Toby Neighbors - Fierce Loyalty

“It’s the king!”

“It’s King Zorlan, sir.”

“The king’s returned.”

“Silence!” roared the duty officer. He was an older man, his back as straight as a rod, his face a mask of cold fury. He marched toward Zorlan, who was bent over, his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.

“Sire?” the man said, the uncertainty in his voice evident.

“Yes,” was all Zorlan managed to say.

“Orders, sire?” the man said, falling back on his training when the uncertainty of conversing with his king overwhelmed him.

“Name?”

“I’m Gentry, sire, Century Officer.”

“I want a horse, Gentry,” King Zorlan said. “Then I want a controlled retreat,” he panted. “I want to get as far from this place as possible.”

“Aye, my lord,” the officer said. “You heard the man-sound the retreat. I want soldiers around the king at all times. First squad, move your lazy asses.”

Soldiers surrounded the king, many with torches. A horse was led forward, but the animal was wild-eyed with fear. The sound of the thunderous approach was growing louder. There were screams coming from the darkness toward the city.

“We need to move, Captain.”

“I’m not a captain, sire, just a squad leader. Our captain was killed” the gruff man said.

“You’re the general of my army if you get me out of here alive,” Zorlan promised.

“Aye, sir. Let’s move men,” Gentry shouted.

They had moved beyond the tents and rows of wagons and were heading toward the main north-south road when the creatures from the dark abyss struck. There were nearly three hundred troops behind Zorlan now, all armed and marching in formation at a quick pace. The back row was struck first, and was the furthest from the light of the torches that surrounded King Zorlan. When the soldiers began to scream, King Zorlan turned. What he saw filled him with terror.

The centaur-like creatures were stabbing the soldiers with their long tails, using their stingers almost like spears, then flying up and carrying the men away. Zorlan could see the wounded soldiers writhing in pain as they were carried off. The gruff squad leader shouted orders. Half of the soldiers broke and ran in sheer panic, but the others were more disciplined. They had been trained to respond to the horrors of war by banding together. Shields were lofted, and swords drawn. They formed a shield wall that curved around King Zorlan.

“Get off that horse, you dammed fool!” Gentry shouted, dragging Zorlan out of the saddle. The king fell hard and the horse bolted away. Fury contorted Zorlan’s face, but the soldiers crowded in on him, their shields held high just as a wave of the creatures struck. Stingers punched through the wooden shields, vile venom dripping from their barbs. The men that were stung wailed in pain, many falling to the ground, but the shield wall held.

“Give ’em hell, men!” screamed Gentry.

Swords lashed out. The tail segments were impenetrable, but the joints were vulnerable. Tails were severed, causing the creatures to roar in pain. Their voices sounded more like wild beasts’ than men’s. The creatures’ long pointed fingers were like daggers and they bit and tore any exposed flesh they could reach with their vicious fangs, but they had no defense. The soldiers on the front line struggled to hold back the powerful creatures with their shields while their comrades in the line behind them stabbed and hacked with swords, axes, and spears. The creatures were wounded and killed with each blow the soldiers made. They were like rabid cattle, striking without any concern for their own safety and without any sort of strategy or teamwork.

“Fighting retreat,” the squad leader shouted.

King Zorlan was on his feet now. Someone had handed him a shield, which he struggled to put on his arm. There were creatures all around them now. Many of the torches had been dropped during the attack, but some were still being used like weapons. Fire seemed to be the only thing that the creatures feared. Then help came roaring out of the sky.

* * *

Tears streamed down Brianna face as she rode Selix through the gathering gloom. She looked back and saw Zollin moving toward the castle. Deep in her heart she feared it was the last time she would ever see him alive. Tig and Ferno took positions on either side of Selix. Bartoom followed them, although the big, black dragon’s wounds made it move more slowly. They flew over the city walls and soon passed the camp of the soldiers.

Brianna sent a mental image of the pride landing and of her healing their wounds. They were circling around getting ready to land when Bartoom, who had been with them a moment before, suddenly veered in mid-flight, swooping back up into the sky and flying away south.

Brianna watched the black dragon flying away, but she no longer felt sorry for it. Bartoom was not a free dragon and they could no longer protect the ancient beast. She turned her attention to her pride. Ferno was hurt the worst. Bartoom had battered and clawed the hulking green dragon. Brianna, naked, but with her body covered in dancing flames, let her healing fire wash over the green dragon. It took several minutes to heal Ferno and the world seemed to crack while she was doing it. The massive noise was followed by a shaking and rumbling that made the ground ripple like waves in the ocean.

The dragons took flight, preferring to be in the air rather than on the ground, which no longer seemed stable. Brianna settled on Selix’s back and began healing the golden dragon. She had just finished when the thunderous sounds of wings rolled across the plain. Brianna and her pride could see in the dark, their eyes zooming across the distance and seeing the sparks of light from the wizard battle on the rooftop. Then they could see the approaching hordes of creatures. The sheer amount of them was enough to make Brianna’s heart almost stop. She couldn’t believe Zollin was still in the city. Her hope for him was fading fast.

She ordered the pride to fly higher. They rose up to the dark, smoke-like clouds that were blotting out the setting sun. The creatures below seemed not to pay them any attention. They flew, but seemed to prefer to move just above the ground. Brianna watched as they attacked the soldiers who were running in panic away from the city. She saw the creatures spear the soldiers and turn to carry them back toward the city.

“Tig, find out where the creatures are taking those men,” Brianna shouted. “Selix and Ferno, attack!”

The two big dragons dove, swooping toward the line of creatures. The dragons were higher in the air than the creatures, which still took no notice of them. They were like mindless monsters, with only one task fixed in their tiny brains. Ferno was the first to strike, spewing fire into the horde. Selix soon joined the green dragon. They lay down long blasts of fire, which incinerated the creature’s delicate wings and burned them. Some of the creatures burst into flames, but most were merely wounded by the fire and able to continue on their destructive charge, running like horses.

Selix and Ferno wheeled in the sky and turned back for another pass, this time moving more slowly and concentrating their fiery attack. Ferno was in the lead and to Brianna’s right. Ferno’s pass wounded many, while Selix came in a little after the green dragon and destroyed those who escaped Ferno’s first pass. It was an effective attack, but the sheer number of creatures made even the dozens killed by the dragons seem inconsequential.

Brianna was watching the battle, letting the dragons attack as they saw fit. She saw the swarming creatures pouring out of the city and watched for Tig to return. Then she saw the group of soldiers fighting the creatures and urged her pride to help.