👁 Some stories don’t need room to grow.

Flash Fiction Frenzy is open inside the ShadowSphere. Submit a two-sentence horror piece there and it will be published in the next volume of Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond. 🖤

📖 https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/group/flash-fiction-frenzy/discussion

#writingcommunity #readingcommunity #horrorcommunity #flashfiction #twosentencehorror

Beware the Ills: Part 46

The invaders from the south end of the valley, where the city ends before the open space, are past the civilians rushing towards a melee by the mountain. They’ll form themselves into a streak and cut down the Ills with their arrows and artificial fire. Smart, very smart. There are so many Ills by the mountain, and so many invaders in the valley you can barely see the earth beneath their feet. The civilians, who were originally pinned in that valley, rush back inside the city in massive droves. The ground quakes to the thousands of feet running, charging, and sprinting.

I’m ashamed of their panic.

The invaders are about to fire into the Ills. All the encroachers have been killed beneath the mountains. They were swarmed by the Ill’s writhing green forms and didn’t have a chance. I don’t really remember what I said to their prince, or king, whatever. It must have been something inspiring? I remember Haukter appearing, and our little skirmish, and then running to the river. I remember smashing Haukter’s chest with my hilt.

The crossbows suddenly rattle like a bunch of hollow snakes. They jolt me back to reality. The waves of armored Ills are mowed down by the long arrows. The crossbows crackle in unison, their commanders must have them trained to fire in a timed fashion.

They weren’t this coordinated when they fought me.

The Ills look ready for war. They’re dressed less like articulate beasts. They’re not covered in their typical tattered equipment, but plated and smooth armor, like men. Their weapons aren’t rusted and worn. Their steel looks silver, sharp, and sterile. It’s unfortunate, in their new classy look, that they’re dying at an alarming rate.

The angle of the valley allows the arrows full velocity as they strike. The black-red shields of the Ills can’t hold back their fury. Still, thousands of Ills run forward from the mountains. More arrows though, and open spots start to form in their ranks.

Piles of corpses form.

The invader’s arrows are stopping the Ills from advancing further into the valley. The cold helps the invaders, not a single breath of wind throws their arrows off their mark. I will have to intervene soon, but too much distance separates the Ills from their formations. I couldn’t even survive this swarm of troops. There has to be some sort of break to the battle.

The walking machines lined up between the firing troops. The same formation they used at the river, when Blue and I tore them apart. It’s a bloody memory. The machines shutter and drift to the ground, and howl with the insidious buzzing sound. The metallic thrumming begins in their curved chests. I can already imagine those luminous bubbles growing in their centers like sculptured fire.

The Ills will be completely wiped out.

For some inexplicable reason, I don’t want them to be slaughtered. It’s strange having this concern for them.

The machines fire a buzzing barrage of emerald orbs. They make a high-pitched cackling sound after they release their condensed blaze. The spheres fly straight into the Ill’s massed ranks. Rocks exploded beneath the sizzling light, sending debris into the Ills and leaving their shapes bloody and obscene. Their black blood clouds the snow. The arrows continue to fly at them. Some of the Ills have closely formed their shields together to repel them. The encroachers fire heavily on these clumps, breaking shields and splitting green skin. Ills have lined up behind them, despite the deluge of points, and begun firing arrows back at them with their crude bows.

A poorly shot arrow flies by my head wistfully. They need to adjust their range.

Still, I appreciate their strategy.

The arrows are falling more consistently now. A few of the invaders have fallen with an arrow to the throat or face. The leverage from the high angle of their bows allows the points to pierce their armor. Ills charge out as the crossbows start to pause and quiet in the ranks. The machines stay silent and steaming in the cold. The snow falls silently and deliberately.

It’s good killing weather.

I see the woman towards the center of the formation. She survived what occurred on the lake with Blue. I’m very impressed. I’m sure Haukter’s near the city now. He might be inside the walls in fact. I survived his poison. I shouldn’t underestimate him.

It would be foolish.

A screeching sound carves upward from inside the invader’s formation, as a burst of jade light pillars into the sky in a disheveled line. The machines are priming again. They fire immediately at the Ill’s coming swarms. Everything along the valley explodes in rock and blue fire. No more watching and planning my next move. No more waiting. The city behind me has gone quiet as the Ills and outlanders have killed one another. I must drive the invaders away from the city, even if I can’t kill them all. After they’re gone, I will find Haukter and kill him. I breathe hard and unsheathe my sword and grip its long handle. Something far away inside of me, tells me not to kill.

