“No, not there,” Watcher said. “You can’t make it to the top from that spot. Over here.”
The young NPC ran around the tower until he found the spot he’d identified earlier. The vines led upward to a small piece of stone sticking out of the brick siding of the church. Watcher was the first to climb, scaling the wall as if he were walking down a path. When he reached the end of the vines, Watcher climbed to the top of the stone slab, then sprinted forward a step and jumped out into the open air. He landed on a wooden post that jutted out from the wall, then jumped to the next one, and then the next, slowly rising up the side of the tower. Behind him, his friends were doing the same, Blaster and Planter following along easily. It was like the game they used to play as children, jumping from tree to tree in the forest. But Cutter looked uncertain and afraid, though Watcher knew the big villager would never admit it.
They moved slowly up the side of the tower, switching between the parkour jumps to climbing the vine-covered walls. It was arduous work, Watcher’s muscles screaming at him with fatigue. Finally, after one last terrifying leap, Watcher made it from the tower to the sloped roof of the church. There was a small opening near the top that would give them access to the second floor.
“Look out!” Blaster landed with a thud right next to him.
“Thanks for the warning.”
Blaster patted him on the back, then scurried up to inclined roof and stood near the opening.
Planter came next. She climbed up the vines that extended up the side of the tower, then pushed off and sailed through the air. Her blond hair flowed like a golden flag as the light of the morning sun reflected off the long strands. Landing with the grace of a dancer, she gave Watcher a smile, then moved quietly up the sloped roof to stand at Blaster’s side.
“Come on, Cutter,” Watcher said, motioning to the big warrior.
The soldier was to the last jump, but he looked nervous.
“Hurry up. Planter and Blaster are already at the entrance to the second floor. If any zombies spot them, they’ll be in trouble. We need you … now!”
The warrior gave Watcher a scowl, then grasped the vines. He climbed carefully, a look of apprehension on his square face. At the top of the vine, he paused and glanced down. A fall from this height would likely be fatal. Watcher could see the fear in the big warrior’s eyes; he must be afraid of heights.
Watcher reached out a hand. “You can do it.”
Cutter glanced at the boy, then gritted his teeth and pushed off from the side of the tower. But when he released the vine, his foot slipped, and he tumbled in the air.
“He’s not gonna make it,” Planter yelled from behind.
Watcher gripped the edge of a block and extended his body out over the edge of the church roof. He reached out as far as he could. As the big villager came near, Watcher grabbed at his outstretched hand. They met and both held on, but almost immediately, Watcher’s grip started to slip; he wasn’t strong enough to hold Cutter for long. The weight of the soldier was too much to bear.
“I can’t pull you up,” Watcher said, gritting his teeth. “You have to climb.”
Cutter glanced up at the boy, a look of uncertainty in his eyes. He swung his body until his boots touched the wall, then he used them to push himself up. Climbing Watcher’s arm like a rope, he slowly moved higher and higher until Cutter’s fingers reached the edge of the stone wall. He grabbed the edge with his other hand then pulled himself upward. With his free hand, Watcher grabbed the edge of Cutter’s armor and yanked hard, helping the soldier up onto the ledge. Finally, he made it safely to the top.
“You two done playing around up there?” Blaster asked.
Watcher lay on his back, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face. His wrist throbbed with pain, the skin red and sore.
“You okay?” Watcher asked.
Cutter stood up and glanced at his two companions, then back to Watcher. “Why shouldn’t I be okay?”
Adjusting his armor, Cutter moved up the sloped roof to the opening where Planter and Blaster stood.
“Hey archer, are you coming or what?” Cutter said.
“Yeah.” Watcher sighed, then lowered his voice. “You’re welcome.” But of course, no one heard him.
Standing, Watcher climbed the sloping roof and stood near his friends. Inside, the church was dark, with only one torch lighting this top floor. Moving to the opening, he listened for monsters but heard nothing.
