Petals on The Moon || Reyna Ramirez-Arellano x Fem!OC

XXXIX

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Dear Diary,

The phalanx was nearly giving out. We had been holding strong for over an hour, but to no avail. According to Octavian, the sun wouldn't be coming up for another two hours or so, but the sky said otherwise. Unfortunately, I didn't know if we would even make it another ten minutes.

"Hold!" Jason commanded, his voice heavy over the legion. They pushed forward, struggling against the hordes of monsters.

"Archers!" Soledad shouted. She waved her hand, and a volley of arrows hit every monster at the phalanx. But every time ten went down, twenty more went up. I could tell the Cup of Youth was working against us. Monsters I had killed seconds ago would explode into dust, but the particles would regroup like nothing had happened.

We couldn't even shift any warriors back to the front. There were maybe ten of us still standing, trying to knock down any of the outliers. But morale was low. The sword felt ten times heavier than usual, and I didn't see the night letting up any time soon. An endless darkness with the fires of destruction below it, and all I could do was watch.

The scream erupted from the city, then. The monsters made a horrible noise of victory, and I heard the rushing; felt the shift.

"They're in the city!"

The phalanx gave up entirely. There was no order leftover. Everyone broke ranks, assumed their weapons, and charged after the monsters in the city.

I watched them ripping the buildings apart in horror. Veterans were knocked aside as easily as a speck of dirt on the dinner table. Nature spirits rose, making any attempt possible to protect the city. A naiad sent a heavy stream of water at a giant, but a seal-like demon cut her down. A dryad attempted to form a wall of bramble, but an enemy demigod easily ensnared her in a net. I couldn't see past the sea of horror, but her bramble suddenly disappeared without a trace.

"We can't make it," Gwen gasped, panting next to me as she leaned on the city. She had a massive cut on her cheek, some of the blood smearing into her eye. "We should've evacuated; just- just pushed everyone out!"

"Snap out of it," I ordered, staring at her. "We don't need any weakness right now."

"Weakness?" she gasped, her face pale. "Maybe it's just fear."

I grabbed her arm. "Get it together." She stared at me as my arm began to burn. "Remember what you're fighting for. Grab your sword, raise your shield, and get back out there."

She blinked in surprise, but followed me orders, which also surprised me a little bit. She did exactly as I said, and charged back into battle, cutting down monsters as they came.

I went the other way, slashing with my swords. I didn't have a shield, but I didn't think it'd be much use against a giant's fifty-pound club. I weaved around him, dodging his attacks as they came, timing everything accordingly. Finally, he got angry; he slammed his club down, accidentally lodging it in the stone of the street, giving me ample opportunity to climb up his back side and stab him in the head.

He melted away, almost as though he had formed into a soft breeze to gently set me on the ground. I heard the familiar stretch of a bowstring behind me, and fell to the floor as the arrow whistled past me. I turned my head, seeing an enemy archer glaring at me, too far for me to attack.