Rune Bearer

#4. Fall of the false north

"Trollocs!" A boy screamed outside and the scream went dead, he was sure to be dead as he grunted and choked as the talon struck through his heart.

"The village is under attack! Seal the gate!" The sheriff shouts, monsters were already raiding the village. A loud wail was heard and the voice slowly died into a singing silence.

Elrond looked back, his back was damp with sweat and he didn't know when the wooden hilt of his hunting knife had gotten to his hand, the first few moments were a blur of snarling from the enormous beast with about ten feet tall his face bearing horns tusk bestial muzzles, the shrieking of his siblings and the cascading cold that accompanied the monster and his father's shock stricken gaze. They were scared to their bones.

Trolloc, they couldn't believe their sight. He ignored Elrond as he stuck out his knife to defend his family. This was what he thought best to do. But his father, like the coward he is, went into hiding too.

There was no doubt about the damage the monster's black dagger-like claws and dark fangs could cause.

Had there been no other person there or the whole of Charevibe screaming at the cruel shadow spawn he would have fallen to his feet and hoped for a quick clean death. But he has no room to feel the terror. Instead of succumbing to the chills, he felt he rushed to cover his father but the trolloc had its talon struck out ready to dig into whom so ever. The monster reared on its hinges and bellowed through his fangs a roar so deep and dark as its ebony appearance.

Elrond dared take a look over his shoulder but his siblings screamed taking sanctuary near the heath where they were curled up. His father crunches in front of them, another body for him to defend.

Elrond took another step towards the trolloc pushing the table between them sighting the fear in his hand. And trying to drag the monster from the door side. That way it would be easy. Elrond stared outside, ten or more than his assumed figures of monsters were raiding the village.

He had to get around and reach for the arrow, but the trolloc roared something. "Where is it? The elvish." His thick throngs dragged the world like the dripping darkness. "Elderwood."

If only any of them understood what he was saying. His talon struck as he noticed a slight movement and grabbed Elrond by the shoulder flinging him so that his back hit hard against the heath. He groaned from the pain, the broken ribs he couldn't calculate. His siblings curled up more shivering.

"It's in there. Give it to me." His dark nails stroked forward tastefully as he talked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Elrond groaned. The monster didn't have to listen when he raised his fur-covered arm high up pointing at Elrond's shoulder.

He dig his hand deep through his cloak, and blood poured from the helpless boy's shoulder.

"No!" Grace gasped but her mouth was gagged by Eton's hand as they shifted through weeping for poor Elrond and the fear of meeting their demise. Elrond Would have wanted them to escape.

"Elrond." She whispered.

"Don't talk, you have to keep silent." A familiar voice half called. Tears rolled out their eyes, They were helpless that they couldn't defend Elrond.

A gust of wind blew, and Hopkin shivered violently.

The chair lifted up and in weight not up to anything against the trolloc skin, Hopkin slashed it against his back. And stuttered backwards, with a snarl the monster turned. Hop in tried to rise but the strength had left him. He couldn't feel his leg.

"Leave my son alone." Their father's voice seems deeper. "You army of the dark!" He cursed.

The trollock threw Elrond away and with anguish, and hate he turned to face the man that almost had his pants wet with fear.

"How dare you?" The monster growled.

He didn't waste time before he cut through his belly, blood oozed out as the demon pulled its talon and the poor old man gagged.

He turned to Elrond. With a scream of valour, he snatched a knife from the table that was the best he could do as he watched his father die before him.

He wasn't fond of him but he was pained to see him do something reckless like that. It hurt even to stay there, he wanted to sleep, to sleep and not dream. When he whispered his name he did not hear. "Father." Said Elrond. "Father. . ." he gasped.

"You have it there, now give it to me. I won't waste time killing everyone you love." Elrond glanced at the back door his siblings used to escape, the size was so small, so much the size of a human, without their father to slow them down he was sure they would go far away before the trolloc could find a way to track them. Beyond the sea—the creatures fear water.

