orenda [leo valdez]

xxviii. Getting Chased by Dead Confederates

They could see the fighting instantly, Romans were everywhere.

Leo slipped, and he was hanging onto Frank by the feet, screaming and cursing.

Kira would have found it extremely funny it he wasn't about to fall to his death. She extended her arm, trying to get him to grab it.

"Leo!" She cried, but Leo was too busy screaming to hear her.

The Roman flying chariot had descended from a cloud and was diving straight toward them. Jason and Frank veered out of the way, pulling up to avoid getting trampled by the pegasi. The charioteers fired their bows. Arrows whistled under Leo's feet, which led to more screaming and cursing. Jason and Frank were forced to overshoot the Argo II and fly toward Fort Sumter.

All the sudden, as if things could get any worse, a flaming spear flew towards them.

It exploded over the heads of the pegasi and threw them into a panic. Unfortunately it also singed Frank's wings and sent him spiraling out of control. Leo slipped from his grasp. The chariot shot toward Fort Sumter, slamming into Jason.

Jason lunged for Leo, caught him, then struggled to gain altitude. He only managed to slow their fall. Frank and Kira tumbled after them.

Kira groaned, rolling around, trying to find to strength to stand. She was already sucked out of energy, but falling out of the sky didn't help. She ripped off her necklace, using it to her help stand shakily.

She was surrounded. But Kira Willows never went down without a fight. Her stare hardening into a glare, she was about to run into some Romans when there was a roar behind her.

A dozen confederate soldiers held their swords high, screaming at the Romans. The Roman demigods looked at each other nervously, but Kira didn't wait.

Leo was unharmed, and Kira could see him in the corner in her eye, blasting fire and dodging cannonballs.

Kira leapt into a action, focused to not kill, but knock out as many as she could.

She took on three demigods, all around her age, but they circled her nervously as their friends fought the confederates.

Kira cleared her mind with ease this time. She twirled her sword as one of them ran towards her.

She easily deflected his blows, seeing how Romans strictly had offensive strategies.

She blocked another jab when the other two sprung into action.

She was overwhelmed by the amount of blows she needed to deflect, but she held her ground.

She swiped at the boys' feet as he swung out, making him crash to the ground.

She slammed her hilt into his head, and he crumpled.

The other two hesitated, but only for a second. She used that to kick the girl's legs, causing her to lose balance and fall.

An loud explosion caused the ground to rumple. The last boy slashed her arm with the distraction, and she tripped backing up.

He went to stab her chest, but she blocked the blow, twisting his sword enough where she would either make him drop the sword or break his wrist.

He dropped his sword. The injured girl snatched Kira's sword, but she just punched the boy in the face.

He stumbled back, holding his nose before sinking. She circled the girl with two swords, with nothing but her fists.

She swung, but two swords slowed her down. Kira tackled her with no hesitation, grabbing her sword and knocking her out as well.

Breathing heavily, she saw her friends, Leo, and Frank running for the boat.