TWANG! Kareen's bow shot a goblin right out of the sky...or roof as the case was. More twangs and more goblins fell. The eagle women in the hall had true aim. They were holding the goblins back as the elderly and the children escaped out of the bottom.
"Look out below!" shouted Kareen. Several eagle people dodged falling goblins. The women were doing well, keeping the goblins at bay. Jendra, the baker's wife, had her husband's furnace with her. Her husband was no doubt in the actual battle, so she wasn't going to let him down. Her flaming arrows were easier to see, but the goblins kept dodging them only to get hit with other arrows, and when a goblin did get hit with flame he panicked, causing trouble for other goblins.
Hawla, the old widow, never missed. Between her and Kareen dozens of goblins fell, but now the rest of the elderly and the children were out, and the goblins kept coming.
Through it all, Kareen kept thinking, where is Lailen? But she couldn't think about it now. With her children safely out of the hall it was time to go.
"Flee!" cried Kareen. "Flee!"
Kareen dived bombed with the others on the highest perches. The ones on the lower perches kept firing until those above were gone, then they dived with the others. As Kareen tucked in her wings to soar through the hole at the bottom, she thought again, where is Lailen?!
...
Lailen found the armor heavy. It wasn't meant for her, but it was the best she could find. She stood at a narrow window, overlooking the aerial battle. There were no goblins here, so she could open the window from the inside. Just a catch inside the wicker that allowed her to separate the sticks. She opened it and got ready to fly. Kareen meant well with her bows and arrows, but Lailen couldn't use them. Kareen's purpose of keeping the goblins away from the elderly and children was best served with bows. A single sword in that wouldn't be useful, so Lailen decided to go where it would be. She would just have to fight and avoid being killed by goblins.
Or caught by her own people.
She climbed out, pulled the wicker closed behind her as best she could, seeing as how the catch was on the inside, and took flight. She drew and raised her sword, joining the fight.
YOU ARE READING
Wings in the Darkness
FantasyKareen is worried, and why shouldn't she be? The Eagle Men have never had to defend their home before. Their palace flies out of the reach of all other nations. Even the fearsome goblins that have wings of their own cannot leave their caves for f...
