Chapter Forty-Seven

There were far too many, I thought in panic, and they seemed to keep coming from the trees in an endless stream. The small monsters the size of a big man like my father in man-form were so quick, whilst the larger ones followed behind, their dragon-size intimidating.

I propelled myself up and forward with my wings, meeting the front-line of the small monsters beyond the ring of stones, as far from Tarragon as I could. The blade of my sword flashed as I landed amongst them. It took a moment for those at the front to turn, and I was already in the thick of sharp legs, snapping mandibles, and spiny carapaces.

The moves that I had learned by rote in Nerith but had never mastered flowed through me effortlessly. I dodged, and dove, slicing with Intuin Desparen, carving through legs and bodies, spraying blood and gore in heavy streams that arced from the tip of the blade and rained back down over me, covering me in the foul liquid.

As the larger creatures reached the battle, I broke free, so