illiterates were pale, heartless monsters. They looked a bit like zombies, with pale skin and cracks in their skulls, which were always leaking a fluid you wouldn't want identified. They had suckers for hands, which they used to suck out the intelligence they fed upon. They had no need for their sharp, shark-like teeth so they were often rotting and falling out. But worse of all was their cold, button eyes, stitched onto their sockets as if they were grotesque rag dolls. And a group of them were surrounding Maddy.
Rory shook himself out of his shock and leapt into action. He drew his sword, which earned him the attention of the monsters. The one holding Madison dropped her and crept towards him with the rest.
Come on Rory. He thought. This is the kind of thing you've trained for. Assess them! Look for weaknesses! Their attracted to higher intelligences. They aren't very smart. They-
"Great ink!"
Rory turned to see the Keeper standing on the opposite corner. His eyes flickered between Maddy and the illiterates.
"Don't just stand there!" Rory shouted at him. "I'll fend them off, you get Maddy to safety."
For a moment he thought the Keeper might get offended. Then the old man nodded and started making his way towards the schoolteacher, who had long since fainted.
Rory turned back to the monsters and switched his brain to autopilot. He jabbed, thrusted and ducked, scarcely noticing how his friends were fairing.
"Rory?" The Keeper called out.
"I'm a bit busy at the mo- arghhh!" The last part was due to an illiterate raking though his shoulder with its teeth.
Pain shot through his right arm, tinting his vision red. Another illiterate saw its opportunity and lunged. He swung his sword, though he both regretted and was glad when his vision darkened. But the cut he had made was deep enough to kill the creature. The others stepped back, but walked around him in a pulsating ring.
Rory switched his sword to the other arm. Not an ideal situation, but better than death. He glanced down at his arm. Blood was already coursing down it, so he didn't look to see what state his arm was in.
He tried to see the Keeper and Maddy, but he couldn't. He asummed they were safe. it was better than the alternative.
The illiterates advanced suddenly, a wave of grotesquely deformed zombies of death, and they were headed straight for him.
Rory fought. He slashed through everything within his reach. But every motion made the world go a touch darker.
Finally, he collapsed, barley clinging to contiousness. His last sensation was his sword being lifted out of his hands and the knowledge that there were just too many.
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