The Fourth Man

The Fight For Farland

The Fight For Farland

In total sixteen Dark Things landed before them, folding their leathery wings in behind themselves, and focusing their disfigured, inhumane, faces on the pitiful collection of men.

"I thought there was only ten," Thomas whispered forcefully to the Mayor. He, the Mayor, Jellah, Siggy, Nerpato and Jonathan were all lying across the roof of the Sailor's house, each armed with a rifle, and a view of the Dark Things below.

"I thought there was," the Mayor whimpered back "but they must have all came up from the south, to finish us off."

"Good," Thomas sounded determined "then we can finish them all off."

"FIRE!" Jellah shouted, and the men sent a volley of shots toward the Dark Things. It barley affected them; some staggered back, but mainly it made them more annoyed. They began to advance

"FIRE AT WILL!" Jellah commanded, and irregular volleys of shots cannoned into the Dark Things. But they continued to move forward, and when they were within range they began to fire. They mainly shot red beams out of their hands; controlling the power and size of their blasts. Any contact with a human and the power of the beam almost vaporised them, their immense strength and power could fling men, and buildings, unfathomable distances.

Soon the scenes turned to chaos, as men tried to bring down the Dark Things.

"THOMAS?" Nerpato yelled on the roof, shouting over the gunfire and destruction ensuing before them "DON'T YOU THINK NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO KILL THEM?"

Thomas has been frozen to the spot, the sheer power of the Dark Things had been like a factory settings button for his body. It wanted to shut down, it wanted to run away, flee the scene. But he couldn't, he was the only hope. Determinedly Thomas grasped the diamond-encrusted hilt of the twinkling silver sword. He looked up at the pitch black skies, and willed with all his strength for a bolt of lightning to strike down. He suddenly got a powerful feeling, like a buzz of energy, flowing through his body, he channeled it towards the skies, and a powerful blast of lightning fired towards him out of the dark chasms of the sky.

Wielding the sword he let the lightning hit it, as it flowed freely he deflected the beam toward the Dark Things. It powered between two, forcing them apart, making them step back slightly. But no sooner had it forced them back, the lightning had stopped. Thomas felt weakened, although a great amount of energy had been used up, but he knew he had to try again.

Jellah led Nerpato, and Siggy off the roof and down onto the harbour front. Some men stood defiantly, firing their useless shots at the Dark Things, the others had began to flee.

"WE NEED TO BUY THOMAS SOME TIME," Jellah yelled over the chaos, so they focused their rifles on the Dark Things and fired.

Jellah ran straight toward the front line, and joined the men volleying shots at several advancing creatures. A Dark Thing tore a mast from one of the ships, and launched it into the crowd, crushing a handful of men and sending many more flying.

"We're not getting through," Jellah spoke under his breath. He realised gun-power was useless, there was no way Thomas would have enough time to defeat them.

"GRENADES," Jellah shouted "IF YOU HAVE GRENADES, LAUNCH THEM!"

Several grenades were thrown, looping toward the Dark Things. But they didn't get a chance to cause any damage, the Dark Things battered them back at the men, dwindling the already low amount of manpower.

"It's no use," Jellah told himself. He took his own grenade, pulled the pin, and ran toward the Dark Things. He dived at their feet as the grenade exploded, taking Jellah and the nearest two Dark Things with it.

"OVER THERE!" Siggy shouted to Nerpato "THERE'S TWO DOWN!" Nerpato and Siggy were firing from a vantage point on the Sailor's House porch. Suddenly a Dark Thing swooped down before them, it's wings spread out behind it. Thrashing out it swept those nearest to it away, and began to fire steady beams at others. Siggy and Nerpato fired hard, but their shot had no effect.

"IT'S NO USE!" Nerpato bellowed "WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE ROOF, HELP THOMAS KILL THESE THINGS!"'

Siggy obliged, and swung his legs over the porch and clambered up onto the gutter, and started up onto the roof.

"COME ON!" He shouted down to Nerpato, who started to climb up too.

Siggy made it onto the roof, and glanced back at Nerpato, who was starting on the guttering.

"WATCH OUT!" Siggy yelled back at Nerpato. But it was too late, the Dark Thing had turned toward him. Nerpato sent out an outstretched arm, which was his last act before he was vaporised instantly in a beam of red light.

"NERPATO?" Siggy cried, but his shouts were soon drowned out as the Dark Thing flew up and landed infront of him. It raised it's hand, aimed at Siggy, and prepared to fire at him.