Seeker of Legends (Fate of Legends Book 2), page 42
“Yeah, I changed my mind,” Hunter quipped. “You guys go ahead, I don’t need revenge that badly.”
“Getting cold feet?” Vi asked with a grin.
“Maybe I’ll let Zaggie handle this one,” Hunter muttered. Vi arched an eyebrow.
“Zaggie?”
“Doesn’t trigger the bastard when I say it,” he explained. Vi shrugged.
“Zaggie it is,” she replied. “Alright, enough bullshitting. Blue, can you swim across that moat?”
“SINK.”
“Got it,” Vi replied. “So we’ll need to lower the drawbridge for him. Hunter, you suck at life, so I’ll have to swim across and scale the wall. Then I’ll drop down, kill the guards inside, and lower the drawbridge for you.”
“Kinda hoping you die,” Hunter grumbled.
“Once the drawbridge is down, you and Blue run across. Blue, I’ll need you to execute some very specific instructions then.”
Xerxes frowned.
“Kill everything but us,” she ordered.
He grunted, giving her a horrid smile.
“Hunter, the minute you cross the drawbridge, I’m gonna need you to summon Zaggie if I ask,” she continued. “Keep the bastard on task though. I don’t wanna have to knock you out while a couple hundred guys are trying to kill us.”
“I’ll do my best,” Hunter promised.
“In that case,” she replied, “…you wanna be buried or cremated?”
“Ass.”
“The hardest part,” Vi explained, “…other than being outnumbered hundreds to one, is going to be finding the damn vault. It’ll be underground, to prevent surface contamination and to hide it from aerial surveillance. It should be accessible from the castle itself, probably the basement levels.”
“Not a problem,” Hunter replied. “Just bring me some of Dominus’s stuff and I’ll swipe his memories.”
“His bedroom’ll be the best bet,” Vi guessed. “Considering he spends a third of his life there. I’ll help you get there, and Blue, you just make sure anyone who tries to get to us dies.”
Xerxes nodded agreeably.
“Any questions?” Vi asked.
“I got one,” Hunter replied, raising his hand. “How exactly are you planning on killing hundreds of soldiers?”
“Easy,” Vi answered. “Xerxes will kill a few dozen, you’ll kill one or two, and I’ll kill the rest.” She smiled. “Ready?”
Xerxes grunted, and Hunter nodded reluctantly.
Vi got to her feet, sprinting through the forest, closing the distance to the tree line with remarkable speed. Hunter watched her as she ran across the clearing beyond, toward the leftmost corner of the castle wall. He supposed it made sense; guards were more likely to see her if she went right for the gate. With her dark uniform, she blended into the night fairly well; hopefully they wouldn’t spot her.
And if they did, well, he was pretty sure she’d figure something out.
Vi kept running, until eventually Hunter lost track of her in the darkness. He glanced at Xerxes, who was peering into the darkness as well, his mane and tail glowing brightly.
“Do you see her?” he asked.
“YES.”
“You see better than I do,” Hunter grumbled.
“SEE GOOD…IN DARK,” Xerxes explained.
Hunter stared at his brother, realizing that – with his glowing mane – the guards weren’t going to have a particularly hard time seeing him.
“You’re going to stick out like a sore thumb,” he warned. Xerxes smirked.
“GOOD.”
Hunter shook his head, smiling despite himself. He had to give it to Vi and Xerxes…they had no shortage of confidence. He supposed being able to have your head cut off and still live to tell the tale made one less concerned about being hurt.
“Hey,” he asked. “When I uh, shot you in the face…sorry about that, by the way. But when I did, why didn’t you just heal immediately and get up and pound those soldiers?”
“LOST…FLESH,” Xerxes explained. “HEAL SLOWER. NO LOSE…FLESH, HEAL…FAST.”
“Makes sense.”
He stared off into the distance, wondering if he spotted a shadow climbing the far-left side of the wall. He squinted, but couldn’t see anything.
“What’s she doing?” he asked. But Xerxes ignored the question. Minutes passed, and Hunter shifted his weight. His legs were starting to go numb from crouching too long. He stood up; Xerxes was a nine-foot-tall night-light. If anyone was going to see them, it’d be because of him.
