Dawn of the Epoch

Chapter LXIII - Reversals of Fortunes

As soon as Hunter heard the first explosion, he dove on top of Tiyana. He covered her with his massive Dahjaat frame. As the dust settled, he looked up and saw a gaping hole in the front wall and a rocket with a streamer of smoke trailing behind it heading for the throne. He looked down and covered her again. This time, the explosion hurt. He felt himself pressed to the ground. His back was pelted with shards of broken blackwood. He knew that they had to get out, but his hands were still bound.

“C’mon Tiyana, let’s move.” He said as he stood up.

He felt her lunge forward, ready to make a run for the front door, or whatever was left of it.

“Hold still!” A familiar voice behind them commanded.

In two seconds, Virgil had somehow undone Hunter’s bonds. Hunter had no idea how Virgil had gotten out of his own so quickly. Hunter then reached for Tiyana’s arms and fumbled with her chains.

“No, no, back off!” Virgil commanded again.

In an instant, Virgil had freed Tiyana.

“Let’s go!” She shouted and turned to run.

“Hold on!” Hunter cried.

He ran back towards the decimated throne, grabbed his swords and Virgil’s staff, and returned.

“Here you go buddy!” He said as he threw the staff at Virgil.

Virgil caught it and said, “Okay, good idea, now let us go.”

The trio sprinted for the hole in the front wall. Hongo saw them coming and prepared for action. He picked up the bullpup rifle and covered their exit.

Malacoda had seen the rocket coming and spread his wings. He flew up into the rafters and when the blast erupted, he broke through the roof and soared into the air. He flew in a beeline towards the forge where he rallied the yzorak. He flitted quickly from place to place within the compound, rallying everyone that he could as fast as possible. Hongo saw the red body and black wings zipping around the compound and tried to shoot him down. He was unsuccessful. As Malacoda made the rounds, Hongo noticed an immediate change in the disposition of the ghouls. Before, they had milled about the courtyard aimlessly, but now they seemed animated. They started running towards the center of the courtyard. Their numbers grew dramatically as more and more of them streamed out of the forge and into the courtyard. Hongo watched as Hunter, Tiyana, and Virgil ran into the courtyard, only to be confronted by a throbbing, impenetrable crowd of mindless ghouls.

“Bugger!” Tiyana muttered.

Hunter only said, “Here we go,” and launched himself into action.

With his swords spinning in front of him, he cut down the first line of ghouls with ease. More ghouls from behind the front line surged forward, however, and he could not keep swinging. One ghoul threw himself at Hunter, wrapping his arms around Hunter’s neck and trying to bite it. Hunter quickly dropped the sword in his right hand, grabbed the maniacal ghoul, and threw him aside. The throng quickly overwhelmed Hunter by their sheer numbers and Hunter retreated. Three ghouls who were bigger than the others, and more agile, sprung forward and tried to bury metallurgical instruments in Hunter’s body as he retreated. One stabbed with a chisel. Another jabbed with a fire iron. The third swung a mangled shard of scrap metal overhead. Just before they succeeded in their attack, Virgil’s voice erupted.

“Brand, difite!”

With the first word, tongues of fire leapt from the top of Virgil’s staff. With the second, the three tool-wielding ghouls burst into flames. They fell, harmlessly, at Hunter’s feet.