Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 178: Stalemate

The Emperor floundered in the sky, his wings desperately beating, as he struggled upward, trying to regain his breath after the intense impact of Tam's previous attack.

He glanced upward, and saw the hawk-like silhouette against the sun, and knew that yet another attack was coming, and it would most likely be just as or more powerful than the previous one.

However, now that it was clear that Tam was clearly at an advantage, the Emperor had no qualms about going on the defensive.

The same shining barrier that had defended against Anteris' Flame Sea began to form, and the shining wings grew smaller, as the Emperor focused his aura to his sword and front, preparing to block another one of Tam's powerful attacks.

Once again, the hawk dove down, completely surrendering to gravity, but nevertheless aiming with inhuman accuracy at the Emperor, a powerful slash slamming into his defenses.

But this time, the Emperor was ready, while the Light Barrier cracked into pieces, and he was sent flying backward, this attack did barely any damage.

Tam looked up at the Emperor, who was stubbornly flying back up, it seemed that the Emperor intended to hold Tam off as long as possible, keeping him occupied in the skies so that the troops below would only have to deal with the injured Anteris.

While the battle in the skies above was coming to a sort of stalemate, the battle below was only beginning.

Captain Jeremiah's call had roused the Imperial soldiers, and they had formed into ranks at the docks, preparing for the inevitable advance of the Ursten troops.

But they watched in confusion as the ships didn't enter the harbor, instead splitting off to either side, and anchoring just outside the harbor. 

"Lower the rowboats!" Anteris commanded, his face a little pale, wincing slightly as his wound was cleaned by the most competent healer on board.

In unison, the ships of the fleet lowered the long canoe like rowboats, each large enough to seat fifty men, with countless rowboats being lowered into the sea, each ship lowering at least two each.

"They're aiming to come aboard at the destroyed towers, they'll be able to climb up the rubble!" Captain Jeremiah bellowed out, his gruff voice echoing to the few Imperial soldiers that remained at the capital, the majority belonged to one of the Storm Generals armies, and as such, had left with them. 

The men on the  rowed furiously and only a thin ring of soldiers stood atop the pile of rubble by the time the first of the Ursten row boats had sliced through the water and come to a stop at the remnants of the boom chain towers.

Soldiers of the nobles, Anteris' sailors and Southern Tribesmen all leapt out of the boats, just the first row boats outnumbering the paltry numbers that had arrived to defend against the invaders.

The thin ring of defenders broke easily, as they were quickly overwhelmed both in strength and in numbers, the Ursten forces streaming onto the two horns of land that formed wither end of the harbor.

It took every inch of the remaining Imperial soldiers' resolve to stand their ground and face the growing numbers of the Ursten forces, who, rather than rushing forward, were well-disciplined, and fell into formation while they waited for their reinforcements to arrive.

It seemed that all was lost for the Imperials, their Emperor was fighting a losing battle in the skies above, they were ridiculously outnumbered, and their most powerful warriors were far to the north. 

"Fighters of the Arena! I fought amongst you once, and if it truly is honor and glory that you seek, then you shall truly gain great honor and glory if you defend the Empire, in our time of need!" The Emperor yelled out toward the inner city, he was currently flying quite low in the sky, as he had just taken yet another vicious slash from Tam, and while his voice projected powerfully through the city, the desperation was clear in his voice.

There was a pause in the battle, as the soldiers on both sides looked up, incredulous at the Emperor who was almost begging, not commanding, the lowly men of the Arena. But of all those in the Empire, the Emperor was the man who truly knew the strength of the men and women who fought in the arena, slaves and free citizens alike.

Tam watched from above, as he flew up in preparation of another attack, as no response from the dark gray structure that ringed the blood-red floor of the Arena.

Then, a resounding cry echoed out from the enormous dark gray structure that loomed within the Inner City, hundreds of voices joining together in a battle cry.

The Nighthawks, who were still within the inner city along with Kothar,  melded into their surroundings as the fighters from the Arena emerged. 

Hundreds of fighters, all of them different in size, shape, origin and even the armor they wore, marched out of the Arena, led by a single man, the current champion of the Arena.

The man leading the mish mash of fighters was almost twice the size of the fighters that marched at his back, he wore only a worn and scarred breastplate, of thick steel, that should have been so heavy that one could scarcely move, but he marched on.

Thick straps of leather ringed his waist, studded with steel to defend his lower body, and his face was completely hidden by a full face helmet of the same thick steel  that depicted a screaming banshee, a thick mane of black hair cascading out from beneath the helmet.

The rest of his body was exposed, except for a pair of leather sandals, and every inch of exposed skin was scarred, from every weapon imaginable.

His menacing appearance was completed by the enormous spear that he carried on one enormous shoulder, the entire spear was constructed of steel, the haft a thick cylinder of steel as thick as an arm, and the head of the spear an enormous hunk of steel.