Free Shadow Seed by Jose Rodriguez Page A

the
terrosaurs, and the breaking of the trees they knocked over.
    “Get your bows ready,” Arthur said.
“Concentrate your fire on any airborne mounts.”
    The Pelasgians emerged from the woods,
marching at a steady pace. As they came within a hundred yards of
New Haven, Erinies and Corinthian's on their griffins circling
above swooped down on the humans defending the wall.
    Several dozen soldiers were killed in the
initial exchange.
    One Corinthian was thrown from his injured
griffin to his death on the other side of the wall, and an Eriny
was brave enough to try taking on a cadre of soldiers.
    Arthur and his men managed to quickly kill
three Corinthians and two of their griffins, with the third griffin
landing inside the city and going after some soldiers.
    Richard jumped down and landed on the
griffin, killing it with his talons to the back of its head.
    Archers and catapults stood ready to shoot as
the terrosaurs came closer.
    “Fire,” Ward cried.
    At once, thousands of arrows and dozens of
boulders went hurtling through the air. Many Pelasgians were able
to protect themselves with their shields, though quite a few were
injured or killed.
    Most of the boulders crashed through the rank
and file, decimating columns of infantry. Only a few of the
terrosaurs were hit, with the worst only being staggered a bit
before continuing on.
    The humans on the wall fought desperately to
hold their position. If it wasn't the size and weight of the
griffins, it was the Erinies’ long reach and speed overpowering
them.
    Arthur and Jacob barely managed to avoid an
incoming Eriny that landed between them. As the Pelasgian tried to
take off, both men jumped on to hold him down.
    The Eriny was strong enough that it began to
carry the men with him, until Thomas leapt on as well, causing the
creature to spiral and crash.
    The surrounding soldiers immediately jumped
in and killed the Eriny.
    William checked on the soldiers from the
wall. “You guys okay?”
    “Look out!” Richard cried, shoving William
just in time to avoid the end of a terrosaur's tail that came
crashing through the wall vertically.
    Now on opposite ends of the ruined wall,
Richard and William scrambled to get clear of the next hit.
    William ran into a tower, as Richard took a
shortcut by jumping down into a pile of hay.
    The terrosaur took another swing at the wall,
knocking down a sizable section.
    Arthur and his men regrouped with a company
of soldiers falling back to the next street. After the wall took a
third hit, the humans found that there was now little between them
and the enemy.
     
     
     

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
    On the outskirts of Vesuvia, the amount of
Pelasgians appeared endless.
    Fighting Turin, like Marus, was like trying
to fight a ghost. Fog shrouded his body as it swirled around him.
He easily blocked several attacks from a Satyr before stabbing it
through the neck.
    Vesuvians from all of the Houses were
present. It was at times like this Marus was reminded of the
disparity in power, even between individuals of the same House.
    A Remian five hundred years old, and looked
like an Olympic athlete, easily disarmed and killed a Satyr and two
Centaurs within three seconds before going after a Cyclops.
    Another Remian, just over a hundred years of
age, was thrown to the ground by a Corinthian and killed with a
stab to the heart.
    It was easiest to spot the differences in
power between two people of the House of Liro.
    Many could grow razor-sharp claws and had a
small change in appearance, notably in the face area.
    Some Liros had a semi-final form with
slightly bigger claws, and more pronounced physical changes.
    With each level came a slight increase in
strength and speed, but this didn't compare to the Remia.
    There was no such thing as a Liro without
heightened senses.
    All of this was enough to combat many of the
Pelasgians fiercely, if they could get their hands on them.
    A few Liros reached the final form. It was
terrifying to behold, being more bat