But Jayhawk, wouldn't an angel float on salt water like a seabird? Doesn't seem to bother their feathers at all!
________________________________________"Well Jayhawk, here we go again," observed Civis, sword at the ready. "To our usual posts once more."
"Right!" agreed the angel. He quickly collected Cian, Incon, Wendoolicus and Apolita and with Cherub Ish, stood protectively between them and the oncoming creatures.
Surviving members of the galley's crew picked up pieces of wood as suitable clubs and gathered together for defense. Lethargic, Flavius and Civis stood nearly shoulder to shoulder immediately behind the crew, ready to terminate any breakthroughs or flanking attacks. Keeping their swords had made their respective swims tougher, but all were glad to have them at just this moment.
"Those buggers are definitely not friendly at all," commented Incon. Titanicus knew he would be needed so he quietly moved into the open behind the three swordsmen.
A chilling howl arose from the large party of unearthlies that had quickly gathered on the cliffs. Like rodents on a rampage they suddenly swarmed over the edge of the cliffs, some jumping, some clawing their way down, others simply falling to the ground below the cliffs. Fear and amazement could plainly be seen on the faces of the unfortunate crew of the Titanic as the creatures, one and all, shook off the effects of their falls and charged once more. Bravely the crewmen stood their ground.
The charging creatures broke like a sea wave on the collective body of crewmen. Clubs rose and fell, rose and fell. Creatures split into pieces as their decomposing body parts crumbled under the blows of the clubs.
Civis said to the men at his side. "Stabbing won't stop them. Sever their body parts. Especially their weapon arms. They can't fight without them!" Civis knew these Romans were experienced fighters. He had no need to say anything more.
The ranks of the galley crew were thinning badly. Men lay on the ground either groaning or unmoving. By their sheer numbers, the creatures were withstanding the crew's valiant efforts. Soon they would be upon the Romans.
The legionaire looked to his right at Civis and Flavius. "Ready?" Both nodded...
"BREAKTHROUGH ON THE RIGHT!" yelled Flavius. The Romans immediately charged into the oncoming creatures. Swords flashed left then right, up and then down, as the Romans slashed and chopped at the foul things assaulting them.
Apolita screamed as she saw Civis trip then fall with a creature on top of him, its curved sword raised to deliver a mortal blow. Lethargic's sword deftly removed the creature's sword arm and then its head. Civis quickly regained his feet with no time to say anything since another creature was pressing its attack almost immediately.
Light flashes now began to illuminate the beach. Creatures exploded as Titanicus unleashed power bolt spells on them. Jayhawk's expression became increasingly intense. His eyes narrowed measurably the closer the battle came to his position. "Ish, fly above the field. Tell them to quickly pull back. Watch out for arrows, Ish." The Cherub lifted off and did so.
The crewmen were down. The last dozen unearthlies finished their work and gathered to charge the nearly exhausted Romans. Titanicus' spells were losing their force. "Too many of them, Civis! They're just too many!"
Then they heard Ish. "Pull back, pull back, Jayhawk says pull back...RUN!" Each Roman took one more swing at a creature, then turned and ran towards Jayhawk.
The angel's expression was fierce. "DEYHAWK! You will not win this day!" he exclaimed. His eyes slammed shut, the veins on his forehead stood out, his fists were clenched. Under the feet of the oncoming creatures the sand began to move, shift, swirl and liquify. The creatures were immobilized, grasped by the viscous solution that had become their portion of the beach. They began to sink. In desperation the creatures clawed at the air, the sand, anything to stop the sinking. But it was futile. All but one disappeared beneath the sand. This one last creature, buried to its shoulders, had grasped a huge piece of driftwood that had defied the liquified sand.
Jayhawk suddenly staggered, exhausted from the strain, and sat down hard, physically spent. The sand stopped moving. The creature slowly began to pull itself out of the sand that had been its trap.
"No you don't!" said Civis. He walked directly to the creature, raised his sword high above its head and deliberately looked into the creature's upturned evil face.
"Back to the corruption from which you came, foul offspring of a demented power!" And he brought his swords edge down with all of his might on the creature's head, splitting it in two. Its struggling ended immediately.
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CIVIS ROMANUS[This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 11-14-99).]