Chapter 59: The Enemy Of My Enemy . . .

Chapter 59: The Enemy Of My Enemy . . .

Sakura

We plummeted out of the sky like a stone, the wind ripped at my hair and it quickly came free of the ring bun I had tied it in earlier. With a flex of my will, air mana ran through my body and fixed it back into a simple ponytail.

Sky bared his fangs, flared his hood, and pushed wind mana directly up at us, slowing us enough to prevent catastrophe. He was coming down directly on top of the shaman.

The elven woman raised a staff covered in rattling bones of unnamed forest beasts. A green shield erupted around her just as Sky slammed into it.

My bones shook at the impact, and venum ran from Skys massive fangs down the shield and sent the ground to sizzling.

This prey has a shell.

I jumped off his back, and landed in a roll flaring my aura as wide as I could. Easing the pressure on the Iron and Steel warriors as I matched it against the Shamans. I pulled my daggers, and turned back towards where Sky was still trying to wiggle through the shield and get to the shaman style meat inside. His jaw pressed against the shield, fags flaired, as if he were trying to eat a boulder twice his size, as his tail coiled around it.

The shaman looked annoyed as she met Skys gaze. After a moment she spoke a single word, and I felt the mana in the area shift dramatically. As if the tide had begun rolling out to sea.

Thats not good, I thought as I pulled mana from my own core, passed it through my meridians and aligned it to Fire. It took an effort of concentration to condense the mana into the form I wanted and to cycle it correctly.

Green disks of energy swirled all around the shaman. Summoning circles appeared mid air, and as the mana reached critical mass three of them cast correctly opening portals to the elemental planes.

This isnt good, I thought as I forced the mana to meld with a trickle of my chie, granting me a connection to the spell. It was difficult to shape without the use of my fingers to manipulate the aspects of the spell into the correct shape, but after only a few heartbeats as Skys efforts began to bear fruit, it was finished.

ROAAAAR! A massive bear with brown and black fur that stood six meters tall at the shoulder barrolled through one portal and directly into Skys enlarged form. The spider webbing cracks in the shamans shield began to heal as Sky was pulled away by two massive paw swipes.

Sky struck, his fangs went deep into the bear's shoulder as the enemy ursine bit his tail and began ripping and tearing at his rock hard scales.

I am ready! King shouted into my mind.

Not yet, hold on.

Fire! I shouted as I let the spell loose. The ball of pure flame roared through the air directly at the shamans' slowly healing shield. The fire erupted into the sky, most of its energy lost in the updraft. The bear roared and tried to pull itself away from the fire giving Sky an opening to finish wrapping his body around his prey.

The fire dissipated and I found the Shaman staring daggers in my direction. At that moment her other two summonings finished, and groups of smaller but still fierce forest creatures rushed out to attack the Iron warriors.

Kadrek, keeasa nar. The Shaman said as she lowered her shield and began moving towards me. I crouched in a fighting stance, but the woman only smirked when she saw my daggers gleaming with mixed chie and mana. Cute, child of snakes. She said in Imperial. You bare your fangs. But tell me, have you ever used them?

Sky nearly had the bear pinned, but the Shaman didnt so much as glance towards the titanic struggle happening only a few strides away from her. Without warning she charged forward, her staff raised in an overhead strike.

I blocked the attack, and my bones rattled as I attempted to retaliate. But she moved with my strike stepping just out of range. I moved with her, and we exchanged blow after blow.

Ill squish her! King shouted in my mind and I ignored him. I needed to concentrate, or this fight would end poorly for me. I moved forward, trying to find an opening in her guard. All I met was air or the iron bark of her staff.

You are skilled, young snake, her words carried an odd cadence to them. As if they were an older dialect of imperial, or burdened with a thick accent. She took two steps back and watched me warily, giving us both a moment to catch our breaths.

My lounges heaved in air, and I had to work to control my breathing. Our clash had involved dozens of attacks and perrys, but it had only taken a few seconds.

Why attack us? I asked, though I knew the answer I would receive. The Elves had a blood hatred of the empire that went back further than commonly known recorded history. Theyd take any opportunity to kill us if they could. But, perhaps, that was no longer needed? Weve left the empire. And you attack us as we flee to safety. Why?

Her expression writhed in a mix of emotions that felt alien to me. But the one that stood out from among the evident complexities was disgust.

Then you are all cowards. Worthy of nothing but death and dishonor! The Shaman lifted a bone whistle to her lips and blew. A screech that sounded something like that of an eagle split the air, only fouler, with a murderous intent to it.

A crazed mix of howling and yelling came from behind me, and I was forced to turn my attention to the new oncoming threat.

Dozens of fresh elvish warriors, long eared, leith bodies, carrying weapons at the upper edge of what they were capable of controlling at their cultivation levels jumped down from the tall overhanging canopy of tree coverage. Their chests and arms were covered in magical inscriptions unique to the elvish foe, and they glowed slightly in the shade of the canopy.

