by Bridie Blake
They pushed on, their swords flashing as they struck anyone in a Guard’s uniform. In the distance she heard the gongs from the palace signaling that the city was under attack.
Ahead there was a group of five Guards, their swords poised to come down on a group of her fighters. She blasted them from their saddles, and they became easy prey.
“Save your magic for Ricton,” Bhatia hissed as she ran over and sent a fireball towards the soldier bearing down on Zadi. “You’ll need it.”
She nodded and gripped her sword, ignoring the desire to use her Power. Bhatia was right. She would need all of her magic to take him on.
Zadi and Rando stuck close to her as all around them people fought. People died. She tried to stay focused on the task at hand and not allow her emotions to set in, but the struggle within herself was almost as fierce as the one that raged around her.
—
Chae, Nic and their group were met with a barrage of soldiers. The rebels had the advantage as they were on horseback, but with the overwhelming number of enemy fighters, that wouldn’t last long.
Chae cut his way through them. His sword meeting flesh on each swing. But they kept coming. He grappled for his axe and brought it down on a man’s head, cracking his skull.
He gripped his reins in one hand as someone tried to dislodge him from his saddle, and he tried to fight them off with his sword but it was pointless. He fell to the ground with a thud. When he got to his feet he found himself facing a fellow knight of the realm.
Chae’s sword met Sir Lyle’s squarely, and he buckled under the weight as Lyle forced him back. He had always respected the older knight’s skills and had never expected his first battle with him to be in a war. It wasn’t that long ago that they had been on the same side.
Beside him, Nic fought against three members of the Guard, who clearly felt no guilt at trying to kill the man they once fought for.
Chae gritted his teeth and brought his sword up, pushing against Lyle and slicing open a gash on the man’s thigh. He grunted as he brought his leg under Lyle’s and dumped him on the ground. Chae’s sword snaked up to the man’s throat. He hesitated. Only for a moment but a moment was all it took. Lyle pushed Chae’s sword aside and clambered to his feet. He swung his blade and cut across the back of Chae’s knees. He screamed out as he fell to the ground, and Lyle drove his sword deep into his back.
Nic, having disposed of his opponents, ran Lyle through and rushed to his friend’s side. He lifted Chae into his arms and staggered to his feet, trusting that their fighters would watch his back. He carried him to where they had entered the city. Two of the healers rushed forward and took him from Nic’s arms.
“Take him to Dahlia,” he ordered and then he ran back to his fighters, dodging arrows as they zipped past his head.
—
Tempani reunited with Mincha and climbed back into her saddle. Their numbers had grown as Otto’s secret group of fighters and those who had been rioting joined the fighting. Together they ended the fight and pushed forward, slowly starting the journey towards the palace. Reeta and her group were already at the meeting point. Her niska’s bodyguard was bloody and bruised but alive. Her eyes flashed wildly as she spoke quickly.
“We were ambushed, but the fight was over quickly.”
“Us too,” said Tempani. “They were ready for us.”
“Their forces are stretched thin,” Madoc said as his group joined them.
Tempani shook her head. “They knew where I was. We faced a lot of opposition.” Her face paled. “They’ll be after Nic too.”
“He’s with Chae. He’ll be fine.”
She gripped Madoc’s hand. “They should be here by now.”
Madoc nodded, his next words lost in his throat as he saw Nic, Keane and Nika approaching on horseback. Otto was behind them, his face a mask of fury. Where was Chae?
Tempani ran towards them. Asking the question Madoc couldn’t bring himself to raise.
Nic dismounted and held her tightly. “He’s been hurt. We got him out, but it’s bad. We lost so many. Keane and your father barely made it. They were attacked as heavily as we were.”
Tempani bristled as the anger coursed through her. They had known where she and Nic were going to be and what group Otto would be in. Take out the face of the rebellion and the man behind it, and they win. “Someone betrayed us.”
