Lorne's blade sang through the air, a silver streak against the forest backdrop as a harpy descended upon him with talons bared. "Behind you!" he roared, parrying a swipe from the lead harpy, her feathers a mottled grey, eyes like chips of ice.

Serelle, her staff aglow with arcane energy, danced between the trees, chanting an incantation. With a deft flick of her wrist, a surge of magic arced towards a duo of harpies, encasing them in a shimmering web. The pair thrashed and snarled, straining against their magical bonds.

"Let's move!" Ingrid called, running for the far side of the gorge, her boots pounding the earth. Viviane followed, skipping nimbly over the uneven terrain, her satchels bouncing with every stride. Urien and Thorsten brought up the rear, their heavy armor clanking as they lumbered across the rocks.

The group bounded across the stones and logs, ducking and weaving between the harpies, who darted and swooped after them. Ahead, Lorne spotted a narrow path winding through the thick brush, and he gestured for his companions to follow.

"This way!" He veered to the right, hoping to gain a bit of distance. The others hurried after him, scrambling over the rugged terrain.

The path was bumpy, covered in roots and small rocks, making it difficult to keep their footing. Urien stumbled, nearly falling, but Ingrid grabbed his arm, helping him regain his balance.

As they reached a bend in the trail, Lorne cast his eyes upward, watching the harpies circling high above. He gritted his teeth, his hand tightening around his blade's hilt.

"They're following us," he muttered. "We need to find a way to lose them."

"Can't you do that invisibility spell again?" Viviane asked, panting as they ran.

Serelle shook her head. "It takes a lot of mana to maintain, and the effort expended is greater when there's multiple people to conceal. Besides, the harpies have keen senses. I doubt it'd fool them again."

"Any other ideas?" Urien asked. "We can't run forever."

"Aye," Thorsten chimed in. "We hold our ground and kill our pursuers. No sense running ourselves ragged. Might as well turn and fight." He slapped his gauntlet against his breastplate, the metal ringing loudly.

"Fighting would draw a lot of attention to us, though," Ingrid pointed out. "We don't want the rest of the harpies to come charging down on top of us."

"Then we run until we find a defensible position," Lorne ordered. "Keep moving!"

He picked up his pace, leading them further down the path.

As they rounded the bend, the forest opened into a clearing, rimmed by towering oaks and thickets of brambles. A bubbling stream cut across the middle, flowing down a steep hillside.

Ingrid frowned, scanning the area. "Is this really the best spot?"

"It will have to do," Lorne replied. He pointed to a cluster of jagged stones near the base of the hill, where the stream curved and widened. "Get to those rocks."

They ran, the harpies pursuing close behind.

Serelle reached the boulders first, placing her back against the stone as she caught her breath. The others soon joined her, their weapons at the ready.

A flock of harpies landed on the surrounding trees, their talons digging into the bark as they watched the group. Their wings flapped lazily, stirring the air with their motions.

Mesyori, their yellow-plumed leader, sneered at them, her feathers ruffling as she spoke. "Skytalon said. You are prey. Not welcome." She cocked her head to the side, regarding them with cold, amber eyes. "We hunt. We feed now."

Lorne stepped forward, his blade held firm. "We don't want trouble. We just came here to build a road through your lands. We didn't come to cause a fight." He lowered his weapon, extending his free hand in a gesture of peace. "So, why don't we talk about this instead? Maybe we can come to an agreement. Something that will benefit both of us."

Mesyori hissed, her voice shrill. "We no speak with prey! Prey dies. Skytalon rules. Hunt!"

Before the group could respond, the harpies launched themselves into the air, swooping towards the party with talons outstretched.

"Brace yourselves!" Lorne shouted, raising his sword. "Here they come!"

The first wave of harpies bore down on them, their talons raking at the air as they attacked.

Thorsten charged forward, swinging his greataxe in a wide arc. He cleaved through one harpy's talon, severing it in a single blow. The wounded harpy shrieked in pain and fell, crashing to the ground.

Ingrid raised her shield, catching a harpy's strike with a loud clang. She pivoted, bringing her blade around in a quick slash, cutting deeply into the harpy's abdomen. The harpy screeched, retreating into the sky with a flap of her wings.

