Warm light welcomed him back to the altar.
He awakened first, and saw Dany still asleep with trembling arms. William kept a hand on her, and Nathan was preparing a rabbit stew.
Neither Al nor Arthur had yet to return.
"What were those creatures?" Nathan asked, kneeling beside him.
He scowled iron headed lad, then replied, "Half wolf, half pig, larger than even Hardok wrapped in Ironite."
Nathan took a few steps back, holding up a hand. "I only followed you because William was worried. He sensed a mighty force farther down the wall."
"That's what this's for," he said, nodding to the altar.
"Some forces in this world can put down a soulless," William said, giving him a warm touch. "Whatever's on that side of the palace has such a power."
"Well it ain't a couple of mutts," he growled, readying his flail.
Dany awakened right after Nathan finished strapping his breastplate down.
She put on her armor herself, refusing Nathan's help, and suggested the lad go with them.
"You can take one of them alone," she said, tightening her scabbard. "We'll split them up. How much time do you need?"
"We wait for Al and Arthur," he demanded, shaking his head.
Nathan sighed, "Well we should go looking for them. Three sets of eyes'll work better th-."
"We're not looking for them!" He snapped. "You're staying here, and I'll not say it again, or its back to the village for you!"
"Some way of showing your appreciation," Nathan snorted. "Perhaps I was wrong about you!"
"Aye, I'm a soulless bastard, with a love for killing, but one of us can't die!"
After kicking a rock, Nathan stormed away, heading north along the wall.
No matter how much he cursed, threating to rip the boys legs off should he return to the square, it was useless.
"He's as gods fearing as any anointed man," William said, keeping a low voice. "No other man in the kingdom, without a holy cloth, would fare better."
"He's fucking stupid," he said, making his way out the square.
Close behind, Dany recommended going after Nathan, though he ignored any recognition of the name.
So, the lad chose his own path, disregarding the man who kept him alive. True, they kept each other alive by the same count, but as far as he was concerned, Nathan renounced their agreement. Whatever happened was outside his control, and he'd bare no guilt if the lad was ripped apart, maimed, or burned alive.
"I might not be able to draw two of them away," Dany said, drawing her sword.
"Do what you can," he muttered, the walls shaking. "One less I'll deal with, the better."
Horns peaked from a hole in the wall
A midnight coat, the first beast roared, stomping from the palace. The others stampeded close behind, and Dany greeted them first. She cut into the woods, paws shattering trees like twigs just a stride behind her. The darkest beast followed her, and the brighter two met him head on.
Two paws swiped him into the wall. His head rang, and he fell from a dozen meters up, the woods spinning upon impact. While scrambling up, he let loose a spiked whirlwind. One beast wailed, staggering back with a bloody paw.
The other pinned him to the wall.
Trapped between his armor and a creature well over a thousand tons, he shoved back. A few inches of room, then he was crushed against he wall. Both beasts snarled, ripping him in two, his waist severed like a tender bird.
Upon awakening in the altar he found himself alone, save for William.
The young father tended to his armor, blessing it with temporary reinforcement.
"It'll last until the next sunrise," William explained, wiping sweat off his brow. "I can only do it for one person per day."
He looked around for Dany.
Were those beasts capable of putting down a soulless? No, otherwise he'd be in a different kind of hell, and he cursed to himself while drinking beside the altar.
Hours passed, he drank himself numb, emptying his canteen. Hector was a few days walk, and he considered it until twigs broke within the woods.
Dany stalked out, blood soaking her hair, running down the right side of her face.
He helped her to the altar, and William kept a hand on her whispering prayers.
She said nothing, resting until what must've been close to dusk. Then she spoke of the beasts hunting her down through the woods.
"I went so far from the wall I couldn't see it anymore," she muttered, clutching her hilt. "They turned after a whistle rang, something like a great bird."
"Why didn't you just let them kill you?" He asked.
She didn't answer, tightening her grasp on her hilt.
William helped him with his arm, then he slung on his flail.
"Wait," Dany mumbled, leaning up, "I just need a few minutes."
Despite steam rising from his eyes, he sat by the altar.
Dany was up, moving easy enough, but her eyes were heavy and her heartbeat was erratic. Though she kept her sword hand firm, drawing it the moment they stepped off from the square.
Smoke shrouded the air.
They stepped over claw marks, the latter even carved into the granite slab of Eldreth's palace.
Growls vibrated their chests.
Flask in hand, he took few swigs, then handed it to Dany. She hesitated, then took a long chug. Her face reddened and she leaned forward, coughing for almost a minute.
Her heartbeat slowed, and she smiled.
His flail hilt felt soft, not the hardened leather wrapped round steel.
Upon the first beast charging their way, its coat bright as the stars, she greeted it head on. It swiped overhead, and she ducked. On its hind legs it roared, slamming down. She leaped out the way with several meters to spare, then taunted it running into the woods.
Another beast, charged her way, and both stampeded through the woods.
Dark as night, the last beast towered over him, smoke leaking from its nostrils.
Whether he or the monster couldn't tell, but roars shook the walls. Above him spun his flail, a glistening steel wave of death. One swing sliced open a paw. The beast howled, swinging with its other paw, sending him through trees. He recovered, leading with his shield as a five meter long horn closed in on him.
The beast ran him back, but he stayed square on his feet. At last it stopped, and he shoved it away, then followed with a downward spiked whip. Blood splattered, his flail landing upon the beasts eye. It wailed, slamming its good paw. He swung again, slicing its bad paw, opening a wound already running with blood. Tucked behind his shield, the beast charged again, though it was more of a violent tap. He shoved it back, then swung for its nostril.
Bones snapped, and the beast collapsed, its nose severed off. A dark wet leathery mess, its nostril rolled downhill. He slammed his flail into the beasts face, again and again, until it fell silent, blood flooding its face and throat.
He hurried downhill, eyeing the beasts pursuing Dany.
She ran between them, underneath and around, forcing them to collide into one another.
A swing of his flail shattered the brightest coat's ankles. It whined, falling atop the others paws. He kept swinging against the felled beasts back legs, until bones protruded like red spars.
While swinging for the last beast, Dany leaped atop the other, driving her sword through the top of its skull.
A long roar on its hind legs, and it crashed atop him.
His horns plunged into its belly, and it yelped leaping away. He swung up, cracking its jaw, then lashed again at its paws.
Both paws doused in blood, it turned. Hooves send him through the air, above trees, and he crashed down upon a rock. Though his spine cracked, he forced himself up. Sharp stabs brought him back down, and he cursed as the beast barged through the woods.
Shield up, he absorbed another blow, yet he was pummeled against the dirt. Teeth grazed his armor, and another few bites would tear him apart. On its hind legs, the beast roared, then whined.
It stumbled, falling to its side, its rear leg shaking. Dany thrusted again, severing as much tendon as she could.
On all fours, he dragged his flail, then heaved it forward.
One bash knocked the beast out cold. Another made it jolt, but he didn't have the strength to finish it. Atop its head, Dany scaled it, then drove her sword between its eyes. She twisted, until her arms went limp, the beast long dead in a puddle of blood.
On his back he cursed, letting go of his flail.
She laid it back in his palm, kneeling beside him.
"Do it," he muttered.
She panted, fighting back tears, but raised her sword.
A moment of hesitation was interrupted by bright light.
At William's side was Nathan, along with Al and Arthur.
The Embers helped him up, and walked him back to the square, his brother carrying his flail without falter.