“I think we also ran into the same situation a while back. But our problem with that Aztecah company is that there are only five of us and we can’t afford to let anyone escape if we do attack them,” averred Tyler.
“Here’s my proposal. We can attack from the high ground, meaning from this direction. I will send some of my men to guard the sides of the clearing, with instructions not to let anyone escape. Four warriors on each of the three sides should cover that problem. The remaining six, including me, will accompany you when you attack.”
“That would work. But how will your men get into position without the Aztecah knowing? Wait. Don’t answer. That was a stupid question. You and your men go try to rescue the prisoners. In their state of weakness, I guess a puny human would look the same as another. We wouldn’t want them attacking while we try to rescue them. The five of us will be the first to handle the mages and the warriors.”
“You sound confident about the numbers, High Mage.”
“We do have surprise on our side and I intend to do away with the mages the first chance I get. My companions can handle themselves.”
“Done,” said Seth-Tenoch who looked at the giant warriors closest to him and gave a series of hand signals. Twelve of his men then vanished from sight, their figures melding with the jungle.
“That’s a nice trick,” commented the mage. “Even with magic, I couldn’t even detect your presence.”
“It’s a racial ability. As to magic, our mages do know a few tricks outside of the realm of mortal knowledge.”
“Are you a mage?” asked Tyler.
“A bit of a mage and a bit of a warrior. Considering what’s left of our people, we are forced to adapt. Shouldn’t we be going? I will know when my men are in position. That’s in a few minutes.”
“Then we better hurry. You Quinametzin move fast.”
“A trait easy to learn when one is constantly hunted.”
Tyler shook his head. “I do wish your people will be numerous again. From what I have learned so far, too many peoples have vanished from this world through wars and deliberate extermination.”
He turned his attention to his companions.
“When we move down the slope or cliff which Habrok mentioned, Tyndur and Astrid will be the front liners. Asem and Habrok on their flanks and slightly behind them. I will be between Tyndur and Astrid. Just give me some space. As usual, a tall shield then one with half-body height when we get to the low ground. But I will keep barriers on our sides and above us. Asem, when we’re there, kindly point out the mages to me. They should be the first to go.”
The priestess nodded. Tyndur gave Habrok a playful punch in the arm.
“Now this is more like it. A melee! Fun and games!” the einherjar exclaimed.
Chapter XIX
Fun and Games
Tyler watched the busy Aztecah encampment. He had hidden all of them with an invisibility field. The giant Seth-Tenoch and the priestess Asem were by his side as he lay prone. The Aztecah warriors were already starting to break camp. Food and other items were being put away. Other warriors were already forming up in march order. The colorful armor decorations and headgear did give the entire scene a circus look though attended by cruel-looking men wielding weapons. An abstract eagle motif was predominant in the armor embellishments.
The prisoners were grouped in a huddle surrounded by a few warriors. The rest were busy in preparations for the continuation of their trek back to the city. Unfortunately, the three mages, as identified by Asem, were widely separated. One was conferring with a group of men armored differently from the rest. Tyler assumed them to be the leaders of the company. Another was down among the provisions, still finishing his meal while the third was busy with the men forming up. He could handle two, but the mage having dinner was at the tail-end of the formation.
He gestured to Habrok. The man crawled beside him.
“Habrok, see that man enjoying his food? At the end of the group, among the piled stores.”
“Yes, sire.”
“That’s a mage. You still have plenty of those anti-magic arrows of yours?”
The ranger understood what Tyler intended. He grinned and nodded.
“Kill him the moment I launch my attack.”
Habrok nodded and slid away to a shooting position. Tyler couldn’t see the five giants following their war leader, but he guessed they had already positioned themselves near the prisoners. He looked at Seth-Tenoch.
“Your men in position?”
“Yes. The group on the right just reached its spot. You can start when you’re ready. And if you missed it, it appears most of those fighters are from the Eagle Society. Another of their elite warrior guilds. Though I don’t see any from the Jaguar guild or any from the Otomies or the Shorn Ones,” commented the warband leader. “I have to go. Good hunting.”
The mage turned his attention back to Aztecah. They seemed at ease. Relaxed.
They probably don’t expect any problems this close to their temple city. Maybe even planning how to spend their furlough, reflected Tyler. Now to play.
He launched two large spearhead-shaped fiery blades. One for each mage. He doubted if they had shields in place, or if they did, then it wouldn’t be at battle strength. On his right side, Tyler saw a flight of arrows heading towards the eating mage. Habrok was not leaving anything to chance. It was swiftly followed by another group of shafts directed towards those furthest from their position. The man’s speed with his bow is truly phenomenal, the mage observed as he detonated several fireballs among clustered warriors.
As the two magical spears of fire exploded, Seth-Tenoch and his five warriors appeared among the guards watching the prisoners. The suddenness of Tyler’s attack had shocked them for a few precious seconds, enabling the giants to dispose of them quickly. Three giants remained with the prisoners while the other trio, Seth-Tenoch in the lead, moved to meet warriors headed towards them. Experienced and hardened, Tyler noted. The attack held them in place for only one or two seconds. The mage flung small clouds of arrow-shaped forms against reforming groups. He could see officers shouting orders. All the mages were dead. The two explosive and fire-filled spears had disintegrated their targets and killed men nearby. Habrok’s target was on his back, peppered with arrows.
