A few vertaga escaped the inferno, darting inside the keep. Khollo did not see how many. The sortie from the kitchens launched themselves at the remaining monsters, ganging up on the brutes as Wilkes’ cadets had done. Tarrik brought his hammer down on a vertag’s forehead. The monster stumbled, dazed, and he hit it again, right on one of the curling black horns. The horn shattered into pieces and the vertag bellowed in rage and pain.
“What the blazes is happening down there?” Janis demanded, blinking furiously. “I can’t see!”
“The smiths are leading a sortie,” Khollo explained. “They killed most of the vertaga before they got into the keep, but I think a few are on their way up!”
Janis’ eyes gleamed briefly. “Right,” he announced, tossing the crossbow aside and drawing his sword. “Time for some strategy. Khollo, take a position here, opposite the trapdoor. Have an arrow ready and aimed. I’ll stand behind the door, ready to surprise them. They’ll see you as the obvious target and ignore me until it’s too late.”
“What about us?” Sermas asked.
Janis thought about this. “Protect Clemon. He will be the next most obvious target. Khollo at least can defend himself.”
Sermas nodded, then glanced at Khollo quietly. “Good luck.”
Khollo merely nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
The defenders took their positions. Sermas, Hern, and Genal took up positions around Clemon. Khollo readied his bow, watching the trapdoor nervously. Harsh grunting noises and heavy breathing reached his ears. Then, the sound of boots on the metal rungs of the ladder. The door shuddered under a heavy impact. Then a second. Khollo drew back on his bowstring, waiting with bated breath.
The trapdoor suddenly exploded upwards in a shower of broken timber and splinters. The largest piece flew towards Janis, caught him on the hip, and sent him stumbling to regain his balance. A massive head emerged from the hole where the trapdoor had been, and the first vertag levered itself onto the roof.
Khollo remembered what Janis had told him years before, about unforeseen circumstances laying waste to even the very best plans. He had always thought that Janis had been trying to save his feelings, but now he saw what his uncle had meant.
The vertag had come up the ladder facing sideways, so that it saw not Khollo or Janis, but the three cadets and Clemon. The monster leered unpleasantly and advanced, raising its sword. Without thinking, Khollo let his arrow fly, burying it up to the fletching in the creature’s shoulder.
The vertag howled, clutching at its wounded shoulder and whirled around, searching for its attacker. Hern seized the opening and launched himself at the monster’s back, burying his sword in its flesh. The vertag shook itself, flinging Hern away. The cadet skidded across the roof and came up hard against the battlements. He lay still.
Khollo reloaded and released his second arrow at another vertag climbing onto the roof. The first had collapsed, apparently mortally wounded. The second vertag deflected Khollo’s arrow with his shield and started towards the young archer.
Janis intervened, attacking the beast from behind, sword flashing in the light of the braziers. While he was fighting, a third, then a fourth, then a fifth vertag clambered onto the roof. They joined the fight against Janis, driving him back. The older warrior fought valiantly, striking one foe down with a gaping wound in its chest. But he was tiring.
Khollo drew back, sighted, and released, taking one of the monsters in the neck. One vertag turned towards him, its eyes gleaming madly. Khollo reached for another arrow, only to find that his quiver was empty. He tossed his bow aside and reached for the two halves of his Sen-teel.
The vertag advanced faster than Khollo would have thought possible. He heard Sermas’ shout of warning, heard Janis swearing and shouting for him to run. Run where? Khollo wondered. We’re on a roof.
Khollo ducked the first sweeping blow of the vertag’s blade. But the monster followed up by shoving his small shield into Khollo’s chest, hurling him back. Khollo slid on the stone floor, rolled, and stood. He clipped the two halves of the Sen-teel together, twirling the weapon experimentally. The vertag advanced again, but this time so did Khollo.
Just as the vertag raised its arm for a terrible blow, another blade appeared from Khollo’s right, striking at the beast. The vertag caught it on his slanted shield, surprising Sermas. The young cadet stumbled back, fear in his eyes. Khollo struck at the vertag, lunging forward with the Sen-teel. The vertag caught the blow on his shield, letting Khollo’s blade bite deep into the tough wood beneath the thin layer of metal. With a snarl, Khollo tried to rip his weapon free. All he succeeded in doing was wrenching the vertag’s shield from its arm, the leather straps bursting under the strain. The vertag struck at Khollo with its sword, and the young warrior only barely dodged.
Then Sermas was there again, trying to take advantage of the momentary opening. But the vertag was faster. Its left hand flashed out, swatting Sermas aside.
Khollo shook his own weapon violently, trying to rid himself of the shield stuck to the end. It wouldn’t budge though, and Khollo was forced to duck as the vertag attacked again. He swore, twisted the unburdened half of the Sen-teel free and danced out of reach.
The vertag moved forward slowly, sword in one hand, its free hand flexed, ready to grab and crush. Khollo backed up to the wall, feeling the solid stone against his legs and back. Across the roof, Janis was still fighting the other vertag, trying to get to Khollo and help.
The vertag loped forward, slashing at Khollo. The young warrior ducked, rolled between its legs, and slashed at its sword hand. Black blood spurted along
