Kiara stepped toward the boy and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you. Hailen, right? I'm Kiara. We're going to watch each other's backs, okay?"
Hailen nodded, and he actually smiled as he shook her hand.
The Hunter gripped Kiara's shoulder to draw her attention. "That power the boy has, only use it if things go really bad. Got it?"
She raised an eyebrow. "You going to tell me what it is he's going to do?"
The Hunter shook his head. "No time. But when the time comes, get to the ground as quickly as you can."
Kiara nodded. "Got it. And Hunter?"
The Hunter had begun to turn away, but her words brought him spinning back around with a curious expression.
"I never expected I'd run into you again, but now that I have, there's one thing I need to say."
He raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"Thank you."
The words caught him off-guard.
She smiled. "It took me a while to realize it, but you really did give me a second chance at life. It won't be wasted."
The Hunter felt his lips stretch into a grin to match hers. "Let's see if you say the same after we get out of here, eh?"
Kiara chuckled and nodded. "May the Watcher smile on you, too."
He saluted with his sword, then turned to face the first monster to crest the hill.
Chapter Forty-One
The Hunter sized up the defenses of his position at a glance. The four standing stones of the Dolmenrath stood nearly thrice his height and easily two full paces wide. The gaps between the stones were large enough for two men to walk through, but the enormous Stone Guardians would have to twist to enter the circle. They could come at him from all four sides, but only one at a time. Unless his luck turned rotten, he'd have a heartbeat or two to strike down each monster before he'd have to turn to face another.
He hacked at the first of the Stone Guardians to squeeze through the standing stones, but his steel long sword clanged off the monster's stony skin. The creature let out a terrible roar, revealing long, sharp fangs. The deafening rumble brought back the instinctive fear the Hunter had felt in the tunnels beneath Voramis, when he faced one such monster summoned by the First. A great deal had happened since that day—the Hunter's fear had faded with everything he'd endured and survived since.
He seized the Stone Guardian's spiked chin and head and, with a powerful wrench, twisted its neck. Its roar of triumph turned to a howl of pain as the movement contorted whatever it had for a spinal column. The huge beast flopped, its too-long arms sagging, and the Hunter shoved hard, hurling it back off the edge of the cliff it had scaled. Stone clattered on stone, followed by a distant crunch as the Stone Guardian hit solid ground far below.
"Behind you!"
Kiara's call brought the Hunter spinning around in time to see a Stone Guardian shoving his spiked head, massive shoulders, and heavily-muscled arms through the opening behind him, two paces from where Kiara stood crouched protectively over Hailen.
The Hunter sprinted the four steps across the ring of standing stones toward the massive beast. He had no idea how he'd take the bastard down. He'd gotten lucky with the first one, but--
"Use this!" Kiara said as she tossed something to him.
The Hunter's gut clenched as he saw Lord Knight Moradiss' sword, taken from Sir Danna's unconscious hand, hurtling through the air. The stink of iron made him hesitate, but only a heartbeat. He dropped his long sword, reached out, and seized the hilt of the greatsword. His skin crawled at the near-contact with the metal, even through the leather wrappings of the guard. If he was to survive this, he'd have to use whatever tool got the job done most effectively.
The Hunter brought the heavy, black-bladed sword whipping around his head in a two-handed blow that crashed into the Stone Guardians' neck. Even as he struck, he dreaded the inevitable jarring sensation as the sword rebounded off its stony skin. But instead of painful clanging of metal on stone, the greatsword sheared through. The monster's furious roars cut off in a choked cough as the sword nearly severed its head. It slumped to the ground, spraying black blood.
The Hunter stared down at the sword in astonishment. What in the bloody hell?
Back in the tunnels beneath Voramis, he'd tried to attack the monstrous Abiarazi using the Swordsman's twin iron blades. They had done little more than chip its stony skin. But there was something different about this sword. It seemed to hum in his hands in a way that no inert metal should. He didn't sense a presence from it as he did with Soulhunger, but the subtle vibrations ran down the length of the blade, through the hilt, and into his hands.