Some wounded warriors, felled by the blasts, were scrambling away from the detonation spots. The mage flung more slicing attacks and exploded fireballs at where he saw leaders of the Aztecah actively directing the enemy’s response. He didn’t see any warriors run towards the sides of the meadow. But he could observe Seth-Tenoch and his companions, in a triangle formation, already fighting with the warriors who had reached them. The giant was using a version of the Aztecah macuahuitl, a mace made of hardwood. Seth-Tenoch’s weapon was a two-handed one but with metal edges. It smashed through shields, armor, flesh, and bone. The giant’s strength was evident in the crumpled or flying forms when the massive mace hit. An enchanted weapon, Tyler observed. The glowing trail it left behind as it was swung gave it away. His companions were using double-headed battleaxes. For such large humanoids, they were agile and fast. But their foes were beginning to crowd them. The mage could see atlatl spears bouncing off energy barriers of the giants. The three guarding the prisoners had vanished from sight again, but the mage didn’t doubt that they were still among their captive brethren. Spear-sized arrows were flying from that location, skewering Aztecah warriors, sometimes two at the same time.
He noticed the companions looking at him.
“Sorry, got carried away. Let’s go down.”
Tyler stood up and formed his barriers for the group. He turned his attention to Hal and X.
“Guys, remember – fire to your processor’s content.”
The AIs didn’t answer though lines of deadly force started erupting from Tyler’s eyes. It didn’t affect him nor interfered with his vision. He assumed the guides merely made it appear as if he could fire off such beams from them. This time, however, the color
of the rays was red. Man, I should be in a movie, thought Tyler with a grim smile. I can just imagine how I look. A true-blue comic book character.
They hurried down the slope. Habrok firing shaft after shaft all the time. The ranger still concentrated on those near the surrounding trees. Tyler estimated the Aztecah force to have been decimated by more than half, especially when he saw arrows the size of spears coming from the neighboring woods striking at the back of the enemy. When some fighters sighted them, they immediately shifted their direction to intercept Tyler’s group. Some of the warriors at the rear of the men attacking the giants also joined them, though the rain of aimed massive arrows continued to thin their ranks.
Finally, a group of around twenty reached them, with more following. Tyndur and Astrid immediately rushed to the attack.
“Sire?” It was Asem.
“Yes?” answered Tyler without looking. He was busy directing blades at individual warriors. He didn’t even have the time nor the opportunity to check the full murderously devastating effect of his earlier spells.
“Can I join the two? I could do with some training. My variations on Tahtib and Lotus fighting are rusty.”
“By all means, join them. Don’t take risks,” replied Tyler. As Asem rushed forward, he saw the priestess holding her khopesh. “And happy slicing!” he called out.
Tyler focused on covering the flanks of his three companions now engaged in the skirmish in front of him. Astrid was in her usual swift form, wasting no movement, every thrust and cut of her twin xiphoi a means to the end of her opponents. The mage observed that her first fluid moves were usually to remove any shield or disable a foe unless the attacker had left himself open. After the first pass, the following actions were often the killing moves.
Tyndur, on the other hand, fought as a berserker would. But his fast and skilled form made up of the seemingly reckless attacks he made. He usually tried to overpower his enemies at the start, even aiming to crush or tear through a raised shield. Spears and swords were cut as they thrust at him. Though he saw the battleaxe bounce off a wooden mace. Must be a powerful enchantment, he noted. Shouts of “Jorund’s Justice!” accompanied his assaults. But insults assailing the mothers of his opponents and other imaginative combination of innocent words lent color to his attacks.
Asem was also a swift fighter though Astrid was still immeasurably faster. At least in Asem’s case, he could see the movements of the priestess as she used the khopesh to cut through the Aztecah warriors. The curved tip of the khopesh was primarily used by her to remove or lower shields of her opponents or to cut through spear hafts. A quick motion following the action of the tip of the khopesh usually resulted in a sliced throat, a hacked hand or arm. With her high agility, the weapon also found exposed ankles, shoulders, and heads. The movements of the priestess reminded Tyler of a smooth and fast dance. A deadly folk dance with a lot of quick contortions and leaping. More warriors joined the attack on the three companions, easing the pressure on Seth-Tenoch. Tyler could see that one of the giants was down on the ground, clutching his hip.
As the three were reaping enemies, the mage observed that the three, though facing different enemies, seamlessly joined their efforts. A back protected, a flank attack diverted. An exposed warrior facing one of the three usually died at the hands of one of the others. Three different fighting styles, separately exercised, merged into an elegant tapestry of form and movement.
Finally, it was over. What remained of the Aztecah were running towards the trees. Tyler watched them flee. Though most didn’t even reach the edge of the clearing, the arrows of the waiting giants impaled and pinned them to the ground. A few were dismembered by the force of the impact of the giant arrows. Then, the clearing was quiet except for the groans of the wounded. While Seth-Tenoch attended to his wounded companion, the other one, joined by one of those with the captives, was going over the field killing the wounded.
