Lyra, Talish, Corrin, and several other Paladins were tracking the nuisance spellcasters. Most of the time, the Paladins would recruit any spellcaster they found, many times the most powerful of the Paladins helping novice ones control their power if they chose not to join them. But these spellcasters were causing havoc and chaos, thus the nearby town leaders had appealed to the Paladins to aid them in being rid of them. The patrol that had the ill-luck to come across them had been attacked and all but one were killed. Unfortunately, he, too, died of his wounds. First Knight Kalmin Orana had been livid and had ordered the most powerful and the strongest of the Paladins to track them. He led one group while Corrin led the other. The newly appointed Colonel was leading a patrol for the first time. Kalmin gave strict orders not to engage the sorcerers. Corrin's group found them first.
"There they are," Corrin whispered.
"What now?" a Knight asked.
"We observe." The spellcasters seemed agitated and seemed to be watching the area to their left. Lyra muttered an eavesdropping spell and listened.
"I swear to you, there's a large patrol of Paladins heading north. They are parallel to us right now."
"What do you want to do? Surprise them?"
"I'm not waiting for them to find us."
"What are six of us going to do against them?"
"We have our blood to aid us. What do they have? Swords and bows. What is steel against our might?"
Lyra gasped and released the spell.
"What did they say?" Talish asked.
"They're Bloodletters. They know Kalmin's patrol is to the west heading north. They are planning on attacking them. They have no chance."
Talish's eyes widened. Bloodletters were known for their fatal spells and they drew energy from blood, whether it be their own or others. Talish had heard of them bleeding civilians dry to power their spells.
"They need to be warned but we have no way to do so." All eyes turned to Lyra. "Unless you have a spell that can warn them."
She shook her head. "I have a large amount of spells at my disposal but I fear that is not one of them."
"Then what do we do?"
Corrin was silent, scenarios running rampant through his mind. When he remained silent, Lyra spoke.
"I'm the only one that has a decent chance to distract them. One of you will need to warn Kalmin and his patrol."
"Kalmin gave strict orders that we not engage..."
"Screw Kalmin's orders. This will be on my head. None of you will be involved with this."
Talish grabbed Lyra's arm. "This is suicide, Lyra."
"So was removing that collar." It was the first time in twelve years she'd even mentioned or referred to her binding.
Talish was the only one alive who knew exactly how powerful she was. He bit his lip, torn between allowing her to risk her life to save the others or leaving Kalmin and his patrol to their fates.
"Trust me," she said.
He sighed. "Be careful, Captain."
She only gave him a lopsided grin, something they would do to each other frequently, before she disappeared into the trees.
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That wasn't a good sign."
The six Bloodletters heard movement in the trees and turned to their right to see a lone female Paladin step out of the trees, brushing leaves off her armor. Her chest plate was smaller and not as heavy as they were used to seeing on a Paladin but they knew her for one when they saw the Paladin Flame on her chest. They immediately turned towards her, their staves at the ready. The Paladin's red-brown hair was bound neatly in a bun at the crown of her head. She had a sword at her hip and a bow and quiver at her back. She seemed to have seen them and stopped.
"Looks like one of the Paladins was stupid enough to try to face us on her own," one said with a grin.
She only smiled and drew her sword, a mischievous look in her eye. "Looks like six spellcasters were stupid enough to threaten a Paladin."
"Confident one, I see. Shall we test your steel against our magic?"
"I dare say you are a bit overconfident in your spells."
"You will die like your brothers!" He raised his staff.
"I think not," she said and held her sword blade across her body. "But if you want to dance, just say so." He sent a blast of his dark magic towards her. She grinned as it hit a protective shield.
Lyra knew the shield would only hold for so long. She needed to keep their attention long enough for Kalmin and his patrol to surprise them from behind. If he did. It was no secret the First Knight had no love for her. Since Mathros' death and his accession to First Knight, Kalmin had been trying to make Lyra's life miserable in an effort to force her to leave the only place she felt she belonged. He knew about her binding and knew about the power she harbored. He never liked that Mathros had allowed her to join the Paladins. And she knew he was looking for any excuse to expel or imprison her. If he didn't just watch and hope she lost, there was no telling what he would do. She knocked two of the Bloodletters out of the fight when Kalmin appeared. The next blast hit her with a force she hadn't anticipated and her shield shattered. She gave a cry of surprise and was pushed backward. Two of the Bloodletters saw the patrol as she was regaining her balance. Lyra saw both of them slash their arms open and use their life essence to begin a spell of attack aimed at Kalmin. In a burst of speed and strength enhanced by her magic, she threw herself between the spell and the First Knight. She somehow managed to deflect the spell off her now magically enhanced sword and caused it to hit one of the Bloodletters that had been knocked out moments before, killing him instantly. She heard Kalmin swear loudly behind her and his sword leaving its sheath. She didn't see the other spell be cast and it struck her in the left arm, shattering it. She screamed in pain and surprise. Lyra instinctively pulled her useless arm close to her chest and countered with her own fatal spell, using her sword as a medium. She slammed the blade into the earth, gritting her teeth as the movement jarred her arm, and focused the spell toward the enemy. As the spell touched them, they fell one by one, convulsing on the ground before moving no more. Corrin's patrol had come out of hiding after Kalmin's arrival.
Talish ran to Lyra's side and took her arm. She winced. "Can you move it at all?"
"I will in a moment," she said as she began the healing process on her arm.
Lyra gritted her teeth as the shattered bone moved and mended and torn muscle stitched itself back together. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pain increased with the healing. Kalmin couldn't quite believe how close he had come to death. A Lieutenant checked the Bloodletters. They were all dead. Lyra tested her now whole arm.
"Back to the Keep. Mahariel, go immediately to the healers and have them tend to you. I want to see you in my office as soon as they release you."
"I have the ability to heal myself, sir."
"That much healing in that amount of time isn't good for you. Go to the healers as soon as we return. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir."