On the other hand, the Wuffs under Torrent's employ appeared to be locked in a very different struggle. They responded to Valry's attacks with palpable shock, and couldn't seem to understand why one of their own had joined with the Fae. The Wuffs on both sides did not engage with one another; they regarded each other with a certain confusion and exchanged pleading looks.
For Minx, this was not so hard to understand. The Wuffs don't want to fight each other. They aren't interested in killing their own kind. Now, they'll have to decide... Will they fight for themselves, or will they fight for Torrent? Nocking another arrow and felling a Krah mid-axe-swing, she hoped it would be the former. Come on, Wuffs. If there's any goodness in you at all, fight with us against Torrent. Aleio needs us—all of us.
The fight overhead was beginning to heat up. Gidiam and the other dragons were locked in battle against Torrent, and Minx watched as they wove between the clouds, exchanging fire blasts with the Dark Mage. Torrent, tearing through the skies on black wings, dodged the columns of molten flame with ease; he was faster than any of the pure-blooded dragons, and when one of his fiery attacks hit its mark, it proved more damaging than theirs as well. Minx couldn't tell for certain how many of the dragons were engaging Torrent just then; it was hard to tell with all of the smoke in the sky.
There was little doubt as to who was winning, however.
Torrent was simply too fast and powerful for the lot of dragons. He outmaneuvered them, nearly leading them to collide with one another, and lashed out with molten fists. Wielding a ropey fire spell like a whip, he struck down the Talon Range dragons one after another, wounding their plated bodies and sending them barreling to the ground.
Every time the injured dragons resumed their attacks against Torrent, they did so with noticeably less speed and power. They were suffering greatly and wouldn't be able to keep up the pace. Minx wished she could sprout wings of her own and join them, but watching from the ground she realized there was nothing she could do. She instead joined Kaleb in battling against the hordes, confident that an opportunity to face off against Torrent would present itself in good time.
A Plurn preying upon two Fae archers was cut down by one of her arrows. She turned her attention to the Krah, already floundering against Kaleb, and snuck arrows between the seams of their armor, felling them one after another. She kept a slight distance from the action and accounted for the direction of the breeze in squaring her aim. Each shot found its mark, and with every fallen Krah the Fae warriors gained more ground. The dark forces that had initially enveloped the Fae battalion were now scattering and on the verge of being infiltrated completely. The Krah warriors had been effectively cut off from the Plurns by a wall of raging Fae, and the Wuffs, still struggling with Valry's presence on the enemy's side, had become ineffectual and disorganized.
The First, teeth bared and longsword swinging in wide arcs, cut his way deeper into enemy lines. He parried the stout blade of a Plurn and dispatched him with a kick to the gut. Before others could rush him, he forced them back with a sweep of his sword. “They're folding!” he cried out to the Fae at his back. “Don't let up! We're overwhelming them!” A Krah dressed in plate armor raced toward him with a hammer held aloft. The heavy weapon rocketed down upon him, but the First was too quick for such a clumsy strike. Having read the attack, he struck the Krah's elbow with the butt of his hilt and forced the hammer from his grasp. A trio of arrows sailed from the mass of Fae, all three of them finding a home in the lizard-man so that he collapsed beside his fallen hammer in a shuddering heap.
Minx, began Mau from within the sea of Wuffs, I think Valry's getting through to the other Wuffs. They don't want to fight her, and it sounds like all of them are fed up with Torrent. They're on the verge of changing sides!
What? Minx sought out Valry in the crowd and was surprised to find she'd lowered her weapon. She was talking to several of her fellow Wuffs, gesticulating with a firm expression. You think they'll desert? A thrill coursed through her as she watched the dialogue continue. The opposing Wuffs appeared in no hurry to fight; in fact, many of them had broken away from the larger group, and were leaving the combat to the Plurns and Krah.
The Faelyr chuckled. I can't believe what I'm hearing, but... Valry's convincing them to change sides. I think we've got a fresh infusion of turncoats for our army!
Sure enough, within moments, the idling Wuffs took up their arms and turned their attentions to the Plurn and Krah. Acting now as a united front with the Fae, the Wuffs marched upon their former allies, swords drawn and arrows flying. The tide had turned, and the remaining dark warriors were now completely outnumbered. Where the battle had begun with the enemy forces all but encircling the Fae, the opposite was now occurring; those who remained loyal to Torrent were nearly boxed in and fighting for their lives.
In the skies, things weren't going nearly so smoothly. Minx watched as a dragon was knocked from the sky by one of Torrent's fire blasts. He sailed down in a mess of smoke and embers, striking the ground and kicking up a storm of dust. The Dark Mage was punishing the remaining dragons, whittling them down before brutally grounding them. She could make out only two dragons remaining in the smoky skies, both of them speeding at Torrent from opposite directions. The Dark Mage cut through the air without a sound, evading their tails and claws, and set them up for another rout. With an orb of roiling fire in his hands, he sailed over the two of them and unleashed his fury as the dragons attempted to reorient themselves. One of the dragons was struck head-on by the blast, and the other, flying mere feet away, collided with him. Both fell from the sky, leaving only Torrent amidst the clouds.
“Kaleb!” cried Minx, motioning to the sky.
The dragon shifter backed off of the Krah, letting the Fae fight in his stead. He peered up into the sky narrowly, seeking traces of his countrymen but finding none. “What's happened? Where did they go?”
“Torrent has defeated them all,” she replied. “One by one, he knocked them out of the sky. They fought as hard as they could, exchanging fire, but I don't think any of them are able to keep it up. They've been completely overpowered.”
Kaleb's gaze widened as he studied the form of the Dark Mage in the skies above. “Well, it looks like he's headed this way.”
Sure enough, Torrent was gliding back toward the battle, soaring past the burning camp with a fresh fire blast glowing in his scaly palm. He moved with such elegance; despite having tangled with multiple dragons in a high-stakes battle, the Dark Mage appeared completely unbothered. He was still very much in his element, his confidence apparent even from afar.
The battle had been going so smoothly for them up to that point; the Krah and Plurn were on the cusp of defeat.
Now, with Torrent on his way, their once-certain victory became less clear.
Kaleb started for the smoldering hill, pulling Minx alongside him. “Are you ready?” he asked her, squeezing her hand tightly in his. “This is it. This is what we've been waiting for.”
Minx's heart galloped in her chest as she watched Torrent touch down. The sight of him, with his wings outspread and a glowing orb of magma in his palm, should have inspired sheer terror in her. Instead, she returned Kaleb's squeeze, locking her fingers between his. “Whatever happens...” she began, looking up at him, “I'm just happy you and I are here, facing this, together.”
The look in Kaleb's eye as he lifted his sword and prepared to engage told her he was feeling the same way.
They were in it together.
And no matter the result, neither of them would have had it any other way.
Chapter 29
Torrent strolled casually across the field, his dark gaze fixed on Kaleb, who stood before him with sword drawn. “On a day when I've bested numerous dragons, what's one more?” he boasted with a sharp grin. His emerald face shone in the light of the orange-yellow fireball he held. The magical projectile pulsed and roiled in his grasp, as if begging to be released.
Kaleb didn't reply to the Dark Mage's
taunt, and instead locked the hilt of his sword in both fists, ready to cut down whatever Torrent threw at him. He planted his feet in anticipation, his blade shimmering with the light of day. On account of the light, it looked semi-transparent; in a way, it reminded Minx of the waters of Heilo Lake on a sunny day, before they'd been tainted.
Minx teased one of her new arrows from her quiver, fitting it pensively to her bow. She didn't fire it, instead waiting for the perfect moment. She only had so many of them and couldn't afford any waste. When you fire this time, you need to make sure you hit him. You can't fail. If you lose all of these arrows, you'll have nothing left to throw at him.
Nostrils flared, the Dark Mage tossed the glowing fireball toward Kaleb. The burning thing picked up speed as it went, as though propelled by an unseen hand.
