War of the Words/Chapter 31

For the next fifty minutes the battle continued, Tralin and Darin struggling to press through the undead and Delnar and his men struggling for survival but gradually moving to swell the enemy ranks instead.

Darin felt cold terror as he saw that the Derenian ship had departed into the harbor, apparently unable to repel unwanted boarders any longer. He turned to tell Tralin, but a pillar from one of the burning buildings crashed upon him with a shower of glowing embers.

Tralin watched the pillar fall with distress and then, very uncharacteristically, let out a string of expletives. Turning, he changed his tactic to creating a magical barrier and frantically struggled to uncover the fallen spy from the rubble before he either died from the weight or from burns and asphyxiation.

Delnar felt the cold touch and the pain in his side even as he struck the undead down and turned to fight another. He could not think of it. He had to press on, his men and his king depended on him. Yet the wound was grievous, and as Delnar fought, he continued to bleed.

"Daylight!" a knight cheered. "The sun comes!"

Tralin followed the knight's gaze and saw that it was true. The light of day was streaming onto the horizon. With a note of relief, he noticed something else. Other then the occasional sword clang, the dawn had fallen silent. The music had ceased. "The undead will flee the advance of the sun! Keep on them. Press on; with day, our rescue comes."

"Ouch," Darin murmured. "What happened?"

"You were stuck by a flaming log. Your injuries are not severe; you'll survive."

"Fool!" Darin exclaimed. "You took the time to save me? You risked your own life when you are supposed to be saving your men."

"Careful, Darin," Tralin jeered. "I might believe you gave a damn."