by Kaitlyn Hoyt
FORTY MINUTES LATER, WE’RE STANDING on the back porch, waiting. Weapons are down but ready to be drawn at any moment. Anticipation is hanging in the air. Intimidation is our tactic; show them that we aren’t scared, and aren’t going to back down. We’re here to fight. I’m standing in the front, slightly behind Colton and Liam. Since my little panicking incident earlier, neither of them will leave my side. I’m not complaining about that though. It makes me feel safe…well, safer.
The forest is quiet… too quiet. There are no birds chirping, no animals scurrying around, nothing. Just silence. We know how deceiving the silence can be. I look behind me at all the people here. All of the people that are here to help fight against the Gadramicks. My eyes land on Conner. He nods and smiles slightly at me before turning his attention back to the forest. I hear many gasps behind me. Returning my attention to the forest in front of me, I see what they’re all looking at. Flying through the air are about a hundred arrows coming straight for us. Someone screams behind me. Liam reaches out to shield me, but I push him back, and concentrate on my magic. Silently calling air to me, I visualize a huge gust of air sending the arrows back toward the direction they came from.
This is going to take a lot of magic. I can feel it bubbling to the surface, itching to be freed. Drawing my arms away from my body, I slowly start raising them. I can feel the wind picking up. The arrows are at their highest point and soon they will start to descend. When my hands are raised completely above my head, I forcefully thrust out all the magic. I fall backwards into Liam from the force. He steadies me, but his arms tighten around me when he staggers forward as the wind rushes past us toward the arrows. We all freeze and wait, watching to see if my magic will be enough. When the wind coalesces with the arrows, their momentum falters. They twist through the air before reversing their direction and flying back into the forest.
Everyone rights themselves, and turns toward me, mouths slightly agape in amazement. Even Colton and Liam are looking at me in awe. “Thank you, Ryanne. You saved us all,” Tom says. It’s not like I was going to just stand here, and let them get impaled with arrows, when I know I can at least try to do something. “Everyone get ready. They’re close.”
Dravin walks out of the forest, slowly. When his eyes connect with me, he smiles evilly. “Give me the girl, and this can all be avoided.” His voice rings out. Liam and Colton both put their arms out in front of me as if they expected me to give myself to Dravin. “No? Fine.”
He raises his arms over his head, signaling the others to attack. Mages start running out of the forest toward us. Tom yells and everyone behind me runs forward to meet them halfway, weapons drawn. As we discussed earlier, Liam, Colton, David, Emma, Logan, and Bragden are to stay back with me unless it is absolutely necessary to join the fight.
I start fidgeting and getting antsy when I see Tom fighting someone even though he has the upper hand on him. Tom’s already gotten in a hit on his shoulder, making his movements more restricted. He punches him in the face with the hand not wielding the sword. The man’s head whips back and he falls limply to the ground. Tom turns around and starts fighting with another man. This one is more aggressive. We are outnumbered, and they’re slowly surrounding us. I turn toward Bragden, Logan, David and Emma, telling them to go. We need all fighters. They run into the yard, prepared for the attack.
Besides us, Claire is the only person left on the porch. She is to stay here and use any spells necessary to block out their magical advances. I turn toward Liam and Colton. “We have to help them. There are too many.”
Colton looks torn. He wants to help, but doesn’t want me to join the fight. We have to fight if we want any shot at coming back from this. He slowly nods before turning back to Liam and me. He and Liam share a knowing glance.
I look between both of them, “I love you guys.” Before the tears can come or they can say anything to stop me, I run past them, and into the middle of the yard where I know Thomas will be. I find him standing over a girl, sword raised over his head. I run straight for him, and jump kick him in the side as his sword is coming down. I briefly remember talking to her earlier, but can’t recall her name. “Go!” I shout to her as Thomas falls. She scoots back on the ground before rolling over and getting up. Turning around, she runs off and begins fighting someone else.
I’m now directly in the midst of the chaos. Dravin is nowhere to be seen, but I already knew that was going to happen. All around me, people are engaged in fighting. Opening my mind, I let the thoughts in of those directly around me. Liam and Colton are running toward us. Liam is worried about me. He’s basically screaming his thoughts at me. He doesn’t want me to be in this fight, especially not fighting against Thomas. This is about me, and I’m not going to sit in the background and let everyone fight for me.
Thomas gets off the ground and turns toward me. I call some magic into my arms and legs. Fighting Thomas is not going to be easy. He is larger than Bragden, and I had trouble with him. However, I am already angry with Thomas. No one is going to get away with hurting me like he did.
