GoCorral

Chapter 5 – Into Danger (Continued)

Forgeus glanced at Gallana before speaking again, “We come to secure the release of the villagers of Shalerton. Again, I am Forgeus Redgrain, master of the Wizards Guild of Phoenix. Who are you?”

The creature tilted its head and stared at Forgeus. It said, “I am Kardishan. I am a sendilar in service to the Great Empress.”

Gallana asked the creature, “We have heard little of the Great Empress in these lands. What are your people?”

“We are the adlishar. We are the masters of the universe. We rule the stars and sail between worlds. We conquer and take what we want. You are just the latest in an endless cycle of conquests and victories.”

Forgeus stood with his mouth open. Gallana spoke slowly, “What region of the world do you hail from?”

“We are not of your world. We exist in the realm of the gods beyond your understanding.”

“Are you gods?” Gallana asked.

“We serve the Great Empress who is a god in her palace.”

Gallana scratched her small nose. “Surely, there must be something your people want. What can we offer you for the release of Shalerton’s villagers.”

The creature swept its eyes across Forgeus and Gallana. It looked further back at the dozens of adventurers hungry for battle.

It answered Gallana, “You can offer us nothing. Leave and prepare for submission.”

The creature turned and walked through the dark hole once more. Forgeus called out, “Wait! We’re not done!”

Galandir stood with the rest of his band on the hill side as Forgeus and Gallana went forward. They were a few dozen podes away, ready to help if needed. Galandir smelled the dry seeds in the air as he waited for whatever came next.

The creature’s emergence was a surprise. Galandir had expected something more grotesque. Even if the description mentioned a humanoid figure, he had still hoped for a creature of horrifying ugliness. Instead, the monster seemed almost like a tame cat. The ears were similar to an elf’s but not exactly the same. They contained a bulbous bit of tissue at the end while an elf’s ears swooped back into perfect points.

Galandir strained to hear the conversation. If he was alone, he was sure he’d be able to make it out, but the passive shifting of bodies, armor, and weapons around him made it difficult to pick out specific words. Something about gods and understanding?

The emotions were more clearly perceived. The talks were not going well. Not a surprise.

Godrick gripped his ax handle. His gruff voice sounded clearly, “Looks like we’ll get a fight after all.”

Godrick turned from the negotiations to the observers. “Listen up everyone! They’re not going to give us the villagers back without a fight! Let’s get ready and get in there to free those people!”

The sound of shields being strapped down and swords being drawn filled the air.

“Come on!” Godrick announced. “Who’s with me!” Godrick began to chant a simple paean.

“Who, who, who are we?
We are warriors, yes indeed!
Who, who, who are we?
We are warriors, yes indeed!”

The others took up the cry. Galandir joined in the cheer. Seeing the momentum, Forgeus and Gallana rushed back to the group.

Godrick shouted, “Forward!”

Everyone charged towards the structure. Galandir went with the flood, holding his sword high.

“Who, who, who are we? We are warriors, yes indeed!” filtered away as a general scream filled the lungs of the self-proclaimed warriors.

The tide did not reach the structure. The loose formation they had was broken, not by discipline, but by the impact of an unknown force. To Galandir’s eyes it seemed like an unseen power suddenly shoved people away from three different points on the slope as they charged. Warriors collided and slipped to the ground as these silent explosions reshaped the flow of the battlefield.

The creatures appeared. More of the alien shapes with odd elbows. They came out of nowhere. Galandir’s nose smelled the faint ammonia spell that accompanied teleportation magic. His uncle had shown him the spell. This was the same wizardry.

Each of the creatures wore wildly different clothes. Robes, shirts, tunics, tabards, togas, dresses, trousers, shorts, pants, flowing pantaloons, hats, scarves, shoes, sandals, gloves, belts, and boots. All in different combinations, patterns, and colors. The oddest army Galandir had ever heard of. Not only did they have no uniforms, they seemed to have no cohesive dress whatsoever for these creatures. As if they had fished their clothes randomly out of the largest bazaar in the world and went with the first things their hook caught on.

Their swords were uniform and they were indeed silver. Each was curved slightly with a single edge. The blades flaired out at the end and a slight hook bent backwards from the tip on the flat edge. Their composition was like quicksilver just as Forgeus had said. The swords’ surfaces rippled and flowed as they slashed through the air.

While seemingly liquid, the swords were still sharp. The creatures moved quickly and sliced into the adventurers on the edge of the group. The swords cut through leather, skin, and bone with ease. Blood sprayed the air. The spatters on the silver swords seemed to mix with the flowing metal and be consumed by it.

