“Princess, wait for the right moment,” Ashni muttered.
If Layla noticed how deep she was in the enemy lines, she would join the battle prematurely and ruin the whole plan. While Layla was an amazing warrior, there were times when she didn’t use the best judgment and could wreck lots of hard work. Thankfully, there was no movement in the woods.
Turning her attention back to her opponents, Ashni snarled, cutting through men once more. The ground beneath her was slick, but she kept her footing. More foes pushed against her and she forced them back. Her muscles burned, which she ignored.
She took a quick glance around, checking on her soldiers. They were being engulfed, the enemy closing in, ready to consume them. Soon, it would be too late, soon their dreams would die with them, but her army pressed on, trusting in her, trusting in their ability. Was this too much? Are there too many? Her heart pounded in her chest as wave after wave of Westerners clashed with her warriors, pushing her people back. And then Princess charged in.
Layla and Naren came in like night blanketing the battlefield. Her squad was a shadow, set to swallow their enemies, weapons, screams, and all. Their foes never knew what hit them when Layla bashed in from the side, tearing in and forcing an opening. Ashni nodded with approval as new screams filled the battle’s din. And to think I was worried. I need to stop listening to Adira so much.
“I can only imagine the joy on the Princess’ face,” Ashni chuckled and then turned her full attention back to the melee around her.
Ashni turned and received a foot in her back. The boot smacked against her sword sheaths. She wasn’t hurt, but knocked off balance. Lurching forward, she spun around and put an arm up just in time to block a blade coming down. The sword clanged against the dragon-scale armor protecting her forearm and she kicked the soldier away from her. Shouting, she brought The Golden Feather down on him, splitting his chest open.
As more foot soldiers vanished into the void, Layla’s forces closed in, but cavalry officers took note of Ashni. Horses with men in bright helmets with long tails on top rushed her. A grin tore through her face.
“Fools.” Ashni rubbed her swords against each other, making them sing as a bolt sparked between them.
The mud beneath her rumbled and she howled like thunder. Swinging The Ivory Claw, she took a horse’s head while The Golden Feather chopped off an officer’s arm and he pulled his horse back. She dodged the third horseman with ease, stepping right into the path of the last one, and shoved her sword into the rider’s chest. As the other turned to come back for her, she slaughtered a few common soldiers and then gave the rider her attention. She ducked and took the legs out from under his horse. The rider crashed into the muck and Ashni panted, breath coming out in visible puffs, body still yearning for warfare.
While taking stock of her surroundings, Ashni felled as many men as she could. Her muscles burned, and she could hear her blood pounding in her ears, but more importantly, she could smell victory in the air, despite the fact they were still outnumbered. Their enemies could overwhelm them, but she pressed on, as did her army. The dream was there. It’s there. We’re here.
Soon, the fragrance of victory was buried under the odor of death and earth. The hum of promise buzzed over the clash of metal and wood. Ashni continued to tear through people, pushing against enemy shields, cutting through their lines. She could see Layla’s troops coming closer. We will consume these fools whole and then feast on their bones.
The last phase of Ashni’s plan fell into place once Layla shoved her way into position. The enemy’s numbers were dwindling. Now, Ashni’s army engulfed their foes and Adira was about to complete the circle.
General Adira came in from the other side and they now had their enemies from three sides. The tide of the battle changed almost immediately. It was time to enclose these cretins who dared to stand in the way of the Daughter of the Heavens.
Before long, Ashni could hear Adira barking orders. Even with her helmet covering her ears, Ashni could hear the clash of weapons buzzing through the thick atmosphere, and shrieks of agony cluttered the air. The cold darkness on her other side told her that Layla drew closer. Her opponents probably didn’t know what to make of Layla and her group and they never would.
“May the goddess Tami have mercy on their souls,” Ashni muttered as she shoved several soldiers toward Layla’s creeping shadows to be engulfed by the frozen darkness.
It took time, but the circle grew tighter around the enemy. Now, the superior numbers meant nothing. The burn of Ashni’s muscles went to the back of her mind and she bellowed like a mighty lion, taking down even more soldiers.
