound from outside the tent woke Derek up the next morning, bundled up under a pile of blankets. He poked his head out of the warm little nest he had made for himself and sighed, his breath visible on the air. From the looks of things, it wasn't light outside yet but that meant little here. It was morning, he could tell already. Reaching down into the blankets he pulled out his canteen, the water inside kept from freezing by the warmth of his body. He swallowed a few mouthfuls, knowing he would need to keep himself hydrated and ready for the battle to come. He pulled on some warm clothes and went about taking care of his morning routine, all of it miserable in the cold. There had been plenty of jokes when he first arrived about the difficulty in taking care of regular business and he hadn't taken them seriously. He did now. On his way back to his tent he grabbed some food, not even tasting it as he wolfed it down. Then he set about getting ready for the attack.

Back in his tent he rushed to get ready. He had seen others, while he had been eating, already dressed and armored, just waiting for the order to move. The cold was making him sluggish, the harsh conditions sapping him of his usual readiness. He would be glad when the day was over. Hopefully then he would be reassigned somewhere warmer. He could dream. He pulled on his warmest clothes, then strapped on the battered leather chest piece, his only armor. Over this went his new overcoat, which he tugged into place. Finally came the thick gloves and cap. Dressed, he picked up his sword and strapped it on, followed by his round shield and spear. He was ready now.

He ducked back out of the tent, looking around as others began doing the same. He gathered together with a few of the newer people, one or two of them had signed up at the same time as he had. They were talking and joking, trying to make light of the situation. Ease the tension they felt, as they were about to risk their lives. Derek felt much te same way, though he was hesitant to admit it. He wanted to believe he was ready for this, but he was still nervous. He stood around and listened to them talk for a few minutes, taking comfort. A veteran walked over, a grizzled older man with a grey beard. "Hey, what happened to your cloak?" Derek gulped, realizing he had left it behind. With everything else he was wearing the cloak made him feel unwieldy. He glanced at the others, all still in their red cloaks. "I'll, er, go get it." The veteran laughed, shaking his head. "Too late for that now, it's time to form up! Let's kill some bugs!"

Derek formed up in the line with the other members of the Crimson Kings. He felt a little inconspicuous now that he was the only one not wearing a red cloak, but it was too late for that now, wasn't it? He shrugged it up, lifted his shield and hefted his spear. He felt like he had come a long way since his first battle in Mamlak. Hopefully that would show here, today. The mercenaries were formed up with the pikemen in a long line, and they were be followed closely by the ranks of armored soldiers. Lighter units, scouts with bows, would be on their flanks and following at the rear. They were formed up and ready, and looking around Derek could see that the others who would be participating in this attack were also ready. All that was left now was to wait for the order to attack. Derek bit at his lip, ready but still nervous.

Paradox walked carefully up towards the line up of soldiers and volunteers gathering at the edge of the camp. The cleats on her hooves prevented her from slipping and she questioned about how much additional damage could be done to them when she kicked out. She stood near the group of Crimson Kings, a formal guard battalion from the great city of Adenluna. They'd come in late last night and this was their first day attacking the insects on the Ice Island. They were easily identifiable by the red cloaks that almost gave an unearthly glow. They were incredibly bright in the early morning sunlight. She looked them over, they seemed capable and willing to do anything possible to protect their beautiful city.

All but one of the Kings had their bright red cloaks. He stood out like a sore thumb without it. Probably a new guy who just forgot it, she'd keep an eye on him in case he needed help. She pulled her bardiche out of its sheath and held it firmly in her hands. The blade flashed wickedly in the light as she admired its handiwork. The weapon had protected her during various battles with an assortment of creatures, and today it would do the same. She looked down and saw her dagger was still securely attached to her hip by its leather sheath. She'd have it as a last resort if needed. 

She was waiting patiently, a hind leg cocked casually to the side as she waited. Her blood pounded in her ears as she trained her eyes to the large hole in the ice. The nest. After what felt like hours, she heard the call to attack from the base camp. A mighty dragon and rider flew over them and led the assault. The dragon breathed fire into the nest, angering the insects inside into coming out and abandoning their nest. A few ran out, still on fire, there were likely more casualties inside. After them, able-bodied insects climbed out and ran down to them. 

