Book 1 | Agent 34 and the Desert of Beasts

Chapter 31 | Battle of Bones

Skeletons pounded at the Zena's gates.

"Do not let them in!" Thad commanded to the soldiers on the front line, who held off the skeletons. "Push against them!"

Suddenly, the gates were forcefully pushed open and skeletons with swords charged into the Zena, consuming all in its path.

"Prepare for battle, men!" Thad declared, raising his sword.

Suddenly, skeletons were everywhere and the battle had begun. 

A skeleton rushed at Thad. It swung its sword to Thad's neck, and Thad quickly backed away before the sword dug into his flesh. The skeleton chuckled evilly, and ran at him again.

Thad blocked the skeleton as he tried to cut him open with his tiny sword. Thad pushed against the skeleton with his sword, knocking the bones to the ground. The skeleton clunked against the ground and quickly got back up, it's ribs shaking.

The skeleton chuckled, and ran at Thad again. The skeleton tried to bring the sword down on Thad's head, but he blocked it with his sword. Both swords collided in a vibration of metal hitting metal, and the skeleton shoved Thad down this time.

"These things don't die!" Someone called from a distance. Suddenly, Thad saw a unarmed soldier running fearfully, with a tiny skeleton chasing him. The skeleton had a sword right through the middle of its skull, just hanging loosely.

Then, the  skeleton that Thad he been fighting brought the sword down on Thad's chest. He rolled out of the way to avoid the blade, and quickly got up from the ground.

The skeleton ran at Thad, and this time his sword collided with Thad. The blade dug into Thad's left arm, sending pain throughout his body. The blade cut through the flesh, revealing the muscles and blood below it.

Thad screamed in pain as the blood started to ooze out. In frustration, Thad quickly swung his sword at the skeleton's skull and the bone collapsed. A hole in the skeleton's skull formed, revealing the emptiness in the skeleton's head.

Thad then threw his sword down again on the skeleton's skull, making the hole larger. The skeleton then threw its sword down on Thad's arm again, and Thad howled in pain.

Thad raised his sword high, then shouted one last battle cry to the skeleton: "The Zena will emerge victorious, no matter what enemies we face!" He threw his sword down on the skeleton's skull, and the entire skull collapsed on itself and the skeleton fell to the ground. 

Thad had killed the one that had already been killed.

"They are not invincible! Collapse their skulls and they will die!" Thad declared to the soldiers fighting off the skeletons. He then saw the horrors erupting around him.

There were several bones scattered around the battlefield, and blood splattered everywhere. He saw a few dead bodies of soldiers who had been slain by skeletons.

Thad's arm was numb. He couldn't move it anymore. The skeleton had killed the nerves in his left arm. His brow thickened, and he tightened his grip on his sword with his right hand. Thad ran back into battle to fight his next skeleton.

~ ~ ~ ~

The ground shook violently as blades hit blades and other things went on in battle. Wímad and the elves could not see the battle, and they were waiting for the arrow to come into the hole.

"34, your gem!" Arenia whispered.

"What about it?" Agent 34 asked.

"It's—it's glowing! And it will give us away if you don't cover it soon!" Arenia said.

Agent 34 looked down at his gem-covered hand and saw that it was glowing and lighting up the hole. He quickly put the gem behind his back, which dimmed the light a little bit.

"Why is it glowing!" Agent 34 said in frustration. "They will see us if it doesn't stop!" Agent 34 shook his gem hand in frustration, causing his shoulder pads to scrape against his chestplate.

"Just shut up and don't talk or move and maybe they won't hear us!" Wímad growled, which startled us all.

Agent 34 shut up instantly. The frustration remained, and caused him to get mad because his gem wouldn't stop glowing.

"Listen," Arenia explained. "Here's the plan. Ismara and I will mentally enter Braunick and try to kill him from the inside, and Agent 34 will jump onto Paöminar and battle Braunick by himself."

"You sure it'll work?" Agent 34 asked nervously.

"Hopefully. Wímad, you must battle Paöminar and make absolutely sure Agent 34 does not die." Arenia said to the golden dragon. "Got it." He snorted back.

And then, an arrow broke through the cover above then and dug itself into the wall.