As They Fall [First Draft] ~ Currently Editing ~

Thirty - One

I collapsed to the ground, tucking myself into a ball, just as I felt the flames surge towards me. The heat was so intense I was sure every hair on my body had disintegrated, my flesh and bones reduced to ash as my eyes melted in their sockets. My heart raced in my chest as it grew hotter and hotter; until it was over, and somehow, I was still alive. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Charlie crouching over me, Refuge held aloft.

"I'm glad that worked," he laughed, "I hadn't actually tested it on their flames yet."

"You're mad!" I cried over the din of the battle.

"At least you're alive!" yelled Merek, vanquishing a goblin with a single strike, kicking its body into several others as it exploded. They squealed and writhed in pain, stumbling blindly into one another until they collapsed and shuddered to a standstill. The purple dragon bellowed once more, as if to remind us of its presence and lunged at us once more. Charlie deflected the blow with a single backhanded swing of Refuge and cried,

"Rihnunir isn't far. Kill him so we can get rid of these bloody dragons!" I opened my mouth to protest but Merek was quicker.

"We've got this, so just go!" he hollered, ducking beneath a swing of the dragon's tail. Gritting my teeth, I ran, carving a path through gobbling and human alike, until I could see Rihnunir. He was partially hidden behind the hulking forms of two trolls; their broad chests and hunched backs protected by two thick plates of spiked iron. The larger of the two stood at almost twelve feet tall and wielded a massive steel greatsword, the lesser of the two carrying an iron axe in each hand. Their dark, beady eyes peered out beneath their sloping brows scanning the battlefield for their next opponent. I unsheathed my smaller dagger and sent it hurtling through the gap between them, straight toward Rihnunir's head. Mistaking the trolls as slow creatures was my biggest mistake. The smaller troll deflected the blade mid-air with a single axe and with an angry grunt that soon dissolved into feral laughter, the larger one joining in as they focused their attention on me.

With a guttural snarl, they charged. The troll wielding the greatsword brought it down with a vertical swing, slamming into the dirt as I darted to the left, narrowly avoiding it. Before the troll could recover for another swing, I plunged Rend deep into its right hand several times. It dropped its sword and clutched at its wounds, dark blood pouring from them like ink. While it was distracted I, rushed forward and embedded Rend in its skull, pulling it free with a nauseating, sucking noise. Recovering from the shock of its companion's sudden demise, the smaller troll barrelled toward me, a flurry of axe swings and spittle as it grunted and gnashed its teeth in fury. I deflected and dodged the first few blows, Rend slicing an entire chunk of metal from one axe, but the troll's attacks only became more frenzied. A low swing caught me off-guard, the tip of the axe biting into my thigh as I leapt back to avoid it. I stifled a screech of pain, white spots flashing in my vision as I struggled to my feet. The wound itself was not deep but it was enough to slow me down, sending shooting pain down my right leg every time I took a step. The troll lumbered forward, a nasty grin splitting its face in half to reveal two rows of yellowed teeth, as it spotted the blood seeping through my breeches. It raised its axes with a victorious battle cry and was seconds from bringing them slamming down when an arrow slammed into its left eye, protruding through the back of its skull. I turned in surprise and saw Yana holding her boy aloft, a sad but determined expression on her face when our gazes met. I called out my thanks to her and she dipped her head, already sending another arrow hurtling across the clearing in rescue of another elf.

Tearing a scrap of fabric from the tunic of a fallen soldier I bound my leg tightly and hurried after Rihnunir who was retreating further from the battle. I charged toward him, zigzagging around enemies, corpses and bursts of flames until I caught him. He whirled to face me as I struck, blocking Rend with his staff, the powerful dagger leaving a tiny dent in the wood. My eyes widened in surprise and I leapt away from the sorcerer.