Knives in the Night

by Nathan A. Thompson

  She was right between the two lines of gasping, choking Malus Men. They were crawling feebly toward her, trying to stop coughing long enough to draw a weapon or prepare a spell.

  But the next moment, Anahita’s own twin spells finished. The lithe woman crossed her arms, twisted, and extended them again, as if she had thrown two frisbees in the opposite direction.

  Two sharp disks of air sliced out of her palms, each arcing into a row of crawling, choking figures. The twin disks shifted and turned just enough to decapitate every neck in their respective rows.

  A pattering of heads hit the platform’s floor, and then every Malus operative on that stage was dead.

  And still, the crowd was silent.

  Part of me screamed over it.

  I should have reacted by now, I told myself.

  I needed to be able to react in a situation like this.

  Because the next time, I might be the target.

  But my mind was still reeling.

  And somehow, the mindlink actually made it worse, as I took in everyone else’s shocked observations at the same time.

  Is that her? Eadric asked the other two Testifiers, apparently not hearing Breena earlier. I’ve never actually seen her when I moved to this world.

  I think so, Karim answered. Her face is covered, but as far as I know, no one else alive can move like that.

  It’s her, Weylin confirmed. My family met her once. She has the exact same build, same eyes and hair…same skill.

  Skill? Val asked, and I could feel awe and excitement roll off of her. What level is her skill? Are you talking about her Stealth? How did she manage to do that? Also holy freaking crap that was incredible—I didn’t even see how she did—she’s so cool—I just can’t even—sorry, I’ll pull it together—I mean—

  Adept, Salima whispered sisterly to Val, but I could the awe leaking out of her reserved composure. She is Adept-ranked at Stealth…one of the hardest skills to bring to that level…

  And a High Practitioner at Air magic, I realized, recognizing the spell she had cast from Fragglerock’s journal.

  It was Friction Slice, a spell I already knew, but one altered with so many signature abilities that she was able to perform feats with it that I could only duplicate with a healthy mix of Saga magic.

  Still, though, I wasn’t moving. And I knew I really needed to move.

  We all needed to be ready to move.

  But Anahita’s surprise attack had rattled me all the more for its brutal success.

  Lord Challenger? I heard Breyn ask, as the first to actually shake off his surprise. What do we do? She just killed all the men on the stage, correct? The Horde are all still here.

  The ones positioned at the two plaza corners nearest us are still alive, Gabin sent, providing images of their locations. But the ones at the opposite end are lying still on the floor.

  Yup, Petal confirmed, hovering speck-sized over Breyn, they’re dead. Wounds to the neck and lungs. Looks like they went off before their vital guards engaged.

  The poison, I realized, she must have been able to poison them after all. And with something that messed with their vital guards long enough so that she could decapitate them.

  There. My brain had caught up with all of the necessary information. It could now conclude that Stell’s local Satellite had made the most badass entrance so far, and move on to making sure we all survive the aftermath.

  Breena, tell her our location, I decided, glad we had recovered before any of the Horde and bystanders. Then ask her how we can help.

  To her credit, my fairy familiar had already begun to do just that.

  But if her fellow Satellite heard her words, she gave no sign. Instead, she gave a cool look to the largest, most commanding Horde monster in the plaza, a winged Cur wearing metal bracers and a chain necklace.

  “As I said…” the whisper voice swept through the city square again, the soft words somehow reaching everyone in attendance. “Consequences. I told you the children were off-limits.”

  CHAPTER 21: ON THE RUN

  With that, the small ebony-garbed woman dashed toward the edge of the platform and leaped off of it, her hands moving again to cast another spell. Another disk of spinning air appeared under her, but this one was much larger, over five feet across. It looked as if she would try and land on top of it and ride it, but at the last minute, Anahita tucked her legs and arms and fell into its center.

  The disk wobbled and tilted dangerously as it hovered its way past the platform, but then it swerved toward the ring of Hordebeasts encircling the citizens marked for Pit sacrifice. The creatures bellowed in surprise as they raised their weapons and shields, but Anahita’s disk twisted at the last moment to slice through their legs.

  The sound of screams, shredded flesh, and metal armor rang uncomfortably in my ears. Anahita’s spinning disk began to dissipate as it cut through the monsters’ shins, but it held out long enough to cripple an entire hemisphere of the monsters. The woman’s spell ended as the monsters fell crippled or dying to the floor, but she used the magic’s last bit of momentum to propel herself high into the air again.

  By now, her enemies had begun to react. Hordebeasts pushed past the still-shocked citizens and bellowed hate at the woman who had slain so many of them. The two remaining Malus operatives pushed forward as well, screaming orders to their monstrous henchmen.

  In the process, they came much closer to us.

  Eadric quietly slipped his hammer out of his robes and smashed the kneecap of the man who tried to push his way past the dwarf. As the man went down screaming, the Testifier reversed his weapon and brought the pointed end down onto the man’s temple, over and over.

