by Davis Ashura
He stabbed a mahavan through the chest, kicked the man off his sword, and spun around, glaring as he sought out another enemy.
There were none. No mahavan remained alive. All of them had been killed.
Jake did a quick count of the Irregulars. They had taken heavy losses. Of the hundred who had crossed Lakshman’s Bow, fewer than forty remained afoot. So few.
Fatigue and grief weighed him down like a barrel of water on his back, and his sword drooped. He swayed a moment, struggling to maintain his balance.
A crackling sound mixed with the snapping of wood and stone drew Jake’s gaze to Clifftop. Lilith, his home, burned in great gouts of fire, smoke, and ash.
Jessira launched out of the tree-line and cut a zigzag course toward the mahavans. Flames rumbled in counterpoint to the cannons blasting from both forces, and smoke roiled skyward from the broken ships. Distantly, she noted that Serena had fallen back, unable to keep up. Good. At least the girl will remain safe behind me.
As she raced across the sand, Shon surprised her. *I come,* he said, plainly close enough for them to share their thoughts.
Gladness filled Jessira’s heart. She’d missed her Kesarin as much as Rukh had missed Aia, but now wasn’t the time for a reunion. *No time to talk,* Jessira said to Shon. *Be safe. A battle beckons.*
*Be safe as well,* Shon replied, ending their conversation.
Jessira’s attention returned to the coming battle. The roar of cannon fire continued. Sand kicked up behind her as she sprinted toward the mahavans. They were forming ranks. One of them, a young man, probably the one in charge, pointed at her and Serena and shouted orders.
Jessira Shielded before putting on a final burst of speed. She hurled a Fireball from no more than ten yards away. It screamed through the air and punched a hole through a mahavan’s chest. The Sinskrill woman collapsed, smoke wisping from her corpse.
Jessira distantly realized that her actions today would cause her grief and sorrow, but she set aside those worries. She could mourn later. For now, she’d do whatever was needed.
The rest of the mahavans scattered as Jessira hurtled into their midst. She unsheathed her sword, blocked a thrust, and spun around a lunge. A front kick crumpled a skinny mahavan.
A movement in her periphery. She bent backward at the waist. A blade sliced the air above her Shield. Jessira snapped upright, blocked a wild swing, ducked low, slashed out. A scarred mahavan went down screaming, one leg amputated at the calf. Blood soaked the sand.
She somersaulted over a swinging blade, did a front roll across the beach, and came up with a fistful of sand. She flung it at the skinny mahavan she’d earlier kicked. He clutched at his face. A thrust of her blade into his chest put him down.
Instincts honed by thousands of hours training against Rukh detected a blow coming from behind. She twisted aside, deflecting a sword aimed at the center of her back. An axe-kick sent the mahavan woman stumbling.
Jessira had a momentary respite. She hurled another Fireball at a pair of mahavans who’d foolishly bunched together. One of them tried a braid of Water but it wasn’t enough. The Fireball hammered into them, blasting both mahavans through the air. They landed with a thump, rolled a few times, and neither rose. The Fireball had blasted a foot-wide hole through both their torsos and instantly cauterized the wounds.
Jessira used a lorethasra-powered leap to carry her over the heads of the final five mahavans. They watched her soar through the air with mouths agape. She landed and resumed her attack.
The female mahavan she’d kicked earlier immediately fell to an overhand swing, which cut her deep from shoulder to chest. The woman tried to scream but her strength left her in a rush. She collapsed, and Jessira tugged her sword free. Blood and sand coated the blade and her hands. She disregarded both and took a moment to assess the remaining mahavans. They’d stepped away and spread out. A wise decision, one they should have implemented far sooner.
Serena arrived. She stood a few paces behind. Good.
On a gesture from the young mahavan in charge, the Sinskrill warriors charged.
Jessira blocked a slash, spun away from a thrust. Her return took a mahavan in the armpit, her sword sliding into his heart. He snarled once, but then the pain hit him. His face drained of color and his knees buckled.
