‘Come, everyone!’ Primus commanded as soon as they had defeated the monsters, dusting himself down. ‘We must not lose Olvia!’

They had dispatched the monster group as quickly as possible, but the sun really was dipping into the western horizon now, and dusk was setting in.

They all looked around for the figures they had been chasing

Horatio could not place them anywhere

‘I see them!’ said Helen, gesturing. She must have extremely keen eyes.

Horatio squinted. Yes, there, about five rises-and-falls of the earth away, further than they had been before the last group of monsters had caught up to them, but closer than they had been when they had first been sighted--discernible figures, still running on two our four legs across the grasslands away from them.

‘GO!’ shouted Primus, his voice cracking and going high. ‘If it gets too dark we won’t be able to see them!’

Horatio threw himself forwards once more, willing his protesting body to run.

Keep going, he told himself amidst the pain. Do it for the girl. Do it for Primus. Do it for mother. Do it for father. Do it for Ceres. Do it for yourself.

Even after all the battles they had fought today, Horatio and Helen were still faster than whoever they were chasing. Keeping their eyes fixed on the figures, with effort they began to close the gap with them, racing them, racing the onset of night, racing the rising moon.

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Helen with her keen eyes made out who they were first. ‘It’s your granddaughter!’ she called out loud enough for Primus to hear behind them. ‘A young woman with long hair! She’s being carried by someone in a helmet and armour! There are monsters with them!’

‘Get him!’ Primus screamed. ‘Get her! Get them!’

A few more steps and Horatio could see them now too. The person running at the front of the monster group wore a helmet from which four curved, sharp horns protruded, and a cape which fluttered out behind him as he ran. But in one place the cape was pinned back by the form of another, smaller person with long hair that the armoured person was carrying, whose arms and hair hung limply down their back, rocking back and forth as they ran.

Just then the figure’s head twisted round to look behind itself, and though in the growing darkness Horatio could not make out its features, it seemed to jolt with shock as it ran Horatio heard the armoured figure call out something angry and indistinct. It was the voice of a man, and it sounded like it was urging the monsters to run faster.

But his efforts were futile. Horatio and Helen were only one hill away from the man and the monsters now, the rest of the party close on their tail.

The armoured man looked round behind him again, then slowed his pace.

‘Halt!’ he shouted, coming to a stop. This time Horatio heard him loud and clear. ‘To me!’

The monsters slowed their pace too, then rallied around him, arraying themselves in a group in front of him.

Horatio and Helen got to the bottom of the latest slope and themselves came to a stop about twenty paces away from the man.

‘Troops!’ the armoured man yelled to his monstrous thralls, still with Primus’ granddaughter slung over one shoulder. ‘Kill!’

Horatio drew his weapon.

The rest of the party caught up to him and Horatio even as the monsters were rushing forwards to meet them.

Battle 4