A winged form crashes and skids across the ground, knocking down half of the warriors that surround Timoran and startling the rest. Her wing injured by a boulder, the griffin struggles to her feet and swipes at anyone who comes near. Feeling vulnerable, she transforms back into Luke, who is barely able to stay on his feet. The half-elf is covered in cuts, including a seeping gash across his forehead, and he walks with an obvious limp. Still unwilling to kill the desperate chaos elves, he settles for deflecting attacks and slashing at limbs. Whenever he disarms an opponent, Luke darts in to strike the side of their head with the dull side of his sabers.
“You are being too kind,” Timoran warns his friend as he shatters a spearman’s spine. With a tight turn, he beheads a pouncing, dagger-wielding woman and kicks the body into the side of the mountain. “This is not the place for compassion.”
“This isn’t the place for a conversation either,” Luke retorts, delivering a spinning kick to the face of a swordsman. He bites his lip in pain and hops away from the unconscious warrior, who is swiftly replaced by another. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t kill any of them. It happens when I have no choice, but I’m trying really hard not to. Be nice if they appreciated my efforts and decided to go away. How can this fight even end?”
“With the death of my tribe or the invaders.”
“What is taking Nyx so long with Trinity?”
“You speak as if she has it easier than us.”
Luke slices a chaos elf across the chest and drives a saber hilt into the woman’s jaw. “She might since she could clear this battlefield with a single spell. Now there’s some rock creature hurling boulders at Stonehelm. Dariana and Udelia are heading for it. Have you seen Godric or the King in this mess?”
“Both men are in the middle and fighting back to back,” Timoran reports, his height allowing him to see his leaders. He gets an odd sense of dread when he considers that the scene looks eerily familiar. “I am reminded of my last battle here. Though this seems much more difficult for some reason. We should push ahead and face the rock creature. If it destroys the wall then those who cannot fight will be in danger too.”
Timoran tries to barrel into the chaos elves with Luke a few steps behind him, but the cobalt-skinned warriors push forward. With daggers glinting in the sunlight, agile fighters leap off the shoulders of the front line and tackle the two champions. Luke flips one off him with his legs, but the pain in his ankle prevents him from standing. He rolls away from another diving warrior as Timoran crashes to the ground, the barbarian wrestling with several swordsmen. A thin blade pierces the half-elf’s shoulder from behind and pins him against a rock, preventing the champion from helping his friend. Blindly slashing backwards, Luke manages to cut his opponent and feels the pressure disappear. With the curved weapon sticking out of him, the forest tracker scrambles to his feet and tackles two of the chaos elves who are trying to kill Timoran. The pair of invaders fight back for a second before they feel sharpened metal plunge through their hearts.
“Guess I don’t have a choice anymore,” Luke mutters, yanking his sabers free. Removing the sword from his shoulder, the half-elf staggers forward and stops when he picks up a familiar scent on the breeze. “Or I can sit back and enjoy what’s about to happen. Say hello to the local phantom, everyone.”
A short spear flies out of the crowd and impales a chaos elf with enough force to send the body slamming into the mountainside. Three more warriors are killed by their unseen opponent, the corpses landing in a heap around Timoran. Many of the barbarians on the wall are pointing and shouting as they watch the glowing figure sprint toward the two champions. None of Stonehelm’s crossbowmen dare to shoot at the ghost since it appears to be on their side, but they cautiously switch the attention between the creature and the rock demon facing Udelia in the distance. A few of them cheer and hoot with glee as the invaders fall before the phantom, which sends glistening spears soaring through the air.
Seeing Tigris instead of the phantom, Timoran is surprised when his wife smashes through the wall of chaos elves. She knocks the remaining warriors off her husband with one of her spears and unleashes her fury on the more stubborn of her enemies. As Luke helps his stunned friend stand, their rescuer stabs and batters any opponents who come within reach. Whenever her weapon is about to break, she jumps back and hurls it hard enough to impale at least two of the tightly packed warriors. It is impossible for the cobalt-skinned army to get near Timoran and Luke as they fall in groups to Tigris. Several agonizing minutes pass before the chaos elves back away, leaving a ring of bodies around the barbarian woman.