  Breyn slipped behind another and caught him in a headlock, putting the smaller man in a sleeper hold. As Warren’s crony struggled in the larger man’s grip, Val shook out of her adoration long enough to jab her blades into the man’s robes.

  The other two Malus Men were much farther away. They were still shouting commands at the Horde, trying to get them to encircle Anahita and cut off her route to escape instead of blindly chasing her. They were too distracted to realize where we were, or even that we had just killed the other two. Weylin and Salima quietly slipped after them, while the rest of us tried to figure out how to help Stell’s local Satellite.

  But the fantastically capable woman seemed to be able to escape all on her own. And making three revolutions around the viga post, she let go and launched herself higher. This time, she managed to catch a larger, square support beam sticking out of another building. The leftover momentum of her leap nearly tore her grip off the post, but I saw her limbs tense, and then flex. She pointed her feet around the post and upward, once again resembling a world-class gymnast as she somehow arrested the last of her momentum. Then, as the snarling masses below tried to find a way to reach her, she pulled her legs back, heaved her lithe torso over the beam with sheer upper body strength, and then lowered her legs back on to her new platform.

  Told you she was hot, Teeth whispered to me as Stell’s Satellite resumed her desperate escape, running along the beam and vaulting onto the rooftop next to it. Then the dark-garbed woman took another running leap and began vaulting from rooftop to rooftop.

  Sooooo coool! Val gushed in our minds, before clamping down on all the enthusiasm she had sent through the mindlink. Sorry! I’m good! I’m good! Chasing after her, boss!

  Actually, Breena finally spoke up, she um, said not to follow her yet.

  Really? I asked dryly, as Salima and Weylin managed to creep behind the last two Malus operatives and stab their vitals. Why?

  As I asked, I silently gave the order to continue a slow pursuit.

  Teeth’s…appreciation for Anahita’s athletic form had helped me focus on her condition as the Satellite continued her trek across Tajam’s rooftops. For all of the woman’s skill, her chest was clearly heaving with exhaustion.

  The woman was tired. She had just pulled off a nine-death assassination, burned
three carefully aimed Air spells, and vaulted her way up a building almost entirely with physical power. I had no idea how big her stamina pool was or even how many Rises she currently had, but I knew enough about Stell to know that she tended to underestimate her own fatigue at least as often as I underestimated mine.

  She’s heading for the Horde Pit, Breena explained, though I could tell through our bond that she was agreeing with my decision. She’s trying to draw the Horde out of the city by threatening their lair.

  Can she escape on her own, then? I asked as we kept moving. By now I could hear screeches from behind me, and I looked to see that the rest of the winged Curs had arrived, and that the large one Anahita had threatened was now trying to assume command of the Mongrels and Miscreants.

  I already asked, Breena answered nervously, and she said not to worry about it.

  Fuck that.

  The gargoyle-like Curs took to the sky, and we began taking careful aim as they launched for Anahita.

  She um, also said that she would take down as many Horde as she could, so that we could finish the Pit off by ourselves, Breena continued, and I could feel the discomfort radiating off of the little fairy as she clutched my shoulder. So that we would have a better shot at the Pit.

  She’s planning a suicide mission, then, I said flatly, remembering the despair I had felt from her the last time I used the Breath. New plan, then. Tell her that we’ll be unable to comply, but if she can get most of the Horde to chase her past their lair, we can slip in, destroy the Pit, and then help her take care of the stragglers. I paused to consider saying more, and then decided to. Tell her that if she tells me not to worry about her and to leave her to whatever doomed fate she thinks she has in store for herself, I’m going to react in much the same I did when I received those same instructions from Stell, Guineve, Merada, Via, and yourself.

  Did Via and Merada actually tell us to leave them behind? Teeth asked curiously.

  Doesn’t matter right now, I replied. The point is the same. Anahita needs to know we’ve already heard the phrase ‘it’s hopeless.’

  Talking to her now, Breena said as she began another whisper spell.

  The rest of us continued to follow Anahita and the Horde from the streets, looking for an opportunity to shoot one of the flyers gaining on her. Weylin and Salima both seemed to find one. I saw them train their bows on the Cur flapping at the very back of the pack.

  Hoookay, Breena began, still perched on my shoulder as we moved through the streets. First of all, she’s mad. She doesn’t really appreciate the fact that you haven’t even met her yet, but you’ve already got a perspective on just how she should be handling her current problems. She also wanted me to remind you that you’re very late, and…well, nevermind. Let’s just ignore her exact words and focus on what she said next. Apparently, you really shouldn’t be going into any more Pits here. They’re super-ready for you.

  What, me specifically? I asked, because it was an important distinction.

  Ugh, hold on, Breena complained, firing another whisper spell. I swear you always pick the most complicated times to make me do this. I wish she wasn’t too angry to speak to you herself. It would make this so much easier…okay. Good. That was fast. Just you specifically, but probably me, too. They’ve doubled down on hunting you, even more than they were planning to back when they killed Chris.

