Freelance Heroics (47 page)

Gavi only realized that Mazik had left when he returned, stepping up behind her. She glanced to her right, and was surprised to find that she had been fighting alongside Twenty-seven, the spellhound.

She shoved aside her frustration and said, “Where have you—”

“We’ve got a plan.”

Gavi listened, and tried to make it look like she wasn’t. She didn’t want their enemies to know they were conspiring. As she lunged and dodged, and Mazik blasted, and Twenty-seven stepped up to attack from the side, she stepped back to hear the rest.

When Mazik was finished, Gavi nodded and pushed him away. “I’ll cover you.”

“Thanks.” Mazik hunched in on himself, his head sinking below the collar of his robes as he melted back into the crowd.

Yintour, who had been focused on another opponent, must have noticed what was going on. “Got a plan?”

Gavi didn’t know what to say to divert her attention, so she didn’t try. Of the original eight adventurers helping Boern, more had joined them, though they had all been bloodied by the spellhound attack. But now they regrouped and pulled back to the edge of the kennel yard. They were stretched across the road leading to the southeastern end of town, blocking the way. Other enemies did likewise on parallel roads.

More Nijāst had joined Gavi’s side and the battle lines were stabilizing, but stalemate wasn’t in their best interests—they needed to get to Boern
now
, before he got away. Gavi could still see him, being harried by some Nijāst who had been on that side of the village when the fighting started, but they didn’t look like the village’s best fighters. They wouldn’t hold him for long.

Gavi glanced back at Hyra. The spellhounds had formed around her in ranks the color of ripe wheat. Hyra barked commands, and the spellhounds barked in reply, some splitting off to help allies, others joining Twenty-seven on the front line, others staying near Hyra—though none, Gavi noticed, were being sent near the Riders of the Noble Hunt who were beginning to filter into the area. Probably Hyra was still worried about them being snatched. Gavi also spied Caspian fighting nearby, and Captain Sie returning from the back of the press.

Hyra noticed Gavi looking her way, and the other woman gave her a hesitant smile. Gavi responded with what she hoped was a confident one, then returned her attention to Yintour. While combat roiled around them, Gavi tried to reason with the diminutive adventurer.

“Please, you have to step aside. If Boern gets away with that man, you don’t know what they’ll do to him. They need his cooperation, but what if he doesn’t give it willingly? They’ll torture him, or worse.”

“For his health I hope he gives in quickly, and for his honor I hope he never breaks.” Yintour’s eyes kept moving as she spoke—to Gavi, her allies, the battle around them, searching. “I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t moralize about conflicts like this. You might think your side is righteous, but this is just a factional conflict. Our employer is trying to take a valuable resource from an enemy. If your country was stealing a shipment of focus crystals or weapons, would you fight, even if the people you killed were good people?”

Gavi hesitated. “If that’s the case, why aren’t you fighting seriously?”

“Would you prefer we did?”

“I would prefer you not fight at all,” said Gavi.

Yintour chuckled. “Aye, me too. But that’s not the business we’re in. I suggest you get used to it.”

Gavi looked over Yintour’s head. Only one Nijāst still stood between Chief Boern and a long stretch of open road. As Gavi watched, the treasonous chieftain picked up the disarmed guard and hurled her out of the way.

“Then why did you help us get this job?” asked Gavi, desperation entering her voice. “You would have had an easier time if it wasn’t for us. Why make your job harder?”

“We were paid to do exactly as we normally would until the signal was given. Under normal circumstances we would have helped a group of promising young adventurers get a quest, so we did.” Yintour smiled tightly. “Now, I don’t know what you’re stalling for, lass, but let’s get on with it.”

“What are you talking about?” said Gavi, too quickly.

“You didn’t stop to talk in the middle of a battle for no reason. Why—”

There was a loud crash from Yintour’s left. The halvelin woman glanced for a split-second—and then did a double take as Mazik rose from a crouch on the rooftop
behind
Yintour’s lines. He kept his head ducked below his collar as he scrabbled over the shallow roof and dropped down to the other side.

“What, how—?” Yintour looked for a rope, a ladder, anything—and her eyes finally alighted on the open window at the top of the kennel.

That’s right. He jumped
, thought Gavi with a satisfied smile. Mazik reappeared on the street and took off after Boern.

