After a dozen more dives, Myka saw the Khadorans halt their advance. She circled lazily while she observed the battlefield. The Jiadin and the free tribes were racing towards the temple, and most of the Motangans were fleeing towards the Khadorans. What disturbed the dragon was the large number of red-clad soldiers running into the temple. That was not part of the plan, and the dragon broke out of her circling and sped eastward. Her keen eyes swept over the charging free tribes until she located the elves and Chula behind them. Diving steeply, the dragon sped downward and landed before the elven king.
“Motangans are entering the temple in large numbers,” reported the dragon.
“How close are the Fakarans?” asked King Avalar.
“They are closing swiftly,” answered Myka, “but it will still be some time before they can reach the temple. Maybe a half-hour. The Khadorans have already halted to give the Motangans room to gather before the clamp gets tightened.”
The elven king turned to the head shaman of the Zatong tribe. “Can you get us to the temple ahead of the Fakarans?” he asked.
“How many of you?” asked Ukaro.
“Myself,” frowned King Avalar, “and my two daughters.”
“Axor?” the Torak’s father asked. “Rykoma? Will you two join me?”
The two shamans stepped forward and nodded solemnly. All three shamans shimmered for a moment and then disappeared. Seconds later, three large tigers appeared in their place. King Avalar waved the two elven princesses over and nodded towards the tigers.
“See if you can dissuade some of the Motangans from entering the temple,” King Avalar said to the dragon. “We will be there shortly.”
The dragon nodded silently and leaped into the air. King Avalar mounted one of the tigers and immediately nocked an arrow to his bow. Princess Alahara and Princess Alastasia mimicked their father’s moves.
“Why bows?” asked Princess Alahara as the cats sprung to life and raced towards the temple. “Wouldn’t light blades be more appropriate?”
“Light blades may travel through the Motangans and hit some of the Fakarans,” explained the elven king. “We do not need to decapitate the Motangans that we will meet along the way. We just need to keep them away from us while we get to the temple door. If they rise again, someone else will take care of them.”
Princess Alahara nodded thoughtfully as the three tigers started loping westward. Within minutes the tigers were racing along the tyrik web wall that surrounded the skeletons. Hundreds of the trapped skeletons were stuck to the web, and others were trying to climb over it without touching it. Princess Alahara shuddered in disgust and looked away.
King Avalar took the lead as the group started riding single file along the web barrier. The Fakarans ahead of them had kept away from the web for fear of getting stuck, but it appeared that they had managed to kill the Motangans along the edge of their route. The tigers leaped over decapitated bodies without breaking stride, and they soon caught up to the tail end of the Fakaran horsemen. The elven king watched as the Fakarans ahead of him leaned far out of their saddles to strike at the Motangans trying to hug the web. Several Motangan hellsouls were stuck to the outside of the web. The tigers nimbly avoided contact with the stuck Motangans.
As the tigers drew parallel with the vanguard of the Fakarans, King Avalar raised his bow. The elven king fired as fast as he could nock arrows, and his daughters joined in, but it was impossible to kill all of the Motangans in their path. The lead tiger leaped into the air and pounced on a Motangan who had managed to survive the withering volley of elven arrows. The large cat pushed out with its forepaws, knocking the hellsoul to the ground, and continued onward. The following cats leaped over the fallen body before it could rise. Several more Motangans were bowled over by the tigers and soon the elves were clear of the conflict. The Motangans between them and the temple were fleeing to the west or into the temple.
Myka stood on the steps of the temple, flames pouring out of her mouth as red-clad soldiers tried to race around her. Her tail was constantly whipping from side to side, and each movement swept Motangans to the ground. The dragon’s claws streaked outward and grabbed soldiers and snapped their heads off, but the red-clad soldiers still raced towards her.
“They think they can overwhelm her,” shouted King Avalar.
“They probably can,” replied Princess Alastasia. “She can only do so much, and to remain outside the temple is certain death for the Motangans. What is our plan?”
“We will seal the entrance,” King Avalar replied as the tigers raced up the steps towards the dragon.
The large cats raced through a sea of red uniforms, but there was little combat as the Motangans were fleeing. It was only when the elves reached the doorway to the temple that the hellsouls realized the danger. Myka swayed to one side to allow the tigers to pass by her huge body and then she immediately resumed her position. The tigers raced through the doorway and immediately halted. The elves leaped off the backs of the cats, ready to fire upon soldiers inside the temple, but there were none in sight, although their shouting and pounding footsteps could be heard coming from farther within the temple. King Avalar raced to the edge of the doorway and knelt down. He studied the darkness for several moments before he found what he was looking for.
“Scraggly weeds,” the elven king said with distaste, “but it is better than nothing. A sturdy vine stock would have been too much to ask for. Join me, daughters.”
The elven princesses ran forward and began to cast spells on the weeds. So intent was their concentration that they were unaware of the Motangan soldiers overwhelming the dragon and surging towards the doorway. Unexpectedly, magical projectiles streamed over the heads of the conjuring elves, and red-clad bodies began flying backwards away from the doorway. King Avalar glanced over his shoulder and saw the three Chula shamans in their human form. The shamans stood at angles to the doorway so that their spells would not impact the dragon if they missed. The elven king smiled inwardly and returned to his spell casting. Within minutes the scraggly weeds had grown thick and strong, and crisscrossed the doorway from top to bottom, but the elves continued casting.
“We can no longer keep them away without damaging what you have done,” announced Ukaro. “They are already hacking at your weed with their swords.”
King Avalar nodded wordlessly and continued his magic spell. Even as the Motangans sliced through strands of the weeds, the plants grew stronger and more numerous. Minutes later, light ceased to pass through the doorway, the entire opening covered in a mass of thick vegetation. The elves stood up and ceased their casting, their foreheads damp from the strenuous weaving of magic.
“Will it hold?” asked Ukaro.
“They could eventually cut through it,” shrugged King Avalar, “but I doubt that the Fakarans will allow them time to accomplish it. The hellsouls will soon realize that they must stand and fight. There will be no fleeing from this battlefield.”
“We must do something about the ones who already got into the temple,” remarked Princess Alastasia. “They must not be allowed to aid Vand in his battle against the Three.”
“Our people were supposed to enter through that door,” frowned Princess Alahara. “Now we have sealed them out.”
“Not entirely,” smiled King Avalar. “There is a balcony on the second level facing east. We shall create a plant ladder for our people to use. If our Chula friends will join us,” the elven king continued, “we will begin that process now. The sooner we can get our people inside, the quicker we can eliminate the hellsouls already here.”