Trolls moved close by with a grumble of words and growls, and the shadows paused close to the opening. Connor stepped back into the darkness, moving carefully -- so careful not to step on bones -- and away from the door until he reached the back wall.
There he found that the trolls had dragged his father's casket away from the wall and tipped it on the side. He slid into the little space behind it and crouched down. Hardly a heartbeat later the huge doors pulled open, trolls growled and grumbled, and one came in --
The troll didn't stay. Unfortunately, the troll left the door open, and light and sound flooded the crypt. Connor dared not move and feared to even breathe too loudly despite all the horrible noise beyond where he hid. He kept low and looked over the casket and out to where his friends were dying ... and for the first time in his life, Connor felt useless because he was human.
He shifted slightly, and his hand brushed against something odd -- a piece of paper. Connor picked it up; not very old, he thought. A hastily scrawled note, the ink smeared in places --
Connor
I'm sorry. I don't know if you'll even see this. I did the best I could, but I already regret what will happen.
Watch for Lord Northgate's move -- we have worked it out as best we can. Get as many of them away as you dare. It's the only hope the land has.
Liam had scrawled his name.
Damn him. Liam had known what would happen. He had known Rendon would die, and probably others by now, and he'd done nothing to stop the event. Liam could have done something to prevent the trolls from getting in -- surely he could have done stopped this! He could have --
Connor savagely crumpled the paper and tossed it aside, not even caring if the trolls or anyone else noticed the move. He almost shouted his anger, but everything seemed to freeze up in him, the rage so strong he couldn't move or think.
He stared at the courtyard where he could see the edge of the magical wall and know his friends were dying. Trolls lingering here and there, digging at debris and grunting and growling in disgust. Connor could see the stairs where Galen, Ordin, and others who worked with them stood. Galen had shoved Liam down to his knees, and Ordin kicked him hard enough in the chest that Liam tumbled down the stairs. Connor winced despite himself, even though he wanted to do much the same thing.
Then he could hear Galen's voice above the other sounds; a loud, demanding shout tinged with anger that was getting out of control.
"You will tell me what I need to know, you little wild lands bastard! You will work for me!"
Before Connor could react to those words he heard a deafening roar as a powerful wind swept through the area, and the world began to glow with a light so bright it almost blinded him --
Antisha was the first to fall out of the wall that had begun to flicker.
Get as many of them away as you can.
Hell!
Connor darted from the cover of the tomb and straight to Antisha who looked at him, her face pale and her eyes large. She looked stunned and lost.
"We have to get the others away! We have to get out of here!" he shouted above the roar of the wind. He'd grabbed hold of her, and she seemed to come more to her senses. Connor couldn't hear what she was saying -- but then magic bloomed in her hand and spread out over the wall.
People fell out in a tumble, but Druce grabbed Nylia and came to them. Magra, though, headed straight towards Ordin and Galen; the two were retreating into the building, dragging Liam along. They hadn't seen yet --
Ordin was yelling in anger. They had no time.
"Come with us!" he shouted. "We have to get out of here!"
Trolls stood steady against the wind, but the light appeared to blind them. One stumbled into Connor and swiped at him, catching his arm in a painful scratch. Nylia yelled and sent a stab of lightning into the creature, and it fell dead. Druce grabbed her, though, before she went to her knees. Antisha caught hold of Connor and Erlis rushed over to help them. Magra and Isole joined them, but others were moving against Galen. He tried to yell at them to come along, but he was going a little light-headed, and Erlis just dragged him out of the area --
"Where do we go?" Nylia asked, panicked. "We're too weak to fight --"
"Out of the keep," he said, gasping. He looked back at the High Tower, from where light and wind still flew. Lord Northgate was up there --
Liam had told Lord Northgate what needed to be done.
And he, too, had done nothing --
Erlis dragged him away. Someone attacked a troll in the way, and both the fae and the creature died. His eyes ran with tears -- the bright light, he told himself. The wind.
They rushed out through the broken gate and down into the ruined village where there had been another battle he hadn't even guessed at. Bodies lay everywhere, and blood splattered stone and wood.
They kept going, though they soon left the main road and darted between cottages broken open like toys. Connor didn't look at the bodies, though he saw signs of battle everywhere. They didn't die without a fight here.
The glow of the High Tower began to falter. He wasn't the only one who stopped and looked back as the light died and the wind, which had followed them fitfully, died away with a soft moan of sound.
"The Gods keep him safe," Antisha whispered.
And then they ran again.
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