Yintour didn’t hesitate for long. She turned to her group. “TC, Staian, go after him. We’ll—”

That’s the moment a handsome, hawkish caster with unruly black hair picked to step past Gavi. He spread his arms wide, a ribbon of blue light stretched between them like a rope of taffy. He couldn’t hold back his grin. “
Mazik Missile Massacre!
”

The enemies shouted as this and other spells ripped through their lines. Where before they could have taken the attacks without faltering, the confusion and surprise knocked them on their back foot, giving the Nijāst the upper hand. As Captain Sie ordered the charge, Caspian let loose with arrows, and Hyra unleashed her spellhounds, Gavi stepped up beside Mazik. He wasn’t wearing his robes, though he was wearing a big smile.

He said, “I thought they would notice his staff, but I guess not.”

“Was all that subterfuge really necessary?” asked Gavi.

Mazik grinned. “Probably not, but it was fun.”

Gavi shook her head. She spared one glance over Yintour’s head, and watched as Raedren, not Mazik—though he was wearing Mazik’s robes, and his curly hair had been wetted down to preserve the surprise—sprinted for Chief Boern and his hostage. Then it was time to get work on getting to him. Gavi, Mazik, and the spellhound known as Twenty-seven pushed forward as one and attacked.

Raedren was running fast, faster than Gavi or Mazik could have managed. Long bursts of green mana were sparking off his boots, and he drew into range of Chief Boern in no time. He stretched his staff out, his borrowed robes billowing behind him. “
Biné!
”

Barrier binds, long flat ropes of mana, sprang out of thin air and wrapped around Chief Boern’s arms and legs. Raedren kept his legs pumping as he shouted, “
Fuert! Fuardé!
” Green winds ripped at the treacherous chieftain, some holding him in place, others jostling him, others attempting to rip the unconscious trainer from his grip.

Chief Boern whirled on Raedren, hatred flaring in his eyes. He sputtered, stumbling over the words as he tried to choke out the spell—and then his entire body blurred. The captive trainer screamed, his eyes snapping open as he was wrenched through the air faster than his body could handle. As the trainer’s arm popped out of its socket and he began to swear, the bindings ripped away from Chief Boern, who was now several steps to the left.

Raedren was already casting the next spell. More winds buffeted Boern, holding him in place until the bindings could reappear. Raedren advanced steadily.

“I will destroy you!” roared Chief Boern, his once-kindly features overtaken by a frustrated, wild rage. The trainer’s eyes fluttered, and he fell unconscious again. Chief Boern pulled at the bindings, mana hissing as he ripped first his arms free, then one of his legs. He began speaking in that language again, the one which signaled he was casting a Noble Hunt spell.

Raedren aimed his staff at the Chief Boern, the end glowing. “Surrender, and you won’t be harmed.”

Chief Boern sneered. “Never. I won’t be defeated by someone like you.”

Raedren’s brow furrowed. He had keened Chief Boern before, and did so again—nothing had changed. Raedren was the furthest thing from egotistical, but he had a healthy awareness of his own abilities, and he knew that Chief Boern was a far weaker caster than him. Even with a god’s spells at his disposal, he still had to use his own mana pool to fuel all but the most basic divine spells. Yet he was grinning like Mazik after a drinking contest that involves whiskey.

That’s when Raedren saw it. Over Boern’s shoulder, running toward them from the edge of the village, there was a—spellhound, or what used to be a spellhound, he guessed. Used to be several spellhounds.

The creature followed the same general lines as a Nijāst Golden Spellwolf, but it was far bigger, and had the boney protrusions and bright streaks of vibrant color through its golden fur that marked it as a Noble Hunt aku. Raedren watched as the beast swatted a man aside with its snout—and realized with growing horror that its head was as big as a man’s torso.

Terror blossomed in the pit of Raedren’s stomach, but he trapped it behind an iron wall, refusing to let it show. In the seconds Raedren was distracted, Chief Boern had completed his spell, and once again ripped away from his restraints. But before he could take two steps, Raedren was on him again.

“
Biné!
” Bindings wrapped around Chief Boern again, more of them this time, and though he tried to leap out of them, a band of glowing green mana tripped him. Boern toppled, and before he could hit the ground Raedren snatched the unconscious trainer from his hands and turned to run.

