IheardOryxbehind me. “Getout of here!”Kaleosscreamed, butOryxjust shook his head. “Theskull!Youneed to destroy the skull.”Thecreature had already taken numerous blows to the head with no lasting damage.Howcould we destroy it?Myarm twinged again, andIthought of the rock that had almost taken it from me.Ilooked around for the wagon carrying the massive crossbow.Ithad toppled, but some soldiers were already righting it.Kaleosfollowed my line of sight. “Noway we can get a good enough shot with that.”
Butthen the creature snapped at a nearby soldier, whomAbraxasjust managed to push out of the way.Butthe delay allowed the creature to swipe him across the chest, leaving four long gashes that bleed crimson.Hefell to his knees, the wounds not closing, andIsprinted.
“You’llget one shot.”Abraxasrose up, but he was slow, and theNalleknew it.Hebattered him left and right, butIfell in and smashed the side of its skull with the pommel of my blade.Itlurched but found its footing asIstepped in front ofAbraxas.Hestill clutched his chest as blood ran down.
“Noone makes him bleed but me!”Ilet my rage drive away the fear and doubt asIfaced down the creature.Itlunged at me, its jaws opened wide enough to swallow me whole, andIraised my sword and screamed.Itried to dodge its teeth and slammed my sword into the roof of its mouth.
Painexploded across me, butIcouldn’t identify from where.Agreat roar burst forth, and theNallerose up on its legs, its front paws clawing at the sword that was still lodged in its mouth. “Now!”Iheard the whistle of the bolt as it flew through the air, and the blood-chilling crack of it passing through the creature’s skull.Bonebits rained down on me, and the red glow of its eyes disappeared as its body hit the forest floor with a thud that shook the trees.
Ispun,Abraxasstill clutching his chest behind me.Butthe blood wasn’t running as freely, even though his wounds were still open.
“I’llbe alright,I’vehad worse.”Buthis eyes grew so wide thatIcould see the whites around his iris. “Tori, your shoulder.”Likehis words had reminded me,Ifelt a lancing pain over my right shoulder.Ilooked and saw a great gash running from the top and down my back whereIcouldn’t see.BeforeIcould get a better look,Oryxwas on me, pressing cloth to the wound.
“What’sthe point of me putting you back together if you are just going to get hurt again?”Hepressed against the wound to stanch the bleeding, andIgrunted in a very unappealing way.Abraxaslooked at my wound. “It’snot too deep, but injuries from theGreatBeastsalways take longer to heal.Weshould be cautious.”Ithought about the scarsIstill had on my leg from theLeviathan.
Ihissed between my teeth asOryxfussed over my wound, “Iwouldn’t mind not running into another one for the rest of my life.”
Asmall smile crackedAbraxas’ lips, “Youdo seem to attract them.I’ma bit surprised you decided to fight this one and not let it eat me as a snack.”
Butthen the wind whipped up into a gale that would have put the typhoons ofNiatato shame, and everyone was almost blown off their feet.Thetrees shook and leaves tore through the camp as our tents and supplies were blown everywhere.Abraxaspulled me to his still-bloody chest, andIbarely heard him over the wind, “MorkaTempeli.”
Thetorches were nearly out from the gale, butIcould just see leaves and embers twirling over the body of theNalle, like a great tornado.Thenthe earth itself lurched, and roots from the nearby trees reached up out of the ground.Theysnagged over the limbs of everyone in the camp, trying to pull them under the earth and out into the forest.Aroot wrapped around my leg, butAbraxassliced it with his sword, and the wind picked up.
“They’rescreaming.”Ibarely heardOryx, but he was right.Thesound of the wind through the trees, it wasn’t right.Hegrabbed my hand, andIcould hear it carry words, in a languageIdidn’t know, but thatIfelt.Enemy.
“Wearen’t your enemy!”Iscreamed, but the roots only pulled at us harder.Iheard the blunt sound of swords chopping at the roots as more of the soldiers tried to escape.Thewind blew even harder.Enemy.Enemy.Cut.
“Dropyour swords!”Abraxasstared likeIhad gone insane. “Doit!”Irose to my feet and bellowed, “Dropyour swords, that’s an order.”
Ifelt their hesitation, butIheard the metallic clank of swords hitting the ground.Rootspulled at my heels, andIsaw men still being dragged down.Butthen the roots released, though the wind continued. “Weare not your enemy!”Icalled again.Thewind kept battering me, and while the roots retreated,Isaw the trees at the edge of the clearing were moving, pressing into us.Tentsshuffled together as the trees crushed the camp.Iheard wood snap as one of the torches toppled and lit a tent on fire.
Thetrees pressed faster.Hurt.Hurt.Hurt.
“Putout the fires, now!”Iscreamed.Abraxasrose next to me.
Helocked eyes with me, his only hesitation before bellowing, “Firesout now!”Anyonewho could rushed to a torch, smothering them.Thetent took longer butAbraxaschucked a barrel of water at it.Itfinally went out and we were in pitch black.Icould still feel the trees pushing in, hear them creaking as they crushed us.IfeltAbraxasgrab my hand tightly in the darkness.Istill clutchedOryxon the other side.
Butthen the wind died down, and the crushing stopped.Weall held our breath, and the wind tickled over my ear.Scared.
“I’msorry.Wedidn’t mean to scare you.Tohurt you.”
Hurtnalle.
“Yes, we were scared too.I’msorry.”
Whycome?
“Weare looking for something.Somethingthat once belonged to the fae.”
Minenow.
IfeltOryx'sshoulders drop.Notgood.Wecouldn’t stand against a whole forest.
“Please…”Howto explain?
Leavenow.
Itwasn’t threatening, but it crushed my heart just the same.Smallblue lights like fireflies rose from the ground, marking a pathIwas sure would lead us to safety.