Asem walked back. Tyndur and Astrid were also going over the fallen enemies in their part of the clearing. The mage could see the weapons of his companions and those of the giants being raised from time to time and then fall into a body crouched on the ground. In the relative quiet of the glade, he could hear the sickening thud as each weapon hit its mark.
The mage looked around for a place to sit. He found a large stone and sat down slowly. He was tired. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. The scene before him made things worse. Tyler knew by this time he would never get used to the dead and dismembered bodies of a battlefield. He could sense a certain detachment from the imagery and even some emotional numbness from the grim and bloody aftermath. But he was thankful that he still felt upset by the view and that killing would never be second nature to him. So far, taking lives came from battles, skirmishes, and encounters where his life was first threatened or was at stake. His responses, especially those resulting from instinctive reactions, might be overkill at times, but he held that his life was worth it. No sense allowing your opponent a second chance.
Asem sat down by his side, also observing the field.
“Congratulations, High Priestess. That was a highly efficient display.”
“Still a bit rusty, sire. Our companions never fail to amaze me with their skills. It reassures me that there are still warriors like them standing up to the coming dark.”
“Coming dark, Asem? I think it’s the first time I’ve heard something so ominous from you.”
“I feel something huge and evil in the wind. But not one but of many forms. Our encounters with corrupted creatures and beings I have only read about only reinforces my belief.”
“Putting that aside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the three of you effortlessly merging your fighting styles. It even looked choreographed.”
“It surprised me too, sire. But I guess experience, training, and more importantly, trust, made it possible. But your eyebeams were a revelation. First time I have seen such a thing. I have never come across it in my father’s books. Those flashes disintegrated ordinary warriors. Mind if I ask about it some more when we have the time?
Now I should have expected that. A seeker of knowledge. Really takes after the father.
“It has something to do with being a visitor and some spells I was able to modify.”
“Amazing! I look forward to learning about it.”
“When we have the time, Asem. Though I think I have forgotten about your geas while in my service. “
“I have talked with Habrok and Astrid. I know the terms of service. I do swear, on my father’s name, to serve you under the same terms with a few qualifications.”
“And those are?”
“Required and necessary because of my station, sire. The first is if you ever turn evil, I will leave your service and be your enemy. The second is if you turn against the people of Kemet or my father, I will also leave your side. But in both instances, you have my word that I will first advise you of my decision.”
“They sound reasonable. Though I couldn’t imagine turning against your father and what he stands for.”
“Father seems to trust you and that’s saying a lot.”
“I do highly appreciate his trust. And to think I have met him only twice if memory serves me right. But to be clear – it’s your father and the people of Kemet, right? Though the term ‘people’ could be interpreted in a lot of ways. My position on that will be if I wage war on your people and if the interests of Adar are not at stake. It does not include the rest of the pantheon and other gods of Kemet. Nor its kings and nobility. My right to defend myself stands. I accept your service on those terms.”
“Then it is done, sire.”
“I bid you welcome to our merry band. Let’s be realistic here. Your father will hold it against me if something happens to you?”
“He knew the risks. I knew it involved enormous danger though the details were not given. Considering what I have seen so far, I may have underestimated the risks involved,” laughed Asem. “I mean, corrupted magical energy?
Stealing into the Aztecah heartland?”
“That’s our world for now. Habrok had been with me from the start. We specialize in desperate situations, I think. There were several times when I thought we were going to die. And through it all, we have lost a valued companion in Jorund. I pray I don’t lose any of you.”
“My prayers will be with you, sire. Losing a comrade is never easy. Thought I find it encouraging that you treat those who serve you as companions, not as servants. But I spy Seth-Tenoch walking this way.”
Tyler’s face was turned towards the priestess on his left, away from the field. He looked back. The giant was indeed walking towards them
“How are your men, war leader?” he asked when the giant came nearer.
“One wounded. But he’s going to be alright. Those damned Aztecah coated some of their weapons with slow-acting paralyzing concoctions,” replied the giant as he sat on Tyler’s right. “We do have another problem and we need your help.”
“Go on.”
“See those collars I told you about? We can’t touch them. We already broke the connecting chains, but the corruptive magic in them prevents us from removing the blasted collars. Very dangerous to magical beings. We found the master key on one of the mages. The one with decorative arrows stuck in him, but we fear even to touch it.”
“I think I know what you want. But the corruption leaves out the High Priestess, the Valkyrie, and the einherjar. That means me and Habrok who’s a mortal.”
“You’re a visitor so if the legends are true, that means no magic in your body. But I saw you casting spells. Impressive and unique ones, I admit.”
“I’ll do it. I still don’t have magic in my bones though I don’t know if the magic in the collars is the same as the one cast by Yayauhqui. Otherwise, I’ll find myself weakened.”
“You encountered that bitch? Oh, sorry for the language, priestess. But that witch was responsible for a lot of our people being taken captive and sacrificed for their evil ceremonies. But you did survive. Do you know where she is now?”
The Accidental Archmage: Book Three - Blood Wars (The Accidental Archmage Series 3) Page 29