The Paladins of Naretia

Chapter 30

To Aria, Dwarf arrows had a distinctly different sound as they zip through the air; heavier, louder than ordinary arrows. She was relieved to hear them as they reached the bulwark of sandstone that protected the city of Lothangard. High above them, she could just make out the iron helmets of dwarfs poking between the parapets. Their silver bows gleamed a fiery red in the reflected light of the setting sun, letting loose thousands of arrows toward the mass of pursuing trolls.

The wall, which had stood for more than three thousand years, had gargantuan sculptures of past kings carved upon it. Behind it, Aria could see the tall, limestone palace hang over the city like a displeased shadow as they approached. Although her mother and father had been gentle rulers, there was a long line of ancestors before them that would have disowned her for not having avenged her parent's death, despite the cost; a trait of impulsiveness she had inherited from them, no doubt. But Aria didn't have time to dwell on the displeasures of ghostly rulers past. They were fast approaching the iron portcullis, and the dwarfs, who had taken it upon themselves to secure the city, had it firmly closed.

"Open the gates," she yelled once they were within earshot.

The sound of metal chains running rapidly through the gatehouses signified the dwarf's obedience to her command, but the heavy metal gate was slow to rise. Even though the Beasties were unfamiliar animals to her, she could see that they were exhausted. Their six legs had been running full pelt for hours, and each one of their crimson mouths took on a dark purple hue. But she dared not slow them down.

With her bow constantly in motion, Sudia continued to strike down whatever trolls Aramus could not reach with his sword, and Aria had never heard such vile words uttered as the ones that poured out of Bernard's mouth. But the strangest thing to Aria was the silence from the passenger behind her.

Olórin, armed with his iridescent white staff, did not utter a single word as they fled the monsters behind them. Nor did he attempt to fend off any of the toothy fiends nipping at his ankles. This was left to Aria and her sword. His long grey beard whipped about his head in a deranged manner through the fast moving air, but even this, it appeared, could not distract him from his thoughts. The only movement she witnessed from the old man was when he placed his hand upon his hat to prevent it from flying away. Aria wondered what had disturbed the wizard so much, but remained answerless as a set of razor sharp claws dug into her leg.

In the same moment she cried out, she also swung her sword and detached the monster's hand from his arm. The troll squealed with pain and, clasping his spurting stump in his remaining hand, ran in the opposite direction. Clenching her teeth, Aria removed the motionless limb from her leg and tossed it to the side, whereupon the trolls fought over who was going to get to eat it. This bought them a small amount of time, albeit enough to just catch their breaths. In that reprieve Aria glanced at Aramus. Like Olórin, he too paid no attention to the fact that her leg had just been skewered, and seemed preoccupied with some deep thought. 'My heroes,' she thought sarcastically.

The small party reached the gates of Lothangard, and the mammoth Beasties only barely made it through the still-opening gate.

"Let the gate fall," Aria bellowed.

A deafening rattle of metal chains echoed through the narrow cobbled streets of Lothangard, followed by the thunderous boom of the metal portcullis as it met with the ground. A few trolls made their way inside, some were crushed by the falling gate, while others met their end at the point of the dwarf's arrows.

Olórin was first to dismount, sliding off the Beastie's back before it even had time to collapse onto its quivering six legs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him dart into a nearby house whereupon two strapping men exited and made their way toward more homes along the streets. Aria didn't have time to try and figure out the old man's peculiarities. Her city was under attack and she had to find a way to defend her people.