by B. T. Narro
There’d been increasingly more movement among the hundreds of massive birds in the last hour. A few more had tumbled down from their ledges, but only half awoke to reposition themselves. Others lay awkwardly on their back or side, some with their feet in the air, their enormous claws bringing back painful memories for Desil.
“Look,” Adriya said as she pointed toward the Marros.
One of the large Marros appeared on the tallest of the rocky hills. An Lmar, Desil’s father had called them. Where had it come from? It must’ve chosen to sleep behind the hills until now, but it was asleep no longer. It stretched up and beat its wings as if to ready them for flight.
“Father?” Leida asked.
“It’s time to leave. Gather around me. Let’s hope we collected enough.” He hurried to the center of what used to be a field of glowing akorell. Now it looked as if silver rain had drizzled around it, only tiny puddles remaining.
The Lmar looked right at them. It had a long neck that stretched all the way forward as if the beast was unsure what it was looking at. Its beak was craggy and ugly, piercingly sharp at the tip. The wings it beat to keep its massive body steady on the tiny peak seemed longer than necessary, too long, even, as if the creature shouldn’t possess the strength to flap them. The Lmar seemed to defy nature as it took flight, the span of its stretching claws long enough to wrap around Kirnich’s chest with ease.
It let out a screeching battle cry that made Desil shiver with fear. All the Marros roused. They took flight slower than normal-sized birds, but the sheer number seemed to stun Basen.
Desil would’ve yelled for him to make the portal if Leida hadn’t first. “Go, Father!”
The headmaster looked at the swarm of Marros but didn’t seem to see them. He squinted as if looking at something he could barely make out. “My mind is split,” he said with dread.
Desil didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it seemed to imply that a portal couldn’t be made. The birds were seconds away, close enough for him to see the familiar malice in their eyes. There was an understanding Desil derived from their terrifying expressions of fury. Humans had come here to steal their precious akorell. They screeched words to each other that sounded like swords scraping across rocks.
Kirnich took out his two-handed blade as he stepped in front of everyone. “Hurry, headmaster!” The warrior wore a stretching bag of bottles on his back. Loud clanks sounded with each subtle movement. The bag must’ve been as heavy as the one on Desil’s back, restricting his mobility as he came up on Kirnich’s side.
“Let’s blast them,” Adriya told Leida.
A punch of heat struck Desil in the back of his head as twin fireballs flew over him. They exploded into the cloud of Marros, splitting the creatures into two groups. They circled around Desil’s party, avoiding his and Kirnich’s swinging swords. Suddenly there were claws everywhere, like blankets made of talons falling to cover every space. Desil bowed his head to protect his eyes as he swung every which way. He needn’t put any skill behind the attacks, for his blade always found something.
The creatures’ feet and legs felt as hard as bone when his sword smacked against them. He had little hope of sticking the tip into any of their torsos, especially as he couldn’t look up to see his targets. He ducked and weaved, trying to avoid the claws as best he could, but they still ripped open his scalp and neck.
He made out Leida yelling to Basen, “Wake up!”
A quick look behind showed her kneeling over Basen’s unconscious body. Adriya tried to defend them with brave swings of her staff while facing her attackers, but one Marro clawed her across her face. She screamed as she palmed her eye.
Desil fought his way there to help as claws grabbed Adriya by her arms and shoulders. She screamed again as talons sank into the gaps between her armor.
Desil swiped his blade and took off the leg of one vicious Marro with its talon embedded near Adriya’s elbow. The claw remained stuck to her even as the Marro with the missing leg screeched and disappeared behind the others. Desil pulled the limb out from Adriya’s arm and held it up as a shield as two other claws came for his head. They got entangled with his shield, giving him a chance to stab his sword up past one of the Marro’s legs and into its abdomen.
Adriya resumed fighting, blood running down her cheek. Both eyes seemed to be open and undamaged, thankfully.
