Battle for Keltorea:Sun Warrior Chronicles Book 2

Chapter 9:A Closing Ring

Keltorean ships kept Mandraesyr's fleet at bay, and the Air Corps and the regular army pummeled the attacking ground forces with their defensive weapons, not allowing them to get close.

Talaeos, Ritalin and Juralen cut down scores of Delmar troops, human and monster alike. Ritalin skewered a rothari with his trident, and released two lances of gold lightning, striking two xyras in their weak spots, and all three monsters fell from the parapet, crushing several soldiers, carthors and kyroans under them. Oratharks swooped down down, and released energy beams from their maws. The Elder conjured a shield of light, and snapped one's neck with telekinesis. He blasted the enemy troops on the walls with a storm of gold lightning, and hurled his trident at another orothark.

The other four unleashed their energy beams once more, but Ritalin took to the air, and mounted one of them. Ignoring the creature's attempts to throw him off, he retrieved his trident with telekinesis and cleaved through one's throat as it tried to attack from the top, and directed his mount at another, forcing it to attack. He electrocuted the fourth, and as his mount finished its target, he entered its mind, sending soothing thoughts into its infuriated consciousness, calming the creature.

Juralen and Talaeos unleashed eye beams, taking out two more demon hounds. Talaeos brought his hand down on the stone, scattering the nearby enemies with an electric shock. Juralen shot several more with his pistol. Green lightning flashed around them, as Lumaira appeared, clearing the area around them before the monsters could surround them.

"Your timing couldn't have been better. We were getting rather desperate", said Juralen, leaning against the stone. "Where is Jukira?" Talaeos asked. "She took a severe beating from one of the Tearia, and is now recovering. It will take a while", Lumaira replied, shooting a Delmar soldier trying to sneak up on them. "At least you are in one piece. Even with Ritalin, we are struggling to hold them off. "Speaking of Ritalin, he was pulling some crazy antics when last I saw him", Lumaira said. "Antics?" Talaeos said, raising an eyebrow. "Like taking on several squadrons of Mandraesyr's fighters while mounted on an orathark he tamed somehow. And he didn't even look too inconvenienced", Lumaira replied. "Alright, enough chatter. We have Delmar troops to kill", Juralen said, blasting a demon hound with light.

Ritalin ducked as a fighter passed inches over his head, and struck its engines with a burst of lightning, while simultaneously blocking shots with a shield of light. The orathark obliterated a fighter with its energy beam, and caused two more to crash with each other. It struck another with its tail, and crashed through the cockpit with a claw, killing the pilot. Ritalin burned through two more with light, sending both into a Delmar capital ship. The orothark dove, evading the blasts from a frigate, and sent an energy beam at its underbelly, splitting the vessel in two.

Ritalin unleashed a telekinetic blast, pushing the nearby Delmar fighters into the paths of several corvettes, destroying them all. The Elder directed his mount away from the center, where most of the larger capital ships were concentrated, to the edges, where they picked off lone or damaged smaller ships. He spotted several Keltorean bombers heading for a battleship, and flew after them. The two destroyed any Delmar fighters in their vicinity, protecting the bombers. The ships released their payload, and the orothark delivered the final blow with a powerful energy beam, bringing the massive vessel down.

Thus far, the Delmar forces were held at bay. The Keltorean defenders were steadily driving them back. Soon, the enemy broke, and the survivors retreated, granting the defenders a well earned reprieve.

They did not have long, however. Just four days later, their foe struck again. This time, the attack was not as drawn out, and the enemy once again retreated. But those assaults kept repeating, and each time, the Keltorean forces repelled them, but, as time passed, they were slowly running out of ammunition. The defenders were tiring steadily.

Meanwhile, fresh Delmar reinforcements arrived. More and more Tearia joined the siege, and more Sun Warriors and Ring Wielders were killed or disabled. Had it not been for Talaeos, Lumaira, Juralen and Jukira's counter strikes deep into the Delmar lines, the defenders would have been overwhelmed a long time ago. As it was, however, the deep strikes disrupted their foes just enough to delay a concentrated attack for another week or so.

Even so, their resources were swiftly being depleted, and, battle hardened though they were, they were also worn out, and facing fresh reinforcements every week.