by Claire Frank
The explosion sent a loud bang echoing through the canyon, and a cloud of dust momentarily obscured their view of the bridge. Daro pulled back on another arrow and loosed, hitting the far side. Two more followed close behind, the blasts ringing in Pathius’s ears as he waited for some sign that the bridge was collapsing.
As the dust cleared, Pathius looked up at the underside of the bridge. Black marks scorched the bottom, but it didn’t appear to be in danger of breaking.
“Hit it again,” Pathius said.
Daro loosed more arrows in quick succession, but the span didn’t budge.
“We weakened it enough; it should crack,” Daro said, lowering his bow.
Pathius looked up at the bridge and delved into it as if to Absorb. Feeling out the flows of energy, he closed his eyes and let their pattern settle into his mind. It flowed in a complicated web, the lines weaving back and forth across each other. As they had worked the night before, he’d been able to separate the lines enough that their blows began to take effect, but from what he could sense now, there was little sign they’d weakened the bridge at all.
“I think some of our damage was undone,” Pathius said.
Daro’s head whipped toward him. “What?”
“The energy in the bridge isn’t normal. Can you sense it? It’s woven like a basket. I took it apart as much as I could last night, but it’s as if it restored itself.”
Daro hesitated, his mouth half-open, then turned his face upward. “No. It has to come down. Too much of the army is getting across.”
“We have to go to the top,” Pathius said, and faces swung to look at him.
“The entire Attalonian army is above our heads,” Cecily said. “We can’t go up there.”
“Exactly,” Pathius said. “Too many of them are going to get through. We need to cut their force in half, not sit down here while the entire army marches across. By now, they see the stronghold is abandoned. They won’t expect anyone to come charging through.”
“He’s right,” Daro said. “We can’t take the bridge down from here. We need to attack it from the top. The bridge is wide, but only so many men can fit on it at any given time.”
“Stoker, do you think you can cause enough of an explosion to block the gates with more rubble?” Pathius asked.
Stoker shrugged. “I can sure try.”
“Do it. Block off the gates so the men in the stronghold can’t get back across the bridge.” He took a deep breath, knowing what he was suggesting was probably suicide. “I’ll try to unravel whatever protection the bridge has from here. Then we fight our way onto the bridge. Cecily, Raed, Kentan, and Leng can all provide cover. Dashal, whip up some wind on the south side of the chasm so the rest of the army can’t cross. Daro, Stoker, Shale, and I will finish off the bridge, then we all retreat down the chasm wall as planned.”
Cecily looked horrified, but Daro nodded. “Do it.”
Pathius reached up and delved into the bridge again, concentrating on feeling the overlapping lines of energy. It was a complex mesh, clearly human made, although Pathius had never seen anything else like it. Feeling the thousands of thin strands, he pulled them apart, changing their direction to alter their flow. He moved them into a new formation, much as he had done to the waterfall in Imara, although instead of creating a lacy pattern of winding energy, he wrenched apart the tightly woven strands and created gaps, straightening the flows so they no longer offered a thick layer of protection for the bridge.
“Let’s go,” Pathius said, hoping he had done enough. The sound of men marching across made his back tense. Too many were getting through.
Daro glanced at the others, looking each of them in the eye. “Be careful. Watch each other’s backs. Once the bridge falls, get down the chasm wall as quickly as you can.”
Pathius nodded, as did the others, and they crawled up the sloping tunnel behind Shale. The big man wrenched the stone from the opening and helped the rest climb out, into the dark storeroom in the bowels of the stronghold.
It was oddly silent in the empty room and Pathius wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. His body was alive with power, although he felt the strain of unraveling the energy from the bridge, and his heart thundered in his chest.
Daro led them up the stairs and through a corridor until they reached an outer door. Cecily stepped forward and held up her hand for them to wait, as Pathius tried to hold himself still. After a tense moment, she nodded, and Daro eased the door open.
