Awaken - 28. Link

The Humiad forest was huge and as old as our continent probably was. There were grim little stories told to children about this forest to permanently scare them away. I wondered if there was any truth to the stories as we road through the woods. Birds and animals called out to each other and I took that as a good sign. Things only got dicey when there was silence, when even nature itself was drawing in a breath, fear beating through hearts of prey and predator alike. For now, everything seemed normal. Amaris and I rode side by side, her giggling softly as my head whipped around. I had never seen trees so tall. The air seemed close in here, like there was an allotted amount and we were infringing upon someone else’s oxygen. Eon and Hanja were out front, occasionally exchanging single words. A unique friendship was building. Wren was on Eon’s horse, his hands stretched back on the horse’s croup so far he was almost horizontal. Amaris and I had exchanged a look when he’d wrapped his legs around Eon’s waist, feet in his lap. My brother had flinched, but he seemed to be trying a new strategy where he simply acted as though Wren didn’t exist. Tyren looked around at the trees as well and smiled back at me.

“You know, this would be the perfect time for a lesson.” I groaned and his smile grew wider. He charged right into my Disputatio alphabet and Wren laid back farther. His eyes were hidden behind his black lenses, but I knew he watched us. I stumbled over a few pronunciations, but I was thrilled that I committed most of it to memory. A small grin played over Wren’s lips.

“Good! I’m surprised at how much you’ve retained with everything going on! You’re going to give Lyme a run for his money!” I rolled my eyes, both of us well aware that Lyme’s skill was untouchable. We carried on that way for an hour, Amaris shyly joining us after Tyren noticed her interest.

“Athel isn’t here, so I feel we should do some form of training that speaks of her.” Tyren nodded, his eyes scanning over Hanja and Eon as my brother said something that made the other man laugh. Tyren smiled affectionately and turned back to me.

“You’re going to kick my ass from your horse? While I’m also on a horse?”

Tyren laughed, “Of course not! Form your weapons and hold them.” I glanced down at the reins and the road moving rapidly under my mount, “Fine, one at a time. Hold them for at least a minute each.” He was trying to distract me from the nerves that had indeed started building. We’d been up before the sun and on the road before it rose as well, all of us eager to get the day started. It was late afternoon now, but you’d never know as a cold breeze slid over me, robbing me of my body heat.

I lifted my non-dominant left hand first, letting out a soft breath as my Magik gladly answered me. The ring of light circled my hand and I gripped onto it, holding strong long past the required minute. I switched the reins to the other hand and went through the same process. Tyren stayed quiet through the whole thing and simply nodded when I had finished.

“I’ve run out of horseback friendly lessons unfortunately.” Tyren smiled and it only grew when Hanja fell back. His eyes swept over Tyren and the corner of his mouth upturned.

It dropped when he spoke to us, “We’re not too far away. I don’t know much about this ‘connection’ but now may be a good time to start trying to reach out, or whatever it is you do.” He rode back to the front and Amaris stuck her tongue out at his back. I stifled a giggle and even Tyren shook his head.

The connection had become a different thing to me now. I was hesitant to reach over it, even though I’d relied on it only a short time ago. I took a breath and paused.

“Uh Amaris, can you make sure I don’t fall off my horse?” She slowed to ride directly next to me, Tyren silently falling in on my other side. The others up front looked back and then kept their eyes on the path. I dove in, gasping at the horror that met me right away. I tore through it, my knuckles white on the reins in my hands. He was there somewhere. His presence was so faint that every time I reached for it, it slipped through my fingers. I squeezed my eyes closed and figuratively dug my heels in. I tried to pinpoint it. I could feel him, his consciousness, but where was it coming from? My head fell back and I pushed harder.

Talon. I need you to try and focus on me. I can’t get to you. I had no idea if he was listening to me. I waited and waited. Right when I was about to look for another way, I felt a pull like last time. This one was different. A gentle tugging at my mind that said, here, come this way. I gasped and jerked my head forward, my short fingernails ripping into my palms. I loosened my grip as soon as I’d returned to myself. We were nearing the fork and those that rode at the front were slowing, glancing back to me. I urged my horse forward, faster, faster. I could feel him and that pull stayed at the edge of my thoughts. I had passed Hanja, Eon, and Wren and it was like I was possessed. I didn’t hear anything, saw nothing but the road in front of me. I registered hooves thundering over the ground around me, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t missing because I had found him. Me. Now, I had to get to him.