In the end, Ashni stood in the bloody mud of the battlefield. She cleaned her swords, wiping them on her muck-covered pant leg, and placed her weapons in their sheaths. With a loud exhale, she removed her helmet and wiped sweat from her brow. Her amber eyes took in the scene and saw her troops stood just as strong as she, putting down any remaining resistance.
She watched as Layla waded to her, an almost deranged grin on her youthful, flushed face, which was splattered with dirt and the blood of their foes. How a teenager could wreak such havoc and not be a demigod would forever baffle Ashni, but she didn’t question it. Layla obviously was given grace by some divine being.
“Did you see me come in right on time?” Layla asked, her brown eyes bright and her arms wide. Her palms were clean, but red from holding her sword, which was now sheathed on her side.
Ashni chortled, and rubbed the top of Layla’s head as soon as she was close enough. She mussed her sister’s short black locks done in cornrow braids, not that it mattered. Layla’s hair was wild from the battle, standing on end and dripping with sweat. Layla tittered and tucked herself under Ashni’s arm.
“It’s good to see you didn’t lose your head. Where’s that idiot spouse of yours?” Ashni looked in the direction Naren should’ve come from, but he wasn’t there. “Did I luck out and someone finally killed him? Oh, please, say someone killed him.” She pressed her hands together in prayer.
Layla growled and gave her a stern glower with hard dark eyes. “Don’t say that.” She pointed at Ashni, wagging her finger for a second. “He’s fine. He fell in some slop. I told him he was too close to the horses, but he never listens to me.”
Ashni huffed. “Because he’s an idiot. He’s supposed to be keeping an eye on you, not falling in horse crap.” She trusted that idiot to watch Layla and make sure she didn’t do anything too crazy, not that anyone could stop Layla once she got a lunatic idea in her head. Still, he should be there to save her from herself as best anyone can.
Layla stepped away and made a face at her, gnashing her teeth, which Ashni ignored instead, she scanned the area for Adira. The dirt and soot of the battlefield made seeing any distance impossible. Adira would find her if she was still alive.
“So, now what?” Layla inquired, looking around at their handiwork. There were bodies all the way to the woods around the meadow, which was a sparkling green no longer.
“In such a vast field of men, there must be some living nobles left. We’ll gather them alive, ransom who can be ransomed, enlist those we can enlist, and kill whoever’s left,” Ashni replied with a shrug. Any horses, dogs, supplies, and equipment would come with them.
Layla nodded, folding her arms across her black breastplate. “And the dead?”
Ashni surveyed the land once more. She had an idea as to what she wanted to happen. She would wait for Adira to get it done.
“Hey, did Adira die?” Layla put her hand up to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun, seeking the general.
“I’m pretty sure it’s a lot harder to lose Adira than that. She’s got a lot of nagging left in her. Besides, if she died, Saniyah would kill her.”
Layla laughed and then suddenly sobered. “But, wouldn’t she kill us, too, if Adira died with us?”
Ashni snorted. “Obviously.”
Layla laughed again. “I can see it.”
“See
what?” Adira said, marching up out of the smoke from a nearby crater.
“Saniyah killing you if you die on the battlefield.” Layla was now in a giggle fit.
Adira sniffed and brushed dirt from her armor. “Oh, please. She’d eat me whole if I died on the battlefield. Hell, she’d probably kill both of you for ‘letting’ me die in battle.”
Layla nodded. “I said that.”
“The end of an era at the hands of a petite engineer.” Ashni shook her head.
“Isn’t that the death your mother predicted for you?” Layla snickered, jabbing Ashni with her thumb.
Ashni shrugged. “Sounds like something she’d say, right?” She turned to Adira. “Make me an Orchard. One so glorious the Fire Eagle himself would praise our work. I want color and twists and bowed branches, so the gods will continue to bless our journey.”
Adira’s face scrunched up and she looked around. “Do we have time for that?”
