The Hollow

Bombs

While most of the Shaman stayed by the wounded seer, three broke from the rest and ran between the hunters and Omega. Two of those were quickly wounded by the heavily armed men.

"Out of the way, you fools!" shouted Nom, and maneuvered to help. One was struck to the ground before Nom could even reach them. He whipped his spear tip amongst the hunters, disrupting their attack.

He was startled to see Omega pull a sword from behind her back, the blade longer and three times broader than Ahden's greatsword. It blazed light and trailed shadow when she swung it at the hunters, and they retreated back. Nom was able to wing one, and Ahden struck the head of another with his sword.

The kneeling hunters sprung up from their clarity and charged at Omega, adding their screams to the din. One ran right through her second sword swing, but the other stumbled to dodge at the last moment. Dev intercepted and defended her with his shield. By now all the Shaman were at least wounded, and only three remained standing. While all the hunters remained engaged, Omega ran to the other seer, leaving behind her sword of darklight strangely hanging in midair. His feet were torn and bloody, pierced by the caltrops laid earlier, so she tried to drag him away from the battle. Nom and Dev covered her retreat while Ahden pressed his attack harder and took down another hunter. Nom saw Ahden wince and grit his teeth, protecting places where he had been struck in the side and arm.

The wounded seer swatted at Omega. Annoyed, she yelled at him to stop, but he grabbed her goggles, ripped them off her neck, then punched her in the face. She fell back on her elbows. He grasped her leg and held his other palm out flat over her and they both froze, immobilized.

Astonished and outnumbered, Nom shouted "Retreat," then ran to the two seers. Dev and Ahden barely held back the multiple attackers, and a hunter slipped past them. Nom had to tumble forward to avoid a slash from the hunter's sword, losing his spear in the fall. The pursuer's sword blade thrust into the seer's thigh. Blood welled up from the wound and spread out over his leg, yet the seer would not move. Prone on the ground, Nom spotted more hunters charging toward them, and made a choice to save Omega over the other seer. He pulled his knife from its belt sheath and thrust it into the back of the seer's outstretched hand.

The moment the knife point hit the man's flesh, the very air crushed around Nom's body like a pile of rocks, stopping his motion and pinning him in place. He could barely breathe, could barely blink. Rolling his eyes down, he could see the hunter still standing over them, motionlessly straining his muscles in vain to pull his sword out from the seer's leg. Nom looked back at his own knife, just pricking the seer's hand. He tried to push the knife down again and could not. He concentrated, summoned every ounce of strength he had, and slowly his blade started descending. It was like moving through a thick tar pit. Blood ran out of the hand wound, but would not drip; it spread out along the seer's skin and ran down his arm. As the knife went further through, the effort and tension barely eased, until the knife started moving the hand out of place. Then the pressure burst, and both seers screamed out. Omega scrambled backward on her palms and feet as the other seer bled in pain.

The hunter, suddenly off balance, flew off to the side as Dev plowed into him with his shield and sandwiched him against a wall. The hunter sagged down unconscious, and Dev ran to pull Omega up. Nom pulled his knife from the seer's hand and took back Omega's goggles. As he rose to flee he noticed the intricate carvings on the wounded seer's goggles, similar to the ones they had found at the manor in Rollins. He had no time to ponder this; in an instant Ahden pulled on his arm and the four fled back down the street, half a dozen hunters in pursuit.

The seerhunters were encumbered by heavier armor, but the four companions carried more gear. Ahden and Omega could make a break for it, but Nom and Dev could only maintain distance. Omega said something to Ahden, then those two ran ahead and turned down a cross alley. Dev and Nom quickly followed, and he only had a moment to think before Ahden and Omega gestured them to duck into a doorway overgrown with vines. The vines closed behind them as the hunters rounded the corner. The companions held fast as the hunters ran past. Nom let out his breath and Ahden slipped out of the doorway. After a moment he beckoned them, and they went back to the main street.

"They'll be back in a moment," Ahden said. "We have to find a better place to hide."

A happy voice called out from a nearby building: "Why hide when you can leave?" Nom saw a short young man leaning against a doorframe with his arms crossed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Onu!" Nom called out, completely surprised.

Onu raised his eyebrows, "Indeed, it is I, but who are you?" He gestured away the thought. "Nevermind, no time. I may not know you, but this poor chap says he does." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

Nom saw Keenow dimly standing inside. "Keenow," they all called out.

"Hi," Keenow said flatly, and waved slightly.

Onu continued, "This guy has a loving wife, wants him back. Turns out he doesn't remember his wife, but kept talking about you four. Are you in for going out?"

They all variously and enthusiastically chimed in, "absolutely, definitely, let's get going, lead the way."

"Ok folks, follow me closely!" Onu winked and proceeded back into the building. They followed as he exited out the back, across an alley, through another door. He repeated this process, turning right and left into different buildings, such that Nom couldn't figure out any pattern. They emerged onto a large street a few dozen feet from a group of hunters, who all started yelling and charged at them.

"Whoops, keep up!" laughed Onu as he ducked into another building. The four scrambled after him, up a flight of stairs, then Onu leapt out a window overlooking the street, pulling Keenow after him. Nom hesitated but for a moment, thinking maybe Onu really was insane, then followed him through.

Abruptly the hunters' screaming stopped. Nom had expected a big fall, but instead tripped on wet cobblestones and sprawled face down onto a different street. Omega, Dev, and Ahden piled out of the doorway and fell over on top of him. Onu smiled and helped them up. As Nom calmed down, he could still hear the war cries, only softly in the distance. He looked down the street and saw a forest up ahead, with a few Shaman milling about. The sun had moved far to the west, casting long shadows and tinting everything orange.

"We're out!" Omega cheered. "Thank you Onu!"

Nom clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a genuine smile. Onu patted his hand, bowed, then said "Let's make haste. It will take the hunters a while to escape; they'll have to meditate before finding the right path, but eventually they will."

Dev quickly bound Ahden's wounds, and they all set off up the street, then into the forest. As they passed the Shaman, most sat down, smiling placidly in their worshipful pose.