Otto gripped her shoulder. “Ricton is powerful. He has ways of seeing things that I don’t understand.”
“We end this now,” she spat. “Let’s go.” She jumped on Mincha’s back and kicked her into a gallop.
They met no resistance on the road until they reached the palace gates. Once again arrows rained down on them, but this time they were joined by rocks, alight with bright flames. Her people were weaving targets as they dodged left and right and ran up the hill. As they approached, the gates slowly began to creak open.
“He came through,” Otto said, a hint of surprise in his voice as he spoke to Nic. “Dagan’s on our side.”
Tempani burst through the gate. Her mixed bag of fighters streamed in behind her and ran in all directions as they avenged the deaths of their fallen comrades. She wanted to join them and kill as many as she could, but she had one goal. She had to end this. And if she died doing it then so be it. She would die to save her people.
Around her people shrieked as bursts of fire flew over their heads. She ducked and glanced up. The balls of fire were exploding over people, burning them alive, the embers catching on the dry ground, small fires breaking out around them.
“Over there!” Bhatia called out and pointed towards a cluster of sorcerers.
Tempani looked around for some of Bhatia’s fighters but the girl was already two steps ahead of her and led the charge herself. They ran at the sorcerers, chanting spells and throwing daggers until they killed them all.
The ground in front of her cracked. The two pieces of earth separating, swallowing anyone who stood in its path. The enemy fighters ran at her, fear and rage in their eyes, and she realized they thought it was her doing.
Zadi barked an order, and her people swarmed at the advancing attack, protecting Tempani. With Rando and Zadi at her side, she ran for cover, someplace safe so she could fix what Ricton was doing. She blocked out the screaming behind her as she settled under a tree, going inside herself and finding the part of her that connected her to the earth. The smell of her tribe’s camp filled her nostrils and the pride that took hold of her knowing she belonged to them was fierce as she fused the earth back together. Ricton had made it easy for her by not putting much of his magic into the spell. It seemed it had been a fleeting idea for him.
She opened her eyes and scrambled to her feet, swaying slightly as she tried to move forward.
“You need to rest,” Zadi said as she gripped Tempani’s arms. “You’re pushing yourself too far.”
Tempani shook her head and pushed Zadi off her. “I don’t have time to rest. I need to find them.”
She took another step, but the blackness at the corners of her eyes trickled over and invaded her vision. Her body grew hot, and her ears thundered as she fell back into Zadi’s arms.
—
Nic battled against another member of the King’s Guard, snuffing out his life with one fell swoop. Beside him, Dagan and a group of Raiders fought with him, fulfilling their job of protecting the royal line.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around quickly, desperate to get a glimpse of his wife. Just to see that she was still alive. They had been separated the moment they had entered the grounds to the palace. Nic knew it had been done to at least ensure that one of them survived, but all he wanted was to be with her. Protecting her.
He jerked his head around when someone called out his name. Xanthir was fighting his way through to his cousin, an easy smile on his face as he took down one more man.
They gripped arms in greeting but only for a moment as they faced another attack. They turned around and stood ba
ck to back, fighting together.
“Luckily I’m here to make sure you don’t get yourself killed!” Xanthir yelled as his sword clashed against armor.
Over to their left, Madoc battled against Chae’s former knight master, Sir Danei of Quito. He was a mountain of a man, bigger even than Otto. But Madoc was quicker than him and moved swiftly as their swords clashed.
Otto was not far from him, battling his way through a throng of attackers. Hallam wanted him dead and had offered a hefty sum for the man who killed him.
All around them small fires raged, black smoke filling the air and their lungs. Otto couldn’t tell whose numbers were dwindling. His eyes flashed to Madoc. He saw the young man buckle under the force of Danei. Madoc roared as the older man’s sword sliced through his skin.
Otto cut his way through to the duo, thrusting his body between Madoc and the tip of Danei’s sword.
