Meta Gods War 2

by B N Miles

  He continued to slaughter, but his movements slowed. More fire rolled from him and he began to felt something in the back of his mind, something like the Need. But he was touching the priori, he was drawing it into himself. He shouldn’t have been able to feel the Need, and yet he wanted more power, more and more of it.

  He sliced another wolf but one slammed into his back. He staggered forward and screamed as fire burst from him in a ring. The wolf was thrown back, burnt to a crisp, and Cam staggered forward. He could feel fresh wounds open along his right shoulder, his armor torn open from the beast’s razor sharp claws. He felt a growl in his throat as he sliced open another wolf, taking off its lower jaw and burning its eyes out. He kicked aside a smoldering corpse and reached the tree line.

  The night embraced him as he stumbled out of the forest, out into that killing field. Some wolves followed, but he turned and took care of them with his flames, not bothering to lift his sword. He was sweating and he could feel the pain in his back but only distantly, like it was happening to someone else.

  He turned from the forest and looked up the ridge toward the great fort built into the side of the mountain.

  But the gates were closed.

  “Theus!” Cam shouted. He looked around, eyes wild. His friend wasn’t there, and the other men were all missing. “Theus!” he shouted again as he turned and slammed the forest with more fire.

  His eyes scanned the tree line. He saw more fires to his right where the warriors had gone. Further down to the left, all the way toward the other end of the forest, he saw flames beginning to grow, though they were too far away to make much sense.

  He shook his head and staggered away from the forest. He stared up at the great gates.

  “Open, damn you!” he shouted, his heart racing, his mind a blur. He knew he took too much power back there, he knew he’d lost control again.

  But if the army didn’t move, none of it would matter.

  He staggered and turned to face the woods. Wolves lined up at their edge. Just a few at first, but soon more joined their ranks. Tens, then hundreds. He shouted and gripped his sword, the flames around him flaring to life as he faced the horde.

  He’d burn them all to the ground. He’d ash every wolf he could, and if he died, he’d go down fighting.

  “Come on!” he shouted. “Come on, you bastards!”

  He sucked in deep, gasping breaths, and he just barely held on to his strength. The wolves gathered, but they didn’t move. The forest was an inferno, a blaze so bright it almost blinded Cam and lit up the night like a torch.

  And still the wolves didn’t move. But he noticed them bristle and shift, like they’d noticed something.

  He turned and shouted. He felt a laugh bubble up from his chest.

  The fort’s gates stood open.

  He watched as bodies began to stream out. Bronze plated bodies, bodies wrapped in layers of metal and steel, wielding large wooden shields and swords just like the one Cam held in his hands. Hundreds of them marched from the gates in tight formation, glittering in the moonlight, their shadows dancing from the fires that sent plumes of smoke up into the sky.

  Cam turned and faced the wolves again. They snarled as a group, their lips curled back to show long, jagged teeth, and Cam returned the gesture.

  “Come on,” he said. “Come get me.”

  He reached for his power again and drew it all to him as the heavy infantry marched down toward him.

  29

  The wolves charged before the infantry reached him.

  But their wave of wolf bodies slammed against Cam’s magic. He turned their initial momentum into cinders, broke their first ranks and burned them to a crisp. He swung his sword in graceful arcs as the wolves moved around him. Cam was the rock in a stream, the dam in a river. They came and they broke on him, and he reveled in their destruction. He laughed and sliced flesh then cooked it, the screams and howls filling the air like sweet music.

  Then he turned and saw the heavy infantry. They paused ten yards away, keeping their distance from his fires. He released the flames and staggered back toward their line. For a moment, he thought they might not open for him, but as he got closer a pair of shields made way and he was allowed to stumble into their midst.

  He heard the wolves slam into the shield wall after him. Everything was chaos for a moment. The heavy infantry up front grunted and pushed against the slobbering, snapping wolves, and began their hacking work. They shoved and sliced, gutted creatures, tore them to pieces. The wolves tried to bite and scratch and rend the armored men but failed to find a single gap in the bronze armor.

