The warriors recognized that sound. They stopped again and could not believe their eyes as the Berserker raced towards them. The battle had turned.
“Calm down!” Sinto cried out, standing amidst his warriors. “Use Protection Spells!” he said, knowing that the people known as the Berserkers were nearly invincible in their rage mode. Even if they expended all their magic, there was no guarantee that the Berserker would die.
But the seven warriors stumbled back, looking at Sinto, angry and horrified.
“It’s all your fault, Sinto, how could you let us walk into a trap like this?” shouted Tabeli.
“Blaming doesn’t help now. Concentrate, Tabeli!” Sinto replied.
“Don’t you tell me what to do. One of us will die and it’s your fault. Your love for her makes you blind!” Tabeli looked angry.
Eldana overheard the conversation. Sinto glared at her, Tabeli followed his gaze and met Eldana’s. He spat on the ground.
Hermon was close to the fight now. His body kept growing, in a single leap, he had crossed over to the clearing.
Siem readied her bow and spoke the words of her tribes, words from long ago when life was still full of magical creatures. The arrow glowed, and the runes appeared on the wood. As she let go, the arrow burned through the air, leaving a trail of fire behind it.
The warriors braced themselves. Sinto’s eyes widened as Siem chanted with a smile.
“I call upon the power beneath. Come to me, souls of the night, insatiable in the dark, bind your magic to my demon arrows. Come to me, visit the living one last time…bring harm to whom you touch. Let my foes taste my power. I am Siem, Daughter of the first hour!”
Sinto saw the arrows racing through the forest air and called out. “Demon arrows! Protect yourself!”
But the arrows flew faster and faster. Before hitting the first warrior, the runes on the arrow illuminated strongly. The warrior managed to block the blow with his sword at the last second, but the impact was violent. With a gasp, Sinto cast a protective spell to support his warrior, but the effect was still intense as everyone was thrown backwards through the mud. The warrior laid on the ground, shaken, but still alive.
“Through the runes, the souls of the ancient spirits come into the arrows,” Tabeli said slowly. He was talking to himself as if he were both in awe and shock, while helping the fallen warrior to his feet.
“A wizard usually says that a field of war like this one is a jackpot for demon arrows. The soil contains the souls of thousands of people; it helps to awaken the power of the arrow. We’ve fallen into a trap!” Tabeli shook his head furiously, glaring at Sinto. Two others fought doggedly against Hermon; only their speed allowed them to avoid the deadly attacks of the Berserker. In his magical state, one could not easily kill a Berserker; their injuries healed too quickly. Every blow just bounced off his powerful body. The only thing they could do was avoid his attacks. While everyone was still distracted by Hermon, Eldana took her chance and ran towards the forest. She tried to get away, but she was weakened from the fight. Suddenly, three of the warriors jumped to block her way to the woods and quickly launched their attack on her.
Siem turned to see Eldana stumbling under the furious attacks of the warriors. She readied two more arrows and fired them at the warriors around Eldana. The attacks were still fierce but expected. Eldana parried the sword thrusts as much as she could while she casted another spell. The mark on her coat and her eyes glowed with an eldritch light, as a wave of fire welled from the earth and raced towards the warriors from behind. It was sudden, but the warriors were skilled and cautious. All of them jumped aside, but one. The warrior burned and scream in horror. His comrades rushed to help him but had to fight off the arrows at the same time. Eldana took the opportunity and fled towards the forest. Before she reached the edge, Sinto suddenly appeared before her. His strikes were harder than the others, much harder, but she parried them with her own blade, feeling each blow she blocked make her weaker.
“Enough! It does not have to end like this. Stop this, Eldana!” said Sinto as he pulled back. Eldana stood in front of him in a fighting stance, breathing heavy as she watched him.
“Let me find another way. I’ve already found it; you just have to give me time, that’s all,” she panted.
Sinto was annoyed by her try to change his mind. “Silence! We have laws, and we have kept them for a thousand years. You won’t change anything,” he growled, enraged.
Sinto swung his sword at Eldana, but she dodged it, bending low. At that moment, Hermon leapt to her side, grabbed her and jumped over Sinto only to run towards the edge of the forest.
“I could have done this alone!” Eldana struggled against her captor. She had hoped that there was a hint of understanding in Sinto. After all, he was a father figure to her. Hermon should not have interrupted that moment she thought could have been a turning point.
“That’s not the gratitude I expected. You have been surrounded by enemies and weakened, my magical state is only staying for so long and Siem’s demon arrows losing the element of surprise and Sinto just swung his sword at you,” Hermon tried explaining her what seemed to him as pure logic, but he could see the anger in her eyes. He kept quiet and just jumped further.
He arrived at the edge of the forest and grabbed Siem, who shot off another arrow. Quickly and with
