Branded Mage (30 page)

Thad
raked the first line of soldiers with a stream of fire that sent them and two behind them rolling and screaming on the ground. Not wanting to let up, Thad followed it up with a blast of sheer force, knocking most the others from their feet. The few who remained standing rushed him, forcing Thad to put his sword to work.

Thad considered
himself fairly skilled with a sword, but these men put his skill to shame. Their movements and stance left no opening, and they struck at every chance, forcing Thad back. If not for his shield, he would have been cut to ribbons in the matter of seconds.

His sword never met flesh
, but it did allow him to keep his opponents busy while he used his magic to take them out one by one. The sound of ringing steel and screams of the men who were unlucky enough to be on the bad end of his magic filled the cave. Thad was amazed; he could hear more soldiers amassing outside. He knew he was running out of time, but he didn’t know what else he could do.

As he fought with four different men
, the ground below him began to shake. It started lightly at first, but steadily began to grow in intensity until it was even hard for him to stand without using his magic to lift himself completely off the ground.

With the soldiers falling to the ground
, Thad took the advantage and headed for the mouth of the mine. A few feet away from the entrance, the old timbers framing the entrance cracked and fell, along with a large section of the roof, effectively blocking his path.

Cursing
, Thad reversed direction as large sections of the roof of the cave began to rain from above. He raced down the winding tunnels of the mine, hoping to find someplace where it didn’t seem like he was going to get buried alive.

As suddenly as it started
, the earthquake stopped. His nerves on end and exhaustion wearing him thin, Thad released his magic and allowed himself to settle on the ground. It hadn’t worked as he had planned, but at least it didn’t sound like anyone would be able to get to him.

He was safe for the time being. Now he just had to find a way out of the caves and make his way to Farlan. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do that
, but for now, all he needed was rest. So pulling off his pack, he used it as a pillow as he lay down for a good restful sleep.