Hiraeth: Blackout (I)

Chapter Thirteen

Bexley's army was nearly ten times as large as ours.

In the front lines, I could see the humanoid monsters Alyssa had talked about. Some of them were more human than others, with just a few animal features. Others were barely recognizable - deformed with dangerous fangs, spikes, and extra limbs. There were also mountainous beasts, some dangerously close to Alyssa's height.

Every soldier had weapons far deadlier than ours. Every creature and monster had armor, whether they needed it or not.

And at the center of the front lines, I could see Bexley riding atop a charcoal-colored dragon. She was smiling evilly, sword in hand, wearing a very tall silver crown. On her back was a dark purple cape billowing in the cold breeze. She wore silvery armor with spiked shoulder and elbow plates.

Aka flew into the air with Karter and Parry on his back, just as the army came to a stop about forty feet from our front lines. The noise lessened until both sides were completely silent.

I found the breathless silence far more terrifying than the noise before.

"We won't let you Take Idyll!" Karter shouted, her words backed with fury.

Bexley only laughed, guiding her dragon (which was larger than Aka) forward. "I've already Taken it, you fool." She paused, looking around at her army. "You can't win."

Karter stood up on Aka's back, pointing her sword in Bexley's direction. "We will win."

Bexley stood up as well, sneering. Her black hair blew in her face, wrapping around her spiky crown. "Your puny army is in no way capable of defeating mine. I have the upper hand, I cannot be defeated."

I suddenly noticed Karter's free hand was behind her back, fingers twisting and moving as they had for the morphed soldiers. I looked at Bexley's first few lines of minions, smiling. The monsters were shrinking, changing back, but their ruler was too busy talking to notice.

"Surrender him now, and I might spare the lives of your weak band of annoyances," Bexley said, and then pointed in my direction.

My ears were ringing with trepidation.

She can see me.

Karter sat down, patting Aka's neck. He grew to match the charcoal dragon's size. "NEVER!" Karter roared, and Aka charged for Bexley.

"THEN PERISH!!!" Bexley screamed, her dragon leaping into the air towards my friends.

"Oh stars, this is happening!" Derek said from behind me as our army followed suit, charging towards the other side.

As the two dragons fought viciously, Bexley's soldiers and the Ragdoll Army collided. My friends and I were just behind the front, which meant that we were the first to see bloodshed.

And then Bexley's minions came charging for us.

I did as Karter had instructed me and swung in every direction a weapon came from, deflecting the hits with my shield. It was hard to stand my ground, I kept getting pushed further and further back along with the others.

Even though the monsters were being unmorphed by Karter, their minds were Taken. They fought with everything their weakened bodies had.

All around me, swords clanged, claws clashed, and elements mixed. Beings of water went for beings of fire, and vice versa.

The few turf and vegetation flares our army had tried shielding some of the other soldiers with trees, boulders, and snowy ground. Bexley's enormous beasts trampled them without a second thought.

"LOOK OUT!" I heard Karter yell from the air. I leapt out of the way, and her and Parry jumped into the fight.

Karter somehow fought like a true commander - never slowing, constantly pushing forward. Parry was equally as swift as her. He fended off monsters and soldiers as they went for his girlfriend, allowing her to move quickly through Bexley's army while unmorphing those around her.