"The wall of Astrid--Chapter 4 & 5" by Holly Knobloch

Chapter 4 four

            The afternoon sun beaded down on Nia’s back. The horse was still running in a full gallop not a hint of tiredness in his eyes. Nia smiled and closed her eyes riding high in the saddle she let go of the reins and lifted her arms in the air. She was flying. The cool wind hit her face and her hair blew around her. She breathed in the sent of spring air and imagined herself going up to the heavens where her mother and Grandfather waited. She embraced them both and told them how much she loved them and missed them. Happiness flowed out of her. 

The horse stumbled on a root and she fell back into the saddle eyes again open she looked around her and the earth that held her down. Her mother and Grandfather were again just a memory lost in time and Nia, overwhelmed again with sadness, let tears fall down her cheeks. She brushed them away and pushed the horse to go faster.  

She concentrated on the galloping of the horse nothing mattered but the sound of its hooves hitting the ground. The world was a blur and the only existing things were the horse’s head and the trail in front of her. The beat of the horse’s galloping turned into the familiar tune of the song her mother used to sing, if only I could remember the words, she thought angrily. 

She slowed the horse down and went back into a trot. She listened around her and noticed an eerie silence. The birds stopped singing and the bugs’ buzzing was nowhere to be heard. A chill went down her back and she shuddered.  A loud cry penetrated the silence the sound echoed in Nia’s head and she turned her head and stared blankly at billions of large birdlike creatures that dotted the horizon. She stared in awe stiff in her saddle not knowing if to get away or wait for them to come. Run, the wind howled around her answering her query. 

Not even thinking she dug her feet into the horse’s sides and pressed the mare to go faster. The mare leaped forward into a swift gallop. Nia gathered up her courage and dared to look behind her and saw they were gaining, she dug harder and the horse pushed on even faster. Still the creatures gained. 

“This is stupid,” Nia said to allowed, “How do I know they’re after me!”

She turned back to look one more time and just as she did one of the large creatures hit her with its massive talons she leapt into the air and landed hard on the ground she quickly jumped back up on her feet. Ducking just in time as another creature plunged at her. 

She grabbed her bow and aimed an arrow at one of the large creatures. She cocked it back and let it go, it flew into the air at a great speed hitting it in the wing. The creature let out a loud cried and fell to the ground. Nia grabbed another arrow and let it rip hitting a smaller one right in the heart. It too gasped and fell to the ground dead within seconds. 

Nia aimed and shot over and over again until she lost track of how many she killed. Cries penetrated the air and Nia’s body trembled beneath her, this is it, she thought, there is no way I’ll live through this, “Aim for the heart,” The wind howled around her. She did as it said and each creature fell to the ground dead. She lost track of time as she shot endless arrows. She knew she was almost out and prayed there would be enough to kill all of them. 

A large Creature swooped down at her she fell to the ground escaping its attack. She reached back and grabbed her last arrow. And let it go hitting the creature. Another attacked and she dove out of its reach it came back again and this time she ducked, just missing her, the creature got ready for another attack. She reached back only to find an empty arrow holder. 

“I need more arrows!” she cried. A strange blue light shone from her hand and she carefully glanced down at it not letting down her guard, her ring shown with the same blue light from the night before. She felt something in other hand she gazed down at a glowing arrow.  

There was no time to think about it she put it in her bow and let it rip through the sky killing a creature as it lunged toward her. She grabbed another and another and another, new regained strength filled her body with hope and she kept firing until finally the birds stopped coming and changed their direction going back to where they came from. Nia didn’t let her guard down until they all disappeared into the horizon.

When she was absolutely sure they were all gone she collapsed with exhaustion to the ground and gasped for breath. She looked around her at all the creatures that lay before her dead. The ground was covered with them she studied the one closest to her. They were ugly creatures with a baldhead and sharp black beaks. Their bodies were covered with gold feather that shone in the sun and large talons were sharper then any knife or sword Nia had ever seen. But the most distinct feature was the dark crystal embedded in their head between their deep black eyes. 