Cutter pushed his way forward and leaned into the entrance. “I don’t hear anything. Let’s go in.”
“Wait.”
Watcher placed a hand on the big warrior’s chest. Cutter looked at his small hand, then glared at the boy. Slowly, he removed his hand from the soldier’s chest.
“Why should we wait?”
“Can’t you smell it?” Watcher asked.
Cutter glanced at Blaster and Planter, then brought his attention back to Watcher. “Smell what?”
Watcher inhaled, then made a disgusted face as the smell of rotten and decaying flesh wafted into his nose. “I smell zombies.”
“You smell zombies?”
Watcher nodded.
“Nonsense.” Cutter started to charge into the room.
“I think we should go slowly and be careful,” Watcher said.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of.” The warrior gave Watcher a scowl over his shoulder. “I can take care of anything in this building.”
“I’m not afraid, I just think we should be cautious and think this through.”
“There’s time enough to think after all our friends are free,” Cutter said with a sneer.
The warrior moved farther into the dark room, the sound of his boots echoing off the walls.
“We should slow down,” Watcher whispered, but no one answered.
Cutter moved deeper into the church, Planter and Blaster right on his heels. They passed through a narrow doorway, into the rear of the building. Sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, casting sunlight in spots on the dusty wooden floor. But the rest of the room was cloaked in darkness. It was as if some kind of magical enchantment was present, driving away most of the sun’s rays.
The stench of rotten flesh was getting worse.
Just as Watcher was about to take another step, the sound of something sharp scraped across the wooden floor. Everyone froze. Watcher stared into the darkness, looking for movement, but the corners of the room were pitch black, and he couldn’t see anything … But he knew they were there; the smell was terrible.
“Zombies,” Watcher whispered. “They’re here, but I can’t see any of them.”
No one replied.
Blaster removed his forest green armor, and put on his favorite, black. He then darted off into the darkness, his leather boots hardly making a sound. Suddenly, light flared on the opposite side of the room. A torch had been placed on the ground, the burning stick forming a circle of illumination. The light struggled against the darkness, it’s radiance weaker than normal. The shuffling of leather scraping the ground off to the right, then another torch came to life. More torches appeared as Blaster darted across the center of the room.
In seconds, the entire center of the room was lit, the walls remaining cloaked in darkness. Still, no zombies could be seen. Blaster put the torches away and drew his two, curved knives.
“I don’t think there are any monsters here at all,” the boy said.
Just then, a moan floated out from the shadows to the right. It was a sorrowful wail that spoke of pain and suffering, and a hatred of living things. Another came from the left, this one more of a growl than a moan.
“They’re along the walls,” Watcher said. “I told you I could smell them.”
Zombies stepped into the light from the flickering torch. Razor-sharp claws extended from their fingers, reflecting the light from the torches. Sharp claws scratched the ancient floor behind them as more monsters advanced.
“We’re … surrounded.” Planter’s voice crack
ed with fear.
Watcher glanced at the monsters approaching from the right, then turned to those from the left. A group of decaying creatures moved across the floor and blocked the opening they had used to get in. They had nowhere to run … they were trapped!
Watcher drew an arrow and notched it to his string but didn’t know where to shoot. There were at least a dozen monsters in the room, if not more. It was hopeless. Slowly, the creatures shuffled forward.
Fear lit every nerve, causing Watcher to shake as panic slowly overtook his courage, driving it deeper into the back of his soul. His heart beat faster and faster as his breaths grew shallow. Glancing at Planter, he saw the same expression on her face … terror. He’d failed his father and sister, and now he’d led Planter to her doom.
Looking to the left and right, Watcher knew the situation was impossible. This was the end, and all he could do was wait for his doom.
The zombies moved closer, their sad moans getting louder and angrier. Cutter glanced at the others and smiled, then drew his diamond sword and charged forward. At the same time, Blaster dashed between two monsters and disappeared into the darkness along the edge of the room.
