(1)
Ahndor came to stand opposite the trio, glaring them down, her sword held low.
"I suppose I should have expected that from you," she said to Roran. "Like father, like son."
Roran adjusted the grip on his sword. His palms were sweating. He had come face to face with General Ahndor several times now but she had never seemed so tall before. Her armor was ripped to shreds and two shattered ships were lying behind her, and yet there wasn't a single scratch on her body.
"You just killed a lot of good men," said Ahndor. "I'm done letting you do as you please. I'm ending you here and now."
Roran swallowed. He was clenching his teeth hard enough that it hurt.
Shifting her gaze from Roran to Kell, Ahndor said, "You see what I mean? This is exactly the kind of insanity I was talking about. Can you honestly tell me that this was worth it? All of this senseless death. This is what you can expect from someone who consorts with lyhlim."
Kell lowered her gaze. Her shoulders hunched forward and she wrapped an arm around herself.
"Those people had families," said Ahndor. "And this boy just murdered them all with his recklessness. It's time to forget him, Kell. It's time to make good on your promise."
Kell sucked in a breath, then let it out, deflating. Slowly, she moved away from Roran's side. She walked over to Ahndor. Standing by the General's side, Kell turned to face Roran.
"Kell?" asked Nul.
"This is what needs to be done," said Kell. "I don't see any other way forward. Not for us."
Ahndor grinned. "Well, one of you has some sense."
Nul glanced from Kell to Ahndor, then to Roran. Roran didn't look at them. He kept his gaze firmly fixed on Ahndor. The hilt of his sword felt slippery in his hand. His damned palms wouldn't stop sweating.
"Is this...is this what you were talking about the other night?" asked Nul.
Kell nodded.
"Kell and I made a deal," said Ahndor. "She's with me. I'm willing to offer you a similar deal. Clemency in exchange for Roran. You don't even have to fight him, simply walk away. I know he was the one who led you astray. Simply leave his side and you can walk away from this whole mess."
Nul licked their lips, hesitating.
"Nul," said Kell, "Roran can't handle this. Come to this side, trust me."
Hesitantly, Nul stepped away from Roran. They walked halfway to Ahndor then stopped and turned. Roran didn't meet their gaze. He continued staring at Ahndor. Looking confused and lost, Nul turned their back on Roran and walked to stand next to Ahndor, opposite Kell.
A bead of sweat dripped down Roran's temple. He realized that he'd never felt this scared before. Not when he was first fighting for his life in the Crucible, not when he was falling off a cliff in Uhlara, not even when he was fighting his way through an army in the streets of King's City.
He stood there, his sword slippery in his hand, staring down the strongest person he'd ever faced, with his two closest friends standing on either side of her. He had never had so much to lose and the odds were stacked against him.
Licking his lips, Roran said, "Sarah?"
"I'm here," she said.
Her presence solidified behind him. Starting in his shadow and expanding outwards, she manifested into a physical body. Roran could tell it was a new specter, one he hadn't seen before, but he didn't dare take his eyes off Ahndor. Whatever version of Death she saw was new to Roran.
Looking past Roran, Ahndor raised her sword and shifted into a fighting stance. Where Roran failed to intimidate Ahndor, Sarah succeeded. Kell took a few steps back, getting some distance between her and Ahndor. Nul followed suit.
Roran raised his sword and shield. It felt like his sword was about to begin shaking in his hand. Clenching his fist tight, Roran said, "What I do, I do for those I've lost and those I hope to protect. If I die, then I die doing what I know is right."
"Self-righteous drivel from a self-righteous child."
"Says the servant of self-righteous gods that destroy entire countries for the sake of their own greed," said Roran. "I have many regrets, but killing you will not be one of them."
Standing behind Ahndor and slightly to her left, Kell slipped her arm down into her steel hand. It came to life and she crouched down, ready to spring. Nul stood opposite her, outside of Ahndor's field of vision. They slipped off their gloves and the intricate webs on their hands began changing and shifting.
Roran took a shuddering breath and suddenly felt calm as his etchings flared to life. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear a bell ringing over and over again.
"You're nothing and you'll die like a mongrel," said Ahndor. She took a step forward, her sword raised.
The moment her foot left the ground, Kell exploded into action. She rammed into Ahndor's back like a cannonball, throwing the immortal off balance and taking her to the ground. She rolled Ahndor over, tangling her legs up with her own and wrapping her steel fist around Ahndor's throat.
