Combat felt inevitable, especially since I wouldn’t be able to maintain the shroud for much longer. I reminded myself that we weren’t a tiny scouting group; we were a force of over twenty elite warriors, with the weakest of us still having over five Risen levels. The best of our imperfect choices was to create a kill-trap of our own.
We scouted a couple dozen yards into the leftmost tunnel, clearing the traps located up to that point. Then we pulled back a good distance inside the tunnel we had just come from and rested a few minutes, so I could regain mana. While I did that, everyone else began creating the magical traps we had used in Avalon so much. Even the Gaelguard were able to work some magic into the ground, and Breena said the fairies were having trouble refraining from giggling in excitement about all the mischief magic they were working all around them. As they did all of that, I looked again at the tunnel walls noticing that these had more of the Horde murals. These looked complete, but the depictions were drastically different than any of the ones I had seen before. Here the figures were more detailed, clearly depicting fairies and women of multiple races, and Horde creatures constantly reaching for them, but never able to touch them. The Horde monsters seemed to be writhing in frustration over their inability to be hideous to them, even weeping in one mural, where little black drops traced downward from a carefully drawn Hordebeast’s head. Further along the wall, right where the tunnels forked off, was another mural, this one actually in color somehow. It depicting a tall, upright humanoid, standing in front of a whole host of Horde monsters lying prostrate before him and offering all kinds of gifts and slaves to him. But the human had a dagger in his hand, and was plunging it into the back of a Hordebeast reaching for a long-haired fairy captive. The top of the human’s head was red, probably painted in actual blood that was worked into the walls. Written both over and under the painting were words in English, written over and over, sometimes legibly, sometimes in a mad, disorganized scrawl: Kill the traitor-prince.
Ye know this, Merada said over the mindlink as she saw me stare at the words. Ye know this language.
It’s my own, I admitted to her. It’s my native tongue, from where I grew up on Earth.
What does it say? Merada asked. And why do they speak it? Is it the same language as the chant they cry, the one that only the fairies understand?
I nodded.
It’s a cry for my death. For rejecting a heritage I never knew of, nor wanted. And for a command I gave to them back when they tried to submit to me, that they are still struggling to disobey.
Merada blinked at that.
There are legends about Horde performing all sorts of depravities, especially on women. But so far, none of their acts have come anywhere close to the old stories, bad as they are. Are ye saying… Her thought trailed off.
All I know is that they blame me for being disgusted with them, and for not making them stronger.
Raw, grieving gratitude suddenly poured into me from the mindlink. A firm, feminine hand suddenly gripped my shoulder.
Thank ye, Wes Malcolm, the Woad Princess said over the mindlink. Even though ye were gone, ye had still done much to help me people. Me little ones would have had far more, and far worse, nightmares without ye. And I know ye’ve suffered and been wronged because of it all. Let me speak to ye, when this over, please.
I nodded to her, projecting gratitude of my own through the mindlink. She was right, we didn’t have time for this conversation right now.
The floor and nearby walls were now thoroughly trapped. My team already had a lot of practice with this strategy, and they had all Risen considerably since Avalon. The help from the fairies, elves, and Gaelguard were just overkill.
Petal and another fairy flew down the partially disarmed hall, shouting and panicking and acting as if one of them had just been caught in a trap. Less than a minute later we began to hear hissing down the hallway, and three small, drooling Ilklings came bounding over. Petal immediately whipped out her wand and fired off supercharged versions of the fiery darts I had seen Breena shoot out before, scorching and decapitating all three Hordebeasts with a single shot each.
Sigh, Breena whispered to me dramatically. She already has a battle wand. Good for her, I guess.
Are they really good? I asked her, as Petal and the other fairy went back to screaming for help or telling each other to ‘run while I hold them off!’
They’re super-awesome! Breena exclaimed. They’ve helped fairies everywhere defend themselves from predators and perverts! They can enhance all kinds of magic, especially our basic attack magic! But I’m not allowed to have one, she finished sadly, watching Petal blow up another small batch of Ilklings and Wretches.
Why not? I asked.
