A Hallowed Anthology: Contest Entries for Halloween Vault 3D

Flightless

Teresa screamed as her sofa disappeared out from under her and she fell into a gaping dark hole, the fairytale book flying from her hands. All she saw was blinding darkness, whirling all around her. The second seemed to stretch into an eternity, and then she was landing on her back, staring up at dark tree branches arching above her.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was in the middle of a dark forest, sitting in a circle of trees. Within moments, Teresa heard heavy flapping descending toward her and she glanced up to see dark wings descending. She didn't even have time to scream before the figure landed in front of her.

"You need to come with me, now," he said urgently.

---

Next thing Teresa knew, the winged figure, Jarn, had explained the twelve iron castles inhabited by the goblin overlords that had subdued the land, the same land from her book. "Overlord Gard rules us all," he said, his folded wings twitching softly. "My order has had to flee to the shadows, waiting for a flightless one to fall from the sky." He nodded at Teresa. "That's you."

"What am I supposed to do?" Teresa asked.

"Save our land," Jarn said, his wings opening. "Defeat Overlord Gard."

---

It took a week for Jarn to gather his kinsmen, the Jacensis, get Teresa outfitted with armor and weapons, and start the assault on Gard's castle. In his spare time, Jarn sparred with Teresa and gave her training in strategy and fighting.

When the day of the assault dawned, Jarn carried Teresa over the walls of the castle and dropped her into the courtyard. She rolled on hitting the ground and came up on her feet, drawing her short sword and running for the door into the tower.

The door slammed open right as Teresa reached it, hitting her in the face and flinging her backwards. She hit the ground hard, blood welling from her lip as she glanced up at the goblin overlord.

"Well, well, well, the flightless one," he grumbled. "The Jacensis have tried for decades and have failed. Why will you be any different?"

Jarn's words from this morning rang in Teresa's mind. He knows us and so can defeat us. He doesn't know you.

Shoving herself up onto her feet, Teresa wiped the blood from her lip and rushed the overlord. But just as he brought his club up, she threw herself into a slide tackle and slashed at Gard's leg. He roared and stumbled, spinning and falling onto one knee as Teresa charged again, dropping into a crouch and stabbing the blade into Gard's side.

Jarn swooped in from behind, kicking Gard in the head as the goblin raised his club, slamming it backward at the Jacensis. Jarn took the blow, falling back as Teresa drew her second sword from behind her back and thrust it into the goblin's neck.

"Flightless doesn't mean I can't fight," she hissed.