Alone in the Dark

Volleys

"Again!" Nerini yelled at the archers, watching a volley of the thick arrows thrum into their well picked targets. The creature holding Kannein was rocked backwards by the force of several arrows and she watched her brother tumble to the ground fighting the monster. Around them, another of the shadowy monsters fell, and the others scrambled in disarray.

"NOW!" Nerini yelled as she jumped off the low wall of the castle where they had managed to climb up and take positions on as the creatures had been going through some form of frenzy around her brother.

They had almost begun their attack when they had found an unprotected castle. They had almost moved in moments before five of the creatures had strode through the gaping hole in that had once been some form of grand entrance. They had been moving around randomly, roaring and yelling out in a language Nerini did not recognize. Then all movements had stopped and another one, the biggest one of them, strode out into the courtyard carrying the barely moving form of her older brother. The creatures had been distracted, almost senseless as they teased and taunted him, their words only half audible to the group of fighters that stealthily had taken positions all around them. Arrows were knocked and drawn as Nerini had recognized her brother squinting painfully at the light when his eyes were uncovered. He had lost so much weight, and he was covered in bruises and filth, his clothing ripped and torn. The monsters had whispered something to him and she had heard his response echoing out, cracking with pain and desperation. 

Nerini shook her mind clear of introspection when she hit the ground running, her swords out as she spun around to meet the closest creature. She took it unaware as it tried to battle the flurry of cross-bow bolts peppering into it. Knowing she would only have the advantage for a few more moments, she slashed and spun furiously. Around her, Nerini heard the other fighters joining battle with screams of pain, metal, and rage on all sides.

Keana was suddenly beside her, his own blades slashing in, his gift enabling him to see through the magic of the shadows to find the actual being beneath it, landing solid hits with more efficiency than she could. Together they brought the beast down and she mentally told herself that they had killed three out of six that they had seen.

"Get Kannein!" Keana yelled, and she nodded, spinning away to see the largest of the monsters pick up her brother by the back of the neck and carry him back into the castle. Nerini grinned as she noticed that the thing seemed to flee the fight. Nerini didn't stop to debate if it was a potential trap, as the battle continued to rage on in the courtyard.

She needed to get Kannein.  He was alive after all this time. She would not let him be killed while she was here and making excellent progress against the creatures.

Nerini let out a curse and sprinted in pursuit, launching herself into the sudden gloom of the decrepit castle and down a set of crumbling stairs. She plunged blindly after the sounds of her brother yelling incoherently, her feet slipping over wet stones as often as she found a sure footing. Down she went, spiralling till she hit a floor of wood and stone, blinking her eyes to adjust to the low light as she stumbled forward. The sound of battle continued raging above her, filtering through the stairwell and the holes high up in the stone wall, which also let in small patches of sunlight, allowing her to see even a little bit.

"Nerini!" Kannein yelled from the corner of the room.

She turned towards the sound and hurried to her brother, who trembled in a half kneeling position on the ground. Close up, she could see more of the bruises and scars than she had before, noticing fresh scratches and wounds as well as half healed and infected ones. Kannein's hair was long and matted,  body eaten by hunger and abuse.

"Kannein, I'm here, it's ok... We're getting you out of here." Nerini lowering her guard as she slid across the ground on her knees toward him. She sheathed one of her swords to use her hand to help him up.