Crystal Guardian

27

The Jagophites charged. Aldric, K and Raiden met them half-way. Evie fled in the opposite direction. Five cornered Aldric whilst K was fighting them back to back with Raiden who was fighting the Jagophite which had an arrow sticking out of its eye. Aldric swung his sword around and around but all he was doing was keeping the beasts away. He was not doing any real damage. They kept coming at him relentlessly and the sword had no effect. They were not scared of it any longer, even though Aldric slashed at their scales, and they dived past the sword and landed on top of Aldric. They were heavy and he heard his ribs click under the pressure. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't grip a hold on his sword. A claw, clean as though it had never seen a hunt before, came toppling towards Aldric's face. He moved his body to the side as much as he could but he was restricted and something sharp tore through his arm instead. Aldric let out a yell and the beast collapsed on top of him, dead. Raiden had stabbed it through the chest.

'Get up,' he was shouting, but it sounded distant and muffled. Raiden rushed back to K's side as she kicked at a Jagophite whose fangs were edging ever so close to her ankles. Aldric pulled himself up, all the Jagophites were upon Raiden and K now. Despite the searing hot pain flushing through his arm and into his shoulder, Aldric rushed up behind the group of Jagophites that were cornering his friends and let his blade fall across each and every one of their backs. Some were killed, probably the younger ones, but a lot of them turned around, angry that their armour had been scathed.

'Behind you,' Milo shouted.

'No,' Aldric exclaimed as he turned around to find a new bunch of Jagophites approaching them. 'I didn't know there would be this many!'

'We'll deal with it,' said Raiden supportively. 'Do not panic.'

'Don't panic!?' Aldric retorted. 'How can you be so calm!?'

'Practise,' he replied, jabbing his sword in all directions. 'Chin up Aldric, mate, you're our leader after all.' Aldric scoffed. He didn't feel like a leader or act like one in his opinion. Ignoring his bloody arm, he continued to fight. It wasn't glorious and it wasn't easy. It was not how he'd imagined it would be like. He wished he was a skilled swordsman, a hero, and wished that he could not feel pain. He wished that in battle he always won and that the people around him would not suffer.

'Let go...off me,' Haydon screamed. She and Floyd had reached the end of their path. He was trying to restrain her but she pushed him away. They looked in horror as they saw the hundreds of Jagophites piling into the chamber. It was a miracle they had all lasted so long. 'Where is he?'

Haydon plummeted into the crowd of Jagophites. Many of them backed away, unnerved by her wild war cry. Raiden joined in with the roaring in an extra effort to scare them away though they looked confused rather than scared. Although, it was tricky to tell seeing as their faces were always so blank and emotionless. They were left alone in the chamber surrounded by oozing dead bodies. Haydon stuck her sword into one of them before collapsing to the ground, exhausted. Aldric dug his own sword into the ground so to use the handle to keep standing steadily. K noticed his wobbliness and put her hand around him.

'Are you okay?' she asked. She looked at the wound on his arm worriedly.

'You alright to go on,' Milo asked him, scampering behind with his bow that had broken into two.

'Yes,' Aldric lied. 'It doesn't hurt.'

'I'm sure it doesn't,' said Raiden half-heartedly. 'Girls like men with scars though, don't they?' He looked to Milo and K as if expecting back up on his argument. Neither looked impressed. But they didn't have time to deliberate any further for Incursio had strolled through the door, unfazed by the sight of his dead Jagophites. Noticing him, Haydon scrambled to her feet.