CHAPTER 49: 49: DEALING WITH A TRAP PT 1

As the twin suns melted into the horizon, Drake led the men out of the clearing and circled the large fortress. He kept his eyes glowing, watching for stray glowing grey dots.

There were still no beasts in the area, which was unsettling.

The gargoyles were staying in what Drake figured was the throne room. It would be the only room he could think of that could hold so many humans and their captors.

Beasts in their current location were supposed to be level 4 beasts. If the gargoyle scared even them away, then whatever was going on at the castle was dire.

Inching their way toward the tall protective walls surrounding the city, the men led them to a hidden entrance, once used for evacuating the citizens when the town was under attack. Drake wondered why they hadn’t used it when the gargoyles came.

The leader of the three men who were escorting them pressed his large hand on the wall and slid it along the bricks, looking for a particular spot. Once found, he pressed it firmly, then pushed it to one side, sliding the brick into a hidden hole in the wall. Once in place, he pressed the wall. A large brick door swung inward, revealing a tunnel several steps in front of them.

The tunnel had a brick staircase that led into the depths of the ground. One by one, they stepped onto the wide first step, then began to descend. Renn could barely fit. When the last person reached the fifth step, the secret door closed on its own, sealing them in. At the same time, above them, a hidden platform sealed the hidden staircase, preventing anyone from above from knowing it was there.

Drake kept watch for glowing white or grey dots.

Although he had his whip out, he affixed his bow to his back and his sword to his side. He wanted to be prepared for anything. Mike had his gauntlets on, and his sword held tightly in his grip. Chad’s sword was at his side, his bow in his hand.

Drake stopped suddenly, pressing a finger to his lips. One of the grey dots was leaving the confines of the room where the humans were being held. Fear washed through the men’s features. Drake looked unbothered. He was still watching the gargoyle as it moved through the town. It was heading toward the wall where the clearing was visible.

Drake smiled, turning toward his friends. "Stay here. I won’t be long."

He disappeared down the tunnel, his eyes glowing faintly as he followed the tunnel, twisting and turning as needed to ensure he was going toward the gargoyle at the wall. All the other gargoyles were remaining in the castle.

{Quest detected. Defeat the gargoyles 0/267}

Drake smiled. He was still scanning the area on his way. A second gargoyle left the castle and headed toward the one on the wall. ’That’s two away from the horde. Easy picking...I hope.’

With one last scan of the area, he ran toward the wall, coiling his whip around his wrist and taking his bow off his back. There was a smirk on his lips as he ran.

The tunnel was dark, but his eyes saw with nearly perfect clarity. His magical sight showed him everything as if it were daylight. He made his way to the wall, keeping his bow in his grasp. He had to keep watch for others. He didn’t want to be seen. That would dampen his plans, forcing him to fight too many gargoyles at one time. Drake knew he wasn’t strong enough if that happened.

After finding the way out, he followed a narrow street along the wall. Once close enough to see the two gargoyles looking out into the clearing, their backs turned away, he gripped his bow, raising it to aim. He knew he had to hit them one after the other, without pause. If they had time to warn the others, it would not be good. Not good at all, in fact.

Drake took a deep breath; he pulled then fired, pulled then fired. Two glowing green arrows flew through the air, heading toward the two gargoyles on the wall. The arrows hit nearly at the same time. Their heads exploded as the enhanced arrows collided. Both gargoyles were dead in an instant, then swiftly turned to light particles, all evidence disappearing.

{You have slain 2 gargoyles 2/267}

Drake scanned the area, looking for more. No more had exited the castle. ’Two down, 265 to go,’ he thought, then headed back to his friends. After taking only a few steps, two more exited the castle.

Drake watched as they climbed the stairs. He needed them to get closer to them, making it easier to shoot them with his bow.

Once they reached the top of the wall, they looked around, looking for their friends. Drake raised his bow, took a deep breath, then pulled and fired, pulled and then fired in rapid succession. The two glowing green arrows found their mark simultaneously. Just like the others, their heads exploded, killing them on the spot. They turned into light particles, erasing that they had ever been there. Drake smiled.

{You have slain 2 gargoyles 4/267}

Scanning the area once more, he found no sign of more. He wanted to get them before they realized that he was even there. Drake silently called his familiar, telling her to lead the others to him before moving himself closer to the castle.

He looked around for a place to hide. One large enough for all of them. He knew if the gargoyles saw those that were sent after him and his friends, the gig would be up. He needed to take out as many as he could before then. Everything told him that their lives depended on it.

Finding a narrow alleyway, he scanned his surroundings. No one in the city remained outside the castle. The only ones he could see were his cohort and the three men all inching toward him, following Renn.

As he watched the castle entrance, he waited for more to break away from the group inside the castle and come outside. When the two finally did, his cohort was nearly to him. Sending a mental order to Renn, he told her to hide. If they didn’t, two gargoyles about to exit the castle would see them.

The large doors finally opened, and two more gargoyles stepped out. As soon as they started heading for the wall, Drake lifted his bow, firing two more glowing green arrows, hitting them in the head, killing them. As they burst into light particles, he quickly scanned the area for more. There were no more.

{You have slain 2 gargoyles 6/267}

Drake frowned, realizing how long it would take to defeat all 267. ’Well, slow and steady," he thought to himself sarcastically. ’This may take a while.’

Giving a mental order to his familiar, Renn, he told her to continue bringing the others toward him.

After several moments, Renn arrived with the others. "Hide, don’t let them see you. I have already killed six. There are two hundred and sixty-one left. They’re all in a large room surrounding the humans of the town."

"The throne room," the birdman stated.

Drake nodded. It was the room he was expecting it to be. It was too large for him to think of something else. Moving his attention to the castle, he continued to watch, briefly scanning the skies and around them. The only ones he could see were those inside the throne room.

"We need more to exit," Drake stated. "But not too many. If we can take them out one at a time before the others realize it, the latter battle will be easier since there won’t be as many to fight. Right now, there are too many."

A gold breeze suddenly washed through the streets. Drake scanned the area. He didn’t see anything. He frowned. It shouldn’t be that cold. He turned back to the castle. Four gargoyles were coming toward the exit, heading toward them. "Four gargoyles are about to come out of the castle. I’ll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right," he told Chad. "Wait until the castle doors shut completely and for them to walk away for several feet before shooting. We don’t want to alert those inside."

Chad nodded, taking out his bow. Both he and Drake raised their bows, ready to fire. The doors opened, and the four gargoyles exited, then headed toward the wall. Chad glanced at Drake, who held up three fingers, counting down. He was trying to tell them that they needed to fire their arrows at the same time. Mike understood and whispered the countdown.

"1...2...3...Shoot!" Mike whispered.

Simultaneously, Drake and Chad shot two arrows rapidly; all four arrows hit their targets, the gargoyles’ heads exploding, then turning into particles of light.

{Gargoyles defeated 10/267}

Drake turned to the others. "We still have two hundred and fifty-seven inside," he warned, a grim expression on his face. His green eyes glowed faintly as he watched those inside, hoping that more would come out. He worried that they would notice too soon that no one was returning once they left the castle.