Dravin said to bring the girl back alive. But I’m getting really tired of the all the trouble she’s causing. She needs to be taught a lesson. He growls menacingly and runs straight toward me, sword pointed outward. I have a Sherlock Holmes moment. I can see every move he is about to do in my head. I’m aware of others fighting around me, but Thomas is the only person on my mind.
Jumping to the side, I avoid his sword, and kick his arm, loosening his grip on the weapon. He swings out with his other arm to punch me. I drop to the ground, and hit him in the shins, causing him to stagger backwards. He doesn’t fall like I wanted him to, but it gives me enough time to stand back up and prepare for another advance.
I briefly look around the yard. Colton is off to the side, fighting Adam. Everyone else is fighting random Gadramicks. Bragden’s fighting off numerous people at once, while David’s staying close to Emma, helping her fight, and keeping her safe.
Thomas recovers and stalks toward me again, swinging his sword. I can tell that he wasn’t prepared for me to defend myself. He thought this was going to be an easy fight. He underestimated my knowledge of swordplay and use of magic. I’ve been training and it shows. The magic makes me a more equal opponent, and where he has strength, I have agility.
The sword in my hand is moving in ways I didn’t think were possible for me. I am incorporating all my gymnastics tricks, but because so many people are in a small space, it’s hard to do all the moves that I know I’m capable of.
I hear Colton cry out behind me, but I don’t turn around like I did in the vision. I hear him grunt in anger shortly afterwards, so I know he’s okay. The tintinnabulation of blades in the background and grunts from punches echo throughout the yard, but I only focus on the man in front of me. I’m now fighting for my life. I’ve accepted that something could happen to me as long as this man is stopped. With him stopped, there’s a better chance for someone to get to Dravin—to stop him.
He simultaneously swings his sword toward my neck, while bringing his other arm out for a punch. Making a snap decision, I duck to avoid being sliced with the sword. This move causes me to get punched in the shoulder with enough force to send me flying to the ground. Raising his sword above his head, he walks toward me. I pull my knees to my chest and kick toward him when he gets close enough, hitting him in the crotch. Dropping the sword, he falls to his knees. I jump up and back kick him in the face, breaking his nose. Deep red blood flows down his face.
The sound of Colton crying out in pain again breaks through my defensive bubble. I turn to see what happened. Colton is kneeling on the ground, holding his wound. Blood is dripping down Colton’s arm, seeping through his fingers, where Adam had sliced him. Adam is raising his sword for a fatal attack. I gather up all my air energy and push it toward him. He flies onto the stone patio, rendering him unconscious. Colton’s eyes jerk toward me. “Look out!” he shouts.
That is the distraction that Th
omas needed. Turning back around, I see Thomas pushing himself off the ground and coming toward me. He knocks the sword out of my hand and backhands me, knocking me to the ground. I quickly roll over, avoiding his foot as he attempts to kick me. I jump up and spin around, bringing my magic filled arm out to punch him in the stomach. He doesn’t flinch. He spits blood at me. Smiling at me, he deflects my arm, and thrust his other hand into my stomach. Tearing through skin and muscle, his sword implants itself in my abdomen. Looking into his eyes, it is obvious that he was going to enjoy watching me die.
“Ryanne!” I hear Colton yell. I look down, and see his sword sticking out of my stomach. Deep red blood pours out around the sword, and soaks my shirt. The cold is spreading throughout my body. Thomas jerks his sword out forcefully, and smiles as I fall to the ground. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth and the wetness of it trickles down my chin. Larkin blinks in behind Thomas, and stabs him through the heart at the same time that Colton reaches me. He claws at the sword, but Larkin pushes it in deeper.
“Get her out of here!”
I succumb to the darkness. My body is broken, and unable to do anything I want it to. As I begin to violently shake, Colton yells for Logan. Blood is soaking the ground beneath me. Colton scoops my limp body up and runs toward the house.
“Don’t you dare leave me, Ryanne!” Colton yells while gently placing me down on the cold, tiled floor. A door slams against the wall, and heavy footsteps rush toward us. My heartbeat is slowing and I start coughing, choking on my own blood.
“Move Colton!” demands Logan. My shirt is pushed up, revealing the wound. I feel hands on my stomach as I drift farther and farther into the darkness. Seconds tick by…
Silence.
“She saved me, Logan. That’s why she was stabbed.” Colton lets out an exasperated sigh, seemingly choking on his words. “What’s wrong? Why isn’t it working?” Sadness laces his speech. Everything is muted. I can’t feel my body anymore. The pain is gone.
“She’s too far gone, Colton. I can’t work miracles.”