He had no more time to contemplate the marvel, for another cry from Kiara brought him wheeling around to face a Stone Guardian clambering through the stones to his right. The creature opened its mouth to bellow, revealing hundreds of razor-sharp teeth. The Hunter rammed the five-foot iron blade straight down its throat. The gasping, gurgling sound of the dying Stone Guardian filled the Hunter with hope.
That hope died a heartbeat later as the horses screamed, a sound of terror and pain. Kiara's cry echoed a moment later, accompanied by the clang of metal on stone. The Hunter whirled, and horror turned his blood to ice. One Stone Guardian tore the two horses apart, ripping at their flesh with six-fingered, taloned forepaws. Kiara lay on the ground, her sword on the floor out of reach. A Stone Guardian crouched over her, its liquid black eyes fixed on Hailen and clawed hand raised to strike.
Time slowed to a crawl. The Hunter knew he couldn't cover the distance in time to save Hailen. In desperation, he thrust his hand into his pouch and drew out one of the toadstools he'd plucked from the cliffside. He hurled it underhanded even as the Stone Guardian's claws descended toward Hailen's head.
The toadstool exploded in a puff right between the monster's hind paws. The Stone Guardians let out a shriek of pain and terror as the bright purple spores enveloped them. The cloud caught a third beast that had clambered in behind the first, and it fell back with a howl. Their stony flesh sizzled and turned a sickly green before dripping off in great gobs of sludge that puddled at their feet. The three huge creatures collapsed and lay still.
"How bad is it?" he asked as he backed toward Kiara, not taking his eyes from the surrounding hillsides and the Stone Guardians moving up toward them.
"Hurts like a punch to the tits," Kiara grunted, "but I don't think the arm's broken. The horses, though…" Sorrow filled her eyes.
"We need to wake Sir Danna up. We could use her help about now."
"I've tried, but she hit her head hard. She may need more time to—"
A Stone Guardian's bestial roar drowned out the rest of her words. The Hunter hacked at the reptilian face poking through the obsidian stones, and the greatsword sliced through the monster's broad, grey-scaled snout and tore through its jaw. It let out a rumbling growl of fury, its shattered mouth hanging open, but its beady black eyes showed only hate and rage. The Hunter buried two feet of iron in its right eye socket.
Something struck him from behind, hurling him into the nearest standing stone with enough force to make him see stars. He rebounded off the hard surface and barely caught himself before he collapsed. Pain flared up and down his spine, and he gasped for air as he turned to face the Stone Guardian that had caught him off-guard.
The monster stood in the circle of stones, its eyes fixed on the Hunter and six-fingered fists descending toward his head. The Hunter dropped to one knee just in time to avoid the swipe that would have crushed his skull, then pushed off his back foot to drive the iron sword clean through the monster's chest. He didn't know if he'd hit its heart—twisted hell, did the thing even have a heart?—but the iron did its work. The Stone Guardian stumbled backward, colliding with another massive creature entering through the stones. The falling monster took his companion with him off the edge of the cliff.
The Hunter's arms and shoulders ached from swinging the huge sword, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Pain raced up and down his spine and ribs with
every step. Yet he couldn't slow, couldn't pause for a breath. The Stone Guardians kept coming, implacable in their desires to rend him, Kiara, Sir Danna, and Hailen limb for limb. They were hate, death, and fury incarnate. If he stopped, they all died.
Yet even he couldn't keep fighting forever. He hadn't eaten in more than a day, and he knew he was close to dehydration. His body had its limits—every blow he took sapped his energy as muscle, bone, and tendons re-knit. The iron greatsword also seemed to be weakening. The humming vibrations within the blade grew louder and more painful with every blow. The brittle iron couldn't withstand the impacts like steel.
In a desperate gamble, the Hunter hacked off a Stone Guardian's arm, bringing the creature down to the ground. He ripped Soulhunger free of its sheath and drove it with all his strength into the monster's skull. The tip of the dagger punched through stony skin, and black blood poured from the wound in its head as it shrieked in pain, shuddered, and crumbled to the stony ground. But the expected cry of delight from Soulhunger never came. The gemstone in the dagger's hilt remained crystal clear, dull.
