Feel the Burn (38 page)

‘I’ll drop my army as soon as you do your thing,’ Kassie called.

Loi nodded and focused her energy.

I forcefully moved some of our troops into position with my shield when Loi’s energy rung through my mind, and Sian scrambled to standing on Chaieth’s back, shouting.

‘Brace yourselves!’

Not knowing what to expect made my stomach twist tighter with nerves, and I turned to see where Loushka stood, spotting the griffon crouched not far behind us, with Sito, Nesha, and Phroma doing the same. The enemy, so far unaware of our presence, gathered thickly before us and to our left, close to the bottom of the mountain where Kassie and Loi were.

It started with a sound, a deep bellow, and everyone—the enemy included—froze as the rumble got louder and closer.

I heard a sudden deafening roar and right before our eyes nearly two thirds of the gathered enemy vanished. Just clear of where we’d stood moments before, massive chasms opened like a giant zipper, the earth pouring in on itself.

With a harsh delighted laugh Belsesus twisted, yelling to those behind us.

‘CHARGE!’

The Medanga centaurs at the back of the army blew hard on their horns, the thundering hollow tone echoing off the valley walls. I felt Ignatius ready his crossbow, still holding me tight with one arm when Belsesus reared then charged. Halenine fae zoomed past our heads, their tiny red and black bodies barely visible in the choking dust cloud that rose around us and I heard deep squeals and heavy thuds when they attacked something ahead of us. Belsesus yelled something then swung back with his battle axe, causing both me and Ignatius to jerk to the other side, clinging tight when the centaur twisted and thrust the weapon over, slamming it into the biggest ugliest thing I’d seen yet.

‘What the hell is that?’ I yelped when it slumped over dead, strange axe-like arms dragging in the dirt.

‘Troll,’ Ignatius snapped in my ear. ‘Sit straight.’

I hunched forward and he fired off several bolts in quick succession, taking out a goblin with each shot.

‘Hold on!’ Belsesus shouted. ‘We’ve got a gap!’

The centaur’s back dropped slightly and he started a hard run then with a crouch, leaped a gap in the valley floor. Loi’s plan to reduce the enemy numbers worked a treat, but now the playing field looked like a minefield with massive holes all over the place. Occasional shrieks rose when a fighter accidentally toppled into one.

Hopefully just enemies, I thought. Rodhite centaurs charged past, crossbows and composite bows twanging as they shot bolt and arrow into the flesh of attacking foe.

‘Let’s go!’ Rumal yelled.

Kerak and Tomiar launched into the air. Kassie hung to the saddle handles while staring hard through the gap between Kerak’s neck and shoulder. The dust cloud made it difficult to see anything and she called in a squally wind that blew at their army’s back, straight into the eyes of the enemy.

‘Clever girl!’
though Kerak, watching those who took the brunt of the dust stagger, becoming easy pickings for their troops.

‘God, look what Loi did,’
Kassie thought to the griffon, while gaping at the mess of deep black trenches that broke the valley into narrow sections of riverbed.

‘It’s fantastic,’ Rumal called in her ear. ‘Look how it narrows the number of enemy. We actually stand a chance of holding them off.’

He’s right, Kassie realized, watching the centaurs charge, attacking elgrids and men, barely needing to use weapons instead utilizing their weight and speed to throw enemies over the edge.

‘DRAGONS!’
Kerak thought with a piercing shriek of alarm.

An enormous red beast of a dragon appeared out of nowhere, claws outstretched with a bellowing roar. Loi screamed and threw her hands out in front, executing the quickest and hardest shield she could and shuddered when the beast slammed into it then vanished. Before they got a chance to recover Tomiar screamed. The angry red beast re-appeared behind them and knocked the griffon hard with its head. Loi heard Sabyn yell something while they tumbled through the air. She hung on grimly to the straps of the leather circlet, feeling Sabyn’s arms lock around her while the world swirled from sky to earth to sky and back again. Flinging her energy out in a strong shield around Tomiar, Loi closed her eyes when they plummeted down one of the abyss’ she’d created.

