Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Senara
“Come in,” I called, knowing that if someone was knocking on my door it would be important. It wasn’t like I had friends that would randomly come and visit.
The door swung open and a Sun Kissed fae stepped in, the mark of his court bright on his forehead. “General Thorn.” He bowed.
“What?” Thorn grunted, though he kept a tight hold on my wrist, as though his body was still demanding that he pull me close and test out this improved version of me.
I couldn't move completely away from him, even though I desperately wanted to. After all, we weren’t supposed to let anyone know about our bond, yet he clearly didn’t want to let me out of his grasp even though somebody else was around.
“The village of Duskden is being overrun by a horde.” Thorns grip on me tightened minutely, and I knew that whatever this meant it could only be danger and bad things.
“Gather the third battalion and ready two extra horses,” Thorn said before reluctantly releasing me. “I'll be down by the gates within five minutes and we'll ride full tilt to get to them. Hopefully we can save some.” His voice was grim, as though we were going to a massacre, not a battlefield.
“As you command,” the soldier said, bowing slightly before he turned and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. His footsteps echoed as he ran down the hall.
“What's a horde?” I asked.
“It's similar to what we encountered when we were on the road and you had the protective bubble around you. It's corruption that has spread to all the fae in the area, and they're being driven to attack others.
“How far away is Duskden?” I asked.
“It's a few hours by horse. It’s also the closest they've come that I'm aware of,” he said quietly. He took a deep breath and added, “Change into your battle leathers. I'll get weapons and meet you at the front gate.”
I nodded at him as he left a few moments before I realized the problem: my battle leathers didn't fit me anymore. They had been taken in to fit the form before Wyn worked her magic. I rifled through the cupboard that was on one wall, pulling out anything that looked like it might fit me.
As I sorted through layer after layer of clothes, I realized that the only things that fit me were not appropriate for battle. It was like the last person that had stayed in this room had left behind all the garments they had worn to court, which made me wonder what had happened to them?
Without any other option, I pulled on the thickest clothes I could find, hoping that I would be able to find battle leathers elsewhere. I ran down to the armory and the practice ring where I'd been with Thorn not too long ago. Thankfully, the quartermaster was in his office.
“Excuse me, sir? Thorn is taking me out on a mission, but my battle leathers no longer fit. Are there any extras?” I asked, trying not to let the urgency of the situation influence my politeness.
“You can check the lost and found,” he said as he gestured toward a box over in the corner.
There were a surprising number of items in it. As I rushed over and sifted through them, I found a leather jerkin and some trousers, which looked like they would fit. I wasn’t holding out much hope for shoes or any actual armor, but with speed being of the essence, I would take anything that would work.
I hurried into one of the changing rooms, swiftly swapping out the court gown for the leathers. They were loose and clearly men's clothes, but they would do. I went back for a belt I thought I had seen in the chest, along with a pair of boots, which were too big, but better than court slippers.
Ready to go, I called over my shoulder, “Thank you!” The quartermaster gave me a quizzical look, and as I turned to run toward the front gate I saw him glance at the dress that I’d tossed into the lost and found chest, seeming more confused than ever.
When I got out into the courtyard, Thorn was there, along with seven other men, all warriors in their own right, all mounted on horseback.
“Do you know how to ride?” he asked.
I shook my head. Not confident enough with riding fae horses into battle when I hadn't even ridden one for a walk around an arena. I didn't know if they responded the same way human horses did, or if they were different somehow. So, I figured this was the safer bet.
“In front of me then,” he said as he extended a hand down toward me. I swung myself up, and as I landed snugly in the front part of the saddle, Thorn murmured in my ear, “Hold on tight.”
I did as I was told, twining my fingers through the horse’s mane as I remembered the speed with which the horses could move. Our little group set off without another moment’s hesitation and we made it through the city at a brisk trot.
As soon as we were clear of the pedestrian areas, the horses leapt into a full gallop, speeding across the countryside to the point that everything blurred in my vision. I had to trust that the horse knew what it was doing because I couldn't direct it. Not that I needed to, with Thorn right behind me, but it made me wonder how he managed to keep it going in the right direction. It was something I would need to figure out eventually, but for right now, I just closed my eyes and held on.
The coarse hair of the horse's mane in my hands, and the smell of oiled leather in my nose, along with the scents of the countryside, all helped keep me anchored as I could feel the world flying by me. None of the scents were ones I was used to, minus the oiled leather. It was like a tantalizing mystery haunting me as we made our way toward Duskden.
I knew as soon as we were close because of the tang of blood in the air. The horses must have picked up on it, too, because they slowed slightly, but still covered the ground at amazing speed.
“Take this dagger; it’s no sword, but it’s better than nothing,” Thorn shouted in my ear as he held out a dagger, still in its scabbard to me.
I did so, thankful that I wasn’t going to have to fight with just my fists or scrounge for a weapon from the dead, though it wouldn’t be the first time.
“We're going to dismount, but the horse is only going to pause before running away from the battle,” Thorn said in my ear.
“We're going to dismount while it's still moving?” I asked, clarifying.
I felt his nod as he replied, “Yes. Just hold the dagger to your chest, tuck your legs up and trust me.”
A few moments passed and my anxiety grew.
“Ready?” Thorn asked though his voice was almost completely carried away by the wind before it could even reach my ears. It was mainly the rumble in his chest that let me know he had spoken.
