The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) Garrett Robinson (poetry books to read TXT) 📖

I turned to the soldiers. They had stopped in their flight and now stood in a cluster around me, staring in wonder at the sight of Mag facing the troll with only a wolfhound to join her.

“Oil! Who has oil?”

One of the soldiers blinked at me as though she did not understand. But finally she pulled a flask of it from her belt. “This is the last one we have.”

“Someone give me a torch!” I barked.

“We lost them,” said one of the soldiers. “We would not have retreated if we had fire.”

Growling in frustration, I spared a glance for Mag. She had the troll chasing her all around the square, always staying just out of its grasp. Her flight looked desperate, but I could not tell if she was merely leading it on. Oku trailed behind the troll, sometimes snapping at its ankles, but he did not distract it at all.

“We have to get fire,” I said. “Now.”

“The … the buildings,” said a soldier. “Some are—”

I looked past him. To the north, where the battle was thickest, smoke rose into the air. I shoved the flask of oil into his hand.

“Land this on that troll,” I said. “Do not miss.”

Several of them had arrows wrapped with pitch-covered rags. I snatched two up and sprinted for the smoke.

Three houses down, I found one with flames licking at the outer wall. I thrust the arrows into the flames, and they caught at once. Turning, I sprinted back for the square.

The troll no longer pressed Mag so closely, but I soon saw why. The soldiers had fanned back out around the two of them, trying to distract it so the one with the flask could throw it. Two had been killed. Their bodies lay at the edges of the square, limbs twisted at odd angles.

I readied one of the arrows. “Do it!” I roared.

The soldier looked back at me. In his terror, he almost dropped the flask.

“Now! What are you waiting for?”

He looked ready to faint. But he turned and threw.

The flask sailed over the troll’s head. It shattered against a distant wall, the oil splattering over a square area three paces wide.

The soldier turned to look back at me in horror. I was just as shocked as he was.

“It is the size of a house!” I cried. “How could you miss?”

His limbs shook, but he gave no reply.

“All right, all of you, get out,” I commanded. “If you can, find another unit and join them. If you cannot, retreat to the keep.”

They ran to do as I ordered, scooping up their fallen comrades and carrying them off. I still held my arrow ready, but the flame was useless now. It would not pierce the troll’s hide, and without oil, I could not hope to catch it in a blaze.

Mag’s desperate turns and dodges were bringing her closer to me with every step. I edged backwards. I could not abandon her to fight alone, but I was out of ideas. In the heat of battle, I could not hurt the troll any more than Mag could, and neither could I dodge its wild blows as well as she.

She glanced over and seemed to notice me for the first time. “Where is the oil?” she called out, ducking the troll’s huge fist as it whirled through the air where her head had just been.

“All over that building,” I said, pointing. “The fool missed.”

Mag had to leap backwards as the troll’s hands crashed into the street with a punishing blow. “He missed?” she cried. “It is as big as a house!”

“I told him.”

She looked over at the building again, and then at me. The troll paused for a moment, eyes narrowing, looking for an opening.

“Light it,” said Mag.

The troll snorted and stepped forwards.

“What?” I said, incredulous.

“Light it!” she said, running for the building. The troll screamed in rage as it went after her.

I understood almost too late. Raising the bow, I drew. The flames danced in front of my eyes, almost obscuring Mag with waves of heat. She skidded to a stop in front of the building and turned to face the troll head-on. It was in a full charge now, thundering straight for her.

I loosed. Mag dodged aside at the last possible moment.

The troll and the arrow hit the oil at the same time.

Flames erupted across the building, just as it collapsed inwards with a crash that shook the ground. Oil from the timbers spread all over the troll’s body, covering it with flames. The troll’s furious roaring turned to panicked bleats of fear. It slapped at itself, trying to put out the flames. But the folk of Tokana had had centuries to perfect their craft, and the oil continued to burn.

Shrieking in terror, the troll turned and ran from the square. Mag looked very much as though she wanted to pursue it, but she stayed put. The building continued to burn, the flames gradually climbing higher until the roof caught as well.

“Are you all right?” I said.

“It did not touch me. Some of your sister’s soldiers were not so fortunate.”

“Speaking of which,” I said, “we should get moving. The battle goes on without us.”

Mag nodded, and we turned to head north. But suddenly there came the sound of tramping feet down the city street towards us. A company of Telfer soldiers came into view. They were not exactly running, but they were clearly in retreat. At their head was Ditra. Her face was smudged with soot and sweat, and there was an ugly cut on her cheek. Her armor was dented in several places, and I thought I detected a limp in her gait.

Her steps faltered as she caught sight of us, and the company ground to a halt. I could see the fury rising in her, and her hand tightened on her axe.

“What in the dark below—”

“We heard there was a battle,” I said. “I thought you might be able to use us.”

“You broke out?” she