by B. T. Narro
The distance between the rest of the shelves wasn’t as great, allowing everyone to get up to the next with a boost from Kirnich. He jumped and hoisted himself up last. Desil offered his hand but pulled it back after Kirnich laughed at the gesture.
Much of the mountain wasn’t sloped steeply enough to require climbing, and soon there were no more vertical surfaces to scale. They made good time gaining enough height to see over the first rows of trees, but it still wasn’t enough to see past the entire forest and all its hills.
Desil watched the sky during the moments he didn’t have to worry about tripping on loose rocks. No one had mentioned the concern of Marros, as none of them had anticipated walking so far from the protective forest. But this mountain had sent them out horizontally farther than it had given them height, and now it would be quite a long and dangerous run back down if they were attacked.
Eventually they reached a dry and crumbly wall of rock blocking their progress. It seemed to be a daunting fifty feet tall before it sharply leveled off.
They turned around to survey the treetops, but there was hardly any light left. Desil couldn’t discern the difference between the faraway trees and the green of the earth. Leida took a spyglass from her bag and had a look.
“Um, Beatrix?” Leida questioned.
“What?”
“Are you certain this forest is ten miles long?”
“If the map is drawn to scale.”
“I don’t think it is.”
“Shorter?” Beatrix asked with hope.
“No, longer.” Leida handed her the spyglass.
Beatrix looked through. “Bastial hell.”
Desil asked, “How long is it?”
“Probably twenty miles,” Beatrix answered.
“Let’s see what we can figure out.” Leida took the spyglass back and looked again. “I can see over some parts of the forest, but trees are still blocking the rest of the view. I don’t see any settlement.”
“Let me check.” Beatrix snatched the spyglass. “I know where it should be.”
“I do, too,” Leida grumbled.
Beatrix ignored her. “I think we can almost see it.” She let the spyglass down and looked up behind her.
“I don’t care how soft the two of you can make the wall,” Adriya said. “I’m not climbing up there.”
“I’m not, either,” Leida agreed. “It’s too high.”
Desil reclaimed the spyglass and put it in his bag. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Should I soften it with you?” Leida asked him.
“Better not. I have to do a specific manipulation for this type of rock to be climbable, a mixture between softening and strengthening it so it doesn’t come apart in my hands.”
Kirnich cursed as Desil was about to begin, causing Desil to turn and look at the sky. Six Marros flapped their wings to remain steady in the air. One turned and flew off, no doubt to alert more of them.
The other five headed straight for Desil’s group.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Everyone drew their weapons, Kirnich and Adriya opting for their bows.
“Go now, Desil!” Beatrix ordered. “Before more come!”
He was tempted to stay and fight with the four of them to ensure equal numbers, but she was right. Their group still had to get all the way down. He tried to ignore the feeling that his head was about to be ripped clean off his neck as he heard the Marros let out an echoing screech. Although Desil didn’t speak the same language, there was no doubt about the meaning behind their battle roar.
His palms scraped against the jagged surface as he failed to change the rock into a soft enough material the first time. He focused harder and finally got a good grip, but even in its softened state, he had to avoid the sharp edges as best he could so as not to open an existing wound or create a new one.
It would’ve been a difficult climb even without the fear of those massive Marro claws coming for him. He checked over his shoulder to see one reaching out. Unable to defend himself, he could only cling to the mountain and hope it was enough. A talon dug into his shoulder, but only for a moment. The bird screeched in pain. When Desil looked back, he caught sight of an arrow sticking out from its underside as the creature flapped around in a circle and tried to bend its leg up to grab it.
Another Marro grabbed Desil’s backpack and pulled. Reflexively, he softened the mountain more to dig his hands in deeper. Teeth nipped at his neck as the creature tried to pull him away. He held on as the back of his neck burned with the wetness of blood. The creature’s massive wings beat against his shoulders as well as the mountain. He threw an elbow back into the Marro’s body. It knocked the bird back, but not far enough for it to let go of his bag.
Below him, his comrades shouted orders at each other as they must’ve been dealing with their own attackers. He heard Kirnich yell to get the Marro off Desil’s back.
Desil could do nothing but hold on until they had a chance.
Finally the creature’s screeches changed to that of pain, the noise falling down behind Desil. He climbed as quickly as he could, but he grabbed a softened piece of rock and accidentally pulled it away from the rest of the wall. He spun in the air, holding on only with his right hand. A Marro came at his face as if to rip out his eyes. Unable to duck his head, he opted for his dagger and barely got it up as the creature closed in.
The blade slid into the steely foot of the flying beast as the other claw scratched his cheek. The Marro yelled out something that might’ve been a curse.
“Shyka!”
It withdrew, blood streaming down onto the wings of another attacker coming up for Desil. A fireball struck this beast, the explosion enveloping both Marros. The force of the hot blast threw Desil against the mountain and made him lose the last of his grip. He dropped his dagger as he fell and reached out in desperation at the nearest rock.
His palms burned, but he managed to catch himself. He climbed as quickly as possible, his heart beating out of his chest.