A Marro reached around Desil’s neck from behind, its talons bending to pierce his throat. In a panic, Desil dropped his sword and makeshift shield to grab the long claws with both hands. He pried them back as one tip scratched against his throat. The Marro matched his strength.
Another claw came for Desil’s face. He flinched away, but his temple and cheek still caught a couple of talons. He felt nothing from the scrape as he pulled as hard as he could, wishing he could break the toes of this damn beast flapping above him and trying to pierce his neck. The creature’s wings knocked Desil around, their power immense. He even felt himself coming off the ground slightly.
The tugging stopped instantly, the claw coming loose from his neck. Kirnich swung his blade around Desil, freeing up some space. Two Marros grabbed at the bag on Kirnich’s back, but his forward momentum was too much for them to stop him or pull it off, as he dragged them behind him. He fought through the Marros with amazing speed considering the weight of his weapon and bag, circling around their party to drive dozens of the Marros back at a time.
Kirnich did so much on his own for their party that Desil thought it better to help the warrior directly, as a couple Marros swiped at his head from behind. They’d given up trying to pull the bag off his back, most likely hoping to kill him instead.
“I’m behind you,” Desil warned him as he slashed the wing of one Marro. It was the same result as killing one of the creatures, the Marro falling away from battle with a screech clearly of fear. They value their wings more than their feet.
Desil was reminded of this again as he hacked at the leg of one who took hold of Kirnich’s hair. Rather than give up, the Marro turned in the air and slashed Desil with its other claw. His shoulder armor deflected the blow, making him realize just how much worse this would be without that protection. The Marro let go of Kirnich’s hair before Desil could run his blade through its leg.
Kirnich must’ve noticed the Marros tugging at his bag and hair, but he seemed to trust Desil to take care of them as he focused on the trio flying in front of him. Each of Kirnich’s attacks were strong, forcing the creatures back lest they end up with a steel sword buried in their leg or abdomen. The rest of their bodies remained too high for even Kirnich to reach.
They circled the group, Desil unsure what was happening with Leida and the others. He caught glimpses of Adriya beating back the Marros with her staff, sometimes casting a jet of fire from the tip of it when she’d cleared enough space so as not to burn herself. Beatrix had only a dagger as she fought beside Adriya, pointing her small blade at each Marro that she pained. One by one they fell, but there was no point in taking the time to slay them. Killing enough of them to make them retreat was impossible. The fight would only end when Basen could make a portal.
“I have hold of all their minds!” Beatrix announced. “Leida, is Basen ready?”
“He’s speaking, but he’s not awake. Father, we need you now!”
Desil could barely make out Basen’s words. “Yes, the Marros will have it if we die here.”
“Leida?” Beatrix asked.
“He’s sitting up.”
“I’m here,” Basen said. “Pain them, Beatrix.”
She let out a cry. The Marros fell from the air with deafening screeches. Desil felt agony deep in his ears from the tremendous noise as he and Kirnich stepped over and around the large squirming bodies of the birds to stand beside Basen. The headmaster had his wand up but the sight of something above stopped him. He cursed.
Desil noticed the shadow before he saw the Lmar come down onto them. He ducked out of reflex, but a massive claw clamped down around h
is chest and arms anyway. It dug its talons through his armor near his shoulder and at his upper back, yanking him off the ground as if he were as light as a toy.
He spun through the air, managing to catch sight of the ground as he was coming down. He couldn’t get his feet below him, landing on his back and continuing to roll. Feeling the ledge approaching quickly, he softened the rugged rocks that were trying to make a diced meal of his armor. He sank into them but not enough to stop until he jabbed his sword into the ground and held onto the handle. He felt his feet dangling. He looked behind him to find nothing but sky.
Two Marros darted toward him. He crawled up to his feet, picking up his sword and a fistful of softened rock from the ground. It hardened instantly in his hand. He stepped forward and threw hard. Both Marros tilted to get their feet out in front of them, but Desil’s aim was true. The rock hit one Marro in its chest, stunning it into losing flight. It skidded across the ground toward Desil as the other swerved to avoid Desil’s swinging sword. The Marro circled around behind him, over the ledge, as the other was getting to its feet. Desil swiped at the one in the air as it reached for his cloak. The creature darted back but then came at Desil again with surprising agility. He couldn’t get his sword back up in time as it grabbed his cloak.
