Book 2 - Chapter 31

Piper leapt off Noah’s arm the instant a flying creature swooped down to snatch one of the guards in the trenches. Her small form became a feathered, furry missile—claws bared. She slashed across the creature’s neck as it grabbed the screaming man, severing flesh and sending the monster crashing down on top of him while she darted away unharmed.

A Corrupted crested the hill a moment later, sword raised and a feral snarl twisting its face. Noah took aim without emotion and pulled the trigger, dropping it back into the muck before it could do any damage. In that moment of distraction, he didn’t notice the flying creature diving toward him from above, talons outstretched.

Thankfully, he wasn’t alone.

A telekinetically‑propelled sword shot through the air, slicing the creature cleanly in half from groin to skull. Its two halves thudded to the ground on either side of Noah, a visceral reminder of how close he’d come to dying. He nodded his thanks to Mara before pumping his crossbow and searching for his next target.

All around him, similar scenes played out. Men and women fought Corrupted and flying creatures, desperately holding the line so the trebuchets could keep firing at the city below. Crossbow and ballista bolts streaked through the air, and the familiar chime of magic rang out again and again.

Noah’s awareness shrank until only the immediate battlefield existed. He moved fluidly, dodging deadly blows before returning fire with his crossbow. Adrenaline surged through him, sharpening his reflexes to near‑superhuman speed. Piper leapt, dove, attacked, and wheeled overhead to guard his back, ensuring nothing caught him by surprise.

Behind him, Mara burned through a steady stream of telekinesis spells. Every discarded metal object became a projectile, whipping through the air into the oncoming horde. Her face was a mask of focus as she cut down one monster after another, always using the minimum force required before instantly shifting to the next target.

Surrounding the trio was a phalanx of well‑trained guards. Those in front braced behind heavy tower shields that covered them from feet to shoulders, anchoring themselves against even the Corrupted’s brutal strikes. The back ranks fired crossbows into the mass of Corrupted and flying eldritch creatures.

Together, their efforts held the line, allowing the trebuchets to maintain a steady barrage. Every so often a flying creature swooped toward the artillery crews, only to be riddled with bolts long before it touched the ground. For a brief moment, it seemed their bold plan might actually succeed without complication.

Just as the tide of Corrupted and flyers began to wane, the ground trembled. Noah backed away from the trenches the instant he felt it, reloading with a fresh magazine. Unfortunately, no amount of crossbow bolts could prepare him for what came next.

An enormous insectoid creature crested the hill through the mud and let out an ear‑splitting screech. Its face bristled with sharp mandibles above and below its gaping maw, and a pair of antennae protruded between six compound eyes—each glowing an eerie red. It reared up wildly before crashing down again, revealing the black chitinous plates covering its back.

That is the biggest fucking centipede I’ve ever seen. It’s at least a meter and a half tall.

He leveled his crossbow and fired. The bolt bounced harmlessly off its back. Several soldiers followed suit, but their shots were just as ineffective. Noah pumped his crossbow again, but before he could fire, the creature moved.

Fast.

It scuttled forward on dozens of segmented legs, revealing its full forty‑meter length. Noah’s shock at its size was quickly replaced by horror as it barreled into the phalanx, tossing armored soldiers aside like toys. One unlucky man was caught in its mandibles; his plate armor tore apart in seconds as the creature devoured him alive.

Fuck. How do we kill this thing? Noah emptied the rest of his magazine to no effect.

Thankfully, Mara was already trying. She hurled a discarded knife toward its eyes—only for the creature to sense the attack and snap them shut. The chitin covering them deflected the blade as easily as the bolts, and it continued its rampage.

Noah slammed a new magazine into his crossbow. “Could use some ideas!”

“I’ve got this one!” Mara shouted, ripping a page from her grimoire.

A discarded bolt lifted from the ground and arced toward the creature. It zigged and zagged with uncanny precision, tracking the monster’s movements. When it finally struck home between two chitin plates, Noah realized what Mara had a moment earlier.

There are gaps in its armor when it moves.

The creature screeched and turned toward them, abandoning its half‑eaten victim. Guided by some instinct for magic, it charged straight at Mara. She dove aside, avoiding the worst of the impact—but still hit hard enough to be thrown into a nearby trench.

“No!” Noah dove in after her.

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He scrambled to her side and threw himself over her, shielding her with his body. The clicking of limbs grew louder, then faded. Noah risked a glance upward. The creature was gone—though the screams of dying soldiers proved it was still nearby.

He looked down. Mara groaned, her eyes hazy behind her helmet’s slits. Something hot and wet soaked his pants. He glanced down and saw she’d landed on something sharp; her leg was bleeding heavily.

“Fuck.” He slipped an arm under her legs and another behind her head. “Hang on, Mara. I’m getting you to Ciri.”

“No…” she groaned, head lolling.

Ignoring her, he carried her to the nearest ladder and slung her over his shoulder. The wood groaned with every step, but he made it to the top—only to freeze.

Most of the nearby soldiers were dead or dying. A few still fought, desperately holding back the tide. Farther away, the giant centipede rampaged around the shattered frame of a trebuchet.

Solve one problem at a time. Get Mara to Ciri.

His march nearly ended when a Corrupted spotted him and charged, screaming a feral war‑cry. Noah fumbled with his crossbow, struggling to pump and aim one‑handed. Before the creature reached him, a furry black missile slammed into it from above. Piper savaged its neck until she tore its head clean off.