He made good time and gained enough height to know it would mean death if he fell from here. He slowed to glance over his shoulder just in time to see another Marro coming for him. He braced himself.
This one crashed into him, smashing Desil’s face and chest against the rock. But the Marro bounced off, giving Desil the opportunity to scramble up the rest of the way. He got his arms over the ledge and pulled himself up, then spun around as he drew his sword. A Marro suddenly appeared from below.
Its eyes were full of calculated fury, with sloping brows that led straight down onto its speckled beak. The look it gave Desil was as if he and all humans deserved a painful death.
“Why?” he found himself asking the creature as it beat its wings.
It opened its mouth to reveal countless teeth long enough to bite down to bone. “Craslia,” he thought it said. The sound was like a threat, though with unquestionable power behind it.
The Marro came at him feet first. Desil poured bastial energy into his arms and hacked downward with the strength of two men. He was careful not to strike with the base of his blade but with the tip so it wouldn’t get stuck this time. But the Marro pulled back and avoided it.
He had underestimated the intelligence and agility of his attacker, and now he was vulnerable as the Marro came at him again. He tried to bring his sword back up, but the Marro’s claw grabbed his arm before he could react. He thrashed and tried to punch his way out until his left arm, too, was seized by the more powerful creature. The Marro adjusted itself in the air and started to flap, pulling Desil toward the edge.
He slid as he tried to find purchase. The creature would pull him to his death! A moment of anger took over before Desil could focus. He changed the ground, his feet sinking into it. He leaned back and pushed from his legs, tugging the creature toward him. But the Marro only beat its wings harder and dragged Desil out of the ground.
The fear of death gave Desil inhuman strength as he struggled wildly, but the creature’s grip was ir
on. Still holding his sword, he managed to turn his arm enough to get one edge against the creature’s leg. He couldn’t pry his arm out, but with a jerk he managed to slice the blade down across the leg. The Marro yelped and let go with one claw as Desil came to the very edge and saw just how far he was about to fall. He swung the blade and cut the other leg.
He fell backward as the Marro let go. There was no more calculation in its eyes, only fury, as it roared and bled from its legs. He backed away to gather himself. He knew what to do.
Desil rushed the Marro before it could get enough speed to dart at him. Enraged, the beast fought him rather than fleeing as it should. It slashed its claws through the air, catching nothing but the steel of his sword. One talon got through and reopened a cut down his arm, but only because he was busy stabbing the point of his blade into its wing.
Desil saw panic in its black eyes. It fluttered away from him as blood seeped out of the hole. The Marro growled out something to its kin below, then turned and flew off. The wings are key, he realized.
Desil gave a quick check on his comrades below. They were still engaged with the other Marros as the flying beasts swarmed the air above them. He could do nothing to help from here, so he drew the spyglass quickly from his bag and—a cloud of Marros was coming from another direction! The few Marros left fighting his group flew off to join the others. There seemed to be four times as many as the last time they’d attacked, hundreds! The Marros must’ve underestimated his group before but never would again.
Desil had no time for a detailed survey of the scene below, but he wouldn’t let this be for nothing. He looked to the south through the spyglass and forced himself to memorize the image. A break in the land, a river, another forest, a tower, but no settlement.
He dropped the spyglass back into his bag, closed it with a quick tug to the string, and turned to descend the mountainside.
“Desil!” Leida yelled to him. “More are coming!”
He felt their murderous gaze on him as he positioned himself. There was no chance to check below him. He put all of his effort into softening the rock as much as he could, then kicking the toes of his boots into it before each step.
“Leida, help soften it!”
He felt an immediate change with his next step, his boot sinking halfway into the cushiony mountainside. He looked down to find himself halfway there.
“Drop!” Kirnich told him. “I’ll catch you.”
“Move and let me land instead.”
They spread out. Leida bent down to soften the ground as he pushed off the mountain and let go. He softened it with her as he came closer to the bottom. His feet hit so hard he fell shin-deep into the weakened rock. Kirnich pulled Desil out before he gained his balance. A moment later he was running with the rest of them.
He checked the sky as they came to the first mountain-shelf, then glanced at the forest. Bastial hell, they might not make it to the cover of trees in time. Desil and Leida jumped off first, softening the ground for themselves and everyone else following right after. Desil looked behind him as he ran toward the next leap. Beatrix was still getting herself up while Kirnich and Adriya had caught up to Desil.
“Faster next time, Beatrix,” Desil insisted. “Or we’re not going to make it.”
She grumbled a cursed.
A powerful screech reverberated through the mountain. Desil didn’t have to look up to know it was one of the enormous Marros coming for them, and yet he couldn’t stop himself from glancing. It rotated as it broke through the cloud of others, the span of its wings as tall as a tree.
No one slowed as they descended, even during the steep slopes with uneven ground. They all tumbled at some point, even Desil. In his haste, he’d misjudged the height of a jutting rock and soared. He had enough time in the air to decide whether he should try to straighten out or use the momentum to flip.
He threw his torso back to straighten out and just managed to get a toe down on the steep slope, but the impact was too much for him. He skipped and spun, then crashed. Fortunately he was close enough to the next ledge and rolled right off, using the time in the air to straighten himself again. He landed first of their group, Adriya and Kirnich right behind him.
