“Of sorts,” Gyoroe said.
“To truly assess your skills we need to see you perform in a situation that is as real as possible,” Hannya said.
“We can handle anything you throw at us,” Zaiporo said confidently.
Neither replied, but Gyoroe’s smile made Turesobei nervous.
Hannya drew five amulets from a pouch: rune-carved metal stars affixed to leather cords. “You will each need to wear one of these.”
Turesobei took his. He considered studying the amulet with his kenja-sight but what was the point? It would do what it did and he would have to live with that. He hung it around his neck. A tingling sensation spread through his limbs…but nothing else happened.
“Your opponents today can harm you,” Gyoroe explained, “but since they are attuned to these powerful amulets, they cannot kill you. The amulet will activate a force field to protect you from any killing strike. Once this happens, however, you will be left immobilized for the remainder of the battle.”
“If you lose your amulet during the fight,” Hannya said, “you will become vulnerable. So be sure to guard it.”
“So what’s our objective?” Zaiporo asked.
“You will face four waves of enemies,” Hannya said. “Each wave will attack for fifteen minutes. Any enemies you have not destroyed by the end of that time will withdraw. If you are driven from the top of the pyramid or if you all become immobilized by your shields, then you have failed the test.”
Turesobei glanced around at the space they had to defend. It was enough space for them to each fight several enemies at once, but a strong enough push could easily force them to withdraw.
“How do you define maintaining control?” Zaiporo asked.
“At all times, at least one of you must remain on the top and not be incapacitated,” Hannya said. “Also, you must protect Turesobei. That is what you must do in the realms, so that is what you must prove capable of doing here today.”
“If Turesobei’s shield is activated then you all fail,” Gyoroe said. “And if you fail, you will all suffer greatly. Enashoma doubly so.”
“That’s hardly fair!” Zaiporo dared to complain.
Gyoroe’s eyes shifted to the sullen gray color. “Life is not fair. So why should I be?”
Hannya placed a hand on his shoulder. “My lord….”
The orange glint returned to his eyes and he smiled. “You can avoid this unfair outcome, Zaiporo, simply by succeeding.”
“Any further questions?” Hannya asked.
“Can I use magic?” Turesobei asked.
“You are all allowed to use any and all abilities you have,” Hannya said, “with but one exception. You cannot summon the Storm Dragon.”
“Anything else?” Gyoroe asked.
No one responded.
“Good.” He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. “Let us begin.”
Gyoroe and Hannya disappeared then reappeared on the observation platform above. Gyoroe spoke a word of power so strong that Turesobei's skin crawled, his insides churned and his mind went fuzzy. A dense cloud rose out of the ground around the edges of the room.
Turesobei narrowed his eyes and peered at the mist. He shook his head. There was something wrong with all of this…something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Begin!”
“So what’s our strategy?” Kurine asked.
Zaiporo chewed at his lip and scanned the Canvas. “Good question.”
Straw warriors like those they had faced so many times before emerged from the mists on all sides.
“Looks like we’re surrounded,” Iniru said.
“If our enemies come at us from all around, then we’ll need to defend every side of the pyramid,” Turesobei said.
“And right now, one side looks as dangerous as another,” Awasa said.
“Turesobei, you get in the middle,” Zaiporo said, slinging his bow over his shoulder and drawing his sword. “Cast spells. I think fire-based spells would be the best choice.”
“Good idea.”
Everyone chose a side and stepped up to the edge. Turesobei dropped a fireball into the midst of the straw warriors rushing toward Kurine’s side. The blast immediately incinerated a dozen enemies. Many more caught on fire and burned down slowly as they ran at the pyramid. But more stepped out of the mists to replace them.
“Alternate the blasts,” Zaiporo said. “One to each side to keep their ranks thinned.”
Turesobei acknowledged the order and spun around to check the opposite side. This fireball scored a direct hit on a clump of warriors and scattered their burning debris into the ranks behind, setting even more on fire. He smiled before turning to help out on Zaiporo’s side. It felt good to fight with magic again.
