I am surrounded by a pack of rabid wolves.
Zara and I make small talk as we ride, but it does little to calm my nerves. I can tell that both of us are afraid of what lays ahead.
"Even with the element of surprise, do we have enough people to defeat him?" She asks quietly. "You and I both saw what these things are capable of."
"I know," I reply uneasily. Our fight with the darkhound will be forever seared in my memory.
After a brief pause, she continues. "I only hope Pyke and the others have a plan. This demon Moloch sounds incredibly powerful. I mean, these things can literally invade people's minds! How can we possibly hope to defeat them?"
Her question goes unanswered as a grim silence settles between us, the sound of our horse’s hooves beating loudly in my ears. I cast my eyes around the dense forest, looking around us for threats. For some reason, it suddenly feels like we are being watched.
The trees of the Emberwood become more gnarled and thick as we go, the foliage around us rising from the earth like a mass of green fingers, clawing its way to the sky and blotting out the sun. I have been to this area several times with Elias in the past. We are entering a place known by the locals as the Heart of the Forest.
Several of the others appear to be sensing the unease that I feel and begin to ready their weapons, though the pace of our horses does not slow. I unsling my bow and knock an arrow, using my legs to guide my horse, then look over and see Elias doing the same.
The forest grows denser and darker the further we ride, and soon we find ourselves approaching the entrance to a giant canyon, with sheer walls of uneven stone rising up on either side of us.
Our column stops in the clearing just in front of the entrance, and Pyke motions for a few scouts to enter before us. They dismount and run ahead while the general turns his horse to address us, sword in hand. "This is the canyon that our scout mentioned. According to his report, Moloch is hiding inside. We will dismount and proceed with caution. Be ready to attack at a moment's notice, but do not strike unless I give the command. Clear?"
The men nod and mumble, "Yes, sir."
We proceed to dismount and tie our horses up to the trees and gnarled roots around us. We do so in silence, and it is not long before the scouts return, gesturing to us that the way is clear.
With a nod from Pyke we begin to move forward, entering the canyon at the Heart of the Forest.
The cliff-like walls of stone are far enough apart for ten men to fit comfortably abreast but I still feel uncomfortable, like a small animal entering a cage. Even with the trees, the woods offer a freedom of movement and seclusion that make me feel at ease. Not here. The mossy, lichen-covered walls of the crag feel like they are closing in the deeper we go.
Looking to my left, I see that Zara is clutching her talisman, eyes darting about in a way that perfectly complements the way I currently feel. I try to bite back my fear and give her a warm smile, hoping that it doesn’t look too much like a grimace, but she returns it with one of her own, apparently happy to see a friendly face.
The canyon subtly begins opening up, revealing a small valley of sorts that is filled with a carpet of moss growing on the stones. Moisture drips down the walls into the little basin, and scrawny ferns sprout from the rocky soil, reaching eagerly for the little bit of sunlight that manages to filter down here.
Our column stops dead as it enters this more open area, and for a moment I am unable to see what has caused us to halt. Fifteen armored Nightingales block my vision, but after maneuvering myself I am finally able to see what is standing in the middle of the tiny valley.
My breath catches in my throat.
A tall bipedal creature, in the rough approximation of a man, stands proudly amid the stones, watching us calmly with a pair of glowing red eyes. His body is broad and muscular, covered in spikey black armor that glitters like polished obsidian. The flesh of his muscled arms is exposed, skin colored a bright crimson, the hue of freshly drawn blood. Twin horns, curved and sharp, protrude from his forehead, wreathing his red skull like a twisted, black crown. A great ebony sword is driven tip-first into the ground in front of him, and his hands rest easily on the pommel.
The demon smiles at us with a mouthful of jagged teeth, and I instantly know that I am looking at a gorgon. The creature perfectly matches the description Zara had given me this morning.
I am looking at Moloch himself.
"Greetings, humans," the demon intones, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the canyon. "Have you come to join my grand army?"
