The Caste - On Hold, major edits and title change.

Chapter Nine

The shuffling of footsteps in the hallway of the locker room pulled Corvus out of his nightmares. The sound of grating metal rang out through the family's safe haven as someone pulled on the door that separated the locker room from the tunnel. Segna and Camlin stood at the entrance, waiting for whoever was on the other side to bust it in.

"I am sensing no signs of living on the other side of this door, Camlin," Segna said as Farkus and Corvus approached the door.

"What's going on?" Ardelia called out from her bed.

"Undead, go figure... Ardelia, you stay where you are." Camlin said.

"But..." Ardelia protested.

"No arguments, young lady." Camlin turned to Corvus. "Can you use a weapon, kid?"

"No, but I cut myself with a dagger once; does that count?" Why am I joking at a time like this?

"Well, kid, you get to learn on the fly," Camlin tossed Corvus a sword, ignoring his joke.

Corvus held the sword like a baseball bat, shifting his feet side to side, as he rocked. It was clear Corvus had no clue what he was doing with a weapon.

"On second thought kid, give that back. I don't want you hurting yourself, or me," Camlin said as he watched Corvus. "I think me, Farkus and Segna can handle our guests, whoever or whatever they may be. Go back up to the bunks, your job is to keep Deli safe."

Ardelia reached for Corvus' sword as Camlin took it away from him.

"I can fight!" Ardelia continued to protest. "I know how to use a sword, you taught me!"

"Not today, sweetheart, you stay back by the bunks with Corvus."

Corvus took Ardelia's arm, ushering her back into the locker room as Camlin ordered.

"You can use a sword?" Corvus whispered. Another thing Ardelia had forgotten to tell him.

"Yeah, Camlin taught me, but I don't even have a dagger anymore," Ardelia folded her arms across her chest, pressing her lips together. "This is not fair; he should stop treating me like a helpless child."

"When you stop acting like one, maybe I will," Camlin shouted back to her.

"Whatever."

As the metal door crashed open and fell to the floor off its hinges, Camlin charged, sword up high as the two bots followed him into combat. For a large man, Camlin was agile, and he wielded the sword as if it were part of his body.

The blade of the Claymore glinted brightly as Camlin brought it above his head, guiding it back down to slice a zombie in two as he kicked another, sending it sprawling at Farkus.

Farkus made short work of the zombie, bringing both swords upwards, and drawing them together catching the zombie's head into a cross. Farkus pulled the swords together as the sharp steel sliced into the zombie's neck. Its head fell to the floor and rolled back down the tunnel entrance.

As Camlin slashed with his sword and parried claw attacks, Segna thrust her swords into the gullets of others, pulling the blade upwards into their throats.

Ardelia closed her eyes and began to hum her favorite Slipknot tune, she couldn't watch as the others fought off the zombie attack. Corvus hugged her close pulling her face into his side, his eyes fixed to the clash in front of them.

Four of the zombies picked the metal door up from the ground, running at Camlin as if they were a battering ram. The door hit Camlin with full force, sending him flying back up the tunnel towards Deli and Corvus. As Camlin's head hit the concrete floor, Segna dropped her long swords to the ground, quickly pulling her Claymore from her back. Ardelia screamed as she ran to Camlin, he was out cold.