[the guy who be short]

Battle roared. Really, it roared. Like a lion, but a thousand times louder, and another thousand times more intense.

The Parents were not faring well, though Fléin himself had slain many of the dark creatures arrayed against them. With his fellow Dwarves, he had formed a ferocious little party that acted as a vanguard and cut down all those in their way.

Replicating this, but on a much larger scale, was Anakron, surrounded by a guard of Balrogs, bulldozing through the centre of the Parents' Army. Every now and then, a Balrog would try jump, trying to fly, and fail; the effect would have been comical if dozens had not been burnt by their flames as they fell to the ground.

Fléin continued hacking in front of him, keeping an eye on how Ketchupkin was doing. Though he could not see past the steam and smoke of the Balrogs, he knew that the outpost of Parents on the far side of the field would be surrounded. He knew this because he was on the outpost on the near side of the battlefield, and was being surrounded. Anakron's attack on the centre had resulted in the Parental Army assuming a very weak concave shape, the ends of which were now being brutally assailed.

Swish! A flash of silver, and Fléin felt metal connect with his unmailed legs. Fortunately the Student had missed his knee, finding only his shin. Fléin kicked him off and swung his axe, but he ran back in fear, only to be replaced by more.

To his left, he saw a Dwarf - not Ketchupkin - fall. This was not going at all as planned. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he tried to move over to help, but it was too late to do anything but avenge his or her death.

There was a great cheering from the opposition, and Fléin realised that the bulk of the Parent's army was routing, fleeing from the wanton destruction that is war. He had no option but to turn himself, or face the enemy alone. Much as he rued it, he too ran back, ignoring his leg.

Anakron's forces cheered louder; a great cry went up, though Fléin wasn't quite sure what they said. All he knew was that all hope was gone. All around him he saw nothing but men and women running with tears running down their faces, knives and spears forgotten, weeping for the Fall of A Slan and their own fate.

And as the Students, with all their foul allies, came at last to end it all, when hope was lost, when all thought of anything but despair had left the stout heart of even the Dwarves, the Heavens opened and light bathed them all. There was a tremendous roar, not of war this time, but of a lion, and His noise was greater than all the racket of war and Men and beast alike.

In the centre of the field, a great light announced the Return of the Antilion. Another roar, and dryads, Pandas, beavers, lemmings, Roggie, hundreds of beasts loyal to A Slan rushed out and pushed into the armies of Anakron.
Those who were fleeing turrned and drove into the enemy, who recoiled; many turned themselves.

But Anakron grabbed his staff in both hands and stamped ferociously in the middle of the field. Fire and devilry erupted around him one again.

And in retaliation, A Slan roared, and yet more beasts and men emerged, seemingly from nowhere. Stamp and roar, stamp and roar.

Fléin rushed on, not knowing what was going to happen, nor whose force would be greater. All he knew was that he must fight on, he must fight against those who murdered cruelly, he must fight for Good. That was what this was. An ideological battle. And he was on the right side.

Then he felt his body bathed in light, and his limbs dropped like lead to his side. Struggle as he might, he was unable to move! This would be the death of him!

But... the enemy, too, were frozen. Fléin directed his eyes in puzzlement first from A Slan and then to Anakron. The Antilion was frozen in midroar, his canines bared at Anakron. Anakron, in his turn, was frozen slamming his staff into the ground. The battlefield was a tableau. Eyes roamed everywhere, seeking explanation.

Then there was a great bleating from above, and a voice boomed in Fléin's head, and in all the heads of those arrayed there.

"Now, children, you know you shouldn't be fighting! Baa!"