The Hunter's heart sank. During his time on the Warmaster's torture table, he'd learned the secret of Soulhunger's gemstone: the screams of terror activated its power and enabled it to consume his victims' souls. The sadistic demon had spoken of specific frequencies and resonances—it had to mean the Stone Guardians' monstrous forms changed their cries, preventing them from activating Soulhunger's gemstone.
Soulhunger could kill the monsters, but the dagger would not absorb their power or give him what he needed to keep fighting.
Growling in rage, the Hunter left Soulhunger embedded in the Stone Guardian's skull and swung the iron greatsword in a powerful two-handed blow. Backed by the force of his fury, the heavy blade hacked completely through a Stone Guardian's head just below its eyes. Black blood washed over him as the monster stumbled and flopped to the ground within the standing stones.
Damn it! The Hunter growled a curse. He had to leap over the prone form of the Stone Guardian to bring down the next one. It cost him precious seconds, and by the time he turned, two more of the enormous figures had entered the ring of stones. They ignored Kiara and Hailen, who crouched behind the bulk of a fallen monster. Their eyes, pools of liquid emptiness, focused on him, the true threat.
Despite their bestial nature, he could see some semblance of intelligence gleaming in their dark eyes as they hesitated. Three of them faced him, a man less than half their size, yet they could understand the danger he presented. The slain corpses of their brethren made that much perfectly clear.
But the primitive fire burning within their bestial brains drove them on. The three leapt toward him at once, and it was all the Hunter could do to bring the iron sword up to block their slashing claws. The force of their attacks hurled him back against the stone, and his head struck hard. Before he could shake off the impact, agony flared in his face. The Stone Guardians' raking talons slashed his leather armor—and the flesh beneath--to ribbons. Blood gushed from the gaping wounds in his chest, abdomen, and legs.
The Hunter managed to bring one down with a desperate thrust, but that left him open to the other two. A massive fist punched into his midsection. Bone buckled and snapped, and the Hunter's breath whooshed from his lungs. He sagged to one knee and tried to bring his sword up to block another swipe, but the Stone Guardian battered through his weakened guard. The thing’s claws nearly removed the side of his face, and his neck protested as his head was snapped to one side.
He struggled to stand, but before he could push himself upright, the bulk of a massive Stone Guardian crashed atop him. His arms and legs were pinned beneath the creature. Its beady eyes and slavering jaws hovered a hand's breadth from his face, and a drop of its foul drool sizzled on his flesh.
The Hunter stared death in the face, and he felt only sorrow. Sorrow at failing to protect Farida, and now Hailen. Sorrow that he'd failed to put an end to the Sage. Sorrow that he'd never be able to look his mystery woman in the eyes and hear Her voice once more.
In the end, the Long Keeper comes for all, he thought. None of us can escape forever.
With a howl of triumph, the Stone Guardian bared its teeth. The Hunter expected the jaws to close around his throat, to feel the warm gush of his blood as it ripped him to shreds.
The pain never came.
A low humming filled his ears, setting the ground trembling beneath him. His eyes went wide. That sound!
A moment later, a wave of power burst from the standing stones.
Chapter Forty-Two
A wave of power sizzled above the Hunter's head, slamming into the Stone Guardian atop him and hurling the monster away like a ragdoll snatched up by a hurricane. The four other monsters that had clambered into the Dolmenrath were flung from of the ring of standing stones. Two pitched off the side of the cliff, and one hurtled back down the trail, bowling over more of the creatures racing up the hill. The fourth, who had been closest to the stone, was struck with such force that its stony skin ripped away. Its keening cries of agony filled the air as it staggered backward and toppled out of sight.
The Hunter's heart thundered as he levered himself up off the ground. Kiara stared, wide-eyed, at Hailen, who held his hand pressed against the nearest stone. The boy's face was pale, his eyes a deeper shade of violet than before, but a relieved smile stretched his face as the Hunter staggered upright.
"Hardwell!" Hailen cried, and raced over to embrace the Hunter. "I did it, just like you told me."
"Damned right, you did!" The Hunter grunted at the pain in his healing body, but crushed the boy to his chest. "It was perfect."