Kaleb didn't miss a beat; squinting at the fiery projectile, he sized it up and took a wild swing with his sword, the highly polished metal cleaving it effortlessly. Upon rupture, the orange fireball erupted into a column of molten spray and smoke, burning what little foliage remained in the vicinity and sending waves of nigh unbearable heat crashing against the two of them. Despite this heat, and the brightness of the explosion, Kaleb didn't flinch. He lowered his sword, giving it a quick jerk to knock the embers from its tip, and inspected it.
To his surprise—and Torrent's—the blade was unharmed.
The Dark Mage studied the sword in Kaleb's grasp with something like annoyance. In all the battles they'd fought against him, Torrent had seldom expressed emotion of this kind. It was clear that he'd anticipated a very different outcome. He'd been hoping that the fire blast would consume Kaleb, or at the very least, melt his sword. That the molten attack had been rebuffed with a single swing didn't sit well with him, and his earlier smugness gave way to anger.
“Well played, but that sword won't save you,” warned Torrent, taking a step toward them. He held out his scaly hand and wiggled his clawed fingers. From thin air, a black hilt materialized against his palm. A lengthy blade, sharpened on both sides, sprouted from this hilt, maintaining the same midnight color. They had seen him fashion weapons of this kind during their first encounter with him, where he'd conjured up arrows and used them to pin Kaleb to a tree. This new blade of his had the look of stone, as smooth and polished as black marble, and he wielded it without the least difficulty, as though it were weightless.
Not far from where Minx stood, the battle between the Fae and Torrent's forces was still raging. Victory was within her people's grasp—provided that she and Kaleb could handle Torrent on their own and prevent him from interfering. The Krah and Plurn were cornered, and their ranks were diminishing by the minute. The Fae, on the other hand, laid into their enemies with incredible fury—the fury of a people forced to suffer the indignities of war for far too long. All of you, just keep fighting. Kaleb and I will deal with Torrent... She nocked her arrow and carefully took aim at the Dark Mage.
Torrent spied Minx in the corner of his eye and chuckled heartily, pointing at her with his sword. “Haven't you got the message yet? Your arrows are worthless. If you value your life, set down that weapon and run for your life—though even that won't ensure your survival. When I'm through with this battle, I'll march through the whole of Aleio, and I won't stop until the continent is squirming under my heel.”
She held her breath, following the direction of the breeze with an extended finger. Pulling back the bowstring, she let loose, sending the arrow speeding past Kaleb and straight for Torrent's breast.
Torrent never allowed arrows to get close to him; he seemed protected at all times by a magical force that repelled them with ease. This time, though, the arrow wasn't thrown off course.
Something entered the Dark Mage's expression as he watched the glistening shot barrel toward him.
Shock.
It was only thanks to a last-minute deflection with his sword that the arrow missed its mark. Though he'd been expecting the hurtling shaft to bend to his will and go astray, the arrow had remained true to its course, crashing against the obsidian blade he held. The shining tip of the thing struck the sword with such force that it rang like a bell, and it was obvious even from where Minx stood that his weapon had been damaged. The arrow dropped to the ground, inert, leaving an arrowhead-sized divot in the black blade. Sprouting from this notch were several hairline cracks.
Torrent had little time for rage; as he fumed over the sword, Kaleb ran at him and took a swing. The glittering sword in the dragon shifter's grasp met the Dark Mage's with a mighty crash, and to the surprise of all present, the black blade crumbled. Shards of black stone littered the field, leaving Torrent with only the hilt still locked in his fist. Kaleb's war cry as he delivered the punishing blow rang out above the din of the nearby battle, and at hearing it, Torrent jerked back as if in fright. Though the Dark Mage quickly composed himself, the truth was clear: he hadn't anticipated this level of resistance.
Unarmed, Torrent dodged Kaleb's next monstrous swing, and then held out his green hands. Immediately, the dragon shifter was knocked off his feet, thrust some yards backward by an invisible force that emanated from the mage's palms. Kaleb maintained his grip on the sword as he rolled across the ground—though as he tried to stand, Torrent offered a second blow. This time, balling one of his fists, the Dark Mage reached down and struck the earth. Instantly, as if through magnetism, Kaleb was forced back onto the ground, his face and limbs pressed hard against the dirt.
He was being crushed.
