by Ritu Ghosh
Belster had quickly gone behind the trees and hid to take a better aim at the Lurgs. He was successful in many of his attempts. But soon he was getting out of arrows.
Billy was surrounded by three Lurgs who were grunting and gritting their teeth. One of them threw its spear towards Billy but Billy was quick to jump over them. This surprised the Lurgs for a moment but then the Lurgs turned back again to catch Billy. He jumped again and landed on one of the Lurgs' shoulders.
He removed the Lurg's helmet and knocked him down. The other two Lurgs were not prepared for this, they couldn’t figure out how Billy was doing it. They tried to get a hold of him, but Billy changed into his Werewolf form and growled loudly. The Lurgs were startled and backed off, they were running away from Billy now, but Billy jumped on both of them and they fell dead on the ground.
Ony was not having much luck with his axe, the Lurgs had very good protection on them but that didn’t stop him from fighting, he made sure to hit their amours hard so that they gave away soon.
Jane and Aaron stood where they were standing with their swords in their hands. The sound of clashing blades was deafening. The Lurgs and Ony were screaming at the top of their voices and Billy‘s scary growl could be heard for miles.
One Lurg came towards Jane and tried to hit her with his heavy spear. Jane threw a spell towards him which made him freeze in mid air.
Aaron came and stood next to Jane to see if she was alright.
“They seem strong, I don’t think we can win this” said Jane.
Another Lurg charged towards them and tried to hit Aaron at his face. Aaron moved aside quickly and the Lurg fell hard on the floor face first. In one stroke Aaron slashed its throat. He looked up at Jane and smiled “Not bad for the first time”
Jane was not smiling at all, her eyes were wide with fear “Behind you” she screamed and pointed her sword. Aaron turned back, the big Lurg was standing right behind him mad with rage, he reached down and grabbed Aaron by his left arm and lifted him up. "You think you are so smart, don’t you?” Aaron was lifted high in the air, he couldn’t move.
“Let him go you filthy thing!” screamed Jane and let a light escape her sword wand, the light hit the big Lurg but nothing happened, he was like an unmovable rock. He ignored Jane completely and tossed Aaron to the side. The Lurg went to pick up Aaron again.
Jane ran to Aaron and shielded him. From her sword, escaped another light and then another. It didn’t seem to affect the Lurg at all, he kept walking towards them. With one sweep, he threw Jane to the other side of the battle ground and again lifted Aaron. Aaron was now prepared well with his sword and he thrust the sword in the Lurg but the sword was stopped by the amour.
The Lurg shook Aaron by his neck and in attempt to save himself Aaron’s sword fell down. He struggled hard to keep himself alive in the Lurgs’s hand.
Aaron was almost passing out when he suddenly heard a big explosion and then another. The big Lurg was startled and dropped Aaron. There was chaos among the Lurgs; many were fallen dead as the explosions continued. Aaron was fallen on the ground trying to breathe. He saw Bo sitting on a high tree branch and dropping the explosives onto the Lurgs.
The big Lurg looked up and spotted Bo. But before the Lurg could do anything, several knives came flying towards him. Most of them bounced off, but two made their way into his left cheek and neck. He flinched in pain and stopped for a second to pull the knives out.
He ignored his pain and walked behind the tree on which Bo was sitting. Flynn continued to throw his knives but none of the knives hit the Lurg anymore.
The big Lurg had spotted Flynn and was heading straight towards him. Aaron gripped onto his sword and stood up.
“Run Flynn” he screamed with whatever little voice came out of him.
But Flynn was not running, the big Lurg came towards Flynn. Aaron knew Flynn had frozen in fear as he always does. Aaron ran in Flynn’s direction, he needed to reach him before the big Lurg could. Aaron saw Jane running towards Flynn from the other side.
The Lurg was far ahead of them. Aaron ran as fast as he could but the Lurg reached Flynn first. Flynn stood right where he was and didn’t move a bit. The Lurg snatched the knives from his hand and threw them on the ground, and then he lifted Flynn high above his own head. Flynn shut his eyes tight.
Before the Lurg could throw him, Aaron struck the Lurg with his sword with all the strength he had left. It did nothing to the Lurg but the Lurg was now mad at Aaron.
He threw Flynn on the ground and jumped towards Aaron. Aaron ran and the Lurg followed him. Jane had reached the spot and pulled her sword out, she threw a spell at the Lurg. The Lurg turned towards Jane and growled.
Dan was surrounded by the Lurgs too; he was fighting their swords with his. He looked tired but didn’t stop. The Lurgs had captured Belster and was holding him down from reaching his arrows. Ony and Billy were still thrashing the Lurgs, but clearly they had been outnumbered by the Lurgs.
Bo’s explosives had made only a little difference as the Lurgs had very little damage, because of their armors.
The big Lurg leapt towards Jane before she could even get a chance to run back. The Lurg was choking Jane in a matter of seconds, Jane tried to hit the Lurg with her sword but she could hardly breathe.
