I fired. My first bullet struck the lead Mutan, sending him sprawling backwards. The next bullet tore into the rushing mass as they tripped over their comrade. I was soon joined by Suvan, who began clumsily firing Rasid’s pistol. Our barrage of bullets slowed the foul creatures down, but did nothing to stop their aggressive nature. They kept on coming, glad at the chance to strike down a human. I kept firing until the pistol hammer fell on an empty cylinder. I was out of ammunition. Throwing aside my now worthless pistol, I then drew my sword and waited impatiently for Suvan to finish shooting. Knowing I was going to die soon, I could feel my heart hammering inside my chest.
It was only a second later when Suvan threw down the gun to draw out her bow. I took this chance and started slashing at the Mutans like a man possessed. The fire from our guns had already made a pile of fresh corpses, making the floor slippery with black blood. As I parried, slashed and jabbed with my blade, Suvan fired arrow after arrow into the horde of beasts. Though our actions were valiant, we could do little to stop the tide. But then the tremors of ground gave away to a mighty roar that practically shook me off my feet. I fought to stand up as did the Mutans. And then to my surprise, they turned and started to run away in a panic. The unfamiliar sound and motion of the firing missile had somehow scared them enough to flee.
Within a few moments, we were suddenly free of their attack. Through the open door, I could see Tahn trying to stop the remaining Mutans from retreating. His entreaties were ignored, and he was soon the only living creature left in the hallway. The overpowering sound of the missile launch had now ceased, leaving nothing but silence. Looking over the littered remains of his slaves, Tahn’s eyes locked onto mine. I scowled at him as I stepped out with my sword at the ready.
“You!” he exclaimed, his eyes lit with madness “Where is my missile? I came all the way here to get my missile!”
“What do you mean, old man?”
“Back in the city, I read the note that you were carrying. It told of a great weapon hidden away here. It’s mine! I came here with my sons to take what is mine.”
“It’s gone, you fool!” I shouted. “Your creatures have left you,” I said as I hefted the sword in my hand. “I suggest you do the same before it’s too late.”
I’ll never understand what madness overtook Tahn, but his expression turned to one of pure rage – his lips curled with hate, and the eyes blazed with passion. He rushed at me, fumbling for some object hanging from his waist. It was a dagger that he brought high over his head. With a maddening scream, he tried to plunge it into my chest.
Tahn was too slow. I dodged the blow, grabbed him by the neck and threw him hard against the wall. His head hit with a horrific crack, and Tahn fell to the ground like a rag doll. The way his neck was bent, I knew he was dead.
“Is it over?” Suvan whispered from behind me.
“Yes. Let’s get out of here,” I replied sourly.
We went down the hallway and opened the door at the end. From there we climbed the metal stairs until we reached a door that had already been forced open. We climbed out of the pit in silence, ignoring the dead bodies strewn within. The camp was devoid of life, the only things left were broken arrows and corpses.
I looked up at the sky, my eyes following the white cloudy trail of the missile. On the horizon there was a red and yellow glow that was brighter than the sun.
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