My nerves rested on the edge of a knife. Id been in countless situations where the slightest misstep ant death. It took a while to overco the fear that ca with the possibility of losing my own life. The last few years in the sanctum had beaten that fear out of .
But the fear that others might die because of my mistakes haunted just as strongly as it had at the beginning. Every death was a reminder of what Id lost. A fragnt of a perfect future, torn away.
Eckor looked, understandably, like a man whod just been inford there was an unknowable number of explosives throughout the camp.
Youre able to use void at range? I asked, trying to pull him back to the mont.
From around here to that wagon. He indicated a wagon under repair, around thirty span from us. Im the only one in the Brand who can. Or was, anyway. Guess Im not in the Brand anymore. He muttered, walking alongside until he spotted a chipmunk in the grass. Eckor froze in a motionless standoff, hands out to either side, face utterly serious.
I grabbed him by the sleeve and yanked him towards Maya and lody, noting the sterling silver ring with a green gem on his finger.
What about act normal do you not understand? I whispered.
It was coming right at . Eckor hissed back.
It wasnt. Unless there was a fragnt of Eckor, buried in the ground.
Do you have any combat experience? I asked.
We pass various trials before they grant us entry.
Actual combat experience. I reiterated. Riot suppression, anything.
Not unless you count sparring. Eckor said, then mused to himself. Though most of the ti I just stood there, and they threw spells at .
Elphion.
I told myself it didnt matter. So what, he was green. No point in fantasizing about how things could be. I needed to work with what I had.
Void mage? Maya asked.
Yes. This is Eckor. I made the hasty introductions, then turned to lody. Your n in place?
lody wrung her hands. Yes.
Why is she hesitating? I asked Maya before directly addressing lody. Why are you hesitating?
I may have told them the truth? lody cringed. Not on purpose. It just didnt feel right deceiving them.
I turned, searching for the nearest hunter bearing lodys family crest. A grizzled man with white hair was brushing a horse. The motion looked awkward until I realized why. He held a crossbow loosely in his right hand, and his eyes were locked on a cottontail rabbit hopping lazily through the clearing.
Several hunters stood on top of the armory wagon, their faces grim. One caught my eye and pressed a fist to his chest in a silent salute.
I didnt want to incite panic. I said slowly, But it seems you have that covered.
Pride shone through lodys expression. They are accustod to difficult prey, my prince. Many take a yearly absence to travel to the Northends and bring back frost bear pelts. Which we pay handsoly for, of course. All that to say, I cannot take credit for their nerve.
I glanced at Maya. Shed been the one to bring lody to . At the ti, I saw it as nothing more than a backhanded maneuver, a way to voice her irritation without saying it.
Im glad we t when we did. I said honestly.
The pleasure is mine. lody curtsied. It is not often my house serves the crown so directly.
An errant neigh drew my attention. Lord Erebus had arrived, three archers from his honor guard in tow. One was astride a white horse. Eerily white, as if it might be fully visible in the dark. He eyed the odd group before him, then seed to shrug and slide off his horse, handing the reins.
The stage is set, your grace. Erebus gave a solemn nod. Kerai flanked around him and heeled at my leg.
They know when to sound the alarm?
Imdiately after your signal, not a second earlier.
Doubt gnawed at as I surveyed the camp. There were so many troops. So many potential swords and bows to augnt the small force wed already gathered. But they were worthless if I couldnt trust them and didnt understand their motivation or the division that sundered them.
Ready to summon? I asked Maya.
Hes already complaining about being used to herd humans. Maya rolled her eyes. But yes.
Youre certain the primary force will branch off? Erebus asked.
Completely. Though I dont understand why.
I can guess. A darkness crossed Erebuss face.
Rember. Everything with four legs is suspect. That includes horses. If you see a horse without a saddle, stay fucking clear.
A nod went around the group.
I took the second horses reins and drew it towards Eckor. Speaking of horses. Can you ride?
Eckor looked the giant beast up and down, with a fearful expression that answered the question before he opened his mouth. Is there anything um smaller?
Youre with , then. I gave both horses a quick estimation, handed Maya the reins to the shorter stallion, then mounted the faster-looking horse. I gave Maya a aningful look. Try to hold off on healing the wounded until we know for sure weve delayed their attack.
Understood.
Kerai, I spoke to the beast directly. Its open season on everything in this camp youd normally eatother than humans, elves or dwarves. Dig in.
Kerai scanned our surroundings, and drew low to the ground, heading off towards the east end of the camp.
The pale white horse beneath trotted slowly towards the clearing at the camps center. Eckor wrapped his arms around my waist tightly, and I was half-certain I heard him whimpering.
With ? I asked.
Im with you. Eckor said. His voice was shaky but resolute. That was the best I could ask for.
Good. I tugged the reins, and the pale horse slowed to a stop. I need a second set of eyes. See the hunters? Theyve spread out amongst the potential threats. If theres a single target, theyre good to go. If theres more than they can kill in a fell swoop, theyll signal us. As I spoke, I felt my heart sink. More than a third of the visible hunters were signaling, arm held in a fist at their side, index fingers extended.