Jessira leapt away from the remaining three mahavans. She needed distance and a chance to catch her breath. Rukh might be able to fight for hours without rest, but she couldn’t. She sensed movement out of the corner of her vision. A white bolt of Fire. It roared toward her from Demolition.
Jessira’s eyes widened. She’d seen this particular Fire before. It was the Servitor’s. She reached deep, draining the last of her lorethasra as she called up a Shield and braced her legs, prepared for impact. Devesh, save me.
The Servitor’s Fire hit with the force of a rockslide. Jessira’s Shield brightened. Bolts of electricity crackled off it. Even with its protection, the air around her bloomed hot as an oven. The Fire continued, pitiless as the desert sun, and she found herself pushed back. Her feet slid ten feet. The Fire went on and Jessira barely managed to remain upright.
*Hold on!* Shon urged in her mind.
Jessira’s teeth clenched as she strained to hold off the Fire.
LEARNING DISASTER
October 1990
* * *
William breathed heavily as he ran along Sita’s Song. In the back of his mind, the red-eyed beast snarled. It hadn’t been entirely removed, and a part of him was thankful for the monster’s presence. Its fury gave him the strength to keep going. If he could have sprinted more quickly, he would have. He wanted to. He needed to.
They’d reached the southernmost part of Janaki Valley, but William realized they were already too late. In the distance he saw great gouts of smoke clouding the sky and knew what it meant. Lilith burned. So did the part of Janaki Valley through which they ran. Mahavans and unformed had been through here, and the trail of their destruction, unchecked fires and shocking murders, left William red with rage. They hadn’t spared the women and children.
Fragging bastards. The angry beast snarled again, and William let it breathe to life. I’ll kill every mahavan I find.
A surge of adrenaline powered him forward. William gritted his teeth, keeping pace with the others. Rukh ran next to him, breathing hard. He must have finally felt the fatigue of their fifteen-mile run. Sweat coated his shirt and poured down his face.
Even Travail appeared bothered by the long, hard run. His braided hair bounced with every step he took. Rivulets of perspiration dripped into his beard and soaked the short, black fur lining his body. William guessed his coat made it difficult for him to tolerate the muggy weather.
Only the Kesarins remained unaffected. If anything, they seemed to thrive. William could have sworn they’d grown a full hand or more in the past few hours.
*This climate is what we were bred for,* Aia said to his unspoken thought.
*The unformed things are less than a mile ahead,* Shon added.
*Break,* Rukh called. He slowed to a fast walk and pulled out his canteen. “Drain your water. Drink it all. We won’t need any more after this final sprint.”
William unstoppered his canteen and did as Rukh ordered. Afterward he felt marginally better, but he still gulped deep breaths.
“Control your breathing,” Travail said to him. “Deep breaths, in and out.”
William remembered his lessons from Sinskrill when Travail had been in charge of their training. He took deep breaths, in through his nose and out through his mouth. In and out. In and out. Slow and steady. Focus on the heart. Slow it down.
After a minute it started to work. His heart slowed its rapid rate, and his breathing came more easily.
“Drop all your equipment except your weapons,” Rukh said. “Same with any food. Eat what you can, but leave the rest behind.”
William dropped his compass, watch, and pack. He didn’t need any of it for the last leg of their run. All he req
uired was his sword.
Seconds later, they headed out once more. They ran more swiftly this time, racing past rolling hills where crops had been ripped apart. Farmers, shock and grief on their faces, silently watched them pass. The sun stood unmoving and heat blurred the gray stones of Sita’s Song. William was soon panting again, but he never slowed down. He wouldn’t be the weak link.
*How much farther?* Rukh asked after they’d covered several more miles.
*Half a mile,* Shon answered.
William did some quick calculations. They had passed Sile Troy’s farm a few seconds ago, which meant the unformed were approaching Lakshman’s Bow. “What about Ward’s group?” he asked aloud.