Suddenly, the Lurg dropped her. She hit the ground and remained motionless for some time. Slowly she crawled towards her fallen sword. The Lurg pulled out a knife out of his ear, black liquid poured out of his wound. Aaron was coming towards Jane but he stopped. Flynn had hit the Lurg again and this time he got the shot right.
The Lurg felt his ears, there was black blood on his hands. He turned towards Flynn and tightened his fist. With one quick motion he pulled out his blunt sword “I had enough" he said and rushed towards Flynn. Aaron tried to come in between but the Lurg pushed him aside.
Flynn had no more knives with him. His heart was pounding like it’s going to escape his chest. He stood with his back against a tree. Bo was watching all this from sitting above, on the tree. He immediately threw one explosive towards the Lurg but it didn’t stop him. Before Bo could do anything more, the big Lurg had reached Flynn, his sword was pointing towards Flynn's neck and it looked like the sword would go through Flynn any second.
The Lurg pinned Flynn to the tree and moved his sword forward. Flynn gave out a cry. The blunt sword pierced Flynn’s right shoulder. The Lurg was enjoying this, he grinned and said “You want to throw more knifes at me now?”
There was no way Flynn could come out of the grips of the Lurg. He struggled hard, the more he struggled, the more the sword inched inside him. He gave out another cry as the Lurg twisted the sword and grunted.
Aaron got up quickly but it was too late. Flynn was already hurt and bleeding. Aaron ran towards him and the Lurg without any second thoughts.
As he came near Flynn, he jumped on a rock and aimed straight at the Lurgs’s head, but the Lurg caught him in mid air.
The Lurg had to pull the sword out of Flynn. Flynn fell on the ground wailing.
Chapter 5
The Retreat
The Lurgs’s sword hit Aaron’s sword before Aaron could reach his head. Aaron lost his balance and fell next to Flynn. Flynn was hardly breathing. His wound was very deep and he was clutching onto it.
“Flynn, are you ok?” Aaron asked.
The Lurg came towards Aaron and Flynn and raised his sword in an attempt to finish Flynn off. But Aaron jumped back on his feet and blocked the Lurg; he used all his strength to push the Lurg’s sword back. The Lurg finally fell back for a moment, but not for long, he attacked Flynn again.
“Jane, now!” Aaron screamed suddenly and shifted his sword to his other hand.
A flash left Jane’s sword, she was standing right behind the Lurg. The flash of light hit the Lurg and his helmet flew off. Aaron jumped as high as he could and with one stroke, he beheaded the Lurg. The Lurgs’s head rolled towards Jane, she moved away from it quickly.
The sword fe
ll off the Lurg’s hand and within moments, the Lurg’s body was lying motionless on the ground, inches from Flynn.
Aaron and Jane rushed towards Flynn. Flynn was shivering badly.
“Flynn, speak to me, Flynn” Aaron tried everything to keep him awake.
“Jane, what is happening to him? Why is he like this?”
Jane had already pulled out a piece of cloth and was cleaning Flynn’s wound. Flynn gave out faint cries occasionally.
“He is wounded badly Aaron, the blade of the dark creature is deadly. If we do not tend to him immediately, he might not make it” said Jane, looking at Flynn’s wound.
“Then we have to take him to a safe place. Away from here” said Aaron, but another Lurg was approaching them.
Before it could reach them, an explosion got the Lurg. Aaron looked up and thanked Bo.
“How do we take him away Jane? The Lurgs already outnumber us” Aaron looked worried.
“I don’t know that, but I need Arthium leaves. That is the only cure for him” said Jane covering his wound.
“I have to speak to Dan” Aaron said and took off.
“No Aaron, it’s dangerous, you can’t talk to him right now” Jane’s words remained unheard. Aaron had already made his way through the Lurgs and was heading towards Dan.
Jane remained with Flynn and wiped the sweat forming on his forehead with a piece of cloth; she kept her sword in one hand in case a Lurg came near.
As soon as Billy saw Aaron approaching the Lurgs, he came to help him. Billy pushed the Lurgs out of the way and threw some of them on each side.
“Billy, I need to talk to Dan" Aaron said.
Billy nodded and jumped in front of Aaron. He signed Aaron to hold onto his shoulders. Aaron was now on Billy’s back and Billy was making long leaps towards Dan. As Billy approached Dan, one Lurg pulled him by his legs and he fell. Aaron fell a few feet away, Billy got up and was fighting the Lurg. Aaron ran towards Dan.
“Dan” he shouted. “Flynn is badly hurt, we need to go now”
Dan was startled for a second and he missed a stroke. The Lurgs’s sword hit his armor and he fell on the ground.
Aaron gasped for a second but Dan jumped back on his feet.
“Pull back” he screamed and all the Defenders were alerted.
Aaron was not sure what had to be done in a situation like this. He stood till the other acted.
Ony threw one of his axes at the Lurg with whom he was fighting and the Lurg fell dead. Then he ran towards the horses and quickly untied them, pushing any Lurg that came his way. Belster who was pinned down by two Lurgs rose at lightning speed and fled even before the Lurgs could realize what had happened. Billy kicked the Lurg in front of him and was on his horse in no time.
