Land of Shadows

“Well, yes, yes. As long Jade continues to wear the silver ring, I have full contact with them,” he stammered nervously. “But something just happened! The trial seemed to be going perfectly when all of sudden—” he stopped and cupped his hand to his ear. “Do you hear that?”

 

 

The Queen stood perfectly still and listened. Her heart nearly sank though the floor as she heard the warning bells ringing out. Taron was under attack! No…no, this can’t be happening! Not now! The door flung open as Azek exploded into the room. “My lady, we are—”

 

“I hear the bloody bells!” she yelled out as she turned to face the wall. Placing a hand on her forehead, she closed her eyes and tried to gather herself. “Berkeni, is it what I think it is?” she asked in a soft voice that contained none of her usual fire.

 

He was already peering into the white pearl before she even spoke the words. “Yes, my lady,” he said in an even softer voice. “They are moving toward the front wall as we speak.”

 

“My lady, I know they are not of their own free will right now,” said Azek in a somber tone, “but we are sworn to defend the people of Taron. I will instruct the wall soldiers to knock down their ladders as needed but to take no lives. We can hold for a time, but once they penetrate—” he paused a long moment before he continued, “then I will be forced to uphold my sworn duty.”

 

Ilirra silently nodded her agreement as she faced the wall, unable to look at him. There was only so much that could be done to spare life at this desperate time. Placing her head on her forearm, she leaned heavily against the wall. By the Gods, we’re running out of time!

 

Armed guards swarmed the city walls as the bell echoed loudly through the streets. Soldiers on the ground level tried to brace the front gate with a large oak log that had been wheeled up on a cart. Karbin, the acting general when Azek was not present, pointed out positions along the walls for the men to hold. He pulled out his looking glass to see what they would be dealing with and how close to the wall the threat had gotten. His blood turned to ice. At least a thousand men were rushing over the hill, running wildly like a pack of dogs. He could even make out the animalistic expressions on their faces. Karbin was sure he would never sleep again. Their tongues hung from their mouths like dogs’ as white foam bubbled out as if they were rabid. Even their eyes were completely white. Nothing could have seemed more unnatural.

 

Random packs of three could be seen carrying ladders as they sprinted along, tripping and falling constantly from the frenzied effort. When one would fall, the others just kept running, trampling over the fallen as if he wasn’t even there. They seemed savage and completely unorganized as they rushed in without even a hint of a battle formation.

 

When the first wave hit, they tried to climb the wall with their bare hands, clawing like animals as others tried to climb up their backs. As the second wave crashed in, crude wooden ladders began to rise up the walls. They trampled over each other just to be the first to begin their ascent. The men on the wall used long poles to keep knocking back the ladders, but they didn’t know how long they could defend against the tireless assault.

 

*

 

Everyone remained focused on the thin line of light as they backed away from it. The line began to expand vertically until it resembled some kind of huge glowing window hovering in the air. One second passed, five, ten. You could have heard a pin drop for miles. Then a swarm of black leathery creatures funneled through like a river of death, charging the second they hit the ground, but the crytons were no exception to that rule. They countered swiftly, like they had been preparing for weeks, returning the charge with all the skill and tenacity that had made them legends in times of old.

 

Flashing steel easily annihilated the first wave of black demons. Jacob and Jade were no slower in their response. They fearlessly charged in. Jacob’s staff twirled like a tornado with deadly intentions as he tore into the second wave with reckless abandon. Already engaged with two at once, he sensed a third behind him as he evasively rolled to the side. He raised his staff defensively as the three crreatures converged on him at once.

 

Two never got there as he easily parried a single tail strike while returning three hard shots of his own. He spun just in time to watch the other two lift off the ground, with their feet dangling like children. Their heads snapped back at the same time. Lifeless eyes stared blankly at their own backs, as well as at the two crytons who broke their necks like twigs.

 

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