by Eden Redd
Large claws swung and crashed into statues, cracking some of them. Statues leapt onto xykks, stone hands and claws penetrating, ripping, and pulling with depraved indifference. The animated statues followed their master’s commands as their blank stony eyes were splashed with xykk blood.
Heat bubbled under Kavan’s skin as his body leapt and stabbed with deadly accuracy. His spearpoint gleamed before penetrating bodies and heads. Thoughts and body stayed to task as a faint image of Onka touched the back of his mind.
“Clearing the way!” Hynrik shouted before tossing two fire potions into the air.
Kavan was already falling when the potions shot past him. Each one spun until they struck two xykks and exploded. A fireball engulfed several xykks at once, their burning bodies beginning to fall while others flew away from the fiery blast.
“Advance!” Kavan shouted to Hynrik and the statues as he landed.
The statues nodded and began to push against the invading xykks, a small surprise to the dragonkin as they listened to his commands. Hynrik’s sword swung as he reached into his pack for two more fire potions.
Kavan’s legs moved with purpose as he closed the small distance and leapt into the fray with the statues, as a wall of xykks crashed into them.
I’m coming Onka.
***
Durzol and Kogan darted north along the street, seeing the library in the distance. Thick legs pumped as the two orcs pushed their bodies. The buzzing and screeches filled the air.
In front of the library, Dura stepped out, her mind lost to daydreaming when a buzzing touched her green, pointed ears. The orc slowly turned her head before a fiery explosion reflected in her wide, dark eyes. The librarian’s heart thudded as she looked up to a cloud of xykks diving down to the streets of Moonvale.
“Dura!” Kogan shouted as he and Durzol ran up the street.
Dura blinked when six xykks dived down toward her father and brother, followed by a dozen more.
“Da! Durzol!” Dura shouted.
Kogan glanced over to his shoulder to see a xykk barreling down on him. Large claws reached out when a hammer swung and shattered the head to chunks of goo and broken chitin shards.
Durzol grunted as he swung his hammer in wide arcs, keeping several xykks at bay and caving in a chest to one that moved too close.
Kogan watched his son move like a titan, swinging his hammer with deadly force. When several more xykks joined the fray, Durzol took a step back and turned his warhammer sideways to parry several large xykk claws.
A raging fire engulfed Kogan’s often calm mind. The older orc’s battle axe gleamed before it sliced across a xykk waist, the top half sliding off in a different direction than the bottom half.
Kogan roared as his battle axe sliced off limbs and heads. Muscles bulged as the older orc fought like a monster to protect his son.
“Inside! Inside!” Dura shouted as she opened the library door.
Kogan and Durzol sliced and hammered at the xykks as they backed up a step at a time. They reached the stairs, their arms and weapons moving with deadly accuracy. When they reached the top of the stairs, several xykks bolted toward them. Kogan reached over, grabbed his son by the shoulder and pushed. Durzol stumbled back, falling past the entrance to the library. The younger orc watched in terror as his father swung his axe and several xykks crashed into him. Kogan grunted as he was knocked back. A large claw clamped on his shoulder and the old orc grunted in pain.
“Da!” Dura shouted as she grabbed Durzol’s hammer, darted the small distance and slammed the hammer into the side of the xykk’s head.
The xykk’s head was blasted off the neck and the claw relaxed. Dura screamed like a banshee as she swung her brother’s hammer at the xykks. Durzol reached his father as he slowly stood up, took hold of him and pulled him inside the library.
Clear xykk blood splashed onto Dura as she fought with an edge of madness. She stepped back, barely keeping the horde at bay until she stepped beyond the threshold. The orc dropped the hammer and grabbed the doors. She slammed them shut and bolted them closed. Claws hammered at the thick door and it shook on its hinges.
“It won’t keep them out much longer,” Dura heaved.
Kogan ignored the shoulder wound as he hefted his axe. Durzol picked up his warhammer. The three orcs moved to each other’s sides and looked at the door as it shuddered and cracked.
“Dura, get your sword. We fight to the end,” Kogan said with steely eyes as the door shuddered violently.
