The night was a long one, and from the lack of the usual snores in Kendi's room, none of the other women were having an easy time either.
After a few hours, I get up. I can't bear to go into the lamp and see him sitting there, unconscious, and know I'll never see my Father in the same body again. So instead, I wrap a blanket around my shoulders and head outside, wandering.
I go first to the tunnel that led outside, stopping when I reached the door, then turning around as quickly as I came. I don't want to talk to him, despite my apparent subconscious desires for more information.
Finally, I come to a stop at the arch of the training room, staring out at the empty expanse of dirt. Starlight and moonlight alike filter in through the trees, then the roots, of the land above, painting an mysterious picture of dark and light.
There's a figure inside, slashing and bashing a poor training dummy, repeating the same moves over and over, until the dummy is covered in slashes and hay is falling out onto the floor.
"Your opponent isn't going to stand still and just take a beating." I call out, watching smugly as Len stumbles, looking for the source of my voice.
His eyes finally land on me, a smile breaking across his face. "Hey Asra. Long time no see, apparently in that time you've become a battle expert?" He raised and eyebrow, and I laughed.
"Not even close, but I know it's better to fight someone who'll hit back rather then to slash this poor dummy to pieces."
"His name's Fred." Len pouted, then grinned. "Why don't you show me what you learned then? I bet with all the special attention you've been getting this month, you might actually stand a chance against poor old me, the legend." He pretended to look up, striking a fierce pose.
I laugh, "You look ridiculous, Mr. Legend. Bring it on." I leave the blanket by the entrance, my staff appearing in my hand from the inside of my lamp. Len raised his sword in response, and waited for me to get to the edge of the circle, standing on his own respective side.
"I'll go easy on you."
I grin, "Your mistake."
We step into the circle, weapons raised. Len makes the first move, making a series of quick blows that I'm able to deflect easily enough. "You aren't even trying." I say, deflecting another weak blow that I could see coming from a mile away. Before he can aim another one, I grab the end of my staff; lifting it so the end points towards Len. He can't stop his forwards momentum towards me, and runs right into it, knocking the wind out of him and making him fall flat on his back.
I walk over, leaning over him with a smirk. "You may not be trying, but I am."
Len let out a puff of air, looking up at me, and taking my outstretched hand. "That's how you want to play huh?" He said, standing and pulling his sword from the dust. "Just don't get mad when I take you down."
He launches himself at me, and I dart to the side, the staff dragging in the dirt where I had stood and tripping him as he ran forwards. "Don't count on it." I leap backwards as he takes another swipe at me with the long blade, using my staff to block the blow. A Piece of wood chips off, and I use the block to push him back; my arms shaking with the effort.
Len comes again, this time with the three blades out, it hinders his agility I notice, all three blades catching the air at once and slowing him down. It might be more deadly, and scarier looking, but it slows him down more than a regular blade would.
Not to mention the extra weight has to be more tiring.
I grin, knocking him on the head a few times and dancing back from the range of his sword. Len became clumsier, and I became bolder, coming closer and knocking his feet out from under him. But in one swift movement, Len brought the blades up, slicing my staff arm and knocking me to the ground as well. He leapt up, all previous signs of fatigue gone, holding the points of the three blades to my throat.
"Do you yield?" He asked, looking to my arm apologetically. I grin, nodding, then take his hand up. The cut on my arm is already healing, and Len winces. "Sorry."
"You're fine." I reassure him, more concerned with how he beat me. "That was impressive, how'd you know that pretending to me tired would get me?"
"It get's almost everyone," Len said, "You're not special in noticing how heavy a three pronged blade can get. After a little bit, all it takes is a drooping blade and a little fake panting to make them become more reckless; thinking I'm too tired to stop them."
"That's a sound tactic." I say, "But what happens when they figure out that and want to fight again?"
Len shrugs, "Then I fight, and hope having three blades instead of one is a help to me and not whoever I'm fighting."
I lean on him, panting slightly. "We should both go to bed. We have a war to fight tomorrow." I sigh, leaning into him, and he pats my back.
"You have a war to fight, actually. I'll be there the entire time though, to help you make it through. You can count on me." He lifts my face, kissing me lightly. "Get to bed." He says, pushing me towards to door.
"You too. You can't protect anyone if you're dead tired." I say over my shoulder, picking up the blanket, and heading to my room.
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I awake the next morning to Kendi tapping my shoulder, and nod, getting up with bleary eyes. We head outside after she's fitted with her armor, and I create my own, each piece fitted to perfection so I can move freely; but enchanted to be light, so I won't exhaust myself just trying to keep from falling off Wiccet.
When we approach the horses, I don't look him in the eyes, climbing into the already tightened saddle and waiting for everyone else to get ready. I could feel him poking around the edges of my mind, but ignored it, not letting him in.
