As the first rank of assassins closed in, Alivia raised her hands and imagined the air being superheated. She poured energy into the air in front of them until the very air seemed to catch fire. Then, solidifying the air behind, below, above and to the side of the superheated air, she shoved the wall of fire forward, to devastating effect. An effect similar to what had happened at the Bald Chicken occurred; any flammable object, be it flesh or clothing, was instantly incinerated and turned to ash. Metal turned to molten slag. The screams of the dying men went unheard as their lungs withered before air could be expelled from them. The wave of fire swept across the inn, contained between the floor, ceiling and walls, torching everything in its path as it went.
The fire had gone halfway across the inn before it met resistance. The wall of fire stopped as it became clear that Nikki had countered it with her own wall of air. Sweat began to bead on Alivia’s forehead as she exerted her will in an attempt to overcome Nikki’s magic, but in the end she was forced to withdraw her energy that was maintaining the fire, causing the flames to extinguish.
“That is the best I can do to help you, Dawyn,” Alivia said as she bent over panting. “I will face Nikki now. You’re on your own with the rest.”
Dawyn nodded in thanks to her. “What you’ve done was amazing, Alivia. Thank you.”
The wall of fire had shaken many of the remaining assassins, for they had watched many of their comrades’ burn to ash before their very eyes. In the time it took for them to recover, Dawyn had broken into a run and went charging toward their ranks. The remaining assassins and thieves were still several dozen strong. Reaching the first of the men and women, Dawyn slashed in controlled fury and cut down several before they even knew he was there. Blood spattered and seemed to wake many of those who had been in shock. Assassins began to turn toward him, trying to defend, though he overpowered them with his long swords.
Again and again Dawyn slashed, striking flesh and bone. Assassins wore little in the way of armor, for it was too cumbersome for the work they did, and Dawyn’s long swords took full advantage of this. Within moments of reaching the enemy ranks he had killed or wounded over a dozen men and women. The shock had worn off the remaining fighters, however, and Dawyn found himself surrounded, with blades pressing in from every side.
As three blades approached him at once Dawyn fell into the part of his mind where his ability lay and expanded the time dilation field around him. The blades slowed to a snail’s pace and Dawyn was able to bat them aside while slashing and stabbing at their owners. In the space of what to Dawyn seemed several seconds, though it appeared to those outside of Dawyn as a mere moment, Dawyn had killed or wounded three assailants. This display of incredible speed caused the next wave of assassins to be more wary. They drew throwing knives and sent them tumbling through the air toward Dawyn. As they reached the edge of his time dilation field, the knives slowed and he was able to bat them aside with his blades while pressing forward to strike at yet more assailants.
Dawyn became a whirlwind of steel. Everywhere he stepped blood was spilled. The death cries of assassins and thieves filled the air. Dawyn was as deadly as if a giant maelstrom of debris like Alivia had once wielded had landed in the center of the room. But still the assassins and thieves fought on, futilely hoping to land a blow on the man who seemed to move faster than the eye could follow.
At last the area around Dawyn was clear of the living. The other assassins and thieves, what remained of them anyway, had begun to flee toward the entrance to the inn, where Favio and Anwyn waited. He looked around for Lord Garik or the veiled assassin, but neither was on the stage. Only Nikki stood there, eyes glowing white, staring at something only she could see. Concerned, Dawyn looked around, searching for the distinctive long hair of Lord Garik or the veil of the woman.
He felt a presence behind him and spun, just in time to catch the slowed blades of the veiled assassin on his own.
The woman wasted no time on surprise at his quick parry of her strike. She flowed into another strike, disengaging and stabbing high, near his neck, with the first blade. The second jabbed low, toward his thigh. Dawyn stepped backward, barely catching the two blades on his own.
Again and again the two traded blows. Dawyn would dodge the woman’s thrusts, while she would become transparent and cause his blades to slide through her. When the woman transformed into mist, she would soon reappear behind him or to the side of him, testing his defenses, looking for a weak spot. Dawyn felt his defenses failing and his energy waning from her constantly spinning around him, the speed at which she transitioned from solid form to mist and back disorienting him. The dilation field he projected took mental energy, which fighting taxed further. He hoped he could hold the field long enough to defeat her.
Blood and Shadows Page 25