“Kal! Kal! We can’t just rush in. Do you even know how far it is?” I heard the voice and reason slowly started to return. I made myself stop pushing the poor horse to its limits.

Amaris and Eon were on either side of me now and Wren’s grin was wide and feral, “You’ve found him.” It wasn’t a question, and I could see the eagerness, the hunger in Wren’s eyes. He wanted to get there as bad as I did. I’m sure that’s how everyone was. Except for Hanja, maybe.

“Yes,” I pointed to the road that cut west, the end of it’s path disappearing in the dense tree line.

“The Lidan Road then,” Amaris’ eyes were filled with an unhinged joy that matched Wren’s. Eon’s lips were pursed in a thin line as our group committed to the left of the fork. Whoever was at the end of this was going to deeply regret all the choices they’d made in the past few days.

“Can you tell how far away he is?” Tyren, from behind me.

“No, it’s weak. I only know he’s this way.”

“Do we have a plan? Do you people do that?” Hanja sighed in exasperation.

“We had only planned to this point. We didn’t know if Kalian could even do this.” Eon answered, meeting the healer’s red eyes. It was occurring to me that out of our small group, two members had red eyes, and one pink. Did I attract people with Magik related to the body? Or was it that I attracted and inspired strength? Body related Magik was strong in a lot of cases.

“If there is a large group, we’ll want at least a little bit of surprise.” Hanja offered, glancing back to where Tyren rode nearby.

“We’re on a road, headed directly for our enemy. How would you suggest we achieve the element of surprise? Let’s meet them head on.” Wren scoffed, he’d sat up and his legs were no longer wrapped around Eon.

“We could make camp. Off the road. Wait for them to come to us?” Tyren suggested.

“We can find him. I’m not willing to wait any longer.” Wren growled.

“Agreed.” A shadow had fallen over Amaris’ face and the severity of the situation hit me. When we met whatever force traveled with Talon, people were going to die. At my own hand as well. I rolled that thought around in my head, expecting to be mortified. Nothing. I had accepted it.

“It is stupid to run headfirst into an organized unit of soldiers with a new Magik user who’s never fought before, the palace’s pet monster, two teachers, an unhinged assassin, and a former soldier.” Hanja’s blue-rimmed red eyes found each one of us as he spoke. Wren snarled and Amaris gave him a dirty look, but the man had a point. We didn’t even know how many there were.

“We could send someone to scout ahead.” Eon said finally, voice rough. Our group had slowed and finally came to a stop as we spoke.

“I’m guessing you?” Amaris snapped testily, nails tapping against one of the knives on her thigh.

“I have experience.” Eon shrugged, “You’re more than welcome to come with if you can control yourself.”

“No. Amaris you stay with the others. I’ll go.” Wren ordered. Her head dipped and I marveled at the firm control in Wren’s voice. I had begun to wonder if he could lead. He seemed childish and even silly at times, but here it was. The serious look in his eye that invited no argument from her.

“What, so you can touch me without judgement?” Eon groaned.

“No. If something should go wrong. I am the only one who could hold off an attack by myself long enough for you to get away.” Wren’s voice was low and cold. It sent a chill down my spine. Eon’s face turned grim, and he nodded once.

“How will you ride a horse, Wren? It won’t work as well to take the same one when scouting.” Tyren asked with unease.

“I don’t need a horse. I never did.” He met my teacher’s eyes with a blank expression on his face, not offering an explanation for his words.

“I don’t know how I feel about you two going off alone and putting yourselves in danger. Especially if this could be a trap.” I kept my eyes on the reins in my hands, trying to resist the imploring voice in my head that wanted me to go to him.

“Do you have another suggestion?” Hanja pinched the bridge of his nose. I wondered how he managed to function in court or teach when other humans seemed to be the bane of his existence.

“We go. We do it now. We’re wasting time.” Wren’s voice had slipped into a lower register, sentences coming out almost fully in growls. Eon nodded and turned their horse without waiting for a reply. They rode off at a rapid pace. I watched as his head tilted back to listen to Wren and then he nodded again and faced forward. As we watched, Wren dropped off the horse, falling into a sprint as soon as his feet touched down. He moved faster and faster until his limbs blurred and I lost sight of him. Both Tyren and I stared, mouths agape.

