Free The Hunter's Apprentice by Mark Stentson

was attempting the descent and he immediately saw that he was not doing a good job. He was using only one hand while the other was tightly wrapped around his pockets. Several gold coins were falling down and Aerys could only hope that the Oozes down would not notice their presence. But then there was a cry.
    The innkeeper slipped.
    He fell down and lay unconscious on the ground. The Oozes that were left rushed towards him immediately and started to attack him. Aerys watched the scene in despair. There was nothing he could do to help him. There was another breaking noise but this time it was from inside the room and he turned to see that the door was lost. The hunter rushed towards him while the oozes entered inside.
    -Let’s go, he said as he grabbed his bag.
    Aerys did not need to be told twice. He stepped across the window and started to descend. Luckily the moon was out and he saw places where he could find support. The hunter came just after him and they climbed down as quickly as possible. The oozes down below them were busy feasting on the poor innkeeper and Aerys could hear them eating his flesh. It was so disgusting that he nearly vomited.
    They were nearly down when he heard something fall. He looked up and heard the hunter shout something at him but he did not hear him. It was probably a warning because a moment later something hit him and he lost his balance and he fell.
    He was lucky for he was not far from the ground when he fell and he fell a bit further from the corpse of the innkeeper. However he still had an Ooze on him. He wrestled with it nervously as it tried to attack his face. It was slimy and it proved very difficult to get it off him. He saw the big round mouth and the dangerous claws as the Ooze tried to bite him.
    Fortunately the hunter jumped by his side and managed to pull it away. He lifted Aerys up quickly. Other oozes fell from above and they hurried away from the walls. But his fall had unfortunately alerted the Oozes that attacked the innkeeper’s body and they hopped towards us threateningly. Their mouth was filled with blood and they wanted more.
    -Run, shouted the hunter and they made a run towards the road. They did not go far though. To their horror, a swarm of oozes was approaching and they found themselves surrounded.
    -What are we going to do now? Aerys shouted desperately at the hunter.
    He put his bag on the ground and searched inside quickly.
    -Cover me lad, he said.
    Aerys swallowed. How was I to cover him? Had he not said that it was no good cutting them? He gathered what courage he had left and grabbed his dagger. The Oozes were coming slowly but surely. Some of them merged together to his horror and their size doubled. They were more threatening than ever. He looked at the hunter alarmingly. If he did not hurry, it would be the end.
    Finally he stood up with something in his hands. He began to struck them together and Aerys realized that he was trying to lit a fire but unfortunately he was not doing a great job. Was fire the solution? The Oozes must have sensed the danger too because they began to advance more quickly.
    -Let me try, Aerys said to the hunter as he grabbed the flint and steel from his hands. He nodded and took out his sword. Aerys had barely started when an Ooze attacked. The hunter cut it and it split in two in front of Aerys horrified eyes. He saw its two parts transform into smaller oozes and they hopped towards them again. This was unreal. He struck the flint and the steel together near the twigs. A spark appeared but it quickly disappeared.
    -Quick lad, shouted the hunter as he Ooze after Ooze to no effect. It made things worse as the Oozes multiplied but it was the only solution to buy him time
    Aerys tried again and again. The sparks appeared but the fire did not take. He panicked and the flint fell off. He quickly grabbed it again, his heart beating quickly. The pressure was unbearable. If he failed they were doomed. The hunter backed towards me then.