No Hands but My Own

Chapter 2 - Invasion

Sudden yells cut through the air as we ran towards the East.

Glancing at Dilenkeh, a silent consensus passed between us. Our legs pumped faster.

I reached the central area of Eastern defense first. We had built a tiny one-man bridge over the small ravine; due to the traps along the ravine's length, it was not possible to pass unscathed from one end of the ravine to the other without crossing the bridge.

It was at the tunnel-like platform at its mouth that Reliel was standing resolutely, fighting a perpetual chain of enemies that seemed to swallow him alive. Bodies piled at his feet and the canopy above his head was littered with arrows, some still aflame. A sleek shadow, he danced through each opponent, sliding away from the light and the sight of archers at the end of the canopy.

From the trees behind us arrows sank into the opposing army; someone -- Shira? -- was giving Reliel a hope for a moment as more and more soldiers collapsed with feathers buried in their chests.

As I took in Reliel's perilous position,  I noticed something strange. The men he was fighting were untrained pups, wielding their weapons with fresh and shaking hands, but just behind them stood groups of men watching the butchery with indifference, fingering strange silvery batons. Sitting at their heels were large, shining creatures that gave me a sick feeling -- I had heard of these monsters.

Barrel-like bodies with thick limbs. Limbs so thick, that the bodies seemed to be propelled by nothing and instead, gave the illusion of a controlled slide. If anything could slide that fast over any terrain, that is. So for many reasons these shiny trunks were called "Ljus abami" or light demons, but mainly it was due to the terrifyingly animated faces at the face of each barrel.

They had maddeningly human expressions formed in silver though their features were so grotesque that they could have only originated in the twisted perceptions of the worst nightmares. If what I heard was true, the creatures would have no difficulty overcoming the hidden traps and poisons that had killed so many of the lesser trained soldiers who had tried to bypass the bridge.

I did not try to find  a feasible answer as to why the invaders would withhold such devastation -- there was no time.

Running beneath the cover of trees then sprinting through the clearing near the bridge, Dilenkeh and I raced to join Reliel at the platform. He had been beating off the onslaught for a while. His movements held a trace of strain and his quick reactions were slowed. His lanky frame shook from exertion as he tried to stay consistent and deadly.

"Reliel. The bridge."

Nodding understanding,  Reliel slid to one side so I could join him. The first soldier came too quickly; sword swinging at my head, I rolled out of the way at the last moment. His blade stuck to the ground, giving Reliel the opening he needed to finish the job. It gave me the chance to slide my sword from its scabbard. We danced around each other, kicking and diving with a flamboyance that was completely unnecessary but so worried the green soldiers that they clustered at the edge of the canopy.  Dilenkeh reached behind us and sliced the thin rope that would have tripped us if either Reliel or I took a step back. It began to fall apart, spitting sparks at both ends. With a groan, a heavy plank of wood swung down shielding us. We heard the pounding of fists against the solid wood for just a moment before an almighty shuddering groan; the bridge had collapsed. The screams of the soldiers fighting for the disappearing islands of safety from the acidic pools below were muted in our little sanctum.

"Reliel, work long distance attacks with -- Shira's up there?" Catching his nod of assent, I continued, "We're going to go help the South-West. Whatever you do, once you're up in a tree do not come down. Protect Shira."