Fifty-two. That was all of them and not one of those assembled now considered Mandalee a threat.
Their mistake.
The mist deepened instantly to dense fog, plunging the area into darkness. Mandalee’s knives were in her hands in an instant, and before anyone could react, five demons and two humans died. Vital arteries were severed, tendons were cut, hamstrings were slit, bellies were sliced open, allowing intestines to drop out. Using her super-speed, she grabbed Shyleen and hid her out of harm’s way. She didn’t like moving her in her present condition, but she had no choice. If she left her in the clearing, she would be killed, whether by deliberate act or by stray weapon or magic would make no difference. Dead was dead.
Rushing back to the clearing, she ran up behind one of the two warriors she had seen carrying a crossbow. Reaching around him, she pulled the trigger, sending a bolt into the last remaining demon. She had so far avoided killing any wizards because she couldn’t be sure which ones controlled which demons. The last thing she wanted was loose demons. Now, with them all gone, the wizards became primary targets. As a demon hunter-turned-assassin, she had learned that lesson years ago. Always kill the demon first while its powers are limited and under control of the wizard, then kill the wizard before he can summon another. Otherwise, she would spend the rest of her short life, slaying a never-ending supply of demons until just once – for once was all it took – a demon killed her instead.
Spells began to ignite around her, but she was too fast for them to target her accurately. Conversely, a flash of magic lit them up nicely for her in the darkness. Three wizards died before her next heartbeat. They switched to area-of-effect spells, trying to blanket the clearing, but Mandalee was unconcerned because she had a secret: her combat suit was magic-resistant. Sara had told her that detail when she’d first brought up the subject – Catriona wasn’t the only one with a special gift for paying attention. She hadn’t had a chance to check it out on Earth, there being no wizards there, but this was as good a time as any for a field test.
Ignoring the wizards who were using conventional magic, she listened out for the tell-tale chanting of summoning magic. She heard them – directly behind her. Before they uttered another syllable, she was by their side, slitting their throats. As they hit the ground, the two warriors on either side, whose job had been to protect the summoners, got their reward for a job well done when Mandalee’s tiny, invisible knives severed an artery in their necks.
At last, one of the clerics decided to use her head and pray for sunlight to banish the fog. But Mandalee was a cleric, too. She felt the effect almost before it happened, and in response, she closed her eyes and prayed for even more sunlight. Her enemies cried out as one, as the bright light blinded them just as surely as the darkness had. Opening her eyes to mere slits was enough for the assassin to commit to memory the locations of her remaining enemies. She had cut them down by about half already.
The cleric who had cast the light spell died next, followed by the final sorceress – just in case she had any summoning powers – and three more warriors standing near her, before their eyes adjusted to the light. A trio of archers let arrows fly, but with a simple application of cleric levitation magic, she nudged their courses to kill three of their comrades instead. One of the archers, having not learned his lesson, nocked another arrow, but Mandalee slipped behind the still disorientated second crossbow wielder and helped the two kill each other. An Arc of Fire from the White Assassin’s fingers burned out the eyes of the other two archers. A neighbouring cleric stepped over to heal them, but Mandalee taught her about the consequences of helping her would-be murderers by levitating a spent arrow through her heart. Swiftly following the path of the projectile, she killed the remaining archers.
Only a dozen warriors remained, but the assassin could feel herself tiring from using her super-speed for so long. She decided her best bet was to cancel it, now, and use the trees as cover for hit and run strikes. None of her enemies possessed any ranged weapons, now, which meant they would have to get up close and personal if they wanted to kill her. Which was precisely where she wanted them.
She feigned a trip, falling to the ground and the first two were upon her in a heartbeat, swords ready to strike. Fools. They clearly didn’t realise that inside six feet, knives beat swords every time. She rolled underneath their guard and went for their wrists. The one on the left was too slow to react and cried out in horror as the knife opened all the blood vessels. He fell to the ground, desperately trying to staunch the blood flow. The one on the right had quicker reflexes, but Mandalee had still cut through the tendons, causing her to drop her sword, which Mandalee levitated to skewer the next nearest attacker. The first two ended their lives still clutching their wrists.