  Cam wanted to get back out there. He wanted to burn more and more, and the longer he kept his power at bay, the closer the Need came to overwhelming him. He took just enough magic to keep the worst of it at bay, but he knew he couldn’t keep that up for long.

  “Shaman!”

  He stumbled as a bronze-clad hand grabbed his shoulder. He was pulled and faced a plumed helmet, the feather larger and wider than those around him. It was white with blue lacing all around its edges, and it swayed in the wind.

  He pulled his gaze away from the plume at the top of the helmet and stared into the deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen. For a moment, Cam though he might be dreaming, might have succumbed to the power out in that forest. But the gauntlet squeezed his shoulder again and pulled at him, dragging him away from the front lines. More men in heavy armor parted to allow them through, and the sounds of snapping wolves went from a horrible cacophony to only a mere buzz.

  The woman in that heavy bronze armor was beautiful. Her jaw was slim and her lips were full. She was shorter than Cam by a few inches, though still tall. Her armor covered her chest and hung down in segmented pieces over her legs. It covered her arms, wrists, and hands. Even still, he knew she was attractive from her pale, almost delicate face.

  “Shaman,” she said again. “We’re here to bring you back.”

  He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Who are you?”

  “Captain Brice, head of the heavy infantry.” She stared at him, her head cocked to the side. “The army’s making a run for it. We’re here to provide cover and support.”

  Cam looked back at the fort. Bodies streamed from the gates, cutting down across the ridge and marching back in the direction Cam had come. They marched double time, some of them carrying packs and bags, some of them dragging wheeled carts. They streamed away from the fort like birds from a tree.

  He felt a laugh bubble up from his chest. There’d been a part of him that didn’t believe it would work. He shook his head, wild and mad with the Need that was beginning to overtake him. He felt a sudden pain through his shoulder and he groaned, his laughter cutting off.

  “You’re hurt,” Brice said.

  “No,” Cam said, putting a hand on her armored chest. He pushed her back. “I need to help.”

  “Look at what you’ve done.” Her eyes were wide. “The forest is burning. The whole forest is burning.”

  He followed her gaze. Over the heads of the armored men fighting and slaughtering the wolves, he saw the forest bright with blaze. He felt a strange elation roll through him, and he almost wanted to laugh again.

  “There are others,” he said. “More from my group.”

  She shook her head. “You were the only one here.”

  “There’s… a wolf…” Cam trailed off. “I have to find them.”

  “Shaman,” she said. “You can’t—”

  “My name is Cam,” he said. “And I’m not going to leave my people behind.”

  He shook away her grip. She shouted something as he jogged off, moving along the back lines of the heavy infantry toward the boulders he’d used for cover before rushing into the camp. He didn’t see anyone there, but that hadn’t been the plan. He reached them and saw a small detachment of armored soldiers jogging after him, trying to keep up, the white and blue plume of Captain Brice’s helmet darting in the wind.

  He kept going, retracing
his steps. He pushed up the slope, forcing his body to keep moving. His back ached like hell and the Need was pounding at his skull. He thought he might lose his mind unless he used more magic or fucked something raw, but he kept going with a growl in his throat. He couldn’t stop until he knew his people were safe.

  Until he knew his family was safe.

  He pushed up to the top of the grassy hill and stared toward the trees at the top of the ridge. Along the far side, the army spilled into the ridgeline’s forest, marching double. More and more of them spilled from the gates. He stopped for a moment and turned, scanning the valley below him for any sign of his warriors.

  He sucked in a surprised breath and smelled smoke on the air.

  Hundreds of heavily armored men and women were down in the valley in that killing zone, lined up in ranks. Wolves threw themselves at their shields and were hacked to pieces. They were dropping back, giving up ground to the wolf charge, but not a single one of them fell. The wolves couldn’t break through their heavy armor, and Cam felt a shout of elation leave his lips.

