Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 65: Risk and Reward

Terran arrived on the battlefield with Eliita, Pollyanna, and one-hundred other recruits in tow. Maruka was not present. Instead, a human woman named Rienna was their captain for the shift.

There were at least one-hundred doppelgangers on the battlefield, matching the number of recruits. For a moment, Terran felt overwhelmed. However, his willpower to protect Eliita overcame any fears he had about the coming battle. He relaxed.

"Stay close, Eliita." Terran whispered.

Eliita nodded with an audible gulp. She moved closer to her lover.

Rienna directed her troops to stick close to the fortress as the Doppelgangers came closer and closer.

Their pace was deceivingly slow at first, and then became inhumanly fast all at once.

"Renthas," Rienna muttered. "These ones are fast! Attack!"

The doppelgangers who were previously specks on the barren horizon were now just three yards away and quickly closing that gap.

Pollyanna was itching for a fight, and Terran was glad of it; the more doppelgangers she killed, the safer he and Eliita would be.

The old woman launched herself into battle. She was far more concentrated than she was the day before.

She collided with the doppelgangers with flawless form and graceful maneuvers. She predicted their movements—ducking under the blade of one doppelganger while slicing the legs off another.

Terran joined her in the fray, and, up from above, watery arrows from the waif, Them, and the other archers consistently pierced the flaming hearts of the doppelgangers, allowing Terran to slay many of them for good.

Terran was a great warrior and couldn't help but relish a fight the same way Pollyanna did. He knew he would never be her equal in battle, but the elf was spurred on to challenge her body count nonetheless. he slew as many doppelgangers as he possibly could, keeping track of the number he slew in his mind.

The fight beckoned him like it did all men. It quickened his pulse, it heightened his concentration, it made him feel alive.

The elf threw himself into a battle against two doppelgangers. Them pierced their fiery hearts from up above which allowed the elf to cut through them with a horizontal slice.

Five more doppelgangers spawned and surrounded him.

Terran licked his lips, excited by the challenge.

He was entirely aware of his surroundings; he was made to always be aware of them when he was trained to become a part of the Elven Queen's guard.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the doppelganger on his right moving its hand.

Quick as a snake, Terran grabbed the shadowy creature's wrist, dragging it toward him and shoving his elbow into its gut. The creature was knocked into the doppelganger next to it; both tumbled to the ground where arrows extinguished the flames in their hearts.

The other three tightened the circle around Terran. They swung their blades.

Terran sidestepped to the left out of the circle, barely managing to block the swords of the two doppelgangers on his left.

His muscles began to give way as the doppelgangers pushed harder on his sword.

The third doppelganger got ready to swing its blade; another doppelganger spawned behind Terran. He was surrounded.

An arrow pierced the heart of the doppelganger who appeared behind Terran—an axe buried itself in the back of the doppelganger who was about to stab him in his side. The doppelganger collapsed into the dirt, revealing Eliita standing behind it.