—
Tempani’s eyes flicked open to find a pair of brown eyes inches from her face. Zadi glared at her as she helped her sit up.
“Drink this,” she said and thrust her skin into Tempani’s hands.
She opened her lips and guzzled down the water, letting it trickle down her chin.
“Can you stand?”
Tempani nodded and let Zadi help her up. Rando was standing on guard.
“Next time I tell you to rest, listen to me,” Zadi snapped.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled. “I need to find them.”
She took off, her strides slower than normal as her body fought against the movements. She pleaded with it not to betray her now. She only had one more battle to go. She had to fight them.
She had to think. Where would they be? She didn’t think they’d be out here fighting. That wasn’t Hallam’s style. He’d prefer to send out people to do his work. But Ricton was different. Hadn’t he been at the convent? Hadn’t he been the one to do that to Teddy? But they would stick together. Of that she was sure. And then she knew. She glanced over to the balcony that overlooked the grounds, and there they were. Watching. And it made her sick to her stomach.
Rando pushed her out of the way as three soldiers ran at them. She stumbled out of the way as Zadi joined the fight. She knew this was her chance. She could give them the slip now and finish this. She knew they would win this battle. But they wouldn’t be spared where she was going. She risked one more glance at them before she set out at a run, revenge on her mind.
She heard footsteps behind her and instantly knew that she had failed to give them the slip. It was their job after all to go where she went. She kept running as she burst through the doors to the Grand Ballroom and up the staircase that she had descended on many occasions. The doors to the balcony were closed. Guarded by four men. Now she was grateful for Rando and Zadi following her.
Zadi struck one man with an arrow while Rando’s dagger claimed another. Tempani threw a punch into the throat of the third, bringing him to his knees with a splutter before she pierced him with her sword. The fourth was taken down by a blast.
Tempani scowled as Bhatia joined them. “Just in case you lose control,” she said as she ran up the last of the stairs. “Allow me.”
In the blink of an eye the door was blasted to nothingness.
A cold laugh met her ears. “This is what comes to kill us? Savages, an old man and a whore?”
Zadi hissed at Hallam and spat on the floor.
“It’s over Hallam,” Tempani said. “You signed your death wish when you attacked the convent.”
“Now, now let’s not point the finger. I think you’ll find that those responsible have been punished.”
She shuddered as she thought of the murdered tribe. “No one believes your lies. Take a look outside. They’re fighting against you.”
“Savages and commoners,” he said. “The people who matter in this kingdom believe me. And they will back me as I rid this place of your people. They will be annihilated.”
Zadi let out a cry and hurled herself across the room, spear raised as she tried to strike him. Before she reached him she was flung through the air by one of Ricton’s spells and landed with a crack against the wall, her left side taking the hit.
“Coward,” she spat before slipping into unconsciousness.
Tempani let out a growl as she sprung at Hallam, her leg raised as she kicked him in the stomach, slamming him into the wall. She turned to Ricton and sent a fireball at him. He dodged it and threw a bolt of lightning towards her. She dove to the left and rolled back onto her feet before hurling him against the wall with a blast.
While he staggered to his feet, she grabbed her sword and ran at Hallam but was thrown back by an invisible force. She tried to push against the shield but to no avail.
“He’s mine,” Bhatia hissed as she advanced on Hallam, her eyes wild with a fury that Tempani had never seen before.
“Bhatia!” She screamed as Bhatia rushed at Hallam.
“I’ve waited years for this,” she growled as her sword hit his.
The shield gave way as Bhatia’s concentration on it waned, and Tempani fell to the ground. As she struggled to her feet she saw Rando lunge across the room and throw himself in front of her. His body shuddered as it took the full brunt of Ricton’s spell. He fell to the ground with a thud and gave one last twitch before he went still.
Tempani screamed with fury as the life vanished from her bodyguard’s eyes. She gripped her sword and charged at Ricton, blocking his spells with her weapon. She had nothing on her mind but her desire to kill this man. To rip him apart limb by limb.
