27 The Queen's Journey, pt. 7

Ker'Tallen's POV

The cart pulled to a sudden stop and the enlisted didn't miss a step.

Ker'Tallen quickly got off the cart and looked forward only to wish he hadn't.

Three large monsters with skin as black as coal and glowing red eyes appeared in the middle of the plains.

And Nova was lying just ahead of them.

The fact that they'd have to fight these things to continue slowly made its way into his mind. He nearly fainted.

Then, he looked back and realized that running wasn't an option, as hordes of Griffins began appearing from the mountainside road, gaining on them.

"Hahahaha!" A laugh sounded out. It took him a moment to realize that laugh came from him. Turning to look at his allies, he smiled, revealing vicious fangs ready to maul any who approached. "If this is how my life ends, I welcome it."

Years of whippings, beatings and other humiliating, cruel acts flashed before his eyes. He would not surrender to these people. To his dying breath, he would not show them mercy.

Without another word, he unsheathed his sword.

"Wait." Theresa said, approaching him. "We…" She was looking back and forth frantically, as if choosing to engage the beasts ahead, or the Griffins behind them. "We have to form some sort of plan."

"Plan?" Ker'Tallen replied. "It's simple. Whoever comes here first is who will die by my hand."

Theresa tilted her head, shocked at the sudden bloodlust emerging from within Ker'Tallen. Truth be told, he didn't know he had this in him either.

After a moment, she nodded.

"Our mission is to protect the queen." A voice said from behind him. He turned to find Olyneces, with his sword already in the air. "Circle her cart. We are her final line of defense." He approached Ker'Tallen. "You haven't betrayed us yet." He whispered. "This is the moment of truth. Will you stand with us?"

Ker'Tallen spat on the ground. What was Olyneces implying? That he should turn and see if the Griffins welcome him with open arms?

"Ridiculous." Ker'Tallen said. "I haven't wavered yet. And I don't plan to."

For the first time, he saw Olyneces smile.

"Then follow me!" The Savior ordered, and Ker'Tallen nodded.

Goran and Floren both emerged from the queen's cart as well.

"Jess…" Floren muttered. "I wasn't there for you before, I'll make it up to you here and now."

"… Let's just get this over with." Goran said. The normally brash looking warrior looked as uncomfortable as Ker'Tallen had ever seen him.

With the Griffins descending upon them, there was no more preparation to be done.

Risking one more glance, he analyzed each of the beasts ahead. The Yargoth, as Jin called them.

One was shaped like a bird that had spawned a pair of legs. A beak as long as Ker'Tallen's arms, feathers that moved by themselves covering its torso.

The second simply looked like a large elven man, covered in black paint. Only, his red eyes had a particular symbol acting as pupils.

The third was the most perplexing and by far the most intimidating.

A head shaped like a dragon's, the torso of a man with scales to match Ker'Tallen's own, and the legs of an overgrown wolf.

He knew he should have felt some form of fear, but in its place, Ker'Tallen's heart was laced with desire. A desire to kill these challengers.

Even if he'd changed sides, he was still a beastman to his core.

But he could not make his way to them, he'd have to wait for them to attack.

If they even would. Right now, they looked content to stay where they were. They were just sitting there, as though they intended to just watch the coming battle, instead of participating in it,.

Unlike the Griffins, who were starting to arrive at their makeshift battlefield.

And like that, as Ker'Tallen ducked under a black arrow, the fight began.

"Take this!" Just as Ker'Tallen was about to charge, he saw a golden shield extended towards him on his right. "You'll need it."

"Thank you." Ker'Tallen replied, taking the shield and placing it on his left.

Immediately, he blocked a small volley of arrows headed towards him.

Growling, he ran towards the pack of approaching Griffins.

Their numbers didn't matter, he simply wished to kill as many as he could before they killed him.

He approached his first enemy, blocking his half-moon sword with his shield and stabbing him in the chest. One down.

Another tried to swipe at him, he ducked underneath and slashed his gut open. Two down.

On and on, he persisted. Blood spurted in his direction with each swing of his sword, staining his shirt beyond recognition.

Before long though, a voice called out to him.

He turned to see Olyneces nearly flying through the field, taking out various Griffins at a time.

"The queen!" He yelled. "I'll hold them off!"

Ker'Tallen's feet moved before his mind had even internalized the order.

Having not been too far away, he arrived at the queen's unmistakable cart, just in time to see two Griffins trying to get inside.

With a cry, he tore them apart in rapid succession.