  But they’re not as concerned with everyone else? I asked hurriedly. Not Val, or Eadric, or Petalbell? Just you and me?

  Well, yeah, Breena continued, they don’t want you to sic your little jelly on them and blow up the…ohhhhhhh, Breena trailed off, and I felt comprehension flash through her mind. They’re so focused on you, they think you’re the one carrying him around!

  Val, got a super big mission for you, I sent next. I want you to go dark for the rest of the battles today. Keep holding on to Ball-ee, do everything you can to remain unseen, until you get to the Horde Pit. Then I want you to use Ball-ee on it, like you used your blades on Fragglerock.

  Val started to protest, but then I felt power flow through me and into her as I assigned my Knife a mission to kill something.

  I get a power-up every time I assassinate something for you? she asked incredulously. Holy crap! We need to figure out how to do this all the time!

  I grinned at her, and then felt Salima and Weylin commit to attacking their targeted Cur. The two arrows whistled out and struck the back-most gargoyle, tearing massive, bloody holes in each wing.

  The monster spiraled to the ground, cracking against the cobblestones with the force of his impact.

  And then, despite all his damage, he stirred, and struggled to rise from the ground.

  I ran by him, summoned Toirneach, and slammed the axe of the Woadlands into the monster’s beaked head. The weapon tore right through the Cur’s thick hide and crushed his skull with an explosion of splinters.

  Yup, I decided as I dismissed Toirneach and kept running, somewhere between a Mongrel or Howler.

  So, I went ahead and sent another message to Anahita for you, Breena said as she scooted around in my cloak. I told her that you were planning to hang back and let your team destroy the Pit, and I explained how we would be able to do that. Which was super hard to do, by the way, because you’re a very bumpy ride right now. Anyway, she says that your plan actually might work. She’s learned that they’ve got some special sort of detection set up specifically for you, and it will go off if you get too close to the Pit. It will probably activate if a Satellite will get too close, either, which was why she was planning to draw them all out herself and kill whoever she could—hold on, she said as she adjusted her grip on my cloaked shoulder. Good grief this is uncomfortable. I can’t wait to start flying again. She’s willing to modify her plan because of that, so yeah, she’ll fly by and draw them away. She’s not sure how many will keep chasing her if the Pit isn’t in danger anymore, though.

  So she’ll need more bait, I replied as I turned another corner.

  We were back on the widest street, the one that led outside the city. Anahita was a few blocks ahead of us, still jumping from rooftop to rooftop, occasionally racing along another viga or support beam to find the best angle when she had to make a particularly difficult leap. High above her, the rest of the winged Curs flew circles around her, trying to find the best angle to swoop down and attack her.

  But the slender woman was too quick for them. Her feet now moved with Air-enhanced grace, and every time they encircled her she changed routes and leaped for an unexpected rooftop, still making good time in spite of the complicated path she wove over the city streets.

  She’s a darn good acrobat too, I noted as the nimble woman twisted through the air in a complicated somersault to thread through more beams and clotheslines. Her athleticism reminded me of the way Via had managed her small sailing vessel against that enemy Malus fleet.

  She’s actually an Adept gymnast as well, Breena explained, Those are her only two though, I think. She’s a bit older than Via or Merada. Also, Anahita wants to know what you and I are doing running after her, since we already agreed to let her lure the Horde away from us.

  We didn’t agree to that, I said as I began to run faster, approaching the closed city gates.

  Another small army of Mongrels and Miscreants had massed in front of the gates, preventing anyone from leaving the city without a fight. I wondered if Anahita would simply avoid them by keeping to the buildings, but the city rooftops ended over a hundred feet before the city walls.

  Furthermore, I could now see antlered Wretches stream out from the alleyways, and lupine Howlers take position along the ramparts, preventing Anahita from landing even if she could somehow clear the distance.

  She could probably use Air magic to fly over, but that would exhaust her even further, especially after casting three extremely souped-up versions of the Friction Slice spell.

  But the lissome woman didn’t slow down at all. In fact, she seemed to hit her second wind. Her legs practically blurre
d now, and I saw her begin to undo her deceptively long scarf.

  She says, Breena began, ‘what do you mean he didn’t agree to that—hold on.’

  I shrugged, and prepared to deal with the mass of Hordebeasts blocking Anahita’s exit.

  But she didn’t need our help. Stell’s local Satellite finished unraveling her deceptively long scarf and leaped off the final rooftop and high into the air. Her scarf widened as it completely unraveled, billowing out behind her into a cape that fastened onto her shoulders and arms on its own.

  Her new garment flapped both sides like a powerful pair of wings, and the woman flew through the air under the power of her magical apparel, which was doing the heavy lifting for her, so that she wouldn’t expend mana.