She wasn't an expert at anything, but Ellen couldn't argue, not with her shield active. Blades hit it once or twice a second and bounced off. She sent over three dozen away before the monster lowered its tail and charged forward.
Ellen readied herself to dodge. Facing a monster head-on like this was the last thing she wanted, but she had no choice.
The monster lunged at her, and she collapsed to her left to avoid its claws, which hit the ground where she'd been standing and tore the grass to shreds.
She leapt to her feet and ran. Julius and Ludendi were bound to finish off their monster any second now. She just had to survive until then.
She glanced briefly over her shoulder, hoping to see one or both of her friends running over to aid her, but a black bundle of claws and teeth and horns obstructed her view.
There were footsteps as well; heavy footsteps that tore up the ground. They crept closer and closer until they were right on her heels.
Ellen threw herself to the ground, and the monster passed clear over her. While it skid to a stop, she leapt to her feet and retreated the opposite way.
She saw good news in the distance. The other monster was dead now, its bloody and dismembered body lay spread out across the grass, and Julius and Ludendi were both alive and well and running towards her.
"Get down!" Julius shouted, and Ellen threw herself to the ground again.
A great sword sailed over her head, then something exploded behind her. It was a wet and mushy pop that ended with chunks of black meat and bone raining down around her.
Ellen put her knife away and stood up. It was a messy, impractical fight, but it was over now and they'd won.
"A very impressive feat of agility, Ellen," Julius said. "I intended for you two to stick together, but, well-"
"You needed my help," Ludendi said with a smile. "It's okay to admit it. None of us are perfect."
"That's very true," Julius said.
He looked pleased, almost excited. The miners looked pleased as well; they were gathered around the rock formation, watching them. Ellen smiled at them then returned to the campfire. Ludendi and Julius followed.
"Keep a very close eye on the area," Julius said, then he hurried off towards the miners. "The others should be awake by now. I'm going to see what I can do to get us back home."
"I know this is our job," Ludendi said, "but I wouldn't mind going home early."
"Are you worried?" Ellen asked.
"About monsters? Of course. Who isn't? Or did you mean something else?"
"Are you worried... about everything."
Ludendi eyed her, then lowered her head. "Yeah," she mumbled. "The fortress is my home. I don't want to leave, especially if it means living like this all the time."
"It won't be that bad," Ellen said. "Even if we lose the fortress, we'll still have each other." It was the most encouraging thing she could think of, but Ludendi still looked afraid, probably because her words didn't mean much now that the dimension was becoming more dangerous every day.
Barry, Trevor and Julius's four team members joined them.
"Somebody made a mess out there," Barry said, impressed.
"We got into a fight while you were asleep," Ludendi said. "We're safe, at least for a little bit. I think Julius is trying to talk the miners into leaving."
"This area is probably even more dangerous than the route we followed around the fortress," Trevor said. "I imagine it's only going to get worse if the decay spreads while we're out here."
His eyes opened wide. He glanced at Julius's team members, who were all watching him intently, seemingly bewildered by his words.
Ludendi smiled a crooked smile. "They probably don't know about the sky." She looked to Ellen. "Maybe you should tell them."
"What's this about the sky?" Julius asked. He joined his team. "I have bad news of my own, but let's hear yours first."
Ellen told them the same thing she'd told her friends at the start of their last mission: the dimension was rotting away and it was only a matter of time before everything was overrun by monsters and they'd have to leave. Julius and his team were already down and depressed, and her news brought them down even lower.
"Sorry," she said afterwards.
"It's hardly your fault," Julius said. "I assumed that tear was a monster trying to force its way into this region from outside. It seems I wasn't that far off."
"What's your bad news?" Ludendi asked.
"The miners want us to stay a few more days. They say this area is always dangerous, but they're fully confident we can handle it."
Barry chortled. "Of course they'd say that. They're the ones getting all the rewards while we get hurt." He shrugged. "We'd be terrible Fortress Brigade members if we left them behind."
"It's four mere days," Julius said. "It'll be inconvenient, but I believe our two teams combined can handle any danger that might appear."
Ellen wanted to believe that as well, but they'd been here for one day and already the danger had nearly ran her down and gorged her.
She spent the rest of the day patrolling the outskirts of the mining site with her friends. Despite her worries, not a single monster appeared anywhere.
Another peculiar sound woke her up the next morning, but it ended up being the miners again. She watched through a crack in the cabin door as they shoveled a mound of golden rocks into one of their wagons. What good those rocks would do anyone after the decay spread everywhere was a mystery to her, but this was the job she'd signed up for.
At least the mining site was calm.
The day passed by in peace, and so did the next one.
The fourth day was no different. Ellen almost felt at ease as she led her friends out to start their patrol.
"It's so calm it's almost unsettling," Trevor said. "I guess the wilderness isn't always out to hurt us."
"Only most of the time," Ludendi said with a snicker.
"Whenever it does decide to come for us," Barry said, "let's hope it gets it over with quick."