"Nul, now!" screamed Kell.
Nul lunged at Ahndor, gossamer already flowing from their fingertips. Ahndor twisted around in Kell's grasp, freeing a leg and kicking Nul in the chest the moment they got close. Nul went flying back.
"Dammit, she's slippery," Kell snarled.
Roran ran forward to help her but Kell yelled, "Stay back, she's fucking strong!"
"You traitorous bitch!" Ahndor screamed. "I should have known better than to trust a wretch like you."
"Fuck you!" Kell yelled back, struggling to keep Ahndor held down. Despite Kell's death grip on Ahndor, the immortal was pulling herself free through raw strength alone. "Nul, for fuck's sake, hit her already!"
Nul was back on their feet and rushing at Ahndor again, wielding a sharp mass of gossamer in their hands like a knife. Ahndor bucked against Kell, managing to pull the steel hand away from her throat. Kell changed tactics and smacked her steel hand against Ahndor's face, trying to blind her.
As Kell and Ahndor struggled, Nul reached them. They jumped on Ahndor, trying to force the glowing knife into Ahndor's chest. Despite her position, Ahndor was able to defend herself. She kicked out Nul's leg, sending them sprawling on top of them both. As Nul collapsed on top of them, Ahndor rolled over and got her feet underneath her. She grabbed Nul's arm and flung them away like a sack of rocks. Then she reached back, grabbed Kell, and hurled her to the ground, sending her rolling all the way to Roran.
Roran dropped to a knee beside Kell. She was groaning and dazed. Grabbing her hand, Roran pulled Kell to her feet.
"Damn, she's strong," said Kell, rubbing her face. Her lip was split and one of her eyes was already beginning to swell.
"I may have miscalculated her strength," said Nul, rising to their feet. They brushed themself off with both hands. "Be careful."
Ahndor retrieved her stolen sword from the ground and straightened. She wiped her lips on the back of her hand and said, "I'm going to rip each of you apart, limb by limb."
After a moment of hesitation, Kell threw her head back and laughed. "By the gods, Nul, you did it!"
Ahndor glared at her. "What are you talking about-"
The Immortal paused. She wiped her mouth again. Her hand came away wet with fresh blood. The Immortal was bleeding.
(2)
"Stay on your guard," yelled Nul. "I only undid her invulnerability, she still has all of her strength."
Ahndor snarled and hefted her sword. "You children have gone too far! You blaspheme with your every action."
"We'll do a lot more than blaspheme by the time this is said and done," muttered Kell.
"We need to get the sword out of her hand," said Roran. "One hit will kill any of us."
"I'll see what I can do," said Kell.
Pulling a throwing dagger from her belt, Kell flicked it at Ahndor. Ahndor shifted slightly, barely moving the sword to intercept the dagger and deflect it. Her movements were precise, clean. She was an expert combatant and cheap tricks would do little against her.
"Worth a shot," said Kell before lunging at Ahndor, her spear outstretched before her.
Ahndor deflected Kell's first blow, moving with fluid ease. She and Kell settled into an exchange of blows, Kell moving quickly and striking rapidly while Ahndor measured out every single movement of her muscles. Kell was an explosion of activity while Ahndor was a wall, relying on efficiency and strength to keep Kell at bay.
To Roran's surprise, the two came to a stand still, each matching the other's skill. Kell, who had grown up in the arena, carrying a sword the way most children carried a stuffed bear, was evenly matched with the King of War's Chosen Champion who had spent the last couple of decades leading their military.
As the two fought, it became clear that Ahndor was gaining the advantage. She was bigger, stronger, and just as capable. Though her etchings were less advanced and less efficient, her crown gave her an overwhelming advantage in raw strength alone. Then lightning struck.
Nul hurled a bolt of lightning into Ahndor's shoulder, throwing her off balance. Smoke rose from the Immortal's clothes as she tried to recover. Kell took the opportunity to slip her spear past Ahndor's guard and drive it into her leg. The spear tore through armor and clothing, only to hit flesh and pause. The blade sunk in only a few inches before halting.
Ahndor snarled in pain and frustration as she raised her boot and slammed it into Kell's stomach, sending her tumbling back like a child's ball. She bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt and rocks to throw at Nul, pelting them with a barrage of makeshift debris.
