hunt him down wherever he goes. If I can kill the Banthra then we may have a chance.”
“Yes sir,” Braal said, quickly moving off towards the south wall, his men unsheathing their weapons and following on his heels.
This is a hardy group of men, thought Airos, tough mountain men who grew up fighting and surviving, but would it be enough? Airos erased the thought from his mind as his horse galloped towards him, nudging him with her nose. She, like Airos, could sense the approaching evil. His magical steed never ceased to amaze him. Suatha had appeared to Airos on the day that he passed his final trial. She was a magnificent steed that had saved his life many times, for she, like the cavalier, had been given the gift of magic. Suatha could run all day and never tire. She was faster and stronger than any horse and she could sense her rider’s thoughts and movements. She would not be swayed by magical fear and together they were a powerful team.
Airos smoothly leaped onto Suatha’s back, grabbing the reins and spurring her towards the northern wall. He could feel the energy that came before battle start to rise within him as he neared the gate. The magic in his veins pulsed with power and he smiled inwardly, reveling in the adrenaline rush that always took hold of his body every time he was about to go into battle.
As he rode through the gathering men he yelled, “Our enemy is near! Gather your weapons and take your positions!”
The men, women, and children that had weapons all ran quickly, taking up the positions they had hastily worked out earlier. Airos gathered the townspeople in two lines facing the northern wall and the gate. One line was held back as reserves while the front line carried all the longer weapons they could find or build, pikes, spears, javelins, anything to keep the enemy at arm’s length.
Airos rode his horse back and forth before the lines hoping to give them some sense of hope. Everyone was deathly silent. Airos knew that the townsfolk were frightened, and that their fear was paralyzing them now. He had to give them some hope, some belief that they could defeat this threat. Turning his horse to face the men, he held his blade up high, letting the magic flow from his body and into his sword. The god given weapon lit up like a beacon, the magic light piercing the blackness, pushing back the sinking feeling of doom. Airos’s voice, lifted by magic, hit everyone like a thunderclap.
“People of Manson, soon these very walls will be climbing with evil and vile creatures that want you dead, that want your children dead! We are here to turn back this pestilence, to protect your homes and families!” His voice and the magic light eased their fears instantly. They all stood up straight and held their weapons before them with new vigor. “I am a cavalier! I am here to fight next to you. To die next to you if that is my purpose! You have the strength to defeat them. I know this; I can see it in your eyes and in your hearts! Fight with me, fight for your life, fight for your homes, fight for your families!” Airos yelled as he turned his horse toward the gate. The large bonfires that had been lit earlier shed a bright light on the entire expanse of the town’s walls.
As if on cue, the gate wall began to shake suddenly, and a large gray form pulled itself onto the top of the wooden structure. The boarg squatted in perfect balance on top of the gate, its huge form rippling with muscles as it held itself erect. Two thick, curved horns, sprouted from the sides of its bulky boar-like head. The beast crouched like a cat, its long powerful arms holding its body on top of the wall. The boarg bellowed a defiant roar, exposing long tusks and yellow fangs.
Airos sheathed his sword, grabbed the bow at his side with lightning speed, and had three arrows whistling across the expanse in the blink of an eye. The first arrow struck the boarg’s open mouth, while the other two hammered into its neck with enough force to launch the animal off the gate and into the darkness.
Screams erupted in the night from the southern wall as the gate in front of him again shook violently. It has begun, thought Airos, notching another