I fall.

I’m on the invaders before they can turn around, before they can even breathe, before they can hear my cutting sword.

I cut twelve men down on the backside of their formation. They scream and cry beneath my sword swings. I don’t move as fast running along their edges as I could. I want their backside flank to turn to me, to see what I’ve just accomplished. They bite. Men fire at me, but I outrun the majority of their arrows and knock the stragglers away with my sword.

Someone yells, it’s her, she’s transforming within the maelstrom. A few arrows dart towards me from inside the city. Sharp shooters no doubt, I knock them away quickly with my sword. I run towards a machine that hasn’t turned around to face me. The sharp shooters follow, peppering the back of the contraption and lancing the man inside. I pull on the machine and tip it over. As we topple, I stab the handle of my sword where the dials and buttons sit glowing. The gears hum with surprise, and the heart begins to glow. Emerald explosions shatter the formation throwing rock and blood everywhere, leaving a red smear across the ground.

They’ve finally turned to me. All their hundreds of eyes are on me.

The Ills are coming. The empty space between the two armies dwindles beneath the glowing sun. A man runs out from the formation. He dives and swings his broad sword at me. I catch the blade with the gauntlet on my left hand and slit his throat. They circle around me. The man was a decoy.     

Very clever indeed.

I sprint directly into the thick lines of troops. I’m running to the edge where the Ills will meet them shortly. Something moves on my left. It’s too fast to be one of the pawns.

I know it’s her.

I sprint faster to the front. I’m slashing left and right, as men rise and fall against my sword. I hear her scream following me. The front line cannot fail, or else the Ills will overrun them, and they’re outnumbered despite the earlier slaughter with arrows and blasts. I duck beneath a swinging sword and grab one of the men’s crossbows. I smash his face open and watch his blue eyes go different directions.

It distracts me slightly, I sprint again.

I fire the crossbow. A dead man falls on me. I pick him up at his ankles and throw him over my shoulder. I hold him in front of me as I dash. His body shutters a wild amount and becomes intensely heavy with arrows. 

The ground starts to tremble below the metal tempest. The Ills have collided with the invaders, and it’s an outright storm of close combat. More screams, smashes, and the sound of metal grinding on uncooperative skin. I’ve seen my fair share of whirlwind clashing, but never one with this colliding force. I cannot help but feel responsible for the massive battle. I’m unhappy with all these colliding monsters on the footsteps of the Diamond Town.

I’m very unhappy.

I sprint to the south side of the tempest, where the Ills are fewer in number. I have no urge to kill them, but I don’t want to instigate one with my presence and break this unspoken peace. The invaders are completely focused on the Ills. The Ills have the advantage in close combat. They have superior physical strength and numbers. The clacking of swords and shields thunders remarkably. The invaders move into brown armored clusters and lock their shields together. It’s not useful though, the Ills spill over them like a green tide, and crush the men to death underneath.

I can hear her blaring over the bloody din. She’s on the northern edge of the formation, killing Ills left and right with her ridiculous axe. Her howls are high, gurgled, and ear piercing. The blue light from her skin and forced strength glow through the thrashing crowd. She breaks free and loops out of the melee. She’s looking for someone inside the battle. It’s not me either. I’m not hard to spot. She’s going after the prince, the king, and the key to peace.

How does she know?

I’ll be releasing my novel Beware the Ills in segments every Friday. You can find out more about the book right here, or check out Amazon’s info. I love this book. Happy to simply share it. 

Battle in the city. It is as epic as you thought it might be. Still not that most brutal fight scene to this point. The confrontation with Haukter is looming. Thank you for reading my work.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #horror #apocalyptic #shortstory #flashfiction #monsters #bookseries

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/06/05/beware-the-ills-part-47/

Challenge #04905-M156: Caught Broadside

The whisper came first. Then the footsteps. Then the silence that followed. 👁️

🩸 Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond is open for microhorror submissions—500 words or less.
🕯️ Stories that creep under your skin and stay there.

📖 Submit now: https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/darkdescentsubmissions

#readingcommunity #horrorcommunity #writingcommunity #flashfiction #darkhumour #indieauthors #darkfiction

#Freeuse Vignette 188 is on #Inkitt

A freeuse #girlfriend is rude

#erotica #flashfiction #shortstory #eroticFiction #freeuseErotica