The side door was opened just slightly enough to where he could see the queen's face. She looked surprised.

With a sly smile, Ker'Tallen nodded, and turned towards the attackers.

He had cemented his place at Nova's side.

Mariana's POV

Her breath caught at her throat.

The Griffins wouldn't stop pouring in. It was like watching a grey river pour down on you, hoping it would stop.

She was still at the cart. When the others had gotten off, she'd intended to follow them, but her legs wouldn't move.

They'd frozen.

Que hago? Que hago? She asked herself.

As swords clanged against each other, she then remembered the first time she'd been in real danger.

It was not easy to travel from Corona to Nova by foot, but looking back, she'd do it again.

The first day was the worst. It was standing in the middle of a dark path, her eyes set on a village beyond the horizon when she realized she was truly alone for the first time.

And today was no different. No friends, no allies, just her, a scared thirteen-year-old.

She settled into a small corner on the cart and waited.

As the battle continued, she half-expected everything to dissolve in front of her, while she went completely unnoticed.

Only, she was noticed. A man with the head of a lion, dressed in iron armor grabbed her by the leg.

She was screaming and kicking but the warrior refused to give her up.

Before he could pull her out of the cart, she reflexively grabbed something from her waist.

A dagger.

The smiling lion frowned in confusion for just a split second before a blade blossomed from his eye.

He roared, but Mariana kept at it, pulling the blade out and stabbing back in with reckless abandon.

He was dead in seconds. Mariana though, still felt lightning in her gut. Still breathing heavily, she realized the cart wasn't safe, that she'd have to find another place to hide in.

What she saw outside though, made her realize what a far-away dream the concept of "hiding" was here.

Everywhere, there was someone fighting and someone dying. It was hard to tell who was winning, as none on their side had died, but the injuries were piling on.

The Saviors were sweeping through enemies in the distance with brilliant efficiency, but even their speed and strength would dissipate if the Griffins kept coming.

Decena was standing surrounded by four separate Griffins. Carefully, she ducked under each of their wild strikes and dispatched a couple, only for those two to be replaced by two more.

Theresa was standing on top of a large boulder, rapidly casting flame spells in almost random directions. But she had to alternate between this and dodging the incoming arrows. At some point, a beastman larger than the rest, had roared at her. A challenge Theresa gladly accepted as she damn near flew towards him.

Ker'Tallen savagely tore apart his enemies, but he didn't have the speed to eliminate a significant number of them, a flaw that would likely cause him to be overwhelmed.

And finally, in the distance, Jin was shooting arrows at anyone who dared approach him, but they would eventually run out, of course.

She thought she was content with watching, waiting for a fatal attack to come her way.

But, as she watched the tan-skinned, brown haired boy desperately shoot arrows at his enemies, she saw something behind him.

A wolfman rose, like a growing tree. He had been hiding and was now about to stab Jin in the back.

It was ironic, earlier, Mariana wanted to move, but her legs wouldn't listen. Now, she wanted to stay, but her legs moved against her will.

If her small stature was good for anything, it was speed. And now, she found herself gliding through the battlefield, homing in on the clever enemy.

The wolfman raised a half-moon sword up, Jin turned, his eyes widening with the realization that he was about to die. But the blow never came. Instead, the wolfman fell, his body lifeless, revealing an angry little girl, holding a blood-soaked dagger.

Jin muttered thanks and went right back to shooting people down, but Mariana stayed there for a moment.

She killed one. Granted, he hadn't seen her, but he fell to her dagger.

Victory was possible.

She saw Ker'Tallen failing to hold back two beastmen and ran over to him.

Hopping over dead bodies and breathing heavily, she arrived and plunged her dagger into the back of one's neck, and then into the other's ribcage.

It was hard to read the snakeman, but she could see he was surprised.

She turned, and spotted Decena barely holding back a small group.

Like death incarnate, manifested into a shadow, she crept along the field until she reached one of them, and hopped onto his back, repeatedly stabbing his neck.

Decena took the moment of surprise in stride, and quickly slashed the others down.

The redhead regarded Mariana for a moment and smiled.

Mariana, she couldn't believe it but, smiled back.

Until a large spurt of blood emerged from her stomach.

She couldn't register it at first, until she puked some of the red liquid out.

"That was nice, but I have grown impatient. It's time we end you all." A guttural voice said behind her.

Before she fell limp onto the floor, she turned, gazing into glowing red eyes, and a monstrous body covered in onyx black skin.

A beast that looked like something out of a nightmare, had just stabbed her.