Reapers -- The First Familiar (Reapers Chronicles Book II)

33 - Better than Never (1 of 2)

Vladimir blew on his whistle for the second time.

Amyr’s group charged, using the weather disturbance to their advantage. Cataclysts were summoned as everybody expected the battle to last long.

Five enemies teamed up and tried to tackle Levi to the ground. Their stomachs were ripped to shreds before they could even touch him. Amyr was back-to-back with Belial, clobbering and smashing people’s heads mechanically as if his mind was somewhere else. He used to enjoy battle. But now, that wild exhilarated grin was but a memory.

The sound of skirmish filled my head. Every which way, I would hear a muddle of screams, of snapping bones, of flesh being torn, of sparks as dead bodies burst on fire.

The sentries were the pawns—expendable pieces in this chess game.

I watched the frontrunners defeat them one after the other. They were many, yes. But weak.

“All this…” My hand moved to my chest as it welled with guilt. “Because of this stupid soul.”

“Yes,” Vladimir answered bluntly as he adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, watching the battle unfold before him. “But an extremely important soul at that. To all realms, and most importantly, to my brother.”

Before he could whistle again, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “And what’s my role in this game exactly?”

In a matter of minutes, the sentries were all but ashes on the pavement.

I shook my head. That looked way too easy. It could be a trap. Still, sixty against thousands seemed overkill.

He grinned and replied “You are our queen,” before giving the signal.

What came next happened so fast.

Amyr’s team led the way to the golden bridge. With Manu’s troops, they overwhelmed the sentries within minutes. Again.

Once cleared, Amyr motioned for us to follow. Kyoshiro’s group flanked us, keeping a hundred-yard distance.

The foot of the bridge had been blasted off. Here and there were craters; remnant of explosions. The thick heavy railings were either missing or dangling in a crooked disarray over the black crystalline lake.

As we reached the fortifications, we stumbled upon a multitude of sentries. The vast courtyard was jam-packed with enemies that if you hovered over, it would be nearly impossible to drop a pin between them.

What used to be the most magnificent flower garden I had seen in my entire life was now an inhospitable battleground. Only Roselle’s statue remained untouched by violence. With her hands clasped together on her chest, it was as if she was praying to the heavens for all this madness to finally come to an end.

With Vladimir’s signal, we charged.

Belial dropped on her knee and slammed her hands on the ground. A malignant rumble shook the earth.

Before the sentries could advance towards us, crystalline rocks plunged out of the earth and took out the enemy’s front lines. A few had been caught in between the grinding rocks. Most lost their footing.

With a hoarse battle cry, Manu led his troop into the courtyard, brandishing his katars over his head. For an old man, he was pretty agile.

Vladimir held a hand up and pointed forward. “Now!”

In a heartbeat, I was caught inside a whirlwind of limbs and blades.

Everyone fought with their scythes, slashing and stabbing as enemies came at them in swarms. It was a whole battalion of white robes against our group of black coats.