General Pyke raises his sword, and the sound of rasping metal being pulled from sheaths fills the air as the rest of his men ready their weapons. "We have come to kill you, demon, and expel your kind from the face of this land."
Moloch lets out a laugh, a grating, guttural cackle that causes my hair to stand on end. "Strong words from such a little man," he says after his laughter subsides. "Are you certain that you have enough men?"
I am struck by a thought, and it makes my insides turn to ice. Why is he so confident? Something is not right here. How is it that he was waiting for us to arrive?
The soft sound of rocks crumbling forces me to tear my eyes away from the monster in front of me and look up at the canyon walls above. There, I see a pack of darkhounds, looking down at us from a perch and baring their fangs in a quiet snarl. I glance to my two companions and see that Elias has noticed them as well. He stands at the ready like a taut bowstring, ready to snap into action at a moment's notice.
Hissing to get Zara's attention, I gesture up at the darkhounds with my bow. When she sees them her face instantly goes white.
"Enough of your words, demon," Pyke declares, his voice reverberating through the canyon. "This ends now. Men, on me!"
I watch in horror as hooded figures emerge from the rocks above us, coming out from hiding places and aiming crossbows down at us. Eleven Hells, those are the mindflayed Nightingales! I cannot keep it in any longer. I scream as the general runs forward, leading the charge.
"Pyke, it's a trap!"
Moloch draws his sword from the ground and hefts it with a sneer. "Come and get me, mortals!"
Then I hear the snapping sound of crossbows being fired.
I instinctively duck as a hail of crossbow bolts descends upon us, thudding into men and filling the chasm with screams. Several of the Nightingales stumble and fall, dead before they even hit the ground. Somehow, perhaps by miracle, Elias, Zara, and I avoid being hit by the deadly bolts.
But we have little time to celebrate. With a roar the darkhounds begin leaping from their perches above our heads.
I twist and launch an arrow at one of the beasts before it can land on me, striking it in between the eyes and practically knocking it out of the air. I draw another arrow and shoot without missing a beat.
Something hot roars past my head and I watch as another of the darkhounds is engulfed in blue flame, its black skin sizzling like raw meat being fried in a skillet. I look behind me and see that Zara is wearing a look of concentration, her hand holding a ball of flickering magefyre.
Unfortunately, some of the other Nightingales are not so lucky. One man is brought screaming to the ground by a pair of the darkhounds. Another staggers with his throat ripped out, his blood cascading down the front of his breastplate.
In a matter of seconds, the entire canyon descends into chaos.
"Owyn!" Elias shouts. "Behind us!"
Zara and I both look to see several bewitched Nightingales with spears cutting off our escape. They are accompanied by another gorgon, this one smaller than Moloch with green skin and a different horn pattern.
Cursing under my breath, I loose another arrow at a darkhound and turn to face the blocked-off exit. "We have to get out of here!" I shout over the sounds of battle and dying men.
Elias nods and shoots his bow. One of the Nightingales holding a spear falls to the ground with an arrow in the heart. "The only hope we have is to rally everyone and make a break f
or the gap. We'll have to fight our way out of here, but if we act fast there is still a chance."
Another volley of crossbow bolts is launched with a series of clicks. I wince, fully expecting to be shot in the back, but nothing happens. I look to see a shimmering blue shield of radiant magic surrounding us, emanating from Zara's talisman which she is holding aloft. Beads of sweat roll down the sides of her face as she releases the shield, dropping half a dozen bolts harmlessly to the ground.
"Thanks!" I say, nocking another arrow.
"Don't mention it," she replies, clearly winded. The use of magic is starting to take its toll.
"Nightingales," Elias yells, waving his bow in the air like a white flag. "Follow me! Retreat!"
A handful of soldiers who have somehow managed to survive the carnage whip around and begin making their way toward us, panic in their eyes. I look past them to see General Pyke engaging Moloch in combat. He looks like a child compared to the demon, the black sword alone measuring as long as his entire body, but he fights with a fury and appears to be holding his own. Barus is helping him in the fight, but his left arm hangs loosely at his side, red staining his cloak.