I nodded, and pulled my legs up so my feet were almost level with my hips. I couldn't get them any higher with the saddle being the way it was and Thorn's arm in the way as well. He had wrapped it around my waist earlier, pulling me as close to him as possible. It seemed like he thought I might fall off the horse if I was left to my own devices.
His body tensed, his leg muscles straining behind me, pushing against me as he launched himself up off the horse and tucked us into a roll. With no small feat of dexterity, he landed on his shoulder, moving the two of us fluidly, as though I was barely even there before popping to his feet.
Once we were standing, he let me go and I stumbled forward. I let my arm hang down the so-called dagger almost to my knees. It was short, yes, but it would get the job done.
“Let's see you fight with that new body.” He grinned at me viciously. It was the smile of a battle master, a man hardened by the fight, and willing to find the joy in it if need be. “Any of the corrupted need to die, and if any of them start talking to you, you find me immediately.” He dropped his voice for the second half, and I wasn't sure if anybody else in our little company knew what had happened when we were on the road.
“Understood,” I said before following behind him.
They all took off at a run toward the nearest buildings. They seemed to have some kind of strategy that they used where they split off, each going to a different house. I wasn't sure what the protocol was, and Thorn hadn't had time to tell me, so I just ran ahead and launched myself toward this village center, hoping that if there were corrupted fae still around, they were there.
For some reason, even though the guard had told us there was a horde, I hadn't expected to actually see one. So, when I rounded the corner, heading toward the big pointy object in the town square that looked like a distorted obelisk, I had to pull myself up short so I didn't barrel into the crowd of them.
Some of the ones at the back barely looked corrupted, and they had weapons in their hands, which meant that, in my mind at least, they needed to be taken care of first. If they could attack with weapons, then we were in double the amount of danger.
Moving up behind one of them as quietly as possible, I readied my blade. In a smooth, practiced motion I grabbed a chunk of the male’s hair and yanked back before slicing my blade across his throat, his life extinguished before he even knew what had happened. He bled out without putting up a fight and I was able to grab the sword from his hand before he could drop it and the sound of it clanging on the cobblestone street would draw more attention.
My stealth was all for nothing though as the slight noise that came from his body crumpling to the ground was enough to have some of them turning toward me. A ripple spread through them, and I knew that whatever weird hive mind they could share meant that they all knew that I was there now.
At least I had two swords now, so that was a plus.
Since there was no use trying to hide any more, I darted to one side, attacking the ones closest, aiming for their heads, throats, necks, and if I couldn't reach that, then at least taking their hands and arms. I never stayed in one place for too long. I knew if I did, they would surround me and then I'd be done for. So, I would attack a few and then veer in a completely different direction, sometimes running into ones that were heading toward me.
I did what I could, taking as many out as possible. Thankfully, they were somewhat slow moving. They weren't like the ones that we had seen on the road when the barrier had been erected. None of them seemed smart enough to be that way.
My breathing slowed, and I knew even though my body was slightly different than it had been, it wasn't enough to change how I fought. Sure, some of my swings might be a little wide or fall a little short, but for the most part, I still found myself entering that calm headspace that I got whenever I was in battle. It was almost like it was a relief. It turned everything else off, and the only thing I could focus on was the enemy in front of me.
When I'd been in the army and trying to advance the human lands borders I had always fought alone. None of the other soldiers wanted to come near me. Looking back, I wondered if they could sense that something about me was different, or maybe they had been able to sense my magic somehow, even though they didn’t know what it was. Whatever the reason, it meant that I was the only one I could depend on in battle, and as such, I had become stronger and faster than anybody had expected.
I’d never put my skills down to magic or even suspected I wasn’t fully human, but now, with all of my fae side on full display, my skills weren’t at the level they used to be. I had lost a lot while Thorn and I were separated and I was only just getting it back.
There was enough innate instinct and muscle memory for me to be able to fight though, so fight I did, and I trusted that the others in our little company would find me when they were done with whatever they were doing. This time I just hoped that they were the type that would fight by my side.
As I looked up ahead, I saw one of the corrupted fae standing underneath the obelisk. He was clad in some kind of strange robe that I hadn't seen before. It made me wary of him for some reason. As though that wasn’t enough, his face was hidden behind a silver mask that had a vaguely animistic look to it. Even though I couldn’t explicitly see his eyes I knew when his gaze locked onto mine, and as it did I knew I was right to be scared of this man.
He was smart.
Not only that, but there was something about him that made a shiver run down my spine in the worst way. He raised a hand and seemed to direct it at me. The other corrupted fae surged forth and I couldn't tell if he was controlling them with magic or they were just following his hand signals.
Either way, I had to back up, not only because a whole new wave of them was coming toward me, but because the number of bodies on the floor was starting to become a problem. The last thing I wanted to do was trip over one of them, and have that be the cause of my death. Now, if they tripped over each other, that was different.
The man with the silver mask seemed to vibrate quickly from side to side before disappearing completely. I didn’t exactly have time to study the situation given my current predicament, but it certainly seemed like he’d used some kind of magic to make a quick escape. The corrupted fae didn’t seem likely to hurt him as he had looked like he was controlling them, but magic was strange and I knew dangerously little about it, something I’d have to fix when I got back.
If I got back.
Looking at the mass of corrupted fae in front of me, and the fact that I still didn’t have any backup, I’d say my chances were about thirty-seventy, with the odds definitely favoring the corrupted fae, simply due to their sheer numbers.
The thought was not comforting, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it as the first wave of the corrupted came within striking distance. All I could focus on now was the fight, and keeping myself alive.