In unison it seemed, their mighty force broke into a loud battle cry and surged forward. She let out a mighty scream, falling back on her haunches in a half rear before she launched forward from her powerful hindquarters. Her hooves pierced through the snow and ice in a dulled roar. Her hair and tail streamed out behind her like twin banners. She was faster than the humans and those that didn't magically increase their abilities. Other animals, calvary, shapeshifters, and possible were-creatures kept pace with her on the first charge. The bulk of their forces would follow behind them. The battle had commenced.

Derek watched as a centaur, it had to be the same centaur from before because how many of them were there wandering around, seemed to inspect the lines. He stood a little straighter, suspecting she must be someone important for her to doing this. Best to just blend in with the others, not stand out. He worked on looking serious, gripping his spear tightly and holding it upright until after she had passed. With a sigh, he dropped back into a relaxed posture to await the signal. He didn't have much longer to wait.

A dragon, the first Derek had ever seen, soared overhead. He was stunned, his mouth hung open as he watched it fly majestically over to the hole in the ice and rain fire down into it. It made him feel small, inconsequential. What was he going to do, what were any of the regular soldiers going to do that could even begin to compare to that? He looked to either side of him to see how his comrades were handling the sight, and their expressions ranged from fear to awe. At least he wasn't the only one to feel this way. It made him feel better, for some reason, to know that he wasn't alone. They all began moving, after that. The dragon's attack had been what they were waiting for, it's initial blow against the insects causing insects to flood out of the hole, covered in flames. After these came the uninjured enemy soldiers, swarming out and angry. The Crimson Kings began at a walk, marching forwards in time. Derek could see the faster aspects of the army, the mounted combatants, the beasts, animals, those who were able to move quickly and easily over the ice, pulling ahead of the rest of them. One in particular caught his attention, that same centaur from before. On either side of him, the soldiers began to increase pace, moving into a jog. He was able to keep sight of the centaur right up until the mass of allied forces met with the swarming insects, crashing together. They were pretty far behind, now.

Derek's almost lost his footing twice as the jog increased to a full charge. Both times the soldier to his left was able to catch hold of him, steady him and keep him moving. How he did it, while running, holding a shield and spear and not breaking stride was a mystery to Derek. He was grateful for it though. Up ahead he could see bears throwing insects around, giant lizards eating humanoid insects, lines of cavalry charging through the insects. It looked like they were doing pretty well, at first. Then he noticed a wasp descend on a mounted knight, it's stinger punching right through his armored chest. A cricket the size of a horse leaped out of nowhere, landing on the back of a bear and forcing it to the ground where humanoid insects swarmed over it, stabbing and slashing with spears and axes. They were close now, soon Derek would be in the middle of that. He grit his teeth, continuing on.

In the last moments before they joined battle with the enemy, they raised their shield and lowered their spears, the tips held out and ready. With a roar, the Crimson Kings charged directly into the insects. Derek felt the impacts right up his arm and into his chest, fighting to keep hold of his spear as he skewered a dark green humanoid insect with it. The creature had four arms, each of them holding a wicked looking axe. Despite the length of blade through it's chest, it still thrashed and fought, trying to hack at him. Bodies pressed in on either side of him and behind him, pushing him further forwards. With a burst of effort, Derek pushed forward with his spear and released it, sending the insect staggering backwards. He drew his sword instead and ran forwards at it, swinging for it's head. 

Paradox charged towards the growing number of insects, a combination of both just very large bugs as well as more humanoid hybrids who carried spears and shields. A large rhinoceros beetle rushed towards her, his giant mandible's clicking loudly. She reared up as it struck for her two front legs. While backing up on her hind legs, she plunged her bardiche soundly into its head casing. There was a loud cracking sound and then off color liquid bubbled out of the hole from the exoskeleton. The creature twitched briefly before collapsing in the snow. She dropped down back to all four hooves and continued her push forward. 

She felt something grab hold of the metal armor on her hind leg and whipped around to see a large ant, the size of a big dog, attempting to pierce through to her flesh. She gave a violent double barrel kick with her backs while pivoting around on her fronts, kicking snow high into the air. The creature was dislodged and she pounced on top of its body, her four heavy hooves crushing the shell of the creature. It gave an awful scream as the pieces of shell grated against each other like metal on a chalkboard. She backed up quickly from the awful sound, her hindquarters pushing over a humanoid insect. It squealed at her as she walked over it, thrusting its spear up at her unprotected belly. She turned in time so that it only proceeded to graze the tender inside of her left hind leg. 

