Freelance Heroics (24 page)

Gavi cocked her head to the side. “You know, I hadn’t even considered that until you mentioned it.” She smiled, and though there was an undercurrent of trepidation, there was a confidence there as well, and even levity. “I guess you’ll have to protect me then, eh?”

Mazik stared for a second, then broke into a grin. He bowed low. “But of course, my lady!” He raised his head, his devil’s grin back. “In that case, let’s do this! And luckily, I’ve even got a plan.”

“Uh oh,” said Raedren.

Mazik cackled.

Mazik’s plan was, fortunately, quick to explain, and not so objectionable that Gavi had to change much. Less than a minute later, the two of them were sprinting for the remains of the central tent. Which was good because, as Jewels piled one more box on the handcart, he didn’t appear to be going back for more.

Gavi was in the lead. She looked back at Mazik. “Ready?”

“You bet!” He dropped his hand from his ear. A dark blue sphere appeared over one hand, while wisps of mana leaked from the other.

Gavi gripped her sword, which was safely secured in its sheath, and held it close to her chest. Though she could see no one other than Jewels, they expected to find Red Feathers when they passed the bonfire. Which would happen right about . . .

They sprinted past the innermost circle of tents and whipped around the bonfire. Off to their left was Red Feathers, as expected. The orck was looking off into the distance and yelling in a language Gavi didn’t understand. There was a fuzzy haze of mana around the orck leader’s head—
communication magick
, Gavi guessed, though in truth she had no idea. Probably that was just her assuming the worst, that the army attacking Saffir had been ordered to return and would be here soon.

Doesn’t matter
, Gavi snapped to herself. She veered out of Mazik’s line of fire, still running. “Now!”

“You don’t need to tell me twice.” Mazik pointed the spherical spell at Red Feathers. “
Mazik Mega Cannon!
”

With the sound of a lightning strike, a thick beam shot across the clearing, catching the orck leader by surprise. Mazik twisted his wrist, and five smaller spheres shot out of his arm. “And
Mazik Missiles
as well!”

As the five smaller spheres exploded against Red Feathers, Mazik spun to Gavi. She was sprinting for Jewels, who was pushing the loaded handcart away. “And one more!
Gavi Catapult!
”

“That was dumb!” wailed Gavi, and then closed her mouth before she bit off her tongue. She leapt into the air, as if she planned to belly flop on the ground—and then her body lurched upward as blue winds picked her up and hurled her like a spear.

Gavi collided with Jewels, bowling him over the handcart. Gavi grabbed the back of his shirt as she fell, dragging him to the ground. The two of them collapsed in the dirt between the handcart’s wheels, their limbs tangled.

Jewels rolled onto his back, trying to throw Gavi off. She didn’t let him. There wasn’t enough room to draw her sword, so Gavi struck Jewels with the pommel instead. Spent mana hissed as his barriers buckled under the blow. Gavi rose to her knees and unsheathed her sword.

She felt herself rise into the air, her legs leaving the ground. Using the soles of his feet, which were pressed against her stomach, Jewels picked her up and threw. Gavi landed in a roll, and was on her feet quickly. She wobbled, slightly dizzy.

She could hear Mazik laughing off to one side. “That’s the way I like it!” he was saying as another round of spells exploded against Red Feathers. “Full power, total destruction! I’m not even gonna give you a chance to fight back!” He cackled again.

“Stop jinxing it!” Gavi yelled over her shoulder. She dashed at Jewels, aiming for his side. Barriers appeared, turning aside her attack.

There was an angry roar off to her left. She looked, and found Red Feathers charging her. She started to back away, then hesitated, thinking she could get in one more strike—and then realized that her hesitation had cost her both.

With the orck barely two steps away, Gavi dove out of the way. She skidded on her back, her teeth clattering together painfully as the orck’s stone blade barely missed. Gavi scrambled to her feet.

“Gavs, catch!”

Gavi didn’t even look up. She just scuttled backward, away from the charging orck—and was gratified when the item Mazik had thrown, a heavy orck prismatic blade, struck Red Feathers in the side.

“Where the hell did you get that thing?” asked Gavi.

“They just left the things lying around!” Gavi could hear the grin in Mazik’s voice. “Go ahead. Try it out!”

Before Gavi could decide if this was a good idea, she had already dropped her own sword and was dashing forward. She scooped up the orck blade, turning the movement into a spin that brought the stone weapon around toward her enemy. She grunted as the heavy weapon twisted her wrists—and then let out a satisfied “Ah!” as the blade collided with the orck’s shoulder.