Nia shuddered. “Why are they after me?” she asked no one unparticular. She felt something cold dripping down her neck and reached behind her to see what it was. She examined the red liquid on her hand and knew it was blood from when the creature through her off her horse. Her head pounded and the world spun around her. Blotchy black spots blocked her vision and she tried to get up but gravity pushed back down on her. 

“Horse!” she called just before she fell to the ground into unconsciousness. 

Chapter 5 five

  Vladimir waited anxiously for the Gold Wings to arrive with the girl. If anyone can get her they can, he thought to himself. After the Basilisks and ogre failed he grew impatient and sent the Gold Wings he trusted them more then any other creature from behind the Wall of Astrid, he laughed at the thought of it, “The Great Wall,” he mocked. He had destroyed it easily enslaving most of the creatures behind it. There were those few that refused or were no use to him. 

He glared at his dying fire and mumbled a few words under his breath. The fire roared with heat and grew taller then Vladimir himself. He smiled satisfactorily and relaxed in his chair. 

Any day now, he thought sneering to himself. As if reading his mind there was a knock at the door. He smirked to himself and called, “Come in, come in.” Three Gold Wings entered the room fear shone on their faces and Vladimir’s good mood dropped. 

 “Where is the girl?” he demanded firmly. 

“She…uh…she got away sir.” Said the Gold Wings queen Alyn.

“She what?” Vladimir snarled. 

“She got away!” Said another Gold Wing matching Vladimir’s tone. 

Vladimir turned and glowered at him. The Gold Wing panicked realizing what he had said. But it was to late Vladimir chanted a few words. The bird burst into flames and disappeared. But his screams were heard long after he dissolved. 

He turned to the other two Gold Wings and ordered, “How did she get away?” 

The one that had been silent up until then spoke up, “She’s a great archer.”

“Did she have help?” Vladimir asked much more annoyed then he sounded. 

“No, sir.” Alyn answered not daring to meet his eyes. Vladimir smiled inside at her discomfort, she feared him, and they all did. 

“So your telling me a mere girl defeated thousands of Golden Wings all alone?” he asked with a note of authority in his voice.

“She’s the best archers I’ve ever seen, sir.” The male said tensely. 

Vladimir glared at him with as much authority as he could without laughing. 

“That is next to you,” He stuttered. Vladimir gazed at the trembling bird feeling a strange sense of pleasure at his distress.

“Why didn’t you stay until she was out of arrows?” He hollered as if they were idiots.

“We tried sir, but when she ran out of the normal ones, ones with a strange blue light just kept appearing out of no where.” The queen explained. 

Vladimir stroked his chin thoughtfully and mumbled to himself, “She must know of her powers then.” He decided. “Go on get out of here. Go and find her again. This time don’t come back until you have her. Do you understand?” He growled. They nodded and ran from the room.

Vladimir fell back into his chair and gazed into the fire, anger overcame him and he gripped the chair lost in thought. He had to get her before she got to the kingdom. 

“I must find Mellissan and Calhoun.” He said. He called his servants to retrieve them. He twiddled his thumbs trying to release his anger. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Mellissan and Calhoun were his best warriors they could track her no problem. 

There was a knock at his door and he called for them to come in. They entered the room already suited up. He nodded approvingly and explained, “I need you to go find this girl,” he said handing them a picture he had drawn from a vision he had. “Her name is Nianna Edgewood, the other prophecy.” 

Mellissan and Calhoun exchanged glances. “Where will we find her?” Mellissan asked considering Vladimir’s directions.

“She is on the way to the kingdom. Bring her here dead, or alive.” Calhoun’s eyes shined mischievously.

“Yes sir!” he said saluting.

Vladimir smiled at the young soldier. He was so much like Vladimir, himself, at that age. Loving a good fight and ready to kill anything standing in his way. He dismissed the two and watched their horses disappear into the night. 

“Try and get by them girl!” He said snickering uncontrollably.