37. Rohak
Chapter 37
Rohak
T his is so beyond fucked up .
After the interrogation of the rebel Mage late last night I hadn’t slept a wink, instead staying up to pore over the dated maps of the area with Lex as he and his recon team filled in some of the blanks.
I was mildly surprised, but not shocked, that the rebel forces had burned the surrounding farms and killed anything that could be of value to the people of Isrun. That, coupled with the hostage situation in the main part of town, suggested that they were here for more than just hearts and minds.
But why?
The Mage refused to give a name or reason, an admirable trait in a soldier, to be sure, but frustrating for our purposes. We were still going in relatively blind, which was dangerous, but we had no other option. The people of Isrun had been held hostage within the inn for almost two weeks at this point; their food sources were nonexistent, and they were inevitably dealing with starvation and dehydration. Not to mention the wounds, both physical and mental, that were inflicted when the rebels attacked.
What a fucking shit show.
I rubbed my hands down my face, squeezing my eyes shut as I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. I had ordered everyone still awake to get an hour of rest. It wasn’t ideal, but we still held the element of surprise, and the remaining cover of night would help to disguise our tracks. If we left any later or waited until morning, I worried about further damage to Isrun.
Not that these people had anything to return to at this point. It was increasingly clear that this mission was no longer just to rid the village of the rebellion, we would have to relocate most of the people here. They would need extensive care and treatment that this section of Elyria simply couldn’t provide; they’d have to be moved north.
I sat and gazed at the moon, contemplating the next few hours and steeling myself for the battle that was to come. Within minutes I heard the telltale rustle behind me of my Mages and their Vessels packing the horses and readying themselves for the rest of the night.
No one spoke much, each preparing for what was to come in their own way. The sound of leather straps tightening and buckles cinching radiated through the still night, the soft whicker of horses as they were loaded with our gear made for the symphony that characterized battle preparations. There was an occasional rasp of metal as various swords were sheathed and vambraces tightened around arms and chest plates around midsections. The sound of a bow string being pulled tight accompanied the rest.
We didn’t fight hand-to-hand often, our magic was our primary and best defense, but there was always the chance that a Mage would empty their Vessel before they had the opportunity to refill their power reserves. When that happened, they needed to be prepared and able to defend themselves. Metal and arrows did nothing against magical attacks, but it at least gave my Mages a chance.
Eventually I stood from my spot on the foothill, stretching lightly to shake the frozen feeling from my limbs. I checked my own tunic and gear, content to see that everything was still tight and in the proper place. I selected two daggers from the travel pouch on Balios and gave him a rough pat as I sheathed them at my waist. I checked the vambrace on my arm that held my crystals directly against my skin so I could use both hands freely as I channeled. There was only room for five crystals, not even half of what my power could draw from, but adding any more ran the risk of me drawing too much and either burning out or destroying everything—and everyone—within a ten-mile radius. I repositioned my vambrace before grabbing an extra two crystals as a precautionary measure. I shoved them into the pocket on my waistbelt, close enough to grab in an emergency, but not touching my skin.
Let’s hope I don’t need them .
The sounds of preparation died around me as the remainder of the company finished their own routines. I turned around, purposefully meeting the eyes of each of the Mages and Vessels that came with today. In each I saw the glint of determination and resolve, and, in few, even the hint of excitement for the action to come. I committed each face to memory. I was confident in our training and preparation, but if one fell in battle, it would be my responsibility. One I would carry like a weight for the rest of my life.
“Tie the horses to the trees. Give them enough slack to move around but not enough to escape.” The Vessels jumped at my command, and the horses were quickly secured to the trees at the edge of the forest. “We make this quick. I want this village secured within the next two hours and the villagers ready to move shortly after that. Be swift and sure in your decisions. Make no mistake, they will try to kill you. Aim to incapacitate first, but do not hesitate to kill. Leave the leaders for me. Vessels, stay on your Mage at all times. Magic first, weapons second. But if all hell breaks loose, you protect yourself and your Vessel at all costs. Am I clear?”
A quiet but sure, “Yes, General,” was the solid reply from the line of Mages and Vessels.
“Victory in death,” I said before turning and starting down the foothills. The Mages echoed the creed before they crept silently behind me.
We moved quickly, not bothering with stealth as much as Lex and Sol had earlier in the night. We crept along the back and sides of the scorched farmhouses, but only stalled long enough to quickly scout the next building. What took Sol and Lex nearly an hour to traverse only took our group of twenty Mages and Vessels fifteen minutes.