***
Rujin, Lorta, and Kazko stayed at the top of the steps, weapons in hands and watching as Kavan, Hynrik, and the statues pushed against the invading horde.
“Kavan is good for you,” Kazko said.
Lorta glanced at the lanky troll and blinked. “What?”
“Kavan has been good for you. You’ve been very happy of late,” Rujin, the larger brother, said with an edge of kindness.
“Why are you bringing this up now?” Lorta said.
Kazko shrugged. “We noticed the change. We approve.”
Lorta’s brow hardened. “What in the abyss are you talking about? I don’t need your approval! The three of us are not related. You have no say on who I date!”
Kazko and Rujin grinned.
“You will always be a sister to us,” Rujin chuckled.
Lorta rolled her eyes. “It explains why neither one of you dated me.”
The brothers laughed.
“We knew you wouldn’t put up with our fighting,” Kazko snickered.
“Besides, we knew you wanted more. Kavan is just that and we’re happy for you,” Rujin said genuinely.
Lorta looked to the side for a brief instant and looked up to the approaching xykks barreling down on them.
“Thank you, my brothers,” Lorta said as she braced herself.
The three trolls stood at the ready as the xykks dove down. The moment the monsters were close enough, clubs and a sword bashed, hacked, and slashed with protective power.
***
Onka stood by the side of the curtains. She peered out the second-floor window, above her shop, a dagger in her hand. The goblin watched with wide eyes as xykks flew and landed on the streets of Moonvale. Antennae bounced and large claws unfurled. Armored legs moved and the sounds of distance fighting touched the goblin’s ears.
“Shit,” Onka whispered.
Thoughts swirled along the goblin’s mind as a pit filled her stomach. She clutched the dagger to her chest, the blade pointed down. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath.
“Hunker down and wait it out,” Onka whispered.
Onka opened her eyes and looked down to see Xykks bashing in doors and windows along the street. A loud banging floated up from downstairs. Glass shattered and dread filled the goblin.
“They’re coming for me. I have to fight,” Onka whispered with a quivering tone.
An explosion lit up the world outside her window. Onka looked out to see a figure darting through the air. A spearpoint shined before stabbing into a xykk. Screeches filled the air as Kavan fell with it, his left-hand taking hold of the monster’s head and ripping it off.
Behind the dragonkin, a sword shot up and stabbed into a xykk, a long strand of webbing attached to it. Statues leapt up and grabbed xykks, pulling them down to the center of town and smashing the monsters on the street.
“Kavan,” Onka whispered as she watched the dragonkin move like a force of nature.
On the street, Kavan moved with purpose. Gore covered his clothes as he moved like a skilled dancer in a butcher shop. The spear spun before stabbing deep into white eyes and exiting out heads. Claws slashed at him and the dragonkin moved like a grasshopper, parrying blows, turning his spear and stabbing into spaces between armored plates. His muscles continued to fill with power, the dragonkin’s strikes deadly accurate.
Heat pumped through Kavan’s body as he continued to move. He glanced to the side, seeing the smashed window to Onka’s shop and xykks climbing in.
A statue shattered as xykks clamped claws on them. Another one cracked and crumbled as several xykks rammed it. One by one, the animated statues began to fall as xykks attacked in small squads and all at once.
Hynrik grunted as a claw slashed across his abdomen. The arachnix pulled his sword back to his hand and spun on spider legs. The sword slashed against invading bodies and barely kept the horde at bay.
“Too many!” Hynrik shouted as he sliced off a head and stabbed another xykk.
Kavan pulled his gaze from Onka’s home and leapt toward the arachnix. He landed by Hynrik’s side, the two of them stabbing and slicing the surrounding horde.
Kavan’s mind worked as his body began to overheat. Onka was so close, but this battle was turning against them. Deep down, he knew if they kept fighting, they would be overwhelmed.
“Fight back to the church! I’ll slow them down!” Kavan shouted.
“I can’t leave…” Hynrik began.
“Do it!” Kavan roared before flames filled his mouth.
