soldiers they had come to expect, but grey, malformed creatures that scuttled on all fours, fangs and claws sliding from sheaths beneath the skin as they moved. The lead creature took a running leap at Callum, who ducked under it's path of flight and slashed at it with his sabre. The blade sheared through the monsters skin like paper, splattering blood across the sandstone of the wall.
“Use bayonets! Save your bullets!” he shouted at his detachment of men. To the sides, he could hear Ward and Carlisle repeated the command. A second creature barrelled into his chest, slashing at his side with razor claws.
He was saved by Corporal Dunwit, who lanced the beast with his bayonet, and kicked it off the wall. The corporal pulled Callum to his feet.
“You alright?”
“Fine. Let's sort these buggers out.”
They turned back to the grisly work at hand, hacking and stabbing the foul creatures as they leapt from the towers.
Callum felt a surge of energy inside his head, and aimed his hand at the inside of the tower. A gout of flame surged up inside the tower, to the sound of bestial screaming from within.
Callum and Dunwit shared a look, then the dragon-blood turned his attention to the other towers. One by one, they burst into flame, the conflagration gouting up to incinerate them. The soldiers fell into a reverent silence as the flames crackled up the inside of the wooden towers, which slowly collapsed in upon themselves and vanished. Ward, his face awed, walked over to them.
“A neat trick, boyo, but I'd rather you did it a bit sooner next time.” He grinned.
Callum smiled slightly
“If I'd known I could, I would have done Ward. Seems I'm learning new things all the time.” His smile faded. “...Did we lose anyone.”
Ward's smile vanished as Carlisle joined them.
“One of the lads who was already here, Coker... And Private Cavill.” He laid a gentle hand on Dunwit's shoulder. “I'm sorry, Reg. I know you two joined together.”
Dunwit slumped, his eyes misting.
“Jesus. I've known him since we were lads. I know his mum... What will I tell her, when we get back, Sarge?”
“What we always tell them, lad. That her son died a hero.”
He looked out into the distance, his eyes far away.
“That's what we always tell them...”
***
Callum slowly dismounted the steps from the battlements, and walked unsteadily towards the main building. Elizabeth and Nathaniel came out to meet him. As they saw the glazed look in the dragon-blood's eyes, Nathaniel reached out to take his arm.
“No!”
The lead agent's hand froze halfway to his.
“The soldiers are watching. If they see me pass out, it'll ruin everything we've just accomplished. Get me inside first.”
He walked through the door, then staggered as his legs failed to bear his weight. His friends grabbed his arms, holding him up on his feet as they half carried him back to the mess hall.
“God almighty Callum, how much energy did you burn?”
“A lot. I hope we've got time before the bastard comes again.”
Elizabeth came over from the kitchen, wielding a cup of tea and a mug of brandy. She handed them to the exhausted mage, who drank gratefully.
“That'll pick you up a bit.” she said flatly.
“Thanks.”
“What possessed you to do that, you stupid sod?” she snapped.
“It was instinct. When those things came out of the towers, it all got a bit complicated.”
She glared at him, then sighed, and glanced at Nathaniel.
“What were they? I've not come across them before.”
“Bogtrolls.” he said primly. “It seems our enemy has a long arm. They're offshoots of goblins, and they're usually only found in eastern Europe. I'd never have expected to see them here – they need swamps to survive.”
“I don't think survival was the goal.” Callum said “It just wanted to whittle us down. And it's working.”
“Do you think we can hold out for another two days?”
“I don't know, Nathaniel, I truly don't.” He sipped at
“Use bayonets! Save your bullets!” he shouted at his detachment of men. To the sides, he could hear Ward and Carlisle repeated the command. A second creature barrelled into his chest, slashing at his side with razor claws.
He was saved by Corporal Dunwit, who lanced the beast with his bayonet, and kicked it off the wall. The corporal pulled Callum to his feet.
“You alright?”
“Fine. Let's sort these buggers out.”
They turned back to the grisly work at hand, hacking and stabbing the foul creatures as they leapt from the towers.
Callum felt a surge of energy inside his head, and aimed his hand at the inside of the tower. A gout of flame surged up inside the tower, to the sound of bestial screaming from within.
Callum and Dunwit shared a look, then the dragon-blood turned his attention to the other towers. One by one, they burst into flame, the conflagration gouting up to incinerate them. The soldiers fell into a reverent silence as the flames crackled up the inside of the wooden towers, which slowly collapsed in upon themselves and vanished. Ward, his face awed, walked over to them.
“A neat trick, boyo, but I'd rather you did it a bit sooner next time.” He grinned.
Callum smiled slightly
“If I'd known I could, I would have done Ward. Seems I'm learning new things all the time.” His smile faded. “...Did we lose anyone.”
Ward's smile vanished as Carlisle joined them.
“One of the lads who was already here, Coker... And Private Cavill.” He laid a gentle hand on Dunwit's shoulder. “I'm sorry, Reg. I know you two joined together.”
Dunwit slumped, his eyes misting.
“Jesus. I've known him since we were lads. I know his mum... What will I tell her, when we get back, Sarge?”
“What we always tell them, lad. That her son died a hero.”
He looked out into the distance, his eyes far away.
“That's what we always tell them...”
***
Callum slowly dismounted the steps from the battlements, and walked unsteadily towards the main building. Elizabeth and Nathaniel came out to meet him. As they saw the glazed look in the dragon-blood's eyes, Nathaniel reached out to take his arm.
“No!”
The lead agent's hand froze halfway to his.
“The soldiers are watching. If they see me pass out, it'll ruin everything we've just accomplished. Get me inside first.”
He walked through the door, then staggered as his legs failed to bear his weight. His friends grabbed his arms, holding him up on his feet as they half carried him back to the mess hall.
“God almighty Callum, how much energy did you burn?”
“A lot. I hope we've got time before the bastard comes again.”
Elizabeth came over from the kitchen, wielding a cup of tea and a mug of brandy. She handed them to the exhausted mage, who drank gratefully.
“That'll pick you up a bit.” she said flatly.
“Thanks.”
“What possessed you to do that, you stupid sod?” she snapped.
“It was instinct. When those things came out of the towers, it all got a bit complicated.”
She glared at him, then sighed, and glanced at Nathaniel.
“What were they? I've not come across them before.”
“Bogtrolls.” he said primly. “It seems our enemy has a long arm. They're offshoots of goblins, and they're usually only found in eastern Europe. I'd never have expected to see them here – they need swamps to survive.”
“I don't think survival was the goal.” Callum said “It just wanted to whittle us down. And it's working.”
“Do you think we can hold out for another two days?”
“I don't know, Nathaniel, I truly don't.” He sipped at
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