Rohan smiled at him and clapped one shoulder. “You did well. You should rest now. We’ll take care of the rest.”
Once Leax was out of earshot, Rohan led them a short distance away where they still had a view of the valley’s entrance but couldn’t be heard by the others. Though it was only a matter of time before it spread to the whole camp.
“We’ll need to organize everyone and take these pursuers down. We can’t afford to have any escape, so there will be no quarter and we’ll have to hit them fast and hard.” Rohan sounded calm.
Azara’s eyes took on the sharp look that Jin knew only too well. “I can take a small group and we can hide up ahead, and when they come into camp, we can hit them from behind. By which point, we can pincer them and stop anyone who tries to run for it.”
“That seems like it will be our best bet.”
Jin coughed quietly, drawing two identical gazes. “I have something I’d like to try. Since we have the time to prepare, I have several options among my spell repertoire that could be very effective. It would be simple enough for me to set a trigger and unleash it on our would-be attackers. We’d have to ensure none of our people move through the designated area.”
Azara smiled. “That sounds perfect. We can clean up the remnants after. Do you need anything from us?”
He shook his head. “I’ll start work immediately. If you do intend to send people to circle behind, make sure they walk partially up the hills and stay off the trail. I’ll have the spell centred there and have it triggered by movement through it.”
Father and daughter nodded, and Jin headed towards his task, leaving it to them to organize the fire mages. He walked out of their camp and down the trail until he was far enough away from camp that it would be safe. The hill had fallen away into a field of overgrown grass. He sat down on the narrow line of dirt through the flattened grass and considered his options.
It took him a few moments to come to a decision. Jin ignored the guilt gnawing at his stomach, the reminder of what the fire mages had been through and would be put through again if caught hardening his resolve. After a few minutes to choose the best way to incorporate the size and time restriction, as well as the movement trigger, Jin got to work. As he had time, he drew his sigils with one hand, concentrating on getting every detail right. The backlash on this spell would not be pretty.
A longer spell by combat standards, Jin was finished in a short amount of time. He was also covered in sweat. He flexed hands that felt momentarily weak. It was an intense spell, but not the kind that would exhaust him. He would prefer not to do any more spellcasting until he’d had a chance to rest.
Leaving the area of his trap, it immediately went into effect. He hurried back to camp, finding Azara and her father discussing the best positioning of their people. “Azara,” Jin said, stopping in front of them. “The spell I used is not something anyone can be nearby. Circling around the enemy won’t be possible until the effects have been dissipated. I set the spell for a few dozen heartbeats, but it is best to give it twice that to ensure no one gets caught in it.”
She frowned. “What kind of spell did you use?”
He grimaced. “One I strongly dislike but it’s very effective.”
Azara held his eyes for several moments. “Okay, it’s not as if our camp isn’t defensible. We’ll remain here.”
She and Rohan set off to collect those mages they were using while Jin remained where he was. He leaned against the lone tree sprouting near the entrance and eyed the area. He’d set the spell to only recognize movement of the size of a human or more, so it shouldn’t be released by a bird or any other nearby animals. Still, he worried.
It wasn’t long before Azara and Rohan returned, directing the various fire mages to different positions and giving them orders. Jin listened with half an ear, focused on the trail. He wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision.
As always in these situations, they were ready long before the enemy approached. When they did finally hear the tattoo of hoofbeats, Jin felt his stomach clench. He swallowed hard and forced himself to watch. If he was to be the author of their deaths, he had to have the stomach to watch his handiwork or risk losing his humanity.
When they came into view, Jin felt his guilt jab him again. These weren’t guards from the fort who’d known what was happening. These were Nalbinian soldiers in their bright uniforms, riding matched chestnut horses, three across as they followed the trail. They slowed at the sight of them, reining up in front of the trap spell’s trigger area.
“You there, who are you and what are you doing here?” shouted the oldest of the soldiers, one who had the markings of their leader.
Azara moved to stand beside Jin. “Do they need to ride through the area to set your spell off?”
He nodded, unable to speak. She smiled harshly only because she didn’t know what awaited the poor men. She moved so she was visible in the narrowed entrance to the valley. “We’re runaway fire mage slaves heading to our freedom. Will you stop us?”
The leader said something to his men they couldn’t hear. After a few moments he turned to them and drew the sword at his side. “Charge!” he called, kicking his horse into a canter, as the others joined him.
Jin assumed they had planned to fall into a single line once they reached where the hill began and run them over with their charge. They didn’t get that far. When they hit his spell, it triggered, filling the area around it with clouds that had a faint yellow tinge to them. The screams began.
The spell was blessedly short-lived, but when the clouds dissipated, Jin was glad they’d kept the children in the van. His stomach heaved but he forced it to stay where it was. He heard two people behind him who gave in, vomiting where they stood.
The bodies of the men and horses were half-melted, partially smoking in places, the grass completely gone. Only bare earth and the oozing corpses remained. There were puddles of half-melted skin and hair as well as chunks of flesh that had fallen off. It was the scene of nightmares and something Jin had never wanted to see.