"Keep your guard up!" Lorne yelled, deflecting another attack as he tried to rally his comrades. "Watch each other's backs!"

Urien bellowed in pain as a harpy's talons tore at his shoulder, tearing through his armor and into the flesh beneath. He staggered back, blood streaming from the wound. Thorsten turned, lunging at the harpy, who quickly withdrew into the sky with a mocking cackle.

A trio of harpies swooped at Lorne, forcing him back on the defensive. He parried their blows, dancing among their slashing talons, trying to create an opening. Serelle backed away, holding her staff aloft as she channeled her magic.

Viviane, her fingers deftly sorting through the contents of her satchel, found what she was looking for—a pair of trapezoidal, metallic objects.

"Cover your ears!" she warned, lobbing the devices through the air.

A thunderous crack split the air, blasting the area with blinding light and deafening sound. The harpies shrieked, disoriented and reeling from the effects. Some collapsed to the ground, struggling to recover their senses. Others fled, flying erratically in panic.

A few of the harpies circling above them began to hum softly, their voices blending and weaving in hypnotic harmony. The notes danced through the air, flowing and ebbing like a gentle tide.

As the harpies' song grew louder, Lorne felt his grip on his blade falter, his mind clouding with a warm haze. His arms and legs grew heavy, and his vision blurred, as if he were underwater.

Serelle groaned, clutching her head as she slumped to the ground. Her eyes rolled back, and her limbs went slack.

"Resist it!" Ingrid commanded, shaking Viviane's shoulders. "Don't let them get to you!"

The harpies' song grew louder still, a symphony of notes and tones that echoed through the forest. Lorne could feel himself slipping away, his body swaying as he fought to stay upright. His eyelids fluttered, and his knees buckled, sending him crashing to the ground.

But as the harpies' song rose to its climax, a roar shattered the air, drowning out the melody. Thorsten's eyes blazed with a fiery red light, and he let loose another ear-splitting cry, his voice rising above the harpies' singing.

The harpies' eyes widened in surprise, their song faltering. They exchanged panicked glances, their wings twitching nervously as they hovered in the air.

Ingrid and Viviane quickly recovered their wits, standing back-to-back as they surveyed the scene. Urien remained on his knees, one hand gripping his injured shoulder, while Serelle lay unmoving on the ground, her eyes glazed and unfocused.

Lorne blinked, shaking his head as he fought to clear his mind. The harpies' song echoed faintly in his ears, its hypnotic effect weakened but not broken.

"Stay alert!" Thorsten bellowed, his eyes blazing with crimson energy. "They'll be back."

Sure enough, the harpies soon returned, gathering in the sky above the battle. They darted and swirled through the air, circling and swooping as they prepared to dive.

"Ready yourselves!" Thorsten roared, his voice booming across the battlefield. "Don't give in to their tricks!"

The harpies attacked again, diving towards the party with talons bared. Ingrid and Thorsten stepped forward to meet their charge, their weapons flashing as they blocked and countered. Urien rose to his feet, staggering towards the battle with unsteady steps. Serelle remained prone on the ground, unresponsive to the chaos around her.

Viviane aimed her magitech crossbow, firing a trio of projectiles that exploded against a harpy's torso. The bird woman squawked in alarm, careening towards the forest floor before managing to catch herself.

"No one gets past me!" Thorsten hollered, bringing his greataxe down on the nearest harpy, splitting her in two. Blood spattered across his armor, but he seemed unfazed. He swung his weapon again, felling another harpy as she attempted to flee.

Lorne parried another harpy's strike, then buried his blade in her chest, finishing her. He yanked his weapon free and scanned the battlefield, searching for another target.

A stray harpie's talons grazed his cheek, drawing a line of blood. He grimaced and flicked the blade, spraying droplets of crimson across the grass. Another harpy lunged, but Lorne was ready, sweeping his blade low, taking her legs out from under her. She crashed to the ground with a pained gasp before he plunged his blade into her heart.

Ingrid deflected a series of attacks from two harpies, their talons glancing off her shield. She answered with a sweep of her blade, cleaving clean through one's wing. The birdwoman toppled to the ground in a heap, whimpering in pain. A final thrust finished her.

