“What kind of wimpy barbarian are you?” Nyx snaps while trying to stand.
“Behave yourself, Nyx. No reason to anger the people keeping you alive,” Luke warns her. “Thank you, sir. We’ll get a drink after this battle.”
“I will hold you to that,” the barbarian says with a warm smile.
“That Hellfire Elf is going to pay,” Luke growls as he rushes in the direction of his old enemy.
Any orc that gets near the sprinting half-elf is immediately killed with a single slash. It is as if a starving wolf has been released into the camp and it has caught the smell of its favorite prey. At one point, Luke runs past Lord Highrider and sends the heads of the two orcs he was fighting into the air. He skids to a stop when he reaches the edge of the camp where there is nothing, but several bandit corpses.
“I will kill you next time! You hear me! I will kill you!” Luke roars. He is about to return to the battle when movement in the distance catches his attention. It is subtle and blends into the shadowy forest. Luke stares harder in that direction hoping for it to be the demon.
“It isn’t the demon. It almost looks like . . . not good,” mutters the forest tracker when he sees the movement again. He is running as fast as he can to get back to Nyx and doesn’t bother to kill any orcs that he passes. He finds Nyx still on her feet next to the blood-covered barbarian with her hand clutching her wound. He can see that her wound is no longer bleeding, but looks very weak and ashen.
“We have to go, Nyx,” Luke urgently declares. He pushes the arrow into Nyx’s hand before sheathing his blades. “Keep this arrow in your quiver for research and let me carry you since you’re still hurt.”
“What’s going on?” she asks as he flips her onto his back.
The feel of warm blood seeps through the back of his shirt as he turns to the curious barbarian. “Tell Lord Highrider that everyone has to get back to the city immediately. A massive goblin swarm is on the march and they are heading for Hero’s Gate. I would say they are about twenty minutes from the city wall. That’s if they are the first wave and there aren’t other groups in the area. Go!” He bolts out of the camp while the barbarian charges through any tents and bandits that are in his way.
“Please, try to run a little smoother and avoid those ruts. I may be less injured than before, but this still hurts,” Nyx complains as Luke picks up speed.
“I’m sorry, but we have to get to Hero’s Gate immediately,” Luke says, his voice shaking from the rapid pace. “Kellia and the others are in a lot of danger. Just hold tight and I’ll try to avoid the bumps.” He takes a deep breath and breaks out into as fast a sprint as possible leaving only a path of dust and fresh blood in his wake.
*****
The famous Zaria Gardens are filled with majestic flowers collected from all over Windemere. Persepion roses with their twisting, aromatic thorns and light-pulsing Delvo orchids line the cobblestone paths. Fierce fire elms blaze in the daylight and keep these exquisite gardens warm during the coldest days. The Zarian church maintains a lake amidst the flora and makes sure it is filled with delicate, colorful fish. Weeping lilies float on the placid surface and wait for a full moon to cry the night away. These gardens are considered one of the most beautiful places in all of Ralian. Kellia and Aedyn only wish they could continue enjoying the scenery instead of running for their lives.
“Be gone!” the priest hollers as a pack of slavering goblins attack. They are thrust into the air by a wave of light and land on the cobblestone path with a sickening crunch. More of these ivory-horned, red-skinned creatures begin to flood the gardens as Aedyn takes Kellia by the hand and runs in the direction of the docks. The sound of hungry goblins is everywhere as they escape the gardens and enter the abandoned streets.
“Where did these things come from?” Kellia asks.
Aedyn looks back at the goblins tearing apart the gardens. “I wish I knew. All I know is that Trinity and that accursed Lich are behind this attack. They would destroy an entire city to get to us. I assume that they are getting very desperate with their plans.”
“Get off me!” Kellia screeches when a goblin pounces on her. Twelve more are rushing to join their friend when the heiress abruptly stops flailing in terror. She grabs the goblin off of her back and squeezes its neck until a crackling snap stops the others in their tracks.
“It is nice to have you acting more like the old you,” Aedyn whispers while grimacing at the dead goblin. “I do not think that will stop them, but at least you startled them.”
