Allies

Skye's POV

"To drag you out."

The Draconian smirked and I sensed several pulls of mana surround me. Different options ran through my skull as things happened as if in slow motion. They wouldn't care if I kept this one as a hostage. He means nothing. Quickly, I slit his throat and enchanted his body to look like me as I ran toward the nearest source of mana.

Finding a Draconian woman watching my doppelgänger, I wrapped one hand around her throat successfully blocking her airway. With my other hand, I commandeered a short sword hanging at her side. To my surprise, she was not shocked nor attempting to resist. Her red eyes simply stared in front of her. Daring not to speak in case her comrades heard, I wrote one word in the dirt beside her.

Linus.

Her keen eyes noticed it instantly. After a few moments, I thought of killing her. She obviously wasn't going to give me the information I wanted. Her peers still hadn't noticed me, so I had the element of surprise. At least for the moment. I tightened my grip on my new short sword.

Then, suddenly, she leaned down and drew a question mark in the dirt. I felt like slapping myself. You idiot! Nikolai had taught me the languages of the races and I stupidly, ignorantly, thought that because one Draconian could speak the human tongue, they all could.

Breathing deeply to calm myself, I hurriedly wrote Linus' name in her language. Her eyes widened slightly and then they turned into a thoughtful expression. She leaned down and asked a simple question.

You kill him?

I didn't like lying.

Yes.

You cannot.

I wanted to write, "Watch me." But I didn't. She knew more about her Chieftain than I did. I feel it is always best to acquire as much information on your enemy as you can. That way you can take the easiest route to destroying them. So, I asked her instead,

Why?

He sees all. He sees before things happen, he acts before he thinks, he has unholy levels of pressured mana at his disposal. You will not get close to his throne.

A yell alerted us that my time for surprise had ended. We looked toward the clearing and their dead comrades' body lay in a crumpled heap. I let go of the dark elf's throat and grasped her waist. She didn't try to make a sound as I quickly threw her over my shoulders and ran further into the forest.

Attempting to assuage their position from their incredibly stealthy footfalls was an impossible feat. The only way to know where they were was to use my own mana. They know this land better than I do. They are more practiced in mana usage. They are faster than me. Unless some sort of miracle happens, I'm going to be caught.

After running several miles into the dark dense forest, I noticed myself slowing down. Damn it! I couldn't hold the girl and keep running like I was. I could drop her and maybe have a chance of getting away unscathed.

However, I needed the information she seemed willing to give. I could stop and fight them. The dense trees surrounding me shot that idea in the knee. I wouldn't be able to maneuver the way I had to. I could climb up a tree, wait for them to come underneath me, and then drop down taking two or so with me. Climbing up with a woman on your shoulder? Not going to happen.

Suddenly, my skin prickled and I threw the Draconian on the ground while whipping out her shortsword. The poisoned dart clanked against my blade and fell to the forest floor. I swiped my new sword to the right as I heard the twang of a bow. Both pieces of the newly shortened arrow dropped to the ground. Suddenly the forest lit up, blinding me and I covered my eyes. A strong kick to my gut had me doubling over. Two personages grabbed a hold of my arms and a third silhouette came into view. He took my weapon and punched my gut. It hurt but I didn't want to show weakness here. He then knelt at my level.

"I was expecting more of a challenge." Said the male in front of me. I raised an eyebrow in response. The Draconian smirked. He glanced at his comrades holding my arms and took a dagger out of his belt. Licking the sharp end of the blade, his eyes never left mine. I didn't look away either. He is attempting to scare me. Why not simply kill me?

"When the Blood-Chief spoke of you, he deemed you a mighty man with incredible powers." The Draconian sliced the right side of my face and around to the artery in my neck. That's gonna leave a scar. Suddenly I remembered Jacqueline's words to me before my time in the Paradise of Gods.

"How will you keep fighting if you allow yourself to die in order to beat a difficult foe?"

Dang it, Jacqueline!

