Leylo unrolled a parchment map on a flat rock, its surface sketched with a crude charcoal outline of the canyon's terrain. His slender fingers tapped several key locations.
"I've already had Ed scout the canyon walls. There are several spots suitable for triggering rockslides. The main entrance and the narrow exit must be reinforced with massive logs and boulders. Mammoths are Tier 3 magical beasts with immense strength; we must seal both ends tight."
He continued, "We need to dig pits and trenches within the canyon—deep and wide enough to stagger these behemoths."
Lillian nodded in agreement, adding, "As for magic, Archmage Elena and I have decided to place trigger-based restrictive circles around the trap zones. Slowness fields and high-pressure zones will sap their stamina and limit their speed."
"Excellent." Leylo turned to Ed and Kane. "All knights, move out! Digging, hauling, camouflaging—finish it in the shortest time possible. Ed, scatter the Pegasus knights as scouts. Find the migration route and report back the moment they are sighted."
"As you command, my Lord!" Ed and Kane answered in unison.
The knights immediately sprang into action. Shovels and pickaxes flew as earth and stone were cleared, and deep pits capable of snaring giants took shape. Guided by Lillian and Elena, the mages carefully etched mana runes and buried magic crystals as focal points, causing faint elemental ripples to pulse through the air.
Hours bled away. The sun crossed the zenith and began its westward descent. All traps were laid and meticulously camouflaged with leaves and dust. From a distance, the ground looked undisturbed. Following the plan, the knights retreated into pre-dug trenches or hidden crevices in the cliff walls, leaving only a few veteran scouts on the high ground.
The afternoon sun scorched the earth, and a drowsy heat hung in the air. Waiting was often more taxing than the heat of battle. Leylo stood on a concealed ridge, Tempest crouching beside him like a coiled spring.
Lillian walked up to him and handed him a waterskin. "Brother, will those big fellows really show up on time?" her voice carried a hint of nerves.
Leylo took a sip of the cool spring water. "They'll come. Patience, Lillian, is a hunter's greatest virtue."
As they spoke, a tiny black speck appeared on the horizon, expanding at a staggering speed.
"The scout is back!" a sentry from the Moonlight Knight Order signaled.
In a blink, the Pegasus rider dived down and landed before them. "My Lord! Princess! Mammoth tracks discovered to the northwest, roughly twenty kilometers out!"
Leylo and Lillian exchanged a sharp look. "Finally," Leylo tightened his fist. "Everyone, on alert! Prepare according to the plan!"
The atmosphere in the canyon turned electric. Leylo mounted Tempest. The Storm Griffin King, sensing his master's battle intent, let out a piercing shriek that split the sky. With a powerful beat of its wings, it surged into the air like a bolt of lightning. The flock followed behind in a loose v-formation.
On the other side, Archmage Elena and her disciples took flight on their Pegasuses, their white wings shimmering in the sun as they formed a nimble formation on the right flank.
"Archmage Elena, act according to the plan!" Leylo shouted.
"Understood," she replied.
The two aerial units fanned out like the wings of a giant net, sweeping toward the northwest. Soon, billowing dust rose from the horizon, and the earth began to vibrate with a heavy, rhythmic thrum like distant thunder. The Mammoth herd finally appeared.
They swung their shaggy heads warily, long trunks raised high to sniff the air, letting out low, uneasy rumbles.
"Now!" Leylo's gaze locked onto the herd.
Under his command, the Storm Griffins dived, passing low over the left side of the herd like streaks of yellow-brown lightning. Tempest unleashed the overwhelming pressure of a Tier 4 beast. Combined with the buffeting wind from their wings and their intimidating shrieks, the mammoths on the periphery panicked. The herd began to veer instinctively to the right.
On the right, Elena and her students released perfectly timed spells. Flashes of light and thunderous cracks erupted; illusory flames danced like a shepherd's whip, cutting off any escape to the right and forcing the herd toward the canyon entrance.
The mammoths, coerced by the two aerial forces, were guided as if by an invisible hand. Leylo precision-managed the pressure, diving and circling to maintain the rhythm.
"Good, keep this pace!" Leylo said, his eyes fixed on the lead bull—the patriarch of the herd.
Under the relentless driving, the lead mammoth charged into the narrow canyon entrance. The rest followed like a tidal wave of fur and tusk, their thundering hooves making the entire canyon shudder.
"Do it!" Lillian's voice rang out.
The knights ambushed on the canyon walls acted instantly. With a deafening roar, they pushed the prepared logs and heavy boulders over the edge.