“Don’t breathe thewitch’s fog,” he shouted, masking his face behind his fur collar.
Green haze startedto blanket the wall. The shabby birds fled towards the head fortress. The alvesbegan to cough, covering their faces with their hats and sleeves. The halfbreedblodbads collapsed, tumbling from their many perches.
“Cyrus…” Edwardmoaned.
The snow-white spiderfainted. Not again! Cyrus grasped hisbest friend from his shoulder and tucked him into his tunic.
An iron hook struckthe fore rail of the bow bridge. Cyrus’ mind raced. He grabbed one of the loadedrifles from the rear of the bridge deck and moved towards the rampart. A large,bearded rock klops mounted the wall. On his head sat an iron helmet adornedwith two twisted goat horns. Cyrus pressed his gun barrel to the beast’s chest.
“Bang!”
He blew the brute cleanoff of the battlements. Then Sergeant Kron drew his sword and hacked the linefree. Cyrus looked down the length of both walls. Riflemen and signal teamsalike slashed at the intruding cables.
The fog and smoke startedto shift, revealing more invading landing craft. The second enemy wave broughttall, lean nagen in silk and steel armor. Behind them, Rorroh’s attack ships couldbe seen just beyond the thinning haze.
“Target those vessels,”Cyrus shouted. “Use the explosive rounds.”
His orders were unnecessary.The fortress’ gunners began to batter Rorroh’s fleet with cannon fire. Smolderingprojectiles arched across the sea. Cyrus watched as one ship’s mainmast splinteredand crashed to the deck, taking its riggings with it. Another vessel took an explosiveround to the stern. The shell must have struck the ship’s powder kegs. The rearof the boat erupted into a ball of fire, showering the surrounding fleet in shardsof timber.
Riflemen gunneddown a handful of the masked intruders aboard their boats. Others leaped ashorewith bullets sparking off of their sleek armor. They sped across the beach, castingaloft their own grappling hooks.
Cyrus looked backand found the bald alve crouched, shaking, near the rear of the bridge. He tossedhis spent gun to the runner. The man attempted to catch the weapon, but fumbledit, dropping it to the floor.
“Another rifle,” Cyrusdemanded.
A silk and steel demonclimbed upon the parapets. The middle-aged alve’s eyes widened. Quickly, hethrew Cyrus a fresh gun. Without hesitating, Cyrus caught the weapon and spun.
Bang!
The bullet ricochetedoff of the intruder's sneering facemask. With two searing slashes, the nagenkilled all four communications officers.
“No!” Cyrus cried.
The alve grasped anotherloaded rifle. With a flash of his left arm, the silken demon hurled a black dagger.The weapon skewered the runner’s neck. The alve dropped to the floor, clutchingthe blade’s bloody hilt.
Sergeant Kron drewboth of his broadswords. He roared as he charged forward. The nagen’s rat-like eyeswidened beneath his helmet. The batalha slashed vertically with his right sword,then horizontally with his left. The intruder sidestepped the first attack, thenducked the second. Cyrus dove for the dead alve’s loaded rifle. The wiry nagenspun into a crouch, his bladed staff whistling about him. The knife edge clippedCyrus’ hair, then struck Kron between his belly plates. Blood gushed from theklops’ armor, and the big batalha fell.
Cyrus rolled and aimedhis rifle at the creature’s unprotected armpit. The gun barked. The nagenjerked, then whirled forward. Cyrus leaped to his feet. The bladed end of the nagen’sstaff licked his chin. The blunt end struck the rifle from his hands. Cyrus wasdefenseless! The creature spun again. A sharp heel punched Cyrus in the chest. Hisguts raged in agony. He crashed backward into his captain’s chair. The nagen whippedforward like a viper. Instinct took hold. Cyrus hurled himself sideways. Thebladed staff split the chair’s thick back. Cyrus crashed to the ground andscrambled on his back towards the rear of the bridge. The creature wrenched hisblade free and stalked forward. Blood leaked from his side. Cyrus reached foranother loaded rifle. The demon slashed at his hand. Cyrus drew his sword. The nagenstabbed at his chest. He parried the thrust. The villain hacked at his legs.Cyrus rolled away and slipped, tumbling backward down the stairs.
He crashed throughthe railing and landed face first on the tiled earth. Wet dirt smeared his lips.His sword! Where was his sword? Two silk and steel clad boots thundered downinches from his head. Blood spattered the ground. Cyrus twisted and looked up.The creature raised his staff, ready to strike. Cyrus could not die like this.He grasped the villain’s right leg. The limb felt stiff as iron. He kicked at hisleft ankle. The enemy stumbled backward. Then Cyrus rose up and crashed a lefthook into the nagen’s wounded armpit. The intruder hissed, his breath stinking ofacid. He tried to wield his staff, but Cyrus crowded the assassin, again strikinghim in the side. Blood spurted from the demon’s sneering mask.
Two small klops spedfrom behind the stairs. They leaped atop the tall monster and began to plunge poisoneddaggers between the villain’s armored plating. The nagen fell to the ground, wheezing,then moved no more.
Cyrus stared bewilderedat the two klops; then he glared at the twin-mounted cannons. One of the gunswas unmanned.
“Fools,” Cyrus shouted,“Get back to your station!”
The klops lookedat him stunned.
“Now!” Cyrusroared.
Then the two turnedand rushed back to their posts.
Chapter28
RETREAT
CYRUS CHECKED HIS CUT CHIN. How was he stillalive? He would have to figure that out later. Holding his stomach, he took a deepinhale and dashed back up the fractured stairway. He looked down the port side wall.Nagen and rock klops controlled the parapets, tramping across slain water klops.Black birds perched on the rails, pecking at the dead blodbads clutched in theirtalons. Cyrus searched the trees. The villagers were fleeing to the fallbackwall.
“Cowards!” he spat.
He peered down thestarboard battlements. There, again, the enemy stood unchallenged, slaughteringthe half-dead water klops who crawled desperately across the boards. More blackbirds feasted on the large, furry spiders. The alves were nowhere to be seen.How had he lost the wall so quickly?
“Retreat!” Cyrusshouted to anyone that