"I'm sorry but you won't get through that." Elrond quickly leapt forward swallowing much of the pain his heart could take. The iron in his hand guaranteed little success, but he'd left with no option, he needed to buy time for his siblings to get across the river then whatever just whatever awaits him, maybe parish like his father, God he could think of death but he couldn't believe the odd in survival, the trolloc seems to fancy his courage as he snapped at the demon, brandishing him with the knife.

He bellowed at him in response, and the entire cottage shook, the plates and cups rattling against one another. But it left his massive neck exposed. He hurled his hunting knife.

"You killed the wolf." Elrond's back was slapped again on the floor. The demon held him in place with his paw. He growled low and viciously. "A large wolf with a white coat fair as the sun. You took its markings, now you will die painfully as I take it out."

"That was not yours," Elrond said coldly. "If I look back I see im not lost. You murdered my father in my town."

"Stupid human." The monster said anguished. "You could have saved yourself."

He jammed his face meeting the floor. As he tears through his shirts with his fangs. Elrond groaned and whine, the pain he had endured, he couldn't take down a single trolloc. And more we're coming, how did the mercenary take down a creature so enormous?

"Kill everyone, leave the children to tell the tale." The commander came in his horn was slightly curved than the rest to mark his high position; he was the only creature that looked quite appealing to the sight.

"Myrddraal we have him, do as you wish." The trolloc pays respect to his master as he stepped aside.

"You're mistaken, I didn't kill it." Elrond lied, he didn't know if the creatures could sense lies but he had to.

"Humans! Liars!"

"If it was mistakenly killed." He said as the Myrddraal calmed. "What payment can be offered?" He spoke as if he was in a long scary dream.

"Your life." The commander, Myrddraal, word echoed in his ear.

Elrond looked at his father's dead body and shook his head, again he saw this as a nightmare and in his moment he would wake beside the fire after a long day at the market and then talk about his sister's betrothal.

The beast stepped forward his gravelly hand running along Elrond's jawline, he wore no pity on him, pleading? He wouldn't make that mistake of mocking himself before these creatures.

"It's him, cut him open and extract from the markings on his shoulder into the vessels for our lord." The commander pulls back commanding the trolloc.

"No! Let me be," Elrond made a mental calculation, three trolloc and their commander. One closer to him was by his right, if he attacked now he would leap through the path his siblings had taken should he fail he would be dead.

He fingered his knife, which was made of ash he managed to pull it out of his boot and struck the trollock cutting his left hand. The monster growled releasing his grip.

Elrond dashed to the passage but the dark lord took pleasure in gathering his dark energy and swinging him back to the floor, his back hitting hard.

"They didn't teach you. You can't hide from us." The dim firelight that provided warmth for his human skin had gone off by the snow that flushed through the door.

"I don't want to die." The monsters huffed a vicious laugh croaking.

"Stupid!" There was no humour in what he said.

"There won't be humans; either you die now or later, the rune will ruin you. Consider this a favour for you, young human." He slashed the knife across his skin

"Do it. Do it master." The trolloc snarled.

His knife swung back the second time, and then a flash of lightning so bright as the day but clearer than the purest reflection from gold or silver lit up the room. The trollocs screamed in pain, just pure pain. They ran far hiding in whatever could give them cover. Elrond's hand covered his face, the light was too bright for him.

"Light summoner!"

There was a murmur among the creatures that ran far away as the light reflected a shadow so straight height an average came forward. Elrond crawled on his hand and knee to the corner.

Then it came to him that it was a man but the lightning surprised him with how those creatures reacted.

"Elrond." The third surprise of the night was how the man learnt of his name.

"Who are you? Are you also here to kill me?"

The man stretches out his hand. "I'm here to help you, take my hand now, there are more of these creatures coming, only I can offer you protection." Elrond stared at his back the trolloc flocking in like the fleet of sheep. And his gaze back to the strange man that had his hand on the road, the light dimmed and he thought were uncertain.