Beside the mobile armory. Eckor said. When I followed his gaze, there was a hunter lounging next to the cart, signaling. Though instead of a single finger, he held four fingers out.
Good catch. I nudged the horse with my knees, and we trotted towards the hunter.
Slowly, as if it were nothing more than a casual stretch, I held one arm skyward. A spark gathered at my fingertip, traveling upward in a lazy arc, then exploded in a halo of violet.
Now.
The unified twang of a half-dozen bowstrings filled the air. Soldiers and workers alike paused, distracted by either the sounds or the light show overhead. I drove my heels into the horses sides, kicking into a full gallop.
Erebus and his archers raced towards another group of signaling hunters. Up ahead, the hunter by the armory cart successfully felled a buck with a crossbow bolt. Instead of reloading, he pulled a dull short sword from his waist and lashed out at the remaining targets.
A buck danced away from him, a doe in its wake. The bucks face expanded, its once narrow, angular face altering into a curve as its body ballooned.
Dammit.
Larger creature, larger payload. I was almost certain. It might be possible to incinerate it, as I had the rabbit, but by the ti the spark arrived, it would already be at critical mass.
The gems that decorated the dark gold armor of my left arm glinted. An unhinged idea struck . Xarmos said the armor augnted my demonic gauntlet, mana gems arranged in such a way that I could potentially absorb larger spells that backfired otherwise.
Take the reins after I jump, I commanded. Do whatever you can to stall the doe!
Jump?! Eckor yelled. Where are the hell are you going?
Pull back to stop; guide its head in the direction you want to move.
Wait!
I tid the movent carefully, jumping up and planting my feet on the saddle, using the wind to balance as the horses hooves pounded against the ground. Up ahead, the buck expanded, sides ballooning out, red fissures traveling down the length of its flesh. It would detonate in monts.
I leapt from the horse, directly towards the buck, fighting every instinct I had to put my feet out and catch myself. Instead, I dove headfirst, left arm extended.
Contact.
I caught the buck around the neck. My left hand plunged into its expanding flesh. The flesh gave way, and I saw the fire within.
No.
I pulled with the gauntlet, draining mana from the spell.
It differed from catching a projectile. I had to think of the deer as a spell itself, rather than a living being. For a mont, I thought it might detonate, regardless. That my interference was too late to halt the inevitable result.
NO.
The gauntlet humd, chitin screeching in a high keen. I felt it strain, dark material extending from my shoulder towards my chest. The buck scread as the magical energy left it, flooding my gauntlet with raw power.
It writhed in my grip, trying to struggle free. I knew if it broke contact for even a mont, this would be over. I bore down, the muscles in my shoulder screaming.
One of the gauntlets gems exploded. Then another. The six remaining were pulsing with vivid red light.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doe expanding. It was unaffected by voidor Eckor had choked.
At least, thats what I thought, before Eckor ca sailing out of the sky, screaming. He bounced off the doe, sending it sprawling, and landed hard. His hands glowed violet as he staggered toward the fallen doe. Seconds later, my horse ran by, circling around the chaos.
The madman jumped.
From what I could tell, Eckor hadnt jumped so much as fallen off the horse, in an untrained imitation of the maneuver Id pulled.
Eckor wrapped his hands around its neck, tears streaming down his face. Is this a bad ti to ntion that I really, really, like animals?
Kerai sprinted past us with agile grace, closed on a rabbit and killed it with one bite.
The respite breathed hope into .
Doing great, Eckor! I called. The buck struggled under for a mont longer and fell still. My gauntlet was vibrating with power. I needed to release it before it backfired.
Youll fund my research? Eckor said, suddenly.
As promised.
Eckor bore down, thumbs pressing into the does throat, and whispered sothing that sounded like, Sorry, friend.
The doe snapped at Eckor with blunt teeth. Lightning exploded from his hands, and the doe seized. I stared for a mont. He was still channeling void.
A simultaneous channel?
The second elent wasnt much of a surprise. Among my fathers forces, the Crimson Brand was the elite of the elite. A rare few of their higher-ranking mages had already achieved a third awakening. But channeling and weaving spells from a single elent took imnse focus and concentration. Using two at once was unimaginable.
While the resulting shock wasnt particularly strong, as the doe was still fighting to tear itself away from Eckor, that did nothing to diminish the fact that sohow, hed still managed it.
I mantled over the fleshy remains of the buck and drew my sword, waiting until the does throat was exposed. A single, precise strike sent it plumting to the grass-covered ground.
With the imdiate threat gone, Eckor was left holding his soiled sleeves skyward, away from his body, looking profoundly disturbed.
Great work, I told him.
Research grant. Eckor muttered to himself. Totally worth it. Totally and completely worth it.