"Bloody fucking hell!" Kiara breathed. Her eyes darted between Hailen and the little bloody handprint on the black stone. "What in the Keeper's icy teats was that?"
The Hunter broke off the embrace with Hailen. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to focus on staying alive." Even as he spoke, the rumbling howls of the Stone Guardians echoed up the trail toward them.
The massive monsters had fallen back, intelligent enough to fear the power of the stones. Yet he knew their biological imperative to attack would soon reassert itself.
The Hunter glanced down the trail toward Enarium. Three of the Stone Guardians charged up the path toward the standing stones, but the mountains beyond them were empty. The way to Enarium was almost clear.
A desperate idea struck him. He whirled to Kiara.
"Take Hailen and run as fast as you can."
Kiara's eyes narrowed. "In case you haven't noticed, there's not really any way we can go."
The Hunter thrust a finger toward Enarium. "Get there." He didn't know how he knew—perhaps a fragment of his memory returning—but he was certain that they simply had to get through the open gates and they would be safe. "Take my pack. In it, there are two iron daggers. Only use them if you find yourself fighting for your life. Otherwise, keep them hidden. Don't let anyone know you have them."
Confusion twisted Kiara's face. "What are you—?"
"I can't explain it all now, but I will when we're safe. For now, just trust me and get Hailen there now!"
"And the big stone fuckers in the way?" Kiara demanded.
The Hunter drew one of the red-and-purple toadstools from his pouch and held it out to her. "Use this."
Her eyes narrowed. "What about you and Sir Danna?"
"We'll be right behind you."
Kiara's face hardened. "And what's to stop you from just leaving her here?"
The growls of the Stone Guardians grew louder. It seemed the creatures' bestial nature had reasserted itself and they were charging up toward him. He didn't have time to argue.
The Hunter clenched his fists. "I swear, on my life, that I will bring her. Just get the boy to safety!"
Kiara hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Keeper have mercy on you if you're lying, Hunter." She snatched the mushroom, seized Hailen's hand, and leapt through the standing stones.
"Hardwell!" Hail
en cried out, casting a fearful glance over his shoulder as Kiara half-dragged him down the trail.
"Go, Hailen!" the Hunter called. "Get to safety. I'm right behind you."
The high-pitched cry came again. "Hardwell!"
The sound twisted the Hunter's stomach in knots. He hated the thought of being separated from the boy, but it was the only way Hailen would survive. As long as most of the Stone Guardians focused on him, Hailen and Kiara could reach safety. The Hunter just needed to buy them some time.
He turned to face the first of the towering reptilian monsters pushing through the opening in the stones, and he tightened his grip on the greatsword. It was a weapon of power, he could feel as much, with the heft and balance only crafted by a master bladesmith. With a roar of rage, he brought the sword swinging down onto the monster's head. Two feet of sharpened iron chopped through stony skin and bone beneath. The Stone Guardian collapsed in a heap, momentarily blocking the opening.
A quiet groan behind the Hunter brought him whirling around. Sir Danna leaned on her elbow, a hand pressed to the back of her head.
"Good of you to join us!" the Hunter called out as he brought the sword swinging across, severing another monster's six-fingered paw. "I could use a hand here."
"What…?" Sir Danna's voice was thick, her words clumsy.
The Hunter growled. She wouldn't be much help anytime soon.
He hacked down another Stone Guardian, and a momentary lull gave him a chance to glance down the trail toward Enarium. His gut clenched as the three monstrous figures charged Kiara and Hailen. Kiara's hand flashed out, and the purple cloud erupted from the toadstool. The Stone Guardians tried to slow, too late. The spores enveloped them in the miasma of death. They fell back, shrieking, clawing at their eyes as their flesh sizzled and melted away.
The Hunter let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The way was clear. They would reach—
A dagger of fear stabbed into his heart. Two more Stone Guardians started up the side of the mountain onto the trail, twenty paces behind Kiara and Hailen. He wanted to cry out a warning, but his tongue refused to form words. He could do nothing but watch, frozen in horror, as the two massive creatures pounded toward the fleeing figures.
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