Xerxes kept his sword rested on his shoulder as he watched the arrows fly, and the Abhorrent fall. He was particularly worried about the large, green-skinned Abhorrent. He watched as arrows plinked into it, all with no effect. It reminded him of the Abhorrent that had killed Bel. Theyd shot it over and over again, yet the monster had only seed inconvenienced by the missile attacks.
In fact, at one point, the large, many-handed Abhorrent disappeared in a dip in the terrain. It didnt appear again for about fifteen seconds, but when it did, it had no arrows sticking out of it. Further behind, more rolling hands ca out of the darkness in their direction.
That thing is going to be a problem when it hits the line, Xerxes said.
Get so javelins in it! Vasilios shouted. So of the Unit Eight soldiers stowed their bows and switched to javelins.
However, the green-skinned thing swerved out of the way of the first thrown javelin, and then the second. A third stabbed it, and it nearly fell before one arm twisted around, grabbed the weapon, and pulled it out. Then it kept coming.
So far, none of the smaller Abhorrent made much progress. But there were more, streaming out of the darkness without end.
The sound of a horn split the night, and Xerxes looked back toward its source; the cliff top. A flare shot up into the night, burning bright red. A mont later, he caught sight of Enusat in ape-form, scrambling down the sheer face of the cliff.
Whats it an? Kashtiliash asked.
No way to know, Xerxes said.
Unit One, Sergeant Stratos shouted. Get ready.
Xerxes jerked his attention back to the troop line. Beyond, he could see waves of many-handed Abhorrent rolling across the intervening terrain. They were now only fifteen or twenty cubits away. The light infantry continued to let arrows and javelins fly, but it was obvious they couldnt do anything to prevent the force at large from slamming into them.
The green-skinned Abhorrent had slowed down, and was waiting for its smaller brethren to crash into the troops before it lent its weight to the combat.
Xerxes gripped his sword in both hands. Sarge, he said, I think I should try to handle that green one.
Sure thing, Xerk, Stratos replied.
The small Abhorrent arrived first, and their nurous appendages made it easy for them to slip past the sharpened wooden stakes. They brought with them a stench that resembled sulfur, except with an overtone of sweetness like that of honey. The combination was so intense it made the eyes water.
The heavy infantry were ready for the Abhorrent. With spears, swords, shields, and boots, they held their own. However, it only took a mont before one of the Abhorrent grabbed a soldiers shield and ca close to pulling it out of his grasp. Another Abhorrent snatched a spear.
Xerxes kept his focus on the green one, which lurked about fifteen cubits away.
Whats it doing? Based on its size, it had to be juvenile, which ant it had at least one magical ability.
Screams and shouts rang out from the troops as they fought back against the bizarre Abhorrent.
Arwia? Jad said. You gonna cast that shield?
No, Arwia replied. Not yet.
The green-skinned Abhorrent tipped over. However, instead of falling on its side, all of its elbows bent, allowing the hands to smack into the ground. Now, it was standing on a host of hands, making the thing look vaguely like the spider Abhorrent Xerxes had faced in the past.
Then, the bulbous mass of flesh that ford the middle expanded like the throat of a frog.
Its about to use magic, Xerxes said.
Brace yourselves, Stratos yelled.
Sergeant, maybe I should
A hole opened atop the green-skinned Abhorrents middle section, and then it made a whooshing sound. A plu of greenish mist rose up, arcing like the spouting of a geyser. As the mist ascended, it clumped together into hundreds of tiny objects that, at first, Xerxes couldnt identify. Then they started falling, and it was clear what they were: hands.
Tiny hands with wriggling fingers.
They smacked into the shields, helts, and shoulders of the line of troops. And then the fingers curled as they grabbed on.
What the hell? a soldier shouted. These things he scread in pain, dropping his sword as he tried to brush a tiny hand off of him.
More of the tiny hands began landing on the other troops, and though Xerxes wasnt sure of what was happening, more screams and shouts rang out. More soldiers dropped weapons, and in so cases even shields, in their haste to remove the things from them.
Steady, Stratos yelled. Keep your shields up!
However, the damage had been done, as a smaller many-handed Abhorrent rolled through the gaps in the line. So grabbed at the ankles of the soldiers, others wheeled down the dirt mound and toward the interior of the camp.
At the sa ti, Xerxes realized the green Abhorrent had sidled to the east, and was now inhaling again.
Cant let it do the sa thing again. Behind him, there was shouting in the camp, and he assud it was the other soldiers and mages dealing with the influx of monstrous enemies.
Grabbing so stibnite talc, he cast Minor Augntation again as he ran toward a gap in the line. He didnt hesitate to draw on the speed of a High Seer, and before anyone knew what was happening, he was past the wooden stakes and on the battlefield.
The green Abhorrents middle section was almost fully inflated.
Take this, fucker, Xerxes murmured, slashing his sword down.
The green Abhorrent collapsed in a cloud of mist.
He jumped back. Not wanting to waste any of the ti with his spell, he slashed and stabbed at any of the smaller Abhorrent around him. They died like snails crushed by a boot. For half a minute, he cleared everything around him. Then he looked up and saw two more green-skinned many-handed Abhorrent rolling toward him.
Shit.
At the sa ti, the shouting from the interior of the camp grew more frenzied. He looked back. The cliff had turned into a waterfall?
No. It wasnt water falling down the cliff. It was rat-like Abhorrent. And standing atop the cliff, looking down at them, were at least three of the large variety that had been hunting them.
Xerxes get back behind the line, Arwia shouted. Im about to cast!
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