Rukh slowed to a jog, pulled out his phone, and quickly dialed it. After a few moments of terse conversation, he hung up. *Twenty magi are at the enrune fields. The rest are involved in search and rescue. The mahavans killed . . .* He grimaced. *Let’s get this done, and figure the rest out later.*
Minutes later, Shon called out the distance again. *The unformed have slowed.*
*Why don’t they fly to safety? It would be easiest for them* Travail said. *Are they still so fatigued?*
Rukh shrugged. *I don’t know, but I’ll take whatever blessings come our way,* he said. *Jake’s in charge of the remaining Irregulars in the enrune fields. He’s heading north. We’ll act as the hammer to his anvil.*
They set off again in their ground-chewing jog and quickly crested a rise. There! The unformed came into view, still heading south. No more than a hundred yards away, and all in the shape of horses. They had yet to reach Lakshman’s Bow, still a half-mile distant.
William drew lorethasra and quickly wove binoculars. The unformed leapt into focus. Sweat lathered their sides and caked their frothing mouths. Their breathing came labored, and as he watched, they stumbled to a halt. They shifted about in apparent nervousness as a group of magi—Jake’s unit—crossed Lakshman’s Bow. The magi rode bikes and advanced straight at the unformed, who turned about and retreated.
Aia growled in anticipation. *Easy meat.* She licked her lips
*There are almost thirty of them,* Travail reminded her.
Shon shrugged, a roll of his shoulders and a flick of his ears. *So?*
William shook his head at the Kesarin’s cockiness. *The unformed are deadly.*
*We are deadly,* Aia growled in reply. She roared a challenge.
*Wait!* Rukh called out.
Too late. The Kesarins accelerated as if launched.
William gaped in astonishment.
Travail made a sound of amazement. “My Lord, they run swiftly.”
“Too swiftly.” Rukh scowled. “Fragging idiots. Let’s go.” He raced after the Kesarins, picking up speed.
Travail took off, too. William tried to keep up but quickly realized he couldn’t. He felt like a slug in comparison. Seconds later, he reached the battle, ironically in the same field where the Irregulars had trained early on.
The Kesarins reached the unformed first and attacked in a buzzsaw of fangs and claws. The screams of horses and the stench of entrails filled the air. The unformed snarled in response, transforming into bears, lions, cape buffalo, elephants, and rhinos as they tried to fight back. None became birds who could simply fly away.
William couldn’t understand why. His questions ended when he engaged an unformed boar.
Rukh cursed floridly when Aia and Shon took off on their own. They should have remained close at hand so they could support the rest of us. Those two have too much faith in their speed.
A moment later, he set aside his irritation. He had a battle to fight. He sourced his Jivatma, his lorethasra, and imbued his muscles with power. He raced after Aia and Shon, toward the unformed and quickly reached the battle.
Rukh left his sword sheathed and more deeply sourced his Jivatma. His hands lit with Fireballs.
Several bears charged his way. Rukh let them come. He flung the Fireballs and they screamed toward the creatures, exploding into their midst. One unformed fell dead with a massive hole in its abdomen. The stench of seared flesh roiled the air.
The other bear seemed to inhale the Fireball, consuming it. Still, it took damage as wisps of smoke drifted off its fur and from its snout. When the bear stumbled, Rukh at last unsheathed his sword. He blurred forward with the unmatched speed of his Kumma Caste. A single thrust through the creature’s throat put it down.
He landed and readied himself as three more unformed came his way, these also bears. Too close for Fireballs. Rukh Shielded and took them on. They charged, but he didn’t back down. One of the bears lunged, swinging a massive paw. It would have raked him from the crown of his head to the base of his chest but he was no longer there.
He leapt over the creatures. He briefly marked their snarls of confusion as he soared above their heads. He landed and thrust backward without looking. His blade, powered by lorethasra, punched deep into one of the bears, taking it through the back and into its heart.
The creature grunted once and stiffened. It crumpled to the ground.
Rukh whipped his sword free and spun around. He readied his sword, facing off against the other two unformed. One of them swiped at him, but Rukh remained in the pocket, willing to take a shot to give one. The blow landed against his Shield, and Rukh rocked backward. Another blow struck, this one from the other unformed. Rukh gave ground. He went with the motion, ducked another swipe, and regained his equilibrium.
He snarled. Enough. He taunted the unformed, gesturing them forward. The creatures roared in answer.