The straw warriors on this side had already reached the base of the pyramid. He wiped out the front lines, buying Zaiporo more time, and spun to Awasa’s side. Warriors were already charging up the steps towards her. There was nothing he could do to stop them from reaching her now. Awasa screamed out a battle cry and swung Fangthorn in a deadly arc. Turesobei blasted the straw warriors still on the ground and turned back to help Kurine. With her dark-steel sword and mudras, Awasa was their most powerful fighter and, after all their practice, Turesobei knew he could trust her to hold steady.
* * *
The second bell tolled.
The first two waves of the battle had gone well. So far they had held their ground without any difficulty. Being able to use spells made a big difference.
Dozens of muck-demons, reduced to puddles of goo, dripped down the pyramid steps and pooled along the low points, mixing with piles of scorched straw.
Turesobei relaxed his shoulders, sheathed his sword and took a few deep breaths. The straw warriors and muck-demons had been a warm-up. Whatever appeared out of the fog next would no doubt be much worse. He expected the next half hour to be Torment.
“Everyone okay?” Zaiporo asked.
They all nodded their replies except Awasa, who made no response. After the first fifteen minutes she had gone into rage monster mode. But she was following orders and fighting like a demon. As long as she could maintain that balance, she would be okay.
Eight-legged creatures the size of mastiffs suddenly scurried out of the mists. Glowing eyes and clicking mandibles made them resemble giant fire ants. But horns curled out from their foreheads instead of antenna, and their segmented bodies ended in wickedly barbed tails.
Zaiporo took out his bow and launched an arrow. The razor-sharp bolt struck one of the ant-demons but bounced off its carapace.
“They’re as heavily armored as they look,” he said with a sigh.
“Aim for their necks and joints,” Iniru said. “Hitting anything else is going to be a waste of energy.”
Turesobei drew a spell strip. “Niru, Sumada should easily cut through their armor.”
“What about me?” Kurine asked, brandishing her war hammer.
“Just bash their heads,” Zaiporo said. “That ought to do it.”
Turesobei was out of fire-based spells and didn’t want to slow-cast any spells unless necessary. So he cast the spell of the storm shards, unleashing a torrent of hailstones at the ant-demons on Zaiporo’s side. The stones didn’t penetrate their armor but the impacts dazed them, slowing their advance.
He turned to Kurine’s side, drew another strip, and cast the spell of the relentless darkfire bolt. A crackling, purple-flamed bolt erupted from his palm and zoomed out into the mass of ant-demons. It skewered one, then struck the one behind it and the one behind that one. It killed a dozen more before fizzling out. Unfazed, the ant-demons scuttled up the pyramid steps. Turesobei spun to the next side and hit them with another darkfire bolt.
The ant-demons crested the last step and charged into the slashing of swords and the pounding of a hammer. Their armor deflected half the group’s strikes. And they moved in so fast, one atop another, that hardly anyone had a chance to aim their blows. Turesobei used up the
rest of his spell strips for the darkfire bolt taking out ant-demons that threatened to get past his companions.
Then an ant-demon launched itself at Kurine. She raised her shield in time, but the impact sent her crashing backward. Turesobei rushed in and stabbed his saber into the beast’s left eye. It screeched and fell away dead. Kurine climbed to her feet and stomped back into the fray.
Turesobei cast the spell of banishing lesser demons. The ant-demons backed away for a moment but then surged forward again. Their weight forced everyone into the center. They were practically fighting back to back now. The ant-demons were relentless. There was no way they could take much more of this. Turesobei cast the spell of banishing greater demons, and the ants fled from the top of the pyramid…only to charge back up two breaths later.
“Why isn’t that working?” Awasa asked.
He sliced the mandibles off an ant-demon. “I guess they’re not exactly demons.” He slashed at a demon and his blade bounced off its carapace. “I’d have to key the spell to them, and that takes time.”
Iniru severed the front legs off a demon and kicked it aside. “Do something that works.”
