Moonshadow (Book 1 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Seven: Curiosity and Revelation, Pt 2

More stones fell down the hill side, and another ogre appeared, this one tripping over its own feet as it landed, losing its club in the process. The weapon continued to roll until it stopped some distance away in the middle of the road.

It let out an angry howl and tried to push itself to its feet.

*

Katerin was on her knees now, struggling to find air, and acutely aware of the two creatures around her. Ogres wanted nothing more than food. They cared for nothing else, but they were slow and not the most intelligent beings one found roaming in the wilderness. They were easiest to fight at a very long range, but she did not have that option here. Her thoughts spun in a hectic mess as she tried to stand. Finally, she was able to grasp a quick inhale of breath, and she used it to incant a spell, which released a small feather from her fingers.

A heavy gust of wind was expelled from her hand, slamming into the ogre with all the force of a cannon blast. She made sure to wrap the magic carefully around Fykes, who stood in between the two creatures, dodging and dancing in an attempt to confuse his opponent, yelling as he dodged the clumsy attacks.

Katerin hauled herself to her feet, with her heart pounding in her head, and nearly fell right back to the ground as she tried to move her right arm. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, and created another spell as she wiped a hand across her mouth, this one of bright and flickering flames. She sent it into the howling winds and watched as the flames blistered over the first ogre as it used its fists in an attempt to grind Fykes into a suitable meal.

The ogre roared in agony and turned toward her, its disproportionately tiny gray eyes narrowed. It hefted a stone as large around as she was and tossed it almost casually, up above the effects of her spell.

She cursed internally and dove aside, hoping and praying to any god that might be listening to save her from the terrible death that flashed in her thoughts. The stone shattered as it met the ground, exactly where she had stood a second before.

She lay on the road once more, panting, and whimpering as stone shards pricked into her skin like too many splinters. The pain from her ribs blurred her thoughts once again.

*

Fykes grunted in effort, doing his best to ignore the cold chill that fear brought him every time he fought, and drove his blade through the back of the ogre's calf as it fought against the now fading wind. He watched from the corner of his eye as the other ogre finally found its feet, reaching with clumsy hands for a boulder to throw.

He redoubled his efforts and forced his muscles to stay loose. One misstep here, and he would be bludgeoned to death. His breath came in quick bursts, and his feet never stopped moving as he tried to confound the creature. He had to keep it occupied long enough for Katerin to kill it.

So he attacked every chance he got, slicing and stabbing into its legs, its hands, anywhere he could hurt it, forcing his breath to stay even and steady.

The ogre grasped a chunk of the mountainside and slammed its arms down towards him as he dodged away. The flecks of stone pattered against his armor like rain hitting a ship's deck.

Another boulder, this one much larger, shattered only a few inches from him. A chunk the size of Fykes' skull slammed into his leg, toppling him, and as he fell, that pain was accompanied by a dozen burning, agonizing slices on his skin. The ogre brought its foot up, and the gray, bulbous appendage blacked out the sky above him.

Fear closed his throat as he rolled to avoid the stomp, reaching for his lost sword as he did so.

He pushed himself to his feet and drew the blade of his sword across his hand. The wound seared like fire in his blood and glowed with radiance for a moment, before the glow faded from his palm and transferred to his blade, instead.