She felt the hot blood begin to seep out of the cut and run down her leg and let out a cry. Angry, she reared up and planted both hind legs squarely onto the face of the creature beneath her. It's sounds of distress stopped instantly. She pinned her ears at it and looked for her next target. Her leg burned painfully and she would soon be leaving a bloody footprint in the snow, but it wasn't damaged enough to do more than slow her down a little. She kept pushing forward, looking around her to see how her companions were making out. There were a few bodies about and several individuals were wounded, but they were still doing their best to push the insects back. 

She saw a flash of red at the corner of her eye and looked over. It was the Crimson Knights. They had caught up along with the others and were joining them in the fray. They were doing well and fighting bravely. She couldn't help but search for the capeless Knight, the newbie who'd forgotten his red cloak. He wasn't as easily seen as the others, but due to his lack of red, was easy to keep track of. He was a short distance away and doing well against what seemed to be a dark grasshopper humanoid creature. With his sword, he cleanly took the head off the creature and kept going. It was then that she noticed the spider.

It was as large as her, if not slightly bigger. Its furry taunt body showed that it was a variant of some sort of jumping spider. It's eight eyes were focused on the young knight who had just killed the grasshopper. She knew how they worked, their main tactic is to jump on the back of their prey and bite, subduing them with their stealth and surprise. He wouldn't really see it coming until it was too late. Almost without meaning to, she ran towards him, her leg only a dull ache as the blood raced through her ears. She jumped over a group of insects battling it out with some of her companions and kicked up the snow behind her. 

She reached him as she saw the spider tense its legs and pounce. Still galloping towards him, she planted her weight squarely on her haunches, the slippery snow enable her to pull off a fantastic sliding stop in record time. She grabbed the young man in one arm, forcing him beneath her as she crouched over him, her faithful bardiche planted firmly on the ground and held up with her other hand. She dropped her head and braced herself for the impact. It happened suddenly and her spear hand gave a heavy shudder as if a large weight had hit it and she felt another weight hit her hindquarters. She looked up as heavy liquid dripped down on top of them. The bardiche had pierced through the underside of the creatures head, propping the great weight up above them, the back legs of the spider were what was touching her back. The large fangs of the creature, as big as her dagger were stopped only a few feet from their heads. 

She stood up and shrugged the large carcass off of her. It flopped lifelessly in the snow and she pulled her blade out of its skull. She gave a nervous laugh to the capeless Knight, her ears were still pinned down but were momentarily perked up. "Damn I hate spiders," she said almost casually. She gave herself a small leeway to swear as they had just avoided death at the hands of a giant arachnid. She wiped the blade off in the snow and turned back to the young Knight. "There's more out there though. I'll meet you back at camp." She gave him a small smile before trotting back to the field with a bellowing cry. 

In the middle of everything there was no way for Derek to tell how the battle was going. All he knew was that the moment he was done struggling with one insect there was another one there to take it's place. He hadn't tried retrieving his spear, at this point there would be no advantage to keeping it. His shield was taking a beating, however, and his sword arm was growing heavier with every swing. He could feel sweat pouring down his face, something he hadn't thought he was going to be experiencing when he arrived her. The snow underfoot was turning into a slurry of churned up ice, blood and whatever that stuff was that came from inside of the insects. He had lost his footing a few more times, but his companion hadn't been there to help him those times. His trousers were soaked through up to the knees, and he was sure there was slush in his boots. Not exactly a pleasant feeling, but at least he was still alive.

The insect soldier thrust it's spear and Derek was able to catch the tip of it with his shield, deflecting the strike. That was the spear in one of it's left hands, but the spears in it's right were coming straight for him. He began swinging his sword down, hoping he would be able to chop the two spears out of a path that would connect with his body but another of the Crimson Kings charged into position, his own shield held ready to block the spears. If he had had the breath to spare then he would have thanked the man, but he couldn't afford to waste it. Instead he lunged forwards, bringing his sword back up and stabbing the insect soldier in the stomach. Or, where a stomach would be on a human, at least. The wound wasn't fatal but it bought Derek and the other mercenary enough time to hack it apart. He turned to finally thank him but a giant grasshopper looking thing landed out of nowhere, crushing his fellow mercenary instantly. If he had stopped to think things through, he might have hesitated and died. Instead he spun, swinging his sword down and decapitated the giant grasshopper. He looked down at his companion but it was immediately obvious that the man was gone. More grasshopper creatures began hopping in, followed by their humanoid counterparts. Derek found the nearest and charged at it, ending it's life in much the same way as the giant creature.