“We should. We have to take stock of everything. If nothing else, we’ll leave a few people behind to finish it. So, take the prisoners and make me an Orchard.” Ashni made sure to make it sound like an order.
Adira took her helmet off and glared at Ashni. It was hard to take her serious, with her hair plastered to her forehead. “Really? This is what you’re using me for now? You want me to hang around to make an Orchard? How about you just tattoo ‘maid’ across my damn forehead while you’re at it?”
“I would, but I don’t have the time and it would probably clash with your other tattoos,” Ashni said.
Adira’s gaze narrowed. “This is an utter waste of my time and talent.”
“We just won a major battle and opened up the West to us. Why the hell are you so damn cranky?”
Layla chimed in. “She didn’t get to kill enough people.”
“I’m not cranky. I’m a general in the Roshan army. In fact, I’m the best general in the Roshan army. I shouldn’t be fetching bulls or making Orchards. There are people who do that.” Adira huffed, her nostrils flaring.
Ashni scowled. “So, why don’t you just go order those people to do it and stop whining? Your word is as good as mine around here. Sometimes, better depending on what we’re disagreeing on.”
Knowing this was true, Adira threw her hands up and let loose a horrible growl of frustration. Ashni and Layla snickered as they watched her storm off.
“Well, Princess, here we are.” Ashni looked around the battlefield. Inhaling, she put her chin up and let out a long sigh.
“Yeah. It’s kind of ours at this point.” Layla shrugged.
Ashni chuckled and threw her arm around her sister again. She pulled Layla to her, not caring about the grime of combat. Layla looked up at her and Layla’s dark eyes sparkled. It was amazing how once the battle madness left her, Layla could look downright cute, even when covered in some unfortunate soul’s blood. It didn’t help that Layla had dimples.
“So, are we just going to stand around while Adira makes an Orchard?” Layla asked.
“Of course not. Let’s rally who we have and assess everything before we get moving. No way these guys want to sit around and bask in the stench of the dead.”
Layla nodded and ran off to do her part. Ashni had things to do as well, but before she started, she went to find Midnight Thunder. She owed her poor horse. He didn’t even get a chance to be a part of this. Midnight Thunder found her, bumping her in the back with his snout. She laughed, turning to pet him.
“I’m sorry I teased you, boy. You know how eager I get.” He snorted and nuzzled her briefly. She took it as forgiveness. “Next battle, it’s you and me both, especially if Layla decides to be…you know, herself and all.” He nodded.
She climbed into the saddle and rode to the top of the hill her enemies had occupied a couple of hours earlier. It gave her a good view of the West. It was green, alive, promising.
“Father, I am your legacy to this world and I will carry out your will as mine own. All of the world will be called Roshan under me and my banner. Watch me as I bring fame and glory that even you couldn’t achieve,” Ashni said.
“Isn’t it blasphemous to taunt a god?” Adira’s voice sounded taunting as she approached on her own horse.
“Not when it’s your father and you’re just as divine as he is.”
“Are you just as divine as the Son of the Great Eagle?” Adira snorted and rolled her eye. “You forget I knew him. I rode with him.”
Ashni curled her lip at Adira. “Do you deny me?”
“I merely acknowledge the gods and the Amir as they are. It’s not my fault you can’t take it.” Adira’s mouth twitched.
“What the hell do you want? Aren’t you supposed to be making me a glorious Orchard of these damned souls?”
Adira shrugged. “It’s being done. I delegated, like you always do, except I delegate to the right people. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t planning to leave me putting together some damned Orchard when you decided to move on.”
Ashni gave her a lopsided grin. “Leave behind the second-in-command?” She didn’t even get to make it through the rest of her speech.
Adira pursed her lips. “Second-in-command? I thought Princess was second-in-command.”
“Please, I can barely trust her to hold her sword right or not get lost in her own shadows. Besides, she is me, which means she’s basically first-in-command.”
Adira arched an eyebrow. “Really, two first-in-commands? Isn’t that impossible?”