Gavi backed away, marveling. She wasn’t as an especially small woman, but this sword made her feel tiny. She raised it into a rough guard, and could feel the muscles in her arms straining. She sent mana coursing through them, giving her extra strength. She whipped the blade around, aiming at the orck’s chest.

This time, Red Feathers was ready. She ducked the blow and, as the heavy weapon pulled Gavi off balance, punched her in the gut.

Spittle flew from Gavi’s mouth. “Oof!” Black spots danced in her vision as her lungs spasmed, and she doubled over. She dropped the orck weapon and tried to back away, but Red Feathers followed. That’s when, through the haze that had become her vision, Gavi watched as Mazik flew in and kicked the orck in the head.

He likes doing that
, thought Gavi as blue light exploded from where Mazik connected, shrouding Red Feathers’ skull in fire. Mazik tried to flip away, and landed on his back.

“
F-flamestrike
,” he gasped, pointing at Red Feathers. Blue flames covered her body, which, since they so closely matched the orck’s own skin, gave the impression that she was made of fire. Gavi coughed and lunged with her knife. She was rewarded with a shallow cut on the orck’s side.

“We got this, we got this,” said Mazik as he picked himself up. He held up a barrier, fending off the orck’s wild swings while Gavi retrieved her sword. Brandishing it—she much preferred her appropriately sized weapon to the admittedly powerful orck blade—she called to Mazik. “Can you see the human? Make sure he’s not getting away.”

“Oh, right.” He pointed past the orck. “
Mazik Missile.
”

There was a fiery
snap
of wood breaking, and then a crash. Gavi could hear cursing. She leaned around Red Feathers until she could see what was going on.

Mazik had destroyed one of the handcart’s wheels, reducing it to a sad heap of splinters and ash. Jewels had only made it past the first circle of tents.

“That’s it!” snarled Jewels. He stomped back over, his limbs vibrating and his face red. “I’m going to
end
you!”

“Nu uh uh,” said Mazik, waggling his finger. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

In front of them, Red Feathers’ chest heaved. She was wisely maintaining the standoff while she marshaled her strength.

“And
why
not?” snapped Jewels.

“Because we’ve still got a few cards up our sleeves. You didn’t want to be seen by any orcks other than this one earlier, did you?” he said, jabbing a thumb at Red Feathers. “I bet that means something bad happens if they
do
see you.” Mazik cocked his head to the side and grinned. “Let’s find out, shall we?” He touched his hand to his ear. “Now.”

Gavi and Mazik stepped back. On the opposite side of the clearing, Raedren rushed into view, the orck warrior he had been restraining hot on his heels.

“Hey, look over here.” Mazik snapped his fingers, and a small flash of light zipped from his hand and exploded next to the running orck’s ear. The orck stopped, his arms raised. As Raedren scuttled behind a tent, the orck warrior looked toward the source of the light.

Gavi and Mazik were nowhere to be seen. Not by the warrior, at any rate—they had hidden behind a small stack of boxes, some of the ones Jewels had left in the ruins of the central tent.

Gavi peered carefully out from their hiding spot. She could see the warrior, apparently confused. It looked at Red Feathers, and then looked at Jewels. Gavi held her breath.

Red Feathers said something in an unfamiliar language. The warrior replied hesitantly. Red Feathers pointed at the boxes Gavi and Mazik were hiding behind. The warrior craned its neck, then snarled.

“Sorry, you
idiots
,” said Jewels as the orck warrior roared. “I’m not so stupid as to stay in an orck camp when being seen by any random grunt would get me killed. I just didn’t want them to see me with all that jewelry on. That would have been hard to explain, especially since I don’t speak orck, or whatever the fuck they speak.”

“Ah,” said Mazik. The two of them stood up. “Well then.”

Across the clearing, Raedren stepped back around the tent. “
Biné.
”

The orck warrior’s charge abruptly stopped as Raedren’s binding spells reasserted themselves. As the orck warrior snarled and struggled, Mazik scratched his ear. “Well. That didn’t really change anything.”

“Oh, no?” said Jewels darkly. He was closer now, Gavi was surprised to realize. She raised her sword. She and Mazik were standing side-to-side, with Jewels only a few paces away. “I think it’s gotten worse for you.”

“Want me to bind him too?” asked Raedren.

Mazik shook his head. “Wait for it.”