He took a moment then, winded but not out of the fight yet. He just needed a second to catch his breath and for now at least it looked like there was a lull in the fighting in his immediate vicinity. He lowered his sword and took in a deep breath as he looked around him. There were plenty of- There was the sound of thundering hooves and suddenly a centaur, the centaur and how could that be possible in all this commotion, was skidding through the snow in front of him. He had enough time to breathe in ready to ask if she was okay before she was scooping him up in her arm and throwing herself on top of him. He was at a complete loss for words and was vaguely aware that he had dropped his shield and sword, the latter intentionally so that he wouldn't risk stabbing her accidentally. He held perfectly still, eyes wide and watchful. He wanted to ask her what exactly was going on when a dark shape dropped down out of the sky, landing on top of the centaur lady and nearly crushing them both. The breath was forced from his body and he closed his eyes tight, waiting for the pain that would inevitably come before his death. It didn't come, though, and he cracked one eye open to look up and see they were both still alive. In fact, the centaur lady was getting back up and hefting the corpse of a giant spider to one side.

The centaur lady smiled and spoke with him for a second, trying to lighten the mood. He remained silent, just watching her, impressed beyond words. She had saved his life and he had no idea how he would ever repay that debt. He would try, though, whether it cost him his life. He vowed as much. She took off with a bellow and was back in the middle of the fighting, leaving Derek behind with no weapons. No weapons and in the middle of a battle. With a gulp he began searching the ground for his discarded sword and shield. He found a sword, not his own though, and was able to fish it out of the snow before another insect soldier came running at him. He raised the bastard sword in a guard position, two handed now he no longer had a shield. The insect had multiple axes and it was all Derek could do to block the strikes, being driven quickly backwards as he tried to find a way through. Two red cloaked mercenaries swooped in, one from either side of Derek and in a pincer attack they were able to kill the insect. Derek grinned up at them when suddenly a buzzing began filling the air.

From the hole in the ice came a swarm of giant wasps. They swept over the battlefield, striking at random. Derek and the other red cloaks began backing up, forming together with their shields to create a wall that could be lifted above them. Those without shields were left standing in the back. A dozen of the wasps came straight at their formation and Derek raised his sword in a high position, waiting for them to come close so that he might be able to strike out at them. They were diving at them when there was the sound of crossbows snapping and bolts filled the air. Derek spun in place to see the ranks of red cloaked arches lined up behind them. Derek cheered and turned back to the battle.

Paradox looked up at the loud buzzing that echoed from the hole in the ground. She'd heard that sound before, but never amplified to this extreme. She held her bardiche at the ready. In no time, a swarm of massive wasps exited the hole and came up over the battlefield. They were the size of ponies with large deadly stingers the size of broadswords. Some dove down and stung several of her peers, if the sting itself wasn't painful enough to kill, the venom in such a high dose likely was. Their arrival caused momentary chaos as the came in at random. Behind her, she heard the sounds of strings snapping and saw the archers fire their bolts and arrows. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the projectiles bring dozens of the wasps crashing down into the snow where they were promptly dispatched.

One fell near her, throwing snow over her body upon impact with the ground. The wounded wasp was still alive and tried desperately to sting her. She used the long handle of her blade to her advantage and parried the blows as she carefully leg-yielded out of range. She blocked the stinger again and went in with her sidearm. She fiercely stabbed her dagger into the abdomen of the creature, the watery insides leaking out in massive spurts, quickly both her knife and her glove. The slippery substance loosened her grip on her polearm and the stinger flicked quickly underneath. It caught her front leg armor and took them out from under her. She fell heavily on her side into the snow, the impact taking her breath away. She wasn't hurt, just stunned and struggled to come back to her senses.

She couldn't move as she saw the large creature turn around angrily, its thick jaws clicking rapidly. She stared at the thousands of small eyes in its skull and the large antenna that stuck menacingly out of its head like twin horns. She held up her knife and her other hand to shield herself, as she'd fallen on the wooden handle of her bardiche and she didn't have time to pull it out. The creature loomed over her, as if taunting her last moments, then it lunged for her. She closed her eyes and braced herself. She felt the hard-shelled head hit her chest and she couldn't resist expelling a small cry. Then it rolled off her and plopped into the snow. 

Opening her eyes, she saw that the creature had been decapacitated and its body, at last, collapsed into the sound with a loud thud. She looked up and saw a young woman with a sword, it's sharp blade still dripping fluids from the wasp. She smiled up at her and then pulled herself upright. She stood up, her hooves kicking up small bits of snow. She briefly thanked her before she watched her run off. Her blonde hair flowed behind her, even if there were bug guts and some blood in it. The battle seemed to have slowed down now, their side definitely taking the advantage. She gave herself a moment and looked around her.