The loud shrieks of a griffon made Sian jerk her head up and gasp in horror. Tomiar, wings limp, plummeted from the sky and vanished down one of the chasms. High above the battlefield another screech rang out and Sian looked up again, spotting Kerak desperately fleeing three enormous dark red dragons; dodging, twisting and diving as the monsters pursued him. Without a second thought, she leaped from Chaieth’s back and sprinted back toward Sito. A goblin on its snarling mount—a creature that at her quick glance looked like a wingless dragon with two muscular legs—blocked her path. With a nasty sneer, the black eyed, clammy white goblin raised its crossbow and fired. Not breaking pace Sian threw a shield up and using her energy, launched at the goblin, wrenching the long dagger Daron had insisted she carry from its arm sheath and slammed it straight through the creature’s skull. The momentum of the jump meant the twitching corpse toppled over, off the mount and she went with it, relying on her energy to land neatly. Sito made an angry growl and seized the screaming jehyn in his jaws, severing it in two with a sharp shake of his head, blood spraying those closest. With her energy Sian leaped into the saddle and fastened the straps.

‘Now, Sito! Kerak needs us!’

*~*~*

Chapter Thirty

I heard the zing of Sito’s energy and looked up in time to see him appear behind a massive blood red dragon. Claws and jaw outstretched, he hit it squarely mid back, latching on. The two tumbled through the air.

‘Rapthnas!’ Ignatius shouted from behind.

‘CAT, SHIELD!’
Loushka screamed in my mind and the air in front of us shimmered a bare instant before a rapthna appeared, body reared to attack, its wings back and claws reaching. I hurled my arms out in front while unintentionally turning my face. With both eyes squeezed shut, I released a massive wall of molten fire. The beast roared and I felt it hit my energy then vanish, leaping and reappearing behind us. Expecting that, I twisted in the saddle and Ignatius flattened out of the way as I thrust both hands out again. The rapthna exploded in a hail of sparks, blood, and body parts. It stunned all those around us and taking advantage of the moment, Ignatius jumped from Belsesus’ back with drawn sword, and hoed into the Arumites before us.

The ground we’d gained on the enemy began to disadvantage us when we reached a wider section of land and our troops fell back, utilizing the narrow land bridge Loi had created where only a hundred or so centaurs could fit across, making it easier to defend. Taking the centaurs’ retreat as a victory, the urotho behind the front lines of goblins and Arumites ordered their rockvorhn after us. The thorny tusks on the wide bowl-like heads of the six legged creatures made it hard for the arrows and bolts to penetrate. I swung off Belsesus’ back, stepping aside when the centaurs moved back in a solid line. Guttural barks filled the air as the rockvorhn sighted me, the angry excited sound spurring on the hundred or more that bore down on us.

‘Catherine!’

I made a dismissive motion over my shoulder at Ignatius’ frantic shout and focused energy into my hands. Right behind the eager rockvorhn, the lines of goblins on jehyns, Arumites, urotho, and elgrids, advanced with weapons at the ready while they snarled and shouted, eyes alight at their apparent victory.

The ancient part of my soul screamed with the need to release, and a vindictive pleasure ran though me. Feeling the energy swell and peak, I tipped my head back and let my arms fall to the sides, fingers pointing to the ground, then released.

Ignatius didn’t get a chance to move when a shimmer, like a heat wave, rose between Cat and the approaching enemy. It felt like the air around them stilled for an instant, then molten white fire erupted in a wave over the enemy, incinerating all those within a hundred meter distance.

‘Holy Ahssan,’ breathed a Rodhite centaur from behind him.

Beyond the charred corpses stood more enemy troops, regarding the smoking remains of their soldiers in shock. They roared in fury moments later, gathering together and reforming lines.

‘Catherine!’ Ignatius shouted. ‘Come on!’

She turned back about to run toward him, then froze, turning her head like she heard something. Around him the soldiers tensed, looking for whatever disturbed her.

