Chapter 9: The Skeleton Hill (I)

“Wait!”

Before they reached the crest of a hill in the first meadow, the woman in full armor leading the way signaled for her three companions to stop.

The four of them came to an abrupt halt, holding their breath.

Along with the sound of the wind stirring the leaves of the scattered trees across the meadow, a strange clattering began to drift toward them.

“It’s coming from the other side of the hill,” whispered a short man gripping two knives. “Kaliken, you’re nothing but trouble. Stay where you are. Leave this to us.”

Soon, the source of the clattering began to come into view at the top of the hill.

First came the hollow skull, then the rest of its skeletal body, protected by an ancient suit of rusted armor.

In its right hand it carried a simple wooden spear tipped with rusted steel. On its left, a round shield in the same condition.

“It’s just a skeleton…” said a burly man, lowering his war axe.

“But what’s a skeleton doing here?” asked a lean man carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows. “There are no graves or ruins in Eryndea. It’s a newborn world, after all…”

“It doesn’t matter what it’s doing here,” the burly man said, resting his heavy axe on one shoulder as he started toward it. “In a moment, it won’t be doing anything.”

“Don’t get careless, Ritten,” the armored woman warned.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

“It’s all yours. Shooting arrows at a skeleton would be a waste of time,” the archer added.

The burly man waved a hand without looking back, letting him know he understood.

“Ha, you’re just afraid of missing with all those holes,” the man with the daggers mocked.

“Say whatever you want,” the archer replied.

Once he was close enough, Ritten gripped his axe with both hands again.

“Hah!”

Clank!

“What?!”

The skeleton had somehow managed to withstand Ritten’s charge with its shield.

“What is this thing, the remains of some hero? A veteran of a hundred wars?” the burly man complained.

Clink! Clank!

Two quick spear thrusts shot toward Ritten, but with surprising agility, he managed to knock both aside with his axe.

“Indeed…” the armored woman said. “To withstand the charge of a demigod, this is no ordinary undead.”

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“Oh, really?”

Swish!

Crack!

The short man had appeared behind the skeleton and, with a quick slash, severed its skull from the spine.

“Sounds like an excuse to me, haha-“

Thud!

“Agh!”

But before he could finish laughing, an arrow pierced his shoulder.

“Above us! On the hill!” the archer shouted.

This time, a group of ten skeletons had appeared at the summit. Three carried bows, three swords, and the other four, like the first, bore spears and shields.

“Everyone, take positions!” the woman shouted. “Beldin, can you still move?”

“The bastard ruined one of my arms, but I’ve still got the other!”

“Behind me,” Ritten shouted.

“I’ll put arrows through their skulls!” the slender man yelled, drawing his bow. “Ritten, the ones up front are yours!”

“Beldin, I’m sorry, but you have to go after the archers. You’re the fastest.”