farm skirmish

The archer makes a move first, readying his bow and firing it straight at me. I make a move to cut the arrow out of the air, but it's unnecessary. A gust of wind from behind me blows the arrow off course - thanks, Bree.

"I'll take the archer," Bree says, her voice full of conviction as she leaps from the ground and dives on the archer from above. It's all he can do to scamper out of the way. The two of them run through the brush, evading each other's quick attacks until they burst onto the dead farm.

The archer readies an arrow to launch toward the skies, while Bree readies her next move. She does a supersonic spin in midair, dodging the arrow and shooting a blue feather dart at the archer. He quick nocks an arrow faster than my eyes can follow and shoots Bree's feather out of the air. I want to keep watching, but other things demand my attention. I turn to the remaining two assailants. Kieran clashes blades with the swordsman one, two - three times. They're feeling each other out. I've got to trust my friend will pull through - he's a great fighter. 

That just leaves me and the mage. I turn to the spellcaster, who braces their heavy staff in hand. 

"I don't know who you are, kid, but anyone who'd show their face here is looking for trouble. Think you can keep up?"

The spellcaster swirls his staff around. That staff must be an Arcanic. It's got a fair bit of power emanating from it. He shoots a purple dart of energy at me, and I catch it with my sword. Using the Ignition Blade, I cut through the magic spell, incinerating it entirely. 

The spellcaster takes a step back, frightened and intrigued. "Why, I've never seen an ability like that," he snickers. "What sort of powers are you hiding?"

I swing my arm at him defiantly. "I'm not hiding anything. August Madera, the Magician of Explosions, at your service."

"M-Magician!?" the spellcaster says, alarmed. "No way! You're just a brat!"

I sheathe my sword and hold both my hands in front of me, my fingers overlapping. "You really want to find out?"

I can hear the rattling from here, but he calls my bluff. He thinks he can beat me. He moves his staff in a strange way, and suddenly I'm beset upon by a barrage of his missiles. 

I return my sword to my hand in an instant, slicing through any of the guided missiles that dare get close enough to strike. I cut down dozens before I'm able to create an opening, but once I do I turn the tide in my favor. I use a wave of magic and supercharge the area in front of me, every missile within ten feet vaporizing before I finish an exhale. I level my breathing and find the spellcaster through the smoky haze of my explosions. He's out of juice, at least for the moment. I can strike him dead right now if I wanted to. I have my moment.

A quick survey of the battlefield and I see Bree is still locked in fierce combat with the archer. Blue feathers dart through the sky and pepper the land below as she dodges the arrows in wide, arching spirals through the sky. 

Kieran is locked together with the swordsman, and it seems like my friend has the upper hand. Call it experience, call it Nephilim agility - my friend has both in spades, and it shows.

I look back at my enemy. Fear sets in his eyes. He's shaking his head. "P-please," he cries. "I was just - she made us watch this place! Told us to kill anyone who snooped around and found that doll! Please, please!"

I hesitate. "Who?"

The man pulls his hair, drops his staff, and then raises his hands up in the air in surrender. He's totally frantic. "I don't know her name! I'll cooperate! I'll do whatever you want! Just let me go!"

I take a step toward him. "Alright," I say. "It's not my way to kill someone who's already surrendered."

The spellcaster nods as I approach him. "Yes, yes," he says, his eyes bearing a suspicious glint. 

"I'm going to have to restrain you," I say, but as I do the man makes his move. He pulls a dagger out of his cloak and whips it at me as fast as he can.

I step back. I've been hit. The dagger slashes across my left arm and it drops to my side, limp. I grab it in shock and the man makes ready to stab me again, this time aiming at my torso.

The pain overtakes me in an instant. My magic rushes to defend me, acting of its own volition. The searing pain in my arm is unbearable, but the sight of my own blood, now jagged orange spikes ripping through the air, freezes me in place. I can't move, can't think. I watch as the spikes shred the spellcaster to ribbons, the sound of his screams drowned by the roaring in my ears. My own magic—it's alive, out of control. What just happened?

I fall to the ground, gasping for air, clinging onto my arm as the orange spikes retreat back into me. It hurts like crazy, but the magic is burning and sealing my wounds shut.

"August!" I hear. Kieran saw me go down. I hear a definitive slash - Kieran's blade fells his opponent. The man gurgles as he goes down in the grass nearby, limp.

Kieran rushes to my side, inspecting me for damage. I push him off me. "I'm fine," I bark, holding my arm. My wound is already sealed. I'm shaken, but I'll live. "Go help Bree."

Kieran nods. He doesn't need any further encouragement. He bursts onto the field long enough to distract the archer. He looks to Kieran and readies a shot, but he's distracted from Bree. Like a flash of azure steel, Bree flies through the air. I hear the air whip through and see the archer fall to the ground without a sound. 

What was at one moment a battlefield full of chaos, it's now perfectly still. Kieran turns to the side to address me. "The one I fought is still alive."

"These people aren't the surrendering type," I scowl. The burning pain in my arm tells me everything I need to know. I walk up to the human crawling around on the ground, the swordsman that Kieran felled. 

"Who sent you?" I spit. 

The swordsman writhes, his bloodied hand reaching toward me in defiance. I tighten my grip on the blade, my heart pounding in my chest. "Who sent you?" I demand again, but his lips curl into a mocking grin.

"I'm not gunna-"

My hand trembles, but I don't hesitate. The blade finds its mark, silencing him. I try not to look at Kieran's face as I plunge the blade through the man's heart.

I pull my sword free. If he's not going to answer, then this is what I must do. I've been tricked by a human once today already. I won't be fooled again.

Kieran's lips press into a thin line as he watches the swordsman fall. His gaze lingers on me, searching for something, but he doesn't say a word. I can feel the question in his silence, but I don't have the answer. Not the one he wants, anyway.

"There's something in the house," I say, the words heavier than they should be. "A doll. Let's check it out."

Kieran raises an eyebrow, but I don't elaborate - I just lead Bree and Kieran back toward the house, one mystery bleeding into the next.