Hynrik reached into his satchel and pulled out his final fire potion. Kavan eyed a thick group of xykks, his eyes blazing hot. Hynrik’s arm shot up and tossed the fire potion. Kavan’s eyes flashed before he reared back his head and blasted out a fireball from his open maw.
Fireball and potion flew through the air and slammed into gathered xykks. Explosions rippled through the air as fire licked, melted, and tore through humanoid insects.
Precious seconds filled the moment. Hynrik’s legs moved with urgency, the arachnix and the remaining statues charging back up North Street and Kavan darting for Onka’s shop.
Kavan’s mind filled with crystal focus. Legs pumped as he darted across the small distance. A xykk landed by him and was met with a spearpoint to its neck. The creature flailed as Kavan kept running and pushing his spear sideways. The leverage made a sickening ripping sound before the head popped off. The headless corpse flailed as Kavan leapt the small distance and reached the broken window of Onka’s shop.
Kavan leapt into the shop with three xykks already inside. They turned and screeched. One took a step forward and a spearpoint stabbed between its eyes. Kavan growled as he ducked down, a claw missing his head by inches. Kavan pushed his body back up as claws stabbed out from fingers on his left hand. The two remaining xykks bore down as claws sliced upwards. A xykk stumbled back from Kavan’s sharp swipe, but the other one’s claws clamped down on the dragonkin. Kavan roared as his heel slammed into a kneecap. Small tendrils of pain touched his body and only added fuel to the fire.
Kavan planted his feet and shifted hard. Each end of the spear slammed into a xykk and knocked them to the floor. Kavan lifted a boot and smashed a head to pulp.
The last xykk pulled back a claw to clamp on Kavan’s leg when a dagger spun through the air and stabbed it in the eye. Puss and screeches filled the shop as Kavan spun his spear and drove the point into the monster’s chest.
Kavan looked up to the stairs, Onka standing with her hand still out and her eyes wide.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kavan said with a small smile.
Onka nodded and leapt down. She landed and rushed to his side. The goblin’s hand grabbed her dagger from the dead xykk.
Kavan pulled his spear and marched to the shattered shop window. Xykks filled the streets, some of them turning in Kavan and Onka’s direction.
“Stay close. We’re going to have to fight our way back to the church,” Kavan hissed as he readied to charge.
Time slowed as several xykks advanced toward the shop. In a blink, flashing light filled the street and a thick lightning bolt streamed across. The bolt arced and punched fist-sized holes through three xykks. Their bodies flailed before they fell into burning heaps.
“HA HA!” Drayke shouted victoriously as he charged into battle with sword in hand and black and silver leather armor covering his body.
Kavan couldn’t hide his smirk as the blue and black scaled dragonkin threw himself directly into the fray. Sword gleaming, he sliced through xykks with little resistance. Drayke laughed as he cut through them, carving out a small path.
“Are we going to church or what?” Drayke shouted as he lopped off a head, spun his sword and stabbed into a xykk that approached him from behind.
Kavan and Onka darted out into the street. Onka watched everything with wide eyes. Xykks crawled, charged and flew like an attacking hive. Screeches and white eyes filled the area as they pushed in to surround the three morsels.
Kavan could feel his body heating up again. He checked his stats as they raced toward the fountain.
Kavan Cynder
Species: Dragonkin
Health: Light Wounds
Mana: 7/9
The trio reached the fountain when several squads of xykk landed around them and charged. Kavan and Drayke surrounded Onka. Spear and sword stabbed and sliced. Xykk screeches filled the air as the two dragonkin spun around the goblin, keeping the monsters at bay and clear blood spilling onto the street.
When the monsters closed in, Kavan and Drayke grunted as they tried to push back.
A madness filled Onka’s eyes and she shouted as she stabbed at xykk legs and stomachs. The dagger penetrated between armored plates, the monsters screeching before a sword or spear stabbed and cut.
The fighting grew into a frenzy, the three of them fighting for every inch. Claws slashed, ripping through Drayke’s armor and cutting into scaled flesh underneath. Kavan grunted as a claw slashed across his arm, blood dripping from the open wound. The fighting grew intense, the group slowly losing to a barrage of small cuts.