Swinging his sword with practiced ease, Cutter tore into the monsters. Zombies screamed in pain, but still drew closer. Planter drew Needle, her blade, then pulled the enchanted shield from her inventory as well. She moved to Cutter’s side. Her weapon glowed with a purple luster that made the zombies hesitate for an instant … that was their first mistake. Planter took advantage of their hesitancy and attacked. At the same time, Cutter attacked the monsters around him, kicking them aside as he slashed at arms and legs.
Watcher pulled out blocks of cobblestone and built a small tower, three blocks high. He fired his bow from the perch, aiming at monsters sneaking up behind his friends. His bow string hummed as the arrows streaked through the air. The pointed shafts found monster after monster. At times, he pulled out two arrows and notched them at the same time. Firing both, he did double the damage in a single draw.
“Cutter, behind you!” Watcher yelled.
He fired a pair of arrows at a zombie, striking it at the same time as its claws reached out for Cutter. The big warrior ducked, then spun around and struck the monster with his diamond blade. The creature disappeared, a sad moan on the monster’s lips.
Suddenly, the approaching horde shouted out in pain, even though they were not within reach of Needle and Cutter’s blade. Watcher continued to fire at the monsters, but was surprised by the confusion amidst the zombies.
“Blaster,” he whispered.
A zombie charged at Planter. Watcher fired at it before its dark claws could reach his friend. At the same time, Blaster emerged from the darkness and attacked with his curved knives. The monster groaned, then disappeared. Planter glanced over her shoulder and gave Watcher a smile, then charged at a zombie trying to sneak up on her companion.
Cutter and Planter fought side by side while Blaster wove between the monsters, slashing at exposed arms and chests. Watcher’s arrows tore into the creatures like deadly hail. With at least ten zombies destroyed, the rest of the horde chose to retreat. They fled out of the room and into one of the towers that loomed high over the structure, their shuffling feet scraping the ground as they ran down its spiral staircase.
Blaster put torches along the walls, lighting the edges of the massive room and checking for any zombies hiding in the shadows. They were all gone.
“We did it!” Planter put away her sword and turned to Cutter. “That was incredible. I was so scared, but I saw you all calm and confident, and I just kept on fighting.”
“Did you see how surprised they were when I came out of the darkness?” Blaster removed his black leather cap. “Their eyes got all big and surprised … it made me laugh. It reminded me of—”
“We aren’t done,” Watcher said. He jumped down from his perch and approached his friends.
“What are you talking about?” Cutter put away his diamond sword. “They ran away.”
“No, they just went down stairs,” Watcher said. “We have to go down there and find our friends and families. Er-Lan said the prisoners were kept in an underground chamber. That means we need to go down stairs and face the ones that are left.”
“They won’t be that tough,” Cutter said. “I think they’ll probably just—”
An angry, guttural scream echoed through the church, making the walls of the structure vibrate. The booming voice was piercing, with a gravely, scratchy edge to it.
“What was that?” Planter drew Needle again.
Watcher moved closer to his friends and spoke in a low voice. “We have to go down there, but I don’t like the sound of that monster.”
“I do,” Cutter said. “I recognize that voice—it’s been in my nightmares every night.” The others looked up at the big NPC. “It’s the same monster that slew my friend and commander, Fisher. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.” He gripped his sword tight, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the hilt. “It’s time for revenge.”
“Wait, we should make a plan.” Watcher ran ahead of Cutter, then turned and tried to stop him, but the big warrior just walked past.
“I already have the only plan I need. I’m gonna destroy that zombie so Fisher can finally rest in peace. You can stay here if you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid.”
Cutter didn’t reply. He just stormed through the room toward the front of the church. A doorway stood open on the left side, leading into one of the two towers that stood on either side of the structure. Stairs went down into the darkness, spiraling to the lower floor. Cutter marched down the steps, a soft, enraged growl coming from between clenched teeth as his feet pounded the stairs.
