Legend of Ecta Mastrino Box Set 2

by BJ Hanlon

  Someone yelled, “Don’t go into the water!”

  Edin ignored him as he ran, his heart beating like a galloping stallion in a joust. There were people on smaller boats, dinghies and row boats; things not meant for sea travel and they were trying to cast off with other people screaming, “You’ll die.”

  “My wife is on that ship,” someone else hollered back.

  There were already three men on one and they held spears and swords.

  Edin pushed past the man yelling down at the others and leapt down the three-foot drop to the small deck.

  The ropes were already cast off and Edin looked at the two men who were at the oars. “Pull those in,” he said and raised a hand.

  Edin took a breath and let the energy flow into him. He felt the sea beneath his feet and tasted the salty spray as it melded with the breeze into a fine briny mist.

  Then there was a jerk and the rowboat began to speed out of the dock. He aimed it toward the open water and caught a wave. He held the wave and pushed them into the dark sea for three minutes. People were yelling in the water. Terrified cries.

  Then a great crunching like a giant stepping on an old growth tree.

  Edin looked up and something came out of the water. It rose up and stood over a large two-hundred-foot ship.

  A great tentacle.

  Suddenly it dropped and the ship split under the weight.

  A moment later, a great explosion erupted from the center and the beast and the ship were blown into a huge ball of flame.

  The concussive blast of heat and energy hit Edin so hard, he flew backward. Edin was in the air and floating for some unknown distance before he crashed into the water hard. His body skipped twice on the waves before he started to sink into the water.

  As his head went under, a sonic sound hit him, and he opened his eyes. The light from the fire lit up the world above him as the fire expanded.

  Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, something rushed past him. A gray beast, long and streamlined. It ignored Edin and continued on toward the harbor.

  His lungs began to pulse and his arms felt heavy and tired. Edin kicked, his feet began to flutter slightly. Then he burst from the water and looked around. He was out of the harbor about halfway between a burning wreckage and the dock. Something splashed next to him covering him with more water.

  Then more things began to rain down. Small flaming firelights that looked like falling stars, but in between them were others. Metal pieces, burning cloth, wood, and chunks of flesh. Something clopped his bad shoulder; he immediately went under and cried out.

  He looked up through the saltwater that burned his eyes and he began to see the rain continued to slap the surface of the water.

  Then everything began to sink like some sort of vortex was pulling it down to the Underworld. Edin pulled himself with strokes up and broke the surface.

  A large chunk of wood, maybe ten feet long and four wide, floated toward him.

  Edin shivered as he reached up and grabbed the wood. It was a hard wood, wood from the hull of a ship, and it was splintered. A long needle like splinter dug into his hand but he held on. Slowly, he started to pull himself onto the wooden piece, his shoulder stung but he didn’t think it broken.

  The raft stayed afloat as he pulled himself clear of the freezing water. Edin began to look around at the burning ship, still a float somehow, at least a quarter mile away. There were chunks of what could only be described as meat on the surface. Some was gray, other pink or red. The sight caused his stomach to turn.

  Also, there were many other unknown pieces of debris that had rained down.

  The odd thing was, it was quiet.

  Edin stared up, wishing he could see the stars. Then he closed his eyes and let the waves push him for a short while, push him wherever they’d like.

  After a while, he began to hear people calling out. Worried greetings of, “Hello,” and “Is anyone out there?”

  No one was responding. Edin rolled over and lifted his head up.

  “Here,” he yelled at a small rowboat about fifty or so yards away. He was still in the ocean and the waves were pushing him slowly to the east.

  As he was about to call out again, a grating sound came from beneath him and suddenly, he wasn’t moving. The wood jerked to a stop and pain rolled through his shoulder.

  He heard other people yelling to him, but his mind was washed for a moment, like a fresh rain over a muddy brick.

  The raft nearest his feet rose and fell with a small wave. But it didn’t move. He was stuck on land.

  Edin groaned and rolled to his back.

  The raft rose slowly and then fell again with the current. He needed to get off this rock. Edin needed to get back into the city.

  Edin yelled and rolled his head in the direction of the boat. He could only see it because it had an undying oil lantern at the front as it searched.

  The light flashed into his face and he raised a hand. Someone yelled, “Over there!” as if they hadn’t seen him and just splashed the lantern on him.

  It took a few moments before he was able to look again and when he did, he saw the boat was coming closer.

  But then around it, things were popping out of the water. Small fins. Someone yelped and the boat rocked. Edin blinked and saw the fins had grown. Then, they weren’t small actually, they were large and Edin was too far away.

  “Shark,” a voice yelled and then jabbed a spear into the thing. Water churned, the boat rocked.

  Edin saw the dorsal fins coming around. He saw others coming toward him. Large fins and then the waves hit and he rode the wood up and it began to crack under his weight.

  Edin held his hand and let an ethereal light appear. Surrounding him on this reef were more sharks. They were large beasts that were twenty or so feet long and swimming with unnatural grace.

  Another thunk and the boat rocked. Great sharks were attacking.

  Where these too part of Yio’s minions or just going crazy because of all of the bloody parts in the water?

