CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  IN THE LIGHT OF BATTLE

  Garrick’s eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Not only were there more than a handful of goblins from one passageway, but two trolls had strode out from the other passageway as well. Even worse, the noise coming toward the now bright cavern interior was getting louder still. The mercenary opened his mouth to scream at Cerelene to let loose her arrows, but before he could make a sound, the elf maiden had dropped two of what he could now tell were five goblins.

  Garrick looked at the two trolls coming his way and released arrow after arrow as well. Two arrows dug into the nearest troll, slowing it. Seeing that Cerelene had the goblins under control, Elias moved forward toward the other troll. As the big Knight of Providence bellowed out a battle cry, he watched Onyx leap at the troll Garrick had slowed.

  The troll facing Elias raised his club and swung at the knight. Elias backhanded the club away with his shield, throwing the troll off balance for a moment, then he dug his sword deep into the monster’s belly and wrenched it out. Elias turned to look at the other troll, but it was on the ground, lifeless. The monster’s body not only had two arrows in it, but bloody teeth marks that made the knight praise Elion that Onyx was on his side.

  Cerelene dropped the final three goblins and took a breath, but it was only a short one. More and more goblins and trolls dashed into the cavern. Garrick looked around quickly. He couldn’t get a fixed number of how many there were, only that this second wave of the attack was much greater than the first.

  As arrows began to fly again, Garrick saw Maldrin lift his staff toward the torch-lit passage they had previously walked down. More goblins and trolls were on the way and the number was even bigger than what they faced now.

  “Ice Wall!” screamed Maldrin, and water sprung from his staff toward the oncoming monsters. Then the water froze the second it hit the entrance.

  The oncoming goblins howled and the trolls banged the ice wall with their fists and then with the clubs and bones they used for battle. Garrick watched as the barrier held true, but for how long? Seeing the ice wall and the enemy trapped behind it, at least for the moment, Elias moved in front of Maldrin, and Garrick slid over to take the knight’s place.

  “That will hold them for a bit. But keep an eye out and your shield up young man,” yelled Maldrin. Then the wizard released a fireball from his left hand that knocked an advancing goblin back into another.

  As the first goblin went up in flames, the other screamed, as an arrow from Cerelene flew into his chest as he tried to stand.

  Garrick released two more arrows and as he watched a troll fall, the mercenary could see it was time to draw his sword. He parried a goblin’s blade and then front kicked it away. When the green monster tripped over its feet, Onyx was on him seconds later. Garrick ducked the blade of another goblin, and came up swinging at the goblin next to it. The mercenary’s sword crashed into the monster’s side and then he spun around, slamming his blade into the first goblin's neck in one smooth motion.

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  The monsters were now closing in on Cerelene, as well. As a goblin swung its sword, the elf maiden leaped back and threw the arrow she had pulled for her bow. The goblin knocked the arrow away with his sword, but then felt a sharp pain in his chest. Then the elf maiden kicked her dying opponent to the ground, yanking out her dagger at the same time.

  Elias looked at the monsters' numbers around him. He saw that the slain bodies were adding up, but the odds were still against them. He looked over at Garrick who, along with Onyx, were holding their own. The knight launched an advancing goblin over his head with his shield and looked at Cerelene. The elf maiden was tired, but she was game, and he knew it.

  Maldrin slammed his staff into a goblin and then sent a troll flying against the cavern wall with a word and a gesture of his hand. Maldrin might be old, but he was stronger than he looked, and a wizard all the same. Everything that Garrick had said about the magic user was indeed true, thought Elias.

  The Knight of Providence raised his shield again, just in time to parry a troll club coming down at him. His arm strained to keep his shield up and he took a knee. Elias could smell the rotting stench of the troll’s breath. Then the knight dropped his sword, pulled his dagger and plunged it deep into his adversary’s thigh. The troll yelled and stepped back as Elias grabbed his sword. Then the knight knocked back an attacking goblin with his shield and drove his large sword into the troll’s belly. As Elias went to grab his dagger, he heard something shatter. It was the ice wall.

  “Fall back!” yelled Garrick as he looked all around him. “Move! Move!”

  Cerelene pulled an arrow from her quiver and took off toward Garrick and Onyx. Maldrin raised his arms to his side and closed his eyes. Elias stepped in front of the wizard and raised his shield.

  “Whatever you are going to do, wizard, do it quickly!” said the knight in a steady yet anxious voice. Then Elias watched as the stalactites above them broke off and flew down toward the oncoming monsters.

  Maldrin opened his eyes and then both he and Elias ran toward Garrick and Cerelene, who were moving back toward one of the passageways, but still in a fight for their lives. Suddenly, there was a blur of feathers in the air and two arrows dropped from above. After catching the arrows from Azure, Cerelene jammed them into a goblin.

  The final goblins and trolls were defeated once Maldrin and Elias caught up to Garrick, Onyx and Cerelene. However, before a word could be spoken between them, the mystic wolf stopped and growled as he looked down the dark and misty passage they were now in.

  Garrick and Cerelene were getting tired, but they raised their bows again as the final wave of monsters shattered the ice wall, ran around the fallen stalactites and jumped over the dead bodies of their comrades. Seeing the relentless monsters getting closer, Elias said a quick prayer to Elion and raised his shield, as the mercenary and elf maiden released a barrage of arrows.

  The arrows hit their targets and, as two goblins fell, the companions drifted further back down the misty passageway. Then the rest of the oncoming attackers stopped abruptly. Garrick and the others listened as the goblins, one after another, laughed, and the remaining trolls smiled.

  “Why did they stop?” asked Cerelene, in a worried voice.

  The elf maiden kept her bow raised, while Garrick slowly lowered his. The mercenary looked over at Elias, who had sheathed his sword and was looking ahead into the heavy mist with Onyx. Then he understood.

  “They know not to come any farther,” said Garrick.

  “But why now?” asked the elf maiden, slowly lowering her bow.

  Maldrin took a deep breath and caressed Tal in his pocket. The squirrel climbed out and onto the wizard’s shoulder, but after seeing the mist and hearing something ahead that she did not like, returned to the safety of his pocket. Then Maldrin spoke, his voice filled with trepidation.

  “Because, my dear Cerelene...we have arrived at our destination.”