A good death
Magic spells exploded everywhere around us. Kuas was screaming something at the archers and mages that still obeyed him. Something about helping some of the men that lost their priest in another barricade ahead and were devastated by unstoppable fire power. The barricades were lined in rows like church seats, so they can be as many archers and mages firing as possible.
We'd discovered that that's the best way to go about this war a week ago, three days from the first attack day. That spearmen were practically useless and we'd best fight this battle with long distance attacks as the enemy troops could get nasty once they close the distance. Turns out they had knights hiding among the priests and mages making them dreadful in close distance attacks. We had taking quite the losses before we understood that.
"Can somebody still breathing take to their rescue? We can't let them die picked like life stocks!" The commander said.
It said something about Wali tradition that even though they sacrifice their lifes on a whim, they would not to let their men be slaughtered helplessly. Unless it's their men's choice. They said a man that can't resist give no sacrifice; you save him and help him to health so he's strong enough to sacrifice for all another day. If you should die they wanted to be sure it was your choice if they can help it. They wanted to know for certain that you could attempt to flee but chose not too, not spent away unable to run like the men that needed rescue.
That was no good death.
"We can do it," Gera said with resolve. "Yakub could shield us, the five of us could carry one each."
"I can carry two," Mace offered. He's a knight and only stayed with us because he could shoot arrows.
"Sure," Gera nodded. Yakub cast his shield in a circle that excluded Jakesean and Mace that were sitting at the other end of the barricade to him. Yakub is a dark skined boy wearing a black robe. I knew him from the novel too. Imagine my surprise when I found him here. He's the bastard that became emperor later on so how had he escaped this valley? Or had he never been here in the novel? Anyway he's a really resourceful guy that brings us to my point; I know the limit of his powers. It was mentioned in the Kvilkish pass when he, Relda, Baron Joe, Jake Highvoid, Charles Word and Kobe wanted to cross the city with Scars perching in it waiting to stick an arrow through their eyes.
Yakub had said he could only take three with him inside his barrier. So Relda, The baron and Jake Highvoid went with him.
The others shuffled inside the barrier and they got ready to leave. "Excuse me," I called suddenly stopping them in their tracks. "You know I could read emotions and I feel that Yakub has doubts about his barrier, what's really the capacity of this thing, can it take all of us?"
Yakub frowned. "It's no matter,"
"That's not what your mind is telling me,"
Gera frowned. "We are wasting time here. Yakub is there anything we should worry about?"
The black kid sighed. "My limit is me and three others but I can carry the five of us. Stretched, but I can manage. See I am covering us all.... "
"Enough of it," Gera snapped. "Didn't you go to school? You know the rules Yak, you don't stretch it, it might fail under an attack and kill us all. That's it, we are dropping someone,"
"The obvious choice is me," I interjected grinning.
Gera glared at me. "Was that why you notified us?"
"What, you think I'm a coward? Go ahead, say it! I just didn't want to slow you down. See Mace is a knight, Yakub and you are a must, Jakesean known for his attack powers, he can cancel some of the spells from the air,"
Gera fell silent for a moment as if considering then finally nodded and ordered the others to follow her. Just as they moved out of the barricade a red beam landed on the barrier shaking it and those within. Jakesean suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. "Ah, my leg!" He screamed. Are you serious?
"What happened?" Yakub asked.
Gera knelt beside the fallen boy and inspected the foot before shaking her head. "His foot is sprained," she announced then turned to me, "seems it falls on you now, up for it?"
I hated it but I just grinned and drank from my water skin. "Always," I said nonchalantly.
The stupid girl blinked for a moment and I rolled my eyes internally. You think I'll show any expression? You are still a child.
We left together, leaving Jakesean still gritting his teeth behind the barricade. Out to the open we went, with spells landing randomly yet insistently around and atop us. Dust had rising making vision unclear, yet we plodded forward like samurais with hard hearts. I am sure that's how the others felt but I just felt resigned reluctance. My armor weighin me down some too but nothing I could do about it now.
Spells were bouncing off Yakub's barrier before long. But we reached the first barricade safely. A young man was in charge of it and he waved us on. The way the barricades were made we had to go over them to get past. We passed yet two more barricades before reaching the right one. Florence Feirciers was the commander there much to my surprise.
"Kids?" He questioned with raised eyebrows. Beside him were other soldiers both mages, priest and archers. Blue shields covered everyone, not a whole shield for all, but small ones casted around groups by many priests.
"We are the only ones Kaus could spare," Gera shrugged.
"Cause you are the only ones he got? Right, let me see what I could do with you. Where's Jakesean?"
"Injured...." Yakub replied then realized he was vague and added, "Ah, he hurt his foot from a groundshake,"
"He did didn't he?" Florence grinned wildly, "I assume four is about the capacity of your shield eh?"____ Yakub nodded___ "This is what we'll do. We got men trapped up there with nothing to protect them from the priest's army except curses; we'll go there and fetch them
"Biva you take Mace with you, he can carry two so he'll make for the three spots left in your shield, the rest as you are, I'll be going with Yakub..... Gera stay back and watch for reinforcement, Derek with her,"
He stepped into Yakub's barrier as Gera and Mace stepped out. Derek turned out to be an old man white of hair in a pure black robe. So a priest? Look more like a wizard though. Yet this is not a fantasy story is it?
We turned and went again. Four more barricades later we reached the area. It was empty of life safe for a low painful moan that hung permanently in the air, all the men manning it were already dead, blown to smiters by vengeful spells, their guts hanging out, spilled on the rocky ground. Immediately a bad smell attacked our noses. "God of light!" Florence cursed, "But it's to be expected.... Let's check the ones ahead."
I will not bore you the details, safe to say we got no one alive even at those barricades ahead. Lord Natt sent more men to man those places but you could see it in everyone's eyes; we had lost a lot.
The battle was drawing to an end. Yet I was the only one in the valley not looking for a good death. I was the only one not looking for death too I suspect.
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