I’m about to relax when another makes it to my side between Sylas and me. I start to move for it, but stop and watch as Sylas’s arm darts out in my direction. Before I can even blink, he has the handle of my spear in his hand and shoves the end into the abominations chin. Then spins around, lifts the spear above his head and jabs it through its skull. We both stick our feet out at the same time and kick it to the ground towards the pile of bodies, both human and beast.
He exchanges a look with me as we breathe in the sight and then his lips part like he’s about to say something when someone yells out.
“Over there, towards the East part of the wall!” a man yells, pointing in that direction. “They’re starting to be overrun!”
Sylas glances around and then nods his head in that direction. I follow his gaze, my eyes widening at the sight of people fighting off the beasts, launching them back off and slicing them when they get near the top. The abominations just keep coming in huge clusters and the cars that create the wall are starting to buckle below their weight.
One abomination grabs a woman by the leg, sinking his teeth into her then bounds off the wall, taking her with them. They disappear into the group below, a sea of drooling beast, flesh peeling off, rotting, legs crooked, yet they’re strong.
Sylas nudges me in the back to go and we take off towards where they’re being overtaken, making a path along the top of the wall while keeping our eyes on the section about to collapse.
Another abomination jumps up onto the wall by my side as I’m heading there and pounces on top of me, side swiping me. Its rotting flesh slams against my face as I fall to the ground. I can smell its putrid scent as it covers me with its decaying body. I flip over onto my back and move to put my legs up, but it hovers over me, snarling, and then opens its mouth to take a bite. I manage to get my legs up and kick forcefully upward, launching it off me. Then, I spring to my feet, looking around for Sylas.
He’s fighting another one off behind me, stabbing the spear into its chest. I twirl around, but trip back as a beast in front of me charges. I put my weight down on my knees, baring my balance, preparing my body for impact. Seconds later, our bodies collide and we both fly back from the force. I land on my side and it drops not too far away from me, right on the edge. Before it can recover, I jump to my feet, rush over to it and push it over the edge, watching it fall to the ground.
Sylas finishes off the beast he’s fighting then tosses me the spear. I catch it effortlessly and we begin to run again, jumping acrobatically over gaps in the wall, stabbing abominations as they reach the top beside us. I pause for a moment, panting and sweating as I look back over the wall. The monsters seem endless. We’ve barely made a dent in their masses and they’re starting to cover the top of the wall.
At the back of the crowd are the Highers, watching it all; watching what they’ve created, watching our numbers fade. To the side of them is Aiden, his dark eyes on me. Just to the side of him is the man that raised me, or so I thought.
Monarch.
Anger boils inside of me, making me feel like I could burst. The anger fuels my energy and I begin to move quicker, swinging the spear around and stabbing any beast near me, knocking one after the other to the ground. It feels like my spear is attached to my very arms, as though I’m not even holding onto it as I rip and tear into their flesh. They howl and nip at everything around them. I’m not even sure what’s controlling me. Somehow, I’ve become the perfect soldier; however I’m doing this for good. Doing this to help mankind.
The herd of monsters begins to dwindle with my burst of energy and violence, but just as I think things are in our favor, I turn around, my jaw dropping. Dozens more are climbing the walls in waves, biting and clawing at the guards as they reach the top. Through my blind rage, I see something driving towards the wall with catastrophic force. An abomination, but it’s different; stronger, bigger. It stands higher than everything else, at least twice as big as the rest with huge chunks of flesh hanging from its body, it’s teeth razor sharp.
Before I can even react, it rams at top speed into the wall. There’s a loud ripple and then the wall explodes like it was struck by dy***ite. People are sent flying from the force. I’m thrown with them, unable to withstand the force.
Time slows down as people scream and fight around me.
Slow motion…
I can’t think…
For a moment, I think I hear Sylas yelling at me in terror. Something’s about to happen and then seconds later, I slam head first into the ground below.
Then everything goes dark.
Chapter 24
My eyes slowly open. Glimpses of people running and panicking flow through my mind. Some lie on the ground, motionless, some are screaming, others are groaning and working to get to their feet. Fires burn from torches and reflect into my eyes. I see the sky. It’s dark. It hurts my head to look at it.
Footsteps surround me as the abominations begin to pour through the collapsed wall. Some of the guards and people start to run back into the city as they fight the hordes of monsters coming at them from all directions.
As I fade in and out of consciousness, I grasp the reality of the situation. We’re going to be overrun. It’s over. I think I always knew this would happen. Even when Maci was telling me I could do it. I refuse to give up, though. I must fight until the end.
But how can it all end if the monsters and Highers still exist?
Mustering up the last bit of strength I have, I snap myself out of my daze and try to get up. Pain shoots through my shoulder at the slightest bit of movement. It’s out of place and I need to get it back in. I hold my breath and twist my body, grimacing as I feel a pop and it slides back into place. Warm liquid trickles from my head, yet I can already feel my body working to heal itself; mend my bones, bring the life back into me.
I glance around as I sit up straight, searching for a weapon. Just a ways in front of me, in a pile of broken metal and glass, is a dagger. I crawl over to it and pick it up. Then I breathe in and out, giving my body a few more minutes before I spring back to my feet and join the fight again.
The beasts are everywhere. On the wall, through the wall, running in through the gap in the wall. I quickly jump on top of one of the monsters that are ripping a person to pieces and stab it with my dagger, slicing its flesh apart. Blood spills out as it throws its head back and howls, however it lets go of the person in the process. I lift the dagger high above me as I hold onto its back then drive it down just below its head, sinking it in deep. It starts to run, but its knees give out and it falls to the ground, yelping.