Squinting against the gray daylight, Pathius crept out into the encampment. A wood building stood close to the stronghold where they emerged, giving them momentary cover. It suddenly felt foreign, a place he’d called his own now ceded to the enemy. His eyes darted around as they snuck along the wall, heading toward the gatehouse that swarmed with enemy soldiers.
This is crazy.
Ahead of him, Daro brandished his sword, and stones clattered along the ground and jumped up to form Shale’s armor. Pathius tightened his grip on the spear as adrenaline surged through him. The voices of the enemy army rose as they drew closer to the bridge, and they halted at the edge of one of the outer buildings to peek at the gatehouse entrance.
A steady stream of men marched through, branching off as they moved deeper into the encampment. Others walked along the edges of the other buildings, their pikes ready, clearly searching for signs of the Halthian force. Pathius imagined them swarming through the stronghold like ants encroaching on an opposing anthill, scouring the tunnels for signs of habitation.
Daro held up a hand and they shrank back against the wall as a soldier marched past the opening between the building and the stronghold. Pathius held his breath, willing the man to keep his eyes forward as they clung to the shadows. The soldier moved passed without looking, and Daro motioned them ahead.
Pathius’s mouth went dry and his arms twitched as they readied themselves to emerge into the throng. Their only hope was to strike hard and fast, catching the Attalonians off guard, and punch their way to the bridge. Daro turned and gave a quick dip of his head before striding out onto open ground.
A few heads turned toward them in confusion as they marched swiftly toward the bridge, and they crossed half the distance before meeting any resistance. A shout rang out behind them, and Pathius turned to see a soldier point in their direction. More took notice, but Pathius reached out and tore the heat from the first man, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.
Two Attalonians hurled away as if they’d been struck and Stoker threw a hot rock into the midst of the ones ahead. Men flew backward as it burst, the loud pop cracking above the rising shouts. Arrows raced from Imaran bows as Kentan and Leng shot, and small whirlwinds ripped into the crowd of soldiers.
Daro pushed ahead, and they ran for the bridge as chaos erupted around them. Soldiers charged, only to be pushed back by Cecily’s Reach or hit with an Imaran arrow, and the sound of Shale’s heavy swings connecting with armor rang out behind them. Pathius dropped one soldier after another, pulling their heat in a rush. It coursed through him, burning away his fear, and he gloried in the sensation of power.
As they reached the bridge, Stoker hurled a rock into the midst of the Attalonians, and it exploded with a bang. Keeping close in a tight formation, they smashed into the crumpling lines of soldiers like a wedge, pushing their way onto the span. Daro’s sword cut in a wide arc, clearing the way as the Attalonians fumbled in confusion. Some lunged with weapons ready, but Cecily hurled them out of the way while Kentan and Leng shot at close range and Raed struck with his spear. Pathius turned to the back, attacking the men who pressed at them from behind, alongside Shale, who battered anyone foolish enough to venture within his reach.
Pushing their way through the crumbling gatehouse, they hurled men off the side of the bridge and beat back the crowd of soldiers coming from the stronghold. The Attalonian response was coalescing as someone took charge, the men pressing at them with raised shields and long pikes. Pathius countered with his spear, thr
usting his weapon to hold them back, then attacking with a shock of Absorption.
“Take it down!” Pathius shouted as they cleared the gates.
Stoker hurled a stone at the gatehouse, the explosion sending a shower of rock through the air. Debris clattered around him as Pathius looked up, but the structure still stood. They’d need to do more to seal off the gates.
“Again!” Pathius said, shouting above the din.
Pulling a massive rush of energy, Pathius felt ice spread onto the bridge, and frost sparkled in the air around him. Targeting two soldiers, he sucked in their heat, letting his power build. He drew in more, pushing himself to the limit of his ability to contain it, dropping his enemies to the ground as another blast hit the gatehouse.
“Again!” Pathius said, and as Stoker threw another glowing rock Pathius pushed the energy from him, letting it rip from his hands in a great stream of heat and light. It slammed into the gatehouse, adding force to Stoker’s explosion, tearing great cracks in the stone. A wave of dust and debris flew at them, and Pathius nearly lost his balance as the rest of the structure collapsed onto the bridge entrance, crushing the soldiers trapped inside.