Jewels raised his arms over his head. “Allow me to show you why.
Soul Change: Orck Warrior!
”

Gavi gaped as Jewels began to change. He was mutating—but no, that wasn’t right. Instead of his actual flesh changing, the new flesh was being layered on top of the old, the glowing material of mana-made-physical making him look bigger, stronger, faster, and more ferocious. Jewels’s feet rose off the ground as the magick encased him in the glowing blue skin of an orck warrior.

An orck with human-level intelligence
, thought Gavi. She glanced at Red Feathers.
Two of them. Oh joy.

“You’re in trouble now,” said Jewels, his voice oddly modulated as he stomped forward. His muscular arms, which were far longer than his natural arms, flexed.

“Mazik.” Gavi didn’t take her eye off their opponents. Jewels stepped alongside Red Feathers, who growled in barely disguised contempt.

“On it.” Mazik ran his hands through his hair as he finished saying the necessary prayer. He let one hand linger beside his ear as he faced Jewels. “Hey, godslave. You remember when I said we still had some cards to play? That’s
cards
. As in multiple.” He pointed at Red Feathers. “Boom.”

The enemy leaders threw up their arms, their MPBs shimmering as they hardened in front. Which is why the Blue Boar appeared
behind
them, his body sailing past the tents that hid his approach. He cocked his fist and swung, striking Red Feathers in the back of the head. “
Blue Bomber!
”

As the paradoxically brown-colored mana exploded against the orck leader, her MPB shattered, raining spent mana as the barriers covering her upper body collapsed. Red Feathers roared, her weapon sweeping toward where the superhero.

Mazik dashed forward and placed a hand on Red Feathers’ chest, right above her heart. “Sorry,” he whispered. “
Mazik Cannon
.”

The murky night flashed blue, and the orck leader collapsed to the ground, dead.

Gavi wasted no time. She glanced at Raedren as she whipped around the corpse, and could see that he was struggling, sweat sleeting down his face—the plan had called for him to hold the orck who had been chasing the Blue Boar as well, which meant he had two orcks fighting against his spells. They didn’t have long. Gavi planted her feet and lunged at Jewels.

“No!” snarled Jewels, still encased in his glowing orck skin. He stepped aside, then swiped at the similarly charging Blue Boar, keeping the superhero from grabbing him. Then the glowing orck-man turned and—ran away.

“Don’t let him get away!” said Mazik.

“Good plan!” snapped Gavi. She took off, her arms pumping as she sped past the shattered cart and through the rest of the camp. But Jewels stayed well ahead of her, and was even lengthening his lead. He was
fast
.

“Oh, I have a better one.” Mazik’s voice was further away this time, but he was keeping pace. “I think it’s time for another Gavi Catapult.”

“That’s still a dumb name!” Without her sheath, Gavi held her sword straight down by her side. She hoped she wouldn’t cut herself. “Fine. Tell me when!”

Mazik’s voice came back immediately. “Three two one NOW!
Gavi Catapult!
”

Gavi leapt, belly flopping—and then felt herself buoyed, and hurled forward. Gavi held out her sword like a spear, aiming straight for Jewels’s back.

The fake orck stepped out of the way, and Gavi crashed to the ground in front of him. But she was close now. She lunged to her feet and attacked—but even clothed in the skin of an orck, Jewels could still cast his usual spells. Gavi’s sword was turned aside on his barriers. Jewels spun and took off again.

I need to do more!
Gavi focused. “
Ichn ir ukk—Swiftness!
”

Gavi stuck to Jewels, swinging her sword repeatedly. But no matter where she struck, it was turned aside on his barriers, which he recast every time she tore one down. Gavi swung and swung and swung, but she wasn’t doing enough damage. Her spell faded and her speed returned to normal.

Gavi looked around for something,
anything
she could do. Jewels was beginning to pull away.

Then, a thought sprang to mind. After taking out two orcks and helping to defeat another, she felt like she could do it.
No, I
will
do it!
Gavi grit her teeth as she fought to catch up, her lungs burning as she pushed harder.
I’ll do it this time, dammit!

Mana poured into her arms, her hands, and flowed into her sword. She imagined the spell, picturing it with perfect clarity, believing in herself, and that she could do it. She could feel the mana moving as she wanted, finally obeying her, and as the fake orck crashed through the underbrush outside of the camp, Gavi followed, not letting him get away. Mana crawled up her sword, reaching a crescendo—and then she swung.