Need help with a scene.

[Xenodeus Blade]

Background: The scene involves a very decisive battle between the northern Kingdom of Hydir and the forces of the Ezkai Empire. The first part begins with a field battle outside the capital. The Hydirian forces are losing, but this is merely a diversion. Within the castle walls, a very old archmage and a group of would be mages are preparing a very powerful and very dangerous spell, the spell would incinerate enemies while leaving allies(who are marked) unharmed. The tides of the battle are turned, until some of the Ezkai forces enter the city.

The second part begins inside the city. In the resulting fight, Elenya, the princess of the Hydir, loses the mark as a wave of fire comes towards her. She is saved my her father, King Thorgrim, who gives her his mark, and is burned alive.

What I need help is on what to do after it? Also if anyone knows how to write large scale battles, that would help. Here is some information on both sides:

Hydir:

1) The Hydir are kind of a hybrid of Vikings and Celtic tribes
2) They have technology equivalent to ninth century Europe
3) They have around 13000 to 20000 soldiers
Important Characters:

Tom: A hybrid catperson/human. He was raised as a farmer/fisherman, but resently has some sword training. His main weapon is a god-crafted sword that is six feet long with a long shaped like a wing/lightning bolt. But because he is fighting normal humans, the sword acts as a normal sword.

Orin: A human paladin. Old friend of Tom's father. Wears plate armor and weilds a long sword. Skilled with a crossbow. Also turns into a werewolf

Fia: A catgirl. Friend of Tom. Small and pietie. Has a gentle exterior, but resently has been more and more violent. Armed with a short bow and knives.

Niklas: A catperson. Friend of Tom. Short, fat, and a coward. He lacks the physical ability to use weapons, but is great on thinking on his feet.

Elenya: Half dark elf Half human. Princess of Hydir and one of its best warriors. She is exteremly beautiful(think Tifa from Final Fantasy VII with red hair), great tactican, and has superhuman strength. Very impulsive. Armed with a battle axe and a pair of katar.

Bentolios(Bentley): A halfling wizard. Extremely old(over 4000), ill tempered, and loves a good ale. Like all mages, he must prepare all his spells ahead of time and store them in a staff.

Thorgrim: Human king of Hydir. Recently rescued from Ezkai forces. A very large and impossing man with greying red hair. He wears mithril scale armor and a warhammer and negates weak spells(such as fireballs)

Ezkai:
1) Mix between Roman leigions,Ming Dynasty China, and Greek hoplites.
2) They have technology equal to 15th to 16th century Europe. They also have airships, muskets, and Greek Fire.
3) They have about 25000 to 30000 thousand soldiers with four steampunk tanks, one airship, and 400 wyvern cavalry.

Important Characters:

1) Noland Baas: Captain of the Airship Bloodsword and Emperor's nephew. Believes that everyone is beneath him, including his own men, and want nothing more than to wipe these savages off the planet. He wields the ancestral bastard sword of the Emperor, created by the same people that made Tom's sword.

2) Arious Gi: General of the Ezkai land forces. Has never lost a battle, but has lost both his legs, his right eye, and left arm. His battle tactics are second to none. Unlike Noland, he holds a great respect for the Hydir, for his mother was from there.

If anyone has any ideas that want to give me, critisims, or just to put their two cents in, just leave a comment.

 

[Butterfly]

Someone wrote an article on writing battle scenes a while back - How to Write Battle Scenes

As to your predicament - you could switch POV to elsewhere in the fight, or stick with your princess and her emotional reaction while the fear, panic, shock, etc take over and block everything else out. I take it only allies will be around her, someone touching her shoulder for example while the world slows around her, or her in her blind fury going after the enemy leader...

It really all depends on how Elenya would react.

 

[Jabrosky]

I also have a battle scene in the works right now, and what's challenging me is describing how my character fights multiple warriors over a long period of time. I have less trouble with one-on-one fights, as I can easily describe the combatants' individual maneuvers, but with more than one fighting it becomes a lot to handle and I don't want to sound repetitious.

 

[KC Herbel]

Mr. Blade,
I think it is very important that you figure out who has the most at stake in the scene and play it out through that POV. If you decide you need to break down the battle into mulitple scenes, then figure out who has the most at stake in each. More than likely the character you pick will be the protagonist, and depending on the POV of your story, perhaps it must be. As far as the details, it probably isn't important to show what happened to everyone, not even other primary characters, especially if they aren't around the POV character during the battle. What happens to them can be sorted out afterwards by the survivors (like the protagonist). Battles are chaotic and confusing and not everything will be seen by everyone. It is important also to remember that battles generally have a build up and a climax where all the chips are won or lost. If there is an incedent that is pivital to the battles conclusion, make sure that your POV character is there and witnesses it. This can be the death of a friend or foe, or the taking/loss of a strategic piece of real estate (castle/bit of broken old wall/hill/etc.), or the defeat of a piece of equipment that is winning it for the otherside.
If your heroes are loosing the battle and must win it, it would be advisable to have your POV hero be behind some spectacular action that turns the table, like capturing the airship and gainging air superiority for the good guys. The important thing is figuring out who you want to win the battle and then figure out the how and why.
Battle are opportunities for heroes to be made. Even if your heroes don't win the battle, they should do or attempt to do something truly heroic...epic...Herculean!

 

[Light]

This is probably the best part of writing for me. After the buildup, and plot setting, the conflict interaction is the gold of it. I'd hate to take that from you. Even if you're stuck it can be the most rewarding part of your story to narrarate.

It's an excellent idea, particularly the mages casting the forbidden spell, and the father's sacrifice to save his daughter by extending his mark to her. Movie worthy scene in my head. After that I guess it would depend on the personality of the princess. She could be galvanized into combat if she is that sort, and be changed forever, or because it's her father's seal given to her it could affect her differently, and create a temporary juggernaut that would allow her to cleave through the Ezkai warrior's effortlessly, like a berserker. It could trigger latent abilties that remained dormant within her. I'm not sure how central she is to your story but considering the scene she seems to be the most significant character. Centering the battle around her as a result of her father sacrifice, and incorporating the danger and risk to the mages who are exposed and vulnerable while preparing a dangerous spell would be epic.