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.The baneblade's blue fire flashed and burned with cold, blinding light."Die, hellspawn!" the moon elf roared.He wrenched his blade free of the smoking corpse.Behind him, the war-golem lurched to a halt and fell over, its legs pinioned by elf arrows buried in the knees and hips.Two of the elf warriors ran up with broken spear shafts and jammed them into the golem's shoulder joints, immobilizing its arms as well."Well done!" Fflar called.The smoke parted for a moment, and he glimpsed the twin banners of Seiveril Miritar and Miklos Selkirk flying a short distance away.Ranks of elf and human warriorswaited there for the next demonic assault, a rampart of defiant steel against the setting sun.That had been the way of the battle all day long; islands of desperate soldiers gathered around the champions, bladesingers, battle-mages, wizards, or clerics who could stand against the hellspawned servants of Sarya Dlardrageth.Not much daylight left, he decided.Against any other foe, the end of a day of hard fighting might have brought some small respite.The warring armies would break apart, withdraw to their respective camps, and gather their strength for the next day.But Sarya's demons and battle-constructs were tireless, and they would allow the allied armies no rest.We'll still be fighting when the sun comes up again.if we don't break during the night."Rally to the banner!" he told the archers who followed him."Pass the word along if you see anyone else.""We're behind you, Starbrow," one of the spellarchers answered."Lead the way."With five of the archers at his back, Fflar made his way toward the two standards flying side by side, picking through the smoke and burning brush.Fey'ri and winged demons darted and swooped in the skies overhead, but not too low—they'd learned to be wary of elven bows, at least during daylight.When darkness fell, it would be a different story.Not far from the small rise where the heart of the Crusade stood gathered, he found Ferryl Nimersyll and many of the Moon Knights of Sehanine Moonbow.Most were torn by demon claws or burned by sinister magic.But others carried fearsome wounds across their faces, flesh deeply scored in the same strange pattern over and over again.Ferryl himself had the same wound as his warriors, but the thin hole punched in his breastplate looked like a sword thrust to Fflar.Crumpled yugoloths and a few broken fey'ri completed the scene."By the Seldarine," the first of the spellarchers said, her face white and sick."The Moon Knights.They're all dead.""Ferry'," Fflar said.A skilled warrior, but also a compassionate one, wise beyond his years.Fflar would miss his wry smile and quick humor.He knelt and composed Ferryl's features as best he could, arranging his arms over his breast.So many of the Moon Knights slain? he thought dully.Thirty knights of Evermeet, overwhelmed in the middle of battle.Fflar sighed, wondering how many more such tales the day held for the Crusade."At least they did not fall alone, Starbrow," the archer said."There must be a dozen dead mezzoloths here.""Ferryl was slain by no mezzoloth," Fflar said grimly.He looked around, taking in the wreckage of the Moon Knights.They had been among the Crusade's finest, but it was clear they had met an enemy beyond their skill.He had seen such things during the Weeping War, when some mighty flend or another had taken the fleld against the army of Myth Drannor "A lord of the Nine Hells, I think.Sarya Dlardrageth has emptied the lower planes against us.""How can we defeat foes of such power, Starbrow?" the spellarcher asked him."We will find a way, I promise you."They searched among the last of the Moon Knights in case any of the knights still lived, but to no avail.With his heart as dull and cold as lead, Fflar quietly gathered his small band and led them the last couple of hundred yards to the twin banners.He expected some new enemy to lunge at them out of the smoke at any moment, but to his surprise they reached the battered ranks of the main body without any more flghting.The Evereskan Vale Guards and Silver Ravens of Sembia still ringed Seiveril's banner, along with the Silver Guard of Elion-Seiveril had summoned the reserves into the battle long ago.Fflar parted from the spellarchers and made his way to the banner.Seiveril and Ilsevele stood there.Both seemed tired but otherwise unhurt.Fflar gave a sigh of relief that he didn'teven realize that he had been holding, and moved up to clasp Seiveril's arm."I'm back," he said simply."The left is holding, but the Dalesfolk have had a hard time of it.I don't think they can do much more than stand their ground for now.""Starbrow!" Ilsevele looked up to him, and reached up to kiss him softly, holding him as tightly as she could in their armor."I was beginning to fear that something had happened to you.You were gone for an age!""The fortunes of battle," he told her."How has it been here?""We have been standing around the sapling," Seiveril answered."The daemonfey and their fiends tried to break us five times this afternoon, but we fought them back each time." The elflord looked exhausted, but a fierce light still glowed in his eyes."I expect they'll try again soon.On the right, several of the Sembian companies broke early in the day, but Lord Selkirk rallied the rest.They're standing for now, too.But the wood elves tell me that warbands of drow are gathering in the forest nearby.I think they're waiting for darkness to join the daemonfey assault.""Drow, too?" Fflar grimaced.He should have expected that after the attempt on Ilsevele's life in Tegal's Mark.Clearly, Sarya had reached some accommodation with the drow clans lurking in the Elven Court.Just when it seemed that the battle might be in hand, Sarya came up with another arrow to shoot.which reminded him of something else that Seiveril needed to know."Seiveril, I have some more bad news.Ferry' Nimersyl has fallen, along with many of the Moon Knights.I came across them just a few minutes ago.I think a new foe has taken the field against us—a lord of fiends, perhaps.""Do you think the one Araevin spoke of is here?" Ilsevele asked."So Sarya's mysterious ally has finally shown himself," Seiveril said.He glanced up at his smoke-blackened banner, hanging limply overhead."Perhaps that explains why weare fighting demons and devils at the same time, when they are the fiercest of enemies.Some prince of the nether planes commands the creatures to serve together.""Is there some way to turn them against each other?" Ilsevele mused."If we can slay or banish the leader, will the devils abandon Sarya's cause?""That won't be easy." Fflar looked out over the smoldering fires of the vale and set a hand on the hilt of Keryvian
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