“Teleportation?” Hanja murmured softly.

“He runs.” Amaris shrugged as we dismounted.

“Runs?” I gasped. He was there one minute and the next he wasn’t.

“There’s a lot about Wren that’s not normal. You get used to it.” We weren’t even bothering to hide or make a small camp. We gave the horses food and then sank to the ground to await Wren and Eon’s return. Hanja was obviously more agitated, his face showing emotion for once as Tyren mumbled softly to him.

“Tyren?” He looked up at me and Hanja tugged at the bottom of one of his gloves, ignoring me.

“Yes?” He smiled and his smile grew more encouraging when I hesitated.

“What did Lex say to you at the training grounds that day?” I toyed with the necklace I’d received from him, the orb cool against my skin.

Tyren frowned and looked away, “A threat. He told me if I got in his way, he’d make sure I was kicked back to my homeland. He finished with a slur for good measure. That’s all.” Hanja stared at the ground, his face impassive, but his hands had fisted in his pants.

“So, not only is he a power-hungry freak, he’s also a bigot. Gross.” Amaris spit out the words and looked angry on behalf of the men seated across from us. I shared her anger as I fit this new piece into the puzzle that was Mallex Nainde. How had I ever thought he was kind? I used to think he was sweet. I shook my head and pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as the teachers remained silent. It was another offense in a long list for Mallex.

My mind strayed to Wren and Eon and I wondered how far our “little monster” was. It hadn’t been long but if he moved that fast, I could only imagine. How far behind was Eon? It unnerved me that he was alone now. He wasn’t, though. Not really. If someone attacked him, I had no doubt that Wren would know somehow and that person would regret the day they were born.

“I wonder how far away Talon is?” Amaris muttered, fingers running over her knives in a silent inventory.

“Hard telling, but they’ll find them. I’m sure of it.” Tyren nodded, smiling at us both. Hanja sat cross-legged and shook his head. Ever the optimist.

“Hanja, how did you come to be in Syrin?” I didn’t know if it was too personal a question. No doubt if it were Hanja wouldn’t deign to answer.

“I became a student, albeit unwillingly.” His eyes took on a far away look as he thought about it, “In other parts of the world, the slave trade is very much still in practice. I was sold into it at a young age. I was lucky. A rich lord was told I had power and he knew I’d make an excellent gift for your king.” Did anyone in our group have a stable, happy upbringing?

“I’m sorry.” It wasn’t enough, but I had nothing else to offer him. There weren’t words to make what had happened to him okay.

“It is over. It has been for a long time. If it had never happened, I wouldn’t be sitting on the hard ground with your band of degenerates.” I laughed and Amaris snorted next to me. Tyren looked surprised and smiled at him.

“Did you make a joke? I knew you secretly loved us.” I grinned and Hanja shook his head.

“You’re all incorrigible.” His voice was monotone and for some reason, that made us all break into laughter again.

“Is this taking a long time?” I bit off a piece of jerky, my eyes tracking the sun as it threatened to fully descend.

“We don’t know how far it is and Eon’s on horseback.” Tyren shrugged, ripping his hunk of bread in half.

“You have to be patient.” Hanja added, sharing his jerky with Tyren.

“That was a horrible, responsible answer,” I groaned, and Amaris threw herself back to lay on the ground in frustration. Tyren’s smile was slightly pained, and Hanja merely shook his head. They were far too reasonable to give into their frustration like us, but I think we were starting to grate on their nerves.

“You might as well calm down, either way we’ll have to make camp.” Hanja said after a while.

“Why?” I brushed dirt off my pants and watched a red bug skitter across the ground in front of me.

“Eon’s horse will be exhausted and I’m sure the rider will be as well.” Tyren answered before Hanja could grow more irritated. Talking wasn’t doing us any good anymore. We were all on edge and anxious with two of our party being absent for so long. Instead of talking to each other, we ate our humble meal and again kept to our own thoughts.

“You’re all lively.” I jumped as Wren’s breath ghosted over the back of my neck. My eyes darted to the road and I looked for any sign of Eon.

“Horses are slow,” he shrugged, “He’s coming. He’s fine. We didn’t run into any trouble.”

“Were you able to find them?” The urgency in Hanja’s voice seemed to shock even him.

“Oh yes, we found them. All of them.” Wren grinned.

“What do you mean?” Amaris this time, face troubled.