The twelve creatures begin their charge again with one diving on the dead goblin and feasting on the remains. Aedyn chants as fast as he can, coating his staff in a brilliant light. He strikes out with his staff at the nearest creature before any of them notice a spell has been cast. It strikes the goblin on its horned, rat-like head, transferring the light from the priest’s staff into the monster. Aedyn wastes no time grabbing Kellia by the wrist and leading her away as fast as possible. Kellia turns back in time to see a silent explosion of light and several tiny bodies flying over the rooftops.
“What kind of spell was that?” Kellia gasps, trying to catch her breath.
“It was a Duragian power transference spell. Only a priest of the great sun can keep its power in their bodies without exploding,” Aedyn states. He turns down a side street when he sees a group of goblins tearing into a flailing guard.
“How many times can you do that?” Kellia asks.
“Two more times before I can no longer cast any magic,” Aedyn answers after some thought. “It takes a lot out of me to build up and transfer such power to an unworthy. In fact, I am a little dizzy right now.”
“Not what I needed to hear,” she mutters. “Damn it! We have company.”
They watch as another mob of crazed goblins spill out of the alley ahead of them. In disgust, they notice that the goblins are clawing and gnawing on what is left of a man dressed in rags. Kellia lets go of Aedyn so she can charge at the slavering beasts. The creatures ignore her until she brutally kicks one of them down the block. The body bounces a few times before rolling to a stop. She grabs two more goblins by their tails and smashes them together. A yell of rage escapes her throat before the heiress cuts loose on the goblins. Kellia’s punches and kicks are like hammers upon the goblins’ flesh. She pounds away at them until they are nothing more than twitching piles of meat.
“That was rather severe. I hope you feel better,” Aedyn says once Kellia calms down.
“Survival instinct and battle rush are kicking in,” she replies with a grin.
“Follow me,” the priest demands, continuing to lead Kellia through the streets. “It would be best for us to find some shelter and wait for help to arrive. Fizzle will be sent to find us once the ship is secured.”
“I just hope we can last that long,” she whispers.
They can hear the dying screams of the citizens who were unable to make it to shelter before the swarm overtook the city. Aedyn and Kellia try to ignore the chattering and chewing noises that waft into the street from every alley. Aedyn abruptly yanks Kellia behind a toppled cart when a screaming man falls from a window. He is covered by a pack of goblins that greedily slurp and feast on his flesh. It takes several minutes for them to abandon the bloody bones in the street and scramble away to find more food. The priest grits his teeth before moving on in search of a hiding place.
Kellia’s mind starts to fall into a dream-like haze. She always believed that goblins were the weakest creatures in the wild. The royal hunters always told stories of goblins being eaten by bears and wolves. Now, these pitiful creatures have become the source of citywide chaos and death. It takes a few minutes for Kellia to understand that their power is in their swarm tactics. Alone or in small groups goblins are easily defeated, but this flood of goblins could overrun even the strongest of her father’s knights. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that Aedyn is right and that hiding is their best chance at survival.
“Here w
e are,” Aedyn says.
Kellia snaps out of her thoughts to look at the remains of an old temple. Most of the roof is missing and the blackened walls reveal that the temple was ravaged by fire. Her heart sinks as she sees the rusty sheets of metal acting as a door that falls down under Aedyn’s touch. Kellia steps over the remains of a stained glass window as she looks around the decimated holy ground. The temple is a decaying ruin with broken windows and gaping holes that the goblins can easily swarm in from. The only wall that is still in one piece is the back wall where the blazing sun of Durag has been painted and surprisingly still retains its shine.
“It’s a deathtrap,” Kellia groans in despair.
“This temple was lost to us five years ago because of a fire. We would have rebuilt the temple, but the city gave us a better location to the west,” Aedyn says. He sees the worry on Kellia’s face and quickly works to put her at ease. “The holy power of Durag is still strong within these walls. Please believe in me. With my will, I can give this fallen temple and its power a final chance to shine. These goblins will have to destroy me before they get to you.”
