Open Chronicles Field of Blood, City of Bones

[Nikaia]

Foolish of Tyrone to think that those four were the only ones. And the sixty warriors clearly weren't as disorganized as the main force. Three men stood in front of each pyromancer after the first went down, and the second arrow thudded into a black shield. Nine were holding back, fifty one warriors came forward on all sides save the rear.

A five-man phalanx stood no chance, not against so many on so many sides. The soldiers held, but many were able to move around and engage the mercenaries.

Bodies fell, two soldiers dead, and just as many mercenaries, four casualties. They had killed nine of the attackers, but forty two enemies was still far too many to fend off.

The soldiers would be loathe to admit it, but retreat was the best strategic option. They would have to pull back to the forests behind them.

 

[Tyrone Kystal]

The army advanced on their position, but the small group of defenders had the high ground and the ascent of the barbarians was slowed by the climb. They had plenty of time to fire more arrows before the enemy arrived. The arrows from Tyrone's bow pierced even the shields if they were wooden, though it would interfere with his target the shield bearer would either receive an arrow through the forearm or a near death experience similar in nature.
Tyrone's bow thumped several more times before he slung the heavy weapon and drew his sword to deal with the barbarians.

All his arrows had to accomplish was to disrupt enough of the casters and their focus to allow even a bit of the forest fire to come through.
But now they were fighting for their lives and the mercenaries had to defend the soldiers flanks. At least they weren't fighting in darkness, the fire the pyromancers held back were massive tornadoes reaching nearly a thousand feet into the sky, unable to rage free of its restraints.

His blade cut down the barbarian warriors, but even he could see that they were about to be driven from their position on the hill as several of their number fell.
"Nikaia, we must fall back to the forest. We'll cover you and meet up later. Go!"
He decapitated another warrior and kicked another back down the hill atop several of his comrades.
The mercenaries he picked for this mission and the two that remained were veterans and former army officers, their skills were formidable and well bought and they held the ideal position to cover their allies.
The three of them alone including Tyrone were able to push the enemy back and hold them for the soldiers to retreat.

Tyrone was glistening in the light of the flaming tornadoes from blood and sweat, some of the blood his own. But he was grinning as he battled overwhelming odds.

 

[Nikaia]

"Nikaia, we must fall back to the forest. We'll cover you and meet up later. Go!"

Nikaia and the remaining soldiers were appalled at this suggestion. Not only were they being asked to retreat, but they were asking to let mercenaries fight for them while they ran.

"No." The soldier to Nikaia's right said firmly. "We do not retreat."

The other soldier concurred to retreat was to violate their very way of life. But Nikaia was the voice of reason. "We aren't retreating, we're pulling back to a position of strength so that we might have a chance to win."

After some mid-battle arguing the soldiers finally agreed to this and began to fall back to the forests. And any who followed were speared, but the enemy was most formidable, and didn't go down easily.

 

[Nikaia]

Tyrone Kystal