"Keep at it!" Thorsten bellowed, slamming the butt of his axe into a harpy's skull. "We're winning this!"

Despite his words, Lorne knew the battle wasn't won yet.

Even as they cut down one harpy after another, more swooped down to take their place, throwing themselves at the group with reckless abandon. They had the numbers, and they weren't afraid to throw them against the group.

---

Lorne ducked another attack, rolling to the side and kicking out with a boot, striking the harpy in the gut. She staggered, giving him a chance to strike. He lunged, plunging his blade through her chest and into the dirt below. She let out a weak gurgle, convulsing once before collapsing. He twisted the blade, ripping it free.

A screech from above drew his attention, and he glanced up to see a trio of harpies descending from the sky.

He remembered their appearance—the ones that stared daggers at him during the initial meeting. Each wore a band of leather adorned with colorful feathers, probably signifying their rank.

These harpies would not be like the others, he could tell.

One of the harpies extended her wings, stopping mid-flight, before unleashing a barrage of razor-sharp feathers towards Lorne. He hastily flung himself aside, narrowly avoiding the projectiles, which embedded themselves into the ground.

The three harpies continued to dive, raining down feathers upon the group. Thorsten and Urien cried out in pain as they were struck, their injuries leaving trails of blood in their wake. Viviane and Ingrid took cover behind a nearby boulder, using it as a shield. Serelle remained prone on the ground, having yet to awaken from her stupor.

Lorne ducked another hail of feathers, dashing for a nearby fallen tree. He dove behind the decaying trunk, using the rotting wood to shield himself from the deadly rain. He peered over the log, watching the harpies as they circled above.

Their strategy was obvious; they would wear them down with ranged attacks, before finishing them off in close quarters.

Lorne gripped his blade tightly, bracing himself as the harpies began to descend again.

One of them summoned a gust of wind with a powerful flap of her wings, sending debris and detritus whirling around the group. Another unleashed a torrent of icicles, which showered down upon them, shattering against the ground in a flurry of frigid shards. The third harpy produced a sphere of lightning in her talons, which she hurled towards the group with a shrill scream.

Thorsten and Urien dashed for cover, while Ingrid planted herself in front of Serelle, using her shield to deflect the incoming attacks. Viviane frantically tossed more devices from her satchel, deploying a series of shimmering shields that absorbed the impacts.

The volley of magic continued, hammering the group from all sides.

The air crackled and sizzled, the stench of burnt soil and scorched leaves permeating the clearing. Fragments of ice scattered across the ground, melting away almost as quickly as they had formed. Bits of stone and earth broke off from the impacts, peppering the surrounding area.

Lorne cursed, ducking as a chunk of rock bounced past his head.

His companions fared no better; Urien's armor had taken several hits, and Thorsten's greataxe was sparking from the numerous magic strikes. Even Ingrid's shield was beginning to buckle under the assault.

With a deep breath, he centered himself, focusing his mind and sharpening his senses. He had one chance to turn the tide, and it hinged on an ability he had mastered through arduous discipline and relentless practice.

As he readied himself to emerge from cover, a flurry of magic and feathers rained down upon the group. Viviane's shimmering shields flickered under the onslaught, and Ingrid's shield bore the brunt of the icicles and lightning.

Lorne leapt from behind the log, his blade a blur of steel.

The trio of harpies pivoted in the air, turning to face him. One conjured a spear of wind, launching it towards Lorne with a flap of her wings.

Lorne's eyes flared with indigo light.

As the spear neared, he swung his sword in a wide, sweeping motion.

The air rippled as his blade met the wind spear. The force of the attack reversed, hurtling back towards its caster. The harpy's eyes widened in shock as the wind spear impaled her, skewering her torso in a spray of blood. She plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

The two remaining harpies scattered, flying in opposite directions. They circled above him, harrying him with a barrage of razor-sharp feathers as they kept their distance.

Lorne weaved and ducked, narrowly avoiding the swarm of feathers. He spun his sword, deflecting a few of the projectiles, but most found their mark, slicing through his armor and piercing his skin.

