Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 28: Battle of the Valley pt. 1

The feeling of them grows closer and I can’t help but reach out and grab my bow suspended over my shoulder. I then grab my quiver placing it properly on my back. I know I may be acting rashly or even freaking out over nothing but that feeling, the feeling of them grows stronger every inch we ride down the valley. I look beside me and see Clare sliding her sword’s sheath to the side of her thigh, her hand grasping the handle preparing for them as well.

Unlike us, the others usually ride with their weapons already prepared but something fell around us in the air, like we all knew we were riding into the most dangerous environment they’ve been in during this trip. The valley begins to turn to the right blocking our view of what’s ahead of us. I try my best to prepare for what may come for us. As we get closer to turning that same obnoxiously chilling feeling comes over me again.

Enyo turns the corner the rest of us following him. Just as I lead my horse around the corner an ear-splitting screech fills the air. The area is just like the rest of the valley we’ve ridden through, except for the three forsaken wondering about. The one closest to us is about thirty feet ahead of us. Its colossal body almost weighing it down. Its stomach is abnormally stretched as its large wild tongue hangs from its elongated jaw. The thing is covered in that same oozing pus-filled boils covering its face and body as they leak that disgusting black blood.

The mammoth of a forsaken’s eye that isn’t completely covered by boils zeroes in on us and it’s almost like I can see its pupil blaze with anger enough to tear each of us apart. I expect it to go to Enyo who sits on his horse closest to the monster, who pulls out an elongated slick sword. Everyone pulls up their weapons ready to strike at the beast. I place my arrow and pull back my bow strings ready for it to charge but for a moment it just stands there. Its eye is not focused on the rest of the group but rather on me. As if it could smell my blood. Its face contorts in a vicious scream and launches at us.

The rounds echo out around me as the team cascades through the air as round after round slams into the giant pus-filled beast’s body but the beast just continues to charge forward. I pull back my arrow tucking it close into my jaw, I focus my arrow on its flopping large body as if all the sound of the world is drowned out I breathe in deeply focussing my aim. As I let go of my deep breath I release my arrow watching as it glistens through the sunlight hitting the beast right in his left eye. The only eye it can see through. Its usual terror-striking scream contorts into something different. Its scream filled with what would sound like utter pain.

I shudder at the sound as it sends a cold feeling down my spine. I press my middle finger on the small button on my grip causing the arrow to rip from the forsaken eye. As it rips from its eye socket its black blood sprays out as its red bloated eye comes with my arrow. I hold back my vomit as the arrow falls back in my hand with the beast’s eye. My hand clasped around its large completely red and ripe it off of my arrow. Its stench filled with black blood covering my hand as I toss it to the ground and reload my weapon. Normally I would be concerned about getting the things blood on me but it’s not like I’ll get sick from it. The beast hasn’t moved a muscle but rather looks completely lost. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The thing stumbles about confused and it’s odd, the forsaken always present as so terrifying, and yet like this as the thing stumbles about it doesn’t look as scary. Enyo rides up near it, his sword shining as he slices down cutting its head in two. The top of its head slices off as blood spills around it, the rest of its body tumbling to the ground. Further ahead the other two scream in unison as the fun towards us. These two aren’t as large, in fact, the one on the right is completely skin and bones as its head is permanently bent at an odd angle. The other on the left had large bug eyes and no arms, they look to have been torn off.

Talon shoots out behind me his shotgun almost busting my eardrum taking out the right one as Orion unloads three shots the last one hitting it in the head and taking it out. Enyo moves as quick as we all know that their screams attract others. We ride quickly past their bodies, and I follow close to Clare wiping the blood on my pants as best I can. As long as their blood doesn’t get into our bodies we are okay, but even then I won’t get infected with something I already have. As we ride farther down the valley, there’s no other sign of the forsaken. That is until we follow the twists of the valley leading to the last stretch of the valley. A mile in front of us the valley walls fall away as it opens up to another large forest. This forest unlike the others is wild and filled with an eerie ora.

Before we reach it we will have to get through the group of forsaken tottering around right in front of our exit. Enyo stops us immediately, we’re far enough back that they haven’t spotted us yet about two miles away from them. It looks to be about twenty forsaken all covered grotesquely with pus and warts over them. We sit silently for a moment as Enyo and Orion try to figure out what they should do. At this moment It felt like we are riding right to our death. Over 30 of those things sit waiting for us, if we just try to ride through the group we will all be off our horses in seconds being mauled.

Enyo pulls back his horse whispering as best he can. “Back the group up a half-mile, now.” He orders out urgently. We scramble back around to curve out of sight of the forsaken. We stop and Enyo starts ordering out instructions with a firm voice.

“Talon, Harrison stand guard.” He orders out and they launch to stand guard at the curve watching for the forsaken.

“Orion, what are you thinking?” Enyo turns to Orion. I turn to look at Orion who sits on his horse his eyes zeroed in on the ground. His eyes rock slightly back and forth as he tries to figure out the best way to handle this. After a moment of him deliberating Orion looks up quick with a spark in his eyes.

“I have a plan... but if it goes wrong someone will most likely die.” He says looking towards Enyo. Enyo tilts his head and takes a deep breath.

“Let’s hear it then.” That’s when Orion started telling us his plan. To be honest, it was a ridiculous plan, there are so many aspects of it that can go wrong. I’m sure Enyo’s going to dismiss the idiotic plan when Orion is finished until Enyo speaks up.

“Let’s work quick then.” As he agrees to a plan that will kill one if not all of us.

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