Read Online Eclipsing the Darkness (The Dragon Chronicles Book 5) by Shawn E. Crapo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shawn E. Crapo
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Apparently, these two had come prepared for mimicry.
“Impressive,” Azim said.
The two men approached the gates confidently, making no attempt to conceal themselves. To anyone else, they appeared as two Jindala hunters returning to base after an evening of scouting. Despite Daryth and Azim’s doubts, they managed to make it without raising any suspicion.
Azim craned his head to hear their shouts as they announced themselves to the guard posted above the gate. After a short exchange, the guard shouted to his companions inside the gate and the massive wooden doors creaked opened. One of Hamal’s men looked back, indicated with a nod that they were ready.
“Now!” Azim whispered.
The remaining men raised and drew their bows, loosing with lightning speed. Every arrow hit its mark, clearing the wall of all archers. Azim immediately turned and summoned a fire arrow, shooting it in a low arc toward the cliff face.
“Go!” Mekembe shouted, seeing the signal arrow burst against the rocks.
Two hundred men scuttled down the slope, racing toward the open gates. Eamon, Mekembe, Cannuck, and Hamal led the charge, with Ulrich and Jadhav leading their own men to flank the city in case the Jindala decided to flee.
As the small force passed, Daryth and Azim joined them. The remaining men blended in with the charge, and their shouts rose in a slow crescendo as they neared the gates.
Inside, Hamal’s men guarded the gate mechanism. They were immediately surrounded by swordsmen, and targeted by the archers that lined the remaining walls. They moved about quickly, avoiding the arrows that streaked down toward them, fending off the swordsmen until their allies finally began to flow through the gates.
Daryth and Azim immediately fired up into the crowds of archers that began to gather on the inner walls. Arrows flew upward and downward in a dizzying cloud of death, prompting those who bore shields to stand guard near the allied archers.
“Up the stairs!” Hamal shouted to his men. “Take down the archers on the wall.”
As the rebels of Khem ascended the stairs, the archers fled to the far battlements, replaced by swordsmen who flowed from the corner towers. Hamal’s men tore through them quickly, driving them back and over the walls. The fleeing archers were taken down as well, caught in the cloud of arrows that ascended from the outside.
Jadhav’s men had come through, clearing the southern wall of any threats.
On the ground, Eamon and his knights led the charge down the center of the fortress. They were met by a wall of spears of shields, wielded by the elite, golden-robed immortals. The knights clashed with the front lines with a deafening crunch, sending the shield bearers sprawling. The immortals dropped their spears, drawing their swords.
Mekembe’s hammer went into action, smashing the skulls of the immortals that got too close. With every swing, the southlander king splattered a cloud of blood and brains on the warriors around him. Apparently, Mekembe had battled the immortals before.
As the knights and their allies pressed forward, the elite soldiers backed away, overwhelmed by the screaming horde of invaders. Eamon’s sword came to life with the blood of his enemies, and the king grew stronger with the power that was gathered.
Mekembe laughed over the chaos as he watched his new friend unleash the fury of the Dragon. He cleaved his way through the sea of combatants to Eamon’s side, proudly smashing a mutual path of destruction through the hapless Jindala. Never before had he felt such exhilaration during battle, and the feeling of invincibility came over him. Beside such allies, he was invulnerable.
Loud crashes were heard on either side of the fortress as the gates were smashed open. Jadhav and Ulrich’s troops charged in, bearing down on the enemy flanks. The two forces crashed into them, packing them closer together. Behind them, the stone walls of the main fortress stood as a barricade. The
“Impressive,” Azim said.
The two men approached the gates confidently, making no attempt to conceal themselves. To anyone else, they appeared as two Jindala hunters returning to base after an evening of scouting. Despite Daryth and Azim’s doubts, they managed to make it without raising any suspicion.
Azim craned his head to hear their shouts as they announced themselves to the guard posted above the gate. After a short exchange, the guard shouted to his companions inside the gate and the massive wooden doors creaked opened. One of Hamal’s men looked back, indicated with a nod that they were ready.
“Now!” Azim whispered.
The remaining men raised and drew their bows, loosing with lightning speed. Every arrow hit its mark, clearing the wall of all archers. Azim immediately turned and summoned a fire arrow, shooting it in a low arc toward the cliff face.
“Go!” Mekembe shouted, seeing the signal arrow burst against the rocks.
Two hundred men scuttled down the slope, racing toward the open gates. Eamon, Mekembe, Cannuck, and Hamal led the charge, with Ulrich and Jadhav leading their own men to flank the city in case the Jindala decided to flee.
As the small force passed, Daryth and Azim joined them. The remaining men blended in with the charge, and their shouts rose in a slow crescendo as they neared the gates.
Inside, Hamal’s men guarded the gate mechanism. They were immediately surrounded by swordsmen, and targeted by the archers that lined the remaining walls. They moved about quickly, avoiding the arrows that streaked down toward them, fending off the swordsmen until their allies finally began to flow through the gates.
Daryth and Azim immediately fired up into the crowds of archers that began to gather on the inner walls. Arrows flew upward and downward in a dizzying cloud of death, prompting those who bore shields to stand guard near the allied archers.
“Up the stairs!” Hamal shouted to his men. “Take down the archers on the wall.”
As the rebels of Khem ascended the stairs, the archers fled to the far battlements, replaced by swordsmen who flowed from the corner towers. Hamal’s men tore through them quickly, driving them back and over the walls. The fleeing archers were taken down as well, caught in the cloud of arrows that ascended from the outside.
Jadhav’s men had come through, clearing the southern wall of any threats.
On the ground, Eamon and his knights led the charge down the center of the fortress. They were met by a wall of spears of shields, wielded by the elite, golden-robed immortals. The knights clashed with the front lines with a deafening crunch, sending the shield bearers sprawling. The immortals dropped their spears, drawing their swords.
Mekembe’s hammer went into action, smashing the skulls of the immortals that got too close. With every swing, the southlander king splattered a cloud of blood and brains on the warriors around him. Apparently, Mekembe had battled the immortals before.
As the knights and their allies pressed forward, the elite soldiers backed away, overwhelmed by the screaming horde of invaders. Eamon’s sword came to life with the blood of his enemies, and the king grew stronger with the power that was gathered.
Mekembe laughed over the chaos as he watched his new friend unleash the fury of the Dragon. He cleaved his way through the sea of combatants to Eamon’s side, proudly smashing a mutual path of destruction through the hapless Jindala. Never before had he felt such exhilaration during battle, and the feeling of invincibility came over him. Beside such allies, he was invulnerable.
Loud crashes were heard on either side of the fortress as the gates were smashed open. Jadhav and Ulrich’s troops charged in, bearing down on the enemy flanks. The two forces crashed into them, packing them closer together. Behind them, the stone walls of the main fortress stood as a barricade. The
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