Hunter spotted movement in his peripheral vision, and realized the drawbridge had started lowering itself slowly to the ground.
“Yes!” he exclaimed.
And then Xerxes burst forward, sprinting across the clearing.
Hunter cursed, running after the big lug. It was no use trying to keep up, however; Xerxes ran just as fast as Vi – maybe even faster – barreling across the clearing. The drawbridge continued to descend until it lowered itself completely, spanning the wide moat…and providing entry through the wall into the outer courtyard of the castle beyond. Xerxes reached the drawbridge far before Hunter, stomping across it. From this distance, he was a bright blue light shining in the darkness, streaking toward the entrance.
Hunter pushed himself, running as fast as he could. He reached the drawbridge, his boots clunking on the thick wood as he sprinted across. He spotted Vi ahead, standing just inside the entrance; Xerxes ran right past her, charging into the courtyard beyond. Hunter saw shadows spilling out of the castle toward Xerxes, and heard shouting ahead.
“Stay back,” Vi ordered as he reached her. He slid to a stop, leaning over to catch his breath…and watching as the first of the soldiers ran up to Xerxes.
“Ironclad!” one of them cried out. “Get your hammers!”
The soldiers scattered before Xerxes, giving him wide berth – and switching to the warhammers strapped to their backs. They surrounded Xerxes, who continued running, slamming into one of the guards and throwing him a good twenty feet backward. Xerxes continued forward, leaping on the fallen soldier and slamming his four fists into the man, one after the other. Over and over again.
The other soldiers ran after Xerxes, the nearest one swinging his warhammer over his head and smashing it down on Xerxes’ back. Xerxes took the blow, then turned and swung one huge fist, backfisting the soldier across the temple. The guy flew to the side, landing on the ground in a heap.
Two more soldiers ran up to Xerxes, swinging their hammers wildly. He took both blows, stumbling backward, then rushing forward and grabbing one of them by both arms and lifting them off the ground.
He pulled.
The soldier screamed as his shoulders popped out of their sockets, and Xerxes slammed his forehead into the soldier’s face, then tossed him right at the second soldier. They collided, tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Xerxes leapt on top of them, tenderizing both of them with his huge fists until they stopped screaming.
“Archer above!” Vi warned.
Hunter ducked reflexively, hearing a thunk as an arrow embedded itself in the ground a few feet away. He grabbed his bow, nocking an arrow and looking up. He saw an archer standing in the guard tower, aiming right at him. Hunter held his breath, then let the arrow fly, watching as it sailed upward, slamming right into the guy’s forehead.
“Whoa,” Vi exclaimed. “Nice shot kiddo.”
“Told you I’ve been practicing,” he quipped. “We need to get in the castle,” he added, looking past Xerxes – who was busy ripping various limbs off the remaining soldiers around him – to the front double doors. “I’m gonna guess those doors are locked.”
“And well-reinforced,” Vi agreed. Hunter nodded, spotting another archer aiming at them through one of the third-story windows of the castle. He shoved Vi to the side, then dodged away himself…just as an arrow passed right between them. He nocked an arrow, aiming and letting it fly. It flew right through the window, slamming into the archer, who vanished from sight.
“You didn’t have to push me,” Vi grumbled. “I would’ve dodged it you know.”
“You’re welcome,” he shot back. “Don’t see you doing anything.”
“My job’s to keep you alive, remember?”
“Uh huh.”
“And believe me,” she added, patting him on the back. “That’s gonna be a full-time job.”
“Can you get up there?” he asked, pointing at the open window he’d shot the archer through. Vi looked up at it, then nodded.
“I’ll run through and open the doors,” she stated. “You stay here and help your brother. And Hunter,” she added, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t die.”
“Right,” he grumbled. She ran off, ignoring the guards fighting Xerxes, reaching the wall of the castle. She began scaling it, doing so with surprising ease. Hunter shook his head.
One day, he thought, I’m gonna be just like you.
Vi had reached the second story when she let go of the wall with one hand, lurching to the left. An arrow slammed into the wall inches from where she’d been, ricocheting off and falling to the ground.
“Little help here!” she yelled.