Damn it. His Counter ability only worked against magical attacks, but these feathers were natural weapons.

From the corner of his eye, Lorne spotted Thorsten and Ingrid battling Mesyori, who was weaving in and out of range, nimbly evading their attacks while slashing at them with her talons.

Urien, meanwhile, was in the midst of combat with two other harpies. The giant of a man struggled to swing his oversized warhammer against the agile creatures, who fluttered and swiped, keeping him constantly on the defensive.

Viviane knelt at Serelle's side, attempting to revive the unconscious Arcanist while wielding a magitech rod, sending blasts of magefire at any harpy who ventured too close.

There's only so long they can hold out. I need to end this quickly.

The two harpies continued to harass him, launching feathers from a distance. He bobbed and weaved, trying to avoid the barrage, but they continued to score their marks. Wounds upon his arms and legs trickled with blood, but he pressed on, ignoring the pain.

"Viviane! Shoot me with a blast!" he called, holding his blade at the ready. "Direct your magic at me, and I'll redirect it!"

Without hesitation, Viviane aimed her rod and unleashed a bolt of energy towards Lorne. The magefire flew true, arcing through the air and trailing a stream of sparks.

Lorne tensed and adjusted his stance, angling his blade to meet the spell.

The bolt slammed into his blade, the energy coursing through the steel. With a twist of his wrist, he redirected the magic, hurling the arcane projectile—which doubled in speed and size—towards the closest harpy. The birdwoman barely had time to react, letting out a startled shriek as the spell collided with her body. Her feathers ignited, erupting in a blaze of flames. She dropped from the sky, landing with a sickening crunch.

The remaining harpy let out a screeching growl, fury evident in her expression. Her feathers bristled, glowing with an ominous light as she summoned her energy for another attack.

Lorne readied his stance, preparing to deflect whatever she threw at him.

Instead, a fiery energy wrapped around the harpy, enveloping her in a cocoon of flame. With blazing eyes, she shot upwards, ascended into the heavens, then rocketed back down toward him in a streak of orange and yellow.

Lorne threw his entire body behind his counterstrike, summoning every ounce of strength and agility he could muster. As the harpie smashed into him, his sword slammed into her body, sending ripples of energy cascading along his blade.

An explosion rang out, shattering the air with an ear-splitting boom.

A wave of heat washed over Lorne as the flames engulfed him. The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground and knocking his allies off their feet. Trees shook and branches snapped, toppling under the force of the concussive blast.

The resulting force sent the harpy spiraling away, tumbling through the air and smashing into the ground with a violent crash. She lay limp, her wings bent and twisted.

Lorne stood, his arms and legs shaking. His armor was blackened, and the hilt of his sword glowed faintly from the intense heat. A thin layer of soot covered his skin. His muscles ached and his wounds burned, but he pushed the pain aside, forcing himself to focus.

As the dust settled, the group slowly rose to their feet. Urien approached Lorne, the huge warrior wincing as he walked. "Commander! You all right?"

Lorne nodded, wincing as he sheathed his blade. "I'll survive. How are you?"

"Alive. Hurts like hell, though." Urien glanced over at Serelle, who Viviane was propping against a tree. "How's Serelle?"

"Still knocked out cold, but breathing," Viviane replied, wiping sweat from her brow. "She should come to shortly, but I'm not sure if she'll be combat-effective." She examined a spot on the Arcanist's forehead, brushing aside a tuft of green hair to reveal a sizable bruise. "Looks like she got a nasty bump on her noggin."

"Doesn't seem like we have time for her to rest, though." Ingrid gestured to the rest of the battlefield. "The other harpies will regroup for another pass."

Lorne followed Ingrid's gaze, assessing the situation. Mesyori and a few more harpies still circled overhead, though they seemed to be retreating. Other harpies lay strewn across the clearing, their bodies marred with gashes and burns. Only a handful remained airborne.

"We've done a number on them," Thorsten rumbled. "They're wary, now. The sight of their own dead will deter them."

"I'd rather not linger here to test that theory," Lorne pointed out, watching the harpies carefully. "If we're going to make a move, it has to be now."