The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (short novels in english .TXT) 📕

She had managed to halve their number, but her hammer arm was shaky and her eyes burned with the mixture of blood and sweat on her brow.

Meanwhile the rage of the Tenebrae she fought continued unending as they readied themselves for another assault.

The only reason she was still alive was because of that rage: they weren’t coordinated at all, shouldering each other aside to reach her, each wanting the kill for themselves.

And the arena-hardened Nina was smart enough to use that against them.

“Come on! I’ve got shit to do!” She roared out another challenge at all of them.

They charged.

Abruptly a wall of green force enveloped them, causing them to trip and stumble into each other within the sudden trap, their faces mashing almost comically against the translucent barrier.

“Now now. You are still needed, little girl.” A familiar lilting voice called out.

Nina let out a groan when she realized the identity of her saviour.

But her arms were heavy from combat, and her soul was even heavier from the consequences of it.

She fell to her knees with a sob.

Chapter 47:Wily Witch’s Wiles

The sun shone down on the arrayed Aegis and monster girl forces, the beautiful sky a stark contrast to the grim scene below.

Around a third of the gathered force was now made up of Antlions; a solid wall of shields between them and the Tenebrae, their discipline and order instilling confidence and hope in the ones behind them.

And at the very top of their hierarchy was their fat lord, Barnabas Rosenbaum Longinus, standing in the midst of the command group near his queen and their daughters, though he was letting them do all of the commanding.

With Ophelia having left to join the medics and Volka preoccupied preparing for the worst, Nameless, Erica, and Milly were somewhat at loose ends as the Empath waited for a chance to save the dark-eyed girls facing them.

Without taking his eyes off of the assembling Tenebrae, the lord of Longinus reached out one pudgy hand and patted the younger and thinner man on the shoulder.

“Steady lad. My Julia has never failed in her life. And neither have my daughters. Steady.”

The pronouncement was out of place coming from the chubby uniformed consort, but the distraction of his words actually helped Nameless hold his nerve.

He’d felt Nina’s fight end, and could feel her being ravaged by the guilt of it, but at least he knew she was safe, even if he would feel a lot better to have her at his side again.

“What is with those medals anyways?” Erica asked out of nowhere.

“Medals of prowess!” The lord of Longinus puffed up his chest to better display them as he spoke.

Milly looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on the short sword hanging on his hip.

“You... don’t look like much of a fighter.” She suggested with as much tact as she could.

“What? Oh!” He blinked in surprise before figuring out what she meant, his thick fingers playing with the hilt nervously; “Wouldn’t know what to do with the silly thing! No, not that kind of prowess.”

“My lord is a master of cunnilingus.” One of the Myrmidons proclaimed from nearby; “Each medal on his chest was awarded for his accomplishments in that field.”

Again Barnabas’s chest puffed up with pride.

“It’s all about the alphabet.” He smugly assured Nameless.

The younger man turned and glared at Erica, who blushed and pretended to be distracted by fiddling with her many knives.

“I fucking knew it.” He mumbled bitterly.

The distraction was short lived as the last of the dark girls emerged from hiding, thousands of Tenebrae now arrayed against them.

“They’ve been busy.” Booker noted, resignation in his voice as he measured the enemy ranks with his one good eye.

“How did Jonathan do this? It’s beyond insane...” Sadie breathed.

Xalanth let out a low growl and put one arm on her shoulders to comfort her.

Nameless could feel it in the air: despair gripped the Aegis and the volunteer force assisting them.

“It doesn’t matter how! It’s on us to fix this!” He shouted with far more courage than he felt.

“Master... a lot of people are going to die today.” Erica said quietly.

With the house of Longinus on their side, the Aegis and their allies outnumbered the Tenebrae, but it would be foolish to think that they could be stopped without bloodshed.

“We do what we can to keep that number as low as possible.” Miranda swore with determination, though her voice was shaking a bit.

She might be a veteran Aegis operative, but this was way beyond anything she’d ever dealt with.

To counter the rising alarm, Volka unleashed the entirety of her aura.

“It is our duty to save as many as we can, they have rage and strength but we have numbers and skill!” The Dominar flapped her golden wings and drew herself several feet into the air as she addressed them all; “Warriors of the Aegis! Never forget the oaths that you have taken! We will stop those girls down there not only because it is our duty but because it is what they would have us do! Your ancestors are watching you! Stand firm!”

She flapped her wings and alit on the ground slightly in front of the Antlions to show that she was not afraid of the coming fight, her sword of light appearing at her side for her to draw and hold aloft, her glowing figure a fierce beacon of hope.

Shoulders that were slumped firmed up as the gathered men, women, and monsters tightened their grips on their weapons and shook off their gloom while the last Dominar’s aura filled their hearts with the courage they so badly needed.

There was a sudden disturbance down amongst the gathered Tenebrae, and a moment later Jonathan emerged from the dark-eyed horde.

“Well this is