“By the way, Timoran, I found your wife,” Luke whispers with a smirk. He leans against the mountain and groans, his sabers held loosely in his hands. “She’s the mystery witness that we heard about. There’s more, but it’s her story and I’m not feeling so good.”
“You are alive?” Timoran says as if his friend had not spoken. Reaching out with a blood-soaked hand, he strokes his wife’s cheek and runs his fingers to her chin. “This is turning into a strange day that I now fear is a dream. Though I find myself more willing to believe you are alive than your father.”
“Probably because you remember seeing his body and you merely overhead that I went missing,” Tigris states with a wry smile. A sound from behind makes her stab backwards, impaling a creeping chaos elf in the chest. “Nobody ever thought to look for me due to the Second Life’s enchantment, so they claimed I disappeared. You assumed it was death like the rock-brained fool you’ve been since childhood. You’re lucky I love you, Timoran, or I would have found someone else. You’d be none the wiser.”
“It is most certainly you,” her husband replies, chuckling even though his body aches from multiple cuts. His ears are ringing from a blow to the head, but he swears he can hear something coming closer to Stonehelm. “I have so many questions. Why has nobody else seemed to notice you? They are pointing and calling you a phantom.”
“All will be explained later.”
“Yes, our enemies are regaining their courage.”
“Not that it will help them,” Luke says while he runs for the wall. “Find some cover!”
Timoran and Tigris dive to the ground, the barbarians attempting to shield each other from the flaming streak heading for the battlefield. The object strikes the valley with a massive explosion that sends both armies flying against the mountainsides. A heavily damaged section of the wall collapses in upon itself, causing several guards to tumble to the ground below. Those closest to the mysterious crash are knocked unconscious immediately and covered in a thin layer of dirt. The warriors on the outskirts of the battle remain aware of movement in the thick cloud, but only one person is able to move and get closer to the crater.
*****
Lightning razes the cliffs, tornado-strength winds shred the clouds, and fireballs pound the mountainsides as the channelers battle. Using flight and jump enhancement spells to move, the two women unleash their full power throughout the wilderness. Animals take cover as the air ripples with so much magic that parts of the landscape appear to distort. The land shakes every time one of the combatants is struck by a spell and sent hurtling to the solid earth, their defensive spells popping and crackling during the high speed descent. Neither channeler knows how long they have been fighting, but they are starting to feel a crushing pressure on their bodies. Trinity flings acidic sweat off her brow, which Nyx dissolves with a gentle sigh that becomes a heat shield. The half-elf attempts to copy her opponent’s spell, but the spray is avoided by the chaos elf turning into mist. The collection of fiery droplets pepper a hill, leaving smoldering holes in the dark stone.
With tempers flaring and minds reaching a breaking point, the channelers grapple with each other as they rise high into the sky. An arctic blast drives them back toward the ground, neither of the combatants sure about who did the casting. The pair smash through several cliffs, which causes their magic shields to flicker and hum in distress. Sensing that something is wr
ong, Nyx and Trinity struggle to control their descent, but refuse to release their holds. At the last second, they push off one another and shove the last of their magic into defensive bubbles. Both women bounce and ricochet throughout the wilderness until they land among the jagged remains of a crumbled mountain. The channelers feel their auras become dormant as they stand and take gasping breaths, puff of sparkling air leaving their mouths.
“Is that all the strength you have, champion?” Trinity asks, tearing off the shredded sleeves of her shirt and approaching her enemy. Still weak from their magical duel, she fails to connect with a clumsy kick to the head. “Stop backing away and fight! There’s no chance of me walking away out of boredom or because this doesn’t feel right. One of us dies today and I swear to Ambrosine that it’s going to be you.”