Our small band, now fewer than fifteen begins making its way back to the mouth of the canyon, but the gorgon guarding it begins to advance with his mindflayed spearman, a wicked grin on its face.
Elias is right, I find myself thinking. We are going to have to fight our way out.
With spears in front of us, darkhounds behind us, and archers above us, we begin making a desperate attempt to break through the line of enemies. Elias and I shoot arrows and Zara throws fireballs as our Nightingale allies charge.
They manage to fell more than a few of their mindflayed brothers, but the enemy spears bring down even more of our soldiers. I watch in horror as the green gorgon crushes a man's head with a savage swipe of his mace. Even from ten paces I can hear the skull crunching with the impact.
Roaring, Elias charges the demon, throwing down his bow and pulling out his belt knife with one smooth motion. The gorgon turns to regard him with a huge grin on its ugly face. They begin to fight, and it quickly becomes an epic struggle between two equally-matched foes.
Zara lets out a gasp and I turn to see that she is holding up another giant blue shield. Many crossbow bolts hang in midair and the handful of remaining darkhounds stand snarling on the other side.
"Keep holding it, Zara!" I cry, trying my best to sound encouraging. "You are doing great! Just a little bit longer!"
She squeezes her eyes shut and nods, clearly straining under the stress of channeling so much radiant magic.
Through the blue energy I can see Moloch ram his massive black sword through General Pyke's body, the black metal rending his armor as if it is nothing more than paper. The demon seems to savor the act of killing him. Then something else catches my eye.
Barus runs toward us, wild fear showing plainly on his pale, bearded face.
In that moment I forget the way he treated us and the fact that he is a Nightingale. I forget that people like him were responsible for my father's death, and I see only a man fleeing for his life.
In that moment, I know that I cannot leave him to die.
Cursing myself under my breath, I aim at one of the darkhounds and shout for Zara to drop the shield. She gasps and does so, giving me a chance to shoot the growling shadowling in the mouth.
I cannot believe that I am actually doing this, I think, sprinting forward.
For a moment my enemies are stunned by my mad rush into the fray, and I see hope glimmering in Barus’ eyes as I approach. I slash and kick, trying to fend off the darkhounds long enough for Barus to get behind Zara. They snap their jaws at me and attack with their claws, and it is everything I can do to not be torn to shreds.
Just as I am about to be overwhelmed he reaches our position, and both of us flee toward the mouth of the canyon as Zara covers our escape by spraying magefyre. Barus stumbles and I help him up, grabbing his arm and throwing it around my shoulders. He is completely drenched in blood.
“Cut them off!” Moloch screams furiously, stepping over General Pyke’s corpse and waving his sword above his head. “None may escape!”
Barus yells frantically in my ear, “Go, go, go!”
The three of us barely make it back to our people, the darkhounds hot on our heels.
One of the monsters jumps in front of us, its eyes glowing hatefully and its razor claws lifted for an attack. With my arm supporting Barus, there is little that I can do to defend against it. Bracing myself for pain, I put my head down and continue running.
Luckily, a ball of magefyre engulfs the shadowling just before it is about to strike, causing it to shriek in pain. I manage to run past it and join our forces locked in combat with the spearmen.
Eleven Hells, how many times has that girl saved my life?
Elias dodges out of the way as the gorgon tries unsuccessfully to bash in his brains. The angry demon lets out a roar in frustration, twisting his head to try and see where the ranger had gone. I watch as my master cuts around the monster’s flank and jabs his knife into its side, where I assume there is a weak point in the armor.
The gorgon screams in pain and whips around, but Elias is too fast. He stabs again and again with his belt knife, piercing the demon with pinpoint accuracy in different places all over his body. Then, with the skill of a trained acrobat, Elias jumps backward and rolls, throwing the knife directly into the soft part of the demon’s neck. The blade sinks deep and the gorgon clutches at its throat, dropping the mace and emitting a panicked gurgling sound.
