“Should we run?” Ptolemi asked. Huglund struck him across the face before turning to his men. “You are all Tibris Gu ards of the great Lord Tiberion. You cannot fear, you cannot care, and you cannot lose. Let us destroy this Red Handed plague once and for all. Everyone attack, now!”
The two forces collided in a spray of sweat and blood. The Tibris Guard’s superior armor proved much more effective face to face. They were well trained in the art of sword play and struck down Red Hands left and right as they hacked their way into the thick of the battle. Lack of fear made them almost unstoppable. With no apparent concern for their own wellbeing, each bald fighter dove headfirst into the fight, mindlessly eliminating every man, woman and squirm that crossed their paths. No wound, big or small, hindered their progress. It was only when a tremendous blow was struck to their persons, via Hammerstahl, blade, or club, that each Tibris Guard finally went down, their eyes glazed in eternal sleep. They made sure to take as many Red Hands down with them as they could, sometimes draping themselves over a small collection of corpses before allowing themselves to expire.
The RHA gave as good as it got. Years of loss and prolonged suffering had infused every fighter with an unbreakable sense of fury, which was belated a little at a time with the aggressive disposal of multiple Tibris Guards. With every weapon and bullet drenched in fresh Firetongue venom, the Red Hands wielding them found themselves quickly slicing their enemies apart like scissors through a raggedy shirt. Solid, blue flames erupted across the battlefield with every successful strike.
Adelaide found herself leaping from side to side, eagerly thrusting her knife into every neck and face of a Tibris Guard that she could reach. Her head turned speedily about, taking in the ruthless carnage that surrounded her. Her fears of death were blanketed by strange pleasurable surges as she raised her knife and plunged it into any Tibris Guard within arm’s reach. She could hear Finn whooping with delight as he battled a Tibris Guard. Try as she did, she could see no sign of Clayton.
“Adelaide!” Ten yards away, Taz was lying on her back with her spear out of reach. Above her stood Huglund, shaking his head and muttering something inaudible as he lifted up his sword to deal one fatal blow.
With a bloodcurdling scream, Adelaide collided with Huglund, the force of her leap knocking him to his knees. He instantly leapt to his feet and deflected a savage jab from her blood soaked knife. The Acryptus Tree pulsated on her neck as she flung out her free fist, catching him on the lower lip. Huglund grunted and lunged again, this time forcing her to stumble to the right and nearly lose her balance over the corpse of a fallen Red Hand. She regained her composure and prepared for the next onslaught. Taz jumped onto his back and slammed her free hand down repeatedly on his unprotected head. With a quick jerk to the side, Huglund cast her off just as Adelaide took a chance and again sliced at his throat. It missed by inches as he arched back just in time. The look on his face was grim and emotionless, and yet his eyes were on fire with something she couldn’t quite comprehend…..an unchecked supply of murderous rage.
Huglund lashed out with his sword, aiming to take off her head. She ducked down and stabbed out at his chest. Her weapon, still dripping with fresh Firetongue venom, pierced his scaly armor and nicked the top few layers of skin, drawing forth a few drops of blood. Seemingly unphased, Huglund delivered a swift kick to her stomach that sent her falling back onto the blood soaked earth, gasping for air. Taz lurched for his unprotected back with a curdling howl, only to be struck across the face with a powerful backhand. She fell to the ground, twitching about as she blindly felt for her weapon lying several feet away.
Huglund glanced at her briefly before turning his focus back onto Adelaide. He shook his head repeatedly and sighed. “I c annot understand how you insist upon fighting us. You know you cannot win. You understand all this and yet….and yet you resist your destiny. Why? What drives you to fight for an impossible cause?”
Adelaide cursed aloud. Her knife had disappeared. Everywhere she looked, she saw people fighting for their lives, too involved in the battle to even try helping those who had fallen. She finally turned back to Huglund, her face resolute and firm, and whispered back an answer:
“Hope.” His blade shot up, the edge aligned with the center of her scalp. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Adelaide smiled and closed her eyes. This is where it all ended. “I’m coming,” she whispered to everyone she had lost. “I’m coming.”
