* * *
The Yaloran troops struck first, raining arrows and magic on the enemy forces. The cow-head mages mustered what defenses they could, but their troops were tired. After three barrages Muda signaled his forces to stop. The Yaloran mages stood poised, waiting to see how the enemy would retaliate. When they did nothing, Muda ordered another barrage.
The attacks were mostly useless, killing only a few hundred, but Muda wanted to give them reason to attack, so that they could take advantage of the few defenses they had. After one more attack, Ibalize finally took the bait, and ordered his forces forward. The undead shambled mindlessly towards the Yaloran soldiers. It took almost a quarter of a bell for them to finally cross the field. When they reached the spikes those at the front were forced forward by those behind, and many found themselves impaled upon spikes, writhing and grasping for the flesh of the soldiers ahead of them. Eventually, the pure mass of enemies became too much, and the spikes began to break. The Yaloran soldiers struck at any enemy that came too close, but they were soon mixed in amongst the dead. Suddenly the cow-heads and remaining dogs joined the fray, using the undead as shields and slicing away at the Yaloran infantry.
The enemy used the confusion to launch their own distance attacks, killing undead and Yaloran alike with gigantic barbed spears. Ibalize held back his giant one-eyed creature. They had launched spell after spell at it during the initial attacks, and it didn't even notice.
With the Yaloran defenses all but destroyed, Muda signaled his own troops forward, hoping to give the mages better access to those who needed to be healed. Suddenly he saw a troop of gryphons take to the air.
Alkorn had gotten tired of waiting.