The Marro pulled him toward the ledge. Desil swiped his sword at it as the other Marro got to its feet right beside Desil. The flying Marro let go of his cloak to avoid the attack, giving Desil just enough time to get his sword up and block the claws coming for his face. The creature cut its foot on his sword and flew back. Desil felt the other one coming from behind, so he swung without looking as he turned. He embedded his sword between the bird’s reaching claws. It shrieked as it pulled back, nearly taking the sword out of Desil’s hands. He ripped it free and swung at the other he knew to be behind him. He was too early, missing and hitting the rocks with a sting to his hands. The creature came for him.
Desil ducked and scurried forward, putting both Marros on one side of him over the ledge. The one he’d cut seemed to give up, flying off. The other looked at something above Desil as it spoke, “Cra, oora, cra!” It lifted its claw at Desil as if gesturing to another Marro.
Desil turned, only to see that he’d been tricked. Nothing was there except the ongoing battle, a cloud of Marros with an Lmar above them. Desil dropped to the ground as the Marro that tricked him swooped overhead. It twisted its head around to squawk angrily at him as it flew toward the rest of its comrades. Desil ran to rejoin the battle but stopped when the Lmar threw someone out of the fray.
He made out Leida’s red hair as she flipped like a doll. She soared toward Desil, looking as if she would land behind him. He backed up as he shot a look over his shoulder. There wasn’t much room before the mountain came to a drop. He put himself right at the edge as he softened the ground, wiggling his feet to get as deep as he could into the now muddy rock.
He met Leida’s gaze during one of her spins. The fear of her face changed to shock.
“Move!” she called out, no doubt aware that she might take him off the ledge with her.
He had no hope of catching her, given her momentum. Fortunately she landed just in front of him, splashing the softened rock into his face. From his knees, Desil couldn’t see anything for a moment as she collided with his arms and chest. She pushed him back, his legs digging out the rock until his feet broke free and he felt nothing beneath them. Time slowed as her momentum pushed him a few inches farther, his knees slipping off as well. He started to fall.
He couldn’t get his hands into the rock with Leida sprawled across the ledge. His arms flailed to find purchase. Leida’s outstretched arms appeared in front of his eyes. He grabbed her wrists and hoped she was offering help rather than on the verge of falling herself. He readied himself to let go if there was any give.
He caught like a rope running out of slack. His breath escaped him as he panted.
“I can’t pull you up!” Leida said. “You’re too heavy.”
He feared he would pull her over with him, but he made himself focus rather than panic. He kicked his feet into the softened precipice to take some weight off Leida’s arms. Her head was stuck out over the edge, as he hung below her. He quickly found two bumps on the wall to grab. It took only two steps from there to get his arms over the top and pull the rest of his body up.
“Thank you,” he told Leida as he helped her up.
“No, thank you!”
The dajriks roared as they charged into the battle. Desil counted seven of them rushing into the cloud of Marros, who scattered like flies and left Basen, Adriya, Beatrix, and Kirnich staring in shock.
The Lmar swooped down and latched its feet to the face of one dajrik. The giant wasn’t much bigger than the enormous Marro, but its strength couldn’t be matched by any creature. It grabbed at the legs of the Lmar trying to scratch its eyes, but the Lmar lifted itself out of reach with a jerk of its wings.
Desil hadn’t realized that he wasn’t moving until Leida took his hand and started running with him toward their group.
“Hurry!” Basen yelled to them.
“Collreeaa adreee,” called the Lmar in its deep, grinding voice as the dajriks circled beneath it. They reached up trying to grab, some jumping and shaking the ground upon landing.
The other Marros blackening the sky darted fearlessly toward the seven dajriks. Most collided with the giants feet-first, managing to knock over two of them. The other giants held their ground as they batted the Marros away with slow yet powerful swings of their arms.