Lightning arced from down a street. It crossed the distance before striking a xykk. The lightning bolt leapt from xykk to xykk in rapid fire moments. The xykks surrounding the trio were blasted apart, their bodies falling in a hail of chunks and clear fluid.
Kavan, Onka, and Drayke turned to see Brom walking calmly down the street toward them.
“No one is allowed to harm my apprentice and his friends,” Brom boomed in his undead, lich form.
Mystical energy crackled around the lich as he made his way toward the center of town. Dead white eyes stared at the two dragonkin and the goblin as a small, thin smile formed.
“Brom! We have to get to the church!” Kavan shouted.
Brom nodded. “I will make short work of these vermin. They shall not…” the lich trailed off when a dark shadow covered him.
The lich looked up with curious eyes as a large, humanoid insect landed over him. Its size was immense, twenty feet tall. It had two large, thick legs and four arms. The head was pointed with round eyes and an odd horn structure on its head, resembling a vague crown. The body was armored with sickening yellow plates and the monster screeched at the lich.
“The queen,” Kavan whispered.
The queen’s arms blurred down. Brom made no move to defend himself as all four armored hands grabbed the lich and lifted him up. Energy and mana swelled, arcing and stabbing into the queen’s hands. Brom looked up with bored eyes as the monster screeched in pain.
“You should have stayed in your hole, my lady,” Brom said darkly as the energy around him boiled and burned.
The queen roared before heaving back a hand with Brom in it and her arm blurring forward.
Kavan, Onka, and Drayke watched in disbelief as the lich was hurtled through the air, spinning as he flew and disappeared beyond the town wall.
The queen turned her glowing eyes toward the trio and another roar caused the town to vibrate to her power.
“Shit!” Kavan, Onka, and Drayke said at the same time before they turned and bolted up North Street.
***
The library door rattled and cracked further. Kogan, Durzol and Dura stood at the ready, weapons in hands.
“We have to make it back to the church. If we stay here, they will pick us off, one by one,” Kogan said through clenched teeth.
Durzol glanced at his father, seeing blood dripping from his wound. “Will you ma
ke it?”
Kogan nodded. “We will make it, but promise me, don’t look back. Keep going and never forget I love you both.”
Dura’s eyes hardened. “Stop it! We’re going to make it, all three of us. Don’t you dare leave us to reunite with Ma! We need you here!”
“Da, I’d listen. She can get Brom to reanimate you,” Durzol smirked.
“The two of you are stubborn, just like your mother,” Kogan smiled.
The door to the library shuddered and, in a blink, blasted off its hinges.
The three orcs roared as they raised their weapons. Xykks stepped in and were met with deadly force.
Durzol slammed his warhammer into the xykks as Kogan and Dura pushed with him. Screeches filled the air as the three orcs pressed their attack. Weapons swung in deadly arcs, opening up xykks in small, violent movements. The three of them pushed on until the xykks broke ranks.
The trio of orcs charged down the stairs and onto the cobblestone street. Xykks pressed their attack as the orcs fought with rampaging power.
Kogan looked to the fighting further down the street and his heart beat like a drum as the xykk numbers seemed to grow.
***
Blood dripped from wounds. Heavy breath fell from open mouths. Three trolls watched as the fight lulled for a brief instant. The church stairs were covered in xykk body parts and clear blood. Xykks regrouped, ready to surge toward the entrance once again.
Lorta stood with cuts along her blue skin. To either side of her, Kazko clutched at a leg wound and Rujin’s eyes filled with rage.
“I need a drink,” Kazko chuckled and grimaced at the same time.
“We all need drinks,” Lorta heaved with sword in hand.
Rujin eyed the xykks as they marched toward them. “I swear to the old gods, we will all drink spirits until we’re sick, and then drink some more!”
Lorta and Kazko looked over to the troll.
“Brother, you don’t like spirits. You only like wine,” Kazko said with a raised brow.