Parushi and I stayed away as its body twitched. Its blood stained the grass, and it kept thrashing its head, but the rest of its body fell completely still. The sun beat down on us mercilessly from above, sticking my sweaty hair to my forehead, cheeks, and neck. Parushi licked her parched lips and held her dagger at the ready, maintaining her distance and keeping her weight on the balls of her feet.
I took an arrow from my quiver and nocked it as I approached the Porcugi. I nudged the tip of its tail with my foot, but its body didn’t move.
“Paralyzed,” I said.
Parushi nodded. “Still dangerous, though. We need to finish it.”
“Maybe we can talk to it.”
“You think it’s going to want to talk after that?” Parushi arched an eyebrow skeptically.
I didn’t answer as I approached the monster’s head. It strained its neck to look at me, whipping it back and forth as it hissed, but there was no denying it was getting weaker. Its mouth hung open, and its breaths were raspy. Its yellow eyes had round brown centers, but they narrowed into slits when they met mine.
It hissed again, but this time there was a cadence to it, like a phrase or a sentence instead of a scream.
“What?—” I stopped as the monster opened its mouth wide.
Two large fangs popped down from behind the row of small pointed teeth. Each was easily one hand long, and their sharp tips curved inward. Without a moment’s hesitation, I shot an arrow between its eyes.
My aim was true.
The beast shuddered one last time before its head fell to the ground, and its scales dulled into shades of gray.
Chapter 13
Parushi and I stood next to each other, panting. Sweat?—and the Spirits knew what else?—plastered my hair to my face. I tried to gather it into my bun, but it was no use. Continuing to stand here was useless too. We needed to keep going. I picked up my sword and wiped the crusting blood off the blade.
“Where to?” Parushi asked.
Screams echoed from the beach and around the fort as the clash of metal against metal rang out. It was impossible to know how many we faced, but even if it was just a few, they would be difficult to overcome. The Porcugi were relentless, and our soldiers were undoubtedly taken by surprise. The specter of the monsters alone was enough to make anyone question their sanity. Add to that their strength and the practically impenetrable scales on their bodies, and I began to realize how many pyres would light the night tomorrow.
Our soldiers probably needed all the help they could get, but my heart was pulled around the corner to the front of the fort. A part of me knew that Ektha should be safe with five guards to protect her, but I needed to be sure.
“We go to find Ektha,” I said. “Once we know that she’s inside, we’ll rejoin the fight.”
After a stare toward the battle-worn shores, Parushi nodded, and we sprinted toward the front of the fort. Ahead, a few bodies wearing the blue uniform of Ullal lay strewn on the grass. More Porcugi must have broken through and entered the fort’s grounds. I tried to call to Parushi, but my voice was drowned out by trumpets blaring from the top of the fort.
Three long. Another set of horns toward the front gate repeated the call. Three long. The rooftop trumpets confirmed the order by blasting three times again.
A signal to open the main gate? Now?
“No!” I screamed. It had to be a trap!
Somehow, I needed to warn the guards at the gates. I lost all sense of feeling as I ran. The energy that had drained out of me after the fight with the Porcugi came roaring back, and with each heartbeat my steps grew stronger. I cursed the size of this dratted building as every step was swallowed by its enormousness, making my progress seem futile.
Parushi reached the corner and turned to the front of the fort before I did. She let out a whoop as she slipped out of my view. I rounded the corner and found Parushi leaping into the air with her fist raised.
Six soldiers in Ullal’s blue uniform held the massive fort doors open, and a stream of people in jade tunics flowed in. Their numbers increased, surging in strength, as the doors opened wide. Yellow sashes trailed behind them as they sprinted toward the beach. All of them were armed to the teeth with bows, arrows, swords, daggers, and staffs. The man in front unsheathed his blade and pointed to the back of the fort.
“To the beach!” he cried as he ran toward our side of the building. “For Banghervari! For glory!”
“Banghervari!” the soldiers answered as they followed. Their trumpets rang out with ours.
Parushi and I raised our fists to them as they ran by. We screamed loud enough to wake the Spirits. “Banghervari!”
The soldiers made their way to the battle on the beach, carried on a breeze of hope. Or perhaps creating it. A cry of joy arose from Ullal’s soldiers as they caught sight of the reinforcements.
Trumpets rang out triumphantly from the beach. It seemed the tide had turned with the arrival of our suddenly staunch allies. I mentally thanked Raja Lakshmappa for sending his soldiers. Perhaps there was more to him than his pretty face.