“And this is why I never take you anywhere.”
“Oh, yeah, this is why.” Adira blew out a loud breath. “Don’t leave me putting together this Orchard.”
“Where’s the fun in that? Especially since someone needs to nag me to death.”
Adira glowered at her. “If you leave me while I’m designing this damned Orchard, I’m meeting you on the battlefield myself. If there’s no battle, then I’ll fight you to the death in your tent.”
Ashni smirked. “I’d love to see it.” The latter had happened before, but not to the death. In fact, this confrontation all but guaranteed she’d leave Adira behind.
Adira gave her one hard look, which was pretty much a dare to leave her behind. Ashni would take her up on it. For the moment, she turned her attention back to the sky. “Watch over us, Father. Watch us work.”
Chapter Two
“ARE YOU SURE ABOUT this?” Adira asked as she and Ashni stood on a hill, just off the road. Despite the fact that the sun was high in the sky, there was a chill in the air. They were focused on a prize in the distance, having a good view of the city of Phyllida. Scouts and spies deemed it an excellent target for plunder.
Phyllida was a large city with thick, high walls and several roads leading to several gates. Inside, there were many wealthy villas and houses, as well as open land, bustling markets, entertainment areas, and busy temples. A decadent white palace looked down on the town. Gold, ivory, and jewels decorated many places. Merchants peddled goods from other cities and even other lands. It basically begged Ashni to tear into it and take all of its treasure.
According to reports, Dorian Lysand, king of the city, was a strong-willed and clever man. He could be trouble, but he didn’t have the army to cause Ashni much concern. She figured her military could overwhelm him before he managed to properly plan for her.
With an arched eyebrow, Ashni looked at Adira. “Why wouldn’t I be sure? What kind of question is that?”
“The kind of question we need to ask. We have agreed to go back to Khenshu when it gets cold. We should turn around now before our desert-dwelling soldiers start freezing.”
Ashni sucked her teeth. “If a little frost can scare off people riding with me, then they don’t need to be riding with me. If some cold can keep them from glory, then so be it.”
“Okay, fine. What about the fact that this is a little bit off of our planned attack? We’ve already done more than we planned and set ourselves up for a glorious return when the weather is more suitable fo
r conquest. Why run this risk?”
“We need plunder to keep our knuckleheads riding and that city is full of it according to your spies, yes? Are you this much of a worrywart and indecisive when you’re in bed? I can’t imagine that’s much fun for Saniyah. Unless, of course, Saniyah’s the one in charge in bed, which I’m sure is the case.”
Adira scowled at her. “Keep your filthy mind out of my bed.”
Ashni snorted. “You probably need all the pointers I could give you. I need Saniyah to stay satisfied. Do you see the great things she came up, so we can take the West and fulfill our dreams? You make her unhappy and I will bring down the full might of the Empire on you.”
Adira had the nerve to roll her eye. “Blah, blah, blah. Anyway, we could just go around.”
Ashni’s brow furrowed. “Why the hell would we go around? That city is sitting in a good location for trade and it’s filled to the brim with proof of that. Honestly, do you think those dogs back there will be happy with hitting a more strategic target right now or one that’ll bring them fortune after they watched their friends take a spear to the belly?” Ashni needed to reward her troops after they had walked through the fire with her when they crossed over.
“They’ve been rewarded. We’ve been here long enough to take enough plunder.”
“More is always better.”
After their first big battle since entering the West, the Roshan army had stood before several other forces. They mowed down all of their enemies, but it had not been an easy journey, not that Ashni ever expected that. Her father would never dream of something easy, after all.
A low groan escaped Adira. “So, we have a pointless battle for a city that doesn’t help our true conquest and lose even more soldiers?”
“Do you honestly think those fools will oppose me? Do they not call me the Daughter of Death? Am I not their Blight? The Bane of Life?” Ashni beamed as she held her head high. She had heard many different names for her since they arrived.
Adira chortled. “And to think, they don’t even know you personally.”
Warrior Class - Sky Cutter Page 2
