148 A Misunderstanding

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound was heard.

Then, a shadow flashed. It was a black light that had been projected from the nearby woods. It was as swift as a startling thunderclap in the night sky. It flashed and sank into the chest of one of the barbarians.

The tall barbarian’s body turned upside down, and shot backwards forcefully – as if he had been struck by a monstrous creature. He got knocked against the trunk of a huge tree; this rendered a powerful jolt to the tree. The tree trembled violently; several leaves fell off its branches.

The lifeless body of the barbarian hung in midair – with a long black arrow sticking out of his chest. The sharp end of the arrow had sunk deep into the tree’s bough; the plume feathers at the arrow’s end were still quivering.