by Kory Shen
CHAPTER 22
The first knight to approach had a longsword and kite shield. He was still several paces from me when he swung his sword. A loud crack filled the air.
I hurled myself to the right to avoid the arc of blue lightning that swept out of the blade.
The long point of a poleaxe came plunging towards my head. The axe head's point burst into a brilliant ball of lightning.
I rolled further right, then leaped up and backwards as another arc of lightning hit the ground where I had been.
Great. It was the fucking lightning bug gang.
I had told Kuri to wait on the edge of the clearing until I gave the signal, unless someone tried to run. I didn't want to call for her until I was absolutely sure I needed her. We were fighting to kill, and I was the more durable one with my suit.
Someone threw a dagger that sparkled with more blue lightning. It glanced off the side of my arm, sending a shock tingling through the right side of my body.
"Shit!" I cried at the pain. At least I thought I was the more durable one.
"Mira, any advice?" I reeled backwards to avoid another strike of the poleaxe.
"Calibrating battle tactics," Mira said. "Could you please absorb another pulse?"
"What?" I could barely talk, as I was fully focusing on dodging the stream of attacks. "You want me to get hit with lightning?"
"Yes. I would like to calibrate for their attacks. You will mostly likely survive a direct hit."
"That's reassuring," I muttered. It's not like I had much choice. More knights were closing in on me, and the attacks were increasing in speed and number. It wouldn't be long before—
"Holy Yora!" I screamed, loud enough for everyone else to hear.
A full arc of lightning had caught me directly across my chest. I stumbled backwards onto my ass sending a trio of fire, lightning, and ice at the attackers to buy myself time. The knights hid behind their shields or dove for cover. I took advantage of the lull to race behind a nearby wagon, hoping that they wouldn't blow up their own supplies.
"Calibration and reconfiguration complete," Mira said. "My nanofiber shell will insulate you from the brunt of the electrical impulses. Their attacks will be harmless."
"Harmless? They hurt like hell!"
The knights cautiously approached the wagon, several of them already moving to flank me from either side.
"A small fraction of the shock will seep past the insulating layer, but beyond the pain, there should be no real damage. However, sustained electrical shocks could have negative consequences on neural health, so I recommend you avoid attacks to the head."
I looked around frantically at the approaching knights. "That sounds great, but can you speak plainly? What do I do?"
"Ignore the attacks. Focus on a rapid offense to kill them all." Mira's cheery tone unsettled me.
Rapid offense. This was going to hurt. I peeked out from the side of the wagon, then hid back behind it as another dagger flew past. Oh yeah, this was going to hurt.
I took a deep breath and braced myself against the wagon. They might be worried about damaging their supplies, but I wasn't.
I pushed with all my might, sending it crashing into the oncoming knights. I tried a new move, leaping hard, which sent me flying over the broken wagon and debris to land on the other side of the knights.
"Triple shot!"
A bolt of multicolored light shot out from left arm, slamming squarely into the back of a knight. The armored shell collapsed inward, and the knight fell forward with a scream. A woman's scream. I tried not to think about it.
A knight with empty hands leaped straight at me, his arms outstretched.
I didn't have time for wrestling. Another triple shot smashed into his helmet, shattering its front. I looked away from the gory mess as a second knight lunged.
This time, my triple shot wasn't ready in time. I met him in a bear hug, then lifted him straight into the air. His hands glowed blue as he reached for my helmet.
"Oh no you don't!" I slammed a triple shot into his ribs just as his hands met my helmet. A searing jolt rocked my head. Bright spots floated in my vision, and I wavered on my feet. I was dimly aware of a limp body falling from my arms to hit the ground.
"Please be reminded to avoid direct attacks to the head," Mira said.
"It wasn't on purpose," I gasped. I shook my head twice, trying to clear my vision.
"Should I activate full tactical support?" Mira asked.
"What? You've been holding back? Yes, activate everything," I said.