The fighting continued across the span of the bridge as more soldiers pressed toward them. Their close formation broke apart as Shale pounded his way through the men, making for the far side. More explosions rang out, and men burst outward, falling off the sides of the bridge. Kentan and Leng took up positions at the base of the stronghold, firing into the crowd, while Dashal whipped up a howling wind. It raced across the plain, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt, and pushed the advancing army back, if only temporarily.
Daro made for the center of the bridge, and Pathius followed in his wake, Raed and Cecily close behind. A soldier lunged for him, but Pathius blocked, their weapons connecting with a loud smack. Reaching out to rip the heat from his body, Pathius watched the man turn blue and fall to the ground, stiff.
“Keep us covered,” Pathius said as he turned to Cecily and Raed. They nodded, taking up positions on either side of him as he stopped near Daro.
Turning his attention to the bridge, Pathius delved into it, once again feeling the complex flows of energy. They were distorted from his earlier efforts, but he pulled at them again, rearranging them to break the web of protection they provided. The sharp end of a pike stabbed near, twisting away at the last second, but Pathius didn’t have time to contemplate who turned it aside. He spread his hands wide, moving the threads of power beneath his feet to provide Daro and Shale with an opening.
With a smash, Daro’s hammer hit and a crack snaked out from the breach. Looking up, Daro met his eyes with a quick nod, then raised his hammer again.
A blast rang out from the far side as Daro struck. “I’ll help Stoker and Shale,” Pathius said, as Cecily and Raed fought off the soldiers near Daro. Holding the spear at his side, he reached out and pulled in a surge of energy. The men closest to him crumpled to the ground, and a sheet of ice spread out across the bridge. Walking forward into the throng, he beat his enemies back, thrusting his spear and tearing the energy from them in a great rush. His head spun with the onslaught of power as he cut through the Attalonians to reach Shale at the southern entrance.
The big man was still armored in stone with hulking chunks of rock on the ends of his fists. He alternated between smashing the surface of the bridge with great strikes of his hammer-like arms and sweeping punches that beat back the Attalonians who tried to surround him. Stoker had pushed his way onto the plain beyond the span, driving the soldiers back with a constant barrage of detonations.
Pathius dashed forward, thrusting his spear into the thigh of a soldier trying to attack Shale. The man’s leg crumpled beneath him and he clutched at the wound as Pathius ripped his weapon free. He was dead in a second as Pathius sucked him dry and pushed his body aside with the butt of his spear. A wisp of sound whizzed by his ear and he realized the Attalonians were firing arrows onto the span from the south side. Glancing up, he saw some fly away wildly as Dashal’s wind caught them, and others veered down in a sharp turn.
The bridge showed signs of breaking as Shale continued to pound his armored fists against the surface, so Pathius concentrated on keeping him clear. Men dropped around him as he pulled their heat, and his spear thrust at anyone who drew near. Raed and Cecily fought in the center, surrounding Daro as Kentan and Leng fired into the crowd.
Stoker kept up his assault at the south entrance to the bridge, exploding bits of rock with sharp blasts to keep the oncoming force back. A haze of euphoria crept into Pathius’s consciousness as power flowed through him, and he made his way to help Stoker. Shale’s strikes rang out and Pathius’s ears felt deadened from the noise of Stoker’s blasts. He ripped the energy from a charging soldier and cast a quick glance over his shoulder. It was taking too long to bring the bridge down. They couldn’t hold off the press of soldiers on the other side forever. Another arrow sliced by, too close for comfort.
Pathius tried to call to Stoker, but his voice was lost amid the howling wind. He smashed the butt of his spear into an approaching soldier and whipped it around to tag him across the head, then Absorbed his heat in a rush.
As Pathius watched in horror, an arrow punched through Stoker’s gut, piercing his armor, and he doubled over. Rage burst through Pathius and he roared, lashing out at the men who suddenly rushed forward to the bridge. From the corner of his eye, he saw Stoker straighten, and another arrow tore through Stoker’s chest near his shoulder. Stoker threw another stone and it burst in the midst of the surging crowd of soldiers. The detonation hurled them back as Pathius killed another man and shoved his body aside.
