archers into the thick of the fighting. Wenyn and Atalsa used their short-range archery skills, while Tanel unsheathed his sword, fighting only those who attacked him. He just wanted to get to the shooters quickly.
*****
General Edandir stared up at Ittonifer’s tall castle. He caught sight of the men that were releasing the catapults at his army.
First thing’s first.
The first pair of soldiers had been so focused on firing their artillery that they did not even notice Edandir approaching them. They were not wearing masks like the others.
A stupid decision.
Edandir jumped off of his dragon and drove his blade through the first one’s back. His partner gaped and clumsily reached for his sword. Edandir pointed his blade at the youthful Malinorian.
“I suggest that you get out of here. Now,” said Edandir.
Wide-eyed, the lad stumbled away from the catapult.
Edandir glanced at the fireball projector to his left. The two soldiers that operated it were already running toward him. Then, they were both on the ground, each with an arrow sticking out of his chest.
Tanel, Wenyn, and several other archers had infiltrated the area.
“We’ll take it from here, General,” said Tanel.
Edandir was relieved that Talya’s friend still stood.
I am going to make that boy a commander.
Edandir sheathed his sword, grabbed hold of a crevice in the castle’s stone wall, and started to climb.
*****
Chrissa held her sword at Naeshi’s thick neck. Now was her chance to end the life of the man that had been hunting her down for the past year, but it took more courage than she realized. She didn’t want him to die.
The other men that Chrissa had slain that day were faceless enemies, but she had known Naeshi for most of her life. Although he had turned her life into a living hell recently, she couldn’t bring herself to kill him.
Naeshi laughed.
“You want to fight like a man, but you’re too squeamish to kill me!”
“Stop mocking me and accept that God has been merciful to you. I am giving you a second chance. Let us part ways.”
“Die, wench!” shouted another Malinorian warrior to Chrissa’s left.
She barely dodged his powerful swing in time. Before he unleashed his scythe on her, she stabbed him in the stomach, stopping him short. Her sword had penetrated through his lightweight armor, but it did not do as much damage as she had intended. The knight’s eyes widened as blood seeped out of the fresh wound.
In her peripheral vision, Chrissa saw the shadow of another enemy coming at her right side. She blocked a stab from the warrior in front of her. She tried to turn and face the other man to her side, but he already had his strong arms wrapped around her mid-section.
She turned her sword around and thrust its blade backward. The warrior grunted and let go of her. A man with a scorpion breastplate lay still on the ground. Naeshi was gone.
The knight with the swinging scythe lunged toward her again. Chrissa leaped out of the way and managed a gash on the man’s exposed lower back. He whirled around and took a run at her, but the ground shook from underneath them. Her enemy stopped and looked in the direction of the noise.
A giant black lizard with rows of razor-sharp teeth was running toward them. Chrissa and the Malinorian both ran, but the reptile caught the man in its powerful jaws and ate him whole.
Chrissa stared, paralyzed by the horrific sight. It would come for her next. She backed up with her sword outstretched in front of her. She was ready to slash at it when it lunged for her. She was not going to die without a fight.
It licked its chops and glared at her.
Chrissa swallowed hard and braced herself. It tilted its head, blinked once, and rushed after a section of enemy knights. She stared after it, confused.
“It seems as though Ittonifer’s big plan has bit him in the rump.”
Chrissa turned and looked up to see one of the giants standing beside her. He was younger than the other ones. It was Saclam’s grandson, if she recalled correctly.
“They’re only going after the Malinorians now?” she asked.
“Something switched in them a short time ago. Looks like Ittonifer’s magic strategy has failed. God has shown Himself. And to think I had doubted Him all this time. I only agreed to aid your country because I wanted to crush that bloodthirsty empire. I suppose it’s never too late to believe.”
“No, it certainly isn’t,” Chrissa smiled.
*****
Blood seeped from Talya’s fresh wounds. She could