PROLOGUE
She grabbed a bow and a half-empty quiver from one of the dead mean on the ground. His blood was still warm, sticking to the handle. From the light of the fires blazing in the distance, she could almost make out his face. It was someone from town, a shopkeeper or a mill worker. The look of complete terror that would be forever frozen on his face only reminded her of her duty. Get up, get away.
She could hear the orcs screaming in the distance. The tears she wanted to cry, the screams she wanted to scream were all caught in her chest. She was choking, but she still kept running. Tripping over the dead bodies strewn all over the field, she headed for the small cluster of trees that bordered the village, now in flames. She scrambled up, trying to get as high as she could. Her hands were throbbing from the scrapes she won from continually falling over the bodies; the tree branches had whipped her face raw. The blood, dirt and sweat formed a hard mask on her face.
Trying to regain her composure, she heaved a few deep sighs while balancing on a branch. They were coming closer. With her shaking hands, she tried to fit an arrow onto the bow. She attempted to aim, but her left eye was swollen shut, and both eyes were teary. Her first shot hit something – she could only pray it was an orc, not one of the few makeshift warriors the town had left. She fired again. Another orc down. His squealing chilled her. They knew where she was now…they were coming for her. Three arrows whizzed by her ear, narrowly missing her head. Their blind shots were coming closer and closer.
"Aaaaahh…." An arrow hit her side. She crumpled, but couldn't afford to fall. The pain was searing through her side, but she managed to shoot another arrow. Nothing. It was unbearable. She was going to die, surely. How could she endure this pain and not die? "Aaaaahhhh…" Another arrow hit her in the shoulder. The screams of the orcs were becoming fainter. Either they were leaving or she was…
"Oh, Caelia. Don't let me die like this. Please don't let me die. Let me…"
She grabbed a bow and a half-empty quiver from one of the dead mean on the ground. His blood was still warm, sticking to the handle. From the light of the fires blazing in the distance, she could almost make out his face. It was someone from town, a shopkeeper or a mill worker. The look of complete terror that would be forever frozen on his face only reminded her of her duty. Get up, get away.
She could hear the orcs screaming in the distance. The tears she wanted to cry, the screams she wanted to scream were all caught in her chest. She was choking, but she still kept running. Tripping over the dead bodies strewn all over the field, she headed for the small cluster of trees that bordered the village, now in flames. She scrambled up, trying to get as high as she could. Her hands were throbbing from the scrapes she won from continually falling over the bodies; the tree branches had whipped her face raw. The blood, dirt and sweat formed a hard mask on her face.
Trying to regain her composure, she heaved a few deep sighs while balancing on a branch. They were coming closer. With her shaking hands, she tried to fit an arrow onto the bow. She attempted to aim, but her left eye was swollen shut, and both eyes were teary. Her first shot hit something – she could only pray it was an orc, not one of the few makeshift warriors the town had left. She fired again. Another orc down. His squealing chilled her. They knew where she was now…they were coming for her. Three arrows whizzed by her ear, narrowly missing her head. Their blind shots were coming closer and closer.
"Aaaaahh…." An arrow hit her side. She crumpled, but couldn't afford to fall. The pain was searing through her side, but she managed to shoot another arrow. Nothing. It was unbearable. She was going to die, surely. How could she endure this pain and not die? "Aaaaahhhh…" Another arrow hit her in the shoulder. The screams of the orcs were becoming fainter. Either they were leaving or she was…
"Oh, Caelia. Don't let me die like this. Please don't let me die. Let me…"