Amelia Faces Attack

The carriage rattled violently under Amelia as the knights’ cries and urgent shouts mingled with the eerie shrieks of something unmistakably inhuman, the dreadful sounds echoing through the air and making her blood run cold.

Unable to bear it any longer, Amelia buried her face in the folds of her skirt, desperately trying to shut out the terrifying noise surrounding her.

Every tremor beneath her seemed to convince her that the carriage could be overturned at any moment, and she could do nothing but cling to the hope that Ryder and the knights would keep the creature away.

Something struck the carriage with tremendous force, making the entire vehicle jolt. Amelia immediately looked up, her heart hammering as she feared the ceiling might come crashing down upon her.

Before she could gather her thoughts, an enormous eye was staring directly at her through the window, its blue surface horribly bloodshot and so unnaturally large that Amelia could barely comprehend what she was seeing.

A scream tore from her throat. Amelia scrambled upright and pressed herself against the opposite side of the carriage, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and that monstrous eye.

She had never seen anything so terrifying in her life, and the sight left her trembling so badly that she could scarcely remain standing.

Then, without warning, the world seemed to turn upside down. Amelia lost her balance as the carriage lurched violently, and her body was thrown backward just as the door flew open.

She tumbled out of the carriage and crashed heavily onto the ground, the impact leaving her stunned for several moments. Pale with terror, Amelia struggled to her feet, but fear had seized her so completely that her legs seemed incapable of obeying her.

She looked desperately around for someone to help her, searching the chaos for a familiar face, but every knight was occupied with the battle against the brown-skinned Goblin.

No one had the time to notice her plight, and Amelia realized with growing horror that if she wanted to survive, she would have to find her own way back to safety.

She lowered herself and began crawling toward the carriage, moving as quickly as her trembling limbs allowed.

She had barely made any progress when an enormous shadow fell over her. Amelia looked up and saw a Goblin lumbering toward her, each enormous foot striking the earth with enough force to make the ground tremble beneath her.

Terror overwhelmed her, and she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

A flash of brilliant light suddenly tore across her vision and the Goblin staggered before collapsing heavily onto its back, its enormous body falling flat against the ground.

“My lady!” A lean knight seized Amelia by the shoulder and tugged her away from the danger. “You must get inside at once! There’s a shield protecting the carriage. It’s safer in there!”

Startled from her dazed state, Amelia whipped around to face him. The knight was staring directly at her, his face tense with urgency as he tried to make her understand that remaining outside was dangerous.

“Mountain Goblin, my lady. Fortune frowns on us, but we have nothing to worry about with Commander Ryder here. Please get back inside!”

“I d-d-didn’t m-mean to c-c-come out. I-I w-w-was th-thrown…” Amelia stammered, struggling desperately to explain herself.

Ryder’s stern order for her to remain inside the carriage still echoed through her mind. She had never intended to disobey him, nor had she meant to stumble into the knights’ path or interfere with their battle. “The c-carriage was sh-shaking, and…!”

“My lady! Get inside!”

The lean knight cut her off impatiently, leaving Amelia with no choice but to fall silent. His irritation silenced whatever explanation she had been trying to give.

He was right; this was no time for excuses or explanations. She hurriedly tried to collect herself, forcing her trembling body to move as she turned toward the carriage.

She had already begun climbing unsteadily back inside when another tremendous thud shook the ground beneath her and Amelia instinctively turned around.

Behind her, blood spurted like a fountain from the cloven torso of a Goblin. The sight was so sudden and gruesome that Amelia could only stare for a moment before clapping a hand over her mouth.

Her stomach had already been tight with anxiety throughout the past few days, but now it twisted violently, as if the sight before her had sent another wave of terror through her body.

Something sour rose into her throat. She tried desperately to force it back down, swallowing hard in an attempt to suppress the nausea, but her body refused to obey her. Watery bile splattered onto the ground, and the bitter fluid left her throat burning as she doubled over.

“My lady!” Alarmed by what he saw, the knight immediately wrapped an arm around her heaving shoulders.

Amelia panted desperately, clutching her stomach as hot tears stung her eyes. Her entire body trembled, and something seemed to twist painfully inside her. She could hardly catch her breath through the nausea..“Heavens… Are you all right, my lady?”

Amelia gasped for air while the knight gently patted her back, attempting to calm her but his efforts did little to ease her distress, however, because the sickness churning within her refused to subside then Ryder’s concerned voice suddenly cut through the surrounding chaos. “What happened?!”

Amelia managed to lift her head and Ryder stood before the corpse of the Goblin, its body split cleanly in two.

The sight of him should have brought relief, but Amelia found herself doing the opposite and without even realizing what she was doing, she began backing away from him as he stepped toward her and with every stride he took, his boots left a dark brown footprint upon the ground.

The long, sharp blade of his sword gleamed with a cold blue sheen, fresh blood slowly trickling down its edge. His silver-white armor, once immaculate, was now mottled with crimson, and with the remains of the creature at his feet, he looked nothing short of ghastly.

Amelia continued retreating, unable to tear her eyes away from him. Her fear and exhaustion had overwhelmed her senses, and when she stumbled, she instinctively reached out and placed a hand against the carriage to steady herself.

Ryder’s face blurred before her eyes, his features warping like a cloud of smoke.

The world began to spin as her vision gradually dimmed, and the voices around her became distant and indistinct.

Amelia struggled to remain conscious, but the darkness was already closing in around her. Her strength finally deserted her, and she sank into the dark depths of unconsciousness.