He reached into his pouch and paused, unsure of what spell to draw. He was tiring, not from physical exertion but from casting spells. He had spent a lot of time practicing his spells, but he hadn’t spent any time using them in a battle.
His mind raced through what he had that could affect more than a few of these things at a time. A blinding light spell didn’t sound like it would work and neither would a fog cloud or a wind blast or rain storm. He could summon two stone walls and place them at the edges of the pyramid…but with their insect legs, the ant-demons would just scurry over those. He’d keep it in mind, though, for whatever they faced next.
That left only the Kaiaru storm spells. And he had been saving those for the final period when they’d face their most dangerous opponents, whatever those might be.
Awasa grunted as an ant-demon chewed through her leg armor and bit into her calf. With a swing of Fangthorn she lopped its head off. A trickle of crimson energy danced down the blade. Two more charged in while her defenses were down. Turesobei moved toward her. But it was okay. She had lured them into a trap. She held up a mudra, drawing energy from the blade to power it. The beasts stopped, fascinated, and she killed them easily.
Again, for a brief moment, a sense of some great wrong flashed through Turesobei’s awareness. But he didn’t have time to focus on what that could be. He had to keep going.
Kurine and Zaiporo were barely holding their own. Turesobei wasn’t faring much better. They all had numerous cuts and bruises and other minor injuries. Awasa was still going strong while Iniru sliced and diced ant-demons with ease. But neither of them could help anyone else. There were too many ant-demons. Soon they’d be overwhelmed. They’d fail the test.
He cast the spell of the ram of force. A ghostly ram with curling horns appeared in front of him and charged out into the demons. It knocked the nearest ones back, snapping their necks, and rampaged through their ranks before disappearing. He unleashed a second, then a third, aiming them in different directions. It helped, giving them a little breathing room, but it wasn’t enough. He’d need six or seven of the rams going at once to make a real difference.
A demon bit Zaiporo’s arm, its razor mandibles cutting deep into his flesh. Zaiporo cried out and dropped his sword.
Turesobei had to do something fast. Then he remembered—the spell of the concussive bubble! It was similar to the spell of the ram of force, except it would extend in a circle out from him and blast everything back. That would give them a chance to regroup. And, more importantly, it would buy them time. They didn’t have to kill all the ant-demons, just hold them off until the next wave.
Turesobei reached into his pouch. The spell strip leapt into his fingers. The only trick with the spell of the concussive bubble was that he had to attune it properly. Otherwise, he’d hit his companions with it too. Luckily, he knew their energy signatures perfectly thanks to all the practice teleports he’d carried them on. But if the ant-demon that was latched onto Zaiporo didn’t let go, he might be carried off with the ants….
Zaiporo punched the ant-demon in the face. It let go and staggered back, stunned.
Perfect. Turesobei cast the spell.
But the ant-demon surged forward, clamped it mandibles onto Zaiporo’s arm, and jerked Zaiporo to his knees. Another ant-demon immediately chomped into the lacquered armor on his back.
Turesobei’s breath caught. He had to cancel the spell before it—
Thoom! A wave of force popped out from the pyramid as the spell activated.
The shockwave blasted every ant-demon off the pyramid leaving all his companions unharmed—except Zaiporo.
Even as they tumbled through the air, the ant-demons kept their grip on him. They landed hard, twenty feet away from the pyramid’s base. All the uninjured ant-demons nearby immediately attacked him. He screamed as they ripped into him. Then his amulet flashed red and gold and a shimmering force field appeared around him, protecting him from further attacks.
Turesobei stared in horror. If this had been a real battle, Zaiporo would be dead. He glanced up at the observation platform where Enashoma was watching. But it was Lord Gyoroe who caught his attention. Grimacing, Gyoroe was taking deep, labored breaths. Something was wrong.
“Sobei, cover Zai's position.”
Turesobei dragged his focus back to the battle. Awasa had snapped out of her state of controlled rage and and taken over as captain.