Because my power is always tied to my bonded Challenger, so my power Rises quickly, and then resets to the most basic level. A normal fairy wand just can’t handle it. She was silent for a moment, and I could tell she was thinking. But I could probably use one, now that I can sort of Rise on my own power. It would be tricky, though, because I have access to so many Ideals, compared to the average fairy. They’d probably have to make me a wand from scratch, and it would be a super-custom job… what are you thinking? she suddenly asked, picking up on the surge of emotions from me, along with the sudden desire to hide something from her.
I’m thinking about how cool you would look with a battle wand, I said quickly. And I was trying to figure out whether or not they grow with you, especially when you used that new form earlier.
Oh. Okay, Breena said obliviously, as more snarls and cries came from all three tunnels now. Well, they can totally grow or shrink with their fairy, but since I can grow unusually large for a fairy… for um, reasons… She coughed suddenly, then cleared her throat. Then uh, yeah. That would be another reason it would be such a custom job. And hey! I think the real fight’s about to start!
She seemed to be having secrets of her own, but like she said the fight was starting.
Footsteps and roars started hammering their way down all three tunnels. Petal and the other fairy screamed in mock despair as they turned and began to flutter limply back toward us, as if they were wounded, Petal dragging the other fairy as she flapped weakly. The other fairy, for her part, began gasping and begging Petal to ‘save herself’ and to ‘escape and warn everyone else.’
The echoes came louder and louder. I could make out shapes in the dim torchlight, brandishing weapons and nets as they charged toward us. The two fairies finally made it back to our defensive huddle.
“Aunt Breena!” Little Petal whispered to my bonded companion. “How did we do? Did you see us?”
“You were fantastic, Petal,” Breena whispered. “Now hush and go to your Gaelguard. The fight’s about to start.”
Petal beamed and flew next to Breyn. The young Celt locked his shield with the rest of the Gaelguard to form a defensive wall. They all crouched slightly, just enough to where the elven warriors behind them could raise their bows. I draw my spear and axe and waited behind Eadric’s shield, Val right next to me in a way that would let her guard my flank and legs. Merada and Weylin drew their own bows and took position with the rest of the elves.
But as the mass of Ilklings and Wretches came barreling down all three halls, we held our fire. We waited until the Horde were about two dozen yards away before we activated the traps, and I heard several fairies let out happy squeals as the light show finally began.
Columns of fire leaped up from the ground, scorching handfuls of Ilklings and Wretches at once. Currents of lightning would snake across the entire width of the hall, making a group of Miscreants jerk and dance like puppets. Ice shards exploded out like the blasts from a fragmentation grenade.
Before I could count to two, a hundred Horde had already died, and still more were being pushed into traps by the oblivious packs behind them.
“Hurray!” Petal shouted as a fireball burst out of one of Karim’s script-magic traps.
“It’s so pretty!” another fairy shouted as
a burning Miscreant screamed and ran backwards, igniting other Horde before he was finally trampled to death.
“It’s like the Midsummer fireworks!” a third fairy cried out as another burst sent severed monster limbs hurtling through the air. “Only more pervy monster-proof!”
“Yeah!” Petal cried out again, as a Mongrel finally fell, choking on an icicle sticking out of his throat. “How’s that for stranger-danger, ya bunch of boogey-man knockoffs? Fear our new harassment policy!”
“Eyes sharp, people,” I cautioned, both pleased and slightly disturbed by the sudden, violent empowerment of the tiny creatures next to me. “No celebrating until they’re all dead.”
“Right!” one of them said seriously over the screaming and burning. “Then we hold a proper victory party! With lights, and fairy disco!”
“I have a bottle we can spin,” a blue-haired fairy said timidly, slowly growing larger as she batted her eyes at a young, muscular Gaelguard.
“Focus,” I repeated, trying to head off the conversation before things got really weird. I was already a little frightened to discover just how many traps everyone had managed to pack into this hallway. In fact, I was intentionally looking away from the light show to preserve what was left of my vision. And, also because it was reminding me too much of the Normandy scene in all of those World War II movies. “Don’t lose track of your firing lanes. These traps won’t last forever.”
I think, I added privately.
Ye’ll have to excuse them, Merada sent to me gently. The sprite-folk have suffered greatly from the Horde and other new predators, and the chance to strike back is liberating for them. I’ll help keep them under control.
