The opposing general seemed to place nearly all of his strength in the center, with a lone Repulsar Knight Marksmen to guard his right Flank. Sunlark smiled, this general had evidently never fought against elves. Leaving exposed flanks had been the downfall of more than one general daring to oppose the Crystal Lotus Elves. Fortunately for the Elves, it was a lesson that normally came at the cost of the student�s life, thus making the knowledge rather rare to the other races.
The battle opened, as they normally do, with arrows and crossbow bolts falling among the ranks on both sides. Unlike normal battles, neither side appeared to be affected by this preliminary fire, though some of the troops began to be amazed at the number of arrows that bounced off the armor of brave Sir Mithgaurd who never even attempted to hide himself from the unerring accuracy of the Repulsar Knight Marksmen that seemed to take a fancy to him. General Sunlark watched with newborn respect for the Firstborn General, as he seemed to quickly assess his danger with his exposed flanks and began maneuvering his troops to compensate. Just in time, as it turned out, for the battle to start in earnest.
Lord Dunleaf and Sir Elrune led a charge into the Firstborn Iron Guard on the Elven right flank while the Silver Lotus eater began summoning Ice Warriors to help buttress the center. The Elven left flank remained relatively quiet at first, but a Firstborn Judge fell screaming with his eye pierced by an Elven arrow. The Firstborn appeared to feel confident that the center of the line was secure, and even managed to fell several Elven Militia, when suddenly the Elven Axemen were spirited through the sky with the help of the Blue Lotus Eater behind the doomed Black Sisters. The fighting in the center was suddenly fast and furious, and quickly became desperation on the part of the Firstborn as all the Black Sisters fell to the heavy axe blades and then even the Repulsar Knight was brought low. Only half the Elven axemen had been killed in the short fight.
Meanwhile, the Iron Guard and crossbowmen on the Firstborn left flank where faring only little better. Their ranks where ravaged by the two mounted Elves and their supporting spearmen, though they finally succeeded in bringing down Lord Dunleaf before being exterminated themselves. The impetuous Sir Elrune, full of himself after defeating the Iron Guard, charged towards the next nearest troops, blood lust filling his eyes and blinding him to the Firstborn Long bowmen in the center looking for a target. He and his Warkiller were shot dead before they ever reached their goal. For the Firstborn Crossbowmen this was only a brief respite, as the Elven Archers that had moved to the far flank now came into position to target the crossbowmen. Suddenly the crossbowmen started to sprout Elven arrows in their chests and fall dead with an amazed look forever frozen onto their faces. The final survivor finally recognized his danger and turned to run hoping to find cover, but he too fell dead four steps later with a half a dozen Ash wood shafts protruding from his back.
Brave Sir Mithgaurd finally charged into a horde of Firstborn Swordsmen. He managed to dispatch several before himself being overcome by numbers. The surviving Firstborn swordsmen where quickly countered by the Elven archers and finally overcome by the Elven Swordsmen who then carried on through to dispatch the bothersome Repulsar Knight Marksmen behind them.
With both flanks secure, all that was left was the center where the Firstborn had already suffered a staggering blow from the Elven axemen. A Chronomancer, some Firstborn Macemen and Long Bowmen where all that now stood before an advancing army of Militia, Axemen, and Ice Warriors, to say nothing of the Elven troops advancing now on both flanks. Though they stood their ground bravely, and even managed to finish off the Elven Militia, there was little doubt as to the outcome. In the end, there remained no Firstborn alive on the field.
Kirshun Sunlark was disappointed. He had thought early in the battle that the Firstborn were inexperienced, and that his army would be able to easily claim victory with few losses. As it was, the Firstborn General had actually begun to turn the battle and had managed to make the bittersweet victory more costly. Nearly half of the mighty Elven army had to be buried that day, but they had not died in vain. The Firstborn menace had been staved off yet again. The Elven General had to wonder if the land hunger humans would ever learn.
�Probably not.� he decided in resignation.