  That was the answer. That armor was the answer.

  He turned away and jogged forward. The Need began to scream at him, and he sucked back a groan. He heard Captain Brice shout his name from twenty yards behind him, but he ignored her and kept pushing forward.

  Just ahead, he saw the trees, and angled directly for them.

  He saw nothing for a moment. The light from the burning forest below them flickered on the scrubby bushes and grassland, and he saw only trees and branches. But a person stepped out from behind a pair of twinned oaks with a spear gripped in his hand.

  Cam let out a sigh of relief. Theus came toward him, his burned lips pulled up into a grin.

  “There you are,” he said. “Thought we lost you.”

  Cam didn’t have words. He pulled his friend into an embrace and winced when Theus returned it.

  “You’re hurt,” Theus said. “Your shoulder.”

  “I’m okay,” Cam said.

  He held onto Cam’s shoulders then his gaze moved to Captain Brice and the three armored infantry men she’d brought with her.

  “New girlfriend?” Theus asked.

  “Hope so.” Cam turned as they approached. “How are the others?”

  “We lost three,” Theus said, his voice low. “But we paid them back tenfold.”

  Cam nodded and put a hand on Theus’s arm as Captain Brice slowed and stopped a few feet away. She was breathing hard and leaned against her spear, the bottom edge planted in the ground.

  “Captain Brice,” Cam said. “This is Theus of Medlar. He’s one of my Lieutenants.”

  Theus gave Cam a look then nodded to Brice. “Good to meet you,” he said.

  “You as well,” she said. “Shaman, please don’t run off like that. We need to coordinate our retreat.”

  “You seem to have it under control,” Cam said.

  “We could use your help.” She looked down at the forest, at the blaze that tore through the trees.

  Cam smiled at the awe in her voice.

  “I need to regroup with my people,” Cam said. “Captain, go rejoin your warriors. Screen the army’s retreat.”

  “You’re leaving us?” She stared at him with those blue eyes, and he was tempted to reach out and take her helmet off.

  “For now,” he said. “I need to find my own people first. Once you’ve rejoined the army, I’ll find you.”

  She gave him an angry glare and shook her head. “Just like you people,” she said.

  Cam heard Theus snort with amusement and he took a step toward the Captain.

  “I’m not abandoning the army,” he said. “I need to regroup and gather my own people. We’ll find you soon, I promise.” He gestured down at the valley. “Your warriors are handling the wolves just fine.”

  “For now,” she said, following his gaze with a pained expression. “But once they regroup and come in numbers, five hundred armored won’t stop them.”

  “Five hundred armored plus an angry shaman will,” Cam said. “Follow the ridgeline and stay close to the mountain. March through the night and don’t stop. We’ll join you all soon.”

  She gave him a hard look then nodded. “Very well, shaman. Tell your people, Captain Brice is waiting.”

  She turned, nodded at her own men, and the four of them jogged back down to rejoin the battle.

  Cam watched her go before turning to Theus.

  “Don’t give me that look,” Cam said.

  Theus was grinning at him. “Come on. She’s pretty. You ever see a woman that attractive wearing armor like that?”

  “No,” Cam said. “I haven’t. And it doesn’t matter either way.”

  “Just saying. You could always use another girl.”

  Cam winced and shook his head. The Need was getting so bad that he could barely think straight. It was like the Need was screaming in his ears, like a lion roaring in his face. He staggered away from the tree line and put a hand on Theus’s shoulder for support.

  Together, the two of them rejoined what was left of their party and started back toward their camp.

  Down below them, the forest blazed as the wind picked up and sent thick, heavy rolling clouds of black smoke into the air. The smell of charred wood and burned meat followed their retreat.

  30

  Cam stepped through the trees and into the clearing. He found Dagan, Key, Arter, and a few of the other warriors sprawled on the ground. They looked exhausted, and some of them were streaked with blood. Cam ran to Key’s side and knelt down next to her.