The dragon shifter grunted, struggled with all his might to overcome Torrent's psychical assault, but he lacked the strength. His plate armor began to buckle, and the seams in it could be heard to creak as he was gradually pressed into the ground. The force was such that his body would soon give out; Torrent could continue pressing until the armor—and subsequently the bones and flesh within it—gave way.
The Dark Mage had not accounted for Minx, however.
She'd already had a second of her special arrows in hand, and she sent it off with a snarl while Torrent was occupied with torturing her love.
Torrent startled as the projectile sped toward him, but as before, he couldn't redirect it with his powers. For whatever reason, the special arrows didn't react to his magical prodding.
He ceased his assault on Kaleb and tried to shield himself, but could not conjure a barrier in time. Raising a hand in defense, Minx's arrow sheared through his palm and settled there.
The Dark Mage wasn't so invulnerable as he'd once seemed.
Torrent loosed a terrible howl. The arrow, having run through his hand, seemed to cause him immense pain, and even after he yanked it out and cast it onto the ground, he was seized by fits of shaking and anger.
There was no time to celebrate. She nocked yet another and prepared to fire it off. The longer Torrent focused on her, the longer Kaleb would have to marshal his strength and engage from up-close.
“No, that'll be quite enough,” warned Torrent, balling his wounded hand into a trembling fist. “This will be the end of the Fae. Today, I will wipe your people off the map. The dragons cannot save you. The Wuffs and humans cannot save you. All of Aleio, should it rise up against me, cannot but fall against my might.” The earth beneath their feet began to quiver. “This war ends now, and the victor has already been decided!” With a grating shout, Torrent swung one of his hands toward Minx, and an eruption of scaling wind emanated from it.
The singing wind struck her head-on, and she was lifted some feet into the air. Her clothing and the ends of her hair sizzled, and she struck the ground with a bone-rattling thud moments later. Her bow tumbled from her grasp, and in her fall the arrows had spilled from her quiver. Shuddering and out of breath, Minx dazedly patted at the cinders on her clothing and tried to reorient herself.
Kaleb, in the meantime, was on the move.
Though stunned and weakened by Torrent's assault, he'd risen and was running as fast as his legs could take him toward his adversary. Seemingly possessed by th
e glittering blade of his ancestors, he held the sword tightly in both hands, his arms the only part of him that did not wobble and sway for the beating he'd just taken. Upon arriving within arm's reach of the Dark Mage, he loosed a war cry and unleashed the powerful sword in a slash so quick the passage of the blade through the air resulted in something like a whistle.
Torrent had foreseen this, and again had shifted his attention away from one of the combatants to focus on the other. Stumbling backward unevenly, the Dark Mage had evaded the tip of the sword and immediately set about his dark magic, lifting Kaleb into the air with a concentrated psychical burst. The dragon shifter was immobilized and hovered several feet in the air before Torrent, his arms pressed to his sides and his armor once again buckling beneath an invisible weight that seemed to press in from every direction. Trails of steam began to rise from the grooves in his plate armor; his skin grew red and he began to drip with perspiration.
He was being cooked from the inside.
Torrent looked up at his victim with a wide grin, his dark eyes bulging from their sockets and spittle flying from the corners of his mouth for the mental exertion. The Dark Mage had been pushed to the limits of his strength by the duo, and had to focus for all he was worth on executing the dragon shifter. He had some difficulty, however, for the aching of his wounded hand. His concentration faltered on account of the injury, and he struggled to maintain his spell.
The world was spinning all around her. Minx fought her way onto hands and knees, but could hardly make out what was happening to Kaleb. She could hear his grunts and stifled cries, though, and knew that he was being attacked. He's going to die... If I don't do something, Torrent will kill him...
She sought her bow dizzily, but even when she found it nearby she could scarcely hold it correctly. Shuffling about on her knees, she happened upon her spilled arrows, but in her state she couldn't tell which were normal and which had been made with the special ore. Come on, Minx... think! Which one is it? She picked up a handful and lifted them toward the sky. One among them, near the center of the bunch, glimmered in the light. This one... it's this one!
How to Bond a Mage (Heir of Dragons Book 3) Page 18