“Simply that there’s enough for all of us to have a lot of fun.” I caught movement and saw a tiny form moving toward us. I grinned as it grew closer, and I saw messy bronze hair. We all watched his progress and Wren’s head tilted.

“You know, he’s pretty remarkable. He moves almost as quiet as I do. Even as big as he is. He only has to try harder.” I smiled at Wren who was clearly smitten and unsure what to do about it. His brow furrowed and my smile grew wider. Eon rode up as close as possible and slid off his horse. The poor animal was panting, it’s large sides expanding with effort. Eon smoothed his hands over its side and patted its neck.

“There’s so many. Fuck. There were way more than I expected.” He was panting and he leaned forward, hands resting on his knees.

“How many?” Amaris’ eyes were wide, Tyren and Hanja both wearing matching frowns.

“At least 50. At least.” Eon wheezed. He straightened and Wren giggled.

“We are going to have the most fun.” Wren had a strange look in his eyes. Amaris’ hands skimmed over her knives again as if reassuring herself that they were all there. Tyren chewed his lip as he thought, and Hanja looked irritated again.

“They’ve made camp for the night, but we’ll be on top of each other tomorrow.” Eon said, noticing the lack of camp for the first time.

“Did you-did you see him?” I forced myself to ask the question and Eon looked away from me.

“We didn’t. There are multiple carriages and carts. I’m sure that’s on purpose.” Wren answered for him, his expression irritated.

We made camp after that. All of us falling in naturally to help set it up. The shelters were erected, bed rolls laid out inside, but everyone remained huddled around the fire long into the night. Tyren’s head rested on Hanja’s shoulder. Hanja stared into the fire, the glow from the flames lighting his eyes strangely. Amaris was methodically sharpening her knives, muttering softly to herself. Prayers, she’d explained when My curiosity got the best of me. I sat between Eon and Wren. Wren sat on his knees, glasses dangling from his face. Eon’s arm was wrapped around my shoulders as I stared at my own hands.
I had to pinpoint where Talon was, which carriage or cart he was in. There wasn’t room for failure as my friends would be otherwise engaged. When we’d started our little journey, Eon had bundled his swords up and let his horse carry them. Now they laid out behind him. He’d gone through his own routine of sharpening the short swords. Watching Amaris and him with their weapons, there was a certain reverence. They were gentle and caring with them. I’d never seen anything like it, and it fascinated me. Even Hanja had mumbled words in a different language, his hands hovering over his own strange blade.

Wren slid forward and rested his head in my lap, grinning up at me, “Are you nervous?”

I hesitated before slipping my fingers through the snow-white tresses, “I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’m feeling.”

Those rose-tinted irises focused more intently on my face, “If you get bogged down in the blood and screaming, try to think of why and who you’re doing it for.”
I gently pulled apart a tangle in his hair and my eyes slowly strayed to those sitting around me. Tomorrow was going to change everything.

“Adrenaline is going to hit. Try to keep your wits about you.” Hanja’s soft voice drifted to me across the fire.

“Trust yourself. Once everything goes to shit, you are all you’ll have.” My mind stuttered for a minute when Tyren swore, his yellow eyes like pools of gold in the warm glow.

“You aren’t gonna be able to count on your Magik weapons for the whole fight. It’s gonna be long. There’s a lot of opponents and you’re going to get tired.” Amaris’ threw two knives to the ground near me. I looked from them to her gratefully, knowing what they meant to her, “Don’t lose ‘em.”

“You aren’t going to be able to pick and choose who you fight. It’s going to be chaos. Keep your head on a swivel and watch your back.” Eon’s voice was rough as he gave me a strained smile. I took every piece of advice and dedicated each to memory.

“Once you find him, let us know. We’ll try to clear a path.” Wren said, voice serious as his eyes studied the stars above us.

“We need some type of signal.” Amaris said, hands fidgeting in her lap.

“Light.” Hanja said without pause and that was enough. We fell back into a tense silence. I doubted any of us would be getting any good sleep tonight.

“Do you even know how to use those?” Amaris pointed towards the knives she’d thrown me, and I shrugged. I’d made my own knives out of Magik but having the metal in my hand was completely different. An impromptu training session broke out. Amaris covering the basics and the others offered up advice as well. Amaris and I darted around the camp, trying to familiarize me with the blades. It was a welcome distraction for everyone, and it was almost unbelievable to have so much knowledge around me. It wouldn’t be perfect, not in one night, but when my Magik ran out, I would have an alternative.