It falls to its knees and collapses in a heap, dark blood leaking onto the rocky floor of the canyon.
The very next instant, the Nightingales on our side manage to break through the line of spearmen, creating a small gap that is just large enough for us to escape.
Pulling his belt knife out of the gorgon, Elias runs through the gap and yells, “Now is our chance! Flee into the forest! Now!”
Exhausted, Zara jumps into action and I am right behind her, running for the clearing and away from the roaring monsters. We barely manage to untie our horses and mount up before the mind slaves are on top of us, trying to harry us as we depart.
We spur our horses forward, galloping at top speed through the trees and into the Emberwood beyond. I look over my shoulder and see that Elias has managed to escape, as well as two haggard-looking Nightingales, who are riding away from the spearmen as if the Hells themselves are right on their heels.
Crossbow bolts and mind slaves give us chase into the brush, but somehow, we manage to lose them in the foliage.
The last thing I hear before we are out of earshot is Moloch’s furious shouts, berating his troops and commanding them to follow us.
Chapter Thirty
Zara
Never in my life have I felt such a strong mixture of anxiety, fear, and fatigue. The very thought of channeling any more source energy makes me want to faint, and the adrenaline from the fight has completely faded, replaced with numbing exhaustion from using too much magic. It makes me want to curl up into a ball and cry... then perhaps fall asleep.
By sheer force of will, I manage to stay atop my horse as we race through the woods back to Dagger’s Point.
We knew that it was a bloody trap and yet we went anyway, I think to myself in bewilderment. How stupid can we get? We’re lucky that any of us at all survived.
Still, the scholar in me is amazed that I was able to see not only one gorgon, but two in a single day. I now know for a fact that the R’Laar had begun an invasion of Tarsynium, and that the presence of that darkhound near Haven was not some sort of fluke.
Additionally, the fact that the Nightingale mind slaves were there, attacking their own brothers in arms, seems to corroborate the story that General Pyke had told us.
My stomach twists into a knot when I think of the proud general. He is dead now, I think sadly. A consequence of his own hubris.
Our g
roup is depressingly small, frantically riding out of the Heart of the Forest and toward the mountains where we can seek refuge behind the Nightingale fortifications. Pushing our horses as hard as we can, we ride mostly in silence. I doubt we will even stop to rest before we reach Dagger’s Point.
About an hour into our flight, I look over at Owyn, who is riding with a pale-looking Barus sitting behind him.
In a stroke of heroism, Owyn had risked his own life to go back and rescue the surly Nightingale, second in command to Pyke, and then pulled him out of that canyon, away from certain death. His actions surprised me, since he has every reason to hate the Nightingales for what they did to his father, and I can’t help but feel a small sense of admiration when I glance over at him.
Despite our speed, time passes slowly as we flee through the Emberwood. Every time I look over my shoulder I half-expect to see a pack of darkhounds on our tail, ready to devour us if we show even a hint of slowing down. Every time I look, though, I see only forest.
The day grows late and the sun begins to set when we finally enter the hinterlands of the Ironback Mountains. Only then do I start to recognize our surroundings.
We are getting close, I think, furiously blinking my burning eyes.
Soon, the narrow path we ride converges into a wider dirt road, and we begin to climb out of the great forest basin. Within the hour, we can finally start to see the large stone pillar that has given Dagger’s Point its name.
By the time we pull up to the gates, I feel like I am on the verge of collapse.
“Open the gates!” Somebody shouts from atop the walls. “Riders approaching!”
The large wooden doors swing inward and we enter the courtyard of the fort, horses lathered and breathing heavily.
Our weary band of six finally comes to a stop and we shakily dismount, a flock of Nightingales rushing up to meet us. They throw inquiries at us in an unintelligible deluge, their faces painted with concern. Through the jumble of words, I am able to gather questions such as, “What news from the battle?” and “Where is General Pyke?”
Ranger's Oath Page 19