“Don’t turn your back on me!” Chief Boern lurched at Raedren, his fingers scrabbling through the dirt. He hooked Raedren’s leg, and Raedren crashed to the ground, the already-injured trainer tumbling from his arms. As the trainer rolled, his body limp, Raedren spun and swung his staff.

Chief Boern caught the head of the staff, death in his eyes. He roared, feverish words pouring forth, and neon green rushed at Raedren, mixed with a pale yellow that was only visible for the contrast. Boern’s fists came through the multicolored wave, his skin scorching on his own spell.

That didn’t stop him. Boern pounded on Raedren’s legs and chest like a toddler throwing a tantrum, but with all the strength of an adult. And the whole time he was ranting.

“I will not lose here! I will not lose to someone like you!” Chief Boern punched and punched. The monstrous aku was getting closer. Raedren covered his face. Boern snarled, “I’ve worked too hard for this!”

“
Horvér.
” Hard barriers sprang up between Raedren and Boern. Raedren collected his legs under him, his shields sparking as Boern grabbed at him, clawed at him, and cast feeble arcane spells to stop him. Raedren ignored the meager attacks and yellow flashes, his barriers darkening as he leaned on his staff.

That’s when he realized that Chief Boern was muttering something amid his angry rants. Before Raedren could react, Boern’s body blurred, and he was between Raedren and the unconscious trainer.

Raedren looked around. The aku was nearly on him. Mazik, Gavi, and the others were still trying to break through the enemy lines. He was running out of time. He needed to get the trainer, get past Chief Boern, and run
now
.

His body lurched to the right, green winds throwing him to the ground too quickly for Chief Boern to follow. Raedren hit the ground hard, his barriers sparking. “
Fuert!
” Force winds pushed Boern away, and another spell yanked the trainer toward him. Raedren scrambled to his knees and scooped up the unconscious man.

Something hit him upside the head, causing his eyes to cross and his legs to collapse. He shook his head, and then looked around. A metal gauntlet, of all things, lay nearby. He looked around to find the Alter of Tower leader, Yintour, looking his direction. She turned back to face a nearly-berserk Mazik. She was missing a gauntlet.

The aku roared, its voice shaking the world. Raedren turned.

It was too late.

Raedren thought he could hear Mazik and Gavi yelling his name, but he couldn’t spare any attention. He couldn’t look away. If he looked away, even for a split-second, the monster would destroy him.

The aku was
big
. Much bigger than he had realized. Though it looked like a spellhound, it must have been the size of a lion or a tiger—and not one of the smaller ones. It was as big as one of the largest alpha males, he suspected. Maybe bigger. It was nearly as tall as Raedren, who was the tallest person in almost every crowd, and it was much, much heavier.

As soon as it arrived, Raedren popped to his feet like he had sat on a campfire. The monster crossed the last few meters and lunged, Chief Boern barely scuttling out of its way. Raedren raised his staff.

“
Horvér! Horvér!
” Raedren was immediately forced back, the thick barriers layered in front of him shattering one by one as the creature ripped through them with its long, yellow fangs. Raedren took a step back—and the beast ducked under his staff, nearly knocking it from his grasp. Its mouth angled for Raedren’s exposed arm.

Raedren unleashed the spell in a panic, and green winds shoved him out of the way. His feet briefly left the ground. As he landed, his balance unsteady, he swung his staff with one hand, aiming for the beast’s eyes.

He could have sworn the aku sneered. Its jaws snapped, and Raedren’s staff splintered like a dry toothpick. Pieces clattered to the ground beside the aku’s mammoth paws, while Raedren was left holding the broken stump.

A loud whistle sounded behind him. Raedren could hear shouting, but he couldn’t look away. He dove to the side, escaping the monster’s teeth by a hand’s breadth and moving him closer to the fallen trainer. He threw the remains of his staff at the creature’s face.

More snarling, but this time it was from behind, and from multiple throats. This time Raedren did turn, and his heart leapt as he saw a stampede of normal-sized golden beasts charging to his aid.

“I’m coming!” Hyra was on the heels of her spellhounds, her arms waving, a pair of Nijāst guards Raedren didn’t recognize flanking her.

The spellhounds leapt past him and attacked the aku, nipping at its legs and drawing its attention. One yelped, its side opening up as the monster ripped through its barriers and flesh in one blow.