It was over too soon, and we sank down around the fire again. Tyrens eyes were already closed, and Hanja’s arm was draped over him. He had one hand pressed to his chest so he didn’t fall forward. I leaned against Eon’s side as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. Amaris sat between Wren’s legs to our left and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head in a gentle affection that seemed strange for him.

The unease never left, but we managed to fall asleep, the shelters forgotten. We slept in a circle, and if anyone had come upon us, I had no doubt that we would look strange. I was okay with that.

*

*Talon*

The someone had spoken to me again. They were always so demanding. Never mind that when they came, the pain subsided a little bit. I was always aware of it, but the edge was taken off and I could breathe. They were closer. I wasn’t sure what happened, but I felt something stretched between us and it was guiding them closer to me. It calmed me down a little. My head was cold now, which I took to mean it’d been uncovered, but I didn’t feel sunlight against my lids. I kept trying because maybe it wasn’t daytime. I had no way of knowing. Even so, I waded through my suffering when I heard voices.

“You think they’ll actually come? I know Anders said they would but-“

“But what? They’ll come.” Two voices. The first was nasally and higher pitched, the other was a baritone, deep and harsh.

“They’d be stupid to attack us without some kind of army.”

“That’s the point. He doesn’t want them to make it back to Syrin. The fucker in there’s bait.” I tried, in vain, to open my eyes again. They refused to cooperate, and I let out a tiny, strangled noise of desperation. Pathetic. I couldn’t remember who I was, but surely, I was stronger than this? A faint rustling and I heard what sounded like a wooden door scrap against its frame as it was ripped open.

“How the fuck are you still even alive?” It was the second voice, and my neck made a horrendous crunching noise when he hit me, “We shoulda killed you when you butchered our men. They were good men you freak!” He hit me again and I felt liquid pooling at the back of my throat. I coughed, feeling liquid sputter over my lips. It was no good. The liquid kept rising and I was choking on it. Copper. So my own blood then. Great.

“Reich we can’t kill him. We were given orders!” I barely heard the second voice as I tried to cough the blood out of my throat. I couldn’t turn my head. I couldn’t get up and spit it out. I gagged and felt myself wretch. An added bonus. Not only would I get to drown in my own blood, I’d have the additional pleasure of adding my vomit to the mix. There was shuffling and I registered a smaller person next to me. They turned my head, the bones in my neck protesting again. I didn’t care. I coughed hard, jolt after jolt of pain scorching through my body. I didn’t care about that either because the blood was slowly dribbling out of my mouth. Hands lifted my head a little and I took a breath finally. My head was dropped roughly, and it smacked against the surface under me. The view behind my eyelids became darker and I let unconsciousness take me. Better that way really.

Talon? Talon?

It was that voice again and I took a shaky breath, my lungs filling to capacity. Was that me? Talon...I let it out in a relieved, rasping sigh and basked in this foreign presence. No not foreign. I knew it. I knew the voice and I knew the…the feeling of them. It was like fingers were lightly caressing my very soul. Comfort slid around inside my head, momentarily chasing away the more unpleasant feelings I was experiencing. It was a reprieve. I didn’t feel the broken bones, the open wounds. I couldn’t taste my own blood or smell it.

I’m not sure that you can hear me, but we’re coming love. You just have to hold on a little longer. Okay? I’m coming.

A warmth spread through me, down my arms and legs, stretching even to my fingertips. I had felt myself slipping again but this brought me back. It took away the haze and I clung to it. It sent a spark of some emotion through my chest. It was hope. I knew that much. I clung to that too. He asked me to hold on. He. That’s right. The someone was a he. I could do that. I could hold on, but I wasn’t sure how much longer. I hoped that whoever was coming for me was fast. Otherwise, it was almost cruel to make me endure this. I’d been in this state for what seemed like a long time. What was taking them so long? My resolve was long gone and I had no idea what reserves I was pulling from to meet his request.

But I would. Until it wasn’t possible anymore.

I love you. The warmth surged through me again and for a second, I could swear I felt my fingers.