“They’ll know he’s coming,” Watcher said. “The way he’s stomping his feet, it’s like he’s advertising his arrival.”
“What should we do?” Planter asked.
Watcher glanced at her, then turned to Blaster and smiled. “I have a plan.”
He quickly explained what he wanted Blaster and Planter to do. They followed Cutter down the stairs, trying to catch up with the big warrior. When they reached the last step, they found Cutter charging through a room filled with tall stone pillars, the chamber surprisingly empty. Before they could reach him, the warrior stormed into the next room. The sound of his blade crashing into armored monsters rang out.
Watcher sprinted past the pillars and slipped quietly through the door into the main hall. He was shocked by what he saw. Cutter was completely surrounded by zombies, his massive diamond blade swinging in great, deadly curves, striking multiple creatures. This was keeping the monsters back for the moment, but Watcher knew the defense couldn’t last.
He moved beneath the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Placing blocks of dirt under his feet, he slowly ascended upward until he could jump on the hanging structure. The chandelier was made out of wooden fence, creating a grid of torches that lit the chamber. Watcher moved across the structure, jumping from post to post, avoiding the torches. When he reached his position, he shouted.
“NOW!”
Blaster and Planter charged through the doorway. At the same time, Watcher opened up with his bow. He fired down upon the monsters that were trying to attack Cutter from behind. His arrows rained down upon the creatures, the mob so tightly packed together that he couldn’t miss. Cutter never glanced up to see who was helping; he just fought as hard as he could, tearing into the zombies.
Turning his aim to his other friends, Watcher carved a hole through the zombie formation with his pointed shafts, allowing Blaster and Planter to come to the warrior’s aid. Blaster’s curved knives flashed from monster to monster, and the zombies howled in pain as Needle tore through the decaying creatures with savage precision. Zombie swords swung toward Planter, but her shield seemed to have a mind of its own, moving just in time to block attacks, even though some were coming from behind.
Slowly, the villagers chipp
ed away at the zombie horde. The monsters were clearly growing afraid of the three villagers as they saw how viciously they fought, but many of the creatures were also glancing over their shoulders at their general, screaming commands at them.
“Fight harder, fools.” The zombie commander stomped back and forth through the shadows. “Destroy the villagers. Let none survive.”
With a great swing of his diamond blade, Cutter carved through the remaining zombies before him, leaving the rest of the creatures for his companions. The gap in the monster horde allowed the big warrior to pursue his true enemy.
“Where is the zombie coward that took the life of my friend?” Cutter stormed through the zombie lines, knocking arrows out of the air.
Watcher turned and found a group of skeletons on the side of the room. Quickly, he fired on them, sending a stream of arrows at the bony creatures, their return fire sticking to the chandelier and leaving Watcher untouched.
“Are you hiding, coward?” Cutter bellowed. “You ran from me once in the forest. Do you have the courage to face me now?”
Watcher peered into the darkness at the far end of the chamber; a similar enchantment as the one on the upper floor bathed the far side of the room in shadow.
“Where are you, zombie?”
“So, the villager returns after the last failure in the forest,” a deep, scratchy voice said from the darkness.
Watcher leapt down from the chandelier and moved near Cutter, watching his back. The remaining zombies were finally destroyed, allowing Planter and Blaster to stand with Cutter.
“Come out and face me, zombie. You don’t have all your pathetic soldiers to protect you this time. Fisher’s diamond sword thirsts for revenge.”
The zombie stepped into the light, his dark eyes fixed on the blade in Cutter’s hand. A thin line of dark hair ran along his bald head and down the back, the bristly strands standing straight up like tiny spikes. He wore iron armor that was ornately decorated with sweeping curves and dark ridges, thin lines of magical enhancements running across the metallic surface like arteries pumping blood.
Zombies Attack! Page 11
