Page 13 of Between Realms

“Don’t make a sound, or we kills youafterwe begins to eats you,” one ghoul threatens with a rasp in its throat.

Ghoulsonlyeat the dead, and I will be killed soon enough, anyway. Ignoring its threat, I scream as loud as I can.

They cover their sensitive ears in pain.

I pull the blade from my pocket, launch from the ground, and charge at the closest ghoul. I attempt to slice at its torso but miss my target as the ghoul darts out of my way, making contact with its arm instead.

“Stop it!” The ghoul knocks me back with a punch to the face.

I tumble across the room, stunned silent. My mouth fills with the metallic taste of blood.

The ghoul turns to its companions. “Haven’t eaten a human in long times.”

“Ages,” the other agrees. “Very rare. Should we wait for it to rot?”

“Too risky. Eat now.”

“Yes,” they all say in unison.

Since I can’t get past them, I brandish my knife tightly in my hand, and wail as loud as I can. “Help! Oakes!”

“Shut its mouth.”

“But I like when food screams.”

“Me too, but the cursed elf will hears.” The first ghoul smacks me. Its claws dig in and slice across my cheek.

Another ghoul moves closer to hit me.

I jab my blade into it.

Slammed back for my trouble, my head knocks against the stone wall and stars spark in my vision.

Shocked for a moment, I yell again, for all it might be worth.

A ghoul rakes its claws across my stomach.

Blood instantly soaks through my shredded top. This is a wound I won’t likely recover from. I’m dazed and losing strength fast. The ghoul’s claws’ toxin is already making me sick and listless. I can only mumble my pleas for help now. I hold my forearms tight against the slices on my stomach to stymie the rapid blood loss.

The door behind the ghouls bursts open.

Oakes charges inside with another elf entering behind him, both wielding swords.

The ghouls step back to avoid the elves.

Aided by the distraction and the boost of adrenaline from seeing Oakes, I kick at the closest one’s legs, knocking it off-balance.

Oakes uses the opportunity to cut the ghoul in half with one powerful stroke.

It gurgles its last breath.

The other ghouls realize their mealtime is ruined and run, crashing past the elves.

The other elf moves to chase, but Oakes stops him. “Leave them to lick their wounds. We don’t need another incident. Not now.”

The black-haired elf stops as if Oakes is the authority on the subject and asks, “You all right?”

“Yes.” Oakes ushers the other male to the door and speaks in a hushed voice, “Get me a horse. I’ll be at the inn.”

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