*

There had been acknowledgment. I wasn’t sure if he was capable of much more. I could feel the struggle there. He was so close to the edge. I had felt it for myself. It would be so much easier to let go. It was far more attractive than remaining in his pain riddled limbo. I felt selfish for asking him to hold on longer. He was right. He already had held on for longer than I could even imagine. It was selfish, but I needed him. I couldn’t bare the thought of reaching that carriage only to find him gone already. At least I had been able to glean that small amount of information from his broken thoughts. Carriage narrowed it even farther down. We knew what to focus on.

I stood behind trees with our rag tag group. All of them were fully battle ready. Hanja’s hair was arranged in a tight top knot, gloves absent as his fingers balanced on the hilt of his sword. Eon’s swords were strapped to his back and hip. Amaris was touching each hilt again, counting. Her hair was still in the braided buns and her eyes were fierce as we watched the road. Tyren had slipped metal between his hands and stretched it into a long metal staff, a curved blade at the end. None of us spoke and at times I wasn’t sure if the others even breathed. My own breath seemed so loud, I swore they’d hear it from a mile away.

Hanja’s much cooler and level mind had won out and we now hid, waiting for them to come to us. Wren was above in the trees. He’d be the first to see them and the first to attack. Of that, I was sure. He still only had one small dagger, but I had a hard time believing he’d even needed that. I could feel the tether swelling as he got closer. It called to me. I focused on the never-ending stream of pain that launched itself over the bond. It set me on edge. It was like it’s volume had increased the closer they got. Now it was like a scream in my brain, he’s so close. Go get him!

The first indication that something was wrong, was Wren’s lithe body smashing to the ground a few feet away. He was swearing, voice veering into a roar. Tyren, being the closest, rushed to his side. He was already in the process of getting up and Tyren hauled him to his feet. An arrow stuck out of his chest and the snarl that left him shook me. I winced as he ripped it out, eyes studying the pointed tip.

“Magik. That’s the only way I could’ve been in range. They’re a mile away. No normal archer has that range, or that aim.” He threw the arrow to the side and Tyren tried to catch him as he scurried back up the tree.

“I hope we’re ready kids. It’s a matter of minutes.” He called down to us and I winced when I heard something hit the tree he inhabited, hard. I shook my head as his maniacal laugh drifted down, “Oh you poor fuck. I know where you are now.”

“Poor fuck indeed.” Eon whispered and I found myself smiling despite the nerves.

The waiting was the worst part. The apprehension built and built, stacking on top of itself. I heard them first. Horses and wooden wheels. Wren wasn’t in the tree anymore. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but I did. He was gone. No doubt going after the archer. The people surrounding me were primed, hands on weapons. All ready to rush into battle, no questions asked. How had I managed to stumble upon people like this? It seemed the universe had turned my life upside down. I suddenly had a support system, people who listened to me. I wasn’t alone anymore. I don’t know why it took a life-threatening situation to make me appreciate that. Through unorthodox means, I had created my own family.

“Kalian, follow the plan. You hide until you find him. Then find one of us and glue yourself to them. I don’t want you alone out there.” Eon ordered. Our eyes were trained on the approaching mini militia. There were indeed soldiers dressed in military blue, and at least six carriages. There were carts as well, but I paid them no mind. They were surrounded on all sides. Every one of them. There were a few among them that had to be Magik users, their clothes nicer and made of better fabrics. I blinked as an awfully familiar ensemble stood out. A man with grey hair and a nasty scar over his eye wore the Verseckt leathers, his dark brown eyes missing nothing around him. I heard Amaris swear and she gripped her knife tighter. It seemed that Anders’ influence had spread farther than we expected.

The man in leathers looked around, his head snapping in each direction. His brow furrowed and I froze in place. Did he know we were here? Could he tell? I held my breath and scanned my eyes over the carriages. They rolled so close together and I could feel him, but I wasn’t able to narrow down where exactly. I felt panic rise and I took a deep breath. The man held a fist up and everyone slowly came to a stop. His head still twisted as he listened for something.

Then the man’s eyes widened and bulged. Wren’s head came over his shoulder, his hair already splattered with blood. White claws dug into the man’s hair and he made a strange noise as fangs ripped into his neck. I assumed it would end there, but no. Wren’s teeth gnashed repeatedly, and the man’s head came free. My stomach lurched as Wren tossed it over his shoulder. The people closest noticed first. Shouts rose as they tried to put distance between themselves and the blood-soaked man on the horse behind a newly-made corpse. Wren shoved the body to the ground and followed it, his feet hitting the dirt hard.