As the knife was nearing my artery, the dark elf came close. He opened his mouth to say something, but I head butted him instead. Ripping free from the would-be captors' grasp, I launched myself toward him. Tackling him to the ground, I snatched the knife he used to cut me. He kneed me in my gut and threw me off.

The two who had held me before chanted something in their language and invisible hands restricted my movement tremendously. I couldn't move as they came closer and the one I struggled with, whom I assumed was the leader, came forward once again.

"You have lost your element of surprise. That seems to be the only thing you are good at." He punched me in the face once more. This time though, I saw stars and I had to shake my head to clear it. One of the goons that was disabling my movement grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back hard.

"Your neck is missing something." The leader stated and put his dagger on my throat.

I figured it was time to show him what I could do. I chanted the counter spell and felt light as a feather when the Draconians' magic fell away. I elbow the one to my left in the groin and he let go of my scalp. I tumbled forward into the leader and grabbed his dagger in the scuffle. I don't wait to jump off of him, which was a good thing too, as he was about to smash my back with his knee. A small shiv protruded out of his black knee guard. That's smart. But I didn't have time to be impressed.

"Oooah rumen nd ie swep." The two guards chanted in sync. The noise that erupted from the west was unlike anything I had ever heard.

A dark storm appeared with so much rain that I couldn't see the source of the noise. However, strong rooted trees, dirt, and heavy rocks were being pulled toward the rain and a heavy wind was blowing. I have to find shelter. But even if I did, this wind was going to tear it up with me anyway. How do I stop this?

Nikolai had taught me how to use mana but he had never taught me that magic could control the weather! I have to try something! Anything! I quickly stood up and faced the warring winds. A spell to repel mana wasn't going to work with this much force being used. A shield spell would probably work. I looked at the people surrounding me. I can only save myself with a shield spell so far.

If I wanted information on Linus, I was going to have to save at least one of the enemies surrounding me. Namely, the girl. I stared at her, noticing her for the first time since her peers caught up with us. Her young face gave nothing away as she knelt in perfect composure. That's odd.

The trees in front of me began to pull toward the center of the storm the two Draconians conjured up. I dug my heels into the ground and glanced over at them. Grimaces adorned their faces. If I took one down, the excess mana from his body will only fuel this storm. Same as if I took both down. Killing them wasn't an option right now. I hate magic.

"Stop." Came a very clear and strong voice. The windstorm ceased immediately and my curiosity was piqued. I turned toward the girl I had technically kidnapped. She was standing tall and proud and the three men were kneeling with their heads bowed.

"You desire to kill Linus, our Blood-Chief."

I didn't answer. I had already told her as much.

"After witnessing what we can do with only a sliver of blood within our systems, do you still wish to challenge our Blood-Chief?"

They summoned a windstorm of incredible size and only had a sliver of blood within their systems? What is Linus going to be like? I glanced at her face. Her white bob was perfect for her gaunt body and thin figure. Her red eyes still showed no emotion. She's thin. Is she eating right? That's when I noticed the marks on her wrists. Teeth marks.

"He takes what isn't his." I replied as I grasped her forearm and showed her wrists. "He isn't strong. He cheats to gain a semblance of power, but true power comes from real struggles and success." I tore off my shirt showing the scars I received in Nexus from The Father of All Matter himself. The girl didn't gasp like her comrades.

"I bet you won't see any of these on your Chieftain." I stared. She opened her mouth, but I interrupted her, "Because he is weak." I replied and put my shirt back on. "I am going to kill him. No matter what it takes."

"How do you expect to do such a thing?" She asked as she watched me leave. "As you aren't even going the right way."

I stopped. The four Draconians were smirking at me.

"Then will you show me the way?"

"We'll do better than that."

"What?"

"We will take you to Linus and let you fight him as you have a death wish."

I raised my eyebrows. What could go wrong? I nodded my assent. The woman snapped her fingers and I was out cold.