Soon the small wooden wall and gate that sectioned the town center off from the surrounding farmland loomed into view. There were only two Mages stationed at the outside of the gate, one had a Vessel, the other was alone.
“Lex. Eliminate the Vessel. Cal and Jax, shoot the Mages.”
Lex grabbed Sasori’s hand, calling forth his Pain Magic with relative ease. I could see it hovering at the edges of his hands, the magic looked almost gelatinous, such a deep purple that it looked black in the dark. My own power jumped within my crystals, hungry to be let out and used. I tore my gaze away from Lex’s waiting magic to focus on the three rebels at the edges of the gate.
Soon. I said to my power.
“On my count. Three . . . two . . . now,” I hissed the last word. As one, Cal and Jax loosed arrows that pierced the night, landing true. One Mage went down with an arrow in his eye that protruded through the back of his skull. The other collapsed, gurgling in a pool of blood with Jax’s arrow sprouting from his throat. At the same time, Lex sent his power trailing through the night air to wrap around the head of the Vessel. As the two Mages collapsed, Lex’s power dissipated, revealing the Vessel’s face. Lex’s magic caused the Vessel to scratch at their own eyes and pull out their own tongue. They fell to the ground and convulsed for a moment before going still.
I heard Cal and Jax hang their bows on their backs, and I quickly glanced at Lex.
He hated using his Pain Magic—it didn’t come as easy or natural to him as Pleasure, but it was more conducive to an attack. Pleasure was great to momentarily incapacitate an enemy, but only a large, highly concentrated amount could actually kill. Pain, however, could be directed and manipulated to the point that a person could feel like the pain was inside their head and that burrowing within their own skull would alleviate it. It could convince a victim that their bones were broken, and they would lie incapacitated until Ilyas or Sasori could finish them with a well-placed arrow or knife.
It was brutal and messy.
He gave me a curt nod at my look and released Sasori’s hand. Sasori shook herself slightly, the effects of Lex pulling the Pain Magic from her evident.
I’ll have to check on both of them later .
I refocused and motioned for the group to follow me to the gate. We bypassed the bodies, pressing our own flush with the wide gate. I peered through the gap in the doors down the paved main street of the village.
Strangely, there were no Mages or Vessels in direct line of sight.
Something feels off. Did they know we were coming? I quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way they could predict our arrival .
I pushed lightly against the gate, surprised to see that it swung open with ease, though with a creak that loudly echoed against the quiet night.
Shit . Elementary mistake .
We sucked in a collective breath, a few of the Mages grabbing their Vessels and readying their magic, just in case. When no one appeared, we relaxed, but barely.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Lex whispered from beside me.
Sol grunted, and a few other murmurs of agreement echoed through the line of Mages.
“Stick to the plan. Separate into your groups. Lex, Sol, and I will take the main road. Cal, take your group to the left side of the street, Jax, to the right. We’ll convene together at the inn, which is the last building on the right nearest the mayor’s house.”
The village was so small that we could see the mayor’s house from here.
We quickly snuck through the opening I created in the gates, the only sounds the padding of our boots as we jogged down the stone-paved streets and the occasional creak of leather from our armor and tunics. Cal and Jax quickly split off with their groups of Mages while Lex, Sol, and I created a slight v-formation as we cautiously made our way down the center of the street.
Sasori and Ilyas both touched Lex’s back, a sword in Ilyas’ free hand, a dagger in Sasori’s. Both Sol and her Vessel welded weapons in their free hands. Feeling naked, I grabbed one of my throwing daggers as well.
We encountered no resistance as we made our way down the burned-out road of buildings. Nothing was left untouched. Bodies in various states of decay still littered the ground, and I couldn’t tell in the dark if they were our envoy from earlier in the month, villagers, or rebels, and we didn’t have time to stop and look.
There will be time later .
“Where are they?” Lex muttered, Pain Magic coalesced in one hand and the dripping honey of Pleasure in the other.
Sol had a small wind ball conjured in her left hand, which she nervously opened and closed as her eyes darted to the remains of the burned buildings.
“Something is not right, General,” she stated .
I grunted in acknowledgment. “Stick to the plan. They’re most likely going to ambush us at some point. Stay alert.”
We continued our approach down the street, not slowing until we reached the halfway point. Lex and Sol were growing increasingly anxious on either side of me, and even I was starting to question my plan.
Did they leave? No, that wouldn’t make sense. If they did, why are there still guards at the gate?
None of it made sense. Until we heard the telltale sounds of battle and magic on either side of us. It was like a switch flipping and the silence of the night was instantly replaced by shouts and blasts of various Elemental Magic.