As Kell recovered and Nul shielded themself, Ahndor dove at Roran, her sword high and at the ready. Roran raised his shield and braced himself, ready for impact. The specter of death behind him grew larger and roared at the oncoming Immortal. The beastial sound made Ahndor slow but she didn't stop.
Reaching Roran, Ahndor swung her blade hard, using both hands and trying to cleave Roran in half. Roran leapt back, catching only the tip of the blade with his shield. The sword sliced through the shield effortlessly, destroying wood and steel and hitting flesh. Though the blade only nicked Roran's skin, it felt like he was being hit with a warhammer. His etchings protected his flesh but the impact knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling to the ground.
Ahndor pressed the advantage, jumping over him with her blade raised high, ready to impale Roran. A massive paw slammed into Ahndor, it was tipped with sharp claws and covered in both fur and feathers. Ahndor was pushed away from Roran. Despite the specter raking its claws across Ahndor's body, it hadn't left so much as left a scratch.
Shaking off her fear of the specter of Death guarding Roran, Ahndor went to strike again. As she moved to attack, a web of shining gossamer hit her shoulder, clinging on like cobwebs. The webs pulled tight, dragging Ahndor back. She grunted and wrenched on the threads but they held fast.
Another bundle of shimmering web hit Ahndor's arm, pulling her off balance. As she wrestled with Nul's restraints, Kell slammed into Ahndor's other side, grappling with her sword arm. She clung onto Ahndor's arm, pitting all her strength against the Immortal's single limb. Taking a knife in her steel hand, Kell began forcing it into Ahandor's forearm.
"You damned miserable wretches!" Ahndor screamed. She raised Kell high and slammed her into the ground. She slammed Kell into the dirt over and over again as though she were nothing more than a rodent.
Kell snarled in response, focusing all of her energy on driving the knife into Ahndor's arm. Finally, the sword tumbled out of Ahndor's grasp and Kell let go, letting herself be flung free of the rampaging Immortal. She had managed to force the knife all the way through Ahndor's arm.
Kell rose to her feet, gasping for air. "Fuck, she's a monster."
"She's a demi-god," said Roran.
Even with the weapon buried in her arm, Ahndor managed to reach back and grab the gossamer, seizing it in her grasp and tearing it apart. Finally free, she ripped the knife out of her forearm, then reached down and scooped up the sword with her good hand.
"Here we go again," Kell muttered. She was battered and bruised and bleeding from a dozen small wounds.
Behind Ahndor, Nul was weaving together more webs out of gossamer, doubling the threads and making them thicker.
"Nul, pin her arms down," Roran called. "Kell, get your spear and go from behind, I'll attack from the front."
"You realize she can rip you apart with her bare hands."
"Only one of us at a time," Roran said. "If she rips off my head, use the distraction to take her down."
Kell grunted and jogged over to where she'd left her spear. Scooping it up, she backed away from Ahndor so all three of them were surrounding her. Ahndor watched them prepare, scowling in pain. She hefted the sword, showing no lack of coordination for using her offhand.
Roran flexed his own hand. His arm burned where Ahdndor's blade had nicked him and several of his fingers were numb, but the hand could still make fist and that would be enough.
Inching closer, Nul wove another layer into the network of webs glowing between their fingers. Kell hunkered down, spear at the ready. Roran took a shuddering breath, trying to keep himself from shaking. Ahndor waited, watching to see who would make the first move.
In the end, Sarah made the first move. She rushed out from behind Roran. She looked like a cross between a wolf and lion, with great wings coming out of her back and a barbed tail covered in golden scales thrashing behind her.
She hit Ahndor square in the chest with her paws, doing little more than make the Immortal grunt. Ahndor responded with her sword, driving it up into the specter's chest, and then straight through. The sword passed through air as Sarah vanished.
Nul used the distraction to hurl the mass of webs at Ahndor, attaching it to her sword arm. A thick cable connected Nul to Ahndor and they drove it into the ground, pinning Ahndor in place. As Ahndor struggled with the webs pinning her sword arm, Nul cobbled together another mass of webs and sprinted for her other side. They threw the second mass onto Ahndor's other arm and pulled it tight.
Ahndor fought against Nul, trying to pull them close and keep them from pinning down both her arms.
"I can't hold her," Nul shouted.
"You can never match my strength!" Ahndor roared, pulling against Nul's thread with all her might. "I am the Chosen of Balaki. I am the Empire's sword and shield. I am the Immortal. Children like you cannot break me."