"Understood." My vision flooded with blue lights. At first, I thought it was the effect of the shock to my head, but as the lights converged into symbols, I realized it was Mira's doing.
There were ten remaining knights surrounding me. I spun to see them all. Each one was marked with a halo of blue light and a small number.
"Kill green. Avoid red," Mira said. "Go! Behind you!"
Number five was approaching with a poleaxe. His blue halo flashed green. I raised my arm and sent a triple shot into his chest.
"On your left. Ignore the attacks to your rear," Mira said.
I twisted left to meet a sword swing, catching the sword arm in my left hand. I glimpsed a number eight next to the sword. Something dull hit me from behind, followed by a painful shock.
I tried to swivel my arm to send a triple shot into the sword knight outlined in green, but he pivoted to his right, then scrambled behind me.
I spun to find the sword knight awkwardly face to face with another knight wielding a lightning sheathed mace, each blocking the other's attack.
The sword knight dodged my triple shot to his back, but the triple shot hit the mace knight in the stomach instead. The sword knight danced around me, trying to get to my other side. He was fast, too fast, and must have been using an agility enhancement.
"Cut his mobility," Mira said.
"On it." I sprayed an ice beam across the ground around me.
The sword knight skidded to a stop on the frozen earth. I aimed slightly ahead of him. Sensing the danger, he tried to change direction, but it was too late.
"Incoming dagger from your left," Mira warned.
I braced for the shock while firing the triple shot at the same time. The sword knight, number eight, fell to the ground with a smoking hole in his breastplate as a dagger bounced off my arm.
"Good call, Mira." If she hadn't warned me, the dagger would have altered my aim.
I saw the dagger-throwing knight, a weird combination, on my left, but he was outlined in red.
"Priority is on the right," Mira said.
Number three and number nine were a pair of hammer-wielding knights outlined by Mira in green. They rushed me simultaneously, not pausing to slow on the frozen earth beneath their feet. Their hammers crackled with lightning.
I wouldn't be able to take both of them in time with a triple shot. I aimed a fire bolt at their feet instead, turning the frozen ground into a muddy slush.
They stumbled at the rapid change in the ground's texture. I jumped forward, crashing into number three. My fingers shot forward, stiff like a blade, into his throat. The soft material gave way. The knight gurgled as I crushed his throat.
"Incoming head blow," Mira warned.
Number nine had recovered enough to swing his hammer at me. I raised my right arm, catching the painful shock of his electrified hammer on my gauntlet. I gritted my teeth, but the pain was bearable. I returned his blow with a triple shot to his face.
Another dagger bounced off my back. I yelped.
"Can we deal with that one yet?" I asked Mira. "He's getting annoying."
"Negative. Number two is the lowest threat priority. On your right."
A green halo flashed around number six, who charged with a lowered poleaxe.
"Fine," I sighed, sending a triple shot. Another knight fell.
"Recommended path," Mira said. A green line snaked across the clearing to the next wagon. "Take cover. They're changing ta
ctics."
I glanced behind to find a group of them converging on me. Instead of weapons, most of them held shields of varying sizes and shapes. They had seen me fight.
I sent a triple shot anyway at the closest knight. He dropped to one knee and raised his shield to meet the elemental bolt.
"Fuck!" I dodged out of the way as the triple shot bounced back towards me. A Mirror Shield. I really hated Mirror Shields.
"Please take the recommended path," Mira said.
"Alright, alright!" I dashed towards the closest wagon and hid behind it. "How many are left?"
"Four targets."
If they were switching up tactics, maybe I should, too? Should I call in Kuri? But I wanted to spare Kuri the pain of fighting in the forest, if I could help it.
"What now? Wait for them to circle around closer, then use my fists?" I asked.
I figured that the wagon would buy me a bit of rest, but apparently they didn't care about preserving their supplies anymore. Before Mira could reply, the wagon exploded in a flash of blue and white lightning, chunks of wood flying everywhere. Metal objects spilled out onto the ground.