We all froze and tensed, waiting for our own attack, but it never came.
“Jax and Cal,” is all Lex said.
“Should we break off and go help?” Sol asked. I shook my head.
“No, they’re trained for this. Stick to the plan,” I gritted out, even as my own worry overtook my thoughts.
We moved quicker now, covering more ground in the next minute than we had in the previous five. Suddenly, shapes moved out of the darkness from either side of the street, a line of fire stopped us in our tracks as it extended across the entire street and through the buildings on either side. I heard shouts of pain and smelled burning flesh, the line of fire clearly extending to where the fight was happening in the residential sectors of town.
I sent up a quick prayer that it was the rebels who were burned and not my own Mages.
Lex, Sol, and I took an instinctive step back from the fire, only to feel a second line trap us from behind. The fire burned hot and sweat started to course down my back and over my brow. I strained through the first line of fire, searching for the Mage using their power, but couldn’t see one.
As I was searching, three figures approached, their faces and features clear in the glow of the flames.
The first man was tall with sharp cheekbones and intelligent hazel eyes. His blond hair was cut close on the sides and left longer on top.
He looks so familiar. I tried to place his face, but kept drawing a blank, like the memory I wanted was right there , but just out of grasp. I growled in frustration, and the blond man smiled, a wicked and cunning thing that had goosebumps appearing on my body.
Who is he?
My thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of two other equally wicked looking men at each of his elbows. One was clearly an Earth Mage—his size alone gave him away—and he looked half-crazed, his eyes were wild, and he vibrated with the energy in the air. The second man was smaller and lithe, with an air of wickedness about him. He had close-cropped black hair with eyes to match and, when he smiled, he revealed file-sharpened teeth. Sol drew in a breath through her teeth at the revelation, which only caused his predatory smile to widen and the purple-hued magic of Pain to flare around him.
These men aren’t average rebels. I was suddenly thrown by that thought. For some reason, the Last Keeper sent her commanders here.
But why? More than ever we needed to bring a prisoner back to Vespera with us. Alois needed to spend some . . . time with them extracting information.
“General d’Alvey, what a pleasant surprise,” the blond man said. His voice was like pure honey and silk, his accent untraceable. “Though I can’t say it’s really a surprise at all.” The other two men laughed, but it was a sinister sound.
“She told you we’d be here, I imagine?” I kept my tone as light as possible, not wanting to provoke the unhinged men.
The blonde offered me a sharp smile. “Of course. She saw the possibilities, most of which pointed to you all showing up. Which means one of the villagers must have escaped the farmlands. No matter, we’ll still leave here with what we came for.”
“Which is?” I prompted.
If I could keep him talking, we could maybe find a way out of this. I glanced at Lex, but he was already focused on something, clearly having the same thought process.
“Now that is information I will keep close to me, General. You, at least, will make it out of here alive. That much she has seen. There is a role for you to play yet.” The sounds of battle crashed around my little group and my heart jumped at the thought that my Mages might not make it out of here alive .
That I might be the only one leaving. And I couldn’t let that happen.
Suddenly, Pain Magic flashed from Lex’s hand and wrapped around the throat of the Earth Mage while Pleasure wrapped around the blond man. At the same time, Sol released a blast of Air Magic that encapsulated the Pain Mage on the other side.
Clever. Lex’s magic would have been negated by the other Pain Mage and Sol’s by the Earth Mage .
As quickly as their attacks landed, they just as quickly dissipated by a flick of the blond man’s wrist. Both Lex and Sol were left gasping as if he had pulled their magic from them.
He tsked as he lowered his hand.
“No, I don’t think so.”
How can he do that? I schooled the shock that was clearly written on my face, just as Mages burst through attached alleyways. I did a quick head count and saw that the majority, if not all of my Mages were still living.
The blond man growled suddenly and motioned for each of the two men to engage. The Earth Mage made his way toward Jax while the Pain Mage turned toward Cal. I also motioned for Lex and Sol to follow as best as they could. I felt, more than saw, the battle rage around me. Air from Sol and our other Air Mage ruffled my hair and sent the flames into a tizzy while droplets of water hit my face and clothes from Water Magic attacks. All the while shouts and screams echoed about, I even heard the rasp of metal on metal at one point.
Still, the blond man and I stared at each other.
“You could end this all right now, you know, General? Just use that power that thrums through your veins.”
I scoffed, though the idea wasn’t a bad one. I just ran the risk of destroying everything , not only the rebels.
As I contemplated doing just that, I heard a shout from behind the blond Mage.
“Come and get me, you fuckers!”