Leida and Beatrix lagged behind. The archers took out their bows.
“Go for the wings,” Desil advised them as they nocked their arrows.
But as they shot, the enormous beast tilted its wings to make itself vertical again. The arrows missed on either side, each striking a Marro close behind.
Leida came down feet-to-knees with a groan. Beatrix followed with the same lack of grace, falling sideways onto the ground soon after impact.
Desil and Kirnich grabbed them by the arms and hoisted them up. Desil felt the wetness of blood on his hands, but he didn’t have time to look. They ran toward the final ledge as the rest of the Marros swooped down behind the behemoth.
It was a mad dash, none of Desil’s group putting up a fight. They must’ve been just as overwhelmed with fear as he was, but even if he had the mental fortitude to think of a strategy, it probably wouldn’t be different than this. There was no way to battle this many Marros and come out alive.
But Desil suddenly realized the Marros’ plan as the largest one swooped in front of them. “Get down!” he yelled.
Everyone dropped to their stomach. The enormous creature whooshed by overhead as it squawked in anger. Desil got up and sprinted, the shadows of hundreds of Marros darkening the mountain. He felt something coming for his head and ducked. A talon pierced his back, but he felt no pain.
He came to the ledge and slowed for a look over his shoulder to ensure his comrades were right there. Everyone was only a few steps behind, Marros clawing at them. He jumped and landed on the softened ground.
A Marro landed hard on Desil’s back. He spun as he took out his sword, but the creature had already squeezed its talons, ripping open Desil’s shirtsleeve and slicing his shoulder. With his comrades coming down at that very moment, he chose to soften the ground rather than fight back. The Marro slashed at his throat as Desil got his hand up to protect his neck. He felt the skin across his knuckles tear open.
Kirnich came down on top of the Marro, both of them crashing into the earth. But another Marro came down right after and grabbed Kirnich by his cloak. It started to pull him off the other Marro as the rest of Desil’s comrades hit the ground with their feet yet fell over from the force of the fall.
Desil swung his sword at the strong talons holding Kirnich’s cloak, striking the flying beast. The Marro screeched as it let go, while the creature beneath Kirnich’s hands and knees flopped like a fish on land.
The whole swarm of Marros came down on everyone and ripped their clothes and skin. Beatrix screamed with aggression and all the creatures fell around them.
“Run!” she yelled.
They were unobstructed as they sprinted the rest of the way. Finally, they made it to the start of the forest.
With nearly every part of his body burning in pain, Desil could barely keep from collapsing. Adriya did fall to her knees, though she forced herself up quickly. Leida, on the other hand, grabbed her bleeding head after a tumble. Desil picked her up as he heard the Marros still in pursuit.
“Just a little farther,” he encouraged her. “They’ll soon give up.”
A yank to his cloak sent pain shooting across his throat. He turned to find one of the Marros flapping its wings as it clutched his cloak with its feet. The Marro pulled hard, and Desil toppled backward away from Leida.
Kirnich cried out as he seemed to be putting all his strength into a jumping slash at the Marro. The creature let go of Desil’s cloak to avoid the sword, but a dozen more Marros were walking into the forest behind it. They tried to fly, half of their wings obstructed by tree trunks, branches, or each other. Desil caught sight of the enormous one standing just beyond the tree line as it yelled to its kin.
A group of three grabbed Kirnich’s cloak and shirt. An arrow came out from behind Desil
and struck one of them between the eyes. It died on the spot. The other two let go as they cried out in agony, Beatrix holding her hands up from her knees.
Finally released, Kirnich tumbled backward and popped up. They ran into the forest, the Marros shrieking behind them but letting them go.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
While the Marros no longer followed them into the forest, some still watched from the outskirts.
“Did you get a chance to see anything when you were up on the mountain?” Beatrix asked Desil.
He could feel the tension in the air as he checked his wounds before answering.
“I did.”
“Thank the stars that wasn’t in vain.” Leida pressed her hand against her head and drew back her palm for a look. The blood was faint, fortunately.
“I didn’t see the settlement,” Desil said, “so it must be in the southern forest. There’s a tower of stone just west of it that they probably use to watch for Marros.”
“So that’s how they knew Basen and his party had arrived,” Beatrix said. “They must’ve seen the Marros attacking them.”
Desil shook his head. “There’s too much land for them to cover to have encountered Leida’s parents in the forest the day after they arrived. It had to have been a group already close to the river, possibly getting water, who saw the Marros attacking and decided to go north. I assume they figured the attack meant they could cross the river without fear of the Marros coming for them. Hopefully they didn’t see the second attack, the day after, when we arrived. But someone else back in their settlement probably did. Another group might have left to warn the others or even come for us themselves.”
“Let them,” Kirnich said. “If they fight, they’ll lose. We’ll take them hostage to get back Basen’s party.”
Desil examined the state of their group. Not only was everyone visibly exhausted, but their clothes were torn while blood streamed down their necks and arms. Desil asked Kirnich, “Are you saying we rest and prepare for battle?”
