As though in answer to her challenge, the dark minions of Xin came; hooded cultists, horned demons, ghouls, skeletal warriors plucked from their graves by unholy sorcery.  Like a black tide they came forward.  As Tabitha's holy power washed over them, the skeletons became dust and the ghouls screeched in pain, but there were many more and the living and the demonic were largely unaffected.  Once again, they crashed into one another.  Tabitha found herself at the centre of a hurricane of stabbing daggers and clawing talons, repulsed by her shield or deflected by her armour, though it could not last forever.  Nearby, a man went down, a dagger stab having found the crevice between breastplate and helmet.<br/><br/>Yet, whatever the odds, the paladin's presence kept men from outright panicking and giving in to fear.  To keep Tabitha safe, knights redoubled their efforts, steeling their sword arms and came fighting towards where she stood.  Above, the battle between Caeldon and Xin raged on – as a veteran of many battles and one of the most powerful men of faith in the world, Xin's evil magic could not touch Caeldon, but neither could the man find an opportunity to get close to the wizard who was more than prepared for the possibility that the fight could have been taken to him.  In the background, floating above the ground and sending silver light streaming downward, the Sihedron hovered impassively, awaiting the outcome of the battle and the accomplishment of its destiny.<br/><br/>Whilst the soldier of the Legion had the advantage of good discipline and excellence of training, it was becoming quite evident that the weight of numbers counted as well – no matter how well a man could swing a sword, his arm would tire and his guard would lower, after which there was only one inevitable result.  Slowly, the ring that the defenders had thrown around the pyramid was being pushed back, and the Legion was being forced to mount the steps of the pyramid to gain higher ground.<br/><br/>Above them, the Sihedron seemed to call out to Tabitha, calling for her to seize it and put an end to all of this.  A quick glance around, showed that those thoughts were likely not exclusive to Tabitha alone, as many other men and women occasionally glanced upward, despite the fighting right before them.