  She smiled and sat up, leaning back on her hands. “How’d it go?” she asked.

  “Good,” Cam said. “Fire’s burning, army’s marching. What happened?”

  She shot a look over at Dagan. The Elder looked away and shook his head.

  “We followed the plan,” Key said. “As soon as we saw the fire on your side of the forest, we ran into their camp with our torches. We made as much chaos as we could, torched as many tents as possible, but the wolves overwhelmed us. We had to retreat almost right away. The only reason we didn’t get slaughtered was because the army rushed out of their fort and distracted the Weres.”

  Cam took a sharp breath.

  He reached out and touched Key’s face. “But you’re okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “We lost almost everyone, Cam. Kenden’s gone. Yarin and Marap.” She stopped as something caught in her throat.

  Cam looked at the warriors lounging in the clearing again. “This is everyone?” he asked.

  “Everyone that made it,” she said.

  Cam clenched his jaw. Over half of the group was wiped out. He felt a sudden, intense pang of self-loathing and anger rush through him, mingling with the gnawing ache of the Need as it hammered at his brain.

  He never should have split the warriors, or he should’ve sent everyone with Key and went to his part of the forest alone. They were too few to deal with the wolves, and once the fighting started, they must have been overrun. He was foolish to think it would have gone any other way.

  They got lucky. If the army hadn’t sent its heavy infantry down into the valley to fight and screen their retreat, the wolves might have finished off Key’s group. He would’ve lost his best friend, the love of his life. He pulled her against him and held her tight for a moment, diving deep into the overwhelming sense of loss and grief that rushed over him.

  “I’m happy you made it,” he said, keeping his voice low, just for her.

  “Yeah, me too.” She smiled at him and touched his cheek. “I’m okay, Cam.”

  He nodded once and held her hand. “Where’s Miuri?”

  “Scouting,” she said. “Looking for Felin.”

  “We need to meet with the army,” he said. “They’re going to need my help.”

  She tilted her head. “Aren’t you… suffering right now?”

  Cam looked away. “It’s fine,” he said.

  Even though it wasn’t fine. Even though th
e Need was telling him to take Key right then and there, damn the others, let them watch. The Need was a torch in his skull, burning through his gray matter and leaving nothing more than cooked meat in its wake.

  “Cam,” she said. “We need to take care of you if you’re going to fight more.”

  He clenched his jaw. “I’m okay for now. We need—”

  His sentence was cut off by a noise in the bushes nearby. Miuri burst through, followed by Felin.

  Key shifted toward them as Cam stood. He went to the girls, kissed Miuri, and pulled Felin against him in a big hug. She was wearing her clothes again, though her pants were ripped and the buttons on her tunic were askew.

  “I was worried,” he said.

  “I told you, I had the easy job.” Felin gave him a wolfish grin. “All I had to do was run around and yell a whole lot.”

  “And it worked?” he asked.

  “I think so,” she said. “They weren’t fast about getting their defenses together. And the breeze spread the fire faster than I expected. You should’ve seen the tents go up, Cam. There was so much smoke and flames everywhere, people shifting, running, shouting. There was a lot of confusion in the camp, and the packs definitely weren’t communicating.”

  “Good,” Cam said. He let out a relieved breath as he looked at his girls. Miuri, Felin, and Key were all okay. He’d have plenty of time to mourn the losses they suffered today, but at least he had his girls.

  “We should get moving,” Theus said. “The army won’t be far.”

  Cam nodded. His eyes scanned what was left of his men. They were down to a little more than half their numbers. So many good, strong Medlar fighters gone. He knew they gave their lives willingly, and for a good reason, and he wouldn’t let their sacrifice be for nothing.

  “Can everyone move?” Cam asked.

  Dagan stood. “We’re ready,” he said. “How far?”

  “Through the forest, along the far side of the ridge,” Cam said and pointed. “If we head that way, we should run into them.”

  “Good.” Dagan turned to the others. “All right, time to get moving. Up on your damned feet.”