Hunter cursed, turning around and looking up at the guard tower. No one was there; he scanned the top of the wall, spotting an archer perched atop it. From this close to the wall, Hunter didn’t have a clear shot; he ran toward the castle, taking cover behind a statue, then nocking an arrow. He looked up, spotting the archer aiming right at him, arrow drawn back. But the guy didn’t fire.
Damn, he thought. He’s pinning me. Which meant that there was probably another archer.
Vi scrambled upward, lurching to the side again to narrowly dodge another arrow…then lobbed some colorful language Hunter’s way.
Yup.
He nocked an arrow, then emerged from cover…and went right back behind the statue. An arrow whizzed by, and he emerged again, aiming, then firing. His arrow flew wide of the target, and he cursed, nocking another arrow and letting it fly, then immediately ducking behind cover again. Another arrow slammed into the ground a few yards away.
He heard a scream, followed moments later by a thud. He smiled, then felt a sudden terror grip him. He looked back, spotting Vi still climbing the wall, and breathed a sigh of relief.
One more to go.
Hunter nocked another arrow, peering from behind the statue, studying the wall. There was another archer there, but they were crouched down, only their head visible. Hunter waited; if he could pin the guy down long enough for Vi to reach the window…
“I’m in,” he heard her shout from above. He glanced back, seeing her vanish through the window. Which was great for her…but the archer was still up there. He couldn’t exactly stay behind this statue forever.
He glanced at Xerxes, who was busy finishing off the one remaining soldier that had attacked him. The big guy swung a warhammer at the soldier, clipping him in the jaw. The soldier spun about, landing on the ground, out cold. Xerxes stomped up to him, swinging the hammer above his head, then chopping downward in a vicious arc, flattening the guy’s skull with a sickening crunch. Then he tossed the hammer aside, gazing at the carnage around him.
A dozen or so soldiers were lying in various stages of dismemberment around him, their blood soaking the ground. Xerxes stood in the middle of them, his shoulders heaving with each breath, his huge body spattered with blood. He was smiling like a kid on Christmas.
Then an arrow bounced off Xerxes’ armored chest, and his smile vanished. He glared up at the archer atop the wall.
Oops.
Hunter followed his brother’s gaze, the archer already having ducked out of view again. He heard Xerxes’ heavy foot stomps to his right, and glanced at his brother, who stopped at his side.
“COME,” Xerxes urged. “I…SHIELD.”
“Gotcha,” Hunter replied. He got behind Xerxes – just as another arrow ricocheted off the guy’s armor. Xerxes ignored the attack, striding toward the double-doors of the castle ahead. Hunter followed alongside him, spotting more guards rushing toward them to the left, and swore. There were at least twenty of them, if not more.
“Incoming!” he warned.
Xerxes grunted, facing the soldiers, his four hands clenched into fists. Hunter nocked an arrow, aiming it at the incoming soldiers and letting it fly. One of them fell, an arrow protruding from his face. Hunter glanced at the double-doors of the castle, which were still closed.
Come on, Vi!
“STAY…CLOSE,” Xerxes urged. As if on cue, another arrow slammed into Xerxes, less than a foot from Hunter’s head. Hunter ducked down low, making sure his brother was between him and the archer. He heard shouting, and then the guards were upon them!
They surrounded Hunter and Xerxes, keeping their distance, their eyes going to Xerxes, then the shattered bodies of their comrades strewn around him. Some wielded longswords, others warhammers. Hunter put his bow away, drawing his longsword and pressing his back against Xerxes’, his eyes flitting from soldier to soldier. One of the soldiers stared at something to Hunter’s left, then nodded. Then Hunter heard a shout from behind him, and glanced back, seeing two soldiers rush in at Xerxes, swinging their warhammers wildly!
Xerxes grabbed one of the hammers in mid-swing, tearing it out of the soldier’s hands even as the other soldier’s hammer struck him in the shoulder. The first soldier stumbled past Xerxes, falling onto the ground to Hunter’s right…just as one of the soldiers facing Hunter lunged forward, thrusting their sword at him!
Hunter blocked, then slashed at the soldier’s face. But the soldier was quick on his feet, dodging back just out of reach. Another soldier chucked a rock at Hunter’s head; Hunter dodged out of the way…and right into the path of the first soldier’s sword thrust.
