The arrows did manage to hit and pierce the giant eel-like creature. However, this is only made the creature even more furious.
Groar…!
The creature hissed loudly and the hiss turned into a long, shrill roar.
The soldiers didn't stay still, they continued to shoot the creature. Then, the creature went into a rage. A soldier on the right side was instantly killed with a severed head struck by the creature's fanged jaw. The creature's jump made the dead soldier's horse fall into the water.
The creature raged to make the line of soldiers topsy-turvy. Some were thrown high with their horses because they were hit hard by the creature from under the water. Others died with their bodies dismembered by the sharp fins on the creature's back, along with their horses. The creature wagged its tail, and more victims fell with their bodies torn apart.
Jumara swung his sword at the creature's head. The creature noticed Jumara's attack and immediately formed its body into Jumara's horse.
Jumara bounced. Then plunged into the water while the horse died with a split stomach, the horse's entrails burst and finally fell. The sharp fins on the creature's back are truly deadly.
Jumara's sword slash managed to injure the creature's head, however, the wound did not stop the creature's rampage.
Chaos happened not only to Jumara and some of the loyal soldiers who accompanied him but also to all the soldiers who tried to escape.
One by one, they were confronted by creatures that is similar to those faced by Jumara. They became victims along with their horses.
Screams of pain echoed through the area. The moans of death, or the neighing of horses pulled by deadly sharp jaws underwater, as well as the terrible roars and hisses of the marsh creatures themselves, mixed into chaos amid the slaughter.
Among the soldiers, who were so difficult to control their horses, the horses seemed to be racing towards the shore earlier, there was the figure of Leyman running away with the frightened soldiers.
The commander of the Angholi troops deliberately left Jumara and several soldiers with him who were fighting to the death against the swamp creatures.
Leyman continued to spur his horse, even so, his horse's footsteps still could not be maximized because of the puddles that were still as high as his horse's thighs.
Splash!
Crash!
Again, a soldier who was a few feet to the left of Leyman's front was struck by a swamp creature. The soldier screamed as his body that was in the creature's bite was slammed into the surface of the water, and then carried by the creature underwater. His horse was also targeted by other swamp creatures.
The horse neighed loudly as a giant eel-like creature wrapped around its body, the horse's bones creaked apart, all four legs kicked before finally convulsing and then sinking with the swamp creature itself.
Leyman didn't stop his horse from running at all even though his face showed great fear, he continued to pound his horse.
At one point, in his attempt to reach the edge of the swamp, Leyman saw the movement of a long fin on the surface, to the right. Very clearly, that one swamp creature was aiming for one of them.
Not wanting to die in the creature's jaws, Leyman purposely kicked a soldier on his right.
The soldier was shocked because he did not expect that his commander would have the heart to do such a shameful thing.
Leyman's kick was strong enough and made the soldier sway to the right. He lost control of his horse. And the horse also swayed to the right.
And then…
Splash!
Crash!
Leyman managed to avoid his death. The swamp creature he had seen earlier grabbed the head of the soldier horse he had kicked just now.
Very quickly the creature wrapped around the horse along with the soldier's body itself. The soldier howled in pain, the crackle of the bones breaking in his own body he could hear himself, only for a moment before he choked and spurted a large amount of blood from his mouth.
Then another swamp creature appeared near them and immediately grabbed the soldier's head and severed it.
"A little bit more!" muttered Leyman as he pounded his horse harder and harder. "A little bit more!"
A few soldiers behind Leyman seemed to be surrounded by—at least, three marsh creatures. Their horses neighed and some raised their front paws high. The movement of the horse made the rider fall to the surface of the water because he was not prepared at all by the sudden movement of the horse.
The soldier got up immediately and directly pointed his spear forward, his vision slightly blocked by the water that was streaming down from his head.
There was no choice, the besieged soldiers also drew their weapons.
And when the swamp creatures revealed some of their bodies and heads, the soldiers shouted and attacked the creatures.
But that's just a waste of time. Fighting in the middle of the swamp where the water is as high as the adult man's waist is an advantage for the swamp creatures themselves.
One by one, the soldiers fell prey to these creatures. If they were not hit by those terrible fangs, they would have died with their bodies torn apart and cut off by those sword-sharp dorsal fins.
The marsh creatures gave no shit at all, not even for the horses that had lost their riders can not escape from their deadly jaws.
Leyman continued to kick his horse and the water level of the swamp was now only knee-deep. That meant, he had almost reached the edge of the swamp.
Crash!
Leyman gasped as a marsh creature managed to grab the horse of a soldier right behind him.
The horse collapsed with a loud neigh along with the soldier who was riding it. And yes, the horse and its rider could not escape their grisly death.
The commander of the Angholi troops pounded his horse more and more. Then, without realizing it, another swamp creature rushed towards him.
Splash!
Groar…!
TO BE CONTINUED ...