He was worried. Ellen could see it in his eyes, and his voice made it plain as day. Trevor and Ludendi were in just as bad of shape, but of course none of them would talk about it while the others were nearby. Maybe they'd find some peace if she dragged their fears out into the open where they could no longer wallow in them, or maybe there was nothing she could do but sit back and watch as the dimension dies and her friends succumb to grief. To be so powerless was an awful feeling. She hated it.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Trevor said. "If something does plan to attack us, it doesn't have much time."
The peace lasted the rest of the day. At night, Julius had both teams gather around him inside the cabin. "Our mission may yet turn sour," he said, "but... I believe we're in the clear."
He looked to Ellen. There was a tiny hint of joy in his face, which made her smile. Her friends might be miserable, but at least one person was cheering up.
"It was an honor to work with each of you," Julius said. "I hope we'll work together again in the future."
Ellen shook his hand then his teammates' hands then climbed into bed. She closed her eyes, but even after everyone had settled down, she couldn't sleep. She tried for twenty minutes without success.
She rolled onto her side and glanced at Barry, who slept in the bed beside hers. The last few days were so calm they had plenty of time to talk, and never once did he speak to her the same as he had during their previous mission. Maybe he was worried someone might get hurt again if he let himself become distracted, or maybe he was holding back for when they were somewhere safer.
Or maybe he didn't care about her that way. While it was probably best that they didn't get involved with each other in that way, she still felt a bit empty.
Barry rolled over, there was just enough light to make the outline of his body visible, then he whispered, "Ellen. Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Ellen whispered back.
"Let's meet in the storage room."
Her heart ski
pped a beat. What did he plan to do back there? She had plenty of ideas, several of which would leave them both embarrassed for weeks if they were caught, but despite the risks, she answered, "Okay."
She slipped out of bed and followed Barry to the back of the cabin. He was little more than a silhouette against a black background, but somehow she made it to the storage room without tripping.
"This mission was pretty boring," Barry whispered. "Maybe we can do something to make it more exciting."
"What did you have in mind?" Ellen asked.
"Oh, I don't know."
She swallowed a gasp when Barry wrapped his arms around her. Then he pulled her in close and kissed her.
How he'd found her mouth so easily in the dark she couldn't imagine, and she didn't care. His warm embrace alone made her tingle all over, and the kiss was even better. It was tender and passionate in ways she'd never known possible. She held him tight, savoring his sweetness. She could've melted into his arms if she wasn't so afraid of being discovered.
Barry leaned away after a moment, but he continued to hold her and she held him.
"How was that?" Barry whispered.
"Well-" Ellen hesitated. There was another kiss she'd received that she had very much enjoyed, and while she wasn't half as attached to the person who'd given it, she couldn't put her completely out of mind.
"Did I do something wrong?" Barry asked, seeming more sad than normal.
"You did okay, but there was a girl I met-"
Barry chortled so loud she feared he might wake someone up. "So you have a girlfriend already?" he asked jokingly. "What am I then?"
"It's not like that," Ellen said, "and it happened a long time ago."
Barry laughed again, quieter than before. "So if you're not seeing anyone else, you won't mind if I do this."
One of his hands went under her tunic then up her chest. She normally would've stuck her knife in anyone who tried such a thing, but since it was Barry, she didn't mind.
She slid her hands under his shirt and felt around his chest. She already knew he was fit, but feeling his muscles firsthand was something else. It made her giddy all over. For a second she considered tearing off his shirt and seeing what the rest of him was like.
She startled when Barry shoved her away. "W-What's wrong?" she stammered.
"Do you smell that?" Barry asked. "Something's burning."
It took her a moment to notice, but there was definitely smoke in the air. "What do you think it is?"
Barry's voice was tense. "I'm not sure, but I know it's not good." He took off running.
Ellen ran after him. She grabbed her knife from under her pillow, which caused Ludendi to stir awake, then darted to the front door, where the smell of smoke was even stronger. A faint orange glow shined in through the cracks in the door.
Barry joined her, his sword and shield in hand. They went outside together.
The other cabin was on fire. The whole roof and most of the walls were engulfed in flames.
"What about those miners?" Barry gasped. "Do you see them anywhere? Are they still inside?"
The sky was pitch black, but the fire lit up the mining site. Ellen quickly scanned the area but she couldn't see the miners anywhere. "I think they're still inside," she said grimly.
"Is there another way in? Can we save them? Can we do anything?"
"I don't know!" Ellen snapped, more angrily than she had intended. The cabin door was buried in flames. If anyone was still alive, they were trapped.
Ludendi and Trevor joined them, their weapons in hand.
"What's going on?" Ludendi asked. "Are we-oh no!"
Her eyes opened wide. So did Trevor's.
"Let's check the back," Barry said. "There might be another entrance. Maybe we can get some of them out."
It was likely too late for the miners, but Ellen didn't argue. She still wanted to believe there was something they could do to help.
She took one step, then froze when a monstrous club smashed through the side of her cabin. It broke through the ceiling then crashed into the floor, leaving a crater where it landed.
Just like the other cabin, the club was on fire. It ignited the floor in an instant. Flames spread out in every direction.
