Chapter 30

Tirr launched himself towards where Reynold and Rills stood, still frozen in shock at Garm’s sudden appearance. Reynolds reacted quickly though throwing another flare at Tirr to keep him away as he called out orders to the men. Baron Rills fled taking up a place in between both fights as he stared in fear at the Beast. Before the knight Captain could finish his orders, Garm jumped forward landing among Baron Rills men at the middle of the breach.

Knights scrambled as came down, some caught under Garm’s enormous paws were directly crushed, left on the ground motionless. He swung around, teeth flashing as he tore into another Knight, taking advantage of their confused state.

As the 1st Knight Captains orders finally came down they struggled to follow, trying to arrange themselves around the Beast. It was unstoppable in a direct confrontation, so they took to attacking it from the back as it turned on another of their number.

As Garm turned his attention to one side they would rush forward to strike, but their swords and spears seemed to have no effect. Even worse, Garm would lash out with a hind paw or tail sending the knights flying, their armor crushed and distorted. More knights fell as Garm cheerfully followed his master’s orders.

Meanwhile Reynold struggled to continue to hold off Tirr, boy’s speed had grown again his healing seemed to continue as if it made no difference how many times Reynold pressured him. The boy god was closing the distance quickly as he rolled and dove to avoid each flare, always heading forward.

As Tirr got up from his last dodge and sprang forward again the Knight Captain threw yet another flare. This time, instead of rolling or dodging, Tirr’s arm whipped forward releasing the stone he had picked up. It struck the small ball of fire just as it reached the mid-point between them and caused it to explode. Tirr took off through the smoke arriving in front of the Knight captain as he pulled back his fist.

Seeing Tirr in front of him, Reynold grinned. He tossed away his shield, revealing the hidden flare he had been saving over the course of the fight. Tirr noticed immediately but couldn’t stop himself midair as he flew toward the Knight Captain.

The Knight Captain lifted the large flare in between them and detonated just before Tirr could make contact. There was roar as fire and smoke went hurtling out and the ground shook from the force. Both man and child were sent tumbling away.

Reynold came to a halt and struggled to get up while coughing up blood. His own flames couldn’t hurt him but the impact from the explosion had left him a mess. He resisted the urge to throw up as he looked toward the other side of the small crater his attack had left. That had been the strongest attack he could use without the Shard going wild.

As the smoke cleared, he could see the small form of a child on the ground. He started to laugh, untill he realized the form was still moving, slowly getting up as once again it’s flesh and bone regenerated.

He looked at his own men still struggling against the villagers up ahead and back at the rest of the 3rd Knight Order, still being torn apart by the giant Beast the lad somehow controlled. He grimaced back at the still recovering Tirr before moving away towards where the Baron’s men were fighting Garm.

“Retreat! Fall back!” Reynold yelled. His last attack had left him feeling drained and with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Baron Rills, who had still been frozen in disbelief and fear at the appearance of the large beast, was awakened by the words. “What do you mean retreat Captain!?” He shrieked as he waddled towards Reynolds.

“You useless piece of shit! Do you know what his Highness spent on you? And now you’re too lazy to even do your job properly, finish off that boy already and kill that ugly…” As Rills shrieked in his face Reynold stayed calm for a moment. Before suddenly reaching out and clamping a hand over the man’s mouth.

He held the short pudgy man with one hand while the other stayed firmly clamped on the Baron’s mouth. “I don’t give a shit about you or that pampered Prince.” Reynold growled through his teeth at the man he held.

“The deal we had in no way mentioned me dying for you assholes. Your info was wrong. That…” The Knight Captain said, “Is not a Shard User. And I don’t plan on sticking around to find out what it actually is.”

The Baron tried to yell at the man and shake of the hands that held him but couldn’t. Soon the yells turned into muffled blood curdling screams as his cheeks started to glow and blood stated to pour from his nose and ears.

The knight Captain held him still as he concentrated the power of his shard into the man’s body. “You want him dead so bad? Do it yourself!” The Knight Captain yelled as he hoisted the small man up and spun, tossing him towards the still staggering Tirr.

The Baron screamed as his smoking and burning body rolled to a stop. Tirr watched as his body expanded, the screaming growing worse and worse until the Baron’s body couldn’t hold on any longer. It burst apart, sending blood, steam, and flame exploding out. The impact sent Tirr flying once again as he tried to get out of the way.

Reynold’s didn’t stop this time as he called for his men to run. Those that had been fighting the villagers just scattered, with the villagers in no condition to chase. Those that had been fighting Garm fled as well leaving anyone that couldn’t get away as they scrambled out of the breach in the wall before calling for their horses to come get them.

Garm pounced on a few more before turning his anger on the man his master had been fighting.

He launched himself teeth flashing at the Knight Captain who grunted as he used the last of his strength to prepare another flare.

Tirr saw the scene and called out a warning. Garm heard his master at the last second and tried to spring away as the flare came at him. It struck him on his left shoulder as he jumped away. When Garm landed he felt his leg give under him and Tirr could see the awful mess the attack had left.

As Tirr ran towards his companion, Reynold followed his men out of the village, quickly finding his own horse as he looked back at the injured beast and the boy that now knelt beside it.

Tirr struggled as he poured his remaining strength into the whimpering guardian under him. He looked up furious at the man who had done it just in time to see the Knight Captain looking back at him. The both grimaced and turned.

The Knight Captain leading his men as the fled from the village, what was once an army of over 100 now only a couple dozen.

Tirr used up what remaining strength he had to stop Garm’s bleeding before collapsing on Garm’s blood cover fur. In the background he could hear Doron and he called out orders towards the villagers before everything slowly faded away, except for that same voice he heard every night.

“I’m sorry Tirr…”