  Edin guessed the latter but it really didn’t matter.

  He took a moment and let himself calm and felt the electricity in the air. He knew this would hurt but he needed to stop this. At least for a short time.

  Edin closed his eyes and reached out with the talent to let the electricity flow through him. Then a burst of yellow ripped from his hand, crashing into the water near the rowboat.

  Water splashed up in a giant spout and washed over everything.

  Then another wave hit and Edin’s raft was jarred loose of the rock and he was thrown with gusto toward the darkness and away from the rowboat. He reached down and touched something gooey just beneath the surface.

  Edin tried to see it but couldn’t. There was no light left and he hoped he didn’t just kill the rescuers.

  Edin summoned an ethereal light then and looked around. The city was to the south and the walls and fort that guarded the harbor were at least a mile away. Then he saw the shore, the coast, and Edin was twenty feet or so from that. He was at least twice that from the boat.

  Edin quickly slid into the water and started to swim for the coast. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the water. With his injured shoulder it was difficult. He flutter kicked and fought a riptide.

  He was a few feet away, when there was a large splash behind. Edin didn’t look back. He pulled and kicked and then his hand touched the slowly rising beach.

  Edin put his feet down and started to run. A great wave of water hit and knocked him forward nearly throwing him from the ocean.

  He gasped and coughed and nearly passed out from the pain but soon was on dry land and in the darkness, though he was far from safety.

  After a long time, he began to chuckle. He thought he was only now far from safe? Had he been safe before? Safe in the city with the Yio Volor attacking.

  Edin wasn’t quite sure of that. Slowly, he stood and looked back toward the orange glow of the firelight that told him where the city was.
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  It pointed out the human capital to him. But also to Yio Volor and all of the minions.

  If only he could get them to attack a different, fake city, Edin thought. Maybe they could have it blow up like that ship did when the thing landed on it.

  “How did that blow?” Edin wondered and glanced out to the ocean. Edin groaned and grunted as he started toward the city with a long walk on the beach.

  The odd thing was, the beach was clear of dead beasts and men. There were small bits of debris, but not much. It was long and open for the most part and he knew it headed south by southwest down the coast to the half-moon harbor. The city walls rose up ahead and a bit to his right, he saw the road he’d taken to first get into town.

  Edin rested a hand on the hilt of Mirage and paid attention to any unnatural sound from the water or the land. The sand clung to his wet boots and made him grow more tired and as he grew nearer, he saw the barricades and the bulwarks that were dug into the sand.

  The walls of the city extended inward, and he saw people on top of them. As he approached, Edin raised a hand with an ethereal ball. The gates began opening about a quarter mile away and then a group of soldiers began bounding forth on horseback.

  Edin held the ball up and sank to his knees. Cold sand stuck to his still wet and freezing pants.

  He felt something trying to speak to him through his mind. Edin blinked and closed his eyes. It could be Yio, but it could be Vestor or the abbot as well.

  As the horse beats ran faster, he opened himself up for a moment. A single moment and heard a tumultuous growl in his head. “What did you do to my beast? This land will be covered in your bones chosen one.” The word chosen was said in a mocking tone. “And you will be ripped apart.”

  Edin looked up to the horses coming for him. They were human, and the leader held a torch in his hand. But then the ground began to shake.

  Ever so slightly. Slowly, Edin began to turn and looked behind him.

  Coming through the darkness toward them was something large. Very large and the ground shook more.

  Edin pushed himself to his feet and yelled, “Back!” He reached out and felt for the talent. But then a moment later, felt a suppression. Edin looked back to see Merik was at the lead and he was riding with a bunch of soldiers.

  When did he get here?

  Edin held out his hand as they grew closer. Despite the stones, he pushed the talent into the ground and out and summoned ethereal spikes before the approaching thing.

  Neighs and people yelled as the bright light shocked the people.

  It was then that he saw the spiders. There wasn’t just one, there were eight and only three of them had been stuck. The others climbed over their friends’ bodies like an inconvenience and then scurried again toward them. The soldiers drew their weapons and Merik yelled, “Back to the city!”

  He looked to Edin, grunted, and spurred his horse forward. Merik reached out and Edin took it with his good arm. A moment later, he was swung up and onto the back of the stallion, his groin taking the pain like a thief in the night.

  The horse turned as the giant spiders were skittering around them. One spun and suddenly a great spurt of something white rushed form his rear and snatched a rider. A moment later, the man was flung backward as if he’d been flicked by a giant. The horse continued on following the herd.

  Edin held on to Merik with all the strength he could. They bounded around a large chunk of meat. It was wet and slimy and possibly from the beast in the ocean.

  Another spider started to turn and Merik’s arm whipped out with a shink and the spider cried out. Its cry was more of a chatter, a bit like the dematians.

  The thing slumped slightly, it’s webbing catching a rock a few yards away. Then the rock came back, retracting like a slingshot.

  The beast exploded.

  “Well done,” Edin said.

  “Did not know that’d happen,” Merik said as he pulled the reins slightly left to get around a downed horse.

  He didn’t see the rider at first.