Kellia lets out a nervous laugh and rubs her arms. “I do feel better since it’s a Durag temple. How long do you think we have?”
“I wish I knew. I will place a barrier around the ceiling to slow down their assault,” the priest says while he carefully scans the room for entry points. “I ask that you stay in the middle of the room. You may use anything that you find here as a weapon. I believe Durag would understand given the situation.” He lays his staff at his feet before he begins to pray with all of his might.
Kellia bends down to pick up the arm of a marble statue as an orange light snakes its way from Aedyn’s moving lips. The light rises into the air and weaves a glowing dome where the roof would have been. It is finished just in time as the patter of small feet and the gnashing of sharp teeth can be heard. The sound grows steadily until it reaches a fever pitch and the area is plunged into silence
“I don’t like this,” Kellia nervously mutters.
“Me too,” Aedyn admits when he finishes praying. “I know they have surrounded the temple, but I cannot be sure as to why they stopped their assault.”
“Maybe they got bored and left the city,” Kellia says, childish hope in her eyes. “All of that noise could have been them running past the temple and back into the wilderness. That has to be what just happened”
Aedyn picks up his staff and faces her with a serious look on his face. “I doubt we are that lucky. You saw them when they ate those men. These goblins are in the thrall of a feeding frenzy, which has been induced by magic. Their savagery and hunger will be limitless until something breaks the enchantment on them. Sadly, I do not think anyone in this city possesses that power. I believe the goblins are being cautious since we have already shown ourselves to be formidable. Primitive as they are, goblins know when their prey is too strong to attack with a small group.”
“Do you think we’re going to die?” she asks, a few tears running down her face. Aedyn reaches out to wrap her in a comforting, one-armed embrace.
“We will not die. Durag will see us through,” the priest confidently promises. “Keep some faith in the sun lord and our friends. We have yet to hear from them. They will be looking for us.”
“Our warrior and our caster went after the bandits. We’re all alone, Aedyn,” she whines.
“Luke and Nyx have been gone for almost five hours. They could be back by now and in the middle of this mess,” Aedyn says, gently stroking Kellia’s hair. “Nimby and Fritz are in the city, so we can depend on them. Though they may be weak fighters, I know both of our small friends are loyal allies. Still, I can see Nimby running back to the ship before coming in search of us. As much as I like the halfling, his acts of pure courage are inconsistent.”
Suddenly, the high-pitched squeals return from all around the abandoned temple and they are louder than before. Aedyn looks up to see shadowy forms hopping on the protective dome. They furiously stomp on the barrier, which shows no sign of weakening under their small weight. It is from the front of the building that the goblins start to crawl into the temple. The broken windows and pathetic, metal door are torn down as if they were air. Aedyn and Kellia back up toward the far wall as the goblins make a slow and careful prowl through the ruined temple.
“We can’t fight all of them by ourselves,” Kellia hisses.
“I believe we no longer have a choice,” the priest points out.
Aedyn slowly stretches his hand behind him and takes a few more steps away from the goblins. They are about to pounce when his hand gently touches the holy symbol of Durag on the wall. A throbbing sensation runs through his body before his eyes blaze into orbs of solar light. Kellia backs away from the priest as he begins a chant that echoes off the fire-licked walls. All of the goblins in the temple cry out in pain as their skulls crack open to release flowers of white light. His powerful spell brings down many of the goblins before another wave of the creatures rushes through the windows.
“Durag and I will meet you head on!” exclaims the priest. With a small prayer, Aedyn clutches his staff and charges toward them.
Kellia watches as Aedyn rushes into the hungry mob. Every blow from his staff causes an eruption of sunlight, which blinds some of the goblins. He spins his weapon as if he was more a warrior than a priest and hits a goblin in the chin. The beast is knocked back into its brethren, but it is immediately replaced by another. Aedyn bats two out of the air as he begins to feel his muscles cry in pain from working harder than they are used to. He is about to be overrun when Kellia knocks one of the goblins through the window with the marble arm.