‘Dragons?’ asked one.

Ignatius watched when she pivoted on a heel, eyes searching the sky.

‘Perhaps.’

A dark cloud in the distance seemed to catch her attention and he went to yell at her again before pausing, wondering at the prickle of apprehension and he too stared at the cloud.

‘Why doesn’t that look right?’ asked a Rodhite centaur.

Cat snapped into action then and sprinted past them while Ignatius hollered after her.

‘What?!’

Ignoring the fleeing princess, Belsesus stepped forward and called the Rodhites up. Ignatius knelt and quickly reloaded his crossbow. Keeping the line of soldiers tight and staying within the narrow part of the earth bridge, the Lieutenants prepared to take out the front line of charging enemy.

‘Tomiar, are you okay?’

It was pitch black in the bottom of the crevice, and Loi squeezed Sabyn’s knee at the same time he squeezed her thigh.

‘Okay?’ they said in unison, before briefly laughing.

‘All good,’
thought Tomiar.
‘This is a very deep hole, Loi!’

‘I know, can you jump out?’

‘No.’

‘It’s too deep,’ Sabyn said at the same time and Loi nodded.

‘Tomiar said.
Okay, on the count of three jump, alright? I’ll boost you.’

‘Good. I’m standing on bodies, it’s not nice. Let’s get out.’

Sabyn tightened his hold and Loi gathered her energy, swirling a solid shield around, to protect them from the still falling rocks and gravel.

‘One, two, three!’

Tomiar’s muscles bunched and she kept her wings tucked close then shoved off. Loi threw her energy beneath Tomiar. The griffon screeched in excitement while they shot up, rapidly approaching the light above, and they sailed into daylight. Tomiar snapped her wings open then dived for their troops.

‘We’re holding!’ Sabyn shouted from behind with a note of victory.

‘Not above,’ Loi shouted, pointing up to Sito, Kerak, Phroma, and Nesha, fighting with rapthnas. The four creatures, already outnumbered by the seven rapthnas, scrambled to defend themselves against the dragons with their leaping abilities. Dropping amongst their army, behind the line of charging soldiers, Sabyn unclipped Loi.

‘Slide down,’ he instructed. ‘You work the ground. Tomiar and I are going to help the others.’

Twisting back to him, Loi pressed her lips to his then scowled fiercely.

‘Be careful,’ she said while thinking it to Tomiar. ‘You hear?’

He nodded and leaned over, lowering her to the ground. Loi went to speak but Sabyn looked beyond her at something. Turning, Loi spotted Cat sprinting their way and then realized Loushka stood just behind Tomiar.

‘Hurry, Cat!’ Sabyn yelled. ‘They need us.’

Cat shook her head while she ran past, yelling and gesturing the way she’d come.

‘Nope! We’re gonna deal to the harpies, then come help.’

Staring in the direction Cat pointed, Loi spotted the ominous black cloud and shuddered, hearing Sabyn curse. Tomiar shoved off with Loushka in quick succession and Loi stood still for a moment, getting her bearings. No enemies reached them here, held off by the strong lines of centaurs at the front, but on the distant earth bridges on either side of them goblin archers and Arumites launched aerial attacks at the centaurs’ backs. The majority of arrows pinged off the plated armor the centaurs wore but already Loi saw the bodies of three men. Then she noticed other bodies; goblins, a Nyjen, the red dots of several fae. Staring at the remains of those who had been companions, friends, and protectors for over a month made her chest feel tight with sorrow and despair. Then anger overrode.

Throwing her hands out, Loi stared ahead not seeing anything and focused, calling her energy up. The strong hum drew from the earth itself when it felt her anger, her sorrow, and a wave of solid energy snapped out, cracking the air with a heavy ‘BOOM’. Those ahead paused and gaped at the enemies on the distant earth bridges who screamed in horror as the energy wave physically shunted them off the bridges. The awful shrieks vanished as they plunged deep into the earth.

‘WHOA!’
Tomiar thought to Sabyn.
‘Did you see that?’

