“There is a large group following us,” Wyant reported loudly. “Very large.”
“And there are some at the next intersection in front of us,” added the Torak as he felt his sword warming in his hands. “I can feel them. We may need the help of you in the rear to get out of this.”
Mobi immediately turned and ran up behind Halman. DarkBlade understood the move. He also went to the left and advanced, but not quite as far. He kept pace alongside the middle of the procession, making sure the Star of Sakova was protected. Wyant remained the sole rear guard. As the Torak stopped into the intersection, he saw a large group of hellsouls coming towards him from the left.
“Stay on the lead, Gunta,” ordered the Torak as he separated from the group and claimed the center of the side street.
As Halman moved into the intersection, Marak edged slightly to the right to make room for him. They guarded the left flank of the procession as Gunta kept the group moving forward. The hellsouls attacked.
The Torak swung his long sinuous blade back and forth as he continued to edge to the right. Puffs of smoke rose rapidly as the Sword of Torak ripped through the hellsouls. Alongside Marak, Halman chose his swings carefully. His long sword reached out and decapitated hellsouls as they approached. Mobi soon joined him with his long spear slashing into the hellsouls. He aimed for the neck, but he struck so swiftly that some hellsouls fell to the ground with their heads intact. Whenever he could, he slashed at the necks of the fallen hellsouls as well as the advancing ones.
Suddenly, brilliance lit the air. Axor tossed a light blade at the charging hellsouls. He aimed it at shoulder height. The blades of light ripped into the hellsouls, several columns of smoke drifted upward at the same time.
“Excellent,” shouted Temiker as he watched the display. “It does not matter much how the heads come off.”
“Aim neck high,” cautioned Axor as he released another light blade, “And don’t strike our own men.”
“Marak!” shouted Gunta as he saw the crowd of hellsouls forming in front of him, “I need you.”
The Torak looked over his shoulder and saw DarkBlade moving into the intersection. The group was half way through the intersection. With a final slash at the nearest hellsoul, the Emperor turned and ran towards the front of the procession. Halman immediately moved to the right, as did Mobi. Temiker turned and sent a light blade streaming past Wyant and into the group of hellsouls that were following them. Several puffs of smoke appeared and the hellsouls hesitated in their approach. LunarSigh joined Axor by sending light blades into the side street.
“Warriors forward,” instructed Lyra as she saw the group in front of them. “Leave the side street to the mages.”
Halman and Mobi dashed forward. DarkBlade faded back to join the procession alongside Lyra before moving forward. With the warriors out of the way, the mages sent light blades streaming into the side street. The hellsouls broke and ran. The humans turned to attack those behind them, but that group had stopped following them.
At the front of the procession, Marak raced back to the lead spot just in time to help Gunta with the first of the hellsouls. The procession halted as the two warriors tried to stop the creatures from advancing. Halman, Mobi, and DarkBlade soon appeared and formed a united front across the avenue. As soon as the five warriors were in place, the Torak called for them to advance.
Four long swords and a spear lashed into the crowd of hellsouls as the group began moving forward again. DarkBlade’s vicious severing of heads soon earned the admiration of the other warriors who had faced the hellsouls before. For several minutes the five warriors pushed into the mob of creatures, lopping off heads with almost every stroke. The swords of the hellsouls were too short for them to effectively defend themselves. The long two-handed swords struck before the creatures could do any damage. After several minutes, the hellsouls turned and ran.
“How is the rear?” the Torak shouted as the hellsouls retreated from in front of him.
“They are being cautious,” Wyant shouted back. “They are still following us, but not closely.”
“Do you carry Sakovan stars?” the Torak asked DarkBlade.
“I do,” the Sakovan warrior answered.
“Get some ready,” instructed the Torak as he sheathed his sword. “You too, Gunta and Halman. They will not vanquish these creatures, but they will buy us time as we approach the temple.”
The warriors sheathed their swords and filled their hands with Sakovan stars. Mobi kept his spear ready. Marak could see the temple a little over a block away. There were only a few hellsouls visible, but he knew that the open plaza would be filled with them.
“The temple is the large building on the right coming up,” Marak said loudly. “Rejji, I want you to lead the group up the steps and inside the building. You will run as soon as the way is clear. Make sure the mages are with you. They can cover for the warriors when we have to retreat.”
The Torak heard Rejji giving orders to the mages and turned his attention to the approaching plaza. He was thinking so much of what might await them in the plaza that he did not feel the warming of his sword. A hellsoul leaped out of a doorway on the left of the procession. DarkBlade immediately spun and threw a Sakovan star at it. It struck the hellsoul in the center of its forehead. Mobi raced towards it before it had completed its fall to the ground. His long spear sliced cleanly through its neck. As the empty cloak fell to the ground, Mobi returned to his position. DarkBlade smiled and nodded at the Qubari warrior.
As the procession reached the plaza, Emperor Marak ordered the warriors to wheel to the left, leaving a path to the steps of the temple open. Axor tossed a light blade across the plaza at the hellsouls that were heading toward the group. The spell sliced into the bodies, but none were decapitated. Several of the creatures fell to the ground.
Loud shrieking filled the plaza as the group emerged from the avenue. The Torak tossed a Sakovan star at the closest creature. As the hellsoul collapsed to the ground the other warriors started throwing stars. Rejji broke into a run and raced towards the steps of the temple. Lyra, Bakhai, LunarSigh, Temiker, and Axor raced after him. Wyant joined the warriors as they moved slowly to their right, edging closer to the temple.
Rejji ran up the stairs and pushed the doors of the temple open. Bakhai raced through the doors, his long spear ready for anything that might already be inside. As Lyra and LunarSigh ran up the stairs, a hellsoul stepped out from behind a column supporting the porch roof. Rejji turned and slammed his staff viciously into the hellsoul. It struck the hellsoul on the side of the head. The creature disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Axor was the next to arrive. Instead of entering the temple, he stood alongside the door. Temiker, panting from exertion finally climbed the steps and stood on the opposite side of the door. Rejji turned and followed Lyra and LunarSigh into the temple.
Axor gazed across the plaza as the warriors continued to inch closer to the temple. Four of the warriors threw Sakovan stars whenever a hellsoul tried to approach. Wyant and Mobi stood ready to dispatch any creatures that came closer.
“Now we provide the distraction,” Axor said softly to Temiker. “Are you recovered enough for this?”
“I will live,” retorted Temiker as he inhaled deeply. “It has been a long time since I had to run. Let’s do it.”
Axor nodded and tossed a light blade over the heads of the warriors. Temiker followed the example a little further to the right. Both light blades tore into the hellsouls, sending body parts flying in a mist of tissue and bone.
“Now,” shouted the Torak. ‘Retreat swiftly to the temple.”
The Torak stuffed the stars into a pouch and drew his sword. Gunta and Halman followed suit and flanked the Emperor. Wyant, Mobi, and DarkBlade turned and ran several dozen paces before stopping. DarkBlade pulled his sword and shouted a word to the Torak. The three Khadorans turned and ran past the other three warriors, stopping at the base of the steps of the temple and turning to protect the retreat.