Desil didn’t know how he still had the bag on his back, but he was glad for it. The weight of the melted akorell slowed him, the bottles banging so loudly together that he feared some were shattering. Leida had her bag as well. She yelled something about the portal, but Desil couldn’t make out her words over the deafening sound of clashing glass.
Less than half the Marros were still trying to kill or snatch the bags from Desil’s party. The others seemed to be successfully fighting back the dajriks, who yelled to each other in voices deep enough to rattle Desil’s bones. It was good to know that the giants would fight back any creature, not just humans. Basen had already given the Marros reason for a grudge. It would be too much to worry about the dajriks coming after them as well.
The Marros took priority in keeping themselves alive as they clawed mostly at Basen, keeping as much distance as they could between attacks. They seemed to know he was the only one able to make a portal. They remember him from Kanoan.
The dajriks retreated as quickly as they’d come. The Marros let them go, racing to return to the missing akorell field, as were Desil and Leida. Beatrix pushed up her palms and cried out. At least fifty Marros screeched as they tumbled through the air, many landing awkwardly, their beaks chipping against the hard rock. Desil and Leida stepped around and jumped over the sprawled bodies and wings to reach Basen as he flicked his wand and created a growing black hole out of nothing. It grew larger than any man, bursting out from each direction to make a sphere.
Adriya shot a fireball over Desil’s head as he flinched from the heat. He heard the Lmar screech as he turned to see the flying beast spiraling backward with a smoking torso.
“Leida, go,” Basen said.
She jumped in.
“Adriya,” he called next.
She followed Leida through.
“Desil,” Basen said.
He ran in as Beatrix put up her hands for another spell of pain.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The portal didn’t disorient Desil as much as usual. This time it felt as if he’d been picked up by a tornado and tossed out a moment later in a completely different place, with little vertigo. The ground was steady, his head on fire from all the talon scratches, but his mind felt fine. He hurried out of the way before Kirnich plowed through.
Once everyone in his party had emerged from the portal, Desil checked on the bottles in his bag. The toxic scent of strong alcohol made it too painful for
him to keep his eyes open. He poured most of the bottles out from the bag instead. Almost all had small cracks. There was one that looked deep enough for the melted akorell to get through, only it hadn’t. He tested it with his gloved finger. It felt like the texture of mud but dry.
“Is everyone all right?” Basen asked.
They glanced at each other. Adriya had a considerable amount of blood down the side of her face, darkening the shoulder of her armor. Leida had a trickle of blood running down her forehead from what seemed to be a cut on the top of her head. Desil put his hand on his own stinging scalp and looked at his palm to find blood and a few matted hairs. He checked the back of his burning neck with his other hand. More blood. Somehow his face was unscathed, while the armor had protected the rest of his body except for the two holes the Lmar had made in the front and back of his shoulder.
None of the Marros had gotten low enough to threaten his unprotected legs, but his right wrist had a slice across the back between his glove and his armor. The armor itself was severely damaged. It looked just like Desil would expect after wearing it during an attack from Marros, discolored and scratched up nearly everywhere above his waist.
He studied the hole in the front of his armor made by the Lmar. He felt nothing from it until he pressed his bloody hand against it. Sharp pain radiated out, but he’d expected worse agony. Still, he couldn’t imagine how deep the talons would’ve gone into his body without the armor.
Kirnich seemed nearly untouched from the front, but when he turned around to check on Beatrix, Desil saw the armor across his shoulders was covered in holes. There was even a tear near Kirnich’s spine that went halfway down the armor. It seemed as if the birds had focused on that spot when they couldn’t pull off his backpack, attempting to pry off his armor. Desil made light for a look and spotted blood beneath the opening on Kirnich’s bare skin. His neck was in worse shape, bleeding into his shirt and armor. Desil went closer for a better look and told Kirnich to hold still. He was thankful to see that there were many shallow cuts, not any deep ones.
