Cyrus peered about thewall’s interior. The port side defenses stood unguarded. It seemed that the soldiers had all takenthe bait.
Run, the deep voice in his mind repeated.Gabriel’s reach was growing stronger. Ican’t, Cyrus said. Again, he cleared his thoughts.
Sarah and Fibian shook off their loose-fitting bindings. They began tofashion their hand ties into slow burning fuses, rubbing fire powder into the fibers.
Cyrus bounded up a woodenstairway. He peered down both ramparts. All was clear. So far fortune was on theirside. He looked out to sea. The rock klops were clambering aboard their burning ship, attemptingin vain to battle the blaze. The flames had devoured the vessel’s mooring line.Now two fiery craft were adrift amongst the vulnerable fleet.
Cyrus retrieved a communication torchfrom its wall bracket. He hurried back down the stairs. Sarah had fixed her fuseto the breech of the nearest wall cannon.He lit the long wick. It slowly began to fizzle and smoke. They dashed along thedefenses to where Fibian had readied a second cannon.Again, Cyrus ignited the fuse.
“We’ll need at leastten minutes,” Edward said, from Cyrus’ shoulder.
“Then we better hurry,”Sarah replied.
They found a mound of waterklops near the edge of the woods and began to arm themselveswith the dead soldiers’ guns. Cyrus took for himself two pistols and a rifle. Thenthey set off down a darkened pathway towards the center of the island.
The forest was murky andfrigid. Rats and other vermin chittered and scampered amongst the shadowy undergrowth.Fibian lit their trail with his large blue eyes. Sarahfollowed the froskman. Cyrus brought up the rear.
They came to the dimly litwould-be town center. Near the far edge of the clearingthey saw the villagers caged within theirincomplete fallback wall. The rescuers took cover behind thick bushes at the mouth of the trailhead. They spied a troop of nagenstanding guard around the caged prisoners. At the gate Cyrus spotted the large,pale rock klops he had seen fleeing the port side battlements.
“The Captain should havebeen here by now,” the klops said.
“Who were those two prisonersyou saw?” a nagen in a steel wolf’s mask asked.
“How should I know?” thebrute replied.
“Why did you not escortthem here?” the second nagen demanded.
The creature’s black andwhite mask depicted a fierce skull.
“There was no time” theklops cried, “the fleet is on fire!”
Cyrus searched the wall’sperimeter. He counted at least eight nagen in total. Where was their distraction?Had the fuses burnt out? Had klops happened upon thetwo cannons?
“Your kind can take careof the fleet,” the wolf-masked nagen said.“Go see what’s happened to the Captain.”
“I don’t take orders fromred eyes,” the rock klops growled.
“We have orders to hold this position,” the skull masksaid. “You do not.”
“My orders were to reportthe fires, not run your errands.”
Comeon! Cyrus thought. Thiswas taking too long. Then -
Boom!
Chapter34
A CONTEST OF SOULS
THE FIRST CANNON discharged its munitions.
“What was that?” the rockklops roared.
“The wall cannons,” thewolf mask shouted.
“What trick is this?” theskull mask seethed.
Boom!
The second cannon fired.
“What mess have you foolsgotten us into?” the wolf mask demanded.
“If you had come when Ihad told you -” the rock klops argued.
“You four stay here,”the skull mask ordered, “the rest with us.”
The rock klops and several nagenfled towards the port side defenses. Four tall armored demons remained to guardthe frightened prisoners.
Cyrus, Fibian, and Sarah duckedback within the cover of the shadowy woods. The soldiers sped past. Once the rushing footsteps could no longerbe heard, the rescuers began their escapeplan. They started to creep around the edge of the clearing. Cyrus stepped slowlyand carefully, watching for any reaction from the guards. They made their way undetectedto the rear of the fallback wall. The four villainsstood watch at the bow, stern, starboard and port side positions alongthe enclosure. The stern guard was the closestand the first that would have to go. Cyrus took Edward from his shoulder and placedhim on the ground.
“You know what to do,”he whispered to the small white spider.
Edward nodded, then scurriedinto the underbrush. Cyrus then crept to Sarah and Fibian.
“You take the port sideguard,” he said to the froskman, “you take the starboard,”he said to Sarah, “I’ll take the bow guard. Edward’s our signal. Aim for theirbacks, just below the armpit, where they are unarmored.”
“But Cyrus,” Sarah whispered,“I’ve never…”
Cyrus recalled hisfirst kill. The klappen in the forest. It had been a violent,bloody affair.
“I’m sorry,” he said,his voice heavy with regret, “but it’s the only way.”
Sarah swallowed deeply,then nodded, steeling her resolve. She and Cyrus began to slowly circle toward the starboard wall. Fibiancrept towards the port side.
Sarah took up her positionalongside a fallen log. Cyrus continued past. He found his spot beside a mossy treetrunk. Gently, he rested his rifle barrel on a thin tree limb. Then he easedback his weapon’s hammer. He sighted his target and watched for Edward’s signal.
NO, Gabriel begged. Cyrus squeezed hiseyes shut, shaking the voice from his mind. Notnow!
Bang! Bang!
Two rifles rang out. Instinctively, Cyrus opened his eyes. He squeezed the trigger.His gun leaped and his target dropped. He turned towards Sarah. She was rushingout of the woods, making her way towards the wall. Her target was wounded, butstruggling to stand. Cyrus looked towards Edward’s guard. He saw nothing. Cyrusprayed the nagen was a mound of sand. He rushedtowards Sarah and her struggling adversary.Sarah charged the creature, wielding her rifle like a bat. The nagen drew his sword.
“Stop!” Cyrus shouted.
He desperately tried tocover ground. Sarah chopped at the creature’s armored head. The nagen was slow. He took the blow clean acrossthe helmet but did not fall. Instead, he lashedout with a backhanded counter strike that cut Sarah’s rifle in two. She leapedback. The nagen followed. Cyrus could not lose Sarah. He bounded through the bushes and tackled the demon to the ground. The two rolled and twisted on the muddyearth. Somehow the nagen ended up on top, straddling Cyrus’ chest. Warm, dark bloodcovered Cyrus’ armored body. The creature grasped for his sword. Cyrus clung tohis wrist. The villain punched him in theface. The blows held little spirit. The nagen was bleeding