Azara turned to stare at him, eyes huge, face pale. “What did you do?” she whispered.
His voice cracked when he spoke. “Acid spell. It melts and burns anything that touches it. I learned it in case of war, but it’s incredibly nasty and not something I ever wanted to use. It was the only spell I could safely use and not affect our camp. We’ll need to go around the bodies. That’s why I set it back from where the hill begins, so that we can get around. The bodies may burn if touched. They’ll need a few days to be safe.”
For a long moment, no one said anything. Then Rohan grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re on our side in all of this.”
When Jin stared up at Rohan, Azara smiled at him. “If that’s what you can do to a dozen soldiers with time to prepare, we might just get through this unscathed.”
Slowly, Jin relaxed. Neither of them were treating him differently and that helped. The others might, but he didn’t think he could have borne it if Azara had started acting distant or had been actually afraid of him.
* * *
Having both taken the first shift of watch, it was easy for Azara to catch Jin’s eye when their relief arrived. He moved closer to her, the green light that moved through the trees making his quizzical expression easy to see. They had spotted the edge of the forest where it bulged out towards the road as they had begun looking for a camp location. It had proved ideal, close enough to the road they could start again quickly, but far enough away they wouldn’t be spotted.
It also served Azara well, giving her and Jin the privacy she wanted. “Will you walk with me?”
He fell into step beside her as she led the way out of their camp, deeper into the trees. Neither spoke, the only sound the morning birdsong and chatter of squirrels. To Azara everything smelled of green and growth. She glanced at Ji
n, who was looking around, and she wondered if he’d ever spent this much time in the wild as he had during their journey.
When they came across a small clearing with weathered stone jutting out of the forest floor, Azara came to a stop. She gestured to one of the rocks that was almost a perfect rectangle. “Would you like to sit?”
Jin nodded, pulling his coat off and laying it across the grass in front of the stone, before offering her his hand. She took it, more out of habit than anything else, and let him help her sit. It tickled her a little bit, the way he treated her like a normal woman. She knew it was left over from their identities, but she found herself enjoying it. It was a rare occurrence for her.
He knelt first, running his fingers along the grey rock behind her, before he finally sat. “I believe these stones were once part of a building. Their edges seem too precise, despite the elements having worn them away. If I’m not mistaken, this may be the site of some ancient settlement or home.”
Azara shrugged. The history of a place no one likely remembered had little interest to her, though she did note the spark in Jin’s eyes. “I suppose it could be. I wouldn’t know. I don’t know much beyond the recent past, and my education hasn’t exactly been comprehensive.”
Jin smiled at her. “That could easily be rectified. I have many books on the histories of the Empire and other nearby countries in my rooms. I would be happy to give you the same education those who wish to pass the officials’ exam need.”
This conversation wasn’t going anywhere that Azara wanted. “That’s something that we can talk about once we’re safe across the border.”
That sobered him, which caused a faint twinge of guilt at pulling down his smile. But they needed to have this conversation. “I wanted to speak to you about the spell you used yesterday.”
The shutters on his face came down, and he turned a polite mask on her, one that immediately had her back up. This wasn’t the Jin she was used to. She glowered. “I’m aware that several of the fire mages were...well they were deliberately avoiding you. I assume you noticed.”
He nodded but said nothing. Azara crossed her arms over her chest. “I wanted to apologize for them. You saved them, but they’re behaving like you’re some kind of monster, despite everything you’ve done. I hope you can forgive them, or at least, won’t pay too much attention to what they do. You’ve impressed far more of the fire mages than you know, and several feel safer with you here now.” She hoped he hadn’t taken some of the mages’ reactions to heart. More than a few were skittish already with everything that had happened, so any magic outside of what they could use themselves made them jumpy. Add in something as powerful as what Jin could do and... Well, they were here now.
Jin studied her face for several moments, cracks appearing in his expression before he let out a long sigh, dropping his face into his hands. His shoulders began to shake, and Azara felt her chest squeeze. She knew this would be hard on him. He valued others’ opinions and had taken their cause on. Being avoided by anyone was painful, and more so for the people you were trying to protect.
She reached out to touch his shoulder as a choking noise escaped him. Just before she made contact, he threw his head back and laughed. Azara froze, hand outstretched, staring. Jin was laughing, his arms wrapped around himself, his whole body shaking. He laughed so hard tears appeared in the corners of his eyes, but he kept at it. She could only stare.
When the laughter began to slow, he looked at her, then was sent off into fresh peals. That broke through her surprise, and she dropped her hand so she could cross her arms over her chest and gave him a severe look. It took him a while longer to get himself under control, and when he did, she glowered.
With the odd chuckle escaping him, Jin didn’t ignore her silent demand for an explanation. “My apologies, my apologies,” he said, wiping at the corners of his eyes. “What you said... I’d thought you were bringing me here to discuss restricting my magic use, or to forbid me using powers like that, or to tell me that I was making everyone uncomfortable, that I was making you uncomfortable, and you wanted to limit our interactions.”