"What is that thing!" Ludendi shrieked.
Ellen glanced around the side of the cabin and found exactly what she expected: a monster. It was as tall as the cabin. It had fat arms, a pudgy, pasty white body, and a long neck with three rows of teeth lining the opening.
It saw her even though it didn't seem to have any eyes and started moving towards her, dragging its club behind it as it walked. More flames spread to the cabin. They engulfed the whole wall in seconds.
Ellen drew her knife, but her hands trembled so bad she immediately dropped it. All the miners were inside one burning building, Julius and his team were inside another burning building, and a giant monster was about to attack her and her friends. They couldn't save everyone. They might not even be able to save themselves.
She scooped up her knife and rejoined her friends, who were already creeping backwards. The monster followed her.
"What about Julius and his team?" Ludendi asked. "Are they... they're going to make it out, aren't they?"
"We have to kill that thing first," Ellen said. Ludendi's gasp made her cringe. It was a morbid thought, leaving the cabins to burn, but they wouldn't be able to save anyone if the monster killed them.
The monster raised its fiery club at them, and she took off running. Her friends did the same. The club hit the ground where they'd been standing and smashed open a crater. Flames shot out in every direction. Some went towards the cabin and set the entrance on fire.
Ellen's whole body filled with dread. Even if Julius and his team were still alive, their escape was blocked by a wall of flames.
Even more dread flowed into her when the monster turned its attention on Ludendi, who had little experience with being a monster's main focus, but at least she was fast.
"Don't look at me I never did anything to you!" Ludendi shrieked as she took off running.
Ellen ran up behind the monster and started hacking at its left leg. It had tough flesh, but it was no match for her knife. The muscle underneath couldn't resist either. The bone was the only thing able to stop her.
She swung at the monster's leg faster than she'd ever swung at anything before. There was still a chance someone might be alive inside one of the cabins. The more time they spent fighting the more lives they'd lose.
Each of her cuts set loose a trickle of red blood that stank life sulfur, but she ignored it. The chunks of meat she hacked off stank even worse, but that didn't slow her down either. There were swords and poleaxes sailing over her head, crashing into the monster's back and launching bits of pasty white skin into her face, but no amount of soggy monster flesh could keep her away. There were too many people counting on her for her to stop for even a second.
The monster started turning in place, presumably to look for her, but it was too big and slow and she was too small for it to find her.
After making more cuts and slices than she could count, she managed to expose a long section of the monster's leg bone. The monster might be able to function with a chunk of its skin and muscle missing, but it wouldn't be going anywhere with a broken leg. She scowled at the exposed bone then raised her knife to it.
Barry and Trevor came up behind her and pushed her away before she could swing.
"That's a good start," Barry said. "Let us do the rest."
"Our weapons are better suited for this," Trevor added.
Ellen backed away and let them work. Her knife was the sharpest weapon their group possessed, and maybe the sharpest weapon anywhere, but she had no misgivings over who was stronger.
Barry and Trevor pounded on the exposed bone with their weapons. In just a few seconds they managed to crack it open, and after a few more seconds they broke it in half.
The monster collapsed onto its side and landed on its fi
ery club. The flames quickly spread to its body.
Ellen breathed a sigh of relief. It would take a minute to die, but the monster was harmless now.
A crash behind her made her spin around. She turned just in time to see the roof of her cabin collapse. The other cabin was in even worse shape. Its roof and half its walls had already caved in.
Her relief turned to dread. They'd acted too slowly. They'd saved themselves, but that was it.
Ludendi bolted towards the cabin. "Someone might still be alive in there," she cried. "We have to do something. Stop standing around and help me!"
"She's going to get hurt if she goes in there," Barry said. He took one step forward then collapsed onto his hands and knees. "Someone stop her," he said, panting.
Ellen sat down in the dirt and lowered her head. Their mission was an utter failure. Not only were the people she'd been assigned to protect dead, but so were her allies. They'd left the fortress with a group of thirty three, yet only her and her friends would return. Even they might not make it back. Their supplies were all gone, and there was no telling what else was lurking in the dark.
Trevor was looking to her for guidance, but she had none to give. "It's over," she mumbled. "We failed."
"That's true," Trevor said sullenly. "But we still need to stop Ludendi from getting hurt." He left his poleaxe behind and darted towards the cabin.
"This is what it's going to be like all the time," Barry said, "isn't it? After the dimension dies, I mean."
"Nighttime is dangerous," Ellen said cautiously, "but this fire... I've never seen anything like it before." The monster had spread the fire, but it couldn't have started it. Something around the mining site had to have ignited its club, but what?
"I wish they'd just finish us off now and get it over with."
"Even if the dimension does die, we'll... still have each other," Ellen said. The words didn't mean much now, not while their allies and the people they were supposed to protect lay dead inside their cabins, but she hoped they'd bring Barry some sense of peace.
She watched Ludendi dance around the entrance to their cabin. Ludendi wanted desperately to go inside, but it was a futile struggle. The flames were too great.
Forlorn Dimension (Ellen's Friends Book 1) Page 15