The Arrival (Birthright Trilogy #1) (12 page)

Fuck.

This was not the few uglies we’d been warned could possibly be in the area. This was a heap of them. I counted at least ten on my side and from the hiss of surprise from Loi, I knew there was likely that many behind us too. Fumbling with the straps, I wrenched off one of the daggers and reached blindly toward Sian.

'Sian,' I hissed. 'Take this.'

'Thanks.'

Kassie’s pulse hammered in her ears as she stared at them.

Holy fucking hell, they’re so close.
They had to be the freakiest things she’d ever seen. Just under five foot, with broad shoulders and long arms that came close to touching the ground. They had large pointy ears that stuck out and an almost flat head with tufts of fur or hair. Their faces were wrinkled with slanted eyes that appeared black in the moonlight and short muzzles with pointy teeth that were visible when they snarled.

I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They were all armed. Maces, evil looking cudgels, pretty much anything heavy with spikes, blades or stakes.

Somehow I don’t think this is the welcome wagon
.

The creatures seemed to be all arms with heavy strong shoulders.

I had a horrible moment of clarity. Surviving this is going to be a mission.

Well then start planning.
Snapped the rational voice in my mind.

Right. I mentally slapped the silly voice that was shrieking in circles and shut it off, far away in my brain. Only sane sensible thoughts allowed. Frantic ideas for survival pinged about in my head and I jumped on the closest one.

'Loi,' I hissed. 'We should be using Sian as a sniper, is it possible for you to get her to a safe spot?'

Loi groaned inwardly at the thought.

'Technically, I think I can, but that’ll start this.'

'It’s not like they have good intentions,' Kassie called softly. 'And someone has to start it.'

Loi tensed her stomach against the sudden urge to vomit and turned to look at Sian, who stared back with a stern expression.

'Let’s do this. The boulder behind us can be my starting point.' Sian flashed a vicious smile. 'I’ll shoot, you slash.'

Loi exhaled slowly, readying herself.

'Right then, let’s go.'

Her stomach felt like it plummeted to her feet as the two of them stepped away from Kassie and Cat and began to walk to the boulder.

Kassie shifted closer to my back as we prepared to cover each other. I pulled the other dagger out and crouched, ready. The creatures in front seemed to take that as their signal and surged forward.

A huge sword, possibly a claymore, swung toward her. Loi jerked back out of its arc and before the owner could swing it again, lunged, thrusting her sword into the creature. Shuddering in disgust at the sensation of penetrating live flesh and the splatter of blood, she wrenched the sword out watching as the creature fell, dead, to the ground.

Adrenaline flooded through her, blacking her vision for a moment and she fought hard against the urge to run screaming from it all.

Kill or be killed, that's the way it works.

Keeping that grim thought at the forefront of her mind, Loi swung her sword at the advancing creatures and focused on the boulder.

Got to reach it!

Sian released an arrow and felt, rather than heard, the thud as it struck a creature’s forehead. A wave of nausea swelled at the sudden realization she had just killed a living being.

Snap out of it,
her rational voice roared,
this is survival of the fittest. Kill them!

Thoughts on track, she wrenched another arrow from the quiver and shot a creature advancing on Loi. The boulder was close enough now. With a quick, cautious glance around she sprinted the final distance, scrambling up on it.

Just in the knick of time, she thought, as she released a volley of arrows at the creatures surrounding Loi.

Loi looked astonished at the sudden collapse of her foe and squinted in the semi-light at Sian.

'Thanks.'

Kassie and I fought back to back, with Audi ducking around, snapping at legs and darting away. I wished she’d stay out the way, but knew she wouldn’t. Kassie hissed in pain. Alarmed I twisted to check on her.

'Kass! You right?'

'I’m okay,' she grunted slashing out with her sword, removing a creature’s arm. 'Lucky just took off up a tree and used my shoulder as her launch pad.'

I barked a laugh of relief and noticed Audi bound away to the base of the tree where Lucky was.

Thank God.

Loi appeared at my side.

'Glad to see you two are okay,' she yelled over the din of the battle.

'We’re good, so far. And Sian?' I hollered back.

Loi began to reply when a flash of lightning lit the forest.

Oh crap, she thought, as the rain started to pelt down.

'Sian’s good,' she bellowed and at that moment two more creatures dropped dead, the arrows in their heads quivering.

So I see, I thought, staring at the fresh corpses with revulsion.

Huh, oddly comical looking,
commented my rational voice.

The temperature began to drop and the wind picked up.

All in all, this night was getting darker, longer and nastier. My torso was wet with blood, none of it mine, and my arms seemed almost numb from the weight of the sword.

If we survive this, my arms are going to be black and blue.

If we survive this,
my rational voice thought,
it’ll be a bloody miracle.