Down to nine, the remaining warriors were more cautious now. Mandalee was desperate to go and heal Shyleen, but she knew if she left even one of them alive, they would kill her. Then she would be no use to her feline friend.
Retreating into the trees, Mandalee switched to stealth mode, taking care where she stepped, never snapping a twig, never so much as disturbing a single leaf. The breeze made more noise than she did.
She circled the clearing, picking out her next target. One of the nine, perhaps sensing something, strayed a little too close to the treeline and died, silently. None of the others even noticed Mandalee hide the body in the undergrowth. She thought about how Shyleen would approach this if she were here hunting her prey. She would stalk her prey. She would not rush out until the odds were stacked in her favour. So, Mandalee observed her targets and waited until she had a clear plan. Less than two minutes later, and all eight were already dead in her mind. She could see it as clearly as the trees in front of her now. Her enemies had no chance. None. They could not stop her. They were too late. They were already dead. They just didn’t realise it yet. One more breath and it would all be over for them. One more breath was all they had left. They were all looking away from her position. The time was now. They had each taken their last breath.
The assassin burst from cover, silent as a shadow. Two hands, two knives. Vital arteries in two necks were severed. The remaining six started to turn. Too late for two more as their kidneys were punctured. Wasting no time on those who were incapacitated, the assassin dropped to one knee and sliced open two more bellies. They threw down their weapons, futilely trying to stop their insides falling to the ground. The last pair leaned down to grab Mandalee. She could see the look in their eyes. The look she had seen before. Both men thought they had her. They weren’t even going for the kill. They didn’t care about the fifty who had fallen. Their thoughts had already turned to the ‘fun’ they were going to have with the ‘Freak.’
Mandalee allowed herself a smile at the cosmos that had allowed this. She hadn’t planned on making these two the last to fall to her blades, but she was grateful for the providence that made them so. Even as that word formed on their tongues, a knife split them in two and cut open their throats. Taking no risks on leaving an enemy behind her, even if they seemed to be bleeding out, she put them all out of their misery.
Maybe ‘White Assassin’ wasn’t such a terrible title, after all, she reconsidered. This was why she had become an assassin in the first place. She didn’t revel in killing. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t sport. She just wanted to defend innocent people, protect her friends and be free to live her life as herself. The people who came to this island today had thought they could take that life from her. With that decision, they had forfeited the right to their own lives, and now they would harm no-one ever again.
Wasting no more time on them, Mandalee ran to where she had hidden Shyleen. She was still clinging to life, but she didn’t have long.
Mandalee lifted the leopard’s head and whispered, “It’s OK now, I’m here.”
Mandalee’s magic came from Shyleen, but being so severely injured, she could give no more, so Mandalee immediately set to transferring every drop of energy she had left inside her, giving
it up so that Shyleen could live. The Cleric of Nature was already exhausted, so she didn’t have as much to give as she would have liked, but it would just have to be enough because Mandalee had already decided: Shyleen was not going to die today.
A short time later, Mandalee collapsed, unconscious, but just before her world faded, she saw the leopard stand. Her friend, the other half of her soul, she was going to be alright.
Shyleen, fully recovered and knowing what her friend had done, carefully picked Mandalee up by the neck of her body armour, being mindful of where she was putting her teeth, and carried her away, melting into the forest.
Chapter 29
Elsewhere on the island, Daelen caught up with Catriona, who was studying the ground, intently. She had her staff out, and her bow and arrows on her back, prepared to deal with any trouble in the most expedient way possible.
“Have you found her yet?” he asked.
Fear for her friend brought out her sarcastic streak, as she replied, “Yes, Daelen, of course I’ve found her. That’s why I’m standing here, staring at the ground.”
