Blood of the Earth by David A. Wells

Author:David A. Wells [Wells, David A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Epic, Fiction
ISBN: 9781477658437
Google: hoJjLwEACAAJ
Amazon: 1477658432
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-06-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

“Here they come, wraithkin first,” he said. “Spread out.”

The wraithkin appeared at the top of the stairs and smiled. Alexander advanced toward the man mixed with darkness, listening through Mindbender for his thoughts. The wraithkin vanished and Alexander spun. The wraithkin reappeared ten feet past him, running fast.

Alexander flipped Mindbender to his off hand and hurled his throwing knife at the fleeing wraithkin, hoping to hit his head, but the blade drove into the creature’s back instead. The wraithkin shrieked and vanished, reappearing twenty feet down the hallway fully healed and running even faster.

Alexander was torn. There were more than a dozen soldiers, a wizard, and a shade coming up the stairs. It would be suicide to give chase to the wraithkin and leave themselves defenseless to the threat behind them and he dared not divide his force.

“Take the Regency soldiers first,” he said as he turned back to the staircase, advancing toward the three men who had just reached the landing.

The soldiers drew swords as Alexander advanced with Hector and Horace on either side of him. He met the first soldier with a quick parry, deflecting his blade to one side and following with a thrust to the heart, followed by a kick to drive him off Mindbender and send him toppling down the stairs into his companions.

Hector and Horace each engaged a soldier, wielding their twin short swords with the kind of fluid grace that only comes from the combination of long practice and too much real-world experience. Each of them used his leading blade to trap his opponent’s weapon while striking out with his following blade. Both men killed their opponents in a way that looked almost routine.

Alexander waited at the top of the stairs for the soldiers to come to him, not wanting to give up the high ground. Once they’d recovered from the corpse he’d cast into their midst, they began to advance again. The first one to reach him died quickly from a thrust to the eye.

The next was more wary, making a stab for Alexander’s legs. Through Mindbender, he saw the attack coming and jumped to avoid the blade, coming down with an overhead stroke that split the soldier’s helmet and skull.

A crossbow bolt broke against his armor shirt, then another whizzed past his head. Alexander held his ground, waiting for the next soldier to come close enough to kill, when he saw the wizard pull a man aside and stretch his hand out over another man’s shoulder. Alexander tried to duck, but he was a moment too late. The wave of magical force caught him full in the chest, tossing him backward ten feet. He landed hard on his back.

Hector and Horace took his place at the top of the stairs, but the remaining soldiers didn’t charge. Before Alexander could regain his feet, a shell of magical energy emerged from the top of the staircase and pushed out in a bubble, driving Hector and Horace back as the enemy soldiers filled the space within.

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