I bent down, concentrating my aura in my hand, preparing to release it with one burst. The toll would be significant on me, but the impact on the floor, by my calculations, should be able to cause a small earthquake.
"What are you doing?" Julie asked.
"Get down," I said, focusing as I did it. Just as planned, it destroyed the ground around us and caused the undead to lose their balance and fall. "Go, go, go," I shouted, running.
We dashed past the undead that were struggling to get on their feet. The impact of pure aura must have disrupted the magic controlling them a bit. "A bit" happened to be very little; they were soon getting back on their feet to follow us.
We ran as fast as we could out of there and made it around the building, but we encountered another herd coming from the other side. We turned and tried to avoid them, running into another building and escaping through the windows, just keeping on the run with the undead on our trail.
After running in circles for several minutes, we finally made it outside to the main yard. I noticed horses running toward us at a distance and recognized Bean coming with the others.
"Turn around," Taylor shouted, but they kept coming.
"Bean," I called, and he ran toward me. I grabbed onto the rope and leapt on with difficulty. The others were still behind and were having a hard time catching up.
Harold got down and ran toward them so fast my eyes could barely keep up. He put them on his horse and fell behind mine. We were surrounded by groups on either side of us.
'Should I do it?'
Bean turned and started running through the middle, with the others following us. We maneuvered around them and entered the forest.
"Hey, can you do something about them?" I asked Harold, but got no response. I glanced behind me and saw that he was about to fall; I quickly grabbed him and made him lean against me.
'What's going on?'
I heard a loud neigh and turned to see that Taylor and Julie's horse was being attacked, and the horse was distressed. Cato was trying to fend off some of them, but there were too many; he focused on the ones closer.
"I need an arrow," I shouted, turning Bean to go back. He shot an arrow at me, and I caught it easily.
I strengthened it with aura and bent down, but Harold almost fell, so I sat back up. I jumped down and laid him down; Bean knew what to do, so I wasn't worried.
The horse neighed, still struggling to get away from them. It jumped around and threw the sisters to the ground. I killed some of the undead rushing toward them, helped them back on the horse, and urged it to go. I fought off the ones that pursued them and turned to run back, but they kept coming.
"Go," I shouted to Cato. He was reluctant but left when he saw Bean running toward me. I waited until he was gone before doing what I should have done a long time ago.
"From the top of my head," I said, stepping back. "To my palm," I said, exploding the ones around me.
I climbed back on before the rest could get to me, and we ran off.
"What was that?" Cato asked when I reached them.
"What?" I replied, and he shook his head. I saw the person with Alvin and felt a sense of relief. It gave me hope that I could find Elton; she looked like the sisters, which meant she was the person they were looking for.
Another herd appeared and blocked our path. The arrow was broken already, so it was useless.
Alvin turned and yelled for us to come with him. We followed him and managed to avoid the undead, but more kept coming from different directions.
"Here," Cato said, passing me a sheathed knife before running off. He kept shooting at the undead.
"There's no end to this," I mumbled. "Cato, cover me. Alvin, find a way out of this forest," I instructed, and they nodded. I jumped down, patting Bean before running ahead of them. "From the top of my head to the soles of my feet," I mumbled, using my aura to strengthen my legs and increase my speed.
I cut through the undead ahead of us, clearing a path while Cato shot at anyone trying to get to me. The others went ahead while I ran behind them, continuing to attack the undead as their insides spilled on my ripped glove.
They kept coming endlessly. A knight's base is a death zone when it's filled with undead because the numbers are unreal. If that woman was here, I'm not surprised they didn't have a chance.
Did she get to Elton? Is he okay? Everything is making me restless and more suspicious. Where is that stupid nail, anyway? How do we find it? I think it's time to ask Harold, even though I feel like he'd lie. But I still have to ask.
"Over here," Alvin shouted, and I stabbed the undead I was struggling with and ran after them. Cato reached out his hand, and I grabbed it to get on the horse.
"Give me that," I said, collecting the bow and arrow. I drew it and shot, infusing all my aura into it. It was faster than usual and pierced through the heads of everything in its path.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"This is not the time. Hurry," I shouted, and he urged the horse to go faster.
We turned the corner only to be met by more undead. I was already feeling exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.
"This way," Alvin called, turning, but more appeared. Bean ran past us, and Harold created a large magic circle, clearing the path in front of us completely.
I blinked twice, shocked and impressed. He breathed slowly and fell off Bean. I jumped down and helped him up; Cato came to assist me, and we managed to get him on the horse before escaping from the next group that was closing in on us.