The Defiance of Vim (Catalyst Book 4) by C.J. Aaron (graded readers txt) 📕

go? Eventually, sooner rather than later, they’d come for the lands of my house too. There is nothing that can withstand those numbers.”

Fay sighed as he leaned heavily against the wall.

“I’ll make my stand here with you,” the young lord announced.

Ryl was warmed by the sentiment, yet it was chilling.

“Fay, I know not what they plan,” Ryl added. “If there is a union of man and Horde, if the Lei Guard truly commands their obedience, that does not bode well, though it spells some measure of hope that men will survive. The wave of demons that threatened to sweep over the kingdom before Taben made his stand would have extinguished all life. What leash will be kept on now?”

Fay pondered the question as his gaze roved the city. They both watched in silence as the vanguard for the king’s army met the wall of the Horde in the intersection. The mass of Horde seemed to ripple outward as the cavalry halted meters from their front. Like a stone into still water, the wave of commotion spread outward, though its effect dissipated rapidly as it traveled.

The moments stretched on, a mixture of anticipation and expectation. Both sides seemed to appraise the other, with a startling familiarity. Further back in the ranks of the king’s army, the tension was visible. The organized ranks of the lead element were still, statuesque.

Toward the back, Ryl’s vision noted the anxious commotion vibrate with increasing frequency. The neat ranks dissolved into a disorganized crowd. There was a sense that it pulled in opposite directions, one element moving toward the Horde, the other seeking to flee.

At the moment, the dissension among the ranks of the human army was of little concern to Ryl. The massive beast reached the intersection of the avenue leading to the Pining Gates.

The creature stopped, leaning forward, glaring at the line of soldiers mounted before it. The Lei Guard remained firm in their position, centered at the head of the army. Behind them the horses stomped their feet, snorting and nickering in protest as the beast drew near.

Lifting its head to the sky, it opened its yawning mouth, unleashing a cry that shook the city. The beast raised its muscular right arm, hefting a cudgel that looked to be the size of a fallen tree into the air. The hatred spewed from the depth of its gullet, a low roar that crescendoed into a screeching cry that rattled through Ryl’s body. He slammed his hands to his ears as the innumerous mouths of the Horde answered the challenge.

It was a deafening peal that carried on for several long, painful moments. Along the wall and among the run-down village behind him, he heard the commotion grow. Soldiers abandoned their posts, the remaining citizens fled hastily to the north. Some merely crumpled, weeping openly.

Ryl could feel the black stain of hatred, endless and cold, spread outward. He felt the wave crash against the wall, spraying hopelessness across him and the pitiful army at his side.

The walls preventing them from devastation now seemed pathetically thin. Hopelessly short.

The effects were not lost among the army of the king as well. The horses of the cavalry closest to the Horde rampaged in protest. Several riders were unseated as their mounts panicked. It was a miracle that others maintained some semblance of calm. Throughout the ranks, order failed. Cries of alarm were drowned by the overpowering war cry.

Throughout the lines, soldiers deserted, scrambling in any direction that led them further from the abominations ahead. Dozens fled. Some abandoned their weapons and packs for the sake of speed. Others ran as fast as they could, eager to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the horrors that waited behind.

With a shriek that again echoed over the city, a small contingent of harriers broke from the group. Their lanky forms moved like a blur as they raced along the flanks of the king’s army. The deserting soldiers didn’t make it far. None stood a chance against the fleet demons that fell on them with a viciousness that defied explanation.

Their agonized wails fell silent as the Horde tore their bodies to shreds. The massacre was over in moments. Wide patches of gore and chunks of desiccated bodies signaled where their resistance had met their pitiful ends.

The demons, dripping with the blood of their kills, stalked back along the edges of the army. Swords had been drawn protectively, yet none dared move against the beast. The troops fell back into an uneasy formation.

Ryl watched the tragic scene with a sense of both revulsion and pity. The true nature of the relationship between the Lei Guard and the Horde had been laid bare.

This was forced compliance. The army, the kingdom, were little better off now than the tributes. Though granted a larger measure of freedom, they were slaves, nonetheless.

With the army in check, the massive Horde turned its attention up the hill toward the Pining Gates. Ryl felt the wicked gaze fall on him. The urge to flee threatened to overwhelm. The power of its appearance and the raw hatred that poured from it were a powerful deterrent.

Ryl rolled his shoulders back, standing tall. He stepped up onto the narrow railing. Holding the Leaves in both hands, he focused on ignoring the pain that had settled into his left arm. The translucent blades burst to flame. Green fire spread along their jagged lengths. Fay and the archers standing close by retreated a step as the withering heat rippled the air.

The beast cocked its head to the side, tilting it at an unnatural angle. The gurgling notes that bubbled from its throat were incomprehensible. Ryl had the disturbing feeling they were akin to laughter.

Challenge accepted, he thought.

Ryl turned his head slightly to the side, though his eyes remained fixed on the terrifying foe that stared him down from afar. Behind the colossal Horde, the banes, absent up to this point, began massing by the hundreds.

“Have the archers ready to fire on the