Daelen let that go in favour of trying to offer helpful suggestions. “What about your sympathic connection?”
“It isn’t a tracker,” Cat sighed, regretfully, “or even a direction finder. While Mandalee’s so distressed, it’s hard to get any clear readings from her anyway. Now she’s shut me out.”
“Why would she do that?”
“The last thing I sensed was her gearing up for a fight. She couldn’t afford to have me in her head, distracting her. She needed to focus. It’s not like she could give me a location, anyway. I mean, what’s she supposed to send – an image of a tree? That’d narrow it down! That’s why I’m staring at the ground: I’m trying to track her the old-fashioned way.”
“Maybe you could scout around from the air as a falcon,” Daelen suggested.
Cat shook her head. “Given that most of this island is a forest, her position is likely to be hidden from the sky.”
“What about following her scent as a wolf?”
Again, Cat shook her head. “Mandalee can move fast when she has to, and at that speed, her scent will scatter on the wind. No, I’ve run through every magical power I know, but nothing helps. This isn’t a magic situation. We’re going to have to track her the old-fashioned way. Just stay behind me, so you don’t crowd me or destroy any vital clues. I’ll ask the animals hereabouts to help us, too. I can’t communicate with them as well as Mandalee can, but every little helps. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
With that, they set off, slowly and carefully at first, moving more quickly once a clear direction had been established. The animals of the forest helped a lot. Sympathic communication was limited, but it was enough to confirm that Mandalee had indeed passed this way in a hurry. After what seemed like hours, they reached the clearing where Mandalee had killed the force that had come to StormClaw.
“She did all this by herself?” Daelen breathed in wonder.
“To save Shyleen?” Cat returned. “You bet she did.”
“She’s been holding back in our training sessions.”
A patch of dried blood was evidence of a vicious attack on the leopard. A bit more tracking and Cat found the merest trace of footprints leading to another, smaller patch. Daelen took her word for it on the tracks – he could see nothing at all.
“No, you wouldn’t,” Cat agreed, nodding as she crouched down to examine the site more closely. “She’s a Cleric of Nature – she knows how to conceal…her…movements.” She trailed off as another thought struck her. “Oh, Mandalee,” she gasped, “you are so smart!”
“Why? What has she done?”
Cat stood and faced Daelen. “She’s a Cleric of Nature – she knows how to conceal her movements,” she reiterated, “even from me if she wants to,” she added. “But I can see them.”
“So?”
“So, she got down to some serious fighting here,” she continued.
“Obviously,” Daelen agreed, still not quite seeing what she was getting at.
“But I couldn’t see a single trace of her movements anywhere in that clearing. They must have felt like they were fighting a ghost.”
At last, the shadow warrior caught on. “And yet she left just enough evidence for you to follow her tracks here.”
Cat nodded. “This is where she moved Shyleen out of harm’s way. That way, even if she died in the battle, her feline friend would have remained concealed from anyone but me. Then even if I was too late to help Mandalee, I could still save Shyleen.”
“So, what happened?”
“Well,” Cat considered, thinking it through. “If Shyleen had died, Mandalee would have buried her, and she would have either returned to us or stayed here, relying on my ability to track her. If Mandalee had simply healed Shyleen and everything was fine, again she would have returned to us or waited here. Therefore, the only reasonable conclusion is that healing an animal who was so severely injured took every drop of energy she had left and so Shyleen returned her love by taking Mandalee away to another hiding place.”
“Why wouldn’t Shyleen have stayed here?”
“Probably because Mandalee didn’t have time to tell Shyleen the plan, but if we’re lucky,” she continued, searching all around, “Shyleen didn’t bother to cover her tracks. There,” Cat pointed out paw prints heading away from the area.
“If you say so,” Daelen accepted, entirely out of his element with this and sensibly deferring to one who knew nature so well. “Where do we go from here?”
“Now we can use one of your original ideas. Shyleen won’t risk moving very fast or very far with Mandalee so hurt and drained, so if I change to my wolf form, I should be able to pick up a dual scent of leopard and human. That should lead me to them. Daelen, I need you to fly discreetly overhead.”
