Shit.
Gabriel rushed to beat the surprisingly quick-footed guardsman to the control that would seal the entrance and ruin their plans.
The man screamed for help, but the only response was angry growls and the tortured gurgles of the guard beneath Reyna.
It would be close. The man was only a few feet from the large lever, and Gabriel groaned when he realized he wouldn’t catch him.
Then the man sped up and slammed into the wall headfirst. His skull crumpled, smearing the stone with blood.
Gabriel stopped in his tracks and blinked at the sight. He’d been so focused on beating the man that he’d forgotten about Cindra.
She had caught up to the guard and slammed one hand against the back of his head. Now her gauntlet was drenched in blood and brains, which she tried to shake off. The monster girl turned her head and smiled at him. “Cindra got him, Packmaster.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Yeah. You did. Now let’s hurry up.”
A nasty squelch sounded behind him just before a loud bell rang out an alert.
“We’re waiting on you two peckerwoods to get moving,” Reyna growled in her angry hybrid voice.
He glanced back to her and swallowed at the sight of her climbing off of the ravaged corpse. Even shifted, she was shorter than Sthuza, though she easily outweighed the slender gorgon.
That wasn’t what surprised him, though. Somehow, in the seconds since the battle started, she’d managed to become drenched in gore. Every inch of her furry body looked slick with blood.
She lost her breast wrap. And her shirt.
Reyna didn’t seem to care when he looked her over, but then he figured that she had no reason to with all that fur covering everything.
Although, it kind of looks like her nipples are hard. Really hope that’s not from all the blood.
He turned back to his bonded and nodded. Cindra bolted toward the inner courtyard, and Sthuza followed the taller woman.
Gabriel detoured to release the portcullis before Reyna rushed over. Her bare footsteps landed with a disgusting squish, and he shuddered. Together, they went after his bonded as the heavy steel bars dropped and sealed them inside.
The baron’s castle was the largest private residence in the region and had enough space to fit a detachment of two hundred men-at-arms and a score of light cavalry. A stone tower adjacent to the barracks served as the home of the few mages the baron kept on retainer.
In the center of the vast courtyard stood the keep. Its walls were almost as thick as the outer ones, and while the polished doors were much smaller than the massive gate that they’d rushed through, it was still a formidable barrier.
Doesn’t matter. We can take our time to get through it once we kill all of the guards out here.
The defenders had behaved just like Gabriel had expected. There was a squad of four posted up at the keep gate. All the rest were clustered around the barracks, and only a handful of those had their armor on. Two of them had even rushed out nude, with only a sword in their hands.
He turned to Cindra and started to call out, but the statuesque warrior woman was already on the job. She howled and swung her adamantite blade in the air as she rushed the growing crowd.
She was supposed to wait for me to buff her!
‘We will do our part, Master. Trust in us.’
He huffed, but nodded and dove into the massive spell he planned to unleash. While they handled the guards, he worked to harness more mana from his pool to join with what he’d already prepared.
Gabriel swayed on his feet as he drew a huge amount of mana and began to weave the glyphs he’d learned only the day before. The potent energy filled him, threatening to escape.
Fear and concern for his bonded encouraged him to rush, but Gabriel took his time and carefully shaped each of the unfamiliar glyphs. He kept part of his focus on the berserk hellhound and watched as Cindra laid into one of the unarmored men.
The guardsman’s devotion to his duty was commendable. But loyalty and discipline did nothing to slow the sword as it knocked his weapon from his hand, then split him clean in two at the waist.
Cindra roared again, somehow louder than before. Several guards flinched back, but then arrows began to rain down into the frantic melee.
Gabriel wondered why Sthuza was arcing her shots so high until he spotted several archers in the windows of the keep taking shots at the hellhound.
Damn, I didn’t think of that!
‘Focus on your part, Master. I will deal with them.’
To emphasize her point, Sthuza loosed a black arrow that sped through the air and caught an archer on the fourth floor. Her shot took the woman in the eye while she aimed. Dead before she fell, the corpse released the loaded shot. Her arrow struck one of the men just as he tried to attack Cindra from behind.
If you meant to do that, you’re a much better archer than I thought. He sent the thought to his Prime even as he kept his attention on his spellcast.
Sthuza’s mirth was easy to sense over their bond. ‘I have never heard of an archer that could do that on purpose. It was quite fortuitous though.’
He grinned but pushed the event aside and checked on Cindra again. She had gathered a sizable crowd now. No doubt, her roars and the way she had waded through three guards now had everyone’s attention.
Well, almost everyone.
A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention to the mage’s tower. It took him too long to realize the archer in the window had launched an arrow at him.
Gabriel started to dodge but knew there was no way he could avoid the shot. He redoubled his focus on the burgeoning spell and prayed that he could maintain his concentration through the pain.
At the last second, a bloody bundle of fur and rage leapt up and shielded him. The white-fletched arrow plunged into Reyna’s chest. The lycan roared in pain and immediately ripped the missile out.
Even if she heals fast, that has to hurt. Remind me to thank her later, he sent to his Prime.