"Get down!" Mira yelled.
I had been about to stand, but I dropped immediately to the ground again. Something sailed over my head. I spotted a purple glow colliding with a tree in the distance. It exploded.
The daggers. The same kind as from the attack yesterday.
"Can those hurt us?" I asked.
"Possibly," Mira said. "Direct calibration against this threat is not recommended."
The dagger-throwing knight, number two, was sorting through the debris of the destroyed wagon. He beckoned to the others as well.
Aw, hell no. "Can I kill that one yet?"
"Affirmative. All targets are green." A green light lit up each of the four remaining figures around the wagon debris. More of the glowing purple daggers littered the ground. Oh, this would be fun.
I raised my left arm. Someone shouted, and the others scrambled to retrieve their shields. But I wasn't aiming at them.
My triple shot hit the first purple dagger. A fraction of a second later another exploded, then more. A giant cloud of arcane purple energies engulfed the knights.
As the smoke cleared, a figure ran toward me. I prepared to attack.
"Hold!" Mira shouted. "That is Kuri."
Kuri ran up to me. "Are you okay?"
"I told you to wait for my signal," I said.
Kuri pointed at the smoking crater in the ground littered with pieces of wood, metal, and flesh. "That wasn't the signal?"
I shook my head. "Are they all dead?" I whispered to Mira.
"No. One is still moving." A figure appeared highlighted in green. Number two. The fucking dagger thrower.
I motioned to Kuri. "One of them's alive. Stay behind me in case of surprises."
Number two was on the edge of the crater. As I approached, I saw that pieces of his armor had broken off. His helmet was cracked.
I stepped up to him.
It was a woman. She might have been pretty, if not for the blood and dirt marring her features. Brown hair streaked across her face in a tangled mess.
I aimed my left arm at the dying woman.
"Why?" she asked.
I paused, lowering my arm. "Why? Because you attacked the king. Or supplied the attackers, same thing." I raised my arm again.
"What? We're allies." The woman coughed.
"You're rogue traders. Look, I'm sorry about this, but you know the penalty for dealing in Sentinel armor."
It had to be done. I closed my eyes and began forming the words. "Trip—"
"Stop!" It was Kuri.
"Kuri, this was the job. If you—"
Kuri pointed to the woman. "Look."
Her armor, which had been unmarked, now had a blue symbol across the chest. The breastplate was damaged, but I could make out the symbol of two crossed swords. The symbol of the Valorian Sentinels.
I crouched beside the woman. "Where did you get this armor?" I pointed to the ruined armor.
Kuri stood behind me. "The markings weren't there at first. Strange."
The woman's eyes shifted from Kuri back to me. "I told you. We're allies. We were escorting a shipment of Sentinel equipment." She spat at me. "Until you came along."
I looked at the surrounding wreckage, unsure what to do. "Mira?"
"Yes?"
"Were there any markings on their armor earlier?"
"Negative."
"But you can see them now."
I was speaking loud enough for the others to hear.
"Who's he talking to?" the woman asked. Neither Kuri nor I replied.
"An illusion that can fool a spirit," Kuri said quietly.
I had come to the same conclusion. Lexley. My heart thumped harder and harder.
What had Lexley done? And where had he gotten such powerful magic? This wasn't the kind of magic you spent on a petty sibling rivalry.
What had I done?
I didn't know whether to scream or cry. Had I slaughtered fourteen innocent men and women? I looked down at the woman.
Thirteen. The last was still alive. I had to save her, get answers.
"Kuri—"
I stopped, noticing her ashen face. Men stepped out of the forest. Knight Sentinels.
Erole, Joren, and Prig were there. Three Champions. I rose to my feet, but they immediately drew their weapons and pointed them at me.
Lexley waved his sword at me from the rear.
"Kill that bastard traitor!" he screamed.
CHAPTER 23
I stared at the Knight Sentinels in shock, but Kuri didn't hesitate.