He parried frantically, barely deflecting the blade in time, and felt a sharp stinging sensation in his left flank. He ignored it, lunging at the soldier and stabbing the man right through the heart. Or rather, he would have, if it hadn’t been for the guy’s metal breastplate. The tip of his sword bounced off harmlessly, and Hunter stumbled backward, nearly losing his grip on his weapon. The soldier who’d thrown the rock charged at him, raising his sword high, then chopping downward at Hunter’s left shoulder. Hunter tried to get his sword up to intercept the blow, but he was too slow.
He didn’t even have time to scream.
A huge black arm came between his shoulder and the blade, the soldier’s sword ricocheting off harmlessly. Hunter blinked, taking a moment to realize that Xerxes had saved him. Then he ducked under his brother’s arm, slashing at the soldier’s throat as the man stumbled backward. The soldier’s neck gaped open in a spray of blood, a gurgling sound coming from his severed windpipe.
More soldiers replaced him, squaring off against Hunter, who backpedaled, going back-to-back with Xerxes once again.
“Thanks bro,” he offered, and heard Xerxes grunt. And then heard a loud crack. Hunter glanced back, realizing Xerxes had been struck in the chest with a warhammer. Xerxes stumbled backward, shoving Hunter forward and to the side. He felt something whiz by his right ear, and saw an arrow bury itself into the ground a few feet away.
That damn archer!
Hunter backed up into Xerxes again, glancing up at the wall. The archer was still there, no longer crouching low, busy nocking another arrow. Hunter cursed, positioning himself so his brother was shielding him…and turned forward to see one of the soldiers lunge forward, swinging their huge warhammer down at his skull!
Hunter dodged to the side, the hammer striking Xerxes in the lower back. Xerxes spun around, glaring down at the soldier, then boxed the man’s ears. Or at least, that’s what would’ve happened if a human had struck the guy; with Xerxes’ incredible strength, the guy’s head practically exploded.
The remaining soldiers backed away from Xerxes, eyeing the huge Ironclad with newfound respect.
“Don’t let them pick you off one-by-one,” one of the soldiers shouted. “All at once now,” he ordered. “Charge!”
The soldiers cried out in unison, charging at Hunter and Xerxes from all sides. Hunter stumbled backward as swords came at him, swinging his longsword to bat them away. He felt a sudden pain in his shoulder as a blade got through, and cried out, feeling his back strike Xerxes. Still the soldiers ran in, crushing against him, pinning his sword against him. He felt a sharp pain in his thigh, and pulled his leg back, then twisted to the side just as one soldier tried stabbing him in the gut with a dagger. The blade sliced his lower back.
“Xerxes!” he screamed.
Hunter saw huge arms wrap around him then, felt a tremendous weight shoving him belly-first onto the ground. Within seconds, he was covered in a cocoon of black armor, Xerxes having laid on top of him, shielding Hunter with his massive body. Hunter saw the soldiers swarming all around his brother through the small gaps between Xerxes’ arms, felt his brother’s body jerk with each thump of the soldiers’ warhammers on the big guy’s armored back.
He heard a loud crack, heard Xerxes grunt as the hammers broke through his armor, pulverizing his flesh.
“Xerxes,” he gasped, hearing another crack, then another. Blood poured down Xerxes’ flanks, dripping onto the ground...and mingling with bright blue fluid that came in a sudden gush. “No!”
A warhammer struck Xerxes’ head with a terrible crack, leaving a dent in his temple. Hunter saw his brother’s eyes glaze over, felt Xerxes’ tremendous weight press harder on his back.
Still the blows came, pulverizing Xerxes’ back, a rapidly growing pool of blood soaking through Hunter’s clothes. Hunter gasped as Xerxes went limp, his enormous weight shoving Hunter’s chest into the dirt and forcing the air out of his lungs. Hunter struggled to push himself off the ground, but it was no use. Xerxes was too heavy.
Hunter gasped for air, but no air came. He lay there, feeling blow after blow raining down on Xerxes, his lungs on fire. Then he heard soldiers shouting, felt the weight on him subside. The soldiers were rolling Xerxes off of him!
He sucked air into his lungs, pulling his arms and legs beneath him to get up, then felt someone kick him in the flank…hard. He grunted, rolling onto his back – and saw a dozen men standing over him, blood-soaked weapons in their hands.