Wed taken too long with the first group. I waited, tense, for the resulting explosions. One ca from the south end of the camp.
None followed.
My jaw worked in surprise as I surveyed the would-be battlefield. A few hunters were still finishing up, pulling their blades free of various animal corpses. It shocked to see several guardsn doing the sa. I couldnt believe it. Any mont, several animals we missed would explode, and the drephin would attack in force.
Nothing happened. The alarm sounded. This ti, everyone reacted as Id expected them to the first ti. The camp moved in one panicked mass, civilians and soldiers alike retreating towards the circled wagons and carriages in the center.
airn. An errant breeze carried a fragnt of my na. I turned and saw Maya galloping full speed towards a small group of drephin. It was a partial relief to see they werent a part of the greater attacking force. They were in varying states of transformation, and still kept certain aspects of their animal forms.
That relief faded as I realized they were headed directly towards the clustering forces.
I harnessed the air, jumping up onto the horse and racing to intercept. The drephin were quick on their feet, but no match for Lord Erebuss warhorse. I cut them off, only a dozen span from the circled wagons.
The drephin slowed. They looked around them, as if theyd only just realized how quickly the tides had turned.
One stepped forward. Scion, he hissed.
Its over, I said harshly. If your people were coming, theyd already be here. Surrender.
The leader of the pact held my gaze. But a few of the drephin in the rear nervously glanced towards the mountain. I flicked my eyes in the direction they were looking. The leader with the staff from last ti was nowhere to be seen.
We know how the king treats his prisoners, a woman in the back hissed.
Coincidentally, I know nothing of your folk. Not for lack of desire. If you surrender here, youll be treated well. As the first envoys of your kind.
The man in front turned his back to , facing the others. Our goddess has spoken. Should the scion live, the desecrator will finish what was started long ago.
My gauntlet shuddered with accumulated power. Images from the first ti around flooded . The drephin, obliterated by fire, screaming. I wanted dearly to stop this from escalating into a slaughter.
But I recognized the determination in their expressions, after the leader spoke. The iron in their resolve. Even in the face of death.
Please. Dont. I knew my words were futile.
Most of them rushed forward. One remained where she was, off to the side, hands balled into fists, eyes closed. The flesh of the others bubbled and expanded
I held out my left hand and released. The recoil was massive, and I felt the telltale pop of my arm twisting out of socket.
When the smoke cleared, the remains of the drephin painted the landscape in a grueso crescent that could have almost passed for art, if the ink it drew from wasnt so ghastly.
Behind , the mass of humans cheered. The cheer slowly grew into a roar. So even chanted my na.
But I couldnt look away from the survivor. The drephin woman, who stared down at the remains of her companions. Her mouth worked, widening, until a horrified shriek ripped from her throat. She scread, her fingernails tearing streaks down her face.
Behind her, Erebus ca to a stop and raised a fist. One of his archersstill mounted, took aim at the woman.
I shook my head. Erebus hesitated, then slowly lowered his hand.
With a burst of mana, I called the wind, relaying a ssage directly to the womans ear:Run.
She turned and fled. I told myself that this was better than the previous outco. That instead of taking heavy losses and obliterating the drephin, wed taken minimal casualties and waylaid them.
Maya maneuvered her horse, coming to a stop beside . She looked harried and exhausted, but otherwise unhard.
Thanks for the heads-up. I told her.
Maya glanced back at the army clustered behind the wagons. Not sure it mattered much. They were running into a killbox.
I shook my head. If the archers coordinated and cut them down at a distance? Perhaps. But if any soldiers got antsy and rushed into lee, there could have been significant losses. Put my arm back in?
Maya dismounted, grabbed my left arm and pulled it out to the side. A nauseating pop followed a flash of pain, and I flexed my fingers.
Despite knowing their abilities, its hard to believe theyd use their own people like that. Maya said.
Bad soldiers are, more often than not
A reflection of their commander. Lord Erebus fell in line beside . He was still watching the drephin woman flee. Shed made good ti and was only a few span from the treeline. Still, Im not sure showing her rcy was the wisest course. She will not look kindly on you for sparing her, and whatever leadership they have pulling the strings will be far better inford to our capabilities than they once were.
The woman disappeared into the darkness of the Everwood.
It wasnt rcy, bannerlord, I said grimly.
No?
Call it intuition, but I have a feeling our attackers wont give up so easily. If we killed their entire first wave, wed remain in the sa situation we started in.
Ignoring the initial losses, theyd retain the initiative. That much is true. But.. Erebus stared at as if I was mad. You intend to track an elf through the hells-blasted Everwood?
He didnt know, of course. That Id spent the last few years tracking equally dangerous prey in far worse conditions. Shes running scared. Traumatized. If shes smart, shell double back a few tis, maybe change forms if she has the mana to burn. But after that? Shell lead straight to the source.
Where youll what? Maya challenged. Take on their entire army?
I sheathed my sword. Cut the head off the snake.
Reviews
All reviews (0)