"I am the Worldbreaker," Nul snarled back, the etchings on their arms shifting and swirling. They dug their heels in and pulled and, to Ahdnor's great surprise, they began to overpower her. "I am the Keeper of Lost Knowledge. I have seen your designs, Ahndor, and I know how to destroy them."
Ahndor stared at Nul in horror, the realization dawning on her. "You wear a crown..." she said, her eyes wide with fear.
Kell and Roran chose that moment to strike. Kell raised her spear and lunged at Ahndor, striking her from behind. Roran sprinted forward and dove at her from the front. They hit Ahndor in unison. The Immortal roared in pain as Kell began driving a spear through her back and Roran began forcing his sword through her chest.
She wrenched on the gossamer cables, trying to pull herself free. Nul snarled as they held tight, keeping her pinned down. The ground where the other cable had been anchored began to fracture and split. They couldn't hold her for long.
Roran grabbed his sword with his other hand, braced the pommel against his body, and threw all his weight against it. Slowly, the sword started sliding home. Behind Ahndor, Kell roared as she used all of her strength to drive the spear forward.
All four of them screamed, each of them using every ounce of strength they had. Ahndor struggled against Nul's constraints while Kell and Roran struggled against Ahndor's armored skin.
Heaving with every breath, blood began running out of Ahndor's mouth.
"I am Ahndor the Immortal," she roared. "I will not be defeated. I will not die. I cannot die."
Clenching his teeth, Roran ground out, "Death walks beside us all. There is no escape. Not for me, not for you, and not for the Kings."
With a final heave, Roran's sword pushed through, sliding through Ahdnor's chest. Her eyes went wide and she let out a soft cry as Kell's spear cut through the other side. With blood running out of her mouth, Ahndor's lips formed a single word, an unheard plea, and then she fell limp.
(3)
"Is it over?" asked Kell.
"For you," said Sarah, appearing behind Roran. "We still have much work to do. Ahndor lingers behind, as does Theron, the remnant that fueled her crown."
"What do we do?" asked Roran.
"Nothing," said Sarah. "This is our fight now." She vanished, leaving them with the body of the Immortal.
Roran slid his blade free and stepped away. Now that the fight was over, he could feel the throbbing in his arm. He was exhausted and his body wouldn't stop shaking. Kell wrenched her spear free and collapsed onto the ground. Nul's gossamer dissolved into golden dust and they dropped to their knees, gasping for air. Ahndor's body collapsed onto the ground, limp.
Holding his arm to his body, Roran dropped to a knee. "We did it. We actually did it."
Kell grunted. "I'm going to take a nap now."
"We can't rest yet," said Roran. "We need to burn everything. We can't risk word of this getting back to the city."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" said Merem.
Roran's head snapped up and he let out a groan. In the midst of the fight, he'd completely forgotten about Merem. He forced himself back to a standing position. Merem was standing a little ways out of reach, his arms crossed across his chest and his face screwed into a scowl.
"You could have warned me," said Merem. "I thought we were supposed to be working together."
Kell forced herself back into a sitting position. She was bleeding from dozens of cuts and her body was already starting to bruise. She reached for her belt. Roran waved her off and shook his head. He moved towards Merem, closing the distance.
"We weren't sure what the crew would do," said Roran. "We couldn't risk them turning against us, like you did."
"So you heard about that?"
"Kell told me everything."
Merem scowled at Kell, who ignored him. She busied herself instead with wiping blood off her spear and trying to put herself back together.
Shrugging, Merem said, "I simply hedged my bets. I figured I would see where things fell and stick with the winner. Given that you nearly killed me, why don't we call it even. I'm sore about losing the mutt, but I won't bring it up if you don't." Merem stuck out his hand. "Deal?"
Roran looked at the hand, then at Merem. Flooding his etchings with power, Roran snapped his sword up and thrust it through Merem's chest. Merem stiffened, his eyes going wide with shock.
"Sorry," said Roran. "But we need people we can trust."
His voice tight with pain, Merem grunted out, "You were using me from the start?"
Roran nodded.
A pained smile flickered across Merem's face. "Then I don't regret selling you out to Orlas. I'll see you three in hell."
Merem's face went slack and he collapsed.
"What?" Roran stared down at Merem's body. "What about Orlas?"
