The cacophony of battle grew deafening as Aleria pressed deeper into the outskirts of Last Gate. Here, the town's more temporary dwellings huddled in haphazard clusters - little more than tents and shanties hastily cobbled together from scavenged materials.
It was amidst this tangled web of makeshift shelters that the fighting raged thickest. Goblins swarmed through the narrow gaps like a virulent infestation, their bestial shrieks and cries mingling with the panicked screams of the townsfolk.
Aleria's gaze swept the chaos, her knuckles whitening around the hilt of her blade. Tendrils of smoke stung her eyes, the flickering orange glare of the burgeoning fires casting everything in a lurid, orange hue.
Amidst the mayhem, she could make out figures scattered throughout the melee - townsfolk who had taken up arms to defend their homes and families. Some wielded little more than farming implements and woodcutting tools, but their expressions were set in grim lines of determination.
A handful of the defenders moved with the practised grace of seasoned warriors, their strikes economical and controlled as they cut down the snarling goblins with brutal efficiency. Former soldiers, no doubt - men and women who had tasted the horrors of war firsthand.
One such fighter stood resolute in the heart of the fray, his greatsword arcing in a gleaming spiral to cleave a goblin nearly in twain. Even as the creature's foul blood splattered across his face, the man was already whirling to meet the next attacker, bellowing a wordless war cry.
Aleria felt a faint flicker of relief at the sight - these stalwart defenders would undoubtedly weather the tide against the raiders until help could arrive. But every moment they were forced to hold the line meant more lives lost, more homes and livelihoods reduced to smouldering ruins.
A piercing scream cut through the chaos like a knife, drawing Aleria's attention towards the cluster of ramshackle tents near the edge of the fray. A young boy, who couldn't be more than ten summers old, came scampering out from between the tattered canvas shelters. One hand clutched tightly to that of a younger girl, perhaps half his age.
Terror was writ large across both their dirt-streaked faces as they fled, the little girl stumbling to keep pace with her elder brother's frantic strides. Aleria's eyes widened as the reason for their panic became clear.
A massive, lumbering shape burst from the shadows between the tents, resolving into the hulking form of a goblin warrior astride a slavering warg, a twisted and cursed wolf-like creature. Ropes of foetid drool hung from the beast's gaping maws, its lips peeled back in a feral snarl as it surged forward with startling swiftness.
The warg's powerful jaws snapped shut around the little girl's leg with unsettling force. Her shrill scream lancing through the din as she was wrenched from her feet, the boy's grip on her hand the only thing sparing her from being dragged away entirely.
Aleria's fingers tightened around the hilt of her blade as the warg jerked its head back, trying to yank the girl free from her brother's desperate hold. The boy's heels dug ruts in the dirt as he leaned back, tendons standing out in cords against his scrawny neck as he fought against the beast's implacable strength.
The goblin rider cackled, a shrill sound of inhuman glee as it dug its heels into the warg's flanks. The beast surged forward, powerful jaws working to tear the girl away as the boy was dragged along behind.
Aleria was already moving, her form blurring with mana infused swiftness as she closed the distance in a series of bounding strides. Her blade sang through the air, obsidian edge trailing tendrils of lambent emerald mist in its wake.
Her edge slashed across the warg's throat, shearing through muscle and sinew alike. A spray of arterial blood geysered forth, the foul beast's jaws lashing open in a gurgling howl of anguish as it released the girl's leg. Aleria was already pivoting on her leading foot, her free hand whipping out in a sharp jab that caught the stunned goblin rider square in the chest.
Her strike launched the creature backwards in a boneless sprawl, sailing through the air to slam against the unforgiving earth in a tangle of flailing limbs. Its shrill cries were abruptly choked off as Aleria's blade took it through the back in a single fluid strike, the tip punching out through its chest into the dirt.
The goblin's death rattle was swiftly drowned out by the warg's agonised thrashing. Aleria spared the stricken beast a dispassionate glance, then turned her attention to the terrified children.
The boy had wrapped his arms around his sister, cradling her against his scrawny chest as he stared up at Aleria with eyes blown wide. Blood seeped from the wounds where the warg's fangs had torn into the little girl's leg, her soft whimpers of pain the only sound she could muster.
Her expression softening ever so slightly she met the boy's wide, terrified gaze. "Do you know where the clinic is?" she asked, keeping her tone level and reassuring. "Near the centre of town?"
The boy swallowed thickly, giving a jerky nod. "Y-yes, ma'am. Down the main road, by the old well."
"Good." Aleria angled her body to shield them from the worst of the chaos raging around them. "Take your sister there as quickly as you can. Get inside and you'll be safe until this is over. I will cover you until you get into the town proper."
The boy's arms tightened protectively around his wounded sibling. He opened his mouth, perhaps to protest or voice his fear, but Aleria's look brooked no argument. With a tremulous nod, he rose shakily to his feet, cradling the little girl against his chest.
Aleria fell into step beside them, her sword held at the ready as she ushered the children away from the melee. Her eyes remained in constant motion, sweeping their surroundings for any sign of further threats.
A brutish snarl split the air nearby, drawing her attention towards a knot of goblins harrying a trio of townsfolk fighters. Aleria's lips peeled back in a silent snarl of her own as she angled her form to keep the children safely behind her.
One of the defenders - a grizzled old man wielding a battered scythe - seemed to sense her presence. He risked a fleeting glance over his shoulder, his eyes going wide for an instant as he took in the sight of her and the children.
Then, with a wordless grunt, the man whirled and laid into the goblins with renewed ferocity. His scythe became a blur of motion, the razor edge shearing through limbs and opening up gaping wounds with each brutal strike.
His comrades - a woman brandishing a wood axe and a younger man gripping a pitchfork - took their cue from the old man's furious attack. They pressed the advantage, raining down a flurry of punishing blows that drove the goblins back in short order.
Aleria didn't pause to watch the outcome, ushering the children onwards even as the cries of the wounded goblins faded behind them. She could feel the thrum of pounding bootsteps through the packed earth now, the familiar cadence of marching soldiers growing ever louder.
Moments later, the first rank of Bernard's garrison swept into view at the end of the street. They moved with the drilled precision of seasoned veterans, forming tight ranks with shields overlapped and pikes levelled as they crashed into the raiders' flanks.
Aleria felt the knot of tension in her shoulders ease ever so slightly at the sight. Bernard's men would make short work of these scavengers - the battle already won with their arrival.
As if summoned by her thoughts, the commander turned mayor appeared at the head of the second wave of soldiers. His gaze swept over the carnage, mouth set in a grim line, until his eyes fell upon Aleria and the wounded child cradled in the boy's arms.
For a moment, surprise flickered across Bernard's craggy features. Then understanding dawned as he took in the gleaming obsidian blade gripped in Aleria's hand, the faint wisps of emerald vapour still clinging to the wicked edge.
Their eyes met across the chaos, a silent communication passing between two warriors. Bernard gave a curt nod of gratitude, raising his voice to be heard over the din.
"Get that girl to the clinic, lass!" he barked. "We can handle the stragglers from here!"
Aleria didn't hesitate, turning on her heel and quickening her pace to usher the children ahead of her. The sounds of renewed combat swelled behind them as Bernard's men engaged the remnants of the raiding party with ruthless efficiency.
But that fight was no longer Aleria's concern. Right now, her sole focus was getting these innocents to safety and tending to the little girl's wounds. The night was far from over - and she had a sinking feeling that many more would be in need of a healer's aid before the dawn finally broke.
Comments (0)
See all