  Then he did. Wrapped in white and struggling to move while gasping for air. Merik ignored the downed man and they turned up a small embankment to the road. It curved slightly. The feet pounded the ground and then they were through the open gates.

  Edin took a deep breath when suddenly, he felt something grab at him. It caught his back, his bad shoulder and the top of his butt.

  Edin tightened his grip for a moment on Merik. Then felt himself being ripped back.

  He heard the portcullis chain letting loose and then was pulled back out the entrance as the portcullis slammed shut.

  He landed on the dirt road before the gates. His shoulder throbbing as he gasped for breath.

  “Gah,” he groaned and tasted the dirt from the road and his own blood. Edin opened his eyes and spotted the advancing army of spiders. Eight feet tall and definitely a part of any nightmare. One was advancing on the man they’d left on the ground. It went back on its four hind legs and Edin saw the glint of pincers.

  The man screamed. A horrified, fearful scream.

  Then the thing dropped. The pincers dug into his chest and then there was a spray of blood as it ripped the man in two. A top half that went ten yards away and a bottom that landed out of sight.

  Edin gasped and tried to pull himself up. He heard the men behind trying to pull the portcullis up. He heard Merik screaming at the advancing beasts.

  Then he heard, “loose!” and arrows began to come down followed by bursts of fire, rocks erupting from the ground, and a great bolt of lightning.

  Then the beasts began to scatter. They went to and fro as four dropped in a matter of seconds. The putrescent of the death that came from all around was overpowered by burning spider hair.

  Edin helped himself to his feet and wobbled slightly. He reached down and pulled his sword as one of the great spiders came at him.

  There were arrows in its back, the third of the large segments of the spider. Edin drew a blank on what they were called and waited. Then an arrow caught one of its eyes as it was ten feet away. Suddenly it’s front legs, or arms or whatever they were called, came up to try and swipe at whatever just caused it pain.

  Edin ran forward, hobbled was more like it, as there was a new pain in his knee from the fall, and then ducked and rolled beneath the spider. He came up and drove Mirage into the thing’s guts.

  Edin pushed it forward, or toward the rear of the spider, as the goo inside began to drip down the blade. Edin pulled out the weapon as the thing started to wobble.

  A moment later, he leapt to the side trying to get clear. He dove down the small embankment and slid on wet grass as the attacks from the beasts continued to come. Then he heard more fighting coming from somewhere further away.

  Edin looked up and spotted a burst of flame somewhere in the distance. On the other side of the city maybe.

  The battle was starting and he was outside of its walls.

  13

  The Culling of Calerrat

  Edin scrambled up the embankment as best he could. His body was tired and sore and broken and then he heard the chattering cries from behind and to the north.

  There was a great guttural roar from the east and Edin glanced to the ocean only to see blackness.

  The portcullis was about a foot up as men were working at it. Edin got close and dove. The pain in his arm and shoulder was terrible but he landed hard on his stomach and started to soldier crawl. At least that was what they called it in books.

  When through, he was yanked up to his feet and pulled further in the city. The portcullis slammed and the wooden gates were shut.

  A moment before they were, Edin saw what was coming in the dim firelight. Giants, dematians, primevals, and serpents. Edin only hoped he’d killed off the spiders. As he pictured them, he shuddered.

  “Edin!” Arianne snatched him into a huge embrace and squeezed and pressed her lips to his.

  “Arm…” Edin muttered between breaths.

  Sh
e pulled back, looked him over once and then shook her head. “Why are you always getting hurt? Dorset!” she screamed.

  “Right here,” Dorset said from a foot behind. “Relax, I got this.” He reached out with his open palms like a priest. Edin felt the warmth in his shoulder and his arm mending. Dorset reached out, took Edin’s arm for a moment and then looked him in the eye.

  “This will hurt.”

  “What?”

  Suddenly Dorset pushed his arm up and Edin felt a crunch of grinding bones in his shoulder and yelled, though his own voice was nearly drowned out by the yelling of the men and monsters as the battle roared around them.

  The warmth then flowed through and the pain subsided. After a deep breath Edin said, “You’re a life saver.”

  “I know.”

  “Where are they attacking from?”

  “Where aren’t they?” said Arianne. “I think the only place is the harbor but after that thing,” she paused. “Whatever that was, no one wants to try and flee that way.”

  “I’d agree.”

  “Our most vulnerable spots are where the walls end. The river and the sea.” Arianne was looking at him like a general. The most beautiful general in the history of generals. “We’re not going to survive this are we?”

  “Sure we are,” Edin said though he was sure he was lying. To himself at the very least.

  When Yio spoke of Edin being Vestor’s ancestor, Edin forgot all about it. All about the prophecy.

  Somewhere in the harbor or on the beach, something came back to him. The last two lines of the poem.

  The King will Rise

  Burn Vestor's last might

  That did not bode well for Edin.

  Honestly, that did not bode well for humanity. If the god of the Underworld was the king, Edin would burn.

  Edin looked up the wall at the warriors fighting. There were magi slinging their talent along with the catapults, scorpions, and the bowmen. Some looked focused, others seemed flustered.

  Suddenly one man was picked up off the wall by a primeval. It flew a few yards and dropped it.