Sthuza didn’t reply, but he knew she’d heard him. Unwilling to risk losing the spell to another well-aimed shot, Gabriel paused his casting and dashed over to take cover behind a small shed.
Once out of sight of the archers, he resumed the spell and soon embedded the final glyph into the twin spell circles. A quick glance at the Interface revealed it had taken him over two minutes to prepare. He looked back to Cindra.
Countless guards were swarming out of the barracks now, and Gabriel started to wonder if he’d miscalculated. With all the ones they’d killed already, he’d thought the baron couldn’t have much more than fifty men-at-arms left.
There were easily that many already forming up in the courtyard. Gabriel had no doubt there would be more stationed inside the keep itself, which meant his estimate had been way off.
How does he have so many left? Did he recruit from the city watch? And Tobias Falken still hasn’t shown his face.
‘Patience, Master. I have faith in your plan. This will work.’
“Hey, is that limp-dicked geezer over there the one you want?” Reyna asked.
Gabriel had to look down to spot her extended arm and follow it to her target. The elderly mage had just stepped out of the barracks and raised a polished staff. Six armored and alert men stood protectively around him.
The high wizard’s hair was disheveled, and his robes hung loose, but the sharpness of his eyes was obvious. His hands traced through a rapid series of movements, and glowing glyphs formed before him. Tobias said something, but it was impossible to make out.
Here it comes, Cindra. Please be ready, Gabriel projected. It looked like she nodded her helmeted head, and he finalized his spell.
It took only a fraction of a second to anchor the spell squarely on the hellhound.
“Now, Cindra!” Sthuza shouted. Her voice somehow carried over the sounds of battle and could be heard easily. At her words, Cindra took a wide swipe in front of her, driving back several men. Then she perfor
med a backflip and started to shift in midair.
The guards, and Tobias Falken, stared as the muscular woman leapt into the air—and then a giant hellhound landed several feet from them.
Her greatsword struck the ground, discarded, and she rushed back into the melee.
Please work. Gabriel muttered in his mind, careful not to broadcast.
He took a deep breath, then released the attack spell he had anchored to his bonded.
A compressed ball of flames materialized before him and rocketed toward Cindra. The moment he released the spell, Gabriel felt light-headed from the sudden drain of energy, but someone caught him under the arms and kept him from falling to the ground.
The flaming sphere of magical death swelled as it cut across the courtyard. Every guard paused to stare at the barely restrained inferno.
Gabriel watched in awe and fear as the orb continued to grow. By the time it reached his target, the Fireball was half the size of Cindra.
Then everything went white.
Gabriel snapped his eyes shut when the spell detonated. A split second later, he rocked back as a wave of sound and pressure slammed into him. Strong arms held him tight and kept him on his feet.
“Damn, you’re not just a pretty face, are ya, monsterfucker?” Reyna growled from right beside him.
“Thanks for the catch… and the save earlier,” he gasped. The petite werebadger lowered him to the ground and then coughed several times.
He turned inward and checked his pool.
Mana 36%
Not sure I’ve ever spent that much mana that quickly—unless you count healing Cindra.
Surprised at just how fatigued he felt, Gabriel turned to see the results of his spell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Flames licked along every surface around the smoky site. There was a vast swath of charred earth surrounded by a narrow ring of burning grass. As the thick, black smoke billowed and rose into the sky, the barracks came into view.
What was left of it.
Every flammable object was either aflame or already burned to ash. Gabriel’s attack had blasted a gaping hole in the magically reinforced stone wall. The second story and the roof drooped. Stones tumbled from the mage’s tower.
Even as he watched, it tilted further and further toward the keep. His eyes widened as the reinforced stone structure began to collapse.
All from one Fireball? How the hells did it do so much damage?
‘I do not have the slightest clue, Master. Right now, I am more concerned about the mutt. Your flames are far hotter than I anticipated,’ Sthuza sent to him, and Gabriel felt a spike of worry that he might have injured his bonded.
He looked to the center of the blast, right where Cindra had stood. But the smoke was too thick to see more than the hole he’d made. Between the ringing in his ears, the roar of massive flames, and the cracking of stone, he couldn’t tell if anyone was still alive in the inferno.
Before Gabriel let the panic get to him, he focused on his bonds and sought out the lovable hellhound.
Cindra’s presence flared even brighter than usual, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
She’s fine. Almost seems livelier than normal, Gabriel replied to his Prime.
‘That is good to hear, Master.’
“If that fire’s still burning when we leave, I wanna roast up some meat for our journey,” Reyna said with a strange, guttural laugh.
“Ooo! Pack have barbecue?” Cindra called out from the center of the roaring flames. Gabriel couldn’t resist laughing at her eagerness.
“We’ll talk about food after we finish with the baron,” he said firmly. Can’t let them get distracted from the mission right now.
More of the building collapsed, sending out a wave of dark smoke that made it almost impossible to see. Gabriel coughed as the acrid fumes filled his lungs.
“You got any fancy magic to get rid of that stinking shit? You weren’t supposed to set the whole damn world on fire,” Reyna grumbled.
“Let me think,” he said. Even as weak as he was, it didn’t take long to harness enough mana to produce a mild breeze with more of the glyphs he’d found in Kelith’s book.