I should be delighted to know he's alive. I think, eyeing the back of his neck as we set off, absentmindedly playing with a bit of Wiccet's mane. Instead I refuse to look at him and pretend he doesn't exist, like a child. What is wrong with me?
"How're you feeling?" Kendi appears beside me, she looks calm, but there are bags under her eyes, evidence of the restless night she had.
"I fine." I shake my head. "I would worry more about the soldiers on foot, how far do we have to go? It took days for Len and I to get her on horseback."
Kendi smiled, "That's because you guys took the long way. You came in from the east side of the forest, and the castle is to the west of us, where the forest is thinner. When we get to the edge of the forest, we'll camp for the night."
"How far after that?"
"After that, the entire town is surrounded by fields, they'll see us coming from miles away, and have plenty of time to prepare." She bit her lip. "That's where you come in."
"Me?" I ask, "I didn't know I was going to do anything." I wince, that sounded terrible. Now I look like a slacker. "I mean I wasn't told I would be helping at all."
Kendi let out a small laugh, "It's fine, we're all kind of strained, impending war and all. What happens in the next few days might as well decide the fate of the kingdom. But you know now, when we get to the edge of the forest, Len'll cast an illusion, so they will see us, but when you come into play they'll have no idea."
"That's where you and Baldur come in. Baldur and you will teleport the troops in small groups into the safe house just outside the kingdom. When the illusion falls, we'll already be inside, attacking before they can react properly."
I frown, "That's going to take a huge amount of magical power. I should have been told so I could start storing my energy."
Kendi raises her eyebrows, and Wiccet's ears flick back, I know he's listening. "I still have the crystals from fighting Rena, that woman I told you about." I explain. "I can store power in them because of her wish, and use it later." I sigh, touching the surface of my lamp. "Now all I've got is what she had stored, but that's not much compared to the amount of times I'll be coming back and forth."
"That's why I'll be there too." Says a voice beside me, and Baldur appears, riding a gray horse that looks about as old as he is. "I will lend you my power for the transfer, you'll need those crystals later."
"For what?" I ask, Kendi looking just as curious as I am beside me.
But Baldur just turned, leaving us alone again.
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We arrive at the edge later that night, the castle and the city around it nothing more than a spec in the distance. I lick my lips, nervous. They want me to go there and back how many times again? Someone touches my shoulder, and I turn to see Wiccet, looking at me with sad eyes. I'll be there too, I'll go last to take the brunt of it.
I frown. How'd you get past my wall?
A old secret. Wiccet flicks an ear, looking away from me to an approaching group of people herded together by Baldur. There must be hundreds of them. Everyone else in camp is busy setting up tents, and I frown. "I thought we weren't staying the night."
"We aren't." Says Baldur. "But the waiting soldiers need somewhere to rest while they wait their turn and until Len gets the illusion working, we need to put on a show."
"Right. When do we start?" I take a deep breath, eyeing the soldiers following Baldur obediently.
"I've got the first group ready," He says, nodding over towards Len, who stands in the middle of the throng of people, chanting. "They probably know we're here by now. We'll have to work fast."
As if in response, Len lets out a rush of breath, a rainbow colored film appearing around him and spreading across the rest of the camp to form a bubble of sorts. It stops after encompassing us all, making the light look as if it was filtering through a kaleidoscope; rainbows landing on the ground and the people below.
"Wow." I breathe, hearing the rest of the soldiers having reactions similar to mine.
"We start now then." Says Baldur, taking my hand. "I'll lend you power, but the rest is up to you."
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I fall to the ground; my head spinning, and drop yet another golden tinted crystal to the ground. It doesn't refill on my power, because I have almost none left. Hands grab my shoulders, lifting me to my feet, and thrusting a glass of water into my hands. There are pats on my back, and encouraging words, but they call come through a haze.
I'm things finally begin to register in my brain, it's only because I can feel power flowing to me from Baldur, and I give him a grateful smile. He smiles back, for once since I've ever met him, actually looking a little worn out.
We're in the forest for the last time; all of the soldiers are at the other base except for Len, Baldur, Wiccet, and me. Fira went over with the first group to make sure the base was preparing to move as soon as possible. As I watch with tired eyes, Len darts a glance over at us, then mutters a few words; before running over to us.
"It'll only last about a minute without me giving it power." He says breathlessly.
I nod. "Let's go then." I look over at Baldur, the flickering rainbow light highlighting shadows and creases in his old face. He sets his mouth in a firm line, giving me a burst of power. I focus it, and then right as the rainbow light flickers out, and we begin to fall.
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Some pretty messed up stuff coming up, just a warning. >:)
Also the end of the book as well.
Prepare yourselves.
Mwhahahah!