The ant-demons were already charging back up the pyramid. But at least everyone had gotten a chance to catch their breath a bit—everyone left, anyway.
“And for the sake of all things vile and unholy, stop worrying about tiring yourself out too soon and blast these cursed things.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He quick-cast a fireball spell without a strip and bounced the flaming orb down his side of the pyramid. Gasping for breath, he unleashed a second one and angled it to Kurine's side.
When the ants reached the top, though, he found it impossible to get in another quick-cast spell. The ants hemmed them in and he had to battle furiously with his sword.
One ant-demon attacked low while two more went high. Turesobei sliced the head off the first and rammed his elbow into the face of the second. But the third pierced his armor and scored a deep cut on his right knee. He knocked the beast back with his sword as he fell to his other knee.
“Do something!” Awasa yelled at him.
“You’ll have to shield me!”
Awasa stabbed the ant-demon in front of Kurine, freeing her to shield-bash the ones in front of Turesobei. He drew the strip for the spell of heaven’s breath, tapped into the Storm Dragon’s power and did a quick-casting of the difficult Kaiaru storm spell, aiming it carefully.
Howling winds erupted around the pyramid and swept the ant-demons from the top, throwing them back out into the mists. Afraid of getting someone hurt again, he’d positioned the spell so it wouldn’t affect the ones on the top. But it caught the ones on the edge, dragging them down the steps and away.
He stood, got in two sword-strokes then collapsed with exhaustion.
“Close ranks around Sobei!” Awasa shouted.
His comrades formed a triangle around him, desperately fighting the remaining ant-demons. He worried at first that he’d acted too late and they would be overwhelmed. But they steadily finished off the last of the enemy. They were going to make it.
Then his spell ended. The storm winds died out and the ant-demons it had blown back recovered. They charged across the battlefield. Turesobei climbed to his feet and readied his sword.
Awasa glanced at him. “No more spells?”
“Not till I can rest a moment.”
The first ant-demons reached them.
The bell rang. And the creatures vanished mid-strike.
With a collective sigh of relief, they all sat and took advan
tage of the few moments of rest they’d get before the next group of opponents assaulted them. Turesobei didn’t know how they were going to get through this. He was exhausted already. Casting storm spells, even with spell strips, seemed impossible.
“Poor Zai,” Iniru said as she found his frozen form among the litter of dead enemies. “He's got to be hurting.” She rotated her leg, showing them where an ant-demon had bitten into her, tearing away a chunk of armor. The swollen flesh oozed green puss and blood. “It feels like I dipped the wound into a hornet’s nest.”
With a groan, Kurine turned her back to them, displaying a set of bite marks with similar swelling patterns. “I don’t know what hornets, are but this burns like it’s on fire.”
“My knee hurts bad,” Turesobei said, “but it’s not burning.”
“Yet,” Iniru replied. “Don't worry. It’ll kick in soon.”
Awasa stood. “Everyone up. It’s time. They’re coming.”
Turesobei didn’t know how she could tell, but he trusted her. He looked to the observation platform and met Gyoroe’s orange eyes. There was something awkward about the way Gyoroe held himself, as if he were trying to hide the fact that he was tired or injured.
Gyoroe noticed Turesobei staring at him. His eyes narrowed and flickered to scarlet.
Turesobei turned away. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure stepping out of the mists. The figure lifted a bow and aimed at Kurine. Her side of the pyramid faced away from the figure. Busy scanning her own section of mist for new enemies, she’d never see him.
A bowstring twanged. She didn’t stand a chance.
“Kurine, watch out!”
The arrow sped toward her. He lunged to shove her out of its path. Time slowed as he watched it fly. His shoulder met her side and she slowly pivoted out of the way, just in time.
The arrow struck him instead—directly in the heart.
Or it would have. The instant before it reached him, the force field deployed from his amulet with a red and gold flash.
Prickles spread across his skin. His limbs went numb and, despite his best effort, he couldn’t move. But at least he was standing and could see what was going on around him.
The Blood King’s Apprentice Page 35