Thanks, I replied, and turned my attention back to the massacre in front of me. But the traps were finally starting to give out, and the Horde fodder had done their part by dying to it in droves. I could see better-armored Miscreants and Mongrels form organized rows further at the back of each tunnel, each marching in a way that would allow all three groups to hit us as a cohesive fist.
Prepare to actively attack, I sent out through the mindlink. Ammunition and basic spells only. Conserve your mana, and wait until they just begin to link up from the three tunnels before we begin our volley.
Breena and Merada relayed my order to the fairies, who relayed it to the elves and Gaelguard. Everyone readied whatever missile weapons they had as they waited for the Horde columns to clear the last of the traps and filter into the center of the room.
When they finally did, we let them have it.
Arrows and small magical darts flew down the dimly lit tunnels far more rapidly than I was used to expecting. So far the elves were fully living to the stereotype of being crack archers. The monsters did what they could to crouch behind wooden shields and bunch up in boiled leather armor, but it just wasn’t enough. Every third arrow found a vulnerable patch of Horde flesh, and Merada and Weylin’s arrows just blew right through their shields and chestplates. By the time the more elite Hordebeasts had gathered together in the center tunnel, over a dozen of them had fallen dead. That still left well over a hundred of the elite troops, included the advanced Mongrels.
Which was also why we had saved our real magic for now.
I started us off with an Earth spell that I used to use all the time, Sinking Earth. At the Journeyman level, the spell caused the Earth to suddenly sink down by over a foot and turn into shifting, sucking mud, like some enhanced combination of quicksand and a whirlpool. The most concentrated packs of Mongrels and Miscreants all held their footing, but the ones at the edges stumbled and fell, including the ones at the front. While they were all bogged down, Karim quickly scripted spell-words for fire, compression, release, and travel, then thrust his finger through the floating words, pointing directly at the collapsed formation of Horde. A blue fireball exploded from his digit and slammed into the densest pack of monsters, detonating in a blinding roar of blue heat.
Whoa, I sent to Karim over the mindlink. Since when have you been able to do that?
Since always, the ebon mage dryly thought back at me. It’s just gotten easier, and faster, since I’ve begun traveling with you.
One of the few perks of the job, Eadric butted in as he threw a carved figurine into the kill zone, creating a shrapnel-laced explosion of his own. By now the screams were enough to make me wince, and I realized we might have actually pushed too hard with our attack. If this bunch split up and retreated, it would be really problematic. Especially if they thought to use the prisoners as hostages. And judging by the screams of panic, they were close.
Hold your fire, I commanded. Act like you’re out of ammunition.
“We need to retreat!” one of the fairies suddenly shouted. “I’m out of ammo!”
“Me too!” the blue one shouted. “I really hope they don’t charge us right now!”
I groaned. There was such a thing as overselling an idea, and right now my fairy companions were worse than those old car commercials.
“I know!” Petal shouted. “I’m completely helpless! I feel so frightened and vulnerable right now!”
Are you freaking serious… I thought, wanting to drop my weapons so that I could facepalm properly. But the very next moment, one of the Mongrels at the back bellowed.
“Don’t let the prey get away!” the massive thing shouted in rage. “First one down there gets an extra bride-meal!”
His voice started to crack near the end of his last sentence, but he strained through it anyway, and the armored Mongrels came charging down the hallway. These weren’t as big as the last one I had fought, but they were close, wearing mail and carrying massive, rune-etched cleavers.
It worked! Breena messaged me happily. My girls are amazing! Also, they really want to open fire, now, Wes. They’ve asked Merada and me both like five times already.
“Let them have it,” I said with a sigh, hurling Toirneach and working my hand to cast a non-stored Fireball spell.
“Yay!” the blue one shouted. “By the way, sorry I lied about my ammo!”
As one, the little sprites all raised their wands and began to glow. The glow swept down into their slender rods and fired outward, creating a storm of bright bolts that reminded me of fire from automatic weapons. The attacks left scorching marks all over the Mongrels’ mail, but they still stumbled through the fire as they advanced, shrugging off more arrows from the elves. Only one or two went down, counting the one Toirneach hit in the forehead.