It was the force I had seen from the air, moving to flank the line. They had come when she called.

As they began their charge, more voices rose from further into the forest south, along the battle lines. Then more, and more. Farther distant with each set of raised, crazed cries, but the numbers easily matched our own. The enemy had gotten reinforcements and among them I could tell there were voices that rang with the authority of Steel, and Immortal cultivators.

No use borrowing the problems of others. We must face these foes. King said into my mind. We watched together for what was in reality only a heartbeat, as the elvish slave-soldiers descended the canopy. Their attack was thinner than our defensive line, but longer.

The hatred in her eyes was palpable.

With a free hand she lifted an orb of pure acid similar to the attack she had used on Sky. No slave, only death. She hissed through shattered teeth.

I tried to strike at her, but my attacks were feeble and ill shaped. I didnt have full control of my motor functions anymore. That attack had broken something important I was sure of it.

She pulled the orb back, and I closed my eyes. Accepting my fate once again. I had fought my fight. Done my duty, and had not given in.

The ground shook.

The air hummed with her killing intent.

No, that wasnt a spiritual hum. That was a horn. High, clear, and clarian. Unlike any I had heard before. My eyes shot open, and the shaman had lost focus on me. Her eyes were fixed on something to the west, where the wolves had come from.

The rumbling I had felt became clearer. Sharp, rhythmic. I had never heard such a thing in my life. The wolves whined and most broke and ran. The other animals the Shaman had summoned who had been harrassing the irons and their steel captains quickly followed suit. Birds took off into the sky, and the few Elven warriors that remained around us disappeared. Climbing the nearest trees and entering the protective canopy up above.

Se dropped me to my knees, and turned to face the oncoming threat. I barely had the energy or focus enough to turn and see what was bearing down on us.

Horses.

Heavy warhorses heavily armored with thick steel that shined multi-hued colors, bareing riders in armor and carrying spear like weapons I had never seen before. At the head of the stampede was a man in golden armor with a bright beaming smile. I hadnt noticed his laughter until I saw him, then it became clear.

He was laughing as if this were on a hunt, and this was the grandest of tame game he now charged.

The Golden man lowered his absurdly thick, long spear, and aimed it directly at the shaman as he steared the leading element towards her, while another group broke off to attack the largest of the wolves that still harassed King.

The shaman unleashed her acid spear, it shot forward deadly and precise, and as thick as my torso. A spell powerful enough to fell a Golden level Sky Snake at the height of its power.

Three trees were left with gaping holes in their trunks, and not one of the elder forest titans did so much as divert the stream of acid.

It slammed into the laughing golden warrior seconds before he reached us, and . . . disappeared. A golden shield flared once, and the acid was gone. As if it had never been.

The Elf tried to run, tried to jump towards a tree, or one of her summoned creatures. I wasnt sure which. But she wasnt fast enough.

The strange golden warriors oddly constructed spear pierced her body, and kept going. The force of the horse's momentum, combined with the warriors raw unrelenting strength that alone seemed to warp reality as if he were using a spell ripped her clean in half.

Blood sprayed on the ground, and a warm wetness splashed on my face.

I fell backwards into the soft forest soil. My vision swam wildly, and despite my best efforts I couldnt force myself to stand.

I, Sky, have won. Sky sounded exhausted, in pain, and concerned. I felt him slither up next to me in the grass. He was in his small form. He sent me an image of the bear, back broken, body melting under his unrelenting venomous attack, before he curled up protectively around my head.

The next thing I remember was the golden man standing over me. His face was obscured by the odd metal helmet he wore. He removed it and looked down at me, concern clear in his expression. Sky hissed, but another of the strange warriors grabbed him. My snake tried to bite him, but found only magically reinforced steel covering his body, before Sky was quickly shoved into a net that forced him to keep his form.

I heard King roar a challenge as the golden warrior reached down and pushed my messy hair away from my face.

I saw that attack, it was brave. Foolish, but brave. His knitted brow eased slightly and a hint of the laughter I had heard before returned. Dont worry. One of my priests will see to you, and your companions.

A young woman in gray-brown robes, carrying a wood staff that warped reality around it just by its very presence appeared next to me and began casting some kind of healing spell. She chanted a prayer in a language that sounded like a heavily accented version of Imperial. More heavily accented even then the elves' speech had been. But I understood enough to know she was praying to her goddess for my health.

My mind cleared, though the exhaustion remained. The woman finished her prayer-spell, and pain returned to my body. Throbbing, exhausting, and in places still sharp.

Shell need to sleep, my prince. But given a good night's sleep she should fully recover. She is surprisingly robust for one so young. There was little warmth in the woman's voice, but she exuded competence and power in her bareing.

Thank you, I said, as I fought to keep my eyes open.

You are most welcome! That was an interesting fight, and you stopped my query from escaping! Either of those things would have been worthy of a healing I think. But there is something I need you to do for me before we let you sleep. I blinked up at him

Yes?

If you could tell your turtle to stop trying to eat my men and their horses, that would be helpful.