"Run!" she yelled, pointing towards a thick part of the forest opposite the Champions.
She stepped forward to face them alone.
"No, Kuri, don't—"
A giant wall of flame rose between me and Kuri. In an instant, the entire clearing was ablaze with a raging inferno. Only a clear path behind me remained relatively untouched.
I stepped towards Kuri. The temperature in my boot spiked as my foot crossed into the flame. I jerked my foot back reflexively.
"Jakson!" Mira screamed. "The suit can't survive that flame. I've never seen her reach this temperature before!"
I could barely make out Kuri's figure beyond the shimmering orange-white wall of flames.
Damn it. I couldn't leave Kuri behind like this. My mind raced.
It was me they wanted, not Kuri. If she was going to be stubborn, I could still draw them away. I raised my left arm straight above me.
"Lightning bolt!" I screamed, sending a brilliant bolt into the air, visible even above the blaze. "Over here!"
I backed away from Kuri several steps.
"Lightning bolt!" I screamed again, sending another bolt into the air.
I turned and ran a short distance, then sent another lightning bolt into the air. I ran into the forest, then sent another lightning bolt. That was enough. They would get the message.
With that, I turned and ran as fast as I could deeper into the woods.
* * *
It was well past noon by the time I dared to stop moving. I had run for a good hour, but even with all of the suit's enhancements, I couldn't keep jogging in it forever. I walked for another hour before finally collapsing at the bottom of a small hill.
I closed my eyes.
"Mira," I said softly. "I fucked up."
"I failed you as well," Mira said. "I could not detect the visual anomaly."
"No, it's not your fault." Shit, what about Kuri? Had she gotten away?
I dragged myself to my feet again. I looked around, but there was nothing but trees in all directions. Great, now I was lost, too.
"Any idea where I am?" I asked.
"Certainly."
A blue shape appeared in the middle of my vision. There were squiggles and rectangles. It took me a moment to recognize what Mira was showing me. A map. A yellow light blinked in the lower left part of the map. I s
quinted.
I had somehow wandered back to Evercrown, approaching from the east side.
"Shit. I have to go back and find Kuri." I tried to get my bearings, lining up the map in my vision with my actual feet. I paused.
If Kira was still alive, wasn't it likely that she was back in Evercrown as well? Lexley and the others would return, too.
If Kuri was alive? Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I bent over with my hands on my knees to steady myself. I needed to find out what had happened, but I couldn't go running around Evercrown in my suit. I had plenty of experience hiding from Sentinels dressed as one more street urchin, though.
"Mira, I'm going to have to leave you somewhere safe," I said.
"Are you sure?" Mira asked. "I cannot protect you while you do not wear me."
I hesitated. Hide in the safety of my armor, or go out and deal with the shit I had created?
Lady Dyann had been right the other day. A knight wasn't his armor.
"I'm sorry, Mira. I promise I'll be back to get you."
I ran over to a bush with bright red berries, checking the surroundings to memorize the location.
"Are you going to leave me?" Mira shrieked. I hadn't heard her upset like this before.
"What's wrong? I'll be back," I replied "Now, open up."
The suit flowered open, and I stepped outside. Mira's voice emerged from the empty helmet.
"The last user left me…not again…"
"Mira. I'll be back." I didn't think spirits could get all sentimental like this.
Mira didn't reply. I shoved the suit under the bush, then gathered some leaves and dirt to hide the exposed parts. I admired my handiwork and judged it to be good enough for a city boy.
I turned and headed back to Evercrown, leaving Mira and the suit.
* * *
I crept into the wooden building, slowly shutting the door behind me. A curtain covered the only window, leaving the inside dark even in the middle of the day. I took three steps before something cold touched my neck. Steel.
"Vimm," I said. "It's me."
The knife withdrew, and a candle flame sputtered to life. Vimm looked the same as usual.
"These are dark times," he growled in response to my questioning look at the pulled curtains. "Times for hiding."