Page 120 of The Last Guardian

“But during war battles—the real soldiers are sunblades and sentinels,” Dax said at last.

I stopped for a moment. “Have you ever fought a war?” I questioned.

Dax nodded. “The Evadrith Empire has been in war with the Elven Empire for ages.”

I frowned. “Why is that?”

“There are things on the other side of the Dead Sea that threaten to cross,” Dax said, and when I looked at him, he continued. “I keep forgetting that you know little about this place. Elves share the Dead Sea with rotting lands, Ezaroth, where nasty creatures roam. Elves asked for help, for an alliance, for places to move their people. But our beloved emperor had other plans. He ordered his armies to push back any citizens from our neighbors. During the time of Ailbhe—Zaid’s mother—a truce existed between the two empires. But since…”

Since her husband had killed her and taken power over three lands.

“Well,” Dax continued, “every Evarim, Surani, and Noxari had been ordered to hunt every elf or species that lived there.”

“So, you were actually fighting for the bad guys before?”

“That’s why I joined Zaid when he left.” Dax’s eyes darkened. “A lot of people followed him, even those who live here. And us… Well, we fought to find a way to liberate people. Evarim and Elves, and most of all, all the others who don’t want anything to do with that shitty power game.”

I puffed. “It’s always the worst people who have control.”

I aimed again, releasing another whistling arrow, pushing the air with its speed, but the wind shifted in full force.

The arrow fell on the ground with a thud.

A tremor shook the soil beneath our feet, rumbling the trees. The leaves rustled and whirled in the trees, moving the forest as if it were breathing.

Moving closer.

A growl shook the ground, mixed with a strident hiss.

“What’s that?” I jumped, glancing at Dax.

Dax sprang to his feet, his sword already in hand, the carved sun on his brow glinting in the light. No. Not the light. He was summoning his power.

Sunfire.

The sword in his palm ignited with white and gold flames, burning in icy fire against the steel. “Alyana, return to the house,” Dax ordered. “Now!”

My muscles didn’t budge. I couldn’t move.

“Wh—” The words died in my throat as the most horrific creature stormed out of the forest. My blood froze in my veins.

In front of us, running at full speed, stood a monster with eight giant hairy legs and a long neck as thick as a trunk, so tall that it towered over the trees.

A spider. A spider with a humanoid body in its center and an atrocious head popping out. Five crimson eyes blinked in time as the spider moved forward, each leg taking giant steps. Arms and hands extended from its sides.

A scream died in my lungs as I went completely still.

The spider stopped. Turning its head at the slowest pace possible, its five eyes assessed me as it tilted its head. And pounced toward me.

Dax parried the attack—a powerful beam of sunfire pushing it away, coming from his head. Dax thrust out a hand and punched the thing with all his strength. The beam of light passed through his fist as it made contact with the creature’s insides.

The creature hissed.

Hundreds of shrill cries echoed, shaking the soil beneath us. Coming from⁠—

Hells.

Bile rose in my throat as my eyes glanced down to the spider’s center. Inside its body was—frozen, petrified in a scream—heads. The skin of the creature was so thin that they were all visible from the outside. Their faces froze with fear and agony. But their eyes blinked.