The Crimson Hunted: A Dellerin Tale (The Crimson Collection Book 2) by Robert J Power

Author:Robert J Power [Power, Robert J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DePaor Press
Published: 2019-11-19T07:00:00+00:00

8

Slaughtered

The wall began to bulge inwards and Derian stood atop firing arrow after arrow down upon the beasts as they swarmed and formed themselves into an unnatural mound of horror. He knew it would take a thousand arrows and a thousand hours to cut through their terrible writhing mass, and still they would never strike those nearest the bottom, but still, he fired. Fed by the line of monsters flowing through the break in fire, their looming mass grew in height and width. Closer and closer it came, every moment another foot nearer.

Archers on either side delivered death, but it was like swatting at a nest of hissects with nothing more than a needle. There were too many. Suddenly, the ground shuddered as though struck by a giant’s fist, and Keri fell down to the brutes below.

He screamed as he dropped—the shrill wail of a man realising his doom. He bounced off the mass, spinning like a helpless child’s toy before rolling towards the flames. He never reached them, because a dozen snapping teeth fell upon him. He lived longer than expected. Derian knew this because of the screams. Perhaps, in that last moment, Keri might have struck one or more beasts with a flailing fist, but without his sword, it was a tragic last stand. Derian could have avoided watching the monsters tear and drag away what meat they’d earned from him, but his eyes just couldn’t leave the horror. Keri had seemed a nice man. No man deserved that end. Derian drew raw hatred from the sight and fought a suicidal urge.

Leap down and take them all on. They’ll never see it coming.

The wall shifted again, and Keri was lost from Derian’s thoughts as he notched and released his next arrow. He hit a demon through the eyes, and it howled before falling back down and dying in the fire. A small victory after such a loss.

“This side, this side, they’re only taking this side!” Derian screamed, praying his Crimson comrades understood the sudden turn. Praying the Crimson were swifter on their feet than usual.

Old wood began to creak and break beneath his feet—its splintering snapping filled the night as the monsters tested and found a breach in the defences—and he spotted Natteo rouse his warriors and charge down towards the failing wall with confused archers in tow.

Too far.

The world was coming undone, and all of it was doing so under Derian’s watch. The wall rocked again, and he thought of Seren. She would come, he told himself. He couldn’t see her with so many buildings obstructing his view, and he despaired.

Will she come?

Surely she would realise a thousand demons spilling over the wall wasn’t part of the plan. He wondered whether she would race into death trying to save him. Or would she cry out as he died gallantly defending the town or defending her? Would she miss him? Would his bravery be enough to earn her love?

He saw Lorgan and Kesta charging down along the wall. Behind them followed several warriors, but they were still too far, and his anger raged inside.

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