Stoker staggered to Pathius, his face ashen, his eyes tight with pain; Shale hit the bridge again.
“Get back,” Stoker said, blood bubbling through his lips.
“We almost have it,” Pathius said, putting a hand on Stoker’s arm to steady him.
“No,” Stoker said and he swallowed hard, wincing. “Stay off the bridge.”
Pathius shook his head but Stoker pushed him away and stumbled toward Shale. Arrows flew toward him, but Pathius stopped them midair, and struck at the next foe to come close. Casting a glance at the bridge, he saw Shale landing heavy blows, pushing his way to the edge of the span while Stoker knelt next to the breach Shale had made.
As Pathius and Shale fought, Stoker pressed his hands into the bridge, and an orange glow spread along the cracks. The radiance built and Pathius squinted against the glare as Stoker nearly disappeared in a sheen of brilliant red.
The concussive blast blew Pathius away and he hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Gasping for breath, he wrenched himself up to sitting as the bridge groaned. The stone broke, scraping against the chasm wall as it tilted downward. The middle fractured as the weight of the span pulled it down and, with a thunderous boom, the broken bridge plunged into the chasm.
Pathius watched, open-mouthed, as Shale struggled to his feet nearby. Fury ripped through Pathius, filling the empty hole in his gut, and frost sparkled in the air around him. The bridge had fallen, but Stoker was gone. He stood and turned toward the remnants of the Attalonian army, who were picking themselves up from the ground in the wake of the blast.
You will all pay for this.
60. NO MAN LEFT BEHIND
Daro let energy pour through him as he brought his hammer down again. It sank into the stone, and the bridge shuddered beneath his feet. Raed and Cecily fought off the troops on either side, the Imaran’s spear whipping through the air as Cecily’s Reach hurled men aside.
Glancing toward the other side to see how Shale was faring, he saw Stoker stumble forward, clutching an arrow in his gut, another protruding from his chest. Alarm raced through him as he watched Stoker drop to his knees while Pathius and Shale backed away. Daro took a step toward him and Stoker looked up, meeting his eyes. His face was ashen, and Daro could see his life leaking away as he lay his hands on the ground. Pressing hi
s lips together, Stoker gave Daro a solemn nod; then the breach glowed orange, a hot light spreading from Stoker’s hands along the width of the bridge. Daro squinted against the building radiance until Stoker’s form was lost in the glare.
The blast knocked Daro back, tossing him toward the stronghold. The cracking span burst with a loud boom and the far end of the bridge tipped down, ripping free from the weakened center. Grinding against the chasm wall, the stone toppled, plummeting into the chasm in a rush.
Daro struggled to his feet and looked out over what was left of the bridge. It had broken in half, leaving a jagged ledge of stone jutting out from the north side, a sheer drop at the end. Stoker was gone.
Cecily ran to his side, smashing an approaching soldier off the bridge with a flick of her Reach as she approached. His breath coming in gasps, Daro couldn’t tear his eyes away from the spot where he’d seen Stoker, the image of his face burned into Daro’s eyes like the glare of the sun.
“We did it,” Cecily said, her voice breathless.
Daro shook his head. “Stoker.”
“Oh, no.” Placing a hand on his arm, Cecily looked up at him. “We have to go.”
As if to drive her point home, an arrow whizzed by, clattering off the stone behind him. Daro shook his head again and looked around. Kentan and Leng joined Raed and Dashal as they jogged out to meet them. The bridge was clear of enemies, but the men on the far side were beginning to increase their fire, sending arrows racing toward them. The Imarans answered with shots of their own, aiming across the chasm, but Daro knew Cecily was right. The bridge was down. They needed to retreat down the side of the chasm wall.
“Wait,” he said, as he watched the movement of the army on the far side. “Pathius and Shale are over there.”
“I see them,” Cecily said.
“I can’t leave them behind,” Daro said.
