Chapter Twenty-One
Survivor
The sun was finally making itself known above the treetops when they reached the opposite side of the compound and the continuation of the main road. Yulen called for a brief halt, yet ordered everyone to remain on their horses. Like everyone else, Lucien continued to watch the dark and seemingly lifeless fortress. His uneasiness was sensed by his mother, who pulled up beside him.
“I feel it, too.”
“Feel what?” Yulen questioned, glancing at the both of them.
Lucien shrugged. Atty remained mute. Neither of them could explain it. Yulen turned to Paas, who shook her head.
“See any movement?” The battle lord glanced around at those nearby. Lucien observed how the man’s gaze lingered on Johna. No one replied. Johna gave a single shake of her head.
“All right. We’re in full view of the compound. If there’s anyone alive there, we should have seen something—”
“Wait!” Johna held out a hand. Bending over, she leaned forward and shielded her eyes. “I think I do see something, but it’s difficult with the sun shining right in my face.”
“So you’re not sure?”
“No. Sorry.”
The battle lord let out a loud sigh. “Very well. I already dread to think what we’ll find in there on our way back. We need to move on. Forward!” He gave the signal to proceed, when they heard a shout.
Lucien wheeled his horse around to discover a lone figure running toward them. The person waved an arm as he stumbled his way toward them. Faintly, the man’s cries became evident. “Run! Go away! They’ll kill you! Go away! Go away! Save yourselves!” Suddenly, the man pitched forward. The shaft of an arrow stuck out of his back as he landed face first.
Atty immediately raised her bow, an arrow nocked.
“Can you see who shot him?” Yulen asked her.
“Not the shooter, but I saw where the arrow originated.”
“Go for it.”
She fired before he’d finished his sentence. The arrow arched upward, then turned and plummeted down behind the wall. They couldn’t see if the target had been hit, but they knew Atty and her skill.
Iain jumped down from his mount and ran to aid the fallen man. Yulen shouted for him to stop, but the physician either didn’t hear him, or chose not to. Not knowing if there were other archers on the parapet, Lucien slid from his saddle and ran to protect him. At the same time, two more soldiers ran to help and provide the protection of their own armor against any further arrows, since the doctor only wore the soft leather.
Lucien reached them as Iain was trying to drag the man to safety. Grabbing the hapless man under the arms, he instructed the physician to take the feet. They began carrying the man back to where the soldiers had lined up in phalanx formation. Lucien kept his eyes on the compound. Although he couldn’t explain why, he knew this attack wasn’t over, now that the people behind those walls had been outed.
Johna shouted out a warning, and Lucien stopped in his tracks. A hoard of people had appeared from out of nowhere and were rushing the soldiers in a mad frenzy. Realizing they’d been spotted, the mass started yelling and brandishing their clubs and other weapons in the air.
“Bloods! Defend!” Yulen’s yell was barely heard above the din, but Lucien knew the battle lord would also be giving the signal.
Dropping the man, he drew his sword. “Iain! Go!” Without waiting for his friend’s reply, he dash forward to meet the attackers head on. Arrows whizzed by him as he met the first Blood, a man with skin sloughing off in large swaths. The Blood tried to bring his rusty machete down on his head, but Lucien easily ducked, whirled, and swung his sword around horizontally. The blade sliced through the creature’s abdomen, nearly cutting him in half.
Horses pounded past him as soldiers rushed to defend. Panting from adrenaline, he paused to see if the Blood he’d downed remained down, when someone screamed his name. At the last second, a claymore landed on his shoulder, but his heavy armor deflected the weapon. But the blow was enough to deaden his arm, and Lucien lost his grip on his sword, dropping it.
Unable to retrieve his weapon, he did a tuck and roll, in the event his attacker tried to swing at him again. He heard the swish of air as the claymore passed over him, and he glanced up into the scarred face of the creature. At the same time, an arrow struck the side of the Blood’s head at the temple…
And bounced off.
Lucien felt fear clog his throat. It had been his mother’s arrow. In that microsecond he’d recognized the blue stripes she marked her ammunition with. What should have been a death blow wasn’t, but the creature wasn’t wearing any kind of protective gear. No helmet or armor. Nothing other than torn and stained clothing.
A heartbeat later, a second arrow struck the man in the neck. Again, it should have toppled the Blood. But, like the first one, it didn’t. Instead, the wooden shaft snapped upon the impact and fell away.
The Blood roared at him as it lifted the heavy sword. A handful of arrows barraged the creature, looking for any way to pierce the thing’s impenetrable hide, without success. Lucien managed to get to his feet as the thing tried to hammer him again, missing him by inches. Even if he managed to regain his own sword, Lucien knew it would prove as useless as the arrows, and the thought of running for it tried to overwhelm him.
His hand felt the hilt of his brother’s dagger slide into his palm. At the same time, the Blood advanced toward him, holding his weapon overhead with both hands. This time the creature was going to wait for which way Lucien rolled before striking again. Seeing the man had left himself wide open, he drew his legs up underneath him and leaped upward.
The dagger went straight into the thing’s left eye, the long blade plunging all the way through to the creature’s brain. The Blood stumbled and halted, unable to move another step because of the pain his body was experiencing. Probably the first time he had ever felt pain.
Letting go of the dagger, Lucien placed his hands on the Blood’s chest, and shoved as hard as he could. The thing staggered backwards a couple of steps, then fell flat on his back.
He checked around him for more assailants, but the other Bloods were quickly being dispatched by the soldiers. Johna rushed up from behind. Black ichor splattered her face and chest, evidence she’d taken on a couple of the creatures herself. Like him, she was panting heavily from her exertions. After eyeing the dying creature, she turned and gave him a quick once-over.
“Oh God, Lucien, I was so afraid he’d…” The look on her face said it all. Unable to help himself, he pulled her into his arms and held her shivering body as his parents hurried to meet up with them.