The Accidental Archmage - Book Five, Edmund Batara [best way to read ebooks txt] 📗

said. “We wouldn’t want to encounter cannibals again. Our group is lessened by two and we don’t have Asem to tell us whether they’re abominations.”

***

The group stealthily positioned itself on an escarpment overlooking the impending life-and-death struggle on the plains, taking care to avoid being seen. Kobu watched their rear, saying that of all of them, he was the least knowledgeable about the region.

It was as Habrok said. A square marked by tall rectangular shields, with a trio of long thin spikes on each, and a group of well-armored individuals forming an inner wall, bristling with spears and pikes. Around them were a lot of lizards, and their sizes ranged from that of a mule up to a large horse. The beasts were sand-colored, with spots of dark brown or black. Natural camouflage, thought Tyler who could see the creatures were quick for their size. They look like Komodo dragons, but longer and bigger.

“Those men are not panicking, sire,” whispered Tyndur. “It appears this is a situation they are well-acquainted with.”

Tyler grunted his assent. He could see the group had a few archers in the middle letting loose their arrows. But considering the size and speed of their targets, the mage could see only two lizards had fallen to their efforts.

“How many warriors?” he asked Habrok.

“Forty-six, sire. No casualties so far. The beasts are more difficult to estimate,” said the ranger, anticipating the mage’s next question. “But I’ll hazard around 200 to 250. By their behavior, around three packs of lizards are involved. The warriors could handle it as long as they don’t break.”

A series of fiery explosions suddenly erupted among the pacing lizards which had not yet attempted to rush the defensive square.

They have a mage with them, and I guess it’s their leader, observed Tyler as he focused on an armored figure in Greek armor standing with upraised arms in the middle of the square.

But despite the attack, the lizards didn’t rush the humans. They kept on circling the armored formation, a fact that had Tyler puzzled. He turned to the ranger.

“Why didn’t they attack?”

“I haven’t heard of these beasts, sire. But I guess they’re mutations of the Barrens and could only be found in these wastelands. They do appear highly intelligent, so my guess would be they’re waiting for more of their kind,” replied Habrok grimly.

Abruptly, rapidly-crawling figures appeared on the horizon, as if in sudden validation of Habrok’s conjecture. The field in the distance swarmed with the new arrivals. A huge lizard below them raised its head and gave off a loud, weird sound–a combined hiss and a growl. The arriving beasts, though still some distance away, responded in kind, resulting in a deafening cacophony echoing throughout the dry plain.

“What a horrible, horrible noise!” commented Tyndur in a low voice.

Tyler smiled at the einherjar.

“Just be thankful they didn’t appear at our back,” he told the warrior.

“Don’t tempt me, sire. I was a good hunter back then. I wager I could imitate that call. Or not waste time and rush the beasts,” said the einherjar with a wicked grin.

“No, not yet, Tyndur. All in good time. We need to be sure about these humans and what’s facing them,” the mage hurriedly replied.

Tyler asked Habrok to confirm if the humans were in any manner identifiable with the cannibal hunters they had encountered. Being in the Barrens had made the mage warier than usual. He thought only Earth’s myths and legends existed on Adar, together with its native fauna, but apparently, mutations also existed in the magical world. That was an unwelcome thought, given the multitude of possible permutations of such transmutations. Then he thought about the energy spirits in his staff.

Anything is possible, then. Who am I to argue otherwise? I have a big dragon egg inside my staff, unbelievable as that may sound.

“No, sire. They appear to be of a different tribe or culture. I never met their kind before, though judging from the armor, they had dealings with the Greeks. But probably the Pelasgians, whose territory borders this part of the Barrens.” Habrok’s answer swiftly brought him back from his musing. Queries addressed to Tyndur and Kobu also got the same answer.

“Then we’re bound to extend help. I can’t just watch and observe them turned into early dinner for these scaly eaters,” replied Tyler. “But we’ll wait until the latecomers arrive.”

The mass of lizards grew impressively as the new packs joined those surrounding the formation. By Habrok’s estimate, the number of scaly beasts had increased to twice their original number, and more were still on the way.

“Battle plan, sire?” asked Tyndur, eyeing the numerous additions to the predators below them.

“Magical spells and Habrok’s arrows to thin the crowd. Then we go down this escarpment. Habrok, stay beside me. Kobu and Tyndur will guard our flanks and backs. Keep our formation tight. A prow shield will protect our front and an energy wall, our backs. But the barrier will only be at chest height to allow us to engage them, though it does pose the disadvantage of being exposed to leaping attacks from the beasts. We will start with that horde of lizards on our left. Hopefully, that will ease the pressure on the defenders.”

“When do we attack?” asked Kobu.

“Once those beasts initiate their assault on the square,” replied Tyler.

Kobu laughed. “After what we have been through, this would be more of an exercise.”

“I wonder if roasted lizard would taste good?” wondered Tyndur as he gazed upon the undulating, living field below them.

Then the inevitable happened. But not as Tyler expected the scenario to play out. He thought the beasts would act like animal predators on Earth–probing attacks and feints to pick out the weak spots of the square. Instead, the creatures suddenly assaulted en masse all the sides of the formation. Some got messily skewered on the spikes of protective rectangular shields, but the weight of their dead bodies merely broke the wall of metal.

The strength and quick movements of the predators served them well in pushing aside