“Let’s get our roles straight here!” Kellia shouts, her face wearing a forced grin. “I’m the warrior and you’re the priest. You cast magic and I bash their heads in.”
Aedyn smiles as he casts another spell that blinds all of the goblins that are looking at him. Kellia wastes no time smashing, kicking, and crushing the dazed monsters. Her path of carnage takes her to the doorway where she looks out to see the surrounding streets are filled with hungry goblins. Another blast of light erupts from behind her as she backs into the temple once more. Every goblin that jumps at her is sent crashing against the walls until the inside of the black-walled building appears more red than black. She hurries back to Aedyn and her heart sinks when she realizes that they haven’t made any noticeable progress with their struggle.
“There are too many of them and they are starting to put a big strain on my protective dome,” Aedyn announces as if reading her thoughts. “I only have enough energy to cast one more spell. After the protective dome is shattered, we will be at their mercy. Stay where you are, Kellia.”
“What are you going to do?” she asks, savagely stomping on the head of another goblin until it is crushed. She turns up her nose at the smell coming off her gore-covered boots.
“A personal shield spell. It can move with the target, so escape from the building is possible. I should have just enough energy,” he says. His prayer is whispered as he feels his punished body cry out in pain. The familiar glow of sunlight surrounds Kellia just in time to block a crawling goblin’s attempt to bite her leg.
“It worked. We might have a chance to survive all of this after all, Aedyn,” she says before turning around. “Aedyn!”
There is no glow around the priest as he slumps to the ground. His face is pale and he can barely keep his eyes open. The sound of his labored breathing mixes with the goblins’ growls and chattering noises. The goblins begin to ignore Kellia as they swarm toward the defenseless half-elf.
“I promised that I would protect you with my life,” he gasps with a lot of effort.
“Aedyn!” Kellia screams, pounding on the shield with all of her might. It is a useless gesture as the shield holds strong and she can only watch the goblins scramble past her. Her screams are drowned out by the snarling goblins as they descend upon the priest. Her arms begin to grow bigger as
she tries to unleash her full strength on the unbreakable spell. It is a wasted effort that only helps in making her fists numb and bloody. The heiress can only stare in horror at the pile of goblins covering Aedyn. Kellia is so concerned with the noise of the goblins that she almost misses the sound of shattering glass above her.
“Leave him alone!” roars a vaguely familiar voice.
Kellia looks up to see the protective dome splintering into pieces and a blood-covered figure drop into the pile of goblins that surround Aedyn. She can’t get a clear view of their savior as parts of goblins begin flying everywhere. Limbs and heads fill the air as a primal howl overshadows every noise. Aedyn’s wound-covered body finally flops out of the corpse pile as he tries to drag himself away from the slaughter. Now that he is free, Kellia runs to him and pulls him into the magic shield before dragging him to the side of the room. She has to hold him tight to make sure the spell covers him, which covers her in his blood.
“What is that thing?” she asks as the wall of crazed goblins is pushed back. They continue to rapidly die at the hands of this mysterious warrior.
“Somebody really pissed him off,” Aedyn groans, a cruel smile appearing on his face.
Kellia is about to throw a table at the goblins when another roar escapes from the over-flowing pile of bodies. The mysterious fighter barrels through the mass of goblins and slashes his way toward the front of the temple. Kellia is still unable to get a clear look at him as he slices a path to the doorway. A few goblins try to drop on him from above, but they are dead before they hit the ground. The battle finally stops when the remaining goblins start yelping in fear and retreat into the alleys of Hero’s Gate.
A solitary goblin backs toward the doorway as the blood-soaked swordsman stalks towards it. A snarl escapes the warrior’s lips, his emerald eyes burning with a primal fury. The lone goblin whimpers as it watches black goblin blood drip from the end of the warrior’s twin blades. It is about to go down on its knees to beg for mercy when it is mercifully kicked through the door and into the empty street. Its face is frozen in shock as it gets to its feet and stares at the figure in the doorway. It feels like an eternity before the goblin leaves and the warrior who saved Kellia’s life turns to face her.
Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower Page 24