“Why would I do that? You’ve done nothing but help me, and the fire mages. You could have left those men to us, without exposing yourself. You protected us and allowed us to move swiftly without hindrance. Yes, the bodies were disturbing, but that is the case when people are burned by fire mages as well. You’re my partner in this. I’m not about to separate from you now.”
“That makes me gladder to hear than you know. Not everyone is as accepting.”
She snorted. “Then they’re idiots. No power or spell is inherently evil or bad, it’s how it’s used. And in times like these, results are what’s important. If it can protect these people, people who have suffered, than it can only be good as far as I’m concerned. And really, anyone who will look askance at you for knowing a certain spell or the like, is not the kind of person you want to associate with.”
His eyes crinkled up. “You’re always very direct.”
“On the streets, most don’t bother wasting time with niceties or circling around an issue. Direct is best. And you’re not the type to think less of me for it, so I don’t need to bother pretending to be someone I’m not. I like that. I enjoy talking with you as well. You’re direct in your own way.”
“I suppose I am. Though not always.”
Azara grinned. “No, not always. You weren’t in the Empire. But you didn’t like me much. Which was fair, as I didn’t like you much at the beginning. I do now.”
“I like you as well.”
With him looking at her like that, alone in the woods, and with nothing but time until they left again late this afternoon, Azara smiled wickedly. Jin looked startled for a moment, but she didn’t let that last long. She leaned forward and kissed him.
He went still. Jin really was entirely too innocent. She ran her tongue along where his lips met, before pressing even closer to him. He stiffened for a moment, but then he was kissing her back.
She slid a hand up his chest, shifting until she could settle herself over the legs he had spread out in front of him. The eyes he’d closed flew open to stare at her. She moved to slide an arm around his neck, her chest against his, the warmth of him stoking the fire growing inside.
Straddling him, Azara’s nipples tightened under her dress as she inhaled his scent and their tongues met. She had wanted this for too long. She edged upwards on his legs so her growing wetness was over his pelvis, where she could feel that she was not the only one with stiffening body parts.
One of his hands hesitantly moved to touch her lower back, as if afraid of hurting her. While part of her wanted to roll her eyes, the rest of her knew he was inexperienced and shy. And that was something she could very well fix.
She broke their kiss with some reluctance, moving so she was sitting up properly. While he stared dazedly at her, she grabbed the hand on her and laid it over one breast. Jin went red which she ignored except for a brief thought that he was cute like that. With her hand over his, she gently squeezed her breast with his hand.
His mouth opened so she leaned forward and reclaimed it, keeping his hand where it was. She waited until he was distracted by what she was doing with her tongue in his mouth before she slowly withdrew her one hand, and like she’d hoped, he left his hand on her chest. He didn’t squeeze it which was a pity.
First, she had other investigations to make. With her now free hand, she ran it down his chest, not stopping when he froze. Finally she placed it over where his legs met, softly stroking the area. A little noise came from the back of his throat. She kissed him harder as she continued feeling the edges of his shaft until she had a better idea of the full size of him.
Not the largest she’d had, but not the smallest either. With a finger to either side of it, she ran fingers up and down the length of him, liking the way his legs twitched
. She pulled her mouth away from his and put her lips near his ear, feeling her pulse pound in her ears. “You know, you’re really wearing too many clothes. As am I.”
“Y-you... I-I... That is, this...this is not the place to do...to do what you’re thinking.”
She moved so he could see her smile and the naked desire in her eyes. “It will be so much fun.”
Jin swallowed. “This, for both of us, not here I think.”
Her eyes narrowed as she considered her options. She didn’t want to be thwarted by his morals a second time. An idea had her grinning wickedly at him. “If we don’t fully join it’s fine, correct?”
He only stared, confusion written all over his face. She chuckled and shifted so she was half-lying on his legs. Clever fingers and experience made short work of the opening of his trousers. Jin made a noise that might have been a half-protest, but her hand lying against the hot skin of his shaft stopped that. She glanced up to make sure he was okay. He licked his lips, staring at her, his desire evident on his face as well as beneath her hand.
Azara gently worked his dick free, until she could see the whole of it. There was more girth to it than she’d expected, which was all the good as far as she was concerned. She ran her fingers from the shaft to the tip making Jin shudder. She slid them softly down again before she gripped the base. With another quick flash of smile at him, she lowered her head.
So as not to surprise him too much, she pressed her lips against the head of his pipe, kissing it. She gave him a moment to register that before she opened her mouth and enveloped the head. She swirled her tongue around all of it, flicking the very top. She found the thick vein at the base and traced it before sliding her tongue all around him again.
Jin moaned, the sound making her gully ache. She wanted him inside of her but he’d made it clear that it wasn’t happening. Probably not without a proper bed. Still, there were other things they could do.
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