“Why? Wouldn’t it be better to stay with you?”
The druidess shook her head. “Shyleen is likely to be spooked enough with a wolf suddenly appearing on the scene without you blundering in, adding to the problems. I will make no effort to conceal myself so you can keep track of where I’m going. Shyleen will be able to sense me coming a mile off and hopefully won’t attack me as a potential threat. If she does attack me, though, let me handle it. I can get myself out of trouble without harming her; you might kill her with your power if you get agitated. Any questions? No? Good. Now go away.”
Daelen wasted no time arguing, and simply took to the sky.
In her wolf form, the combined scent of leopard and human was sharp, so following the trail was no problem. Cat glanced up occasionally to make sure Daelen was following in the air. After a few minutes, the scent grew even stronger, telling her that she was very close to Shyleen’s hiding place. She slowed her pace to a level that would appear non-threatening and wouldn’t seem like stalking. A moment later, the trail ended in a shady spot beneath an overhanging cliff. A pair of eyes glowed in the soft light, and they moved closer to reveal a great leopard, hackles raised and growling softly. This was the bit that needed to be handled carefully. Cat came to a halt a few feet away from Shyleen and adopted a submissive, non-threatening pose while sending out sympathic impressions of ‘peace, healing, concern, friendship.’
Shyleen cocked her head, relaxing slightly and returned ‘questioning, puzzlement, patience.’ Clearly, she had never before met a wolf that could or wanted to communicate in such a way.
Trying to explain, Cat sent, ‘wolf camouflage. Human of nature concealed.’ Now was not the time to quibble over being half-Faery.
Shyleen relaxed further and offered, ‘invitation, reveal human.’ Cat shifted to her human form. She expected Shyleen to recognise her, but the leopard seemed even more agitated than before. She sent, ‘weapons, questioning.’
Cat was also getting waves of pain, and she understood. The part of Shyleen that was from a higher plane couldn’t think clearly because of how much Mandalee was hurting. The part that was actually a leopard was runn
ing on little more than instinct.
Cat continued to explain, sympathically, ‘defence, protection, like claws.’
Shyleen accepted this, but insisted, ‘retract claws’ – an order for Cat to disarm, which the druidess complied with fully, laying bow, arrows, staff and all spell components on the ground. In return, Shyleen retracted her own claws and sat down, though she still guarded the path to Mandalee.
Reverting to human speech, Cat urged, “Shyleen, it’s me, Catriona – Cat. I’m your friend. I’m Mandalee’s friend. Please let me past you so I can heal her. Please, Shyleen. I know you hurt terribly, but you must fight through it and recognise me.”
Shyleen brightened at that, getting up and walking over to rub her flank against the druid. After a good sniff, Shyleen sent a new sympathic message. ‘Mandalee scent on Cat. Friendship confirmation/acceptance.’
Catriona smiled at the sudden warmth from the big cat and asked, “Will you let me see Mandalee now? I will try to heal her.”
Shyleen nudged Catriona towards the spot where Mandalee lay quiet, pale and still. She was alive but drained of all energy. Shyleen sent ‘trust, protection’ and resumed her guard duty. As far as she was concerned, she now had two humans to defend.
Catriona’s examination revealed something off in her friend’s system. It didn’t seem like poison. Rather, her magic seemed to indicate an infection that Mandalee had absorbed from Shyleen. Cat took out her water skin and poured out a little into a carefully cupped hand, so she could begin sprinkling droplets on the assassin’s body, thinking to use the healing properties of water to draw out the infection. She didn’t dare bring it into herself as she would if it were poison. What if her Faery side was more susceptible to whatever it was? She would be no use to Mandalee if she got sick and died. She would have to use water. It was less efficient, but it was the better option under the circumstances.
Gathering Storm (The Salvation of Tempestria Book 2) Page 25