Galandir took stock of his situation. He was on the hill slide behind Godrick and Alyssa. Stuart and Locklin had been running to the left of him. They were blasted into each other by the invisible explosions, but were standing up to defend themselves. Tokint was behind him. There were other adventurers to his right and further behind who he did not know. Additionally, Galandir didn’t truly know the combat skill of his own companions. Could they be relied on in a fight?

Galandir turned his awareness to himself. His mind was protected by Gallana’s magic. He wore the elven chainmail that Altheria had made for him underneath his clothes. The chainmail covered his torso, arms, and legs, but was nearly undetectable through his tunic and trousers. His sword was in his right hand. His left hand was ready to cast a spell. Galandir kept the word for a shield spell on his tongue.

The threat of real combat scared Galandir. There was a thrill as well. He thought to himself, “This is where my sword gets its name.”

One of the monsters appeared in front of Godrick and Alyssa. Godrick charged at it and swung his large ax in a horizontal arc. The creature ducked under the blow and skittered forward. It’s silver sword dug a vertical line into Godrick’s calf as the creature stood up next to him. Godrick screamed and clutched his leg.

Alyssa held a small crossbow in her left hand and an iron mace in her right. She leveled the crossbow at the creature and fired the quarrel at it. The quarrel struck an inch in front of the creature’s chest. It shattered against the creature’s invisible magical armor.

Alyssa threw her crossbow down in disgust and moved forward with her mace held high. She swung down. The creature spun to the right. Godrick screamed to release his pain and stood with his ax once more. He took another horizontal swing with the ax. The creature stepped further away. The back swing of the ax came towards Alyssa. She stumbled backwards to escape, falling to the ground.

Galandir realized he was standing still. He needed to act to help his companions. He rushed forward with his left hand extended.

“Kindieron!”

Galandir shot a bolt of fire at the creature. It raised its empty left hand and deflected the fire with a magic gesture. The movement pulled puzzle pieces together in Galandir’s mind. He realized what was so odd about the creatures’ arms. Their elbows were a ball and socket joint instead of a hinge joint. The elbows were rotating in unnatural ways as the dance of battle continued.

Galandir shot more bolts as he approached. “Kindieron! Kindieron! Kindieron!” Foom! Foom! Foom! The creature deflected each fire bolt the same way. Stuart and Locklin were on their feet and moving towards the creature. Alyssa rolled away to the left on her stomach. Galandir heard Tokint coming behind him. Godrick yelled and took another horizontal swing at the creature while Galandir kept it pinned down with his fire magic.

The creature disappeared. The smell of ammonia. It reappeared behind Godrick and stabbed him with the silver sword. Godrick’s loud voice left with a gasp. His lungs struggled to pull in air, but it left just as quickly through the hole in his chest. The sword retracted through the hole. It was stained red, but rapidly returned to silver as the blood was absorbed.

Galandir screamed and sprinted at the creature. His vision of the battlefield narrowed to his target alone. The creature brought its sword in from the left.

“Spours!” Galandir blocked it with a shield spell.

Galandir stabbed with his own sword. Not at the creature’s heart where it had invisible armor. He struck at the creature’s shoulder. It brought its left hand across its body from the outside. It pushed Galandir’s sword towards the armor! The blade ricocheted off, but the creature received a cut on its hand. Galandir spun to the right to reach behind the creature.

Galandir heard a thrumming sound. A pounding in his head of his blood pumping. He looked at the creature. It was crouched down on its right leg, still pointing away from him. Its bleeding left hand was at its temple. Galandir felt the thrumming sound coming from the creature’s head.

Galandir raise his blade to take advantage of the creature’s position. His muscles refused. Galandir panicked. He couldn’t move! His arm was struck with his sword in front of him. The mental paralysis that Forgeus had mentioned! Gallana’s spell was not enough. He was trapped.

The creature looked back at Galandir with a smirk. Its hand was still on its temple. The thrumming sound. The creature stood straight. Galandir looked beyond it to the others. They were frozen as well, Alyssa, Stuart, Locklin, and Tokint. The creature lazily walked towards them.

Alyssa lay on her stomach with her elbows underneath her. The creature stepped on her leg. It stabbed its silver sword into her back. Blood stained her back. The creature pulled the sword back. Blood dripped onto Alyssa’s back. The hooked end of the blade absorbed more blood into its silvery form.

Galandir stood transfixed. How could he stop this? The creature needed its left hand to keep the enchantment in place. Attack the left hand? But how? He couldn’t even speak.

The creature walked towards Stuart and Locklin. The thrumming sound continued.