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-----As Sol seeks to continue pressing, he is aware that the other horsemen are moving to encircle him.
-----Sol grappled his thoughts, trying to take control of his own actions. He had to give Sarah something to strike at, and the rest would be expecting him to stick to the plan. He lashed out once more with his sword at the enemy commander, before moving Thunder onwards towards the hill, taking a swing at another rider if close enough. Once free of the circle, he would aim to keep any following riders between him and the archers.
-----Sol raises his blade again and brings it across in a sweeping motion. His sword injures the commander and almost takes the man from his horse. Sol then urges Thunder to his left to break from the circle.
-----The younger officer is suddenly there in the way although the man's face registers surprise as he fumbles his sword. Thunder muscles through the closing ranks as Sol delivers an injury to the Lieutenant as well as tearing the red and black surcoat.
-----Just then, somewhere behind the fleeing Gorian, an explosion of fire is heard among sudden shrieks and curses of hobgoblins. A much-needed thanks would be coming later to a certain young mage.
-----"Cut him down!" The commander yells in a voice full of venom. A chaotic scramble then ensues as Thunder snorts and pushes himself and his master through a few hobgoblins in the process of dropping bows in favor of swords. However, Sol suddenly feels at one with the wind. He sees himself and Thunder moving swiftly through the panicked humanoids as a fierce breeze through a wheat field. Even though angry yells are building behind him, the Stormbringer sees the hills and his friends to the northeast.
-----Suddenly as Thunder carries him just a few yards with increasing speed, something dark takes hold of Sol. A chillness possesses his limbs and shockingly the Gorian finds he cannot move! A whirl of emotions comes with the feeling as if Sol is simply an observer of someone else's hopelessness. In the next moment, the unthinkable happens! No longer in control of his balance, Sol begins to slip from his saddle. Sensing something wrong, Thunder slows before Sol strikes the ground. The impact is softer than expected but whether that is because of the new armor or Sol's loss of motion is unclear.
-----Sol lies on his left side in the grass staring at the western hills while his arms and hands are motionless in front of him.
-----He can then hear a hurrying from the evil army as horsemen and hobgoblins move to his position. He also hears the frantic and angered neighing of Thunder as the steed rears and hovers near his master.
-----"Sol!!!" Sarah screams. She quickly casts another spell, summoning a group of monsters!
-----Very quickly now, scrambling comes from both sides of the field.
-----There appears among the evil riders, a man wearing a dark cloak with hair the color of night. He urges his horse toward the fallen warrior and dismounts close to Sol. To the hobgoblin soldiers who hurry after him, he yells, "Draw whips!" as he points to the Gorian's magnificent stallion.
-----Seeing the progress, the armored leader directs a different section of the troops. "Form a line of resistance!" his command is heard as hobgoblins rush forward with polearms.
-----Forty yards in front of Sarah, there appears a quartet of small incoherent shapes. Their forms quickly focus and they are revealed to be large frogs perhaps three feet in length. "Go kill everyone who is trying to hurt that man!" She points to Sol as soon as the monsters appear. Sarah is clearly very distraught, but is hesitant to charge the bad guys. They immediately leap toward Sol's direction.
-----"STRATOR!" comes Lovan's anger filled voice as the Storm Priest is the first to charge forward. Almost recklessly his steed flies toward the growing line of humanoids.
-----"We protect th' ladies no matter what!" Strolum says as he draws his sword and nods towards his two companions. He straightens himself in the saddle, wounded though he is.
-----Across the way, Thunder advances and meets the cloaked man approaching his master. Rearing, the steed punches one of his hooves into the man knocking him back. Thunder is angry as he snorts and neighs.
-----"BY THE GREAT HUNTER!" Rinda exclaims frantically, shocked into action. Quickly she dismounts. "If I can just get close enough!" she says as she begins the casting that will give her the form of one of the Hunter's children.
-----"Slay that beast!" comes the voice of another officer on horse as hobgoblins get closer to the raging steed of Sol.
-----"Mistress!" Caranip says urgently from behind Sarah, "I have no spells that work this far away, . . . unless . . . " Suddenly her tone though still desperate contains a glimmer of hope. The small gnome quickly dismounts and stands away from the horses. She takes a stance and pulls out a bit of fleece from a pouch.
-----Across the way, a wicked repeated snapping rends the air as six hobgoblins work bullwhips trying to contain Thunder. The stallion rears again and kicks out with his other hoof missing any of the humanoids. At the same time, three of the humanoids snap their weapons with only one marking Thunder's hide. The stallion continues his fierce neighing and rearing.
-----By now, the dark armored one that Lovan had identified as a priest of Helator stands not far away from Sol and the cloaked man. He watches the action of those whipping the horse and then turns to look across the field toward the adventurers.
-----Pil and Dilton flank Marlexana with shocked grim expressions.
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