Beside her, Bhatia struggled against Hallam, his strength clearly too much for her.
“Did you really think you could beat me?” He laughed. “You’re as weak now as you were when we first met.”
She groaned as she buckled under his weight. He pushed down and kicked her hard in the stomach before reaching down and brushing her hair out of her eyes.
“You were always my favorite,” he whispered before raising his sword. “It’s a shame it has to end like this.”
He didn’t see her grip the hilt of the dagger she kept strapped to her waist. She swung it up and stabbed him in the groin. He screamed in agony and hobbled backwards, allowing her to get to her feet and pick up her discarded sword.
“You’ll never lay a hand on anyone again,” she said through gritted teeth as she pierced him in the chest.
Tempani and Ricton threw spell after spell at one another as the room shook with each hit. Debris began to fall around them as the ground began to shake with Tempani’s anger.
Why wasn’t he dying? She was throwing everything at him. Every spell she had but he resisted each one. She was supposed to be a sorceress. She was supposed to be strong enough to defeat him. She alone wanted to kill him yet she couldn’t. She wasn’t strong enough.
The funnel she sent at him collapsed before it reached him. Her strength was waning. She would die here today. And he would live. Hallam was dead, but someone else would come along and use Ricton’s abilities to finish what he’d started. She had to end this. Once and for all.
She knew she didn’t have enough magic left in her to take him out. She had to think of something else. She watched him as he panted. He was weak too. Of course he was. He was only human. And then it hit her. She had thought there was only one way to defeat him, but there wasn’t.
She gripped the jewel that hung against her chest and prayed one last time to the Goddess to protect those who fought for her. Then she hurled one final blast at him and ran towards him. She saw the surprise cross his face as she brought her sword up and in one swift swing she cut. His head rolled down his arm and landed with a thud on the ground as the shrill sound of Aidis’ voice filled her mind and Tempani’s world went black.
—
Her face was warm as the sun beat down on her. She lifted her chin and basked in the feel of it. The ground beneath her was no longer hard but soft. And moist. Her eyes flickered open, her nose twitching as something flutte
red across it. A butterfly. She pulled herself up and blinked in wonder as she took in her surroundings. How did she get back to Amarill? Was the fighting over? Where was everyone?
“She’s awake!”
She looked around, searching for the voice that filled her heart with such joy.
Hamalia fell to her knees and pulled Tempani into her arms. “You’re all right,” she cried. “Everything’s fine.”
“Am I dead?”
“No sweetheart,” she said as she pulled back and stroked her daughter’s face.
She glanced up as a shadow crossed over her. “Papa?” She squeaked as he sat with them, wrapping his arms around them both. “We did it. They’re both dead.”
He smiled at her. “I knew you could do it.”
“Where’s Chae?” She asked, looking around for her brother so they could make this reunion complete.
“He’s fine. They’re looking after him,” her mother said.
“I have to see him.” She got to her feet. “But I’m scared to wake up. Will you still visit my dreams now that I’ve fulfilled the prophecy?”
Hamalia rose and kissed Tempani’s head. “Not like this. The Goddess only granted me one last visit as a favor to you. You will see me now only in your memories.”
Tempani wrapped her arms around Hamalia’s waist and breathed in her mother. “No, you will find a way to come back to me. I know it.”
“Stubborn. Just like your father.” Hamalia laughed gently before sighing. “It is time for you to return.”
“I love you.” Tempani squeezed her mother tightly.
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Tempani released her mother and then held out her hand to Otto. “Come on. We have to go back.”
Otto shook his head sadly. “Not me, Tempani.”
“What?”
“This my final resting place.”
She put her hands to ears, trying to block out what she was hearing. “No,” she moaned. “No.” The lump in her throat ached as tears pricked at her eyes. “No!” She screamed. “Not you.”
“Tempani,” he said quietly.