A terrifying yell erupted from behind her. As she gazed up into the sky, she saw Clayton’s form block her vision as he leapt over her and landed beside Huglund. In his hand was the small knife she had lost only a moment before. Huglund turned for a second, just one second, before Clayton ripped the blade across his face, cutting deep through the flesh until it scraped against the bone. Huglund’s head turned away, as his sword fell from his hands. Blood sprayed from his face, staining his teeth and lips with gushing crimson. He stumbled away, his hands pressing against the blinding wound.
“Clay ton?” Adelaide whispered weakly.
“Yes, it’s me,” he groaned, trying to catch his breath. “I cannot believe this. I leave you alone for one rotting battle and you get yourself into trouble,” he laughed as he helped her up.
“The mark…” she whispered, rubbing the back of her neck. “I felt it…it started…” “Yes, I know,” Clayton replied. “It’s been happening to me too. We’ll figure it out together, I swear. Come on now, let’s get Taz.”
“Finn…”
“Finn is with Sevigne and Mason. The battle is over, Adelaide. We’ve won. It’s over.” The battle was indeed coming to an end. Ptolemi led what was left of the Tibris Guards after Huglund, who was staggering away from the battlefield with both hands pressed to his bloodied face. They soon outran the pursuing Red Hands and vanished from sight.
As Adelaide stared at the carnage around her, she found herself emotionally numb. There were no whispers this time, as there had been so many times before on her journey. Instead, found herself standing perfectly still, her hands hanging idly by her sides. The cries of pain from wounded fighters drifted away, brushed aside like a heavy curtain obstructing the light. For a moment, no matter how brief, she felt completely and unwaveringly…still. She smiled as she felt Finn’s lips press on the back of her neck. She turned smiling towards him. His face was worn and exhausted. He had a shallow gash on his left shoulder and a dark bruise just above his left eye. His bloodied hatchet hung loosely in his hand. As his arms closed around her, she nestled her face against his neck. She could see Taz shaking nearby as she sunk down against a tree trunk, staring at a Tibris Guard whose throat she’d cut. Tripper and Mimi were tending to a nasty cut on Dakota’s hand. Mason and Sevigne were hugging each other passionately. Arbus Spyrbank was on his knees gazing out across the corpse covered ground, his eyes brimming up with tears. Hagan, who had been checking for living Tibris Guards amongst the dead, took a second to rest his hand on Arbus’ shoulder. Clayton himself was crouched on a stump nearby, Adelaide’s kitchen knife still clenched in his hands. His scalp was bruised and his nose was bleeding. The wound on his arm from the precipice above the knoll was seeping through the bandages, and his pants were drenched in sweat and vomit. He smiled as he saw Adelaide glancing at him. He walked back over to where she and Finn were standing.
“We did it. I wish…I wish Raoul and Cherry had been here.” Taz struggled to her feet and hobbled over to Clayton, her eyes red and puffy.
“We….made it,” she sobbed. Clayton grinned and kissed her forehead. She returned it with a kiss on his lips and together the group began moving across the blood soaked terrain.
“Well,” Taz whispered, her eyes turning skyward towards the morning sun. “What happens now?” “Now , we head north,” Clayton declared. “News of this will travel fast. Tiberion will know what Red Hands are capable of. Who knows what he’ll do to stop us.”
“We’ll need more fighters,” Adelaide remarked. “Do you think they’ll come?�
� “I have little doubt, Miss Stokes,” Mason announced approaching the group. “And until they do, I offer the loyalty and lives of every member of the RHA to meet the ends of your endeavor. By Sorra’s bosom, I swear.”
Sevigne signed her agreement as Mimi, Tripper, and Dakota joined them. “Havendale lives on!” Mimi exclaimed proudly. “Totally,” Dakota concurred. “We’re with you guys to the rotting end,” Tripper joined in.
Rade, Arbus and Hagan strode beside them. One by one, the survivors of the battle collected behind the group, marching onward with weapons in hand. Clayton cocked his head with a smile before returning his gaze up ahead. Whatever questions they had, the answers couldn’t be far away.
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s go to Reignfall.”
The End
The Acryptus Tree Page 24