“I can’t do this,” Nyx gasps, leaning away from another kick. Her vision blurs and she leans against a boulder until she can see straight again. “I understand that you and your people are being punished. Being exiled is horrible and I want to help. All I’m saying is that there has to be another way. Look at what we just did to the mountains. There has to be a way that the two of us can solve this without a fight to the death. How in all of Windemere can we lose if we work together?”
“Because my master is stronger than us, you idiot,” Trinity growls as she shakes her head clear of some stars. A cleansing breath helps her condition improve, but her magic refuses to work as she snaps her fingers for a spark. “For some reason, you and your friends made me go soft. I can’t even tell you when I changed. All I know is that before you champions showed up, I’d kill my master’s enemies without a second thought. Some I would even toy with and make them suffer. Not as horribly as Stephen, but I’ll admit to taking some pleasure from my little games. Now stop holding back and fight me.”
“I don’t have my magic either.”
“Then this is where you die.”
“You win because of your hand-to-hand training, right?”
“This is what you get for depending only on spells.”
Trinity swings her leg for an expert kick to Nyx’s side, but is surprised when the half-elf blocks it with her forearm. Caught off-balance, the chaos elf is unable to avoid the straight punch to her stomach. She falls to the ground and rolls away, hopping up to her feet with a kick in case her opponent is pursuing. Instead, Nyx remains several feet away and gently bounces on her toes while keeping her fists in front of her.
“Timoran has been giving me boxing and wrestling lessons,” the champion claims with a proud grin. She cracks all of her knuckles before standing still and shifting her weight for a more comfortable stance. “This isn’t going to be as easy as you think. So I’m going to let you decide on what we do.”
“Stop giving me chances!” Trinity roars before charging. She darts to the side to avoid a punch and leaps forward to savagely drive her knee it her rival’s gut. “There have been four times I left myself open in this fight. Every time, you refused to take the bait. I even saw you hesitate. You told me up there that you understood this fight and you would give it everything you have.” The chaos elf grabs the other woman by the chin and slams her against the nearest boulder, holding her against the warm stone. “There won’t be any more chances from me. I wanted you to give me a real fight and make my victory something to be proud of. Now it feels like I have to butcher a worthless, weak-willed child.”
“You would have done it already if you really wanted to,” Nyx claims, grabbing Trinity’s wrist and twisting out of the hold. She flips the chaos elf onto the ground and tries to straddle her, but the half-elf is kicked in the back with enough force to knock her away. “Even if you do kill me, my friends won’t let you live. Will your master bring you home immediately or will he make you walk back to Shayd?”
An evil smile is on Trinity’s face as she stands and wipes dirt off her hands. “Interesting question, but one that has made a decision for me. I know how I’ll get a real fight out of you. If you refuse to give me everything you have, I’ll kill you right here. Then I will scatter the remains of your friends across the mountains. Probably take my time with your little brother just to spite you. Though Dariana would have to be the first to die with a spell that removes her head. After finishing up here, I’ll go to the jungles to kill the other champions and that drite. Those three will never see me coming. I will raze Rainbow Tower to ground, burn your birth parents alive, melt that heiress in Bor’daruk, turn your friends in Gods’ Voice to stone, destroy every living thing in Helgard, and have the ocean swallow Nevra Coil whole. I swear to Ambrosine that every person you hold dear will be sent to the other side right behind you and I don’t care if my master gets angry. There will be nobody left to remember you. All because you decided to be weak and soft.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“I’ll enjoy every minute of it, especially when I tear Delvin’s heart from his chest. Might even kiss him while I do it.”
Nyx rushes at Trinity and catches the expected kick, locking the slender limb against her side. Before she can strike, an elbow awkwardly hits her in the head and the chaos elf jumps with her free leg. A knee slams into Nyx’s chin and she stumbles back, allowing her enemy to dart in and deliver a kick to the face. Falling to the ground, the champion gets her hands up to block a heel stomp to her chest and rolls to take Trinity’s other leg out from under her. Pouncing on the fallen woman, Nyx grabs her by the shirt and lifts her up enough to send her back down with a ringing headbutt.