‘I did,’
Sabyn thought and he straightened up from watching.
‘Clever girl, she’s holding her end up!’

‘Let’s do our bit then,’
the griffon thought with relish.

‘Remember to utilize their leaps, they won’t expect that.’

Tomiar spread her wings wider and hurtled toward the closest red dragon, letting loose a bellowing shriek. The rapthna twisted to look at them and its tusked muzzle wrinkled before it snarled, upper lip curling away to reveal a jaw of blackened canines. The dark silver eyes of the dragon narrowed an instant before it vanished.

‘Now!’

Tomiar lunged, catching the leap that dragged them into darkness before they reappeared, right behind the confused beast whose head snapped back and forth as it searched. Not hesitating, Sabyn shoved to his feet and ran along Tomiar’s back, up her neck and launched himself into the air. The rapthna roared in fury when he slammed against its back, the razor-like scales allowing his chainmail to grip, and he crawled along the spine, aiming for the head. The rapthna bellowed and wrenched its body this way and that, shaking while it tumbled through the air, trying to be rid of him. Tomiar attacked it head on, snapping at its jowls, trying to distract it from Sabyn. It worked long enough for him to reach the top of the dragon’s shoulders and straddling its wide neck, gripping with both knees, he reached back for an axe from his harness. The elendite tipped blade made short work of the tough scales and the beast renewed its effort to be rid of him, flying upside down. Tomiar launched herself at the softer scales on the belly, ripping at it with her talons and forcing the dragon to right itself. Sabyn pulled a short sword from the sheath on his thigh and with both hands stabbed down with all his strength, severing the creature’s spinal cord and main artery, killing it. The dead dragon toppled, flinging Sabyn off, and fell from the sky. He watched the corpse tumble through the air. It hit the ground below with considerable force, wiping out a legion of approaching elgrids. The cheers of their army reached him by the time Tomiar swooped underneath and he pulled into the saddle.

‘Next one,’
thought Tomiar and they flew back up. Sabyn saw Kerak and Sito fighting three rapthnas, then spotted Phroma and Nesha struggling with an alpha male. The almost black scales of the dragon were stubbed with knobs, revealing it to be at least three centuries old.

‘Let’s help Nesha and Phroma.’

Tomiar agreed and hurled herself at the beast.

Kassie clung with her knees, the straps that tied her to the saddle wrapped bitingly tight around both arms when Kerak went into a spin, tucking his wings. The rapthna screeched and snapped at the air behind Kerak. Rumal hunched against Kassie when Kerak dived, following Sito’s leap. The darkness flashed by, then air whooshed across her exposed back when Rumal threw himself off Kerak’s back, slamming onto the wing of the rapthna attacking Sito. Kerak dived for the other wing, shrieking loudly and extended all four feet, ripping into the wing with his talons. Rumal did the same with a dagger on the other side. The rapthna reared back, beating its wings hard in an attempt to shake them off. Taking advantage of the distraction, Sito attacked, going for its throat. The rapthna gave a hoarse shriek through the hold Sito had on it. The first rapthna they’d managed to escape blinked in below Kerak. Without a moment to lose Kassie yanked at the ties that held her and tumbled off the back of the griffon, past the flailing limbs and directly toward the dragon below. It roared and launched at her with a wide mouth of nasty black teeth. Ignoring all the warnings shrieking in her head, Kassie focused on the dragon, locating its life flame. With a tiny gesture, she made the air around the creature vanish. The beast opened its mouth in a
 
soundless bellow of shock and plummeted to the ground, crushing a good number of enemies before the corpse slowly toppled over the edge of the earth bridge. Kassie swirled a bubble around herself to keep afloat and looked up in time to see Sian finish off the wounded rapthna with an icicle through the chest. She winced in spite of the situation. While it might be necessary, it didn’t feel victorious killing those ordered to attack them. Sito vanished from above her, Kerak too, and they both appeared beneath her, Rumal reaching to guide her into the saddle.