“Atta girl, Piper. I owe you one.” Noah turned toward the infirmary tent. “Keep us covered!”

As he moved through camp, the decisive victory they’d hoped for was clearly collapsing. Reserve troops sprinted to the front, commanders shouting that they were losing ground. Worse, no royal guards rushed to help him—meaning they were dead, injured, or believed Mara already was.

Not on my watch. He gritted his teeth and burst into the infirmary tent, marked by two torches mounted on stakes. “Princess Mara! She’s injured!”

A pink‑haired figure spun from another patient and raced over. Ciri’s grimoire was in her hand instantly, and the chime of magic rang out seconds later. She pressed her palm to Mara’s leg as the wound began to knit and Mara’s eyes slowly focused.

“Noah!” she cried.

“Shh, it’s okay. You took a hit from—”

“The giant bug! It can sense magic!” she cut him off. “It’s coming here! We need to—”

She didn’t finish. The creature’s enormous head pushed through the tent, mandibles clicking hungrily. Ciri jerked her hand back from Mara’s leg, stopping the spell, and flipped frantically through her grimoire. The monster reared back to pounce just as she found the page, tore it free, and cast.

The creature froze. It backed up several steps, then collapsed with a thud that shook the ground. Noah blinked, saw Ciri’s intense focus, and understood.

The disorientation spell. She’s got it pinned. But not for long.

Hoping she’d forgive him later, Noah dumped Mara unceremoniously onto the ground and sprinted toward the creature with a half‑formed plan. He grabbed one of the torches outside the tent and charged up the monster’s back, shaking it from its stupor. Before it could throw him off, he popped the clasp on his belt and grabbed a tar grenade.

The creature surged upward, threatening to toss him. Noah dropped low and jammed the clay pot into a gap between its plates. It burst, coating the chitin with sticky tar. The monster thrashed, flinging him to the ground.

Acting on instinct, Noah thrust the flaming torch forward like a spear. The moment fire touched tar, it ignited, racing across the creature’s back. Noah scrambled away as it reared and screamed.

Ciri and Mara emerged from the tent just in time to see the flames spread far beyond the tar’s reach. The smell of burning flesh and hair filled the air as the creature thrashed wildly. They ran for safety as the fire consumed it.

When the flames finally died down, the creature turned its hideous head in a slow circle, searching for whoever had hurt it.

Its six red eyes locked onto Noah.

Before it could act, the twang of a massive bowstring rang out. A ballista bolt slammed into its underbelly, piercing chitin and spilling greenish‑blue blood. More bolts followed, each one making the creature convulse. After the sixth bolt, the centipede finally gave up. It let out a keening wail and collapsed with a ground‑shaking thud. Its legs and mandibles twitched in death throes, preventing anyone from approaching to finish it off.

Eager to thank their saviors, Noah tore his eyes from the fallen beast and spotted Ken standing with a cluster of ballista crews. He jogged toward them, Ken’s knife—still wet with blood—hanging loosely in his hand. Noah couldn’t help calling out the moment he was close enough.

“Thought you couldn’t teach me anything else?”

Ken shook his head as he slowed. “I can’t teach luck.”

“Then I guess I should be glad we’re lucky.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” A grim look crossed his face. “Look around.”

Noah turned. The various commanders had rallied the reserve forces and were now conducting a fighting retreat. The Corrupted charging across the trenches came only in ones and twos now instead of dozens, but their makeshift army had clearly suffered heavy losses. Farther away, he saw the last of the trebuchet A‑frames collapse, marking the end of their siege.

“Should we get in there and hold the line?” Noah asked, uncertain.

“No.” Mara shook her head. “We’ll have to hope we’ve thinned their numbers enough. The real fight is still ahead.”

“They’re retreating to the west as well,” Ken added, nodding toward the shoreline nearly a kilometer away. “We need to go south. The retreat will cover our infiltration, but we’ll have to move soon.”

“Let’s get going then,” Noah agreed.

Together, the four of them hiked down the hill, away from the battlefield. Piper took to the skies, her keen senses sweeping for threats. As they walked, Noah couldn’t help noticing the Corrupted bodies littering the forest floor, each one marked with dozens of knife wounds and crossbow bolts.

Good thing Ken was watching the flanks, Noah thought. Otherwise these things could’ve snuck up on us.

They were nearly at the shoreline when footsteps thundered through the forest behind them. Everyone tensed, scanning for ambush points—only to relax when Piper landed on Noah’s shoulder and squawked happily.

“Relax,” Noah said, raising a hand.

A moment later, half a dozen royal guards burst through the bushes. Behind them came two of the three conduits they’d used as water specialists, both bent over and gasping for breath. The nearest guard spotted Mara and immediately dropped to one knee.

“Your highness. My apologies—we lost you in the—”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Mara said, shaking her head. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Thank you, your highness.” He rose.

“I can see the ship,” Ken interrupted, peering through the brush. “Black sails were a smart decision. Should help us avoid detection.”

Mara nodded, then turned to the conduits. “You both have your grimoires?” They nodded. “Good. Here are your orders: the portal closes tonight, at any cost. If you get close enough, do it. Don’t wait for orders—take initiative. Any questions?”