Dan had many swords pointing at him. He stood silent for a moment and then jumped out of the circle in one quick movement. He mounted the horse and was riding it while the Lurgs still wondered how he did that.
Aaron was not sure whether he should run to the horse or towards Jane and Flynn.
“On your horse, now” Aaron heard Dan saying.
Within moments he was on his horse too. Jane’s horse followed him. Aaron galloped towards Jane and Flynn. Flynn was still unconscious and Jane looked more worried than before. Aaron got down from his horse and tried to lift Flynn.
“We have to stop the Lurgs” Aaron said as many Lurgs approached them.
Jane got up in a hurry and made some strokes in the air with her sword wand.
“What are you doing?” asked Aaron lifting Flynn, Dan and Ony came to help quickly.
“I am making a protection charm around us. The Lurgs can’t come near us for some time. Hurry, take Flynn on the horse. I will not be able to hold them much longer”
Bo was still throwing explosives down on the Lurgs. The Lurgs without a leader seem to be afraid to come ahead. They stopped where they were and waited for the explosions to stop.
Aaron, Dan and Ony got Flynn on Billy’s horse carefully. And Billy held him firmly. Flynn made a low grunt again but didn’t come back to consciousness. Dan signaled Billy to take off immediately and Billy sped towards the Blue Mountains.
Dan and Ony mounted their horses. Aaron was ready to leave too. Belster followed Billy and was gone in seconds. Ony whistled and Bo jumped down from the tree and landed softly on Ony’s horse. Ony and Bo shook hands and then they rode away too.
As Aaron was about to start he looked towards Jane’s horse. It was still empty and next to it Flynn’s horse was standing looking sad, as if it knew that its owner was wounded. Aaron turned his head to look for Jane. Jane was still standing at the same spot and muttering some chants and was making more strokes with her sword in the air.
“No Jane! What are you doing? We have to leave” said Aaron and looked at Dan.
Dan was sitting on his horse expressionless and looking at what Jane was doing. The Lurgs looked angrier than before; they were cursing and thumping their feet as if anytime they will rip Jane’s heart out. But Jane didn’t move at all.
“No! Jane come back” Aaron said again, he was about to pull the rein of his horse but Dan stopped him.
“Aaron we have to leave now, if you want to save your friend” said Dan was ready to leave.
“No, I can’t leave Jane alone with these monsters. How can you do that?” Aaron said with tears forming in his eyes.
“Aaron, she is well trained. She knows what she is doing. We should worry about your friend" Dan said “Now, come with me immediately”
“You are saying that she alone can take care of all these Lurgs” asked Aaron angrily.
“I don’t think we have to worry about her Aaron. But if you want to see your friend alive again then there is no more time to waste” Dan said sternly.
Aaron was suddenly torn between Flynn and Jane. He knew how much Flynn needed him but Jane will never be able to fight the Lurgs alone. He felt that his lungs were pushing from inside and he couldn’t breathe.
He turned and rode away with Dan not saying a single word, the only assurance he gave himself was she knows what she was doing. He didn’t look back; he didn’t want to choose between Flynn and Jane.
Aaron rode as fast as he could, leaving even Dan behind. The sound of the Lurgs fainted away as he rode up the mountain. He saw Alfadon’s house up the hill surrounded by many trees and water fountains.
The gates of the house were broken by the Lurgs. Ony, Billy and Bo had already taken Flynn inside the house, Belster was tying the horses in the stable.
Aaron looked back to see if Jane had followed them, but there was nobody.
Dan quickly got down from his horse and walked to Belster. Aaron reluctantly followed him looking back occasionally. After talking to Belster, Dan entered the house of Alfadon. Aaron was curious to see how Flynn was doing.
He followed Dan through the white passage. He remembered his earlier visit to Alfadon’s house. The halls were empty, no one was there now, and all the Nomes had left. Some of the furniture was broken by the Lurgs, but most of the things lay untouched.
Dan walked through an open door, inside Ony was tending to Flynn. Bo was trying his best to find some medicine in the house, he was running up and down, Billy was sitting crouched next to Flynn, on seeing Aaron he came towards him.
“Master Aaron, your friend has lost much blood” said Billy but was silenced by Dan’s stare.
Aaron sat next to Flynn and looked at him, his face was pale and he was hardly breathing.
Ony wiped off the beads of sweat from Flynn's forehead and the applied some medicine that Bo bought from the old chamber.
Aaron did not say anything for a long time. He was mad at the Lurgs for doing this to Flynn, but he was also amazed at the courage Flynn had shown at the battle. He had never seen this side of Flynn. But the same courage had proven fatal for Flynn and he didn’t know what to do to bring him back to health.
“The bleeding has stopped but I don’t know how deep the poison from the sword has re
ached” said Ony shaking his head in disappointment.
“If only Alfadon was here, he would have known what to do” said Aaron lowering his head.
“Jane is as good too, she definitely knows what to do. She nursed you back to heath, didn’t she?" said Ony and Aaron looked up at him, the mention of Jane made his heart ache, and he wanted to see her again.