“You’re nothing, but a savage brawler,” Trinity grunts as she swings her shin into her opponent’s groin. The chaos elf rolls away and handsprings up to her feet, pausing to attempt a spell that does not happen. “I can’t believe you call that fighting.”
“Knocked a few of your teeth out, so it worked,” Nyx replies while limping forward. She sidesteps another attack and catches Trinity by the back of the head. “You threatened my friends and family, so I’m giving you the fight that you want.”
Sprinting a few steps, she slams the chaos elf’s head into a boulder and rears back to do it again. Trinity spins around and locks Nyx’s arms against her chest before driving her heel into the half-elf’s knee. A loud snap causes the champion to gasp in pain, but it is not enough to stop her from gripping the other woman’s wrists and pivoting on her good leg. Trinity’s shoulder breaks when she hits the boulder and her hold loosens enough for her rival to get free. Nyx repeatedly punches the chaos elf in the face and side until two fists box her ears and she is violently kicked in the stomach. The half-elf falls against a chunk of smoking stone and stays there gasping for air.
Bloodied and bruised, the two women stare at each other while struggling to think of another attack. Trinity blinks to clear her vision and touches her shoulder, which aches even when caressed by the summer breeze. Nyx looks down at her knee where a shard of bone has punched through her skin and pants. The thought of the other channeler recovering first drives both of them to ignore the pain and continue their attacks. Able to move faster, Trinity delivers a kick that breaks one of Nyx’s ribs and flips to land another blow that cuts the half-elf across her right eye. Attempting a knee to the doubled over champion, the chaos elf finds her leg caught in a crushing grip. Lifting the surprised woman off the ground, Nyx uses the last of her injured knee’s strength to charge at the nearest boulder. With an echoing yell, she rams Trinity back first into the stone and collapses next to her groaning enemy.
With her good eye, Nyx stares at the coughing chaos elf and struggles to stand, her right fist already rising for a punch. A flicker of flame runs through her matted hair, so she tries to create a magical brace around her damaged knee. The crimson energy casts a light on Trinity, who is still fighting to awaken her dormant aura. When Nyx stands and coats her hand in fire, her cunning enemy lunges forward to touch the flickering spell. The chaos elf absorbs enough energy to restart her magic and grows whips from her fingernails. She lashes at the half-elf, who takes the first few
blows before sending a fist of solidified air into Trinity’s chest. The strike knocks the chaos elf to the ground where she immediately gets on her hands and knees, the sensation of a shattered breast bone making her cough.
“To the death,” Trinity mutters while standing again. “It always had to come down to this.”
“I guess it did,” Nyx replies with no emotion in her voice.
Their auras erupting around them, the channelers collide and launch into the sky. They deliver punches and kicks to every opening they see as they careen over the mountains and head toward Stonehelm. Fire and lightning spiraling around them, the women slam into the battlefield and scatter both armies across the valley. Trinity hacks and coughs, the chaos elf having been grabbed by the throat and used as a shield by the champion. The severely injured channeler is unable to push Nyx off, so she creates an acidic blade on her left hand. A burning grip catches her by the wrist and stops the weapon from striking while a charge of electricity makes every muscle shudder. Losing her concentration, the green blade melts and the Queen of the Chaos Elves finds herself defenseless. Dragged to her knees, the defeated woman watches as Nyx lifts her hand to create an orb of fire laced with acid and lightning.
“Good luck with Arthuru,” Trinity says, her magic only able to flicker due to her severe injuries.
Nyx is about to release the deadly spell when a tiger-striped great axe smacks it out of her hand. The orb explodes against the cliffs, leaving a smoking crater that matches the one in the ground. Her adrenaline and rage fading, the half-elf stares in wonder at Timoran as she collapses to her knees. Nyx looks to Trinity, who is raggedly breathing while attempting to rise and avoid failing her people. The chaos elf releases sparks from her eyes, but her body is too injured to do anything more than bleed and ache.
Tribe of the Snow Tiger (Legends of Windemere Book 10) Page 31