"What's wrong?" asked Nul, "What did he say?"
Roran looked up to the sky, scanning the horizon. The third ship was already closing in on them.
"Shit! Orlas is on that ship!"
Kell and Nul stared up at the sky, Nul looking anxious and Kell looking tired.
"What do we do?" asked Kell.
Roran looked around at the carnage. If he was clever, he could explain the two ships crashing into each other, he might even be able to explain how they survived, but there was nothing he could say about Ahndor's dead body. He was already under suspicion due to his association with Sarah.
"Sarah, I need you," said Roran.
"I'm here."
"Can they see us?"
Sarah turned her head and began speaking. She made no sounds, but it looked like she was talking to an invisible figure. After a moment, she turned back to Roran. "Orlas is on the ship, he's already seen everything with a spyglass. You won't be able to talk your way out of this. They're deploying squads and Champions to arrest you."
As she spoke, the ship moved even closer and several gondolas began descending towards the ground.
"Do we run?" asked Nul.
"We'll never be able to face the King's," said Kell. "We'd become traitors and be attacked on sight if we ever went back. We'd have to leave the city for good."
"No, the Kings would force us to come back," said Roran. "They wouldn't let us go."
"What do you mean? Orlas and his crew can't take us."
"They won't need to," said Roran. "They have the kids from Sunridge, they have Nul's mother," Roran looked at Kell, staring her in the eye, "And now they have Darling. They'll use them as hostages to force us back and execute us. There cannot be any witnesses to what we've done. We can't let them go."
Nul's shoulders slumped in defeat. "We have to kill even more of them? They don't have any part in this."
"They just helped conquer a nation for the greed of the Kings," said Roran. "There are no innocents in this."
"That's not the same," said Nul. "They were following orders. They were-"
Kell slapped Nul. They stared at her, stunned. She grabbed their shoulders and shook them. "It doesn't matter, if we hesitate, everyone we love dies. I'm not losing anymore of my family. We kill them all. Don't hesitate."
Looking exhausted and defeated, Nul nodded.
The gondolas had reached the ground and began unloading multiple squads of soldiers. Roran could make out the unique profile of a few Champions. He couldn't tell exactly who they were, but they clearly weren't soldiers.
"Nul, I'm sorry to ask this," said Roran. "But I need you to take down that ship."
Nul nodded and stepped forward.
They cupped their hands together, their etchings shifting and changing. Kell quickly began sorting herself, restoring her weapons and cleaning up her spear. She equipped her steel hand and flexed the fingers.
"I don't have much left in me," she said.
"Then focus on the Champions, I'll see what I can do about Orlas and the others."
"This is such a fucking mess."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Kell sighed, watching the fresh batch of combatants march towards them. "Honestly, I don't blame you. I don't blame you one little bit."
Smoke began pouring off Nul's body. They held their hands up, palms open. A geyser of light arced through air and struck the ship. The ship exploded into flaming shrapnel, falling apart under Nul's intense attack.
As the geyser vanished and the sky darkened, the oncoming mass of foes broke into a run, escaping the falling debris and heading straight for Roran and his friends.
(4)
Nul collapsed to a knee, gasping for air.
"Are you good to fight?" asked Roran.
"I need a few minutes," said Nul. They pulled a bottle out of their clothes, popped a stopper and chugged the contents before falling into a coughing fit. "I just need a little time," they said.
"We'll give it to you," said Kell. "Be ready to help with clean up."
Nul, still coughing, could only nod.
Roran flexed his injured arm a few times. It was too damaged to be of much use but it wouldn't hold him back.
Kell stepped away from Roran, giving them both room to fight as the others came running into view. Roran swore under his breath. The Champions with them were Merri, Huffgah, and Krys. Three of the toughest they had.
Orlas stepped forward. There was no hound with him, which Roran was grateful for. Orlas surveyed the scene and held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"You three have made a bit of a mess."
"They just destroyed our ship!" snarled Huffgah. She was red faced and glaring at all three of them. "They killed everyone on board!"
"Now now," said Orlas. "Let's take a moment to breathe. Roran, care to explain."
Orlas was stalling. The other fighters were already beginning to encircle them, with Merri going around to Kell's side and Krys moving around to Nul. Kell watched them with a hard gaze while Nul wiped their mouth with the back of their hand, their breathing slowly coming back under control. Roran decided to play along to give Nul more time to recover. If they wanted to win this fight, they would need their demi-god.