After that, it was a chain reaction that evaporated into chaos. Amaris launched from the trees beside me, Eon darting to back up Wren. Tyren and Hanja rushed forward almost as one, engaging the enemy at the same time. The noises reached my ears and I grimaced.

My thoughts came to a halt as my friends fought. Tyren and Hanja spinning around each other gracefully. Hanja held his sword in both hands and the blade seemed to cut through people without any resistance. Tyren fought at his back, his weapon’s range never giving anyone a chance to come close. Amaris threw knives and slid in and around people fluidly. Her blades slipped between ribs, sliced throats, stabbed backs hard enough that the person was thrown forward. I blinked as she cut across her own forearm. She threw the knife in her hand and it found it’s targets eye. Her nails collected blood and I watched as she drew her hand up.
A whip of blood sliced through the nearest person, cutting them to ribbons. My eyes widened and I tried to focus on finding Talon. Wren was launching himself through the people around him, covered completely in carnage. Eon followed his lead and I watched him duel wield his short swords, spinning the sharp blades around himself with deadly precision. One of the Magik users made for him, her hands covered in a sickly green substance. Poison. It had to be. He dodged her easily and I gripped the tree nearest me as he sliced her hands off in one move. The scream is what finally almost sent me over the edge. She let out the most blood curdling noise I’d ever heard. Eon spun smoothly and separated her head from her body. He didn’t even flinch as blood sprayed across his face. None of them did.

“Kalian we don’t have all day!” I jumped as Amaris stumbled away from another Magik user. His face was cruel and he had blades spinning around him. Another metal Magik user like Tyren? I shook my head. It was no use. I couldn’t narrow it down. I had to get closer. There was no other way. My friends, as vicious as they were, were beginning to tire already. There were so many and when you added Magik to the mix, everything got trickier.

I leapt out from my cover, sprinting to the middle where the carriages were gathered. I heard someone yell my name, but I didn’t have time to react. A man in the standard blue uniform ran for me, a great sword swung toward my head. I didn’t think. My body took over and I dropped, hitting my knees. I staggered as I pushed myself to my feet. He was turning on me, another swing coming. Again, instinct took over. I jerked my wrist hard, and light sliced into his torso. I flicked my wrist again and another curve followed the first, cleaving him in two from hip to shoulder. Not neatly either. I felt blood on my skin even though there was distance between us. I didn’t let myself register it. I forced my clumsy legs forward. Hanja was right, adrenaline coursed through my veins and I could barely think. We were doing it. We were winning. My head snapped to more sounds on the road. Shouts and even a blown horn. Coming from behind us. Rows of men appeared, one after the other as if from thin air. My heart sank as I took in the sea of military uniforms that were quickly approaching. Leading them, without fail, was Lex. We hadn’t accounted for reinforcements. There were only six of us. We were now hopelessly outnumbered.

Where are you? Talon where are you?

Nothing answered and I found myself ducking as a bearded man swung an axe at my head. My tiny knife formed in my hand and I pressed it to his ribs like I had done to Lex, but this time I dragged it upward, slicing through fabric, blood soaking through. He leapt back. I had made a mistake. His fist connected with my mouth, hard, and I was stumbling again. He raised that axe and I brought my hands up. Ring after ring of glittering light slashed through him, leaving extraordinarily little behind. The axe blade dropped to the ground, it’s handle also sliced off. I panted and looked around, tasting my own blood in my mouth. I felt it spill from my lips, dripping from my chin. Lex’s men were on us now. Even from a distance I saw a cruel smirk on his face. How on earth had they gotten here so fast? We would have known if someone was following us that close. Magik had to be involved, strong Magik to teleport an entire military force. He’d brought so many and the few men from the original group that survived, rallied.

Their morale soared and my group’s was dying. Amaris was struggling in earnest now, she was on the defensive. Tyren and Hanja had been separated, blood running down my teacher’s arm. Hanja seemed to be struggling to get to him. Wren wasn’t jumping from person to person anymore, a circle had formed around him of bodies and blood. His chest was heaving, and his eyes were wide and wild. Eon stood a bit apart from him, but my brother’s eyes were focused on the shorter male. Too focused. He lurched as something punched through his shoulder. My heart stopped. There was no gluing myself to one of them. I was in this alone and if I didn’t hurry, I wasn’t sure if I’d have any friends left.