Glancing at the others I saw the same drawn, determined expressions as they fought. The thunder boomed overhead and I ducked without thinking.

Whoa, loud!
Lightning lit the sky and the landscape, illuminating the creatures around us.

Where the hell are they coming from?
For every one I brought down another was in its place.

'Duck!' Loi yelled as she swung her sword over me, removing the head of a creature.

I dove into a roll and slammed a dagger into the shank of a creature in front of me. It shrieked and swung an arm out, striking me across the head.

Cat yelped in pain and Kassie jerked around to see her stagger up from the ground then rip her sword up the torso of a creature. As she turned to retrieve her dagger from the body, Kassie saw blood running down her chin.

'CAT!' she shrieked in alarm.

'I’m bokay,' Cat yelled back, her voice oddly thick. 'It bade be bite by friggen thongue.' She spat out a mouthful of blood.

Sian yanked another arrow from the quiver and set it to the bow. Drawing, she quickly sighted and released, hitting a creature behind Kassie’s back. The feathers that sprouted from its forehead gave her a quick sense of satisfaction. It wouldn’t get up again.

A hard slam to the back sent her sprawling off the boulder onto the ground. Sian jerked to the side just in time as a mace smashed down. Grunting, she heaved herself to her feet and whipped out the dagger Cat had given her, thrusting it into the throat of the mace wielder. Blood spurted from its mouth over her arm and it slumped to the ground dead. Grimacing in disgust she pulled the dagger out and spun around.

Nope, nothing on my tail yet.

Glancing at the others, she saw a creature draw its sword back about to skewer Cat, whose attention was elsewhere. Cursing, Sian seized an arrow and had it off in a flash. The creature slowly toppled to the ground, revealing a surprised looking Cat.

Noticing Sian with the bow drawn, Cat gave a nod of thanks, then moved back into the fight beside Loi.

Damn Sian's quick with that bow!
That was too close a call for my liking. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kassie feint a high jab then drop low with a slash and the innards of the creature she’d attacked spilled out. It uttered a horrific snarl. I felt Loi close to me.

'This isn’t going particularly well,' she hissed at me.

No really, I thought, I hadn’t noticed.

'Any better ideas?' I snapped.

We looked at each other for a brief moment and saw the answer we already knew in each others eyes. Unless something drastic happened shortly, we wouldn’t be here much longer.

What happens if we die here? Do we return home and if so, are we dead?

Hearing an odd noise from above, I risked a glance up. Lucky clung in the branches of a tree, hissing and spitting at the creatures below.

Audi resumed her guard at the base of the tree, her fur fluffed up like a mane around her shoulders and neck. She snarled fiercely at any creature that came close, but they appeared far more interested in us.

I hope we survive I thought feeling desperation creep in. I’d feel so guilty if those two were left by themselves.

Kassie could hear her sensei’s instructions running through her head like a chant. Thrust, block, step backward, step forward, duck, thrust, lunge, as she went through the motions, taking down creature after creature, relying on her quick instincts to move out of the way in time. An arrow whizzed past and a creature on the left toppled over dead. She turned to see where Cat and Loi were and then gasped when the lightning illuminated their surroundings.

Directly in front of her, a creature swung a huge battle axe closer and closer. She jerked back instinctively.

Kassie bumped into my back.

'Sorry, Cat,' she gasped as we both threw ourselves out of the path of a massive axe.

'Take that side,' I yelled and we both lunged, hamstringing the axe holder.

It uttered a horrible moan then toppled forward and Loi brought her sword down, beheading it. Above the din of the screams the creatures kept uttering, I heard something strange. It almost sounded like a horn.

I kept my focus on our surroundings, swinging, slashing, ducking and lunging; feeling like I was on autopilot as we continued to fight. Then a creature in front jerked its head away.

Excellent.
I swung the sword around my head to build momentum. The creature’s attention snapped back to me and I only caught a glimpse of what might have been fear in its eyes, before I removed its head.

'Something’s happening!' screamed Loi and she backed next to me.

Sian and Kassie moved in too and we stared as the creatures ignored us. Keeping our weapons ready we watched in astonishment as those remaining pulled away. Loping on all fours, like gorillas, into the forest, screeching in alarm. There was a strange noise and we looked around in confusion. I heard it again and froze while listening. It was a deep rhythmic thudding sound.

Not good, I thought, I can’t see a thing in this storm. Even the moonlight wasn’t visible now, with the thick clouds that had rain pelting down.

'It’s getting closer,' Kassie whispered hoarsely.

We stared at each other as a sense of dread crept through me. Audi had frozen at the base of the tree and Lucky was silent. We realized the sound came from above and craned our necks, staring upward. Straining my eyes against the darkness I couldn’t see a thing. Then a flash of lightning lit the sky.