On impulse, as I finished the last gestures for my spell, I scribed the spell-word ‘incendia’ with the same hand powering my fire-blast and shouted the song-word for speed just as I finished my cast. For a moment, my throat and hand both felt like they were on fire, but the sensation passed and my fireblast went roaring out at twice the speed, detonating into the back-most throng of Mongrels. They screamed as it exploded, and the survivors kept screaming when the fire persisted beyond the normal effect, smoldering with a lingering magic of its own.
Psst, Breena sent me. Alum thinks we should charge right now since they’re going to break anyway, and if we don’t rush them a lot of them are going to get away.
He’s right, I answered, as Toirneach returned to my grasp. Let’s pressure them, but don’t break formation or chase them further down the tunnels. I’ll take point to obstruct them. “Forward!” I shouted. With that, I sprinted forward, relying on Air and Fire magic to close the distance on the thrashing Horde survivors. I pushed and knocked my way past the first number of them, striking at their legs as I ran by. My target was the stragglers at the back, the ones least damaged and just now turning to run back. I barrelled into the back of one, slamming Toirneach into his neck, then twisted to hack at the hip of another one about to run away from me. Two more turned to engage me, swinging their cleavers into the panicked mess of bodies, but I rolled past them, ignoring them just long enough to fire five finger-bolts into the final Mongrel about to run out of range. As the electricity surged through his body I hurled Toirneach into his b
ack. The massive tomahawk whistled through the air and landed with an audible boom, crunching through the Mongrel’s mail and making his legs crumple right under him.
“You!” a harsh voice bellowed behind me. “Traitor-prince!”
I turned just in time to take a cleaver on my shield instead of the back of my head. I staggered under the force of the blow, leaning away just in time to dodge the next swing.
“Kill the traitor-prince!” a second Mongrel bellowed, charging at me, their most hated foe, who had somehow thought it would be a good idea to stand between them and their path of escape.
Now I was the one giving ground, moving backwards and probably closer to one of the still-trapped hallways, with at least three advanced Mongrels determined to cut their way through me.
I decided to do something smart and get a weapon in my hand. I re-summoned Carnwennan, activating the shroud to cover myself only. Then I dove for the Mongrel still on the ground, ran Carnwennan across his throat, dismissed the weapon, and yanked my axe out of his back. Armed with my best weapon again, I turned my attention back to the three armored giants hell-bent on either killing or getting past me. I tried to figure out which trick would be best for bringing them down, watching them carefully to see if an opening would develop, and then…
Hold up, mister big strong Challenger, Merada’s voice came through the mindlink. A moment later she had burst clear of the flaming melee to drive her spear through the back of one of the Mongrel’s necks, causing the metal blade of the weapon to burst from the creature’s mouth. She gave the weapon a twist to make sure the Hordebeast’s vital guard was overcome, and then ripped her weapon out of the new corpse. You were doing so well earlier. How about ye go back to using your brain and fight these things as a team, aye?
Right, I sent back sheepishly. I was trying to tangle them up for you guys, but… yeah. Good idea.
The two remaining Horde began circling us cautiously, in opposite directions so that they could flank us. They underestimated the teamwork our mindlink granted us. I feinted another throw with my axe, which one of the Mongrels tried to parry, and then turned to follow Merada as she rushed the other giant apeman. He swept his cleaver at her spear thrust, but her attack had been a feint as well, and she rolled her polearm out of the way and into the monster’s hip. As the tusked apeman bellowed in pain I leaped forward and struck at his knee, Toirneach cracking through the mail and into the bone. I had the good sense to yank my weapon free this time, then as the other Mongrel charged us Merada and I leaped out of the way, flanking him from both directions. She swung high at his face, forcing him to parry immediately, while I darted forward and slammed my axe at the back of his knee. As the leg crumpled he swung his weaponless hand back at me, but I batted the blow away with my shield. Merada stabbed deep into the armpit of his weapon arm, taking back all of his attention and vital guard. I swung Toirneach into his belly and felt my Outer Current spell discharge through the weapon, frying his gut, and that was enough to bring him down.
Woad Children (Challenger's Call Book 3) Page 35
