The Shattered Path

Chapter 32 - The Stand

"Run, Aryl," Aerham cried from within the cage. "Don't die for me! I'm dead already!"

Jaegor nodded in agreement next to him, but Aryl refused to look directly at him. He kept his eyes focused on the limping giant as it closed the final few paces. He would not run. He would fight hard, and with luck, they might win. He knew he was not that lucky, however. No one was.

The wounded giant loomed before them. Its incredible weight could be felt through the ground as it leaped forward. The creature was so large and strong. It was beyond intimidating.

"Well, if we're going to die fighting, let's do it with sense!" Jaegor gave Aryl a hard shove.

Aryl fell to the hard ground as the lumbering giant reached them. It loosed a deafening bellow and thrust its spear at Jaegor. He sidestepped the deadly thrust and fell against the wall of the cliff. The spear tip struck the rocky soil with force, flinging gravel in the air.

Aryl cursed Jaegor for shoving him aside and climbed to his feet. He charged at the giant from the side. His fear still had a strong hold over him and the scene was a blur. He slashed with his sword. The steel cut deeply into the giant's right thigh. Blood spurted in the air and the creature roared. It reacted faster than he had thought it would and a large hand swatted him in his back. He was flung behind the giant and rolled, struggling to catch his breath. Sharp rocks cut his forearms and back.

Jaegor shoved himself from the wall and swung his sword at the hanaran before it had finished swatting Aryl. His blade tore deeply into the giant's hip bone with a high slash, drawing a pained howl. It tried to bring its spear around for a thrust, but Jaegor wrapped an arm around the center of the weapon's haft. The scout swiftly slashed the giant's thick arm and it released the spear, stumbling backwards.

Aryl regained his footing. His back ached as if he had been hit by a runaway wagon. Before he fully recovered his senses, he could feel the ground shudder slightly under the heavy footfalls of the second hanaran. He turned to face it, amazed that he had somehow forgotten it. He prepared to sidestep the spear thrust as Jaegor had done, but the looming hanaran swung its great spear in a sweeping arc. Aryl was smacked in the ribs by the haft of the spear and knocked away from the cliff side. He rolled across the hard ground again, clinging tightly to his precious sword, jagged rocks clawing at him as he tumbled.

"Look out!" cried Jaegor.

Lying on his back, Aryl blinked several times before he could focus his eyes. The second giant closed the distance to him in one stride. Its monstrous head was haloed by the glaring sun above as it raised its spear high for a powerful downward thrust. Aryl was out of breath and dazed. He knew he didn't have the strength to deflect such a blow and he doubted he would be able to squirm aside. He braced for the terrible wound which he knew was coming. He hoped his death would be swift, lamenting that he had failed to save Aerham and had doomed Jaegor as well. Perhaps Jaegor could still run away.

The hanaran didn't follow through with the lethal strike. Instead it cried out in pain and turned to face the cliff with an angry growl. Blood trickled to the gray stones from a wound in its back.

The next moment seemed to hang for an eternity.

The first hanaran leaned against the cliff without its spear, bleeding from terrible wounds. Its head turned upward to gaze at something. Jaegor stood next to it, still holding his sword and looked upward as well.

On the cliff wall, several feet above the head of the hanaran, was a strange woman in white clothing. Her skin appeared to be a pale blue. She crouched on the wall as if it were the ground, defying gravity. It could only be magic holding her there. Even her long, white hair hung towards the cliff, rather than the ground. She was motionless for that moment, holding a silver spike in each hand. Then she exploded into action, slim body running along the cliff and then vanishing before she reached the ground. She was gone.