Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 14, Part 3

18 June 2026

In this week’s installment of the second book of our epic fantasy, Staff of Shigmar, we will see Marilee’s squad cutting their way toward the Fereghen, where they encounter enemies of giant proportions, and Delgart distinguishing himself with further heroic actions! (18 May 2015) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as also the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 14, Part 3

“Shields up!” Marilee commanded, and the same order echoed around her. The archers in her squad loosed another arrow each, then her squad tightened around her as shields were raised overhead. To her right and left, Grelsor and Lidelle raised their staves through the roof of shields and barked in unison, “aterskoit!” There was a flash of red flames overhead, and Marilee knew that any puri arrows that fell on her squad would be consumed by the flaming shield the kailum had erected over their heads. A crackling sound overhead indicated that the arrows had struck the kailu shield. “Wedge and shields!” Marilee commanded, as they were nearly upon the company of purem. Aranik, second shield, stumbled and fell, clutching the bolt sticking out of his thigh, his dark, curly hair looking as wild as his face. Marilee vaulted over him, saw Hranda and Delgart shift left to take his place. “Heavy archers!” she shouted. Lidelle left her side to help the fallen shield.

“Ahead and right!” Mitha, the tall and sinewy second sword, shouted; she had a white scar running along her jawline, right side of her face.

“Orthek!” Marilee shouted as her front rank crashed into the purem, cutting them down but slowing their forward progress.

“Wedro-pleugikel!” Hrelga and Luthina shouted in unison from behind her. A sphere of blue light flew forward and exploded at the center of the squad of heavy archers. Fragments of the sphere became many ice arrows that ripped apart the squad of heavy archers; only a few remained standing, although severely wounded. Marilee looked left to their company captain and saw her falling from her horse, hit by one of the last bolts of the heavy archers. She looked back at her front line, and saw that fourth sword Peltha had also been hit by the heavy archers; Rolva pulled her back and took her place, as Lidelle came back. Marilee swung her sword at the puri Peltha had been fighting, neatly removing his sword arm. Rolva lunged forward, taking the opening provided, stabbing the puri’s chest. Ice arrows shot past her, bringing down the last of the heavy archers. To her right, she saw that Delgart had slung his shield onto his back and picked up another saber from one of the fallen puri, and he was a blur of whirling blades that cut down any puri that came within reach of either arm. Marilee watched him for a moment, amazed at the effectiveness of his actions. Beside her, Grelsor and Lidelle alternated between crushing puri skulls and healing the wounds the shields received as they fought their way forward. Marilee moved forward to aid the left side of her squad, as the right side, solely on the basis of Delgart, was moving ahead of them. This brought her squad into the front rank of her company, and a clearer view of the battle below.

The enemy, because of the megatrem and the krugle, were now engaged with the elite companies guarding the Fereghen, and from what Marilee could see, the seklesem were withering under the advance of the megatrem and krugle.

“The Fereghen!” their company captain shouted, back on her horse, her left arm bound in a sling. “To the Fereghen!” she shouted, and her shout was heard all around them, as the other company captains of the Third Legion saw the Fereghen’s plight. Across the pass, the Fourth Legion was bogged down in a fight with companies of wedaterem, and the First and Second Legions had been driven back on either side of the Fereghen’s elite legion by other companies of wedaterem and purem. The Third Legion was thus left to come to the aid of the Fereghen and ground its way toward him, from the rear of the enemy. The Third Legion was led by the prowess of the Eighth Company, and the Eighth Company got its inspiration from the eighth squad, and the newest member of that squad, Delgart. More than ten years of hard living, a slave to pirates, well-prepared Delgart for battle, and the sword techniques he had mastered inspired his squad to redoubled effort, which spurred the Eighth Company forward, and the other companies of the Third Legion rushed after the Eighth. The Third Legion’s progress slowed when the Eighth Company engaged the squad of krugle following the megatrem assaulting the Fereghen.

“Spread formation!” Marilee shouted, seeing as they approached that the biggest danger with the krugle was the huge hammer each carried, which could wipe out a squad grouped tightly together with a single swing. “Archers!” Marilee shouted, “loose at will!”

The arrows did little damage to the krugle, their skin being thick and hard, like the elemental ice from which they had been formed, but it caused one of the giant, bearded krugle to turn and face them. Delgart darted in, swords swinging and cutting at the legs of the giant. The krugle roared in fury, swinging his hammer to crush the insolent fly stinging his legs. Delgart was ready for this, darting to the left as the hammer came down, the head sinking to the handle in the ground. Delgart swung both sabers in quick succession, striking at the krugle’s wrist. The giant released the handle of his hammer, now roaring in pain. The archers of the squad loosed arrows at the krugle’s face, while the other swords and shields darted in to slice at the giant’s legs, but first sword Klarik, thin and wiry with limp brown hair, dodged the wrong way and was hit by the krugle’s flailing left fist; he flew ten feet behind the giant and did not get up. The giant tried to grab his hammer a second time, but Delgart was waiting, swinging both swords as before, shearing off the giant’s right hand; the blue-blood dripped onto the ground, freezing immediately. The krugle staggered back, howling in pain and holding the stump of his right arm. Delgart darted forward between the giant’s legs as he staggered, swords swinging and cutting the tendons behind the krugle’s knees. The giant crumpled to the ground; Delgart rolled to his left and onto his feet, leaping onto the chest of the fallen giant. Reversing his grip on both sabers, he drove them both into the chest of the krugle, who struggled for a moment before going still.

A cheer erupted around them, but Marilee’s shout cut through the sound: “Lookout!” she shouted at Delgart.

Delgart used his two sabers, still stuck in the dead krugle, to vault himself back toward Marilee, but one of the sabers stuck when he tried to pull them both free, and he narrowly missed having his left hand crushed by the krugle who had come to the aid of her comrade. Because she stretched forward as she swung to crush Delgart, the newest seklesi found himself beneath the attacker; he heard the sound of crunching bones as the krugle’s hammer struck the chest of her fallen comrade. Grabbing his remaining saber with both hands, Delgart drove the point straight up and into the chest of the krugle, who was leaning over him, just beneath the wide band of fur covering her breasts. He had just enough time to leap out of the way before she slumped to the ground, leaving his saber behind. Marilee looked up, surprised to see that all the krugle had turned toward Delgart. This gave the other squads of the Eighth Company opportunities to dart after them, hamstringing them as they had seen Delgart do to the first ice giant. Delgart rolled left, then right, escaping the hammer blows meant to crush him. The krugle still standing had to turn and face the other squads of the Eighth Company, giving the eighth squad a few moments to rest and resupply from the company quartermaster, who had caught up to them, leading a laden horse. Marilee again shouted at Delgart, calling him a fool and then throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. She looked up into his eyes and released him, suddenly noticing how much he looked like Rokwolf. She flushed and turned away.

Come back Saturday and see Marilee’s squad face an even more formidable foe! In the meantime, get a full ebook copy from Smashwords for free! If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!