"It's as it seems", he said. "We crashed our ship into Ahndor's so we could get her alone, then we killed her."
"You see, you say you killed her, but I know for a fact she was immortal."
Roran shook his head. "Not immortal, just invulnerable. We were able to undo the etchings that made her that way."
"The Kings gave her that power, so forgive me if I have trouble believing that you just took it away. Only the Kings can do that."
"Or the Worldbreaker," said Kell, grinning. "We've got a demi-god of our own."
"Bullshit!" snarled Huffgah.
"You saw what they can do," said Roran. "You saw it with your own eyes."
Huffgah stepped forward with another biting remark but Orlas held out his hand.
"Why would you do that?" he asked. "Why would you kill General Ahndor?"
They were completely encircled now, with three veteran Champions pinning them on all sides. A handful of soldiers padded out the numbers but the ones that concerned Roran were the lightly armed archers standing behind Orlas. There were four of them and all were keeping their distance. Orlas casually put his hand behind his back and the archers began inching away from the circle in unison. Of all the weapons used against Champions, arrows had always seemed to be the most effective.
"Because she stood between us and the Kings," said Roran.
"There are official ways for fighting the Kings," said Orlas.
The circle was beginning to press forward, the Champions taking half-steps towards the trio. The noose was cinching closed.
"You know those are only for show," Roran responded. "The Kings won't let anyone into their circle that they haven't hand picked. The only way to get to the Kings is to cut down everyone in your path." The archers were getting further and further away and the circle was pressing in close now.
"You've gotten in over your head," said Merri softly. "You three had such a bright future."
Kell gripped her spear, her eyes raking over the soldiers encircling them. "Still do," she said.
"Still an ornery lass, eh?"
"Says the pot to the kettle," Kell said.
Nul rose to their feet. They still looked haggard, but their etchings had already started shifting and rearranging, gearing up for close combat. They looked around the circle, their eyes glossy, before taking a shuddering breath.
"Is this it?" they asked.
Roran sighed. "This is it.".
Merri moved first, exploding towards Kell with his hammer raised. Kell moved in kind, slamming into him like a cannonball. The two rebounded off each other, crashing into the nearby soldiers and scattering them.
Krys went for Nul, her rapier flashing in the light. Nul danced away, gossamer trailing from their fingers. They flung the glowing string at Krys, trying to tangle her up. Krys sliced through the gossamer as though it were cobwebs. Nul stared, stunned, before dodging away as Krys came in for another attack.
Huffgah charged Roran. Roran ducked out of the way, rolling behind her and going for Orlas...who was sprinting away at full speed. He was chasing after the archers who were getting distance from the melee. Roran swore and tried to follow, but a hand latched onto his shoulder and hurled him to the ground.
Huffgah stomped on Roran's shoulder. Snarling in pain, Roran poured energy into his etchings. He planted his foot into Huffgah's chest and kicked her off him. She hit the ground, rolled back to her feet, and was charging at Roran again in seconds.
With Orlas and his archers getting further and further away, Roran didn't have time to deal with Huffgah. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of Nul's glowing orbs. With a whisper of energy, Roran activated the spell inside and tossed the orb into the air. He dropped to the ground and covered his head.
There was a loud blast and Roran was pressed further into the dirt. His ears ringing, Roran climbed back to his feet to find Huffgah flat on her back, blood coming from her eyes and ears. She struggled back to a sitting position, coughing and swearing.
Roran rushed her. He slammed into her sword first, pushing her back into the dirt and plunging his blade through her chest. Without pausing, he pulled his sword free and began running after Orlas.
Once he was free of the melee, he paused and looked back at the mess behind him. Several of the soldiers had been caught in the fray and were lying on the ground, beaten and bloody. Kell and Merri kept taking swings at each other. Kell was clearly stronger, but she was winded and her godspell had drained her, leaving her on even terms with Merri. Krys was chasing Nul around, carving apart their gossamer before they could weave together any sort of spell or counterattack.
"Kell," Roran called, "You fight Krys, Nul you fight Merri."
Without any sort of acknowledgement, Kell threw herself into Merri. He raised a shield and pushed her back. Kell went with the momentum, hitting the ground and rolling directly towards Nul. Nul lightly jumped over Kell and headed straight for Merri, the two swapping opponents smoothly and gracefully. That settled, Roran continued after Orlas.