The Raven Collection

Above, the sky was dark again. The images changed.

‘Fall back.’

Sol’s voice sounded through each and every one of them. Above, the black images had changed. Demons tortured souls where they stretched away from the Soul Tank. Protectors had masks ripped from their faces and they died in torment.

Strength. Move fast. Don’t look back.

The Protectors turned and ran. Behind them, the Garonin unleashed a storm of raw white power.

Chapter 47

Hirad watched helpless while the Garonin slaughtered the Protectors. Erie

The Garonin had materialised in huge numbers just too far away for the Protectors to reach. Their only course was to try and get back inside the shield. The white tears spoke another outcome. Protectors were hurled forward. Backs of skulls were crushed in. Holes were punched through chests and legs were blasted from beneath strong bodies.

Hirad could see Ark, and now Aeb, ru

‘Be ready, Raven! Steady, Erie

‘No! You don’t understand. Well you do but you don’t. Gods drowning, what am I saying? You lot only believe so far. I see it now. I see everything. We are just spirits. They ca

‘We haven’t time for this, Ilks. If you believe, cast something to help us.’

Hirad never took his eyes from the Protectors. White tears splashed against the few that remained. Less than fifty. A masked man fell against Aeb’s legs, bringing him down. Ark stopped to drag him clear. Fire splashed across Aeb’s body, tearing it apart where he lay. Ark ran on. The few ran through the barrier, stopped, turned and faced.

The mass of the Garonin surged at them.

‘Listen to me, Gods drowning, listen!’

‘Cast, Ilkar you bastard. Just cast!’

‘All right, I will.’

Hirad drew a deep breath and picked his first target. He dared a glance left and right. The line was solid but there was precious little in reserve. The TaiGethen held the flanks by the edifice. The Raven warrior trio had the centre with Protectors filling the gaps in between. The Garonin came through the shield.

Darrick fenced a weapon aside. He found a gap in the enemy defence and slid his sword up under his arm. The soldier fell. The one behind him opened fire. White tears splattered against the shield. He closed, still firing.

Hirad tore into the Garonin ahead of him. He batted away a weapon, smashed his fist high into the soldier’s faceplate and dashed the pommel of his sword into the side of his helmet. The soldier fell. Hirad leapt over him.

The Protector line struck their targets. Hirad felt the power. Axes came down in unison. Blood sprayed into the ivory sky. Swords flashed through. The Garonin juddered to a temporary standstill. The Protectors stepped up, still just inside the shield. Hirad saw an axe remove the arm of one Garonin. He saw that same axe turn out to block a thrust to a brother Protector. And he saw the Protector lose his head to a stream of white tears as it moved a fraction beyond safety.

‘The line’s not going to hold,’ shouted Darrick.

The earth shook just beyond Erie

The ground of Ulandeneth heaved. Mighty spears of rock thrust up, spilling Garonin to either side. High the walls of bedrock climbed, and between them hundreds of enemy soldiers were standing and staring. The ivory mountains shuddered to a halt, loose pebbles ru

Ilkar clapped his hands.

Hirad fell back a pace and had to turn his head away. The dread thump of the low mountains coming together was augmented in his imagination by the crunch of bones. Enemies, yes, but snuffed out so coldly. Surviving Garonin were too stu

‘That was some trick for an elf who can’t see a way.’

‘What did I tell you? They ca

But outside the survivors reformed. Still over a hundred remained. They scattered themselves across the front of the shield, raised their weapons and ran.

‘Ilkar, we need another of those.’

‘No time. Just believe what I say.’

‘Ilkar. A shield,’ said Sol. ‘I need Erie

The Garonin breached Erie

‘No time, Unknown!’ he called.

‘Make time.’

‘Shield up,’ said Ilkar.

Hirad was plucked away.

‘Unknown, no!’

‘It is our last chance. The Garonin will break us eventually. We have to complete the job and hide the door from them. First we need every soul to cross. Thousands are coming in from the void, heading for rest. Now we need the living to join them. Erie

Sol’s voice was like a warm cloak about Hirad’s shoulders. He could sense Erie

‘Why me?’

‘Why do you think she named our son Hirad?’

‘Thought that was your idea.’

‘No.’

‘She’ll want it to have been you she saw, big man.’

‘You’ll understand why I ca

The Unknown’s voice was leaden. Hirad felt his regret as if it was his own.

‘It’s probably for the best,’ said Hirad.

‘I can think of no scenario where that would be true. Just tell them I’ll be watching over them always.’

The blur coalesced. Hirad and Erie

Denser could feel her before she appeared before them. The four of them were ru

Erie