Dark bug juices and splatters of blood covered the once pristine white snow. It was also marred by the tracks of both sides, scarring its surface and creating a filthy slush of sorts. She stepped carefully around the dead wasp, her tail flicking behind her as she perked her ears attentively. There were dead of both sides around her. Large shiny shells of dead insects glistened in the light, while fur, feathers, scales, and armor, decorated the dead of their peers. She saw a dead foot soldier and walked over to him. He appeared to have been attacked by the spiny back legs of a cricket. The right side of his back, from his shoulder all the way down to his thigh was riddled with punctures. She felt compelled to touch him and was shocked to find him still warm.

He turned his head and looked up at her, his eyes glazed over in pain. Her heart ached from the pain in his eyes, she could almost feel it. She dropped to her knees as she heard him cry out to her for help. She pulled out a small bag from one of her saddlebags while she watched him. "I'm here," she told him softly. "I'm not leaving you until help comes." She sprinkled the brown powder over his wounds, willing them in her mind to help. Dust heals dust. She saw the tension release from his face as the magic moved to heal some of the deeper damage while relieved some of his pain. She wasn't powerful enough in magic to heal him completely, but she was willing to help. She put her bag of dust back and picked him up as carefully as she could in her arms. She felt him tense and wince in pain. Looking up around her she called out desperately. "Medic! We need a medic here!"

Derek dropped to the ground as a giant wasp, having been missed by the archers, dived down towards him. He rolled through the snow, careful with his sword so as to not impale himself, and looked up in time to see it staring down at him. It's lower body drew back, the stinger ready to stab at him when there was the sound again, that beautiful sound, of bow strings snapping and bolts flying. The wasp shrieked, it's side riddled with bolts. Derek found his feet, rising and holding his sword in a careful defensive position before him while he drew closer to the wasp. A few mercenaries wielding spears, with shields held high before them, joined him on either side. The wasp, obviously seeing it's time here was coming to a close and the best idea it could have would be to flee, began buzzing it's wings in an attempt to take off. Derek stepped forward, readying to charge at the wasp and hoping the others would cover him, when there was a final snapping of a crossbow firing and the wasp took a bolt to it's head. The giant insect dropped, dead, and Derek breathed easily. He hadn't been looking forward to tackling it so close, not really. He had seen those stingers punch through armor and shield and didn't kid himself into thinking his leather chest piece would do him any good. He had been desperate to do something, though. Now he didn't have to, but there was still more to do before they could call it a day. 

He could feel more than see that the battle had turned in the favor of those attacking the insect nest. There was almost a lightness to the air, a easing of tension that had the men around him smiling to each other. Looking across the battlefield toward where he knew the hole was sitting, he could see that there were still insects defending it, but the attackers seemed to be pushing them back, crowding them, pushing through them. He spotted a shield lying in the snow, half buried, and quickly retrieved it. The insects had far too many pointed, stabbing, sharp attachments for him to continue risking going without shield and armor. He fell into the line with the other soldiers, formed up in front of the archers and the handful of non combatants, the medics who were sent to retrieve the wounded or treat those who could not be moved. There was a shout from nearby, loud enough to be heard over the other sounds of the battlefield. Someone calling for help, for a medic.

Their commander, the man who had assumed command of the mercenaries anyway, chose a handful of soldiers and bowmen to accompany the unoccupied medics. There were ten of them in the party, Derek included, that were sent to investigate, a full fifth of the men that the commander had had around him.  They rushed over, Derek pulling ahead as he saw who was shouting for help. It was the same centaur who had saved him. He charged forward, ready to do whatever needed to be done to help her, but there didn't look like there was any immediate danger from the insects. Standing with shield ready, he looked down at the man she held in her arms. He looked like he had been through hell, barely alive. If she hadn't been trying so hard to help him then he would have assumed he was dead. He opened his mouth to ask her what he could do but was shoved aside from behind by one of the Crimson King mercenary medics, an older elf wearing a short half cloak to show his role as a non combatant. The elf began talking to the centaur, but movement from the corner of his eye drew Derek's attention away. A group of insects were charging at them. He formed up with the others, ready to resist but could tell the numbers were too many. They prepared themselves anyway, standing in a line, shields raised, when a wedge of charging knights thundered past and into the mass of insects.