The Amazon's Pledge Ch. 15

"Now I'm really nervous. Those knights are probably orcs in disguise."

I snorted softly, but when I glanced over to Kaseya, she was frowning and shielding her eyes from the sun. "I thought the Knights of the Silver Fist were considered elite mounted cavalry."

"They are," I said.

"Then why do their horses lack barding?"

I frowned and shielded my own eyes. Even from this distance, I could still tell she was right. The knight's horses were saddled, but that was about it.

"That's...odd," I muttered. Even the horses we'd seen in the city usually had some form of protection, cosmetic or otherwise. Pageantry was as synonymous with knighthood as a lance and sword in this part of the world.

Valuri immediately drew one of her crossbows and peered through her scope for a better view. I lifted my spyglass and did the same.

"That's not Silver Fist armor, either," she said. "No inscriptions, no emblems anywhere...a few of them aren't even wearing helmets or plate."

"They could be Duskwatch," I said. "Maybe they're--"

The words died on my tongue when I finally caught a glimpse beneath the hood of one of the riders. The long blond ponytail, the piercing blue eyes, a nearly perfect copy of Kaseya's features...

The truth hit me like a brick to the face. This wasn't a "test run" organized by Telanya; it was a trap set by Ayrael and the Senosi. They had already bought off the Falcon Guard and stolen the original cargo--that was why the carriage's aura was so weak. The crystals were probably halfway to Vorsalos by now...

"Oh, shit," I hissed.

"Something wrong?" Koth asked, glancing back over the edge of the carriage. "Don't tell me the knights have a bounty out for you or something."

"Not exactly," I rasped. I could feel the eyes of the other mercenaries upon us. The moment they started shouting, Ayrael and her warriors would charge straight for us. We'd only have a few minutes before we were completely swarmed...

"So what's the matter, then?" Koth asked. "You look...upset."

"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "I just think it's time we part ways."

Reaching out to the Aether, I thrust out my hand and unleashed a bolt of crackling Aetheric energy directly into the carriage's wheel. The horses shrieked, the wooden frame collapsed, and Koth was violently hurled out of the saddle.

"Get down!" I screamed, dropping to a knee and sheathing myself in a mantle of spell armor. The mercenaries had already drawn their weapons, and they were just about to pounce when I blasted the man directly behind me. The greenish-white beam of energy vaporized half his torso, killing him before he even hit the ground.

The other mercs wouldn't be dispatched so easily. I would have been completely overwhelmed in another second or two, but the girls were already moving. Kaseya dashed in front of me, bashing her shield into the skull of one mercenary and slashing open the throat of a second. Valuri drew her second crossbow and fired, dropping two more of the men just as I unleashed another blast. In the span of five seconds, we had already taken out half of Koth's men...but unfortunately, they were about to get backup.

The mercenary captain dragged himself to his feet and blew into a small horn. The baritone cry rang across the grasslands as clearly as a trumpet, and the unmistakable pounding of hooves rolled in the distance like approaching thunder. The hourglass had officially tipped over.

"Get the horses!" I shouted at Kaseya after she had smashed another mercenary to the ground. "We can't escape without them!"

I unleashed another spell before she could respond. Placing my hand against the ground, I ignited the grass in front of us and then spun around, conjuring a wide ring of fire around the caravan to keep our horses from fleeing and to give us some cover. While Kaseya scrambled to steady the panicked beasts, Valuri sprayed bolt after bolt past my shoulder. A few of the mercenaries closed into melee range, their shields held high, at which point she holstered her weapons and unsheathed her hidden claws. She whirled between the heavily armored men like a dervish, and I was yet again reminded of both the beauty and the horror of Senosi martial arts. Her claws and body were soon covered in a mist of gore.

Just as she scythed down the last mercenary, Koth vaulted over the toppled carriage and slammed into her flank like a battering ram. He probably had at least a hundred pounds on her, and she tumbled end over end and nearly rolled into my wall of fire. The mercenary captain then drew his blade, an elaborate silver saber, and prepared to slice her in half.

But I was ready. Whirling around again, I unleashed another beam of crackling energy that struck him where he stood. The blast was easily powerful enough to disintegrate half his body...and yet the instant it hit him, a patch of glowing green tattoos appeared beneath his skin.

"Uh-oh," I breathed.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a male Senosi, but apparently Koth was more than just another of the Inquisitrix's hired goons. The energy of my spell rippled through his body, bolstering his strength and speed to superhuman levels. Fortunately, he didn't turn and finish off Valuri.

Unfortunately, he turned and charged at me.

My spell armor cracked and shattered when his saber thrust toward my chest, and I managed to dive away just far enough to avoid being decapitated. I couldn't avoid the backswing of his off-hand, however, which smacked me so hard I flew at least ten feet through the air before I crashed into the toppled carriage.

The fact that none of my bones shattered on impact was incredibly lucky; the fact I remained conscious was nothing short of a miracle. My vision darkened and my head pounded, and I was reasonably sure a piece of broken wood had speared into my side. The battle around me became an indecipherable haze of screams and movement. I was vaguely aware of Koth charging toward me, and just before he skewered me on his sword, a red blur leapt to my defense. Blinking frantically, I managed to clear my vision just in time to watch Kaseya fencing the empowered captain. A memory of our fight in the north seared into my head--back then, Kaseya had been completely overpowered by another Aether-fed Senosi until I had bolstered her with my own magic. Sadly, I didn't have any strength left to help her again...

A moment before Koth hacked through the amazon's defenses, a pair of needle-sharp claws erupted from his chest. Valuri appeared behind him, her eyes glowing green.

"Now, Red!"

While Koth was stunned, Kaseya shifted to a two-handed grip, swept her sword across his body, and sliced his head clean off his shoulders. It was simultaneously the most disgusting and relieving thing I had ever seen.

"Jorem!" Kaseya called out, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. A fresh spike of pain stabbed into my gut, and I belatedly confirmed that a chunk of wood had indeed buried itself inside me. My tunic was already stained with blood.

"We're out of time," Valuri hissed. "Get to the horses!"

My vision began to cut in and out, and my consciousness waned along with it. In one second I was lying there, bleeding to death, and in the next Kaseya had somehow gotten me up onto one of the draft horses. She wrapped my arms around her waist in the saddle as we surged forward. Arrows whistled past us one after another, and when I peered back over my shoulder, I saw Ayrael and her men charging around the walls of smoke from my firewall. We had a lead on them, but it wasn't going to last. Here in the open grasslands two dozen miles from the city, we had nowhere to run.

Gritting my teeth, I summoned all the energy I could muster into one final spell. I knew I couldn't hurt Ayrael directly, but I didn't need to. Thrusting out a hand, I unleashed a jagged blast of energy directly at the ground in front of their horses. Mounds of dirt erupted all around them, tripping their horses outright or causing them to buck wildly and throw off their riders. The whinnying shrieks were audible even over the thundering clomps of our mount's hooves.

I didn't have time to celebrate. The Aether seared in my veins as the backlash from overchanneling threatened to set my very blood on fire. I clutched Kaseya's waist more tightly, holding on for dear life as we vaulted over a narrow crevasse. My vision was so clouded by pain and loss of blood that I could barely see anything at this point, but through the clouds of dirt I caught a glimpse of a single unharmed rider, her blond ponytail fluttering in the wind as she watched us escape. She did not pursue.

A thin smile touched my lips just before the darkness claimed me.