Rukh shot toward the bears like a dart. A thrust to the chest knocked one of the unformed off-balance. A follow-up slash to the other unformed removed a paw. Blood sprayed in an arc as the beast roared in pain and withdrew its ruined limb.
Rukh didn’t give either of them respite. He launched at them. A snap-kick boot to the jaw stove-in the head of the unformed he’d stabbed in the chest. He landed, crouched beneath a blow from the other bear and sent out a whip-fast slice. It cut the throat of the remaining unformed. The creature clutched its neck as blood spurted.
*You’ve grown slow,* Aia noted. She fought several yards away with Shon defending her back.
Rukh smiled at her observation before attacking another group of unformed. Five of them this time, a mix of lions, tigers, and cape buffaloes. A pair of Fireballs took out two of them. He attacked the rest with sword only.
He evaded claws, leaned away from snapping teeth, and pushed aside impaling horns. A spinning back-kick crushed a tiger’s jaw. A diagonal slash ended a lion. The cape buffalo charged. Rukh leaped straight up, somersaulted in mid-air, and came down like an arrow, sword-thrust ready. The cape buffalo never saw him coming. He slammed his sword home, punching through hide and bone, landed on the unformed’s back, and rode it to the ground where it shivered once before dying.
*Perhaps not so slow,* Aia said, a smile in her voice.
William front-flipped over an unformed boar and evaded its goring tusks. He landed, spun about, and slashed with his sword. A scoring line across the beast’s back caused it to roar in pain. The boar sought to rip with its tusks, but again William evaded. This time he had a thick braid of Fire at the ready. A snap of his wrists sent the weave spearing into the unformed, punching diagonally through the creature’s chest, penetrating through its flank. The animal grunted, took a hobbling step, and fell dead.
The earth shook. Movement at the corner of his vision spun William about to face a charging rhino. He braided an Earthen shield. The rhino transformed into a clawing eagle. With no time for defense, William could only cover his head with his hands. The eagle gashed his arms, cutting deeply. He wove a braid of Air and blasted the bird away, gaining a momentary respite. The eagle dove at him again but this time he was ready. Another blast of Air knocked the bird to the ground, and a single thrust with his sword ended it.
William took a knee. He gulped deep breaths, needing a breather. His arms burned from the eagle’s slashes. His h
ands went weak. The wounds streamed blood, and he healed them as best he could.
Movement in his peripheral vision caused him to spin about, sword at the ready. An elephant trumpeted and reared above him. He dove to the side, losing his sword in the process as heavy feet crushed the ground inches from where he’d been kneeling. The elephant shifted his head and twisted. William dove again to avoid its tusks. The elephant reared once more. In desperation, William flung a fan of boiling Water at the creature’s eyes. The elephant screamed and shook its head.
William took the brief reprieve to gain distance and gather his wits. He couldn’t move the unformed with Air or Earth. It was too strong. But maybe he could drown it in Water.
The elephant charged.
William formed a thick weave of Water, a globe the size of a baseball. He hurled it at the charging elephant and struck the beast straight in the head.
He smiled. Mario Soto couldn’t have done better.
The weave of Water expanded on impact and engulfed the creature’s entire head, including its trunk. The unformed stumbled to halt and lurched backward in panic. It transformed into a fox and tried to slip out of the bubble of water. William wouldn’t let it go, and within seconds the unformed went limp. He drew a knife. A stab to the creature’s throat finished it off.
He breathed in relief as he lurched to where he’d dropped his sword. He bent to retrieve it. Something slammed him to the ground. A weight settled on his back and teeth bit deep. Claws tore into his back. William screamed. Pain burned like fire where he’d been scored. His vision blurred.
William went weightless. Something had flung him through the air. He landed on his back, and his head smacked the ground. Consciousness flickered, but he retained enough awareness to make sense of his peril. A tiger leapt at him.
William drew up a barrier of Earth. The tiger cleared it in a single bound. William shuffled backward and snapped a whip of Fire. It struck the tiger on the snout. The unformed snarled and momentarily retreated. Its tail snapped in fury, and once more it leapt. William prepared a braid of Air.