The low-powered spell generated a steady wind that blew the ash and smoke away from them. He kept it weak enough to avoid clearing too much. With the cloud thickening above them, any archers left in the towers couldn’t see him or his bonded.
Sthuza walked over and knelt at his side. She looked concerned, but quickly calmed when he flashed her a weak grin.
“I would say that was a success, Master. Now we need to see if you got the wizard.”
The barracks collapsed further, and soft cries came from within the devastated building. The realization that he’d just killed dozens of humans with a single spell struck Gabriel, and he reeled.
His Prime responded in a flash and steadied him before he could topple over. She said something—he didn’t understand the words—and Reyna stepped away.
Gabriel turned his hands over and stared at them. He’d expected them to shake, but the tremors left him angry rather than frightened.
Damnit, this was the only way. They threatened Cindra and Sthuza. Reyna. The baron has only been able to do all the evil he’s done because men like these support him. They deserved it.
‘Yes, Master. But calm yourself. A few days ago, your worldview was far removed from the battlefield. It may take time for you to come to terms with who you now are. I have faith in you, but you must not be so hard on yourself.’
He sighed and stared at his hands until the shaking stopped.
Yeah, you’re right. I’m good. Thanks.
‘Anytime, Master.’
Cindra roared, and Gabriel turned toward the sound. Another roar and then a gasp of surprise and the screech of claws scraping against a magical barrier.
Repeatedly.
“Who dares attack Baron—” The sound of glass shattering rang out as the shield failed, and the voice broke off in a pained screech.
“I believe Cindra has located the mage, Master.”
“No shit, Snakes. That’s pretty damn obvious,” Reyna growled, and she took off at a run toward the flaming wreckage. More stones fell from the upper floor, and Gabriel looked over the ruined building.
The barracks had been built of stone. But it also had thick timbers to brace the walls and form the floors inside. Had timbers. All that was left was cracked stone and ash.
I’ve never cast a fire spell hot enough to shatter stone. Those glyphs I got from Kelith’s spellbook weren’t that rare. What the hells happened?
‘I believe you are coming more fully into your enhanced being, Master. No doubt, growing accustomed to your new body has boosted your raw power further. And, you did invest more Essence in magical prowess.’
Yeah, I get that. But this looks like the aftermath of a ritual attack by a full circle of casters, not one mage with a couple minutes of prep.
His Prime didn’t respond, and when Cindra roared in pain, Gabriel finally staggered to his feet. He started toward the burning building, but he paused when Reyna called out.
“Don’t worry, you damn pyro, I’ll check on your fire mutt.”
“Please do as she suggested, Master. You are in no condition to rush into a battle. Between her and Cindra, I have complete faith they can handle the mage. That was the plan, after all.”
“Yeah,” Gabriel muttered and sat back down.
Instead of rushing toward the danger, he decided to check on his bonded through the Interface. It took longer than normal, but he brought up Cindra’s pane and studied what was listed.
BP:240/250
HP:223/250
Not as bad as I feared. Especially considering how many archers there were. But now she’s up against a powerful mage.
‘Yes, but one who just burned much of his pool to shield against the sheer intensity of your surprise attack, Master.’
While Gabriel couldn’t see through the flames and smoke, he activated Ma
gesight and smirked at the huge aura of mana flaring out. Falken was still up, but he was burning through his pool at a crazy rate.
Gabriel wasn’t surprised the older man had survived the blast. The experienced mage had reacted quickly enough to erect a defense against the massive Fireball. But with no time to weave an efficient spellshield, he must have snapcast his barrier. That meant sloppy spellwork and leaking a lot of mana.
Wish I had something to help them.
Gabriel knew better than to try, though. While it was possible to target magic solely through the Weave of Creation, doing so was harder. Tired and still unsteady from the drain of his attack spell, he could easily mess up and hit his allies instead.
Without being able to see, it’s far too dangerous.
“Who are you? Do you know what’s going to happen now?” Falken asked from within the dense smoke. His voice was weak but arrogant, and he gave a wet cough. “I’ll have your plates for this!”
Sthuza giggled.
“Yeah, good luck with that, Tobias. The baron and his brat already had me framed and murdered. I couldn’t care less if you want my tag,” Gabriel said.
“What… Gabriel Grimm?” the man asked. His voice sounded far less arrogant now.
Gabriel scowled. “You knew what they planned? You damn bastard!”
Sthuza reached over to lay a hand on his arm, and he calmed.
“I don’t even care if you did, Tobias. You’re a dead man. Just like the baron. You chose to serve him, so you can share his fate,” Gabriel said.
The sounds of battle increased. Reyna’s guttural snarls joined in with Cindra’s bassy growls as the pair attacked the old mage.
Maybe I can… Gabriel didn’t bother to finish the thought. He dove back into his bond with Cindra and sought her out. Her presence felt different, but still distinct enough for him to latch onto.
Once he did, he concentrated intently. It took several seconds, but suddenly, his vision flashed, then swam. When it cleared, he saw with her bright-blue eyes.
The smoke was all around, thick enough to smother a human in a single breath. It didn’t seem to bother the giant hellhound.
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